16-year-old makes senior Avon crew

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34047, 10 January 1976, Page 36

16-year-old makes senior Avon crew

(By

TIM DUNBAR)

A 16-year-old St Bede’s College pupil, George Keys, is to fill the No. 2 seat in the Avon senior crew which will attempt to finally capture the elusive national eights title at Lake Karapiro on March 6.

Keys was the subject of some considerable controversy three months ago when, at the tender age of 15, he was named in the national colts (under 23) eight to tour Australia. Fears were expressed that Keys, though undoubtedly I strong enough, with his 6ft 3in and 14st 21b build, was too young to be thrown into the gr.own-up world of international rowing and could be “burnt out” at an early age. But, as the Avon senior coach and the convener of

the national selectors (Mr Fred Strachan) points out, Keys came on “famously” under Rusty Roberts.on during six weeks of intensive squad training at Kerrs Reach, and certainly pulled his weight on the three-week tour of Australia. U.S. oarsman His mother said yesterday that she had had some reservations when Keys was picked. “For the first three weeks, when the eight was at Kerrs Reach, George was exhausted as he came home from training and then had to do two hours homework for School Certificate. But he came through it all well and I’ve no worries about him now.”

f( Also in the crew, which .Iwas finally resolved after a inumber of combinations had ' been used during the last 'I two months, at the comiipletion of a w T eek-long trainring camp on the Wairau ißiver over the Christmas (period, was the 6ft 6in ' | American oarsman, Gordon ' Scott. The problem of who would : fill the stroke seat, left vaci ant by the withdrawal of the ■ national trialist, Ross McCoy, ■ has been resolved by moving the Munich Olympic oars- ■ man, David Lindstrom, for- ' ward in the boat.

Grant Nolan, a regular member of the crew this season, will concentrate on sculling instead and will compete in a double at Karapiro with Jeff Lopas, the Canterbury sculling champion. Mr Strachan said that the

club may enter a coxless four — as well as its normal eight and four-oared crews — at the nationals, but it would depend on the availability .of a boat and there being" sufficient time lag between the three events at the regatta. Another possibility for Karapiro is a coxed pairing of Ross Lindstrom (Keys’ cousin) and Gordon Scott — both very strong men — which “could click.” according to Mr Strachan.