One gold in his bag — and now Cooper expects three more

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33445, 29 January 1974, Page 7

One gold in his bag — and now Cooper expects three more

Brad Cooper yesterday won the men's 2()()ni backstroke title with gallons of blue water between himself and his nearest rival. Then he announced with an air of certainty, that he hoped to fly back to Australia with four gold medals for swimming in his bag. The 19-year-old Cooper headed an Australian clean, sweep of the medals for the dorsal stroke, beating his fellow countrymen. Mark Tonelli and Robert Williams, by 4yd. Cooper's time of 2mm 6.31 sec shattered Tonelli’s, Games record, established in the heats, and also bettered his own Commonwealth record, which he set in

swimming fourth at the Munich Olympics. “If I do my best times, 1 will win four’golds.” he announced frankly after the race. Then he corrected himself, remembering that his fellow Australian and world record-holder. Stephen Holland, was a starter in the 1500 m freestyle. “Well, it could be three | individual golds — for the; i two backstroke events and ’the 400 m freestyle — but I I there might be another one jin one of the relays.” There was no suggestion i that Cooper was boasting; it 'was a plain statement of Tact. After the way he demolished the 200 m backstroke, field, his assessment is to be 1 respected. He qualified his statement; by saying that he would: ihave to swim up to his best' times to reach his target. 1

“But.” he added, “it. is; hard to produce flat-out performances in every event.” Cooper is a blue-eyed blonde who looks remarkably like the 1970 All Black lock, Jake Burns, and who, like Burns, has a steely glint in his eye. It suggests confidence in his own ability. In the backstroke final, he trailed Tonelli for about 65m before pepping up his stroking to take a lead he never 'relinquished.

"Mark is a fast starter, and I didn't want him to grab too large a lead.” Cooper said. “So I decided to go all out for it from thei second length. without ; caring how tired I felt over

■the last 50m.” Cooper’s enormously powerful shoulders and his ■rhythmic beat carried him to an impressive victory. But ■he said that backstroke was

not his favourite stroke. “1 like freestyle a lot bet' ter."

And no wonder. At the 1972 Olympics he won the gold medal in the 400 m freestyle, and although he qualified only fifth in the heats of this event, he was obviously saving himself for the backstroke final an hour later.

Cooper said he was not concerned that the Australians were trailing the Canadians in swimming medals. “You have got to acknowledge that the Canadians are good,” he added. In the 400 m freestyle I heats John Kulasalu (Australia) set a Games record of 4min 6.235ec; Cooper and the third Australian. Stephen Badger, the 200 m gold medallist, also qualified. The Games gold medallist

for 400 m medley, Mark Treffers, just scraped into the) final, qualifying in eighth place by a mere o.l9sec. The New Zealand sprint champion. Brett Naylor, however, excelled himself, recording 4min 9.ssec and breaking Treffers's national record by 2.3Bsec. He was the second fastest qualifier. New Zealand’s other gold medallist from Saturday. I Jaynie Parkhouse, swam: well in the heats of the: women's 200 m freestyle.: qualifying seventh in a time! almost 4sec faster than Alison Calder’s national record.

The top qualifier, the 100 m champion, Sonya Gray; (Australia), produced an out standing swim of 2min 5.775ec, which was only 2.21 sec away from Sham Gould’s world record.