Since Swimming New Zealand announced they would not be sending Kane Radford to the 2016 Rio Olympics he has received a huge outpouring of support. Radford qualified for the games at the 10 km Open Water Olympic Qualifier in Setubal, Portugal on June 12th.
Radford’s biggest advocate is Australian Jarrod Poort, who will be swimming the 10 km in Rio. On June 17th Poort expressed his feelings in a Facebook post:
The reason that Swimming New Zealand has given that they are not sending Radford and Charlotte Webby, another Kiwi who qualified for the 10 km in Setubal, to Rio is:
However the selectors were not satisfied that there was sufficient evidence that either of the swimmers is capable of achieving the published nomination criteria which is that an individual swimmer must be capable of achieving a top 16 placing at the Games with the potential to win an Olympic Diploma (top eight placing).
This is the over-arching criteria established by the New Zealand Olympic Committee for selection of all New Zealand athletes across all sports.
Another athlete who has come to the support of both Radford and Webby is Sam Warriner. Warriner, who represented New Zealand in the triathlon event shared her thoughts on the situation in an interview with One News, “NZ Swimming has made this decision because they don’t judge these two athletes to be capable of finishing in a significant position in these Olympics,” said Warriner.
“However, there are multiple other New Zealand codes sending athletes who are equally as unlikely to podium or even finish in the top 12.”
“These athletes are being sent because they are young in their development, and potentially capable of greater results in Tokyo.”
“Are Swimming NZ making a statement that Charlotte and Kane are too old to be considered a development athlete – in a sport which is young at the Olympics and therefore we just don’t know when these athletes will be at their peak?”
Swimming New Zealand announced their 8 member Olympic team for the pool events in April, which includes Matthew Hutchins (400 freestyle) and Corey Main (100 backstroke). It is interesting to note that Hutchins ranks 51st in the world in the 400 freestyle while Main ranks 36th in the world in the 100 backstroke.
SwimSwam has reached out to both Radford and his lawyer John Munro. Munro has confirmed that they have lodged an appeal. Another source close to the situation has expressed that they are confident in the strength of the appeal and that Radford has been humbled by the support he has received in his plight.
Radford posted his on feelings on Facebook on Sunday:
That is an incredible post by Kane, and frankly I’m amazed that he is back in the water after almost a decade of shoddy treatment by SNZ.
Interesting to note that if you go onto the Swimming New Zealand Facebook page, their cover photo has a collage of pictures and features very prominently a photo of Kane – I kid you not! He has been the poster boy of Open Water in New Zealand for years yet time and time again they keep kicking him and kicking him. He left NZ to train in Perth for a reason, and top NZ swimmers will continue to leave – this debacle only adding to the compelling list of reasons.
One part of me is moved by this, happy that Kane appreciated my photo enough to use it. Sad that it was in a situation I couldn’t dream about.
One part of me is in this because i am autistic. The NZOC just don’t match what just happened.
I was aware of the tough NZ criteria. I had a lunch with their NOC sports developer when he visited my country a while ago.
We know:
1) Open water is less predictable than pool swimming. For example Kida finished 13th in the Qualifyer 2012 and 12th at olympics. This kind of findings are absent in pool.
2) Open water is a stage for a later peak than… Read more »
Although, I don’t know this athlete or his abilities well, open water swimming is very unpredictable. Someone who shouldn’t be in contention can end up earning a medal if a major contender goes off course, a group of leaders race themselves out and get fatigued, or someone gets injured during the race. I understand that New Zealand wants to take athletes that will be competitive, but I don’t think for open water they can assume that an athlete won’t be. If it was a pool event, they could look at the athlete’s time a gauge how likely it would be for the athlete to medal, but not for open water.
The Olympic Creed reads: “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
The pressure to win has overshadowed the Olympic spirit. These decisions will forever tarnish the Olympic movement for allowing the youth of the world to reach their full potential and grow sport as a way to build bridges across nations! I am disappointed in the leaders of the world who make short term decisions at the expense of long tern gains and peace. Very sad of our youth.