SWIMMING-DIVING SUPREMACY,.. Australia-Canada battle for pool honours

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33442, 25 January 1974, Page 10

SWIMMING-DIVING SUPREMACY,.. Australia-Canada battle for pool honours

By finishing ahead of Australia on the medal table at the world swimming championships at Belgrade last September, Canada has set the scene for a battle of supremacy between the two countries in the Queen Elizabeth II Park pool over the next eight days.

In Edinburgh, four years ago, Australia won almost twothirds of the swimming and diving medals—2o of 33—and Canada scooped up 11 of the remaining 13.

Australia has greater!' prospects of repeating! its Edinburgh perform-,' ante. Its team, like New i ( Zealand’s, is in the middle of its season and * should be at peak form. J

The northern hemisphere teams are at a disadvantage, although the Canadians spent two weeks in a training camp before leaving for New Zealand.

Top in 12 On present Commonwealth rankings—excluding relay and diving events —Australia is head of the list in 12 of the 24 events. Canada has seven first rankings, Scotland three and England two. The Games swimming inevitably produces its star attraction, and the 13-year-old Jenny Turrell, who has succeeded Shane Gould as the women’s freestyle worldrecord holder,, might take that distinction. The little 6st Sydney schoolgirl will surely capture the admiration of the thousands of spectators. It is easy to see her being labelled “the darling of the swimming pool” or even of the 10th Commonwealth Games, Outstanding trio In the men’s events there are several who will share the adulation of the crowds. Stephen Holland, the Australian long-distance freestyler, whose ability appears limitless, and the Scottish world champion, David Wilkie, will hold great interest. On the opening day of competition today, two gold medals will be decided. The first will be worn by the victor of the women’s 100 metres freestyle. Only one of the eight starters, Sonya Gray, has broken a minute for the distance, but five others, including Jaynie Parkhouse, of New Zealand, are within a second of the barrier.

Miss Gray has broken the minute twice within the last month, so she must start as favourite. Miss Parkhouse, after an extremely poor national championships, regained confidence with her setting of a national record on Tuesday evening. Wenden’s rivals

Michael Wenden will be at full stretch to retain his

(Commonwealth freestyle, sprint titles. His main rivals; in the 100 metres are Brian ; Phillips and Bruce Robertson, two Canadians, while I his countrymen, Robert Nay land Stephen Badger, are (danger men in the 2001 metres.

Brad Cooper, one of only two swimmers in history to break four minutes for 400 metres freestyle, might have to break the barrier again to win the gold medal and hold off his team-mate, John Kulasalu. Wilkie and the English star, Brian Brinkley, have the task of putting British swimming back into a position of respect. They hold

,five top rankings between, .them, and Wilkie, if he wins; | the three he is ranked ■in—the 100 and 200 metres; (breaststroke and the 200! (metres individual med-1 ; ley—will be one of the (Games outstanding per-! formers.

Brinkley seems to have few challengers in the 200. metres butterfly and 400 metres individual medley. Hunter’s chance Less than a second separates Leslie Cliff (Canada) and Susan Hunter (New Zealand) at the top of the rankings in the women’s 400 metres individual medley.i

And in front of her home crowd, Miss Hunter should hold a great advantage. In the 200 metres individual medley, Miss Cliff heads (the rankings again, with (Miss Hunter fifth. New Zealand’s youngest prospect for a swimming (medal, Jane Lowe, should be (among the eight finalists in I the 200 metres breaststroke on Saturday evening. The Munich gold medal-

list, Beverlej' Whitfield, has I the top ranking, but she i swam poorly in the world championships, failing to reach the final. If she cannot reproduce her best form, there are several, including Miss Lowe, waiting in the wings for a chance to take • over the starring role. Tight competition The 800 metres women’s freestyle final might provide a world record, and a clean sweep of medals for Australia. Miss Turrell is the present world record holder, but she will have to fight off her team-mates, Sally Lockyer and Rosemary Milgate, to win the gold. With nine girls ranked . within two seconds of each (other in the womens 100 metres butterfly, officials 1 ; might be grateful for the, (Seiko timing equipment I which separates swimmers I to one thousandth of a second.

Don Wagstaff (Australia) and Beverley Boys (Canada) won the four diving titles between them at Edinburgh, and with four further years of high-class competition behind them might well give a repeat performance. Australia and Canada are so dominant in the swimming events that it would need almost a miracle for relay teams from the other countries to get higher than third placings.