Courts gains third place

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

Courts gains third place

(By

K. R. TUTTY)

New Zealand continued its great run of successes in the Commonwealth Games swimming when John Coutts won a bronze medal in the 20()m butterfly final last evening.

“I was hoping for a medal,” said Coutts afterwards, “but I hurt my shoulder before the heats and had a slight cold, too. So I was not very hopeful.”

FINISHED FASTER But he showed no sign of: any weaknesses in the final' ■ 50m of the race. He finished faster than any of the other seven swimmers, and had he j made a better start he might !have pressed the Australian, i Ross Seymour, for the silver. It would have been a superhuman task, though, to overhaul the winner, Brian Brinkley (England), who set a new Games record of 2min 4.51 sec. “I have never been so nervous before a race,” Coutts said. “I was reallyi getting worried, and the false; start upset me a bit. It took me a length to get going. DIFFERENT TACTICS “I think 1 had some reserve, at the finish and when I swim I the race again I will try to; put a bit more pressure on; at the start. I did not dare; do so tonight because I was; afraid I might die in the final! ’ length.” Coutts began slowly, los-j ing about a body length to; Brinkley and Seymour in the: | first 50m. He made up a little i of the ground during the next! 50m.

Brinkley led at 100 m in 59.95ec, with Seymour beside him. Coutts lost more ground in the next 50m and turned a length and a half behind Seymour, and a fraction behind Smith. It was then that Coutts sprinted. He forged ahead of Smith and closed on Seymour. Brinkley, who had a two-length lead, tired over the last 15m, but was still a comfortable winner. Coutts broke the New Zealand record by 2sec in the event. He set the old mark in the heats on'Saturday.

Clutching her Pooh-bear mascot, which has travelled with her around the world, a tearful Patti Stenhouse (Canada) received the gold medal for the women’s 100 m butterfly. Miss Stenhouse, aged 18, moved away from her tiring team-mate, Wendy Quirk, and the Australian. Sandra Yost, in the final 25m, but she only just gained the gold medal from a fast-finishing Kim Wickham (Scotland). Miss Stenhouse. whose father is vice-president of a Canadian steel company, said there was a 25-yard pool in the basement of their home, where she did much of her training. STOOD FOR BRONZE

Miss Wickham, who had to rush out of the press interview after the race for a heat of the 100 m backstroke, said she did not think she had won a silver medal. “I was standing in third place at the dais until Patti put me right.” She improved her best time by 3sec in the heat and final. Miss Stenhouse’s medal put Canada back on level terms with Australia, each having won five golds. Susan Hunter (New Zealand) in the heat of the !100m backstroke qualified seventh for the final. At the top was Wendy Cook (Canada) in the very fast time of Imin s.l9sec. This was a new Commonwealth and Games record, and only o.2sec outside the world mark.