Canoeing: A case of bully-boy tactics

Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald celebrated gold at the Seoul Olympics. Photo / NZ Herald

Alan Thompson believes Sparc is out to get rid of Ian Ferguson, Paul MacDonald and himself as they try to clean the multiple gold medal-winning "old guard" out of New Zealand canoeing.

Thompson, a double Olympic gold medallist in 1984 and 1988, is a current member of the Canoe Racing New Zealand board - but thinks he may be asked to resign for speaking out against what he believes are Sparc-inspired moves to shift the power base in the sport.

His vocal opposition to the governing body and Sparc is interesting as Thompson was sometimes at odds with Ferguson and MacDonald in canoeing's heyday.

He believes Sparc is trying to use the money they put into the sport to control it by micro-managing and introducing new appointments and processes he says have little or no credibility with the athletes.

"Sparc is essentially saying we have to take its money and do as we are told. That's wrong. That's not sport. I am not going to sell my soul for a few pieces of silver when I believe they are taking things in the wrong direction."

He accused Sparc of trying to impose people, processes and business models onto a sport not suited to its one-size-fits-all approach. Canoeing was a sport that often produced "mavericks" with strong opinions, who didn't fit easily into prescribed management techniques.

"You end up with a system that is skilled in perpetuating itself; where people with fat salaries continue to have jobs.

"The last review was a joke. It was aimed at protecting people and positions. They're saying to athletes they'll get on if they lick Sparc's bum - and they won't if they don't."

Thompson said many newcomers to the sport did not have faith in canoeing's high-performance system - and coaches who tried to buck the trend were quietly frozen out. Meanwhile, Fouhy sidestepped the selection process and was being rewarded.

"Ben Fouhy didn't get selected because he didn't do the trials. I saw all that bull in the media about how Fouhy walked out on Ferg.

"Well, the truth is that Fouhy hasn't had anything to do with Ferg since 2004. How can he walk out on Ferg when he hasn't had anything to do with him? People look at Ferg and think he was favouring his son. But Steven did everything asked of him to get selected. Fouhy didn't.

"There is no accountability, no fairness, no sportsmanship - just things like secret decisions, no consultation and self-interest. That's not sport."

Thompson said he and Ferguson and MacDonald had not always seen eye to eye in their paddling and coaching days.

"But whatever the differences were, when we got on that plane they were forgotten and we were the New Zealand team - and we supported each other.

"I don't think that is happening any more."