Women's Team Make-up As Clear As Brisbane River
Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday July 4, 2000
Just 10 weeks away from making a historic Olympic Games debut, the once-formidable Australian women's triathlon team is in disarray, along with hopes of a clean medal sweep in Sydney.
For a start, there is still no Olympic women's team because of a lengthy and damaging appeals process that is no closer to being finalised.
The national ruling body, Triathlon Australia, is challenging the right of Olympic discard Emma Carney to bypass selectors and have her successful appeal at tribunal level heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. CAS has referred the decision to its Lausanne headquarters.
Meanwhile, World Cup champion Loretta Harrop is not scheduled to race over the Olympic distance for another month. She is still recovering from a stress fracture that stopped her completing the selection races.
To cap it off, the Brisbane World Cup on September 3, which was scheduled to be a final pre-Olympic race for Australians and internationals alike, has been cancelled due to fears of dirty water.
Water tests from the Brisbane River show e-coli and faecal coliform levels are acceptable, but heavy rains may cause them to rise. Not wanting to risk potential litigation or headlines of Olympic athletes being poisoned by the host nation's polluted rivers, organisers have cancelled the race.
``It is a blow," said TA boss Tim Wilson. ``But the damage to our team is minimal."
However, the damage being done by a torturous appeals process is growing, with the confirmation of the three-woman team two months overdue.
While TA continues to emphasise the need to clarify the situation quickly, it is now delaying the process further with its own challenge against Carney. The other successful appeal from Jackie Gallagher remains in limbo.
Carney was successful in her appeal before a TA tribunal, but rather than face the selectors again, who picked Harrop over her, she wants to go direct to CAS.
TA sought legal advice which indicated CAS can hear an appeal only once all other avenues have been exhausted.
``We need clarity and that is what we are seeking," Wilson said. ``We have asked CAS if an athlete can appeal against a successful appeal. They have gone to CAS in Lausanne for direction.
``While this is a distraction, we are doing our best to ensure it is handled smoothly and efficiently. I don't believe the wheels are falling off our Olympic preparation."
The only person unaffected by all this is world No1 Michellie Jones, who remains the gold medal favourite. She won the Sydney World Cup race on the Olympic course in April and finished on the podium at the world championships in Perth two weeks later.
Jones is scheduled to race in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday along with Carney when the World Cup circuit resumes.
World champion Nicole Hackett is due to race the following week at the Tokyo World Cup but Harrop is not expected to appear on the starting line until August 6 at the Tiszaujvaros World Cup in Hungary.
Harrop has entered a number of smaller races close to her Swiss base but was not ready to race 10km.
Freeman talks break down Page 27
© 2000 Sydney Morning Herald
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