Canoeing: Minister singles out Ferg

Ian and Steven Ferguson. Photo / Getty Images

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Ian Ferguson, New Zealand's most decorated Olympic athlete, says he is being dumped out of canoeing partly because he was told Minister of Sport Murray McCully felt it was "unconscionable" Ferguson should be coaching his own son, Steven, in the national team.

Ferguson, fellow coach Paul MacDonald and Canoe Racing NZ board member Alan Thompson all say Sparc's infiltration of the daily running of the sport has created a problem. They say Sparc-approved appointments to CRNZ began a power struggle that eventually took coaching control from Ferguson and MacDonald, but left them with accountability.

Ferguson says he was told by CRNZ CEO Paula Kearns that government sports funding agency Sparc wanted him out - and he was in McCully's sights because of the controversy over Olympic paddler Ben Fouhy and the minister's view that Ferguson should not be coaching son Steven in the team.

"I was told that Murray McCully felt it was unconscionable that I would be coaching Stevie," said Ferguson.

Kearns denies saying that.

"What could be more natural; more New Zealand than a father coaching his son? It happens up and down this country," said Ferguson.

Ferguson said he thought the comment really meant he was favouring his son over other paddlers like Fouhy - something he rejected entirely and in which he was supported by Thompson and MacDonald.

Canoeing came uncomfortably into the spotlight this year when former Olympic silver medallist Fouhy claimed the breakdown of his relationship with Ferguson led to his decision to quit the sport.

The controversy highlighted what appeared to be fractious relationships and cast Fouhy as a victim. He did return - but only after doing a deal with Sparc and CRNZ that he could train separately from the team.

Ferguson says the view seems to have been held in the Beehive that Ferguson was disadvantaging Fouhy in favour of his son. McCully's involvement was also underlined by Ferguson and MacDonald who both said Kearns told them and the rest of the canoeing team that McCully would cut the team's funding if anyone objected to Fouhy's inclusion.

Ferguson, MacDonald and Thompson all say they suspect McCully, Sparc and the executive of CRNZ are trying to cull out canoeing's "old guard" in favour of a new coaching regime which few believe will benefit the sport. Ferguson says he is bewildered about the reason for dumping him.

"It's not my nature to grizzle but ask anyone - I am the most experienced coach around," said Ferguson.

"Even Ben wanted me to be his technical adviser. I do it because I love it - it's certainly not for the money. That was only $27,000 last year."

Ferguson still wouldn't speak about the Fouhy affair, citing coach-athlete privacy, but Thompson, who also once coached Fouhy and was "fired", said: "That Fouhy business was just absolute nonsense.

"I saw all that bull in the media about Fouhy walking out on Ferg. It was a beat-up. Fouhy wasn't selected because he didn't do what everyone else did to get selected.

"Steven Ferguson and all the others in the team did everything that was asked of them to qualify for selection - including racing at the trials. Fouhy didn't. That was the only reason.

"But when it all took off, Fouhy made out he was walking out on Ferg - and used it as a club to beat Ferg with. It was rubbish. Fouhy hasn't had anything to do with Ferg for years. It was totally political."

But Ferguson, MacDonald and Thompson say the Fouhy affair was only one part of a power struggle which hamstrung their coaching efforts and helped produce poor results at this year's world championships in Poland.

They say Sparc, the CRNZ executive, high performance manager Wayne Maher and new coach Gordon Walker are on one side of a bitter division, with Ferguson, MacDonald, Thompson and other coaches on the other. "I wouldn't mind stepping down," said Ferguson, "If I knew there were quality decisions being made in the sport. But there aren't.