Four Chch Swimmers In Canadian Tour Team

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 19

Four Chch Swimmers In Canadian Tour Team

Four Canterbury swimmers have been chosen in the team of 10 to represent New Zealand on the tour of Canada in April and May. They are A. B. Kindred, G. S. Walker and Misses T. K. Shipston and S. Hunter.

After their brilliant performance at the national championship meeting in Auckland last week Kindred and Miss Shipston were automatic choices for the tour.

Miss Hunter, who at 13 will be the youngest member of the party, was the dominant figure at the national age group meeting earlier in the month and is obviously being groomed as Miss Shipston’s successor.

Walker was the surprise selection for the tour, but his dedicated approach and his ability in all the strokes will make him a worthy representative.

The team was announced yesterday on behalf of the national selectors by the general secretary of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association (Mr A. W. Barrett), The swimmers chosen are:—

Men.—B. A. Bond (Taranaki), I. G. Campbell (Waikato), I. J. Curry (Bay of I Plenty), A. B. Kindred (Canterbury), G. S. Walker (Canterbury). Women.—Misses H. Coombridge (Waikato), F. Crawford (Auckland), S. Hunter (Canterbury), T. K. Shipston (Canterbury), G. J. Sitrling (Auckland).

Possibly Diver

Mr Barrett said a diver or divers might be added to the team, but more information on this point was awaited from the Canadian Swimming Union, which is meeting the cost of the tour. The manager of the team will be appointed by the council of the association next week, and a coach and chaperon will be chosen- later. The team will leave Auckland for Vancouver on April 15 and will arrive back in New Zealand about May 8, after four days in Hawaii. The itinerary is:— April 18, 19, 20, Canadian mid-winter championships at Vancouver; 21, Edmonton; 23, Saskatoon; 25, Winnipeg; 26, Toronto; 30, Montreal; May 2, Halifax; 3, Montreal.

Bond staked a strong claim for a place in the team by winning three titles—the

220 yd and 440 yd medley and the 220 yd backstroke—at the national championships. Campbell is the title and re-cord-holder for 110 yd butterfly, and Curry is the 110 yd freestyle champion and holds the record for the furlong. The two 15-year-old girls, Misses Crawford and Coombridge, were first and second respectively in the women’s 110 yd freestyle final at Auckland, and Miss Coombridge recently broke the senior short course record for the distance. Miss Stirling, the

1 Olympic backstroke finalist, • retained her 110 yd and 220 yd . titles at the championships. - A feature of the team is the - large number of medley swim--1 mers included. Bond, Walker, > Campbell and Misses Shipston, Hunter and Stirling are , all leading exponents in the - event. I There will be both joy and > sorrow in the Canterbury • camp at the composition of : the team. The selection of • four swimmers from Christ- ! church is a compliment to i the strength of the sport in

Canterbury, but there will be regret in some quarters at the omission of Misses J. A. Wright and C. J. Whiting. Walker, Kindred, Curry, Bond and Miss Crawford will be representing New Zealand overseas for the first time. At the other end of the scale. Miss Shipston will be making her fourth trip abroad in New Zealand colours. She represented the Dominion at the 1966 Commonwealth Games, the 1968 Olympics, and the 1967 Australian junior championships.