INTERNATIONAL MEETING Aust. fancied to win swimming

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33804, 29 March 1975, Page 42

INTERNATIONAL MEETING Aust. fancied to win swimming

z svocrniion —i.opananr LONDON. Australia is expected to quickly show its power in the two-day Coca-Cola international swimming meeting which starts at London's Crystal Palace sports centre today.

The Brisbane schoolboy. Stephen I lolland. will take to the water in the second event of the tournament, the 1500 metres freestyle, the distance at which he is the world's fastest.

Holland is unbeaten over this distance in two years, and it is not possible to forecast defeat for him at Crystal Palace.

Sixteen nations are competing in this meeting, but [not one has supplied a worthy competitor for the 16-year-old Australian.

The best of the opposition looks to be Mark Treffers of New Zealand and Tony Bartie, an American college iswimmer on the way up but [ with a long way to go to : reach the class of Holland. The Australian team maniager, Mr A. Gynther, has cautioned that Holland probably will not be breaking records at this meeting, because his training schedule has sloped down from its peak in Australia. But the slim Brisbane boy has a habit of surprising officials and coaches. At the New Zealand Games earlier this year he not only broke his world 1500 m record, but [won back his world 800 m record on the way. | If there is a world record |to fall, however, it could be 'to tiny’ Jenny Turrall. Vengeful I On Monday she tackles the 800 m freestyle in a vengeful mood and at the peak of form and fitness. Jenny lost this record to American Jo Harshbarger in California last year, and admits she has been itching for a chance to get it back to add I to her 1500 m record. 1 Her performances at the 'Australian titles in Perth last

month were slightly below par, because she was suffering from a virus infection which has worried her throughout the summer. But now she has thrown this set-back off, and her training efforts in London have been sharp and purposeful.

The worry to the Australian team is that the Newcastle sprinter Sonya Gray has been hard hit by a heavy cold, and it is doubtful whether her recovery will be quick enough for Mr Gynther to include- her in the official list of four points-scorers.

N.Z. team

The four New Zealand swimmers competing quickly settled into training, the N.Z.P.A. star correspondent, Robert Horrocks, reported. The manager (Mr I. Russell, New Plymouth), said: “We think we have got over the problem of the time lag. Physically and mentally everyone is in good shape. We are very, very happy.” The New Zealanders — Treffers (Christchurch), Brett Naylor (Dunedin), Susan Hunter (Christchurch) and Monique Rodahi (Auckland) — have been training under the coach. Hisashi Inomata

(Palmerston North) with Australian and Norwegian competitors. Australia is the hot favourite. The United States has 16 swimmers, but all are young up-and-coming competitors being sent more for the experience than hopes of victory.

Missing from the line-up will be East Germany, third behind Australia and New Zealand' at Leeds last year, and two countries originally entered, but since withdrawn — Czechoslovakia and Brazil.

The organisers said that the British star, Brian Brink-] ley, has not been entered in] the individual medley events, and this means for the] second year running he will] have avoided a clash with Treffers in the 400 m medley] — the event in which! Treffers beat him to gain his] gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Christ-1 church. The New Zealand team is given a good chance of repeating its success in finishing second last year. The strongest competition, apart from Australia, should come from the Netherlands, England-Wales, Canada, Hungary, and Russia, with the United States something of a dark horse.

The combined England and Wales team, which includes Brinkley and the Commonwealth men’s 100 m breaststroke champion, David Lee, could be the most difficult to head.

Among other competitors are two Canadian girls who hold Commonwealth records — Becky Smith (400 m medley) and Barbara Clarke (100 m butterfly) — the world men’s 400 m medley champion, Andras Hargity (Hungary), and the world’s second-ranked woman sprinter, Edith Brigitha (Netherlands).

Russians

The all-male Russian team includes Vladimir Bure, aged 25, bronze medallist in the 100 m freestyle at the 1972 Olympic Games, and Nicolai Pankin, 26, the European 100 m breaststroke champion. Each team comprises of four scoring members, so New Zealand can not afford to have any swimmer perform below form. Treffers will contest two medleys and the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle, Naylor four freestyle events, Miss Hunter two medleys and the 100 m and 200 m backstroke, and Miss Rodahl the same backstroke events as Miss Hunter as well as the 100 m and 200 m butterfly.