National Road Championships Aftermath


Report from the Australian - 22/4

The report from the Australian newspaper, cycling writer Rupert Guinness is headlined "Watt demand for Olympic Selection".

Guinness writes that "Victoria's 1992 Olympic road champion, Kathy Watt has stunned the Australian Cycling Federation with a letter demanding it guarantees her selection in the 3000 metre women's track pursuit. And, after being dumped from the six-rider Australian road squad, Queensland's Cathy Reardon has accused selectors of failing to base their choice on their own criteria."

"The two issues marred yesterday's finale to the 1996 Australian road titles at Sydney's Darling Harbour in which non Olympic squad riders won the men's and women's criterium events."

"South Australia's Jay Sweet (Giant-AIS), 20, and NSW's Kristy Scrymgeour, 22, won these races, ending a weekend of racing that saw another non-Olympian, NSW's Nick Gates (Giant-AIS), 24, take Saturday's 200km men's road title at Centennial Park."

"Yesterday, the ACF was trying desperately to settle its latest dispute with Watt who fears that she will be stopped from tackling the Olympic pursuit title at Atlanta by national track coach, Charlie Walsh. Watt, who did not contest yesterday's Criterium titles but who won a silver medal in last Friday's road race and a gold in last Wednesday's time trial, has been in constant dispute with Walsh over the issue. He doubts that she can be competitive for the pursuit if she races the time trial and road race events in Atlanta as well. But Watt reportedly has told the ACF that it must assure her in writing by today of selection in the pursuit - otherwise she has threatened to go public over the affair. While stunned by Watt's tactics, the ACF reacted by trying to contact Walsh, who is with the men's track team in Europe by facsimile yesterday."

Ray Godkin, ACF president said "All I can say is that we are trying all we can to find a solution to the problem which will everyone happy."

Guinness continues "For Reardon, a 1994 Commonwealth Games gold medallist and a sixth placegetter in the 1993 World Titles, her omission marks the second time she has fallen short of securing an Olympic berth. She failed to make the Games team in 1992. The outcry against selectors then even led to her former coach, Gary West, to resign in protest. But after finishing sixth in yesterdays Criterium title, Reardon fended off suggestions that would retire from racing. She said her motivation yesterday was not to try to embarass the selectors with a winning ride."

She said "I don't believe that is the right way to race. I just went out to have a good race....that's all. In any case, even had I won, there's no way they could have come back on their decision. In 1992, it was hard (to be omitted) because I heard about it only three weeks before the Games. And the coach had no say in it. This time, a selection criteria was set. But I don't believe they applied it properly. I was told that the reason I was left out is that they are looking to the future. But there are three riders in the squad who are older than me."