Strong medal prospects in paralympic team

Press, 8 October 1988, Page 88

Strong medal prospects in paralympic team

By

DIANNA LESLIE

Olympic endeavour is only just starting for five Christchurch athletes who leave New Zealand on Monday for Seoul. The paralympics will be held in the Olympic village from October 15 to 24, traditionally following the able-bodied Games.

The 17-strong New Zealand team has been training almost full-time and there are some strong medal prospects. Roily Crichton (Canterbury) holds the world record in the 50m freestyle and will compete in the 200 m and 50m freestyle, 25m butterfly and 50m breastroke. He is eager for the team to be respected for its ability and dedication.

“People think that when a person in a wheelchair goes to the Olympics that

we are going to Disneyland,” he said. “We are very competitive and we have worked hard for this. We are not a bunch of dribblers.” Neroli Fairhall has distinguished herself against able-bodied competition in archery, winning a gold at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane in 1982. She also competed in the Los Angeles able-bodied Olympics in 1984. Graham Condon has 20 years experience in track and will compete in the marathon, 5000 m and the slalom. He is completing 200 km training a week.

The newcomers to international competition are Grant Buchanan in the shot put and the discus and Stelio Meimaris, 100 m, 200 m and the slalom. Both are satisfied with their build-

“We feel confident. We have been training twice a day for six days a week,” said Meimaris. “Graham (Condon) has been especially communicative and helpful to me on the track.” Condon and Meimaris are in different grades in the slalom event.

The New Zealand paralympic team has garnered a sound description of the village and facilities from the able-bodied Olympians and is confident that it is on course to bring home more medals than the able-bodied athletes.

“We are aiming to be better than them. We know the world records and we are in reach of them,” said Crichton. The Canterbury athletes have completed their build-up with motivational

sessions from Graeme Felton, who also assisted the able-bodied Olympians. “We have to be geared up in the nut to take on international competition. It is really tough and guys over there will try and psych us out before competition starts,” said Crichton. “We have to be able to handle that. “Once some athletes asked me what I ate because they thought it made me go faster. I simply replied, outboard motors, and they believed me for a monent.” •

The team will stop over in Hong Kong to acclimatise and train before travelling the final leg to Seoul. Events included in the games are bowls, weightlifting, track and field, swimming, archery, basketball and volleyball.