Treffers Gets That Elusive Swimming Medal

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32358, 25 July 1970, Page 16

Treffers Gets That Elusive Swimming Medal

New Zealand was finally rewarded with a swimming bronze medal at the Royal Commonwealth Pool last night, Mark Treffers, the 16-year-old Invercargill student, finishing third in the final of the men’s 1500 metres freestyle.

Trailers swam an intel-ligently-planned race and was assured of the bronze medal after only 400 metres. He began well and concentrated solely on being third to the more fancied and powerful Australians, Graham Windeatt and Max Tabasci, who soon opened a considerable lead. For the New Zealanders at the pool, the race centred on Treffers and another Australian, Greg Brough, who earlier in the day, was third in the 400 metres free-style final. TOOK HIS CHANCE Brough’s energy was spent at the half-way stage and Treffers quickly opened a five-metre lead, which he expanded to 15 metres at the finish. His time of 16min. 44.695ec. beat his New Zealand record of 17min. 24.55ec. The race was won by Windeatt in a Games record of 16min. 23.825ec. “1 knew 1 could win a bronze in this race,” Treffers said. “It was just a matter of fighting hard to the finish." Treffers, who is taking his university entrance examination at Southland Boys’ High School, said his immediate goal was another medal, in the 4 x 200 metres relay today. After that, it was the Olympic Games in Munich in 1972. TIMES CAN DELUDE However, once again New Zealand swimmers learned the bitter lesson that fast qualifying times bear no guide to the final result. With second and third fastest times in heats of the 400 metres individual medley, Susan Hunter and Judith Wright were expected to capture a medal, but another race which promised so much, yielded nothing. The New Zealand girls merely played the now familiar “bridesmaids” role, although Miss Hunter, gaining fourth place, broke the New Zealand record with smin. lO.lOsec. Miss Wright was seventh, in smin. 27.12 sec. “I felt sure we would take

at least one medal from this race," the swimming manager (Mr L. Crabb) said after the event “With those two fast qualifying times we should have done better.” Miss Wright was out of the medal reckoning after the first 100 metres butterfly, but Miss Hunter held a comfortable third position. The order was unchanged until the breast-stroke, which proved to be the undoing of both New Zealanders. Miss Wright dropped to sixth position, Miss Hunter to Fourth Although barely feet behind Shelagh Ratcliffe, of England, the 14-year-old Miss Hunter could not summon the extra strength needed in the freestyle section to fight back to a bronze medal.

The race was won by Nenise Langford (Australia) in a Games record of smin. 10.475ec. Gail Neall (Australia), was second and Miss Ratcliffe third.

Another medal hope also floundered, this time by a touch, in the women’s 400 metres free-style relay final. Misses Wright and Hunter were joined by Felicity Crawford and Cathy Whiting, to finish fourth, behind the Australian, Canadian and English teams. Miss Crawford raised New Zealand’s hopes with a determined first leg that won her third position, but at the last change Miss Hunter had dropped to fourth position four yards behind England Miss Whiting reduced the lead to two yards at the turn and continued to make ground with a superlative' final 50 metres. With only 20 metres to go it seemed as if the New Zealand girl might just be rewarded with a bronze, but England’s anchor swimmer. Diane Sutherland, held on grimly for third. Anchored by Karen Moras, Australia returned a record time of 4min 6.4lsec. New Zealand recorded 4min 15.44 sec, only ,ssec behind England. RETURN TO FORM Glenda Stirling, of Auckland, showed a welcome return to form in her heat of the 100 metres women’s backstroke, in which she was second in Imin B.9ssec. the third fastest qualifying time. In the same heat. Misses Whiting and Hunter failed to qualify, with times of Imin 12.495ec and Imin 14.025ec, respectively. Beth Williams, of Auckland, failed to reach the final of the women’s 200 metres butterfly, returning 2min 38.65 sec. Barnett Bond, of Taranaki, swam poorly in the 100 metres backstroke, his time, Imin 6.675ec being among the slowest of the three heats, and Michael Borrie was sixth, lan Curry seventh, in the final of the 400 metres freestyle final. The race was won by Graham White (Australia) in 4min B.4Bsec. Borrie’s time was 4min 20.355ec, and Curry touched in 4min 21.645ec.