Williamson May Be Key Man In Swimming Team

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30366, 15 February 1964, Page 9

Williamson May Be Key Man In Swimming Team

WHEN Canterbury finisher 4 third in team piacings at the 1963 New Zealand swimming championships in Auckland last February, the most handsome contribution to the team's points total was made by Miss S. A. Nicholson with her four titles in tree's style, medley and butterfly, her second place in the sprint, and her share in the medley relay crown. Now Miss Nicholson represents Auckland, so Canterbury must look for a new stalwart when the 1964 championships are held at Blenheim next week. Certainly, the team will not start at a complete disadvantage for even without Miss Nicholson and the brilliant junior freestyler, Judith Reid, it has still three national champions of high calibre in Miss H. Hutton and R. L. Hodge fspringhoard diving) and Miss L. Harrow (Open water swimming). This trio, by their recent performances and on the basis of the skill and

experience they have accumulated during their careers, must start favourites in their particular events.

But it is in the pool that Canterbury needs inspiration to help maintain its high standing. The answer may well lie in the showing of the team captain, W. R. Williamson, the centre backstroke champion. For three years he has been in the first three New Zealand men over 220 yards, and last season he was among the elite over the shorter distance as welt

This year, however, he faces opposition greatly increased in strength. The rising stars, P. J. O’Carroll and H. W. Brown, the defending champion, A. B. Robertson, and the energetic medley man, A. H. Seagar, have all swum faster than Williamson in recent weeks and are the form favourites for Blenheim.

Williamson, however, can rise to the occaision; his times at last year’s national meeting were far better than those he achieved locally. Some measure of success by him at Blenheim would serve as a tonic for the Canterbury team, for he is an extremely popular young man, cheerful yet modest, and an extremely able leader. Williamson has an admirable blending of promising youngsters and seasoned specialists in the team he leads at Blenheim. Among the more experienced competitors, M. Hay and G. R. Stringer are logical finalists on the strength of recent performances, W. G. Andrew is an exciting prospect for the 220 yards freestyle in view of his defeat of the champion, T. C. Dalton, last month, and P. W. Pearce, while not in the same class as Seagar, should be among the more prominent medley swimmers.

Canterbury’s women should gain a good share of piacings. The quietly efficient Miss J. Clark in freestyle and the lively Miss L. Cox in butterfly and medley are both grand fighters and should push Miss

Nicholson while Miss W. Dale (backstroke) should do nothing to mar her fine record for consistency at national meetings. In breaststroke Canterbury will be well represented by Miss M. Jones, who was splendidly aggressive in winning the two centre senior titles last month and who has improved with every appearance this season, and Miss C. Hopper, no longer Canterbury champion but still in the top bracket And among the juniors, Miss L. Blackett, fresh from her bronze medal win at Adelaide, has an excellent chance of becoming a national title winner.

The boys’ freestyle trio of M. Kindle, B. Mears, and R. Genet faces a hard task, but J. Hay will be a strong contender for breaststroke and medley honours. The girls, too, will find the competition intense, but Misses T. Shipston, N. Clark (backstroke), L. Falk (freestyle), A. Mitchell, and T. Jones (breaststroke) will be performing excellently if they can reach a national final.

Not the least important factor in the performance of the team will be the presence of Mr R. W. H. Luscombe and Mrs Luscombe as manager and chaperone. Their guidance and control of Canterbury teams at Auckland and Greymouth last year played no small part in the spectacular successes achieved by their charges.