I.O.C. honours Olympians who defied boycott

Press, 17 July 1980, Page 6

I.O.C. honours Olympians who defied boycott

NZPA-Reuter Moscow

Lord Killanin, the outgoing president of the International Olympic Committee yesterday honoured some of the athletes and Olympic officials who have defied the boycott campaign and‘ supported the Olympic Games in Moscow.

Anita de Frantz, captain of the United States women’s rowing team, was named for the bronze medal of the Olympic Order. She was the spokeswoman for a group of American athletes who opposed the boycott initiated by President Carter and pressed to be allowed to compete in Moscow. , The citation said: “This action symbolises the fight to safeguard the independence of all sports competitors from political power.” . ? # ■ ; Miss de. Frantz in the bid, and the United States led 36 countries in a boycott of the Games, The silver medal of the order went to Sir Denis Follows, the president of -the British Olympic Association, which withstood pressure from the British Government and entered a team for the Moscow Games. : ■ It was also awarded to Denis Howell, a former British Minister of Sport,- who

was a leading opponent of the Government’s campaign to boycott the Games. The silver medal was awarded to Franco Carraro, president of the Italian National Olympic Committee; Claude Collard, president of the French committee; and Colonel Raoul Mollet, president of the Belgian committee. All three national committees have withstood political pressure and sent athletes to Moscow. Professor Arnold Beckett of Britain, who had led the ’ campaign against anabolic steroids, the illegal bodybuilding drug, was awarded ‘ the silver medal, as was Charles Palmer (Britain) a former president of the International Judo Federation. Mr Palmer, vice-chair-man of the British Olympic Association, has strongly opposed Government interference in sport. -. Among the recipients of the bronze medal were Sigge Bergmann (Sweden), secre-tary-general of the International Ski Federation,, and Dawn Fraser, a former Aus* tralian swimming star. Miss Fraser was the only swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in the same event three times. She won the 100 m free-style in 1956, 1960 and 1964 and has since devoted her time to coaching.