Olympic Prospects Put Pressure On Shi Races

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31407, 28 June 1967, Page 20

Olympic Prospects Put Pressure On Shi Races

Now that the New Zealand Ski Council has taken the plunge and announced that a team will be sent to the 1968 Winter Olympic Games at Chamrousse (France) the pressure is really on the top New Zealand ski racers to gain the experience of a life-time and represent New Zealand in top international competition.

That there are so many ski racers who must be given an outside chance of making the team will make competition more intense and the 1967 ski racers should have greater competitor and spectator appeal than any in New Zealand ski-ing history.

The statement by the president of the New Zealand Ski-ing Association (Mr Arnold Cooper, of Auckland), that R. W. Palmer (Auckland) and P. P. Goldstern

(Wellington) are likely to be selected because they have the best record overseas, should not be taken by racers to mean that the team of two to five racers selected will consist only of these two racers.

If this were so, the council could hardly expect to justify its appointment of a New Zealand manager (Mr S. H. Blakely, of Auckland) to travel with the team. This announcement of a manager should indicate to racers that at least four racers will be selected. OUTSTANDING There is unlikely to be anyone who considers that Palmer, who has had an outstandingly successful season in Europe and finished eighth in a Federation Internationale de Ski giant slalom at Arosa (Switzerland), should not be a member of the team. .Aged 20, Palmer has spent the last 18 months in Europe, He has worked in Switzerland and raced when he could, and was fortunate enough to receive an invitation to train with the German national team. There he met Mr F. Fettig, coach at Craigieburn Valley this winter, who has since spoken highly of Palmer’s technique. Palmer finished fourteenth in a field of 300 in the famous six-mile Parsenn Derby and finished second in an open under-21 race. His claims to selection are greater than any skier in New Zealand’s history.

The other named racer, Goldstern, is less likely to make the team, although he stands an excellent chance. Aged 27, Goldstern was New Zealand’s giant slalom, downhill and combined champion in 1965 and has raced consistently overseas since then. However, he has lived most of his life in the United States and Austria, and grave doubts can be cast on the value New Zealand ski-ing can expect to receive from his selection. Goldstern is a consistent performer, if a less dynamic racer than Palmer, but the New Zealand Council may well require firm assurances to his future ski-ing in New Zealand before selecting him. But there are at least three, and possibly four, places in the team open to racers in New Zealand. The 1960 team to Squaw Valley included two women and two men and if any women competitors are sent this time then it is most unlikely that only one will be sent If two are sent, then competition will be intense between, at most only four racers.

These are Misses M. Blakely (Auckland), A. Reid (Otago), K. Guy and R. Willis (Canterbury), and of these Misses Reid and Guy would appear to have the best prospects. Miss Reid has only just returned from a winter in Europe while Miss Guy has previously spent a winter there. Both represented New Zealand against Australia in 1965 and were the Lest women racers at the 1965 nationals.

Miss Guy won every race she entered last year while Miss Reid was overseas furthering her experience and these two may be expected to hold the front running for a women’s team at the moment.

Miss Blakely is much younger and although she won the national combined title last year she still has some distance to go before challenging Misses Guy and Reid. However, both she and Miss Willis, who raced at least as well as Miss Blakely last year, have youth on their side. Selection is likely to go to one pair or the other—to select one of each would be most unfair. MORE DIFFICULT Selecting the men’s team is likely to be far more difficult as there are many more candidates competing for at the most two, and perhaps only one, position. Palmer’s certain selection reduces the number of positions open to two, if a women’s team is chosen, and one if Goldstern is chosen. This will place a fantastic burden on the council as there are, on last year’s performances, 11 racers who must be given some show and another three who may conceivably lift their standard up to the required level. The 11 are: T. Dunlop and A. Chance (Otago); P. H. Willis, P. B. Hubrich, R. H. Womersley, C. P. Womersley,

M. G. Dennis and M. Gardner (Canterbury); T. G. Huppert (Wellington); D. John (Taranaki): and Ben Mitchell (Auckland). D. Stewart (Canterbury), G. J. Sommervaille and H. W. Graham (Auckland) may improve sufficiently to be included with the 11 but J. H. Willis and G. G. Nevell (Canterbury) are unlikely to race often enough to warrant consideration.

Six achieved A gradings last year; Gardner, Dennis, Huppert, P. Willis, Hubrich and R. Womersley. The six must be considered to have the best chances of selection, particularly Gardner who is both fast and young, and has been consistently successful. Selection is likely to be based on two major factors:— 1. Performance this winter in New Zealand and during the past European and United States season. 2. The attitudes of the threeman selection panel comprising Messrs Blakely, P. H. Willis and A. D. Coberger (Canterbury). The selectors are likely to be looking for speed, consistency, and a willingness to race and coach for some years to come—not necessarily in that order. But in the final analysis, selection will rest with the racers themselves. At least the racers know they have the chance of selection, and now it is over to them to make the grade—bearing in mind that only very few can be selected and to ensure selection they will have to race magnificently. SUGGESTIONS To help meet the challenge, Palmer suggests New Zealand’s racers must:— (a) Start training earlier than usual. (b) Reach Europe early and at maximum fitness. (c) Send a young team. (d) Engage a coach. (e) Learn some German or engage a Germanspeaking liaison officer. As the Olympics are being held in France, some ability to speak French might be an asset also. However, this can wait until after the team is selected. Mr Blakely, after considerable research, believes that a stay of 10 weeks will probably be arranged for the team. This would allow a training period, although not as long as Palmer would like, and races both before and after the Olympics. What are the prospects for the team? It seems certain that New Zealand will send its best ever team overseas, but there can be no hope whatsoever that an Olympic medal will be gained. Should a New Zealander finish in the top 10 it will be a miracle. Only once has a New Zealander, Miss C. Womersley of Canterbury in 1960, finished in the top 30 in any race, and this time the same may be accomplished. Should any male finish in the top 50 he will have done very well and, on his performances, Palmer is at least capable of this. All the skiers selected may be capable of this. New Zealand cannot expect to set the ski-ing world alight, but it can give itself a tremendous boost by sending a team which can produce results encouraging to other racers in the immediate future.