Rejected nominations to be reconsidered

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34146, 6 May 1976, Page 30

Rejected nominations to be reconsidered

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. Rejected track and field athletic nominations for the Montreal Olympic Games will be reconsidered.

The New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association will cal) a special meeting to reconsider the athletes omitted from the Olympic team, according to the association’s chairman (Mr Lance Cross) yesterday. This follows a decision by

the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association to ask for an urgent special meeting. “1 feel there will be no problem in setting up a meeting of the executive committee,” Mr Cross said. If he could not call a meeting of the executive committee before the closing date

for entries for the Olympics (May 17). provisional entries would be made in all the track and field nominees’ events. “We could not denv the N.Z.A.A. its chance before it can put its case. That would be unfair.” Mr Cross said. The chairman of the N.Z.A.A. management committee (Mr C. Blazey) is delighted at the Olympic Association’s decision. “This is splendid news. I am very pleased it is to reconsider our case.” he said. “We only asked for this meeting. There is no compulsion on the Olympic Association’s part to call the meeting.” Mr Cross said that the executive committee was also likely to consider the late nomination of the Auckland 400 m hurdler. Phillip Mills, at the same meeting. “It is likely we would look at his nomination at the same time,” said Mr Cross. “Of course, all matters must be referred back to the selection committee of three.” SWIMMING’S VIEW If the cases o f the rejected track and field nominees are to be reconsidered, the cases of other rejected sportsmen and women ha I to be heard too, said the chairman of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association (Mr M. R. Duckmanton) at Christchurch last evening. “If approval is given for one sport’s athletes to be reconsidered, the others must be given the same consideration,” he said. The N.Z.A.S.A. had two nominees — lan Bullock (Otago) and Graeme Wright ("Waikato) — dropped by the Olympic Games selectors from its original 12 nominations.