Olympic cycling coach to be replaced

Press, 2 December 1987, Page 36

Olympic cycling coach to be replaced

PA Wellington The New Zealand Amateur Cycling Association has rescinded the appointment of Don Johnson as track cycling coach to the Seoul Olympics. The association will call for new nominations for the position after heeding “a lack of confidence in Mr Johnson’s ability to perform at this level of competition among team officials and potential competitors.”

The chairman of the association, Bruce Shephard, released a prepared statement announcing Johnson’s dismissal and reopening coaching nominations. Johnson, of Christchurch, was selected to coach the New Zealand track team to Seoul at the annua! meeting of the association in July. He was chosen, by a 28-16 majority, although he did not meet the criteria for the appointment laid down earlier at the meeting by provincial delegates. The association decided at its last council meeting to overturn Johnson’s appointment after considering written and verbal reports on his performance as coach of the New Zealand track team at the recent Oceania championships in New Caledonia. Those reports, damning of Johnson’s methods, came from New Zealand cyclists and officials and from New Zealanders who attended the games as spectators.

Shephard, elaborating on his statement, said the criticisms of Johnson were too overwhelming to ignore. The association, with considerable regret, had decided to quash his appointment and to go to their members for new nominations.

Shephard said he had flown to Christchurch to speak with Johnson and to try to convince him to quit the position. The association’s action became necessary when he refused. Shephard expects up to four new nominations, including Johnson’s, for the position of track coach to Seoul. The nominations would be subject to review by a grading panel and a coach would be appointed through a postal ballot of voting members. Chick Ratten, the New Zealand track coach at the last world championships and the man Mr Johnson deposed in the Seoul ballot, is the leading contender for the appointment

Johnson said he was mystified by the association’s decision and had not yet been told what allegations had been made against him. He was aware that the mechanic attached to the New Zealand team in New Caledonia had circulated a letter condemning his performance and that at least two cyclists had been critical of his methods.

He said be would allow his name to go forward again for the position in an effort to regain the appointment and as a gesture of thanks to those who had supported his original candidacy. “I feel very disappointed, angry and suspicious of some people’s motives,” Johnson said. “It seems very poor to me

i that in a place like New i Zealand, where we are sup- : posed to be very democratic, t I haven’t had the chance to i answer these allegations. i “Fve been told that there has been a groundswell of , opinion against me but I feel a decision of an annual ' meeting should not be overturned by a monthly meet- : ing of council.”