History not propitious for Kiwis at London Games
SPORT ‘‘We relate closely to the English, speak the same language and are extremely familiar with London – who doesn’t know their way around the Monopoly board?’’
Afriend who follows sport closely has a theory about why New Zealand will do well in the London Olympics in a couple of months time. Apparently our team will be in their comfort zone, so it will be like a de facto ‘‘home’’ Olympics. We relate closely to the English, speak the same language and are extremely familiar with London – who doesn’t know their way around the Monopoly board?
It all sounds good, but I’m unconvinced. New Zealand flopped in Sydney in 2000, and you can’t get closer to home than that.
We improved in Athens in 2004 and were outstanding in Beijing in 2008, in cities far removed from Queen St, Lambton Quay or Hagley Park.
Also, New Zealand’s history in London Olympic Games is hardly stellar.
The 1908 Olympics were moved from Rome to London after the 1906 eruption of Mt Vesuvius, which killed more than 100 people.
New Zealand had three athletes in London, the first time we’d been represented at an Olympics. Harry Kerr won the bronze medal in the 3500m track walk, after nearly missing the start when he got lost inside the stadium passages.
His team-mates, hurdler Henry Murray and fellow walker Arthur Rowland, did not fare well.
The New Zealanders competed under the banner of Australasia, so I suppose could claim some vicarious glory from their team-mates’ efforts, such as the winning rugby team, although they were all Australians.
The 1908 Olympics dragged on for six months, from April to October.
London came to the rescue again in 1948, hosting the Games immediately after World War II.
Because England was still recovering from the war, the 1948 games were dubbed the ‘‘austerity Olympics’’ (they’d perfectly suit the feeling around Europe now) and facilities were, by modern standards, mediocre.
The star was Dutchwoman Fanny Blankers-koen, who won four gold medals. New Zealand, represented by a team of seven, was one of 22 countries not to win a medal.
The New Zealanders were really up against it because of the voyage to Europe. Their efforts to stay fit on board their ship were doomed. Weightlifter Maurice Crowe couldn’t train because of the rolling of the ship, and distance athlete Harold Nelson tried running around the deck, but that hardly constituted training. Bantamweight boxer Bobby Goslin sparred with lanky road cyclist Nick Carter, which did neither of them much good. Hurdler Dutch Holland put up one hurdle on the deck and tried to jump over it, but again the ship’s rolling thwarted even that rudimentary training.
Backstroke swimmer Ngaire Lane would be dunked in the ship’s tiny pool. She’d get wet, but certainly could not swim.
The seventh team member, Doug Harris, was a genuine 800m medal prospect, and he was based in England, too. However, he tore an Achilles tendon during the semi-finals and that was that.
So the omens, if you believe in them, aren’t propitious for our 2012 team.
I still expect we’ll do well, but not because of history or because the locals speak English. Valerie Adams, Mahe Drysdale and other rowers, cyclists, triathletes and kayakers are so good that they are very strong medal contenders, despite what history says.