Kindred’s win major swimming upset

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32541, 26 February 1971, Page 10

Kindred’s win major swimming upset

(By our swimming reporter) PALMERSTON NORTH. In one of the greatest upsets of New Zealand swimming, A. Kindred (Canterbury) produced a magnificent performance to beat the favourite, M. Treffers (Southland), and win the men’s 800 metres freestyle on the opening day of the national championships last evening.

Kindred, who has been out of the main limelight this season while working in the Waikato, came from behind after 350 metres to catch Treffers and trail him to 700 metres. At 750, Kindred turned inches ahead of Treffers and went on to win by a touch. The times showed that Kindred took the title by O.lsec —a very narrow margin over 800 metres. Kindred repeated his effort of last year's championships when he beat Treffers in the

same event, but his swim this year was all the more meritorious since Treffers is now a world-ranked competitor. LACKING STAMINA Treffers did not show the stamina that usually marks his swimming and this was shown by the fact that his time was more than lOsec outside his New Zealand record. However, this did not detract from Kindreds’ win. Earlier in the evening, Kindred had caused a minor upset by winning the 200 metres freestyle. Other highlights of the first day were the setting of three national records. The 17-year-old Otago swimmer, J. McConnochie, one of the country’s finest prospects, broke the 200 metres individual medley time after earlier winning the 100 metres backstroke; Miss C. Whiting improved her own 100 metres butterfly mark in the afternoon heats; and the Canterbury women’s team won the 4 x 10 metres freestyle relay in record time. WINNER BY SSEC MJ« , Whiting displayed her world-class potential when she lowered her butterfly time by O.lsec to Imin 7.3 sec without seeming to extend herself, but in the final, although covering the first 50 metres in a fast 32sec, she had no-one to chai* lenge her and could not maintain the pace. Her winning time was Imin 7.ssec and she finished ssec ahead of the second place-getter. Miss Whiting’s present form indicated that she is a very strong contender for the 100 metres freestyle and 200 metres butterfly titles.

McConnochie, who has had several months swimming in Australia, showed the, benefit of the highest competition when he coasted to a win in the 100 metres backstroke, and a few events later again left the field in his wake in the medley. McConnochie chopped I.Bsec off B. Bond’s record, set at the national championships at Dunedin last year. After his two wins last evening, he must now be favoured to take the longer distance medley and backstroke events. BROKE OWN RECORD The Canterbury relay team— Misses S. Hunter, Whiting. J. Wright and J. Parkhouse—won by more than lOsec and lowered the record, also held by Canterbury, by 21sec. Miss Parkhouse swam an excellent race to win the 400 metres freestyle from Miss Wright, who had the fastest qualifying time from the heats. On this basis, it was expected that Miss Wright would go close to winning the final. However, she also swam in the 400 metres medley heats and this no doubt had an effect on her. Miss Wright went all out in the freestyle heats and it appeared that she was attempting to break the record, but her attempt failed by less than 4sec. Her heat time was 4m in 46.1 sec, but In the final she was almost lOsec slower. Miss Parkhouse powered away from the field after 250 metres of the final and eventually won by 15 metres. Her time of 4min 47.1 sec, however, was slower than Miss Wright’s in the heats. BELOW HER BEST Miss Hunter’s heavy prof ramme in the last week showed hrough when she contested her only event of the day—the heats and final of the 400 metres medley. In the afternoon she was more than 9sec outside her New Zealand record, and her time in the final was only o.2sec faster. Throughout the race she was pushed hard by Miss B. Williams (Auckland), who finished only about three lengths behind.

Any prospects of Miss Hunter setting new records at these nationals appear to be diminishing as she looks very tired at present. SWIMMERS PROTEST Before the heats in the afternoon, a light touch was added when “oldies” at the championships paraded before the spectators in specially designed Tshirts which bore the words. "Over 20 and still swimming.” They were protesting at the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association’s policy of selecting younger swimmers in national Included among them were Kindred, Miss Wright and the winner of the men's 100 metres breaststroke title last evening. B. Pater (Auckland), the oldest competitor at the championships, and a man who has been swimmnig competitively for only two years. At the end of the evening, Canterbury had won four titles and Otago and Auckland two each. MEN 200 metres freestyle Heat I.—G. Walker (Canterbury). 2:7.6, 1; R. Moffitt (Taranaki), 2:13.6. 2; A. Watson (Wellington), 2:13.9, 3. Heat 2.—A. Kindred (Canterbury), 2:7.3, 1; G. Campbell (Waikato), 2:8.4, 2; M. Treffers (Southland), 2:9.9, 3. G. Dinnison (Manawa tu). 2:10.3, also qualified. Final.—Kindred. 2:6.8, 1; Treffers. 2:7.8, 2; Walker, 2:8.4, 3. 800 metres freestyle Final.—A. Kindred (Canterbury), 9:2.2, 1; M. Treffers (Southland), 9:2.3, 2; G. Dinnison (Manawatu), 9:25.4, 3. 100 metres breaststroke Heat I.—V. McDonald (Auckland), 1:20.0, 1; S. Brown (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay). 1:20.6, 2; M. Horrack (Nelson-Marlbor-ough), 1:21.5, 3. Heat 2.—8. Pater (Auckland), 1:17.9, 1; D. Fisher (Bay of Plenty), 1:19.1, 2; C. Barnes (Auckland), 1:19.3, 3. B. Lewis (Canterbury). It 19.3. and A. Hayman (Wellington), 1:20.5, also qualified. Final.—Pater, 1:17.6, 1; Barnes, 1:18.5, 2; Fisher, 1:18.6, 3.

100 mitres backstroke %i:o 8 5 : 2 3' JTU,,on Heat 2.—8. Knowles (Manawatu), 1:7.7, 1; C. Hudgell (Auckland), 1:8.9, 2; R. Edwards (Auck--1 7 2 ’ i D ‘ Hellab y (Mana--I:®7’«also qualified. Final.—McConnochie, 1:44.1; Knowles, 1:6.8, 2; Ayson, 1:7.1, 3. 200 motrss individual medley McConnochie (Otagoi 2:21.1 1 (New Zealand record): G Campbell (Waikato), 2:22.4, 2- A Fogel (Wellington), 2:30.6, 3 £ * medley relay Heat I.—-Canterbury A 4'34 4 Heat 2.—Auckland A. 4:31.4. 1- ?.**<?■ , 2; Wellington, 4.45.5, 3. Manawatu, 4:47.8, anti Canterbury B, 4:48.7, also quati-

A 3 4:, ° 1 ’ 2; Canterbury A,

WOMEN „ ’*>. metres butterfly Heat I.—W Uttley (Manswatu), 1:15.1. 1; L Shfrley (Web 1: *-® 2 ; L. Dun runs (Waikato), 1:18.1, 3. uunmn g A»/I: U^g D Fw,er <w, ‘- Heat 3.—C. Whiting (Canterbury), 1:7 AJ; Whateley (Waikato). 2 : «- 3 ’ *1 S. Thomson (Canterbury), 1:17.5, 3. M. Slatu'u (W FtoS‘2lwhi^ 2 s ’.

200 metres backstroke ,J? ea t JcT®- Ledgerwood (Otago), 2:38.4, I; p. Horne (Canterbury), 2:44.4, 2: J. Whateley (Waikato), 2:46.4, 3. Heat 2 —G. Stirling (Auck- • {•“J). 1; B - Macrae (Auck2:37.0 2; H. Pilkington (Auckland), 2:44.3, 3. S. Cressey (Nelson-Marlborough), 2:50.8, also qualified.

Final.—Stirling, 2:33.4, 1; Macrae, 2:37.1, 2; Ledgerwood, 2:37.5, 3. 400 metres freestyle Heat I.—J. Tomlinson (Canterbury), 5:0.9, 1; J. Uttley (Manawata), 5:2.4, 2; J. Pascoe (South land), 5:6.3, 3. Heat 2.—G. Boyens (Otago). 4:56.1, 1: R. Amies (Bsy of Plenty), 5:6.2, 2; P. Smith (Eastern Districts), 5:21.9, 3. Heat 3.—J. Wright (Canterbury), 4:46.1, 1; J. Parkbouse (Canterbury), 4:49.9, 2; G. Mcßae (Bay of Plenty), 5:8.4, 3. Final.—Parkhouse. 4:47.1, I; Wright, 4:54.9, 2; Boyens, 4:55.5, 400 metres Individual medley Heat L—J. Wright (Canterbury), 8:33.8. 1; J. Chiller (Victoria), 5:37.7, 2; L. Rowe (Canterbury), 5:55.1, 3. Heat 2.—S. Hunter (Canterbury), 5:29.6, 1; B. Williams (Auckland), 5:38.3, 2; S. Harper (Southland), 5:54.1, 3. J. Kennan (Otago), 5:56, also qualified. Final.—Hunter, 5:29.2, 1: Williams, 5:32.6, 2; Wright, 5:40.1, 3. 4 x 106 metres freestyle relay Final.—Canterbury A, 4:26.1. 1; Waikato, 4:26.5, 2; Auckland, 4:31.5, 3.