TOUR SUMMARY Boost For N.Z. Swimmers

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 17

TOUR SUMMARY Boost For N.Z. Swimmers

The Olympic finalists, Misses T. K. Shipston and G. J. Stirling, had established a niche for themselves in the world swimming scene during the New Zealand team’s tour of Canada.

On 1969 times, Miss Stirling was first in the world for 220 yd backstroke, while Miss Shipston was among.the pacesetters in the 220 yd medley, said the manager (Mr M. R. Duckmanton) on his return to Christchurch yesterday.

AU 12 members of the team bad made significant improvement on the tour, and their competitive attitude had developed so well that their farewell message to each other at the end of the tour was “See you. in Edinburgh,” said Mr Duckmanton. The chairman of the Amateur Swimming Association’s council and convener of

selectors (Mr A. J. Donaldson), who was at Christchurch Airport to greet Mr Duckmahton and the four Canterbury members of the team, said the team had achieved everything it had set out to do. All the swimmers had reduced their times, and the two girls with Olympic experience had made spectacular advances. Kindred Successful

Mr Duckmanton said A. B. Kindred had been a notable success in the middle distance events and the other Christchurch competitors, Susan Hunter and G. S. Walker, had displayed allround ability and had benefited greatly from the intensive competition. The New Zealanders' visit was the first major swimming tour of Canada, and a Canadian national team had accompanied them throughout their journey, he said. He felt the New Zealand competitors were fully up to the standard of their Canadian counterparts. “Our swimmers learnt a vital lesson about racing,” he said. “lan Curry, for example, now keeps going at top until he hits the end of the pool.” Competition in short course pools tended to sharpen the New Zealanders, and they gave outstanding displays in the long course pools at Montreal, Halifax and Winnipeg, said Mr Duckmanton. “The Canadians admitted that they could not foot it with us in long course pools at this time of the season.” Mr Duckmanton said he had learnt a good deal from the tour, particularly about winter competition. But, he added, from an administrative point of view, Canada had nothing to teach New Zealand. The Dominion had little to worry about in converting its pools from 55yd to 50 metres, he said. Bulkheads were in general use in Canada to vary the length of pools; there was a particularly impressive arrangement at the giant 70-metre Pan Am pool in Winnipeg, where a 15-ton bulkhead was employed.