Mystery Over Swim Time

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31041, 22 April 1966, Page 12

Mystery Over Swim Time

Mystery surrounds a 1650 yd time trial undertaken by the Canterbury swimmer, A. B. Kindred, at the Moana pool in Dunedin last evening.

According to some sources, Kindred recorded a time of 17min 49sec which is 53sec faster than his previous best and 21sec better than the New Zealand senior record.

Of five Otago officials approached in Dunedin last evening, three did not know anything about the swim, one confirmed that Kindred’s time was 17min 49sec, and the fifth denied a suggestion that a mistake might have been made in the counting of laps. When Kindred swam an 880 yd trial last week a mis-

take in counting caused him to stop after covering 770 yd. It is hardly likely that Otago officials would have made the same mistake twice. Kindred must have finished at the correct end of the pool, which means that if a mistake was made in counting, two lengths would have been missed.

But the Canterbury swimmer usually covers each 110 yd during his 1650 yd efforts in about Imin 15sec. Had a mistake in counting occurred, therefore, his time would have been about 19min 4sec, which would be far too slow for a swimmer of his capabilities.

The chairman of the New Zealand selection panel (Mr A. J. Donaldson) said late last night that he had received no report from Dunedin. But, he added, the time would have to be substantiated, particularly as it was so far in advance of the swimmer's previous best figure.