Top gymnasts have sights on Commonwealth Games

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34021, 10 December 1975, Page 42

Top gymnasts have sights on Commonwealth Games

(By

KEVIN TUTTY)

New Zealand’s best gymnasts hold little hope of being selected for the Olympic Games in Montreal next year, so two of them — the Durward sisters from Rotorua — have set their sights on the New’ Zealand Games next year and the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Canada, in 1978.

Although their home and family are in Rotorua, the Durwards are coached by a ■Christchurch man. Mr Alf [Holt, who is also a member of the New Zealand Gymjnastic Association’s women’s technical committee. Kirsty Durward, aged 16, won the women’s A grade title at the New Zealand championships in Dunedin this year, and her sister, Laurie (13) won the girls’ A grade title. 1 In the last year Kirsty has

been to Christchurch three times to train under Mr Holt and Laurie twice, and Mr Holt has been to Rotorua twice to help them with their training. REMOTE CHANCE New Zealand was represented by a gymnastic team iat the last Olympic Games iat Munich, but the chances of ia team going to Montreal are remote.

Before the last Olympics a national trial was held at which a team of Australian women were present, but. the New Zealand Gymnastic Association has made no move to hold a trial for Montreal. Any New Zealanders who wanted to be considered for Montreal would have to compete in the Australian trials next Easter.

The New Zealanders would have to pay their own way across the Tasman, hut if they won the trial — as was the case in 1972 — then the

N.Z.G.A. would be in an unenviable position. The Australians will almost certainly send a team to Montreal, so the pressure would be on the New Zealand body to nominate a team. Mr Holt said he was not expecting a team to go to Montreal, and the prime concern at present was to prepare the top New Zealand gymnasts for the New Zealand Games in January, 1977, and then the Commonwealth Games. “BEST IN WORLD”

"We want to do well at the Commonwealth Games and win medals, Which is possible because we are among the top Commonwealth countries. The New Zealand Games will be a big help to our gymnasts because they will be competing against the best in the world — competition they have lacked in the past.” Kirsty Durward was a member of the New Zealand team which toured the United States and Canada early this

■ year and, according to Mr Holt, the experience has been invaluable.

She hopes to return to the United States for six months next year to train. One of the international exercises Kirsty is doing at present is performed by very few women in the world, and she is the onty New Zealander to attempt it. It is a hand-spring front somersault off the vault. Kirsty did not execute the move perfectly, said Mr Holt, but that would come with experience through training and competition at top level. STANDARD IMPROVING In spite of lack of competition. Mr Holt said the standard of New Zealand gymnastics, particularly the women’s side, was improving, and it would increase more quickly if more coaches and more equipment were available.

The Durward sisters will train with Mr Holt and other members of the Christchurch Alpha club at the Xaxier College gymnasium until early next month when they will go to Hawera for a I national coaching school. i Yachting.— The three placegetters in the 1975 world 18tooter sailing championships in Brisbane, have all qualified to sail again for New South Wales in the 1976 event at Sydney next month. The N.S.W. team of six yachts, announced after six trials on Sydney harbour is: KB (Dave I Porter). 6.25 points lost: Miles Furniture (Steve Kulmar). 11.5; Ansett Airlines <Dave Griffiths. 17.75: Anyhow (Mike Chapman), 23; Herculite (John Herrick), 25; Century Batteries (Bob Jov). 26.