RECORD SWIM BY MISS SMITH

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31631, 18 March 1968, Page 10

RECORD SWIM BY MISS SMITH

The Canterbury swimming captain, Miss L. M. Smith, recorded the fastest women’s 220 yards breaststroke time in the history of the sport in New Zealand when she achieved 2min 51.4 sec in a solo swim at the Wharenui Coronation Pool on Saturday afternoon.

Her effort eclipsed by 2sec the national senior 220 yd and 200 metres short course records established by Miss V. J. Haddon in 1966. Until Saturday Miss Haddon had held all eight New Zealand women’s breaststroke records for an unbroken spell of six years.

Miss Smith's time was only I.4sec outside the Olympic qualifying mark for the distance. It was also half a second faster than the previous best time recorded in New Zealand—Miss Haddon's long course all-comers’ figure of 2mi 51.9 sec.

Miss Smith, aged IS, came from Timaru to Christchurch

last year to train under Mr V T. Parkhouse, in an effort to improve her chances of Olympic nomination. She has won the New Zealand senior title for 220 yd breastroke twice, and was fourth in the recent Australian championship final. At the Centennial Pool, G. S. Walker gained further honours for Canterbury swimmers by equalling the national junior boys’ 440 yd freestyle mark of 4min 37.55ec, set by P. Laing (Otago) in winning the national title two weeks and a half ago.

Walker, the silver medallist in the race, achieved the time in a special time trial with the New Zealand senior champion, A. B. Kindred, who recorded 4min 33.95ec. Walker’s time broke Kindred’s Canterbury junior record by 3.9 sec; Kindred was l.Ssec outside the centre senior mark and 2.9 sec away from the national men’s record.