Woman To Attempt Cook Strait Swim

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31349, 20 April 1967, Page 2

Woman To Attempt Cook Strait Swim

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, April 19.

The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist. Miss Margaret Macrae, will attempt to swim Cook Strait next summer, the Wellington swimming coach, A. Keenan, who will train her, said today.

“Margaret has nurtured the desire to be the first woman to be the first woman to swim the strait for nearly three years,” Mr Keenan said.

“She first made her interest known at the 1965 swimming championships in Dunedin, while listening to a broadcast on the progress of the American swimmer, Mary Margaret Revell. “It was decided then that she would come to Wellington after the 1966 Commonwealth Games and go through the same preparation as Keith Hancox did before his record-breaking swim.” Mr Keenan said he had been in touch with Miss Macrae by telephone, and she said she would resume training under her present coach, Mr M. Doidge, on May 1.

“She will arrive in Wellington on May 14 and will begin her full-scale preparation immediately,” he said.

Mr Keenan said she would undertake the schedule he had prepared for Hancox after discussions with the United States Olympic coach, Dr. James Counsilman.

“This will consist in the main of competitive pool training, interspersed with progressively longer swims throughout the winter and early summer,” he said. “We also have new information as a result of Keith’s swim in Cook Strait and later in the English Channel.” Mr Hancox said today that he thought Miss Macrae would succeed. “She has all the necessary requirements to undertake a swim of this type,” he said.

Previous women swimmers have not been particularly efficient swimmers, but Miss Macrae has a freestyle technique which will need little alteration. Miss Macrae, who is 20, has represented New Zealand at two successive Commonwealth Games. Although not successful at Perth, she swam well to win a bronze medal in the women’s 220 yards backstroke at Jamaica. She is a former medley and freestyle and present backstroke champion. Miss Macrae is the female swimmer who has dominated the domestic scene over the last four years.