Canoeists have special cause for gratitude

Press, 23 July 1980, Page 46

Canoeists have special cause for gratitude

NZPA Moscow The New Zealand Government may not like it, but the Russians and the New Zealanders at the Olympic Games are getting'along famously. New Zealand team officials have spoken in glow* ing terms of the help and co-operation they have received from the surpris--1 n g 1 y eager-to-please locals, and the three canoeists now have special cause to show gratitude to their hosts. The canoeists, because of the expense, did not take any boats with them and instead arranged to lease two from the British. When the British fibreglass boats arrived in Moscow yesterday after their overland trip from London, one was missing a seat

“We mentioned this to the Russians down at the course,” said the manager, John Grant, “and they said not to worry, they’d fix something up. “The next thing we knew, they showed up

with two brand-new boats, still in their wrapping.” The single canoeist, lan Ferguson, will keep his British boat, but the K2 pair of Geoff Walker and Alien Thompson grabbed at the Russian craft, and met with instant success in the water. Against the watch on the Olympic course over 1000 metres, they clocked a world-class 3min 42s — enough, Mr Grant said, to guarantee a place in next week’s finals. Ferguson, the more experienced KI exponent, was spurred by his teammates’ efforts and turned in a Imin 50s 500 metres, again a time which is expected to be good enough to get into the last eight. “After our training in Europe for the last month or so and what we’ve done here, we’re confident of both boats making the finals,” Mr Grant said. Medal hopes against the inevitably-strong East European nations are not being predicted. The canoeists begin their Olympic action next Wednesday.