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Mistakes Happen

By David

I should preface this report with a confession. I was not at the Swimming New Zealand Awards Dinner. I doubt that Swimming New Zealand would sell me a ticket. Mind you the gang that run the organization these days give the impression there’s not much they wouldn’t do for a dollar; perhaps even entertain a Swimwatch author.

However and possibly to the surprise of Swimming New Zealand I did have some friends at the event. Obviously Renford never thought to put a ban on West Auckland Aquatics members. My guys have returned to training today discussing one story; debating the merits of one event.

Actually if the story is true, if the facts are as I’ve been told, the whole sorry event fills me with overwhelming sadness. You may find it difficult to believe but writing about the waste, the errors and the futility of Miskimmin’s new Swimming New Zealand often fills me with a dark cloud of depression. I write about it because someone has to. The history of swimming in New Zealand demands that the sport gets rid of Miskimmin, Layton, Renford, Villenueva and Lyles as quickly as possible. Oh, and as a footnote, from what I hear from my Wairarapa friends let me add Mark Berge, the President of Wellington Swimming to that list.

Swimwatch may be a thorn in their side. But they should remember. If the content of this blog does not meet with their approval then they should not read it. We are not at high school. It is not required reading. I don’t mind if they prefer watching Coronation Street. Swimwatch is only one man’s opinion. However the blog may also be good for swimming. I do hope so. And with that thought, here is what I was told this afternoon.

The key purpose of the Swimming New Zealand Awards evening is to make money for the organization; $67,000 in 2011 and $41,000 in 2012. But after that mercenary goal, the 2014 event was the occasion chosen to announce various awards and the names of swimmers who will compete in the Commonwealth Games, the Oceania Games and the Pan Pacific Games. As I understand it, the television journalist, John McBeth was paid to announce the various teams. On a screen behind McBeth Swimming New Zealand flashed up the name of the successful swimmers and, for those unable to read, McBeth said the name.

The team that is the focus of this story is the Pan Pacific Games team. Swimming New Zealand put up the names of fourteen swimmers. McBeth perfectly repeated the names and announced triumphantly that this was the team that would represent New Zealand at the 2014 Pan Pacific Games in Australia.

Except it wasn’t. Would you believe it, for all their generous salaries and Mazda SUVs Miskimmin’s new Swimming New Zealand had missed two qualifying swimmers. Someone from the audience, possibly Donna Bouzaid, called out, “What about the open water swimmers?” McBeth looked confused. I can understand that. He probably had no idea what the crazy woman in the back row was talking about.

But sure enough Donna Bouzaid was right. Miskimmin’s new Swimming New Zealand had left out open water champions Kane Radford and Charlotte Webby. And that is nothing short of bloody disgusting; an inexcusable disgrace. Those two swimmers competed in two 10 kilometre open water events to qualify for the Pan Pacific Games. They raced for four hours, paid their own meet entry fees and their own travel costs to qualify for the New Zealand Pan Pacific team. No one had a more difficult test of their worth. No one paid a higher financial or physical price and Miskimmin’s new Swimming New Zealand just left them out; forgot they existed.

That does not surprise me though; if it’s not happening at Miskimmin’s Millennium Institute, it’s not happening at all. At least that’s the impression you get. I’m told Kane Radford was understandably upset. With some good cause Charlotte Webby and Kane Radford had every right to be furious. I’m told McBeth stumbled on; certain that he had missed something; but not quite sure what it was. Perhaps, McBeth may have thought, a Swimming New Zealand that has “Excellence, Integrity, Accountability” on all its correspondence would come to his rescue. Perhaps someone would explain that an error had been made. Renford could have said Swimming New Zealand was very sorry but had saved the best to last and announce the two open water specialists. After all isn’t that the meaning of accountability.

But no. Miskimminn’s new Swimming New Zealand sat on their bums and did nothing. They followed their age old practice, “Admit no fault. Acknowledge no error.” Two days have gone by since the new Swimming New Zealand screw up and I’d bet my house that Radford and Webby still have not received an apology. Surely an email saying sorry wouldn’t be too much to ask. It may help heal the hurt caused on Saturday night. But this lot never apologizes for anything. Their idea of accountability is called, “passing the buck”.

Perhaps SNZ don’t realize open water swimming is now an Olympic event. Philip Ryan from Waterhole often trains in the same pool as West Auckland Aquatics. He talks to my guys and I get the impression New Zealand has a long way to go to recognize open water swimming as an equally valid event to any pool competition. Certainly the treatment of Webby and Radford strengthens that impression. In my view Layton, Renford and Vilenueva have behaved badly – again.

If any of the facts in this story are wrong, please use the comments facility and correct my errors.

And while you are at it can someone confirm or deny that Auckland Millennium swimmers were put up in a motel at the New Zealand taxpayer’s expense during the trials. These people live in Auckland; some of them just a few kilometers from the pool. Why are we paying for them to sleep in a Henderson motel? If it’s true, it’s an outrageous waste of money. Especially ridiculous when swimmers like Radford, Ryan and Webby had to pay their own transport, accommodation and even their entry fees to represent their country in the Oceania Open Water Championships. Hang in their Kane, Phillip, Charlotte and our/Waterhole swimmer Bridget. It’s tough but you are leading the way. Those who follow will benefit from your trials and from your efforts.

 

 

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2014 at 10:11 pm and is filed under New Zealand . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

  • David

    I have no idea whether this Swimwatch story prompted a SNZ reaction. And whether it did or not is of no consequence – none at all. However in a note to members today this is what the SNZ CEO, Renford, had to say;

    “This was an inexcusable omission and on behalf of Swimming New Zealand I extend sincere apologies for what was an embarrassment to the integrity and achievements of both our dedicated swimmers and the sport.”
    Well done Swimming New Zealand. You are right and the sport is better for your admission.

  • L Vercoe

    David, here is a long one. I am sorry but the best detergent for a sorry tale like this really is sunlight! Always interesting that correspondents (in this case, ‘annoyed’) take it upon themselves to extrapolate the motivation and emotions of athletes. Of course, Kane Radford would have told you that he does not get a thrill out of having his name announced with a national team or that the thought didn’t go through his mind for a moment that ‘the b*******s have dumped me?’ I guess that Kane Radford told you how he felt when he was left off the list did he? I guess he told you exactly what it was like to be overwhelmed with conflicting emotions after a completely shyte year? I am also sure that Kane Radford must have told you that he was just embarrassed that Donna Bouzaid had made a fuss? Oh, I thought not!

    In truth probably only Charlotte Webby and Kane Radford can really say what they felt that night. I do wonder though how Charlottes family having made the trip from Taranaki and paid the full price (hotel rooms, black tie suit and entry fee) to enjoy the honour of their daughter being named to her first full national team felt when she was left off the list? I wonder how Bronwen Radford felt when her sons name was left off the list? I also wonder how she felt when told by Kent Stead that it was the selectors fault then to be told by a selector that it was Kent’s fault and then to be told by a selector that she needed ‘to get out of here’. Maybe ‘annoyed’ as you are clearly close to them you could ask and report back on what you find out?

    I wonder how Kane Radford and Charlotte Webby might have felt when they opened their email box the next morning and the day after hoping that an apology might be forthcoming only to find none?

    What I am sure about in all this is that John McBeth was not to blame and that it is outrageous that a paid professional guest compare should be placed in the position of being embarrassed because of someone else’s incompetence.

    While credit needs to go to Christian Renford for a belated apology in a newsletter, it is too little, too late as the damage has already been done. For an organisation that operates under a by-line of Excellence, Integrity, Accountability this is just not good enough. If they cannot get the announcement of the national team right how can you expect them to be entrusted with preparing and running a national team? From what I know of athletes their drive and motivation is more closely linked to personal excellence and the honour of representing their country rather than anything to do with their NSO. Many I know, and for good cause, would rather have nothing to do with their NSO and see them as an encumbrance rather than an aid. Of course while they are there and a part of the system they have to play the game but in their private moments they admit to extreme frustration. Some speak out while they are still there (and then get ostracised), others like Moss Burmester only speak out when they retire and there is nothing more that can be done to them. Think of Val Adams who almost lost the chance to compete for an Olympic Gold because of administrators stuffing it up? Peter Miskimmin was there that day, did he apologise or accept responsibility? How about Mike Stanley? We have a culture deep in government run sport in New Zealand of blame shifting and incompetence. That’s why David is right, the real enemy is always government run sport. They should stay out of it.

    When is anyone going to be held to account for the ongoing failings in SNZ which keep giving David Wright weekly (frequently more often) ammunition to ridicule and lampoon SNZ’s ongoing failures? Mark Berge can rant all he likes in regional chair teleconference calls that Swimming New Zealand need to close David Wright down and Dr Who can reply that their lawyers tell them they can’t do anything until the cows come home, but the best way to shut David Wright up is to win swimming races and act with ‘Excellence, Integrity and Accountability’ – that we continue to have the tragic entertainment of Swimwatch to regale us with even more stories of the inept comedy show that is SNZ is a clear measure that they simply are not excellent, nor accountable and that they are completely lacking integrity.

    Back to the debacle of the awards night, I am told reliably that there were two people that night who understood the impact of what happened for both Kane and Charlotte. They are both athletes and both went to their colleagues and friends who had been humiliated and apologised. They are not even employed by SNZ and they apologised. More than anyone in SNZ was prepared to do that infamous night. They both know who they are and their acts of genuine empathy and concern have characterised their distinguished careers. Individual acts like that tell you why they are champions and why SNZ are not.

  • James T

    Yet again, probably New Zealand’s toughest, most consistent and internationally competitive swimmer, Kane Radford, is shafted! No, it wasn’t because they left his name off a bloody slideshow. This is years and years and years of being dealt a pretty shoddy hand by SNZ (and by extension all the Open Water swimmers). Why? Lots of reasons. They have never understood the sport – it shows in their selection policies over the years, their funding and carding systems. Many of us remember years ago how the Radfords had to take a Sports Tribubal case because of selection. Jan Cameron hated Open Water and there was no way Open Water swimmers were going to 2008 Beijing, or for that matter, 2012 London. Yet, as a new Olympic sport we should have been sending our best there, because it is a sport where it can be anyone’s day on the day. But you have to bloody be there!

    Its a disgrace how our open water swimmer have been treated over the years. No other swimmers have had to gain selection to the national team by beating the Australians! They have to travel internationally at their own expense. Kane apparently trains in Oz now, and you are right David, I bet he pays all his expenses.

    No, it is bloody incompetence. The selectors should have known (wasn’t John West made a FINA Oceania delegate for Open Water recently? Enough said!). The CEO, the Board, the SNZ staff should all have known? Why didn’t they? Because they don’t understand the sport. Period.

  • Openwaterwins

    All the comments on this blog provide food for thought and that has got to be a good thing. I agree that these committed athletes deserved a better deal and the public apology by SNZ does demonstrate an effort to calm stormy waters. What else could they do…. Backs firmly against the wall here! Whether it is genuine is yet to be determined. Good on you all for speaking up, both for and against.
    What does surprise me are the comments directed at the author of swimwatch for recent blogs that highlight that our sport of swimming is not as healthy as some would like to believe. If this government funded department was working well then David and his swimwatch would be out of business.
    To Charlotte and Kane – go get em, sort this in the water, as i am confident you will do-and when your rocking and they come a knocking you will know what to say.