Hello, everyone. The polar storm has really laid it on in the south. Gales hit 135km/hr at Stewart Island. Snow's fallen from Southland right up to plateau, and now cold, squally showers, beefed up with thunder, are stalking the north. The only happy bunnies are the ones with skis. The big picture coming up. Right now, it's 6 o'clock. Due to the live nature of ONE News we apologise for the lack of captions for some items. This is ONE News, with Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie. Tonight ` a state assets sell-off gets the green light, but the debate's been fiery right to the end. Now we have word of another potential fish hook. Pictures that shocked the world ` why the Twin Towers collapse is being compared to the CTV building. Spot the difference ` the DVD for defensive drivers displaying old road rules. We have exclusive details. And the sweet smile of success ` so why does an Olympic double medal winner now feel hard done by? Kia ora. Good evening. Within the past hour, the controversial final step's been taken so you can buy shares in state-owned assets. But there's now a threat of legal action that could force costly delays. With those details, here's political editor Corin Dann. FAR FROM POPPING THE CHAMPAGNE OVER LEGISLATION PASSING, GOVERNMENT BEING PRETTY CAUTIOUS WITH STILL SOME WAY TO GO. THEY NEED A VERY SUCCESSFUL FLOAT WITH THE SHARE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN RUNNING WITHOUT A HITCH. THE WARNING OF LEGAL ACTION WAS PRE-EMPTIVE. It's long been the government's aim to get 49% of Mighty River Power on the block by the end of September. And while that remains its goal, it warns legal action from Maori could hold things up. There is no merit to any litigation and that the issues of water, which sit at the heart of any potential litgation, have been well and truly covered off through lots of other things we're doing. I'm just simply saying that there is always a risk. One threat of legal action comes from central North Island iwi Ngati Tuwharetoa. It owns lakebeds and rivers from which Mighty River Power draws water to generate electricity, and it wants compensation. The government's confirmed it is talking to Tuwharetoa about water rights issues. And it's acknowledged it could hold back some Mighty River Power shares and give them to the iwi as part of a future Treaty settlement. It's possible that in that context as part of their Treaty settlement, they may be interested in shares in energy companies, because they live with assets. We certainly don't rule that out. The idea drew a mixed response from opponents of the SOE sales. Obviously, from my point of view, it's not a good thing. I want the assets to stay in public ownership. But I can see the logic of what government's proposing. It's a sign of desperation. Iwi asked for that right at the start, and he said no. The government maintains negotiations with Tuwharetoa have been carried out in a good spirit and the iwi is not trying to be opportunistic. It may be an intense plea to the Prime Minister ` Call yourself a Kiwi? You are greedy. but it's too little, too late. A small group marched from Te Papa to Parliament CHANTING: Keep our assets! trying to convince some politicians to change their mind and stop the partial sell-off. A hundred! We have $1500. Labour MP Charles Chauvel joined in the role play. And thank you very much, NZ, for letting us have these beautiful assets. Now bugger off! This protest is just one in a series of demonstrations happening throughout the country today. Another group gathered in Auckland outside Mercury Energy, which is the retail arm of Mighty River Power. Aotearoa is not for sale! The energy company is set to be the first asset partially sold. There was opposition in the debating chamber too, with a fiery last-ditch debate. I understand that. Order. Order! Order! That chicken member... Did we have an election on this issue? And they, in their arrogant way, believe that they are right. Laugh now, and cry later. The fight is not finished. It will be out of here and on to the streets. He's talking about the citizens'-initiated referendum. Opponents need more than 300,000 signatures to make that happen. Don't forget, the referendum isn't binding, so even if they get that number it may not make a difference. Jessica Mutch, ONE News. Political editor Corin Dann's back with us. Now, Corin, the focus turns to the sale process. How confident is the government that NZers will actually buy shares? NERVOUS GIVEN OPPOSITION. SOME POLLS ARE SHOWING AS MUCH AS 60% WUOLD BUY DESPITE DISAGREEING WITH THE POLICY. IT CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE SALE. IT WILL HURT IT AT THE POLLS. Political editor Corin Dann. The collapse of the CTV building's been likened to the Twin Towers after the 9/11 terror attacks on America. The comparisons come from a witness during a second day of gruelling testimony at the earthquake inquiry in Christchurch. Lisa Davies is covering the hearing and joins us now. Lisa. DRAMATIC EVIDENCE TODAY FROM TWO SURVIVORS ` TWO WOMEN WHO HAD FEARED WORKING IN THE CTV BUILDING AFTER THE SEPTEMBER QUAKE, BUT WERE ASSURED IT WAS SAFE. ONE OF THEM ` THE CTV RECEPTIONIST ` MANAGED TO MAKE IT OUT ALIVE BECAUSE OF HER HABIT OF FLEEING THE BUILDING EVERY TIME AN AFTERSHOCK HIT, It somehow felt steeper. Reliving a nightmare. Sorry. Margaret Aydon was on the third floor as the CTV building fell. I just remember screaming, 'Get under your desks, get under your desks' at the top of my voice, hoping that everybody on the floor could hear me. Maryanne Jackson was working in CTV's reception on the ground floor when the quake hit. It was like the end of the world. It was absolutely shocking. I'll never forget it. The only CTV worker to get out alive, her written evidence was read today. The sound was horrific, like a jet plane landing on the roof. I sensed the building was breaking up. She managed to escape. I could see the building collapsing behind me. It felt like the building was chasing me as I ran. It came down in seconds, according to those who saw it, some seeing concrete pillars explode. It was exactly like seeing the collapse of the World Trade Centre buildings. There was debris everywhere. It looked like a war zone. These past two days have provided a long list of concerns workers had about the CTV building after the September and Boxing Day quakes. Sometimes the movement of the building was so bad, I felt seasick. The commission's heard pens rolled off desks if they weren't stuck down, and cracks widened ` some up to 5cm. You could now put your hand through to the wall. Some workers have told the commission they wondered if the building had been adequately inspected or even inspected at all after the Boxing Day quake, adding to a tough day of testimony for Julie Hibbs. It just brings back the day when it happened, really. She lost her mother in the CTV building. I just feel I need to be there for her. Her mother was one of the 115 who went into the CTV building that day never to return. LATE THIS AFTERNOON, THE COMMISSION HEARD FROM A BUILDER WHO HAD AN APPOINTMENT ON THE SIXTH FLOOR OF THE BUILDING A WEEK BEFORE THE FEBRUARY QUAKE. HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE DAMAGE TO ONE OF THE BUILDING'S COLUMNS AND WAS WORRIED AT THE TIME IT WOULDN'T WITHSTAND ANOTHER EARTHQUAKE. Lisa Davies reporting from Christchurch. Rugby bosses are tonight refusing to name the 'Baby Black' accused of rape. It's claimed the incident happened at a hotel after the NZ under-20s loss to host South Africa in the final. Heather du Plessis-Allan has the latest. Within a matter of hours, the Baby Blacks' tournament went from a disappointing loss to a police inquiry. One of the squad is under investigation for rape. There is obviously a very serious allegation been made in South Africa. Despite suspicion now hanging over all 28 members of the squad, the rugby union won't name the player. No charges have been laid, nobody was detained in South Africa, he's not been to a police station, so to name him and put all that pressure on him, we think would be inappropriate. The alleged incident happened after the NZ under-20 squad lost the junior world cup championship for the first time in its five-year existence. Later that night, South African newspapers say an unnamed 22-year-old woman arrived at the team's Cape Town hotel. In the morning she alleged rape and police were called. They've medically tested the woman, and according to hotel staff there, blood was found on one of the sheets in one of the hotel rooms. Police say the woman doesn't recall exactly what happened. I would describe her as fragile, but also severely traumatised when she was interviewed. It's against team protocol for the woman to have been in a player's room at all. On tour, our rugby squads are under strict rules to avoid situations like 15 years ago when the then-Hurricanes player Roger Randle was falsely accused of rape. In this case, the player is already back at home. He was allowed to leave South Africa with the rest of the squad on Sunday after giving a statement and a DNA sample to local police. He may yet have to return to South Africa for further questioning. The rugby union says he's very upset at the allegations levelled against him and, no doubt, the turn the tournament took. Heather du Plessis-Allan, ONE News. To the Scott Guy trial now, where the defence has rubbished claims the killer wore dive boots similar to a pair owned by the murder accused. The Crown's own witness agreed the prints seemed to come from a bigger boot than Ewen Macdonald's. Simon Bradwell is covering the case, and joins us from the High Court in Wellington. THE BOOTPRINTS WERE RUBBISHED BY DEFENCE. The Crown says they were made by size 9, Pro Line dive boots worn by Ewen MacDonald. The defence, however, claims the prints were made by someone else. The number of wave patterns that we have would suggest, quite strongly, wouldn't it, that we are dealing with a size 11 or size 12. The Crown says the wavy pattern of the bootprints left by the killer indicates they were the Pro Line brand and measuring the prints show they are a size 9 ` the same as a pair of Pro Lines they say Ewen MacDonald owned. But the defence wanted the bootprints measured a different way, asking the Crown's own forensic scientist witness to count the rows of waves in the pattern,... Do you agree that in each of those casts, you counted between 32 and 33 rows of waves in the fore-foot area? I do. ...then compared that with the rows of waves on a sample size 9 boot. 29. And as a result of that difference... Could that Pro Line boot that's been produced as an exhibit size 9 have made an impression leaving 32 to 33 waves in the fore-foot area? No, it could not. The boots the killer wore have never been found. Ewen MacDonald's wife, recalled to the stand, said she couldn't remember seeing MacDonald's Pro Line boots after they moved house in 2008. I'm assuming I threw it on the trailer because I wouldn't want one old tatty dive boot. In the science-dominated day, another expert said Ewen MacDonald's DNA couldn't be excluded from a trace found on the farm shotgun. But she agreed the DNA could have been the result of regular use or could have been someone else's all together. So, Simon ` how far through the Crown case are we now? TWO WITNESSES LEFT, LIKELY TO FINISH TOMORROW. The hunt's still on for the killer of a popular pizza man, but two men have now been arrested for vandalising memorials left at his Waikato shop. Police say they don't believe the incident's related to the murder of Paeroa personality Jordan Voudouris eight days ago. Exactly how the 55-year-old died is still being kept secret by police. The two men face charges of wilful damage and theft in the Waihi District Court next week. Three months after new give way laws were introduced, ONE News can reveal that people doing defensive driving courses are still using the old rules. Tens of thousands do the classes each year, and the Automobile Association admits it'll be months before it updates the DVD it hands out as homework. This from Donna-Marie Lever. Police say changes to the give way rules has been flawless since the law change in late March. But now the Automobile Association admits part of its defensive driving course still refers to the old rules. Pretty bad light, huh? On this DVD, issued as homework, the oncoming car is turning right; our car is turning left; so the other driver should give way. But: You've missed something really important. Better look again. The correct answer is marked wrong, because the DVD was made in 2009 and hasn't been updated. And when we explained that to drivers: No, I think that's less than acceptable. Total confusion. How on earth can you teach the absolute opposite in one training programme? You would think the AA would have their act together. AA wouldn't front on camera, but issued a statement saying that while it's not ideal, it's only a minor part of the disc, which contains considerable safety measures, and students are told before they receive it. As long as the students doing the course are made aware of what the rules are and at the end of that course they fully understand what the new rules are then the fact that they also know what the old rules are isn't a concern. The courses are worth a lot to AA. Each year around 20,000 people spend $195 each to learn defensive driving. That could earn the organisation almost $4m a year. But the AA says it only gets around $1m of that. The rest is pocketed by private companies running the same programme. You will need to pass five modules. While a replacement to this is due in October, following ONE News inquiries, the AA will now make a decision in the next few days if the DVD with the wrong rules will be pulled from the course. Donna-Marie Lever, ONE News. There's lots more ahead on ONE News. Battle lines are drawn as some farmers fight radical plans for dairy giant Fonterra. It's been a day for winter coats or huddling indoors in Southland. And the argument that means it could be a very long time between buses in Auckland. Then at 7 ` he's received death threats for working with our troops, so why can't we guarantee his safety? The body of a sailor killed in a motorbike accident in the Cook Islands has arrived back in NZ. Able Seaman William Delamere died in Rarotonga over the weekend while the HMNZS Otago was in port. His family will take him to Whitianga Marae for a private tangi. A stake in the country's biggest business may soon be up for grabs, but some farmers are determined to keep outside investors out of Fonterra. The dairy giant's got approval for the controversial trading scheme, but a fightback is underway. Sarah Batley has more. It's a lucrative industry that's now allowing townies to get some of the cream. Fonterra is going ahead with plans to change its structure. The dairy industry is one that we're proud of, and I think there's a lot of interest both in terms of general public and overseas to participate in that growth prospect. The cooperative will remain in the hands of farmers, but outsiders will, for the first time, be allowed to invest in exchange for some of the profits. The proposal was put to the vote of Fonterra's 10,000 farmer members. Two-thirds supported it. But opponents say there are still a large number of farmers against the idea and are vowing to continue the fight, with legal action a possibility. It's certainly morally wrong. Whether it's legally correct or not ` other people ` I'm not a lawyer. Fonterra says outside investors are needed for the business to grow and to help pay for farmers who want to sell their stake in Fonterra back to the company. And I've had a good number of farmers ring me. Some of them hadn't supported it, but they're saying now the wide majority of farmers are supporting it, they'll get behind the co-operative. But for those wanting to buy into Fonterra, it could be pricey. Experts say it's too early to predict what a stake could cost, but expect strong demand. I think it's got all the right attributes to be a really good long-term investment, and that's why there will be substantial interest in Fonterra. But it's one step at a time, as a law needs to be passed by Parliament first. Sarah Batley, ONE News. The tiny island of Cyprus has become the fifth country to ask for a Eurozone bailout. Its government needs almost $3b to prop up banks which have been caught in the spillover from the crisis in Greece. Cyprus joins Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Spain in asking for help. Egypt's newly elected president faces his first challenge as he tries to wrestle back control from the military. As Mohammed Morsi moves into the presidential place, one of his priorities will be a new constitution. The old one was dissolved by the generals days before the election. The military council says it'll co-operate with the president for the sake of stability. Political unrest continues in Syria. This unverified footage is believed to show shelling in the city of Homs and a rare glimpse of a group of army tanks firing together. There're more reports of defections from the military. A general and several others of high rank are among those who've fled to Turkey in recent days. A cold snap in the Deep South has sent temperatures plunging and caused some disruption for locals. Worst hit are southern and western parts of Southland, where snow has fallen to sea level. Max Bania reports. Southland may have avoided the strong gales forecast overnight, but today there was no escaping the snow. Half an hour ago, none of this snow. We could see right to Invercargill, in that direction to the south, which is about close to 40 K away, but now this has set in. It fell from Fiordland in the west to the Catlins in the East, up to 20cm in places, bringing some towns to a standstill. Here in Nightcaps, it's been snowing for most of the day. It's not surprising, given we're about 300m above sea level. But it's still been strong enough to ensure all the schools today are closed. That didn't mean the students weren't hard at work. Why aren't you at school today? > Because it closed down, and` and` and that's cool, and everyone in the classroom` my classroom said, 'Yay!' And though the locals seemed happy enough in their winter coats, icy roads meant misery for motorists. Police warned drivers to allow extra time on their journeys. The Milford road remains closed, while the AA is warning of ice on many inland highways, including the main road into Queenstown. The Crown Range Road, linking the resort town with Wanaka, is also closed to towing vehicles. And there's no let-up in sight for the south, with the cold snap expected to last another two days. Max Bania, ONE News. So what's the latest on this storm, Jim? The storm has moved away to the east, but we still have a brutally cold sou'wester with gales tonight through much of Southland-Clutha and tomorrow in central Hawkes Bay and Tararua. The snow level is lifting. The hardest hit by the polar surge... Snow's now falling on the northern high country. For weather, see onenews.co.nz For weather, see onenews.co.nz Couple of shots of the Wakatipu Basin today. Back with a cold-looking Wednesday for you after sport. Up next on ONE News ` we're live for the latest on the row threatening Auckland's bus service. Some called him crazy ` a big milestone for a bungee jumping pioneer. And not your average bear ` what a clever mum did when her cub got in trouble. Tonight on Close Up ` from the front line to the back of the queue. Without them we can't do our job. They're risking their lives for our troops. Will we turn our backs when they need us? I've said to them, 'Look, there's no guarantees.' Plus ` bringing back bullrush. Is a bit of rough and tumble at school what our kids really need? Close Up at 7, TV ONE. 1 Former World Bank managing director and treasurer Graeme Wheeler's been named as the new governor and chief executive of the Reserve Bank. Finance Minister Bill English says Mr Wheeler's extensive experience makes him a highly respected figure in NZ and world financial markets. The Kiwi will return from the US to replace Alan Bollard, who's headed the Reserve Bank for 10 years. It's possible 650 buses could be taken off the road as the stoush between Auckland Transport and the city's biggest bus operator continues. NZ Bus' sister company, Snapper, was given a contract to install a card ticketing system on all its Auckland buses. That was providing it could integrate its system with another one which would allow commuters to use the same card for ferries and trains as well. Auckland Transport says Snapper is not going to meet its commitment and had given them until an hour ago to explain what's going wrong. With more on their response and what that could mean for you, we're joined live by Kim Vinnell in downtown Auckland. Kim. SNAPPER SAY THEY ARE REJECTING CLAIMS THEY'LL MISS THEIR DEADLINE FOR INTEGRATION. THIS FOLLOWS AUCKLAND TRANSPORT'S CLAIMS THAT SNAPPER WILL MISS THE DEADLINEM, AND AUCKLAND TRANSPORT WANT TO RECOVER COMPENSATION. SNAPPER SAY THEY HAVE RESPONDED TO THAT. NZ BUS OPERATES 650 BUSES ACROSS THE CITY, HALF OF THE BUS NETWORK. THE TRANSPORT MINISTER SAID THEY COULD NO LONGER TAKE PASSENGERS IF THEY MISS THE DEADLINES. Thousands of schoolchildren around the country have had a break from their books for a lesson in inspiration. 'Dare to Dream' is a new intitiative from the Sir Peter Blake Trust. Nicole Bremner went to Auckland's Wesley Primary School to see what it's all about. CHILDREN SING He's come a long way since his childhood in Wanganui playing 'war' and learning world place names from his stamp collection. If I can do it, means you can do it. You can be, if you want to, the governor general of NZ. Today Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae, former SAS member, Defence Force chief and current Governor General, was all about motivation and inspiration. When you're dreaming about what you want to be, want to be the best, not second. Sir Jerry is one of 200 NZ leaders working with the Sir Peter Blake Trust to inspire high achievement and future leadership through visits to schools. Having someone like that come in, they've lived their dream and they've done so much, them to see that is really powerful, I think. And plenty of dreams were revealed once the year five and six students got over their shy start. I wanna be a professional skateboarder. Be a professional netball star. The Governor General was so impressed, he promised to tell his boss. I'm going to write about what happened for me in Wesley Primary, tell the Queen about it. She'll be very interested. The stuff of dreams for Room 11 from a visit designed to inspire many more. Nicole Bremner, ONE News. It's 25 years ago today since AJ Hackett realised a dream, making headlines around the world. His bungee jump off the Eiffel Tower in Paris helped popularise the sport and put NZ on the adventure tourism map. He went on to open the world's first commercial bungee site in Queenstown. A quarter of a century later, two and a half million people have taken the plunge from AJ Hackett sites across the world. New sites are planned in Russia and Singapore. A baby bear in California has found it's sometimes easier to get up than down. The cub was found in a garage dangling from the garage door track, but he knew just what to do ` call for mum. BEAR CRIES, GROWLS She rushed to the rescue and managed to lift up the door using her paw. The cub was then able to swing himself onto a ladder and shimmy down to freedom. Looking at our top stories tonight ` Parliament has passed the controversial legislation allowing NZers to buy shares in state-owned assets. But there's now a threat of legal action from the iwi which owns the lakebeds and rivers from which Mighty River Power draws water to generate electricity. The collapse of the CTV building in the February earthquake has been likened to that of the Twin Towers after the 9/11 terror attacks. The comparison's come from a witness during a second day of gruelling testimony at the earthquake inquiry in Christchurch. A Kiwi-designed monument to the Japanese students who died in the February earthquake has been unveiled in Toyama City, home to many of the victims. The sculpture, Kahikatea, exactly matches one which will stand in memorial in Christchurch. Mike Thorpe reports. Half a world away from Christchurch's ruined CBD, Japanese victims of the quake are remembered. 28 Japanese nationals perished in the collapse of the CTV building, the highest death toll from one country outside of NZ. 12 of the dead were students from this Toyama language school. Dignitaries from both countries were there to bless the sculpture. The twin memorials honour the memory of your loved ones. A year on from the tragedy, family members of the victims travelled to Christchurch to attend earthquake anniversary services, where the original sculpture was unveiled. Designed by Christchurch artist Annabel Menzies-Joyce as a one-off, it became apparent that it belonged in two places. This is Kahikatea, the sculpture's Christchurch twin. It's in storage right now, but it's expected to be placed within the cardboard cathedral on the corner of Latimer Square ` almost directly opposite the CTV site. Poignantly, Toyama's Kahikatea will remain at the language school. Please allow me to express my deepest gratitude on behalf of the school for choosing our school to be the site of the Kahikatea memorial. Identical monuments to mirror the grief felt in both countries. Mike Thorpe, ONE News. Jenny-May, sport ` tough decision for the Olympic cycling selectors. TWO SPOTS, FOUR GUYS. TWO MISS OUT. Plus ` find out how the Amish community in rural Pennsylvania is helping to keep our other Olympic riders focused. Is this the latest sign that the retirement rumours could be true? Venus Williams ejected from Wimbledon. And golfing prodigy Lydia Ko (15) shows us her 'wild side'. Kia ora. Welcome back. Four years ago, he won two Olympic medals. Today Hayden Roulston has learnt he's missed out on the NZ Olympic team all together. But Bike NZ says Greg Henderson and Jack Bauer are others more deserving of a place. Here's Olympic reporter Craig Stanaway. Hayden Roulston in happier times at the Beijing Olympics. Today he's been named as a non-travelling reserve for the road cycling team in London. The chances of him adding to his silver and bronze medals from four years ago look bleak. I'm devastated, to be honest. I had it highlighted in the calendar years ago now. I wanted to represent NZ. I sort of feel hard done by. By his own admission, though, Roulston hasn't had a great season, also missing out on the Tour de France. But Greg Henderson's inclusion for his first tour hasn't done him any harm. The former world track champion got the nod to go to London just six days after being named in the Lotto Belisol team. It's three weeks of training. Of course, I'm not going to be training. But it's three weeks of punishment you can't simulate in a training situation. In all honesty, the Tour de France is a totally different race and shouldn't guarantee anything. I mean, if you go to the Tour de France and finish last three hours behind the winner, how does that transfer to a single day race? Jack Bauer gets the other Olympic spot. Julian Dean misses out too. You look at the course in London this year. It's a very specific course, and we know Greg is a very good sprinter, but he's also good at getting over climbs. So it sets him up there for really being in the hunt. As we know, the Poms, they're wanting a really big sprint finish, and that's where Greg's strengths lie. And then with Jack, we know he's a great team player, he's a great supporter, but he also gives us an option in the time trials. So is Bauer in ahead of Roulston because he's a better team player? Cycling is a team sport. We know that if Hayden had been in there, he would've done the job. Danish-born Linda Villumsen is the sole woman selected. The Kiwi now has the opportunity to improve on her fifth-place finish in Beijing. Craig Stanaway, ONE News. Training on the road has been a big part of the Games build-up for the women's track team, but they've been sharing the tarseal with some very different two-wheeled transport in the ultra-conservative religious heart of Pennsylvania. Here's US correspondent Jack Tame. On carbon-fibre bikes in skin-hugging Lycra, the NZ women's track team is a blur of 21st century technology. But at their training base in small-town Pennsylvania, not everyone's quite so state of the art. You'll just be out riding, and you'll just pass a horse and cart. You just don't see that at home. You do, though, in the hills around Kutztown. The area's home to large Amish and Mennonite communities ` conservative religious groups with traditional clothes, lives and only limited uses of technology. For the Kiwi riders, taking these mid-ride photos makes the slog of Olympic training that much more interesting. You just see them out working in the fields, the traditional clothing, their carts with the big orange triangles on the back. It's a novelty for us. But for people around here it's, like, 'Oh, yeah, we see that every day.' And there is a benefit for the athletes. Every week they spend up large on organic fruit and veggies at the Mennonite market. Have a great day. I just spoke to a couple of the women working here. They didn't want to go on camera, but I asked them how it was serving NZ Olympians, and they said, 'Olympians?' I said, 'Yes, athletes to compete in the Olympics.' They looked a bit puzzled, and one of them said, 'Is that the competition where people swim or jump or run?' I said yes. She said, 'We've never seen that before. We don't know anything about it.' And that's just it. With two brutal training sessions every day, sometimes it just takes a simple reminder to realise maybe life ain't so tough after all. Jack Tame, ONE News, Kutztown, Pennsylvania. And you can see more of this intriguing story about our Olympic track cyclists training in Kutztown tomorrow when Jack catches up with world champion Ali Shanks. And after years of preparation, a coin toss could decide the Olympic dream of American sprinters Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh. Carmelita jester and Tiana Madison booked their spot in London, finishing first and second at the US trials. But watch Felix and Tarmoh in lanes one and two. The training partners finished in precisely 11.086 seconds. If neither sprinter declines a Games spot, both will have to agree on a coin toss or run-off to decide it. A run-off will be used if they can't agree. Kiwi number one Marina Erakovic opens her Wimbledon campaign early tomorrow morning and will be hoping to improve on her best result at the tournament, when she made the third round in 2008. Venus Williams, on the other hand, has stunned the tennis world; the five-time champion knocked out on day one. Mark Hathaway has more. Is this the end of the great Venus Williams? Yep, it's over. Game, set and match, Vesnina. Williams' straight sets defeat to Russian Elena Vesnina came as she struggles to deal with the chronic fatigue and joint pain caused by Sjogren's syndrome. Unfortunately, I have to deal with circumstances that people don't have to deal with normally in the sport, but I can't be discouraged by that, you know. The effect of the condition is obvious. In the early stages, the old Venus was back to her best at the tournament she's won five times. Yeah, that's good. But then a few withering rallies and a service break to Vesnina took the wind out of her sails. Many would expect the former world number one to hang up her racket. There's no way I'm gonna just sit down and give up just because I have a hard time the first five or sick frickin' tournaments back, so, you know, that's just not me. Nothing much is troubling world number one Maria Sharapova. The top seed blew away Australian Anastasia Rodionova 6-2, 6-3. In the men's draw, defending champ Novak Djokovic was in commanding form, downing Juan Carlos Ferrero, much to the delight of the Wimbledon top brass. The Serb dropped just seven games and closed out the match with force. Yep, game, set and match, Djokovic. Djokovic begins the defence of his title. One of the big challengers for that title is Roger Federer, who's looking to equal Pete Sampras' record of seven Wimbledon victories. Federer also finished with an ace to beat debutant Albert Ramos in straight sets. Mark Hathaway, ONE News. A reminder: Wimbledon is beign screened live here on ONE throughout the tournament. Coverage begins at midnight, and there's an hour-long highlights show at 3pm tomorrow. In just over two hours, NZ's most promising young golfer Lydia Ko will leave for the biggest tournament of her career so far ` the US Open. And today we saw a side of the world number one amateur we've never seen before. She calls it her 'wild side'. Toni Street explains. Lydia Ko is about to face the professionals. The US Open is as big as it gets in women's golf. But how many of her opponents would spend their final session teeing off to Usher? # I get you, like, 'Ooh, baby, baby, ooh, baby, baby, # People say I'm, like, quiet and I don't talk much and stuff, but I talk a lot,... (LAUGHS) and I'm wild at times. We caught a glimpse of her 'wild' side today, Ko giving us her best impression of Happy Gilmore, then singer Bruno Mars. # I just want to lay in my bed. # I think behind the scenes, she actually can be a little bit crazy, but that's her crazy. To everyone else, it's pretty placid. Don't be fooled by the playful mood. This 15-year-old knows exactly what's coming in her first major. She's doubled her training to 60 hours a week in preparation. I'm playing alongside professionals, which is always nerve-racking. It's going to be a challenge for her just because of her length. For her age, she can hit it as straight as anyone. But it's making use of the shorter holes will be the key. Ko's the second Kiwi amateur to play the tournament after Olivia Hartley made it in the '90s. But there's a whole lot more expectation this time round. That's because in January, Ko, then 14, became the youngest amateur ever to win a professional tournament. I think I got my confidence form the Australian Amateur and then won the New South Wales Open which was even better. Ko has stepped up on all of the biggest occasions so far, and if today's relaxed approach is anything to go by,... # ...I'm not doing anything. # ...you'd expect her to be just as unfazed this time round. Toni Street, ONE News. The Melbourne Vixens have leap-frogged the Mystics at the top of netball's trans-Tasman championship ladder after last night's 49-41 win over the Central Pulse in Wellington. The game was all but over in the opening quarter, with the Vixens never relinquishing their lead. Those little chances have gone begging, and they're made to pay. The Vixens will meet the Southern Steel in Invercargill on Saturday. The win would give them home advantage in the play-offs. It's been a disappointing return to rugby league for Tigers hooker Robbie Farah, playing his first game since the death of his mother. The Tigers' captain led his side out and helped them to an early 14-0 lead. But the Newcastle Knights charged back, scoring 38 points, including a hat-trick for double international Timana Tahu. Goes across to Mullen. His ball. Tahu again. Tahu has a double. Looking for Tahu once again. Turning back the clock tonight. The 38-20 win ends a five-game losing streak for the Knights and puts them 12th on the NRL ladder. Team NZ's America's Cup campaign is another major step forward, with the delivery of the hulls of their AC72 catamaran. The carbon-fibre structures, the result of 50 man years of design work, were driven one at a time across Auckland to the Viaduct, still shrouded from prying eyes, giving nothing away to their rivals. It's the same for them. We are watching them, they are watching us. So we'll keep it under the wraps in the tent until it's time to go sailing in a few weeks. A spectacular launch is planned after dark on July the 21st. I'M OFF TO CLUB NETBALL NOW. Thanks, Jenny-May. After the break ` the southern storm's gone, but the snow keeps coming. Jim has the latest. Next on Close Up ` He received death threats for working with our troops, so why can't we guarantee his safety? When you go on patrol, someone tell you verbally that, 'I will kill you if I see you next time.' Plus ` can rough and tumble here pay off for kids in there? It's better that they learn about risk now, as young children. And turning the Army into art ` the soldier who swapped his gun for a paintbrush. Hi again. The Antarctic surge is still driving snow and icy winds into the south. Queenstown's had flurries above the town today. And the icing sugar warnings are still in place. Snowballs and hot pies in Arrowtown today. For weather, see onenews.co.nz Watch those gales, and leave the passes to the graders and snow ploughs tonight. And that's ONE News for Tuesday.