Editorial: Olympic shambles a disgrace

Jacko Gill's recent decision to withdraw from consideration for this year's London Olympics was a major shock.

But so was the New Zealand shot put sensation's initial rejection when the first group of four track and field athletes was named.

This is a 17-year-old who has already won the world youth and junior championships and broken the national senior record. A record which had stood for 44 years under the guardianship of Les Mills, a quality Olympic and Commonwealth Games athlete.

In other words Gill is a phenomenon - a talent worthy of the fullest investment. Even if his 20.38m throw only met the B qualification standard for this year's Olympics.

Yes, technically another athlete - Tom Walsh of Timaru - could also conceivably reach the B standard and therefore challenge Gill. But the reality is that Walsh is 1.55m behind Gill with just months to the opening ceremony.

And nobody is throwing around superlatives in regard to "Honest Tom".

"Bad luck Tom, Gill is our man", should have been the call.

At the weekend The Herald on Sunday stated the affair was the result of the tall poppy syndrome, a whispering campaign against the youngster's technique, poor communication and other issues, including initially being barred from the recent national senior championships because of his age.

Whatever the reasons, the Gill debacle has become a public relations nightmare for Athletics New Zealand.

In all seriousness, how could they treat this brilliant, dedicated young man so shabbily when Olympic blazers have been given to far inferior athletes through the years.

Did they not remember that a young Valerie Adams went to the Athens Olympics in 2004 before her Beijing triumph four years later?

Faith was shown in that wonderful athlete, and she repaid, as others like New Zealand's most prolific gold medallist, canoeist Ian Ferguson did at his third Olympics.

Peter Snell, an "unknown" outside of these shores, went even better, winning gold at his first attempt in the 800m at Rome in 1960. Four years later in Tokyo, and by then a legend, he comfortably completed the 800m-1500m double.

However Gill's treatment is nothing new for athletics.

Bob Thomas may not be a household name but he is one of New Zealand track and field's most interesting stories.

In 1968 the Northland long jumper leapt 8.05m. It remains to this day the national record, and is only bettered for longevity by Snell's 800m record.

Had he jumped that distance at Tokyo four years earlier he would have finished with a silver medal.

According to experts of the day his style was perfectly suited to the rarefied atmosphere provided by Mexico, host of that year's Olympics. But Thomas was not on the plane, doubtless the victim of petty officialdom.

Now, 44 years later, the New Zealand public has been denied the opportunity to watch an athlete, with the potential to be an Olympic legend, take his massive talent to the biggest world stage for the first time.

Bureaucratic bungling. Stupidity. Athletics New Zealand, hang your heads in shame.