Games medals cost average of $6600

Press, 15 October 1982, Page 1

Games medals cost average of $6600

A gold medal for $23,080 — that was the cost to the New Zealand Sports Foundation of Neroli Fairhall’s glittering prize at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games. But far from shuddering at that statistic, Sir Ronald Scott, a foundation trustee, said yesterday that a substantial financial outlay was necessary to groom top competitors for international success. “Some people might not approve, but that is the reality,” he said. New Zealand’s five gold medals at Brisbane had cost the foundation an average of $12,300 each — the silvers $6570 and the bronzes $6275. The average medal cost was $6681. “But gold medals do not come easy, you’ve got to buy

them these days,” said Sir Ronald. “You’ve got to buy competitive opportunities, experience, and mental toughness. "All our gold medallists at Brisbane won with acts of courage. But they needed that support programme to get them into the medalwinning frame of mind,” he said. Sir Ronald said Neroli Fairhall’s gold medal had been the dearest, at $23,080. That sum represented the foundation’s contributions over 2% years as the Christchurch archer prepared for the Games. “Of that amount, $6900 was a grant for a support person to help her because of her special disability,” he said. But the results were worth while, because Mrs Fairhall

had acquired the strong competitive attitude to go with her courage. “Without that build-up she might not have scored those: last bulls when the pressure was on,” said Sir Ronald. Mike O’Rourke’s javelin gold medal had cost the foundation $14,600; John Woolley's, $11,300; ■ Craig Adair’s, $7500; and Anne Audain’s, $4500. "That was only our input. There was other money from competitors’ own funds, the Olympic and Commonwealth Games body and sponsorship,” he said. If the cost of winning Games gold might seem too high, he pointed out that the Australians spent $l4 million on its competitors, and Canada spent $22 million preparing its team for the 1978 Games in Edmonton.