12-year-old shows great promise

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31865, 18 December 1968, Page 17

12-year-old shows great promise

CANTERBURY leads the country in the field of middle-distance swimming, and the great promise shown by the 12-year-old, Jaynie Parkhouse, indicates that this dominance will not be broken for some time. Jaynie, a daughter of the Wharenui professional coach, Mr V. T. Parkhouse, sprang into prominence three years ago when she carried off first place for 110 yards freestyle in the under 10 section of the national teleprinter final. She has continued to show progress in the shorter distances, and is the leading South Island qualifier for the 1968 teleprinter finals on Saturday. But it is her potential as a middle-distance swimmer that excites the greatest interest Last week-end she beat the national women’s qualifying time for 440 yards, while in training she has covered the half-mile in 11 min Bsec—an outstanding effort for a girl of her age. Th|s is 7sec faster than the required time for the New Zealand women’s event and it compares favourably with efforts by girls in the same age group in Australia.

Jaynie is of very slight build—she weighs only sJst —but this has been one of the factors contributing towards her success. Like several prominent women middle distance swimmers, her water displacement is not great: she skims over the surface rather than plfiughs through it

This streamlined young swimmer seems certain of gaining a place in the national age-group finals, to be contested at Masterton in February. The most interesting question, however, is whether she will gain selection for the national open championships later that month. On her present times, she should be able to reach the finals of the 440 yards and 880 yards events.