Weightlifting: Dryden walks away

Olympic Weightlifting New Zealand (OWNZ) is hunting for a new national coach.

Richard Dryden, who has served as national coach for nine years, has called it quits.

Dryden's decision comes the month after New Zealand weightlifters won one bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne where they also recorded two fourths and a sixth placing.

He said it was not an easy decision to make.

"This has been one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make and no time is right to do this for weightlifting," Dryden said today.

"The sport historically goes in four-year cycles around the Commonwealth Games and therefore it makes sense to me that I should make this move now.

"I will miss the sport but I want to focus more on my recruitment business and, of course, my family."

OWNZ president Garry Marshall is concerned Dryden's departure leaves a big hole in the sport's infrastructure.

"Richard has made a huge contribution to OWNZ over the past 12 years, both as a coach and an administrator.

"The status he has attained both nationally and internationally is a tribute to his dedication and commitment to the sport of weightlifting."

Marshall said Dryden's departure exposed the position of minority sports which lacked the funding to pay their coaches.

"The sport has a good crop of lifters, including at school level, but we do not have enough coaches, especially at the high performance level."

- NZPA