Olympics: Gates closing on Olympic freebies

By TERRY MADDAFORD

There will be no "trips for the boys" to next year's Athens Olympics.

With an International Olympic Committee-imposed restriction on team (athletes/officials) numbers, the New Zealand Olympic Committee is determined no one will go along for the ride.

In the past many sports, often with only one or two competitors, have sent a manager and coach. No more.

"In the Olympic environment we, as the overall management, do most of the managing," said NZOC chief executive Barry Maister. "With accreditation much tighter than it was at Manchester for last year's Commonwealth Games, we have to maximise our team personnel.

"We have asked all sports how we can best add value to their team. We are challenging the sports to look at their needs.

"It may be they can make better use of a video analyst than taking a manager."

The selection process for the team has begun with the selection panel of Maister, Bruce Cameron and Geoff Balme now finalising their criteria.

That is due to be ratified by the National Olympic Committee next month.

"Most sports have been very realistic," said Maister. "They accept the Olympics are not a training ground."

New Zealand will have a team of about 145 athletes and 82 officials in Athens for the August 13-29 Games. There is provision in that for both men's and women's basketball and hockey teams.

New Zealand had 150 athletes in Sydney in 2000, but only 97 in Atlanta four years earlier.

At the last European Olympics, in Barcelona in 1992, New Zealand had 142 athletes.

Like the stand on ensuring only the best officials will be in Greece, the athletes too will come under scrutiny.

"Women's basketball is one such example. By virtue of Australia's automatic selection as one of the top four teams in the world, our women are guaranteed a spot as the Oceania representative.

"But only if they are able to demonstrate that they have the structure in place and that they are serious.

"I'm confident they will but, at the same time, we won't have any team or individual just making up the numbers.

"Hockey is in a similar situation. Both teams can win an automatic spot by beating Australia in Oceania qualifiers this year. Realistically, that will be difficult.

"If they then go on and win through from Olympic qualifying tournaments, it would be difficult not to select them.

"We are the gatekeepers of the standards we feel should be met."

Maister expects most selections to be announced between April and May next year, with a heavy emphasis on results from various world championships this year.

"Something like 17 sports have world championships this year," said Maister. "While some selection will be more or less automatic at that point, we will wait and announce the team progressively next year.

"Final numbers will have to be submitted by early July."

The IOC has imposed a 10,500 limit for athletes/officials in 28 sports.

It will cost $2 million to send the New Zealand team to Athens.

"Having two Games - Commonwealth and Olympic - back-to-back in that part of the world is expensive," he said. "We estimate over the four-year period of the current Olympiad [2000-2004] we will spend between $10-15 million in sending teams away, running the office and continuing the education programme."

That, Maister says, is done without Government funding.

Much comes from the Charity Gaming Association (pokies) who will contribute $4.75 million over the three years to the end of next year.

In another change of direction, Maister said his board was looking at giving athletes a preparation allowance.

"We are not a funding agency - that's Sparc's role - but we have to look to assist where we can."

Although major sponsors Air New Zealand, TVNZ, Holden and the Charity Gaming Association are in place, they have lost apparel sponsor Reebok.

"We are now going to allow each sport to make their own outfitting arrangements, but we will provide the team uniform," said Maister.

In a major innovation, the NOC are about to launch a major information technology initiative in conjunction with Wellington-based IT company Data Torque.

The programme, called Zeus, will become the link between the NOC and all athletes and officials.

"By going online all the information will be readily available," said Maister. "When they went to Sydney every athlete was given a bulky ringbinder containing all the information they needed. This time it will probably be just a single sheet of paper."

The development, with team manager Richard de Groen leading the charge, is being used by other countries.

"We trialed it at Manchester," said Maister.

"The feedback from our athletes was very positive."