Strain Telling On Swimmers

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31041, 22 April 1966, Page 13

Strain Telling On Swimmers

The strain and stress of attempting to maintain a peak performance for a long period appeared to be telling on the Empire Games aspirants at the Moana pool, Dunedin, last night.

Four leading competitors matched themselves against the stopwatch, and while one beat a target time and another broke a national record, very little elation was aroused.

Once again the successful swimmers were the butterfly competitors. Miss K. Taylor (Taranaki) and Miss D. Myers (Otago). Miss Taylor swam 110 yd in lmin 12.4 sec to beat the Empire Games target for the third time in 10 days while Miss Myers broke her own national junior mark of lmin 13.9 sec by o.4sec. But she was still half a second outside the target time. Later the 15-year-old Miss Myers swam over 110 yd freestyle, but her time of lmin B.6sec was below her best. Miss A. McMillan (Canterbury) again failed to break 68sec in spite of earnest and diligent training in her two

weeks at Dunedin. Her time last night was Imin B.3sec. The long period of top performances, starting with the premier events in December and continuing with the Victorian, Canterbury, South Island and New Zealand championships, seemed to be taking its toll. I. Johnstone (Otago) covered 110 yd breaststroke in Imin 13.9 sec. He returned an identical time last week, but the target time is Imin 13sec.