Unfair, says Quick

Press, 26 April 1984, Page 40

Unfair, says Quick

PA Wellington New Zealand’s Olympic marathon reject, Glenys Quick, claimed yesterday that the selectors wanted certain athletes for Los Angeles regardless of their performances. Quick bettered the Olympic standard before the controversial decision to extend the qualifying period. When the nominations came out last week she was rejected by the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association selectors in favour of Lorraine Moller, Anne Audain and Mary O’Connor. Moller qualified in extra time. Quick said in Dallas yesterday that she could understand if the selectors had given Moller a special dispensation from the

qualifying deadline because she had a good marathon record and had been injured. “But the selectors didn’t do that,” said Quick. “They merely extended the deadline so that athletes such as Allison Roe and Barbara Moore got another free crack at the nomination time. That was unfair. Allison had already tried and failed, whereas I had tried and succeeded. “I don’t imagine the association would have been too keen to extend the deadline if Lorraine and Allison had qualified and I hadn’t. It was obvious they were looking for specific runners to be in their team regardless of performance.” Quick said that the fairest way of selecting an Olympic

marathon team was to hold a trial.

“By having a trial, all competitors have to build up to a specific day. The conditions are the same for everyone — just like at the Olympics.”

She said the trouble with picking a team off times was that marathon conditions varied greatly.

“Some of us ran in women-only races, others in good weather, others in bad. A trial evens up all that.” Quick, who has completed a journalisam diploma at Dallas University and is now studying for a masters degree in photography, commmented: “I think I’ll still be round for the 1986 Commonwealth Games and 1988 Olympics. If I’m chosen then, I’ll be happy.”