Yachtsmen pull out of Games

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 1

Yachtsmen pull out of Games

PA Auckland The New Zealand Yacht.ing Federation has withdrawn from the Moscow Olympics. The federation’s chairman (Mr H. L. Julian) said after a meeting of the organisation’s council yesterday that New Zealand yachtsmen selected for the Olympics had been advised by telegram during the afternoon that they would not now compete. The federation’s representative on the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games Associ-

ation would be instructed to vote against accepting the invitation to attend the Games. “We have withdrawn for wide-ranging reasons,” said Mr Julian “We were concerned at the Olympics being awarded to a political problem area. We had strong feelings towards the actions of Russia in Afghanistan. “We also had strong memories of the trouble getting our yachtsmen to the pre-Olympic regatta at Tal'inn in 1979.” New Zealand was reluctantly invited to Tallinn only after the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, had

approached the Soviet Embassy in Wellington. “We were used politically by the Russians who caused embarrassment to New Zealand by not inviting us to Tallinn simply to please the black African nations,” said Mr Julian. The United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, West Germany, and Japan were out of the Olympics or were considering pulling out. If New Zealand competed under those cir-> cumstances it would only be a second-rate or thirdrate regatta. The federation would explore alternative areas

of competition for its Olympic yachtsmen. The convener of the three-man Olympic selection panel (Mr C. L. S. Cross) could not. be reached but one of the selectors Mr B. G. Cameron, said the yachting decision was “very sad.” However, the withdrawal of the 14man yachting contingent would make no difference ;o the composition of the team. For Tom Dodson, aged 22, the Olympics were to have been the highlight of his 10-year yachting career. “Naturally I am very disappointed at the deci-

sion,” he said. “But I concede that it would be a hollow victory without the top nations, especially in my class, the Finns, where the Americans are so good.” Dodson said he had spent nearly every weekend for the last two years on the water in pursuit .of his. Olympic goal. With the 'Olympics now apparently out of the question he intended to take up invitations of sailing in other major regattas and expected to sail in the European championships in Finland and the Kiel Week regatta in Germany.