clarinews@clarinet.com (RUTH YOUNGBLOOD) (02/03/90)
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (UPI) -- New Zealanders turned over to Canada Saturday the honor of hosting the next Commonwealth Games after the 11-day extravaganza revitalized the event considered doomed four years ago. In a closing ceremony resplendant in pomp, Britain's Queen Elizabeth declared the Games closed and invited the youth of the Commonwealth to gather in Victoria, British Columbia in 1994. After a party of three athletes from each of the 55 countries that competed in the 10 sports marched past the queen, members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police entered behind a pipe band. Conspicuously absent, however, was Linford Christie, England's double gold medalist, who boycotted the ceremony to protest his team's disqualification from the 4 x 400 meters relay Friday. ``This is a decision for Linford to make as an individual,'' England coach John Jeffrey said. ``I will not force him to take part.'' England, Australia and Trinidad-Tobago were disqualified for faulty baton exchanges in the 4 x 400. Christie, who was not among the runners, declined the honor of marching before the queen in sympathy for the ousted athletes. Christie ran before her earlier, helping his homeland win the gold in the 4 x 100 meters relay. Christie also won the 100 meters. As the flag was lowered in the sunset, the Mounties formed a guard of honor while the emblem was presented to Peter Heatly, the chairman of the Commonwealth Games Federation. In attendance were aging greats from past Games dating to the 1930s, including javelin hurler Stan Lay, who won a gold medal and went on to compete until 1950. The Games were shattered in 1986 when 32 countries led by the African bloc boycotted in protest against Britain's refusal to tighten sanctions against South Africa to eliminate apartheid. That left only 26 nations participating and placed the future of the Games in doubt. The tour of South Africa by a rebel English cricket team sparked an unexpected backlash here, with the Auckland Games threatened by demands from Zimbabwe and Nigeria that England be expelled. Two days before the opening, African nations agreed not to punish New Zealand, which has maintained an active stance against apartheid and withdrew calls for England's ouster and threats of a boycott, A doping scandal tarnished the competition in the final days, with two Welsh weightlifters and another from India sent home in disgrace. Organizers came under harsh criticism for not testing all medalists, opting for random tests of 400 athletes instead. New Zealand lost $16.5 million for hosting the $52.8 million spectacle, but Canadian organizers are confident early planning will enable them to avoid finishing in the red. Despite the blemishes, the Games emerged stronger and more competitive than ever before in their 60-year history. Among the triumphs were England's Olympic champion Adrian Moorhouse swimming the fastest 100 meters breaststroke in history, equalling the world record he set five months ago. Australian Hayley Lewis became the first female swimmer to garner five golds in the history of the event. Canadian Curtis Hibbert matched her haul in gymnastics. Australian runner Andrew Lloyd, after seven operations in five years, defeated Olympic champion John Ngugi over 5,000 meters. Peter Elliott maintained England's supremacy over the 1,500 meters with his first major international gold medal. Double Olympic gold medalist Sebastian Coe, who had hoped to finish his glittering track career with one last accolade before turning to politics, Friday announced a viral infection had forced him to withdraw from the race Elliott won. Commonwealth Secretary-General Sonny Ramphal said the Auckland presentation heralded a new era when Commenwealth nations would no longer use boycotts to protest against political events. ``When the whole story is written up, people will say the Games began afresh in Auckland,'' Ramphal said, adding Canada ``can go ahead with a great deal more confidence.''