All rowers approved

Press, 16 April 1980, Page 40

All rowers approved

AH 19 rowing nominations (16 oarsmen, two coxswains and a reserve) have been approved, as was expected after the national selectors continued their policy of picking only crews capable of doing well in a final. No scullers were picked for the national trials last month, though John Alexander (Whakatane) finished eighth at the Bled world championships last year and Stephanie Foster (Auckland), another single sculler, is ranked about tenth in the world. The team is one member larger than that at Montreal four years ago when no reserve was included. Christchurch has three representatives in the team — Tony Brook and Duncan Holland (both members of the coxless four) and the reserve, Steve Donaldson. The selections of Anthony Cuff and Michael Richards, two cycling track-men with world-class performances to their’ credit, were never in question, and it was equally obvious that if the road race was to be contested, then both specialists, Jack Swart and Vern Hanaray, would be chosen. But much more doubt surrounded the track pursuit team. The prospective squad was severely disrupted by withdrawals, then often subjected to the whims of Richards. But when it finally got

into action, ft returned a time of 4min 32!15, 1.3 s away from its target.

But it was a time that was the springboard for something considerably better, and it does appear’ that this was one case where the selectors generously took potential into account and not just performances. Two comparatively old salts from Auckland, Jock Bilger and Murray Ross, will be sailing in their third Olympic regatta.

Other well known competitors in the team are Rory Barratt, the beefy Auckland heavyweight lifter who has been at the last three Games, John Woolley, the Christchurch skeet shooter, who took the gold medal at Edmonton in 1978, and the renowned swimmer, Rebecca Perrott, who won four medals, one of them a gold, at the same Games. In 1974, she swam for Fiji I when her father was stationed in Suva. Several members of the team have family sporting backgrounds. Kim Robertson, the sprinter, is a daughter of a former New Zealand Rugby League captain, Morrie Robertson, and the cyclist, Jack Swart is married to the former Gael Wooten, twice a Commonwealth Games hurdler.

Ivan Sutherland, the oarsman, is a brother of the renowned Marlborough rugby players, Ramon and Alan,

i and he and the cyclisf, 3 Graeme Miller, are the first Olympic representatives ; from Marlborough since ■ 1932, when three oarsmen • were chosen. ; Women’s hockey is in the ; Olympics for the first time, : and New Zealand is fourth I ranked of six teams. It has an outstanding record in international competition since 1973; in 32 tests it has won 23, drawn seven and lost but twice. The longest serving player.' are the new captain, Jenny McDonald and her predecessor, Pat Barwick, 1 both of whom started their international careers in the 1971 world tournament. They have each played about 50 internationals. The eelectors adopted a velvet glove approach, choosing 93 competitors from 119 nominations. It was the combat sports which failed to find favour, all four wrestlers, three judo players and the sole boxer being left but. One of the two fencers missed out, as did the pi-stol shooter, but the solitary nominations from the equestrian, gymnastics and modem pentathlon advocates were successful, Brian Newth, of Wellington, becomes the first New Zealander to compete in the gruelling modern pentathlon, the supreme test of an all round sportsman.