Jean Stewart's Retirement

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28150, 13 December 1956, Page 13

Jean Stewart's Retirement

One of the finest women backstroke swimmers New Zealand has vet produced, Jean Stewart, announced ner decision to retire from competitive. swimming earlier this week. Swimming enthusiasts throughout New Zealand will note her decision with regret, remembering that it was Miss Stewart who gained the only major placing for New Zealand in the swimming events at the 1952 Olympic Games at Helsinki and that she was second at the British Empire Games in Auckland in 1950. She now intends to take up swimming coaching. Miss Stewart began competitive swimming in Otago when she was only 13, and steadily developed under her coach, Mr W. Wallace. She has always acknowledged that it was Mr Wallace who was instrumental in

bringing her to international standard “He has been simply marvellous. I think he should have been a professional long ago,” said Miss Stewart in Christchurch before her departure for the Olympic Games last month. When she was in Australia earlier this yeat, Mr Frank Guthrie. Lorraine Crapp’s coach, said Miss Stewart had the best backstroke style he had ever seen, and that she was actually swimming freestyle on her back.

The 1952 Olympics were the highlight of Miss Stewarts’ career, for it was then that she gained a bronze medal for New Zealand. Her time was lmin 15.8 sec, compared with Joan Harrison (South Africa), who won the event in lmin 14.3 sec and Geertje Wielma (Netherlands), who was second in lmin 14.5 sec.

When she returned to New Zealand. Miss Stewart determined to compete at the Olympics at Melbourne, and in the intervening years swam three miles a day to keep herself in training. Last season she broke her New Zealand record for the 100 yards backstroke three times and the 100 metres record twice, and assured herself a position in the New Zealand Olympic team.

One could not imagine a person better suited to coach than Jean Stewart, for her pleasant manner and outstanding record have for many years made her one of the most popular women swimmers.