Big tactical battle to Lorraine Moller

Press, 2 September 1981, Page 40

Big tactical battle to Lorraine Moller

NZPA Washington The New Zealand road runner, Lorraine Moller, still banned by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association (N.Z.A.A.A.) for taking prizemoney in an American race, won a big tactical battle in her campaign for open sport at the week-end. Organisers of a 10-mile race at Flint, Michigan, turned down demands from three British runners that she be barred as a professional. The three Britons pulled out rather than compete with her, saying they did not want to risk- their own amateur status under the international “contamination” rule. But 4400 other .male and

female runners, including some of America’s best, supported the New Zealander and ran with her. “AH the top U.S. athletes said they would not run if I was barred,” said Miss Moller yesterday. The associate race director, Bridget Haase, confirmed Miss Moller’s account yesterday. “Under the existing rules of the ruling American athletic body, the T.A.C. and the International Amateur Athletics Federation I have now contaminated all those 4400 runners, who should now be banned for competing with me,” Miss Moller said. And Ms Haase said: “That includes the officials of the T.A.C. who ran.” She added:

“I believe this is the first real test of the rules relating to prizemoney. The T.A.C. will now have to decide what to do about all these people.” The I.A.A.F. executive is to discuss the question of prizemoney in road running in the United States when it meets during the World Cup meeting in Rome this week. The issue flared up when Miss Moller, two other New Zealanders, Anne Audain and Allison Roe, and several Americans accepted money for running in the 10km Cascade run-off at Portland, Oregon, on June 30. The N.Z.A.A.A. banned the three New Zealand women, but has since reinstated Mrs Roe and offered possible reinstatement to the other

two. T,A.C. hearings against the Americans involved were due to be heard last week, but were postponed for a month. There was no prizemoney at stake in the Flint race, won by an American, Herb Lindsay, in 47min 15sec from Greg Meyer and Bill Rogers. Miss Moller finished second in the women’s section in 56.16, behind the top American, Patti Catalana, who clocked 55.35. Miss Catalana also accepted prizemoney at Portland, but she was not involved in Saturday’s argument because ; the case against the Americans has not been heard by the T.A.C. The three Englishmen who pulled out were Nick Rose,

Steve Kenyon and Geoff Smith. All apparently said they had been warned by British officials not to compete against Miss Moller. The New Zealander said yesterday she had received a letter from the N.Z.A.A.A. saying the ban on her could be reversed if she gave her $2OOO Cascade prizemoney to the N.Z.A.A.A. to hold in trust pending a final decision on her status. “But the money is in trust with my lawyer,” she said. “I don’t see how putting it in trust with the N.Z.A.A.A. will change the rule.” She said she was still considering her reply, but added: “My amateur status

does not have any meaning for me any more. I’m still interested in running for my country, but I’m not an amateur. “Most of the top runners are professional and it’s a farce to call yourself anything else.” She said the outcome at Flint indicated that America’s top athletes were showing solidarity on the issue — “and people still want me to run, even though the N.Z.A.A.A. has said I can’t race in the United States.” Anne Audain has rejected the N.Z.A.A.A.’s offer of reinstatement, saying she intends to remain a professional.