Title-Holders Beaten In Harbour Swim

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31275, 23 January 1967, Page 14

Title-Holders Beaten In Harbour Swim

The defeat of both the men’s and women’s title-holders, and a fine performance by the new junior champion, provided the main interest in the Canterbury open water swimming championships at Diamond Harbour yesterday.

A superbly fit Miss J. Wright (Sockburn Park) captured the women’s event from Miss R. McKenzie (Rangiora), who has been one of the stalwarts of long-distance swimming in Canterbury. The race was Miss McKenzie’s swan song; she is to be married at Easter and will live in Hawke's Bay. The perfect conditions suited last year’s junior champion, M. Johnston (Jellie Park), who took the men's title from the powerful I. Gregg (Spreydon). Gregg looked as if he could swim round the triangular course all day, but he lacked Johnston’s speed in the calm water.

The best time of the day was recorded by the junior winner, B. Ward (Wharenui). After winning the boys’ event over two miles, he continued swimming with the senior to cover three miles in Ihr Bmln 22sec Ward has already made a name for himself in surfing; now It appears that fresh laurels are in store for him in longdistance swimming. The distance covered was slightly less than three miles, but the times returned by the five finishers compared most favourably with previous winning efforts and indicated that Canterbury should be well represented In the New Zealand championship over the same course next month.

•Swimming strongly and surely, Miss Wright led Miss McKenzie all the way for an

impressive win in the women's championship. Miss Wright was only Bsec behind Ward at the finish and her time was 2min 47sec faster than that taken by the national title-holder. Miss J. p. Clark, in winning the 1905 race.

Miss McKenzie gave a good performance to improve on her 1966 time. She finished on equal terms with Gregg. Training for Johnston this season did not begin until after he had completed the school certificate examination. But this did not prevent him producing a meritorious swim. He led Gregg all the way and headed him home by more than four minutes and a half.

Gregg has carried out a good deal of pool work and speed work this season, but it was not the day for him. Choppy conditions would have suited his robust physique. Ward’s two-mile time of 44min 44sec was the fastest in the junior championship for some years. He made light work of the extra mile. Results: Men’s Three-mile Championship.—M. Johnston (Jellie Park), 1:14:21.5, 1: I. Gregg (Spreydon), 1:19:2.2, 2. Women’s Three-mile Championship. Miss J. Wright (Sockburn Park), 1:8:30, 1; Miss R. McKenzie (Rangiora), 1:19:2.2, 2. Boys’ Two-mile Championship. —B. Ward (Wharenui), 44:44, 1; B. Layton (Spreydon), 46:16, 2.