Athletics: Dismissal shock for director

By TERRY MADDAFORD

A stunned Steve Hollings has slammed Athletics New Zealand for dumping him as their high-performance director less than two months out from the Sydney Olympic Games.

Hollings, who has overseen the high-performance programme for the past five years, is bitterly disappointed at the timing of the decision.

"The timing is absolutely appalling," he said yesterday. "I was supposed to be in Brisbane this week with 37 of our athletes at a training camp.

"Instead, I'm here and they are there with no one looking after them. That is irresponsible."

Athletics New Zealand chairperson Kelly Diprose said the "disestablishment" of Hollings' position was a casualty of a cash crisis the sport was facing.

It appears ANZ is in the red to the tune of between $100,000 and $200,000 and that Hollings might not be the only casualty.

Saying the board decision was "regrettable," Diprose added: "Further announcements on restructuring will be made in due course."

Hollings and his lawyer met Diprose and board members Marlene Hudd and Ross Pownall this week.

Concerned at plans to drop the high-performance role, Hollings outlined a proposal which would allow him to continue but at a reduced, or no, cost.

Before he even made it back to his Torbay home from the meeting, Hollings was rung by Diprose and told they had not accepted the proposal.

It appears three of the seven board members made the decision.

Shaken by the way in which the matter has been handled, Hollings has, nevertheless, been overwhelmed by support from athletes and coaches.

"I have more than 50 e-mails or faxes," said Hollings, who remains the only coach appointed to the New Zealand track and field team for Sydney.

"I am going to the Games to honour a commitment I gave to the athletes three years ago. If it comes out of my pocket - they have told me there will be no redundancy when I leave on August 20 - I don't care. I owe it to them.

"I will also be going to the Australian Olympic trials," said a defiant Hollings. "Ironically, they are from August 16 to 19 - the day before I finish with Athletics New Zealand. I'm paying for that."

The trials will be the last chance for New Zealand athletes to qualify.

While Beatrice Faumuina, Craig Barrett, Glenn Howard, Chris Donaldson and Toni Hodgkinson have "officially" been named for Sydney, Chantal Brunner (twice), Ian Winchester and Tasha Williams have reached their respective targets but have yet to be added to the team.

Michael Aish (10,000m) is another close to making it.

Hollings, saddened by the events of the past few days, said he did not know what plans the association had for the future of its elite athletes.