Sonya Gray again just misses world mark

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33750, 24 January 1975, Page 6

Sonya Gray again just misses world mark

(By

J. K. BROOKS)

The sleek sprinter from Australia, Sonya Gray, was o.7sec away from a world record for 200 metres freestyle, in winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal 12 months ago. And last evening she missed the world mark by the same margin in spite of swimming o.6sec faster than she has done before.

The 15-year-old Sydney schoolgirl with the powerful style and distinctive Australian accent launched the New Zealand Games aquatic events on a high note in the Queen Elizabeth II Park pool.

She broke the national visitors’ record with a startling effort of 2min 3.7 sec, leading all the way and winning clearly from the American, Kim Peyton.

“I’ve done my two best times for 200 m in this pool,” she said after the race. “My 2min 4.3 sec a year ago was my best until tonight.” At the Commonwealth Games she came close to Shane Gould’s world mark but since then an American, Shirlev Babashoff. has lowered the record to 2min 2.945ec.

Worry Miss Gray said that the possibility of a world record swim had crossed her mind but her principle target had been winning the race. “I normally tvorry before a race.” she said. “I never think I’m best or anything like that —I try hard not to underestimate the opposition.” She said she had not swum against the Americans Kim Peyton and Jo Harshbarger before and consequently was I wary of them. “But I always go out hard ifrom the start,” she said. “I ilike to get in front early and igwim the race from there.” These tactics upset all her rivals last evening. Miss Peyton was about half a body length behind for most of the four lengths but was unable to match the Australian’s powerful strokes. 50-50 The Olympic men’s breaststroke champion, over 100 m, Nobutaka Taguchi (Japan), renewed his long-standing rivalry with the Russian, Nicolai Pankin, over two lengths and triumphed by half a second. He said he had swum against Pankin “more than five times” for a 50-50 return. “My best time in the last 12 months was Imin s.ssec

and I wanted to repeat this tonight,” he said. ‘‘But I was not unhappy' with Imin 6.4Bsec. I liked the pool very much.” His time was also a New Zealand visitors record. odd kick Eyebrows were raised by ' the Japanese swimmer’s unusual breaststroke kick. It . was closer to the traditional . butterfly action than what i commonly passes for a (breaststroke kick in this coun. ! try—but it passed the re- ' feree’s scrutiny. The Americans opened ■ their account with a victory in the men’s 200 m backstroke by Bruce Hardcastle. A long, lean lad, Hardcastle appeared to have the race in his keep-

ing 50m from the end and the anticipated challenge by the Australians, Mark Tonelli and Robert Williams, did not eventuate. New Zealanders finished out of the places in these! events but Alison Calder! broke the national junior re-] cord for 200 m freestyle with her 2min 9.365ec and Brent Lewis came tantalisingly close—by o.l4sec to be exact —to breaking the oldest record in the book —Tony Graham’s men’s 100 m breaststroke mark of Imin 12sec. It was set almost 10 years ago. The New Zealand team injected life into the programme by performing a vigorous haka before the start of the session.