Significance of the socks

Press, 1 September 1982, Page 42

Significance of the socks

Ry

RAY CAIRNS

Those with fond but dim memories • of Dick Arnst as the world sculling champion, at the same time he was a champion cyclist might disagree. But the first great performance by New r Zealand rowing was probably the coxed four gold medal at the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968. Dudley Storey, now manager of the victorious party at

Lucerne, was the senior - member of that crew, and Bernie Walker, of Christchurch, his manager at the time, well remembers escorting Storey to the thronging journalists from all over the world. “It was just after the Black Power demonstrations on the sprint dais by John Carlos, and Tommy Smith,” said Mr Walker yesterday, “and here was Dudley in black singlet, black shorts

and black socks.” Was there any significance in the black socks, asked one former New Zealand journalist, who was surely either obtuse or deliberately trying to conjure a story from a touchy situation. “Yes, a lot of significance,” said Storey, fixedly. The journalists craned forward, pens at the ready to record another Black Power story. “If we don’t wear them,

we’ll get bloody sore feet.” And a couple of years later, at the North American championships .on the St Lawrence seaway, Storey—as a man. of fame—was commissioned to assist the commentator. The New Zealand coxless four blasted out at the start and Storey forgot himself. “Hell, they’re doing 44,” he told the huge crowd and the listening world at large.