Emphasis On Freestyle In Swimming Team

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30938, 20 December 1965, Page 3

Emphasis On Freestyle In Swimming Team

A desire to lift freestyle swimming in the Dominion closer to world standards has led the national selectors (Messrs A. J. Donaldson, R. Shakespeare and K. Bentley) to include the country’s leading crawl swimmers, R. B. Walker (Wellington) and Miss Allison McMillan (Canterbury), in the New Zealand team to compete in the Victorian championships next month.

The other swimmers chosen to make the trip are P. JO’Carrol! (Auckland), backstroke, I. Johnstone (Otago), breaststroke, and Miss Heather Kerr (Auckland), butterfly. After the selectors had met in Christchurch at the weekend, Mr Donaldson, the convener of the panel, said the accent had been placed on freestyle in an attempt to encourage progress in the stroke. Walker, who won all the national men’s titles last season, was not far removed from top class and Miss McMillan, given strong competition in Australia, could extend the fine reputation she created in winning the women’s triple crown in Dunedin last March. O’Carroll, the men’s 110 yd

backstroke champion, and Miss Kerr, the women’s 110 yd butterfly title-holder, have been swimming impressively in Auckland, while Johnstone recently beat the men’s breaststroke champion, H. W. Graham (Auckland), over 110yds in Christchurch.

The team is expected to leave Christchurch for Melbourne on January 8 and will return on January 22. The first session of finals at the championships will be held on January 11. the second on January 14 and the third on January 21. Walker and Miss McMillan both won Victorian junior titles in Melbourne three years ago and Johnstone was a member of the New Zealand team at the Australian senior championships in Hobart last i season.

O’Carroll and Miss Kerr will be making their first overseas trip.