Coach defends selection process


Australian selection story keeps going!

The report in the national newspaper, the Australian is headlined "Coach defends selection process" and continues the hassles that Australian cycling are experiencing over what appears to be discrepancies in the selection process for the women's team for Atlanta.

The report says that "National road cycling head coach Heiko Salzwedel defended the Olympic selection process for the women's squad as controversy continued yesterday over West Australian rider Lyn Nixon's hopes.

Australian Cycling Federation vice-president Russell Miller, who is based in Western Australia, said yesterday he would stand aside for any federation executive vote or hearing over the matter. Salzwedel is one of three national selectors who will make recommendations to the Australian Cycling Federation executive about who should go to Atlanta."

Salzwedel said " the women have no reason to complain. There really is no point of discussion. The process has been set out for some time." He declined to comment about Nixon's situation, saying the selection panel would await the recommendation's of national women's road coach Andrew Logan.

The ACF was angered by a letter that WA Cycling Federation president Jeff Leslie handed to Logan in Europe earlier this month, concerning Nixon and her selection chances. It said there appeared to have been an attempt to exert undue pressure on the coach, a suggestion Leslie strongly rejected. Leslie said the letter was merely a request for Nixon to be treated fairly and added the ACF must strongly look at its selection process.

Miller, who is also a WACF member, yesterday said he wanted to avoid any accusations of conflict of interest. He said that "suggestions have been made the ACF could take action against the WACF and its president. I'm also from WA and on the ACF executive, so for me it's a different situation. If there's going to be a hearing regarding charges made against Jeff Leslie or the WACF by the ACF, then I can't take part."

Leslie said the letter had the backing of the WACF. Nixon is in a squad of six racing in Europe. Two riders will return to Australia, probably on May 20, with the rest going to the United States in the lead-up to the July Olympics. The quartet will then be whittled down to three Olympic riders and one reserve. It was widely rumoured Nixon would be cut from the squad before the national titles in Sydney last month but her stocks rose sharply when she won the national road race.