By David
The heavens themselves, the planets and this centre
Observe degree, priority and place,
Insisture, course, proportion, season, form,
Office and custom, in all line of order.
Shakespeare knew what was right. I suppose he would not have known that his reference to “centre” would one day be taken to mean the West Wave Aquatic Centre in New Zealand. However he was clearly a man who understood that the universe had a natural order that was best not tampered with. For this reason, regular Swimwatch readers may recall my dismay when I returned to New Zealand and discovered that at Auckland Swimming events our club had been moved from its traditional prime location to some far corner of our home pool. Not much respect for degree, priority and place in all that, I thought. However, today at the Auckland Junior Championships natural order was restored and West Auckland Aquatics assumed its rightful premier position. I am told that in the future we may have to share this spot. But for today all is well; “office and custom, in line of order.”
After the first day’s competition I stayed on to witness the Grand Final of the Auckland Swimming League. What was this new form of swimming like? Did it have something to add to the sport in New Zealand?
But before I consider the League I should discuss a story told to me by two independent competitors and a parent at the Swimming League event. Is it true that the relationship between the New Zealand Head Coach Mark Regan and the General Manager Performance and Pathways, Jan Cameron has deteriorated to such an extent that Regan has already handed in his notice or is about to resign? Were relations between the pair so poor in New Delhi that they could barely communicate? Is Regan going home to Australia for Christmas and not coming back? Is there a possibility that a rift between Regan and Cameron is being covered up while SNZ conclude discussions with SPARC on future funding? Does SNZ consider Regan disposable as it grooms the Millennium Institute for Cameron’s son, Scott Cameron, to assume the top job? If none of these things are true it would do SNZ well to specifically deny and refute each point. It is not good to have that sort of tittle-tattle running around an Auckland swimming pool. Swimming New Zealand cannot possibly want the “Herald on Sunday” to start digging into all this sort of stuff.
If any or all of these tales are true the Board of Swimming New Zealand needs to consider how the affair has been handled. Certainly the suggestion that SPARC is being misled would be most serious for the future of every swimmer involved in the sport. If Regan has resigned it will have a serious effect on the prospects of New Zealand swimmers at the London Olympic Games. Time is short. Two years and another four million dollars will go by very quickly. The position of Swimwatch is only to convey what is being said around the pool in order to allow those responsible to clarify exactly what is going on in the New Zealand High Performance Program. SNZ would do well to remember who is paying for this program.
And so, what did I think of the final of the Auckland Swimming League? There was a huge amount to admire. The atmosphere was great. There was a good crowd. The music was good and loud and exciting. The event attracted a large cross section of new and retired swimmers. The commentary was well informed. The meet was clearly fun. It came very close to merging the excitement of a Don King boxing promotion into a swimming pool setting. A couple of cheer leaders and I’d have felt right back at home in Florida watching the Dolphins and the Jets. The final of the Auckland Swimming League was unquestionably good for swimming.
For the purist however the League Final needed something extra to make it an unqualified success. It had all the hype of a Don King promotion; hype that Don King would have understood. It had an undercard of performance that was probably better than some of the undercards on a King promotion. What the League Final did not have and King always did, was an Ali and a Foreman, two of the world’s best, beating the hell out of each other. The core of a King event was world class. At its heart the core of the Auckland League was mediocre swimming. To be really successful that amount of excitement needs a quality, quality core. A few old Olympians and some out of shape Commonwealth swimmers did not provide enough substance. If the icing is that elaborate, the cake has to taste good as well.
Perhaps the money on offer ($20,000) will improve the quality of future events. However in the League format I think there needs to be a real championship at stake. That would give the new glamour and excitement and participation, the legitimacy of tradition and “real” competition.
It was an interesting evening. And tomorrow we go back to day two of the Auckland Junior Championships and yes our chairs will still be in their rightful spot; observing degree, priority and place.
