OLYMPIC GAMES TEAM

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28082, 25 September 1956, Page 12

OLYMPIC GAMES TEAM

53 Athletes Chosen For Melbourne

HURRING, MISS SLOPER HEAD LIST

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, September 24. A team of 56—including a manager, an assistant-manager and a chaperon—have been chosen by the New Zealand Olympic and British Empire Games Association to represent New Zealand in the Olympic Games at Melbourne from November 22 to December 8.

Those chosen constitute the largest team ever to represent New Zealand in the Olympic Games. Eight women are included in the team.

The team members were chosen from 91 nominations received from 11 national sporting bodies on September 11. These nominations were considered by the national selection panel under the chairmanship of Mr E. G. Guy, of Rotorua, last Friday and Saturday. The selection panel sat from 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. on Friday and had the names completed by 2 p.m. on Saturday. The selection panel nominated 53 competitors to the New Zealand Olympic Association and after two and a half hours deliberation—much of it in committee—all 53 names were unanimously selected by the association and announced by the chairman, Mr H. I. Austad.

The representatives and the order of their choice are:— 1. L. Hurring (Otago), at present in the U.S.A., swimming, 100 metres backstroke.

2. Miss V. Sloper (Christchurch) athletics, shot put.

3. Miss M. D. Roe (Hamilton), swimming, 100 metres and 400 metres free style. 4. Miss J. Stewart (Dunedin), swimming, 100 metres backstroke. 5. Miss J. M. Donaghy (Ngatia, Hauraki Plains), athletics, high jump. 6. R. H. Parker and R. A. Douglas (both of Mercer), rowing, pair oars without coxswain.

7. P. G. Mander and J. U. Cropp (both of Christchurch), yachting, square metre class. 8. J. R. Hill (Hamilton), rowing, single sculls. 9. Miss P. M. Gould (Auckland), swimming, 100 metres backstroke.

10. M. G. Halberg (Auckland), athletics, 1500 metres. 11. Miss M. F. Stuart (Hastings), athletics, 80 metre hurdles. 12. A. Tong, D. L. Gemmell, R. Laurent, P. Lucas, C. Johnston (cox) (all of Wanganui), rowing, four oars with coxswain. Reserve: D. D. Rowlands (Auckland). 13. N. Ritchie, L. B. Kent, W. Dalton ; D. R. Eagle (all of Auckland), and A. Larkins (Dunedin), cycling, 4000 metres pursuit team. 14. Miss W. C. Griffin (Auckland), swimming, 100 metres and 400 metres freestyle. 15. Miss B. D. E. Weigel (Auckland), athletics, long jump. 16. N. R. Read (Wellington), athletics, 50,000 metres road walk. 17. R. L. Stewart, W. E. Swinnerton, A. W. Cuthbertson (all of Auckland), yachting, Dragon class. The Hockey Team The eighteenth selection was the hockey team, which is:— W. P. Schafer (Masterton). J. C. Abrams (Christchurch). R. K. H. Johanson (Wellington). B. A. Turner (Palmerston North). J. C. Tynan (Wellington). M. C. Loudon (Palmerston North). A. C. M. Currie (Dunedin). N. H. Hobson (Christchurch). G. D. McGregor (Auckland). K. D. Cuinberpatch (Christchurch). P. G. By grave (Auckland). D. M. Goldsmith (Christchurch). B. Johnston (Palmerston North). I. D. Armstrong (Christchurch). The team includes three reserves. 19. W. Johnston, R. Johnston (both of Hamilton), tandem cycle race, 2000 metres. 20. W. Dalton (Auckland), cycling. 1000 metre time trial. (Dalton included also in pursuit team, graded No. 13.) 21. N. I. Scott (Auckland), athletics, 1500 metres. -

22. W. Johnston (Hamilton), cycling. 1000 metres. (Johnston included also in tandem event, graded No. 19.) 23. A. W. Richards (Christchurch). Athletics, marathon. 24. M. L. Rae (Auckland), athletics, 100 and 200 metres.

•5. P. T. Donovan (Napier), boxing, lightweight. 26. J. W. Silva (Auckland), wrestling, heavyweight. 27. R. H. Jones (Wellington), weightlifting, heavyweight. 28 G. P. Finlay (Greymouth), jboxing, welterweight. The selection panel approved J. E. Gillingham as a reserve for both yachting events should he be in Melbourne as yachting team manager.

Biographies of leading members of the team are:— The first choice for the New Zealand team, Lincoln Hurring, has established a tremendous reputation in the United States with his backstroke swimming. He is at present at the State University of lowa. Earlier this year Hurring won the national inter-collegi-ate 200 yards backstroke, and within davs he recorded phenomenal times—--200 metres in 2min 21.7 sec and 100 metres in 64.65ec. At the Helsinki Olympic Games. Hurring was third in his heat in the 100 metres backstroke, and seventh in a semi-final. In the 110 yards >vent at the Empire Games at Vancouver, Hurring finished second. Overseas critics have mentioned Miss Marion Roe, the 21-year-old re-cord-breaking swimmer, as an outside possibility for the 100 metres freestyle —and her brilliant swimming and impeccable temperament may prove them right. The Waikato girl holds the national titles and records for 100. 220 and 440 yards, and records for the 50 and 110 yards. Her best 100 vards time of 58,9 sec has nlaced her in very high company. Miss Roe is graded third in the New Zealand team.

Miss Jean Stewart, graded fourth, is the most experienced and internationally successful woman swimmer in New Zealand history. A backstroke swimmer, she was second at the 1950 Empire Games (110 yards), third at Helsinki (100 metres) and third at Vancouver (110 yards). Her best time over the Olympic distance is 75.1 sec. The Olympic record is 73.8 sec. Miss Mary Donaghy is a 16-year-old high jumper from Ngatea, Hauraki Plains, and she has been graded fifth in the list. She jumped more than five feet while in her very early teens, and took her first national title when 15. Her best performance, sft sin, ranks her very high among international jumpers. , The pair-oar combination of R. H. Parker and R. A. Douglas (Mercer) won a first in this event and a second in the doubles at the Vancouver Empire Games. They are graded sixth in the team. Parker, aged 22, is almost technically perfect as an oarsman and. when competing, has great concentration. His partner, Douglas, was a brilliant singles sculler about 1950 and his outstanding sprinting powers have made him one of the greatest oars-men-scullers in the sport.