Officials move in to prevent swimming rift

Press, 18 December 1989, Page 48

Officials move in to prevent swimming rift

By

KEVIN TUTTY

in Auckland

THE NEW ZEALAND SWIMMING FEDERATION has taken on a mediating role to prevent a potential rift developing in its Commonwealth Games team. The North Shore Swimming Club in Auckland has asked the federation to allow its four swimmers — Ross Anderson, John Munro, Nick Sanders and John Steel to train at the club with their coach, Ross Anderson Senior rather than at the New Zealand team camp. The team of 32 swimmers is due to enter the camp in Auckland on January 6 and the swimming federation notified centers early this year that those chosen for the Games would be required to attend. Noel Smith, the chairman of the federation’s swimming committee, met parents and swimmers from the club after the New Zealand championships which finished in Auckland on Saturday evening. Mr Smith would not comment yesterday on the meeting, except to say that he reiterated to those present that the N.Z.S.F. expected all swimmers to attend the camp. “We were trying to resolve a problem that arose, and I hope we have done that,” he said. Mr Anderson said the matter had not been fully resolved. It was up to the individual swimmers to make up their minds what they wanted to do, he said. “I have not expressed a personal opinion in the matter ex-

cept to tell the swimmers I will support them whatever decision they make.” “Some people have been saying I have an axe to grind but that’s not true.” Mr Anderson was the head coach of the New Zealand team at the Olympic Games in Seoul last year, but is not one of the five coaches for the Auckland games. He said that he took no part in the discussions leading up to the club’s decision to write to the N.Z.S.F. asking for dispensation for its swimmers to train at North Shore.

“It was Noel Smith and I who arranged the meeting on Saturday night. I went to him and suggested we sit down and discuss the matter. There is a lot of personal trust between Noel and I, we both wanted to see the matter resolved.” Mr Anderson did not consider having the North Shore swimmers train apart from the rest of the squad would pose a problem. “Swimmers were training in various parts of the world last year before they gathered in Seoul,” said Mr Anderson. He did not know if his son had made a decision. on whether to attend the camp. “I haven’t seen him since last night. He stayed with friends.” Mr Anderson said he could not speak for other coaches, but believed that others had objected to their swimmers being in camp from January 6. The N.Z.S.F. met yesterday and the president, Mr Peter Walls of Christchurch, said Mr Smith reported on Saturday evening’s meeting but there was no discussion on resolution. “It’s a wait and see exercise. We don’t want to jump to conclusions, and we hope that commonsense will prevail.” “The squad was together this morning and all 32 swimmers trained together. We expect that spirit will continue,” said Mr Walls.