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Wayne Roycroft Resigns as Aussie Eventing Coach
Photo: The gold winning Australian Eventing Team, coached by Wayne Roycroft, Sydney Olympics 2000 (www.an-eventful-life.com.au)
After being a part of eight Olympic Games either riding or coaching, Wayne Roycroft has decided it may be time to get back on his own horse. The 64-year-old, whose surname is synonymous with equestrian in Australia, is stepping down as the Australian Olympic Eventing Coach.
Roycroft plans to return to farming on the NSW central coast. He began riding horses with his father Bill - Australia's oldest Olympian at 95 - on the family farm in Victoria in the 1940s. "I might actually get myself back up on a horse," Roycroft told The Australian yesterday.
He and his brothers Barry and Clarke were Olympians like their father, becoming one of the most effective and enduring sporting dynasties in Australia.
Although Wayne's retirement ends a 40-year association with the Olympic Games, Barry is still a selector with Equestrian Australia and Wayne's former wife, Vicki Roycroft, is still chairwoman of EA's jumping committee.
With the London Olympics just over 18 months away, the timing does seem strange."In my heart I intended to stay until after London. But then I thought perhaps it might be better to go now as everything seemed to be in perfect working order," said Roycroft who switched from Olympic athlete to coach in 1988 and was the leading force behind the hat-trick of golds in team eventing at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Games.
"There's a strong group of experienced riders there now and they'll be absolutely fine. I'll certainly assist the next person appointed with any background they need."
EA chief executive Grant Baldock held no fears about the change in coaching so late in the four-year Olympic cycle. "The high performance program is well-progressed and has a lot of mature riders in it. So it's not going to be a big hit for us as it would be for a lot of other sports," Baldock said. "But it's still a big challenge for us, don't get me wrong. You're talking about a man who's been directly involved in eight of the 11 eventing Olympic medals Australia has won."
The Christmas-New Year holiday season will unavoidably delay the appointment of a new coach. "We'll commence our recruiting process straight away and hope early in the year to announce someone," the CEO said.
As for Roycroft, he divides his best memories into two categories: administrative and athletic.
"To keep team eventing in the Olympic Games was probably my biggest achievement," he said,"then of course winning three golds in a row was the other."
The International Olympic Committee moved in early 2002 to drop eventing. But Roycroft produced his pencil and scissors and cut two components from team eventing, including the steeplechase, to shorten the format.
"That enabled us to stay in the Olympics," Roycroft said. He thanked the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Sports Commission for supporting and funding equestrian so well. "I've had a marvellous time. I'm the luckiest person alive to be involved with something I love for so long."
Roycroft is not sure where he will be on July 27 in 2012 when the London Games opens. He might have to take up a position on the couch as most Australians do. "It would be hard for me to be there and not sneak over the fence and have something to say."
story: www.theaustralian.com.au
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