Late sport Precious making rivals wait

Press, 29 July 1978, Page 6

Late sport Precious making rivals wait

NZPA staff correspondent Edmonton Precious McKenzie’s strongest .rivals, John McNiven (Scotland) and Roger Crabtree (Australia), are becoming frustrated men as the pre-competition weightlifting tactics increase at Edmonton. Both McNiven and Crabtrete want to know in which division McKenzie is lifting so they can decide their own competitive class. *T?ut a confident 42-year-old McKenzie, bidding for his fourth gold medal, is, staying tight-lipped about his .entry, leaving his competitors in the unenviable position of having to guess his division.

“John and Roger are looking to what Precious, does, but Precious is not waiting for them to move,” said the New Zealand weight-lifting team manager, Mr Bruce Cameron. He explained that many lifters tend to fluctuate between divisions depending on their estimation of the expected competition. New Zealand’s road-racers and track-sprinters will compete over the week-end in a big meeting at Calgary. About 110 cyclists from 13 Commonwealth countries will compete. New Zealand boxing officials at Edmonton are willing the middle-weight. Perry Rackley, to put on more weight, not take it off, as his Games competition draws nearer. The officials admitted yes-

terday that they were wori ried about the 18-year-old Nelson boxer's present low . weight, which is only half . a kilogram above the 71kg . minimum allowed for his . division. “That is miles too much weight to give away” was . the trainer, Alan Scaife’s. comment, as he consistently charts Rackley’s weight at ; 714 kg. ; The maximum weight al--1 lowed in the middleweight division is 75kg, so if Rack ley does not gain any extra 1 weight, then he could con--1 ceivably be 3|kg under. ! The cause of Rackley’s sharp drop in weight has » mystified the officials. He ar- ■ rived a trim 73kg. “He’s in fine physical con-

dition otherwise and is eating juSt the same.” said an official. “I think it’s just the heat and humidity.” An ironical twist to the Nigerian withdrawal from the Games is that New Zealand’s medal chances in box-

ing have greatly increased. The highly-promising heavy-weight, George Stankovich (20), is feeling a lot more comfortable as his division has now whittled down to six entries. The burly Aucklander needs only to win his first bout to be certain of a bronze medal. Another boxer affected is light heavy-weight Dean Rackley (22), who has six opponents in his division now that the strong and experienced Nigerian boxers will not be competing.