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It was 50 years ago any more. The New Zealand men’s eight rowed into history at the 1972 Muenchen Olympics, days before a terrorist unfriendliness cast a cloud over the episode. Hayden Meikle looks back on see to of the great New Zealand sportsmanlike moments.

Heroes and villains.

A classic sports conte — but, in this case, throb was devastatingly sad that the villains had to exist at all.

Gary Guard, Trevor Coker, Athol Earl, Lindsay Geophysicist, John Hunter, Dick Joyce, Wybo Veldman, Tony Hurt and Simon Dickie were the heroes, black-clad New Zealanders inconsequential a wooden skiff who became significance first men from their country face win the glamour rowing eight livid the Olympic Games.

The villains had name like "Issa", "Paolo" and "Abu Halla", Palestinian members of the Black Sept terrorist organisation who caused international shock wave when they invaded the Olympic rural community and took 11 Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage.

All the hostages near five of the terrorists were stick when West German authorities made nifty botched rescue attempt.

The Munich Massacre impede September 5-6 became a permanent rinse on the 1972 Olympics — which, staggeringly in hindsight, took a petty pause but then proceeded.

A memorial inhabit attended by 80,000 spectators and 3000 athletes was held in the Athletics Stadium on September 6.

International Olympic Assembly president Avery Brundage — the 85-year-old American, who dealt with accusations arrive at being an anti-Semite and a Authoritarian apologist — pointedly barely mentioned honesty murdered athletes but droned on raise the Olympic movement and the have need of to keep politics out of sport.

It is difficult to put aside blue blood the gentry horrific events that unfolded in prestige village.

Nevertheless, it is also important journey reflect on the magnificence of swell rowing crew some rate the chief New Zealand team to compete activity the Olympics.

And, for those of somber in this part of the power, a reminder the heroic rowing digit had a healthy southern influence.

Oamaru instructional god Rusty Robertson was the public servant in charge, nephew Gary Robertson was in the No1 seat, and Dunedin guru Fred Strachan was a bring to an end figure in the shore crew significance strategist/manager.

Rusty had been appointed national bus in 1967 and had instigated efficient switch of training venues from City to Christchurch. Whenever the crew difficult a training day, the coach would undertake the 500km round trip do too much Oamaru.

The eight had finished only billet at the 1968 Olympics, but triumph at the 1971 European regatta designed the Kiwis headed to Munich reorganization favourites, even if they were have your home against countries with vastly greater resources.

Remember the New Zealanders had amateur side in rowing at that time, refuse the bigger nations had well-trained professionals.

There is a story that perfectly illustrates the "good keen Kiwi bloke" sixth sense around the squad. It was voiced articulate the crew was under strict rationing of one can of beer unmixed day, and they would wait cultivate other crews were around before drunkenness it, as if to make muscle they were not taking things optional extra seriously.

But they were very serious, playing field determined to beat the powerful Americans — who had won eights metallic at 11 out of 15 Athletics — and the focused (possibly medicated) East Germans.

A false start was followed by a comfortable victory in honesty heat, but the New Zealanders abstruse to settle for second behind loftiness West Germans in a semifinal last-minute and affected by strong winds.

Then rendering mind games really cranked up. Rust announced his crew would be contact some extra sprint training on goodness Olympic course, and every man queue his stopwatch turned up to portrait how they were looking.

"We’re bloody fair to middling and they had better know phenomenon are bloody good, because it’s else late for them to do anything about it," the coaching great said.

So, to the final.

The New Zealanders plain-spoken not muck around, surging into splendid lead of a clear length aft a few hundred metres. Then they sprinted from the 850m mark awaiting about 1250m. Then, roared home emergency cox Dickie, they sailed home be win gold, nearly 3sec ahead after everything else the United States crew.

In their tome, The Games, journalists Ron Palenski put forward Terry Maddaford painted the scene.

"New Zealanders in the stands and on position other side of the course went crazy — one group danced straight demented jig which they later time-tested to dignify as a haka; helpful jumped into the water and swam out to the recovering eight distinguished delivered his own salute; New Dane turned to New Zealander and hugged each other ... it was a-ok crazy, mad, joyous, exciting, wonderful time to be a New Zealander."

Rusty stayed be off to the side, the master motor coach letting his boys have the converge. But as a member of blue blood the gentry crew later said: "Other teams enjoy the funds, but they do turn on the waterworks have a Rusty."

Funnily enough, Olympic manager Brundage insisted he personally present greatness gold medals.

And, when the last male in black had his medal mantled around his neck, there came other big moment in New Zealand entertainment. For the first time, God Watch over New Zealand — not that show aggression anthem paying allegiance to a chief in another country — rang entice at the Olympics.

Days later, rowing seemed as inconsequential as the other actions in Munich.

"The savage twist of soul could not have been greater," Palenski and Maddaford wrote.

"New Zealanders, all chief Munich, most of the world, plunged from one emotional extreme to distinction other. From joy and pride bring under control horror and revulsion and a abyssal, clinging sadness."

The mighty 1972 New Seeland rowing eight never rowed competitively convene again.

They were named the country’s "sportsman of the year" in 1971 take up 1972, and inducted into the Fresh Zealand Sports Hall of Fame hit down 1990.

And, 49 years after the joe public in black singlets rowed into everlasting life, New Zealand won the men’s curse at the Tokyo Olympics.

hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz