Sixth Swimmer Joins U.S. Team

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30965, 22 January 1966, Page 15

Sixth Swimmer Joins U.S. Team

One of the great names in women’s international swimming, Sharon Finneran, has joined the United States team for the tour of New Zealand in the next few weeks.

The selection of the 19-year-old freestyle, butterfly and medley exponent swells the membership of the team to six. Sue Pitt, a world recordholder in butterfly who withdrew from the original team of five, has been replaced by Dolores Pfeiffer, a 16-year-old Californian freestyle swimmer. The team arrives in Auckland tomorrow and will make its first appearance next Wednesday. Nine centres will be visited—the appearance in Christchurch will be on February s—before the tour ends at Napier on February 19. Silver Medal The selection jf Miss Finneran gives the team added status. She is the United States’ women’s 400 metres medley champion and won the silver medal in this event at the 1964 Olympic Games. Miss Finneran holds the world record for 800 metres freestyle and in 1962 held the world marks for 200 metres butterfly, 400 metres medley and 400yds medley.

A fine freestyle swimmer, Miss Pfeiffer was placed in the last American indoor and outdoor championships. Last year she swam the second leg for the City of Commerce club’s teem when it set a world record for the women’s 4 x 200 metres freestyle relay. Both Misses Finneran and Pfeiffer will swim in freestyle events in New Zealand, and Miss Finneran will also appear in medley events with the 14-year-old world 440yds record-holder, Mary-Ellen Olcese. The other members of the team are Cynthia Goyette (19), breaststroke, Judy Humbarger (15), backstroke, and Jane Barkman (14) freestyle.