Russian rowers out after secret vote

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 6

Russian rowers out after secret vote

Rumours abounded during j the world rowing champion- ' ships at Lake Karapiro on ] Saturday after a controverIsial decision to stop the I women’s coxed fours final(With only 300 m to go. A race normally continues •if a breakage occurs after the ‘first 100 m but on this ocjeasion the umpire from West jGermany, Hans Schug. called ]a halt after the Russian ■.stroke, Galina Stepanova, lost 'her seat. Apparently the mishap caused Stepanova’s oar to stick in the water and the Russian boat turned very fast, crossed its lane and collided with the Canadian boat. All the boats returned to 'shore temporarily with 'Stepanova, head in her hands, obviously in distress. She received a tongue-lashing from the Russian coach, which resulted in a number of badtaste jokes about her possible future destination. Russia was finally disqualified and the race was eventualy run 90min late — partly, due to the choppy water — with just five crews. East!

Germany, which had been leading the uncompleted race, won quite comfortably. The circumstances of the decision were still sufficiently unclear for the president of F.I.S.A. (the world rowing body). Mr Thomas Keller, to feel obliged to call an unscheduled early-evening press conference and explain. • All kinds of words hate been spoken. There have been rumours that the umpire had three different possibiliies — he only had one." Mr Keller said. "Russia had a breakage and hindered the Canadian crew. The umpire had no choice but to stop the race and put out the Russians." However, Mr Keller went on to say there was a special clause allowing the F.I.S.A. executive committee to “take any decision in the interests of the sport" and team managers were thus i asked to make a secret vote on whether rhe disqualification should stand. Mr Keller admitted that a .reversal would have created a relatively dangerous preceIdent but said that he made

rhe approach because Russia (a definite medal prosper;) had come a long way ai d the breakage was not the crew's fault. "I asked the question of the team managers If there was one vote ‘no’ we had to e\ dude Russia and there was more than one vote no’," Mr Keller said. It seemed a little ironical though, that if the collision had not occurred after the breakage then Russia would not have had the possibility of a second row — the race would never have been stopped. Russia should have been able to keep in its lane and as Mr Don Rowlands, the chairman of the regatta or ganising committee, said, it was "damn poor watermanship." There had also been a breakage in the first race of the day — the coxed fours petit final —when one of the Netherlands' crew's oars popped out. This time, though, it was more conventional to halt proceedings as the crews had only travelled about 80m.