Athletes opt out of relay

Press, 25 May 1977, Page 42

Athletes opt out of relay

PA Dunedin I I New Zealand may not be represented at the international 4 x 1500 m relay meeting in France next month — even though it was regarded as one of the countries most likely to set! a new world record for the event.

All four of the original New Zealand team — Euan Robertson (Dunedin), Rod Dixon (Christchurch) and John Walker and Dick Quax (Auckland ) — have withdrawn.

The New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association is awating a reply from the organisers of the Jacques Coeur meeting on June 18 confirming that the despatch of a substitute New Zealand team is acceptable.

Stuart Melville (Dunedin), Tom Birnie (Christchurch), Jim Dowman (Hamilton) and Frank Slater (Auckland) have been told to stand by fo the relay.

Injury, coupled with the feeling they would -iot befully prepared for such a ven-; ture, is the main reason mj the withdrawal of the origi-i nal line-up — regarded by many as the team to heat in the relay, an attempt on the world record currently held by a French team. New Zealand has nad a few cracks at the record in the last few years — bettering it once but losing offical recognition through a technicality. Even the availability of all the ‘B’ team atheletes is in doubt.

Melville, the national 5000 m champion and 1974 Commonwealth Games representative has not yet fully coimnited himself to the trip.