Change of club for swimmers

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31862, 14 December 1968, Page 11

Change of club for swimmers

rpHE Wharenui Swimming Club will have two important additions to its ranks for the major meetings in Christchurch this summer. John Tillson, formerly of the Elmwood club,

has already changed over and he is to be followed by Susan Hunter, of Spreydon. These chapges have been brought about chiefly because of the better training facilities provided by the covered Coronation Pool at Wharenui. Swimmers who seek the regular use of the' pool for training are obliged to join the Wharenui club, and Tillson and Miss Hunter 1 will be trained by Mr V. T. Parkhouse, the club’s professional coach. Both swimmers were trained previously by amateur coaches, Mr P. Adams and Mr L. Coxon respectively. Tillson is the fastest backstroke swimmer in the centre, and built up an outstanding record during last season. He won both Canterbury junior backstroke titles, and the senior 110 yd event as well. At Dunedin he won both South Island junior backstroke titles, and he took a silver and a bronze medal at the national championships. His best time of Imin 9.8 sec for 110 yd clipped o.6sec from W. R. Williamson’s Canterbury senior record, which had stood for five years.

A swimmer who is at his best over a short distance, Tillson is a reasonably good butterfly and freestyle sprinter. He is the Canterbury junior 110 yd butterfly champion and record-holder, and helped Elmwood- set a new mark for the men’s flying squadron last season.

Susan Hunter holds nine Canterbury records in the under-11, under-12 and un-der-13 age groups and she has been included in the national selection school squad to compete for a place in the 1969 New Zealand team.