BRILLIANT WIN IN DIVING

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33445, 29 January 1974, Page 9

BRILLIANT WIN IN DIVING

For the second time in less than two hours yesterday afternoon “Advance Australia Fair” echoed around the Queen Elizabeth II Park pool, to signal a brilliant win in the men’s springboard dive by Don Wagstaff.

After the first round of preliminary dives on Saturday. Wagstaff, the defending champion, trailed Rick Friesen (Canada) by less than a point.

But from the first voluntary dive yesterday, the stocky, 24-year-old teacher never looked in danger of losing his title. After the first round of dives he had a lead of 10 points. On his third dive, Wag-1 staff fared badly and scored! low. allowing another: Canadian, Scott Cranham, to, move within three points ofi him.

Friesen had dropped out of the race for the gold at this stage, and at the end of the contest he had missed

all the medals, finishing fourth—l.B points behind an Englishman, Trevor Simpson.

Wagstaffs bad third dive was made to look worse by the scores given him by the judges. They varied from six to two-and-a-half points—an incredible ! margin in an international Icontest.

All through the contestj J there were big variances in marking, of which the large crowd soon began to show disapproval.

I Wagstaff’s fourth dive—a : forward one and a half: isomersault with three 'twists—was as complicated as it sounds. But it was beautifully performed and' put the gold medal beyond: doubt. It earned him a very .high 66.48, six and a half 'points more than the next: best dive by Cranham. The New Zealander. Cyril! ißuscke, dived eratically,| mixing mediocrity with ex-| cellence, and finished at the bottom of the field of seven. '