Sonya Gray could have had 200m world record

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33447, 31 January 1974, Page 18

Sonya Gray could have had 200m world record

By

SHANE GOULD

l was very scared last night that Sonya Gray was going to break my 200 metres freestyle world record. She swam a much better-paced race than 1 did when I set the record in the Munich Olympics in 1972.

This is my only remaining world record and will probably be broken this year. I only hope that it is an Australian who breaks it.

If Sonya had had someone to push her in the last lap I’m sure she might have broken the record. Before the Australian team was selected in October last year, Sonya was doing 20 miles a week in training. After the selections she stepped this up to 40 miles a week, Her best time in October

I for the 200 m was 2min 13sec. (Unlike most Australians, | Sonya does a sprint training ! programme. ■ For the first time in the 'Games two golds were won

in one day by one person. In the afternoon, David Wilkie won the 200 m individual medley, and in the evening the 200 m breaststroke, but well' outside his world record time. Wilkie studies at the University of Miami and has achieved great success in the American swimming scene. I feel that if Australia and

(New Zealand want to keep their top swimmers when they are at university entrance age, the system will have to be revised to encourage swimmers to stay at; home.

Everyone was expecting too much from Wendy Cook in the 100 m backstroke. She expected a lot from herself, but when others have expectations it puts more pressure on.

She was too tense in the first lap, and not calm and relaxed enough. In order to avoid becoming tense and “over-psyched” before the race a swimmer should think only of getting to the wall first. If it is a personal best or world record time it gives you added satisfaction.

Whenever I went out for a race, I placed the emphasis on winning it. I told myself I was going to break my best time and that didn’t sound as important as a world record.

The biggest upset yesterday was the defeat of the Olympic gold medallist, Brad Cooper, by John Kulasalu. I thought that from the heats Brad Cooper would win because his stroke looks smooth and he looked very fit.

But he didn’t relax, and was swimming flat in the water for most of the race. Kulasalu made a break in the second lap, and increased it on the third and fourth. The lead was too much for Cooper to catch. I was disappointed with Cooper’s defeat, but this should put him on his toes again. Brad was most determined to win the 200 m backstroke, and now he has done that he is not taking the other events as seriously, but seriously enough to try for the gold in the 100 m backstroke, and push Stephen Holland in the 1500 m freestyle.