Swimming assn, selectors on collision course?

Press, 21 November 1979, Page 38

Swimming assn, selectors on collision course?

1 After several years of harimony the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Assocation and its selectors appear to be on a collision course over qualifying times for the Moscow Olympics. After consultation between the N.Z.A.S.A. council, the selectors and coaches, it was agreed to produce target times — which were released last month — and incentive times, to be released in the New Year. The altercation that is brewing is over the incentive times. The selectors based their target times on (the sixteenth best in the 'world in 1979. and these (were approved by the council of the N.Z.A.S.A. early in October. But the selectors have been left in a cleft stick over the production of the incentive times. The N.Z.A.S.A, council at its meeting earlier this month decided that it would ask the selectors to supply

I incentive times for announcement on March 1. ! However the selectors are not happy with the council’s; (directive. The convener of! 'selectors, Mr Laurie Crabb,l of Nelson, said yesterday I that his panel wanted to

By

KEVIN TUTTY

wait until after the Austra-1 ' lian national championships! lin late Match before an- i ! nouncing the incentive i times. I “Our target times are, I based on the sixteenth fastest times in the world, taking into account three( (people from each country. Our incentive times will be 'based on the same criteria.” ( : “If we wait until after the; ( Australian nationals the six- ( (teenth fastest time in the' iworld could be reduced and I that is our reason for not i wanting to produce the

! times until after the Australian nationals.” : “The incentive times are | based on the target times,! (and because there is no ! competition in the northern; (hemisphere over the winter ;it is unlikely the target!

(times will change. The only (ones who will change the !targets are the Australians,” said Mr Crabb. I If the selectors were to ’ (produce incentive times it would be by guess-work;: only. “The council appointed! (us to do a job. If they don’t 1 think we are doing it pro-' ; perly whv do they need us,”! (said Mr Crabb. ! “Bob Mclntyre (the coach : of the team to Moscow) is ihappy about the situation.'; Surely we have to be guided; bv these people,” said Mr ] Crabb. “If the council insists on ]

'incentive times by March I Iwe will just have to tell I them we are not producing (them.” i The chairman of the I N.Z.A.S.A. (Mr M. R. Duckmanton), when asked, said ! there was no misunder-; (standing between the selec-l itors and the council. He said that the council (was looking at the best deal; for the swimmers. “If a swimmer beats a tar-! get time early in March we! 'want another time he can] (aim at for the final trial in; Mav.” said Mr Duckmanton. ! “We are not setting ourselves up as selectors.” The N.Z.A.S.A. is awaiting (a letter from the selectors ! regarding incentive times ( (but Mr Duckmanton said That the selectors’ reasons; I for delaying the incentive times “did not solve anything.” ; A solution to the problem; (will have to wait until fur-: ther contact between the N.Z.A.S.A. and its selectors.