Athletes bitter at continuing black boycott

Press, 16 August 1976, Page 3

Athletes bitter at continuing black boycott

NZPA London The refusal by black African nations to allow their athletes to run on the same tracks as New Zealanders continues to haunt John Walker. Rod Dixon, and Dick Quax in their postOlxmpic European campaign.

“It’s virtually New Zealanders versus Africans in Europe,” Walker said in London on Saturday after running second to Steve Ovett (Britain) in the Amateur Athletes Association (A.A.A.) 800 m championship. The three star New Zealanders flew to Zurich on Saturday night but would have preferred to go to Nice in the south of France, where there is an international meeting today. The problem was the archrival Walker is not likely to meet, Filbert Bayi (Tanzania) . The world 1500 m record-holder is competing at the French meeting, as are several other African athletes. Dixon, who regained the A.A.A. 1500 m title he won in 1973, said he and the two other New Zealanders were planning to run in Nice but the promoter was forced to say he did not want them. “Perhaps Rob Muldoon can sit back and smile at that one,” Dixon said. “All he (Mr Muldoon) had; to do was say he wasn’t in i favour of the All Blacks go-| ing to South Africa and none ! of this would have hap-1 pened.” Dixon said that by keeping the New Zealanders away from Nice, the promoter was able to get 15 African athletes, including Bayi and the world 400 m hurdles recordholder, John Akii-Bua of Uganda. “They (the Africans) are putting pressure on European meetings and we have been ruled out of Monday’s meeting in Nice because of it. I “We had everything booked, signed and sealed and were ready to compete, but then the Africans stepped in and offered 15 athletes for the meeting if we were not there, and we have been cancelled out.” “We had our tickets to Nice and were all set to go,” Dixon said.

In Zurich, where the trio i will run on Wednesday . night, the promoter turned - away some Kenyans. t Walker said: “We didn’t . really want to run there, ) we’d rather have a rest, but after that had happened we felt obliged to start. “I want to run against the ' Africans and they want to ' run against us,” he added. , Walker hoped the problem j might be solved after the All Blacks returned to New Zealand. “The whole question of ' sports contact and policies needs to be reviewed,” he " said. Dixon’s 3min 4l.4sec win , in the A.A.A. 1500 m was at - the expense of Britain’s two Olympic 1500 m finalists, David Moorcroft and Frank 5 Clement. 1 Both challenged Dixon on ’ the last lap when he picked ' the pace up but neither 1 could match the Nelson ’ man’s long strides over the final 200 m. 1 Dixon had been hoping for 3min 37sec — Walker predicted 3min 39sec — but a I I slight headwind in the home I I straight and the slow early ■ j pace put paid to that. ■ ! Walker, looking flat in his •| fifteenth international race since late June, did not ex- ■ pect miracles in the 800 m. ■ He was beaten by Ovett, the ; Olympic finalist who also beat him over the metric : half mile in Finland in June. “There was no way I was ' going to beat him,” Walker said. “It was good speed : work for me. He’s a very good 800 m runner. It’s always a pleasure to run against a class runner.” Two other New Zealanders who competed on Saturday were hammer thrower Murray Cheater and walker Graham Scatter. Cheater threw a poor ' 64.25 m — seven metres below his best — for third ‘ place, and Seatter was sec- , i ond in the A.A.A. 3000 m championship to Roger Mills , |of Britain in 13min l.Osec. :