Young swimmer shows great promise

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31653, 13 April 1968, Page 11

Young swimmer shows great promise

TS Susan Hunter another Tui Shipston of the future? That is the question swimming followers are asking at the end of the blonde youngster's second recordbreaking season in Canterbury age group swimming. There are already several points the two swimmers have in common. The principal one is their excellence in all the strokes. They were both taught to swim by Mr J. Breward and the 11-year-old Susan has burst into prominence at the same age as that at which Miss Shipston started breaking records. Under the careful guidance of the well-known amateur coach, Mr L. Coxon, Susan carried everything before this summer. In the southern zone finals of the teleprinter contest she won the four races in her age group, and gained two New Zealand first placings—in 110 yd freestyle and 110 yd backstroke. Susan’s versatility was underlined by her performance at the Canterbury championships. In the under--12 girls’ section she won all eight titles—probably a record in itself —and set new marks for butterfly and medley. The Canterbury selectors

were so impressed with her ability that they chose her to swim for Canterbury at the South Island championships in Dunedin. She showed that the selectors’ faith was not misplaced by winning the 110 yd backstroke title from girls up to three years older than herself. Perhaps her finest perfornance this season was her record-breaking swim over 110 yd backstroke at the international carnival in February. She clipped o.6sec from the time set by no less a swimmer than Catherine Whiting, the latest New Zealand junior representative from Canterbury. Because she had won titles in every stroke at the provincial championships, Susan was not eligible to swim in individual events at the Junior Olympics last month. Instead, she went to the Wellington championships and won the under-12 finals in 110 yd freestyle and 110 yd backstroke in record times. In recent record attempts she set a new Canterbury mark for 55yd breaststroke at the Centennial Pool and! chopped 4.Bsec from the three-length medley figure at Jellie Park. Assuredly, Susan is a young swimmer with considerable ability in all strokes, and her progress during the next few years will be followed with keen interest