‘Clayton’s’ boycott expected

Press, 29 May 1989, Page 34

‘Clayton’s’ boycott expected

NZPA-AP New York What if you threw a boycott — and everybody went? That’s the situation the champion sprinter, Carl Lewis, faces after announcing that he and several other United States Olympic medallists would boycott next month’s Mobil Indoor Track and Field Championship at Houston because of their disenchantment with The

Athletic Congress. But Olympic gold medallists Louise Ritter, Roger Kingdom and Evelyn Ashford, along with middle-distance runner Steve Scott — athletes Lewis had mentioned — plan to compete in the meet. Lewis, winner of six gold medals, said T.A.C. was “killing track in America” by misappropriating money and holding back funds from athletes,

“making if very difficult for athletes to compete here”. T.A.C.' is the national governing body for track and the director of the Houston meet, which is a qualifying event for the World Cup. Boycotting the T.A.C. meet is the only way for the athletes to be heard, Lewis said. But yesterday, Ritter, the 1988 Olympic champion in the women’s high jump, and Scott, the

premier middle-distance runner in the United States, said they both planned to compete. “I have nothing to do with the boycott or with Carl Lewis,” Ritter said in Texas. “I’m entered at T.A.C. and I will be at T.A.C., unless I have an injury.” “I have no beef with T.A.C.,” Scott said in San Jose, California.