Diving Championship Standard Poor

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

Diving Championship Standard Poor

Quantity rather than quality waa the chief Ingredient in the strange mixture which made up the 194 T Canterbury tower and springboard diving championships at the Centennial Pool on Saturday. Although there was a heartening increase in the number of entries, the standard was so low that officials decided to award titles in only five of the 13 events. The diving referee (Mr A. J. Donaldson) stopped the proceedings before some of the younger competitors had completed their series of dives. It was evident that while enthusiasm abounds in the junior ranks, skill is still a long way off. Spectators could only bemoan the fact that the two former national champions, R. L. Hodge and Miss H. Hutton were occupying judges’ chairs this year instead of gracing the springboard.

One competitor who needed no apologies made for him J. P. de Malmanche, who, after a

year in Auckland, returned to beat the title-holder, G. Campbell (Christchurch) in the men s tower and springboard contests. De Malmanche lived up to his reputation with a competent display off the 10-metre board. He was little more than a point ahead of Campbell after two dives, but put the result beyond doubt with fine interpretations of the running two-and-a-half somersault, with pike, and the inward two-and-a-hjlf. In the springboard event, de Malmanche seemed to run out of air in most of his dives but still had too much in hand for his rivals. Divers from the Reefton club were well to the fore in the junior events. Phillip Whitta, a former Christchurch boy. was a close second in his event, while Rhonda Bennett won the girls’ title from her clubmate, Julia Little. The only under-age competitor to impress was Joy Meyer (St. Albans), who showed considerable promise in the under-14 section. Results were: Men's tower championship.— J. P. de Malmanche (Spreydon), 39.85 points, 1; G. Campbell (Christchurch, 22.49 2. Springboard championships.— Men: J. P. de Malmanche, 37.40, 1; G. Campbell, 23.74, 2; L Kiely (Reefton), 16.47, 3. Junior Boys: W. Huddy (Christchurch), 22.03 1; p. Whitta (Reefton), 19.94, 2. Junior Girls: R. Bennett (Reefton), 14.49, 1; J. Little (Reefton). 12.94, 2. Girls under 14: J. Meyer (St. Albans), 22.51, 1; P. Savage (North Beach). 10.5 2; P. Hemmingway (North Beach), 10.14. 3.