12 August 2004
By TONY SMITH
Barbara Kendall, a star athlete with an aversion to the current Kiwi flag, could
be selected by Dave Currie, an administrator unafraid to express similar sentiments,
to carry the old ensign into the Olympic Games arena.
Kendall, the bold board sailor or "wind whacker" as she once dubbed herself, has spoken up for the rapidly growing campaign to replace the tired union jack-based, four-star flag with something more representative of modern New Zealand.
Chef de Mission Currie concurs. Currie respects New Zealand's history so much he organised a moving ceremony at an Athens army cemetery to commemorate our war dead. But, with all due respect to the RSA brigade, Currie believes people fought and died for their country and their families rather than something as symbolic as a flag.
So the self-styled republican would like to change the flag any way, although he accepts it will not happen at this Olympics. But Currie notes with evident enthusiasm that almost all the flags on display in the New Zealand quarters at the Games village are "black with a silver fern".
Wouldn't it then be something of an irony if Kendall has to carry a flag she doesn't fancy around the Athens amphitheatre before billions of television viewers?
Could it be a flag of convenience, perhaps? Not really.
Kendall, if asked, is hardly likely to spurn the offer. She did the honours at Atlana in 1996 after her gold medal at Barcelona.
Currie says no-one had told him, for want of another term, to flag it. Nor had there been any lobbying by individual sports.
Like a poker-faced riverboat gambler, the New Zealand chef de mission is refusing to declare his hand on who will perform the privileged duty at this opening ceremony. Currie has made his decision on the dual flag bearer-team captain role.
But he's not telling yet.
That's hardly surprising given 400 athletes, support staff and big-wigs are waiting to be told at the New Zealand team's official pre-Games slap-up dinner at the Pentlikon Estate in Varimbombi tomorrow.
So it would be poor form to have let the cat out of the bag to a gaggle of nosy newshounds at a press briefing in the mayor's chambers in the swanky suburb of Kifisia.
At the function tomorrow will be New Zealand's four last Olympic captains – gold medallists Ian Ferguson (Seoul 1988), Mark Todd (Barcelona, 1992), Kendall (Atlanta 1996) and Blyth Tait (Sydney, 2000). They are all in the 2004 New Zealand squad – Kendall and equestrian rider Tait as athletes and kayaker Ferguson and legendary horseman Todd as coaches.
So also is a man who would have graced the job – 1960 5000m gold medallist Sir Murray Halberg.
Currie obviously doesn't lack for accessible expert consultants.
Given flag bearers are generally former Olympic medallists still competing at the highest levels in their sport, Kendall clearly fits the bill. There's a feeling afoot in Athens that it's long overdue for a woman to lead the New Zealand team. Only Kendall has done so before, eight years ago, at that.
She's our golden girl of sailing, and our silver and bronze one too. She has a full set of Olympic medals – and no other current athlete has raised our standards so high.
So give Kendall the flag then and never mind what it's got daubed on it. Change will come. It has to – our flag looks far too much like Australia's.
But it will be too late for the 36-year-old superstar of sailing so don't deny her this opportunity now.
Christchurch Press
© Fairfax New Zealand Limited 2004