News for February 7, 1997

Official attacks Kathy Watt

"The man in charge of Australia's cycling team at last year's Atlanta Olympics has said that former champion Kathy Watt made no attempt to put herself into a winning position in the defence of her road race title.

Team manager Mike Turtur made the claim in his official review of the Atlanta Games cycling program. The report was presented to the Australian Olympic Committee at its colloquium last weekend and extracts if it were broadcast on SKY news yesterday.

Turtur also took a swipe at Watt's management, claiming it had undermined her chance of winning another gold medal by encouraging her to contest more events."

Turtur wrote "Watt's performance in finishing the (road) race in ninth was poor considering she did not make any attempt to put herself in a winning position throughout the entire race. Kathy's effort in finishing fourth (road time trial) was good. One wonders what may have been if Kathy and the people advising her realised that her best event is the road time trial and that she would be best served by riding only the road events."

The reporter continued "Watt, who won the women's road race gold medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, was at the centre of a bitter and protracted dispute during the lead-up to the Atlanta Games. She was picked to compete in the road race and time trial, but failed to gain selection for the 3000m pursuit. However, the 32 year old Victorian took her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and won, allowing her to compete at three events in Atlanta."

The reporter continues "Lucy Tyler-Sharman, who had been the original pick for the 3000m pursuit, was dropped, but competed in the 25 km points race and won the bronze medal. Watt failed to win a medal in any of the three events she contested in Atlanta.

Turtur in his report writes "The controversy surrounding this event was the most disappointing experience I have had in my 25 years of cycling. Many questions may be raised regarding the actions of the various parties involved, as well as the overall outcome which may be seen as less that satisfactory for all concerned. Kathy Watt's performance, as predicted, was well below standard."

Watt through her manager Max Marxson, would not comment on Turtur's report yesterday for legal reasons. Her defamation action against national cycling coach Charlie Walsh, over comments he made to the Adelaide Press Club last August, is to be heard in the Victorian Supreme Court on March 7. Turtur described the team's overall performance as good, but admitted disappointment that the team did not win a gold medal even though the overall haul of five medals was Australia's best performance in cycling at an Olympic Games. Australian Olympic Games Committee secretary-general Craig McLatchey said yesterday that Turtur's reported comments on Watt were unusual in their intensity.

He said "They're very personal comments from a section manager and it's something I don't want to comment on."

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