Sutherland one of several defections from rowing eight

Press, 11 July 1980, Page 24

Sutherland one of several defections from rowing eight

By

TIM DUNBAR

Ivan Sutherland, the powerful bow man in the New Zealand “Olympic” rowing eight, confirmed yesterday when he returned from the short European tour that his international career had ended. He is just one of several defections from the national eight which competed in international regattas at Lucerne, Amsterdam, and Henley over the last four weeks. Other retirements include the crew’s stroke, Grant McAutley, the coxswain, Alan Cotter, and the Munich Olympic gold medallist, Lindsay (“Lew”) Wilson. Greg Johnston, at 21 the youngest member of the crew, is taking a couple of years off international rowing while he attends Lincoln College and the giant Peter Jansen intends to concentrate on sculling. The only survivors will be Conrad Robertson, Tim Logan, and possibly Robbie Robinson.

When telephoned at his farm in the Lower Wairau last evening Sutherland made it clear that rowing’s withdrawal from the Moscow Olympics had not affected his decision.

“I’d already decided that it would be my last time,” he said. “As far as the fam-

ily is concerned and the farming life I’ve had to curtail my activities a little.” But he added that he would like to go back overseas with a New Zealand rowing team later on—“as a manager or something.” Sutherland, aged 29, says he “likes the sport—and the guys I row with at Wairau —too much” to give up club rowing.

He and Sam Le Compte, winners of two New Zealand pair-oared titles at the last national championships, are thinking about combining with other Wairau club members in a “quad” or a coxless four. The former Avon man has been a regular member of New Zealand crews since 1974 and the highlights of his international career were

two eights bronze medals — at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 1978 World championships at Lake Karapiro—and a silver in the coxless fours in the 1'977 world regatta at Amsterdam. He said that the most recent tour had been a little disappointing. “Taking the Olympics away took a lot of motivation from the crew and we couldn’t get strongwilled about it.” Sutherland said that the eight had not had a settlingdown period and “even at the end we were still not used to the boat.”

“We had a good row for second on the Saturday at Amsterdam, but it was more on sheer horsepower than anything else.” Generally the tour had been “a sort of peace-offer-ing,” said Sutherland, “and it didn’t work.” He said that the trip had been “invaluable for the young guys” but such a venture should never be repeated. Avon had four representatives in the New Zealand team, but only the reserve, Steve Donaldson , and one member of the coxless four, Duncan Holland, returned to Christchurch yesterday. Tony Brook, another coxless fours member, is staying on in Europe for a few weeks, and. his coach, Mr Pat McQuinn, is still in Auckland.