ENGLISH GIRL’S FOURTH GOLD

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31835, 13 November 1968, Page 19

ENGLISH GIRL’S FOURTH GOLD

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright)

TEL AVIV.

. A British girl, Valerie Forder, collected her fourth gold medal in the Paraplegic Games on Monday—in her non-speciality sport.

Already winner of three swimming golds, she caused a surprise by her victory in the 60 metres wheelchair race in a time of 17.2 sec. Jubilant at her quadruple success, she revealed to reporters why she had recently moved from London to Fife—an engagement to be married. An Australian, A. Conn, aged 24, established a world paraplegic record in the “Columbia round" of the archery competition. Disabled in a motor-cycle accident six years . ago, he scored 618 points to break the former record and to win his gold medal. The women's record also was broken, by Miss A. Maraschin (France), who scored 590 points. The former record was 539.

The Christchurch weightlifter, R. J. Fettorini, had a personal best performance of 2051 b, but was unplaced in his event. In archery, W. A. Lean (Dunedin) G. T. Marett (Dunedin), N. Brown (Auckland) and W. G. C. Flood (Auckland) all shot well, but failed by narrow margins to fill placings. Flood won his second round bowling match, but was beaten in the quarterfinals. G. T. Condon (Christchurch) was fourth in his heat of the 50 metres freestyle swimming and finished

sixth in the final. In the 50 metres breaststroke, he was second in his heat and fourth in the final. The New Zealand men were unplaced in the precision javelin event, but J. L. H. Savage (Kawerau), L. D. Campbell (Auckland) and Father L. St.J- Close (Dunedin) all reached the final of the discus.

The only woman member of the team, Mrs E. M. Rimmer (Edgecumbe) has qualified for the finals of the shot, discus and javelin events.