Dodson for Finns at Olympics

Press, 28 February 1980, Page 34

Dodson for Finns at Olympics

Tom Dodson, of Auckland, will be New Zealand’s Finnclass yachting nominee for the Olympic Games regatta at Tallinn, Soviet Estonia, later this vear.

The protracted series of protest hearings over the conduct of the combined Pacific and New Zealand championships earlier this month ended when the appeals committee of the New Zealand Yachting Federation ruled that they were valid contests.

Because they were also the first half of New Zealand’s Olympic trials, it was not until just before the final heat of the world Finn Gold Cup series yesterday that the Games contenders learned that Tom Dodson held a narrow advantage over his brother, Richard, and Bruce Deegan, with Graham Deegan fourth and John Douglas fifth.

The appeals committee ruled that the best three performances in the national contest and best six placings in the Gold Cup would be the criteria for finding the Games nominee. It also confirmed John Bertrand (United States) as the Pacific Cup winner and Tom Dodson as the 1979-80 New Zealand champion. Tom Dodson assured himself of the nomination by being the second New Zealander, behind Leith Armit, yesterday. Richard Dodson had a disastrous time and slipped to fifth.

Final trial points were: T. W. Dodson, 40.4, 1; B: Deegan, 57.7, 2; G. Deegan, 58.8, 3; J. S. Douglas, 66.4, 4; R. Dodson, 73.4, 5; L. Armit, 91.4, 6.