OTAGO SWIMMERS SHOW STRENGTH

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33092, 6 December 1972, Page 16

OTAGO SWIMMERS SHOW STRENGTH

When E. Box bettered the fastest national qualifying times of last year in four events in the boys under-14 group at the national Speedo teleprinter preliminaries on Saturday, it seemed would have a very good chance of winning four titles at the finals on December 16. That belief was dimmed on Sunday, however, when the qualifying times from the Otago preliminaries were received in Christchurch. In three events Box had his times beaten, in two instances by two Otago swimmers. In the 100 yards freestyle R. Varcoe did 55.95ec, compared to 56.95ec by Box. In the 100 yards butterfly S. Griffin recorded Imin 4.7 sec, as against Imin 6.6 sec by Box. Another Otago swimmer was ,3sec faster than Box. In the individual medley Box recorded Imin 33sec while Varcoe did Imin 29.8 sec and G. Wyllie Imin 32.55ec. It was only in the backstroke that Box was superior. Canterbury’s second top qualifier, S. Poore, was also faster than the best Otago swimmer. Only in the girls under-

12 group does Canterbury appear to be stronger than Otago, with Misses L. Cairns, J. Tweedie, P. Sparks and K. Olesen being faster than their southern rivals. One particularly good time on Saturday was that of Miss I. Beijen in the

under-10 girls breaststroke. Swimming in her first major event, with only one hour of training each day behind her — and giving a year in age to most of the swimmers — she was the second top qualifier. Her time of Imin 43.25ec was only I.2sec behind Miss D. Head, the leading qualifier in all four under-10 girls events.