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Ian Thorpe -
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Swimming New Zealand has taken the momentous step of officially recognizing all their athletes who have represented this country, and have secured one of the world's most successful swimmers to help celebrate.
At the end of the national championships in Auckland next month, there will be a dinner at which the State Insurance Swimming Awards will be announced. This in itself is a first. Swimming NZ is making much progress it seems.
The Commonwealth Games team for Delhi will also be announced. Previously this has happened at a small function in a tent outside the pool. More progress.
Then, as a special feature, all those people who have swum for New Zealand at Olympics, World championships and Commonwealth Games will be presented with a momento.
It has been a huge undertaking to locate and contact over 200 people, but the response has been excellent.
Olympic medallists Jean Stewart, Anthony Mosse, Paul Kingsman
and Danyon Loader will attend- Mosse and Kingsman making special
trips from the United States to do so.
Parade of champions
I stayed with Anthony for a few days whilst returning from the Winter Olympics, and his enthusiasm for this 'parade of champions' was unbridled. He told me Kingsman is just as enthusiastic. It means a great deal to them.
There'll be other notable achievers too such as Commonwealth Games gold medalists Anna Forrest (Simcic), Rebecca Perrott, Gary Hurring, Mark Treffers, Jaynie Huegel (Parkhouse), Moss Burmester, Dave Gerrard and others.
This event is huge for the sport here. But wait. There's more. Multiple Olympic champion Ian Thorpe will attend the celebrations. He might be the biggest aquatic star ever to come to these shores, and while it is a pity he could never be attracted to swim here while at his competitive peak, having him appear at this special tribute dinner is definitely a coup.
The function is all about recognizing the New Zealand swimmers who have done so much in the past, much as the NZ Olympic Committee did for our Olympians last year.
The organizers don't want Thorpe's presence to diminish the importance of this celebration, but for all New Zealand's representatives over the decades, over more than fifty years, just being in Thorpe's presence will be something to treasure.
