Miss Wright is highest ranked woman swimmer

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32252, 21 March 1970, Page 9

Miss Wright is highest ranked woman swimmer

(By

E. J. HOBBS)

QF the four women nominated for the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team, Miss J. A. Wright (Canterbury) has the best credentials. She has high rankings in four of her events which suggests that she has the ability to reach the finals at Commonwealth level in each of them. She is ranked fifth in the Commonwealth in the 800 and 400 metres freestyle. In the latter event one of the Australians who has a better time than Miss Wright, Miss L. Hutchinson, has not been nominated for the Australian team. This gives Miss Wright fourth ranking in the 408 metres at Edinburgh. Her 200 metres time at the national championships. 2min 17.9 sec. placed her seventh in the Commonwealth, a good enough time to give her a place in the final, and she is only one place behind the national backstroke champion. Miss G. J. Stirling, in the 200

metres backstroke. Her time, 2min 33.75ec, places her seventh in the Commonwealth. Miss Stirling has slipped in Commonwealth rankings during the season. Last season she reached top ranking and for a brief period was ranked second in the world over 100 metres, but now she is ranked only sixth in both events. However, one of her main opponents, Miss E. Tanner (Canada), recorded her fastest times in March, 1969, and although she is still competing her times are

not as fast. Miss Stirling was troubled with an infection for some weeks before Christmas and her training programme was behind schedule, but in' the training school which begins in May she should rapidly return to her best form. Miss S. J. Hunter (Canterbury) is ranked sixth in 400 metres individual medley, a distance at which she has had little competition except at the New South Wales championships. But her time, smin 30.3 sec, is close to the fourth and fifth times.

The other swimmer, Miss F. J. Crawford, is ranked sixth on the time she swam in the heat of the 100 metres freestyle at the national championships. Although she will probably reach the final, her task of improving enough to win a medal is the most difficult of all the nominees. She will have to improve nearly one second on her best time. Miss R. Ewert, the diver, will be a welcome addition to a freestyle team, for she finished fourth in the national final in Imin s.9sec. Her concentration on diving

has not left her much time to build up condition for swimming, but she improves with each race. She might become the second fastest freestyler over 100 metres in the team. New Zealand’s chances of a medal in the 4 by 100 metres freestyle relay are excellent. The combination of Misses Wright, Crawford, Stirling and Hunter in a medley relay, although weak on breaststroke, will also be a bright prospect for a medal. Relevant Commonwealth Games rankings are: —

EVENT CANADA UNITED KINGDOM • • y AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND 8 BEST TIMES FREESTYLE A. Coughlan 9:34.6 S. Williams 10:06.1 k. Moras 9.12.9 j A. Wright 9. 12 9 800 Metres J. Warren 10:02.2 s Davidson 10:16.1 R. Risson 9:33.9 9:55.1 to (•3.8sec) E. Clarke 10:14.0 S. Clayton 10:26.2 H Gray 9:37.1 10:14 0 A. Coughlan 4:51.4 S. Williams 4:51.5 K. Moras 4:28.1 Wright 4 28.1 400 Metres J. Warren 4:53.0 S. Ratcliffe 4:55.8 D. Langford 4:38.3 4:48.4 to (•l.Bsec) J. Henderson 4:55.1 S. Davidson 4:59.8 L. Hutchinson 4:41.3 4.55.1 A. Coughlan 2:14.0 S. Ratcliffe 2:17.1 K. Moras 2:10.6 Wright 2:10.6 200 Metres H. James 2:17.0 S. Williams 2:19.0 H. Gray 2:14.4 2:17.9 to (•O.Ssec) S. Smith 2:18.5 D. Sutherland 2:19.6 J. Watts 2:15.0 2:18.5 A. Coughlan 1:01.9 A. Jackson 1:03.7 L. Watson 1-02.1 1:02.? p Crawford 1 01 9 100 Metres S. Smith 1:02.8 D. Sutherland 1:04.1 J. Watts 1:03.1 to (•0.4sec) K. James 1:03.6 S. Treeks 1:04.5 K. Moras 1:02 5 1:037 D Gurr 2:29.8 W. Burrell 2:29.5 L. Watson 2:29.9 G. J. Stirling 2.29 5 BACKSTROKE J. Warren 2:32.8 . S. Grant 2:35.4 D. Cain 2:31.0 . 2.32.7 to 200 Metres G. Tanner 2:35.2 N. Muriey 2:36.9 S. Rose 2:32.5 Wright 2:33.7 (•l.Osec) 2:33.7 100 Metres E. Tanner 1:09.5 J. Platt 1:09.9 L. Watson 1:10.3 G. J. Stirling 1:09.5 (•0.5sec) D. Gurr 1:09.6 W. Burrell 1:09.9 S. Rose 1:10.8 1:10.5 to A. Walton 1:12.6 S. Grant 1:11.0 D. Cain 1:11*1 1:11.0 INDIVIDUAL 5 20 0 MEDLEY J. Warren 5:26.9 S. Ratcliffe 5:28 0 D. Lanford 5:20.0 s. J. Hunter 400 Metres , S. Smith 5:30.5 S. Williams 5:35.3 G. Neall 5:21.0 5:30.3 to C2.2sec) A. Coughlan 5:31.7 C. Cordery 5:37.0 D. Rickard 5:21.5 5:31.7 200 Metres S. Smith 2:32.7 S. Ratcliffe 2:34.2 D. Rickard 2:32.3 S. J. Hunter ,2 32.3 (•l.Osec) D. Gurr 2:34.1 C. Cordery 2:37.7 D. Langford 2:33.5 2:38.4 to K. James 2:35.9 P. Lazenby 2:40.2 G. Neall 2:37.2 2:37.7 • The times are converted to 55 yard pool equivalents.