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Games Swimming Coach Defends Methods

The fact that seven New Zealand short-course records were broken by the Commonwealth Games team at a recent swimming carnival showed that the members were not covering too many miles, said their coach (Mr V. T. Parkhouse) yesterday. He was commenting on a statement made by Mr D. Laing (Dunedin), who coaches two members of the team, B. Bond and M. Borrie. Mr Laing had said that 42 miles covered in a week by Borrie, while under Mr Parkhouse at Christchurch during the May vacation, was “too many.” Mr Parkhouse said it had been well known for too long that New Zealand swimmers had not swum enough mileage, and the fact that seven records had been broken showed that the intensive

training had not done the team any harm. “It’s not good to hear a coach decry the training methods,” Mr Parkhouse said.

The Australian team coach (Mr D. Talbot), in a letter to Mr Parkhouse, said his members had been training five hours a day in preparation for the Edinburgh Games. The New Zealand team has been training only four hours and a half.

After training at the' Wharenui Pool for six weeks and a half, three members, M. Treffers and Misses F. Crawford and B. Williams, have returned to their homes before assembling in Auckland next week. Treffers has swum about 300 miles in six weeks and a half, while the other two have swum at least 200 miles.

Tapering-off in preparation for competition will begin next week when the team assembles; but in the meantime the swimmers are continuing intensive training. Miss G. Stirling (Auckland). will remain in Christchurch until next week. Mr Parkhouse said he did not want the team to lose its condition, which could occur if the tapering period was started too early. The taper has been designed to have the swimmers at their i peaks at the start of the Games.

He was optimistic about some of the swimmers’ chances, said Mr Parkhouse. He was hoping for medals in the 400 metres medley relay.! He considered the Australians the hardest opposition.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19700626.2.123

Bibliographic details

Press, Issue 32333, 26 June 1970, Page 14

Word Count
353

Games Swimming Coach Defends Methods Press, Issue 32333, 26 June 1970, Page 14

Games Swimming Coach Defends Methods Press, Issue 32333, 26 June 1970, Page 14