Paraplegic records beaten

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34130, 17 April 1976, Page 46

Paraplegic records beaten

Two world, one Commonwealth and eight New Zealand records were beaten on the first day of the eighth New Zealand Paraplegic Games at Burnham yesterday.

Dennis Miller, of Rotorua, in the 60m wheelchair sprint for grade 1C paraplegics, and Reuben Ngata in the bench press (light-weight lifting division) broke world records. However, the two will not be ratified because the New Zealand paraplegic body is not represented on the Stoke Manderville Paraplegic Sports Federation (the international parent body) which must have a representative present at a meeting before a world record can be set. New Zealand will be applying for representation when the federation meets during the paraplegic Olympics in Toronto early in August. Both Ngata and Miller will be members of the New Zealand team at Toronto and if they can reproduce their record-breaking performances in Canada, they will certainly be ratified. In the wheelchair sprint, Miller was three seconds inside the existing world mark for his grade. Ngata set a New Zealand record of 170 kg on his third lift in the bench press, and then on a special fourth attempt lifted 175 kg, which was o.skg better than the world mark for light-weight lifters.

In the heavy-weight division of the lifting, Bill Lean (Canterbury) bench pressed 205 kg, which beat the Commonwealth record by 2.5 kg and also the New Zealand record. The other New Zealand re-

cord in the weight-lifting was set by Fred Creba (Canterbury) in the light-heavy weight division. His total was 172.5 kg. Medals in the weightlifting were presented by the Commonwealth Games representative, Tony Ebert and George Newton.

Other New Zealand records broken yesterday went to Ross Hynds (Centra! North Island) in the grade IB 60m wheelchair sprint; Graham Condon (Canterbury) in the grade 111 100 m wheelchair sprint: Neroli Fairhall (Can-

terbury) in the grade 111 60m sprint; and Verona Moynihan (Otago-Southland) in the 60m sprint.

Abbreviations used in the following results are: Auckland (A.), Central North Island (C.N.1.), Southern North Island (5.N.1.), Canterbury (C.), OtagoSouthland (0.5.).

60m wheelchair sprint.—Grade 1A: P. Cullen (A.) I, R. Porter (0.5.) 2. Time: 1:2.0. IB: R. Hynds (C.N.1.) 1, K. McCormick (C.) 2, C. Moran (C.) 3. Time: 23.2 (New Zealand record). 1C: D. Miller (C.N.1.) 1, K. Raymond (5.N.1.) 2. Time: 14.6 (N.Z. record and betters world record).

100 m wheelchair sprint.—Grade II: -J. Mathews (C.) 1, G. Marett

(0.5.) 2, P. Curry (5.N.1.) 3. Time: 31.3. Grade III: G. Condon (C.) 1, R- Reid (C.N.1.) 2, J. Marrabale (0.5.) 3. Time: 24.3 (N.Z. record). Grade IV: B. McNichol (C.) 1, R. Nutter (C.N.1.) 2. G. Bird (0.5.) 3. Time: 24.1. Grade V: A. Christiansen (C.N.1.) 1, 1. Herd (O S.) 2. Time: 26.0.

Slalom. —Grade IA: P. Cullen (A.) 1, R. Porter (0.5.) 2. Time: 5:40.0. IB: R. Hynds (C N. 1.) 1, K. McCormick (C.) 2, C. Moran (C.) 3. Time: 2:12.0. 1C: D. Miller (C.N.1.) 1. Time: 1:26.3, Grade II: C. Cochrane (C.N.1.) 1, M. Bibley (C.N.1.) 2, P. Curry (5.N.1.) -3. Time: 1:56.8. Grade III: G. Condon (C.) 1, R. Reid • C.N.1.) 2, J. Marrabale (0.5.) 3. Time: 1:32.8. Grade IV: B. McNicholl (C.) 1, B Tocker (C.N.1.) 2, V. Stephenson (C.) 3. Time: 1:38.3. Grade V: A. Christiansen (C.N.1.) 1, L. Herd (0.5.) 2. B. Portland (A.) 3. Time: 1:33.2.

Weight-lifting (all bench press).—Light-weight: R. Ngata (C.N.1.) 1. Weight: 170 kg (N.Z. record). Middle-weight: Brian McNicholl (C.) 1, P. Wylie (0.5.) 21 Weight: 155 kg. Lightheavyweight: F. Creba (C.) 1, E. Tocker (C.N.1.) 2, S. Scott (C.N.1.) 3. Weight: 172.5 kg (N.Z. record). Heavy-weight: W. Lean (C.) 1. Weight: 205 kg (Commonwealth record).

WOMEN 60m wheelchair sprint.—Grade 1C: L. Taylor (5.N.1.) 1. Time: 1:3.4. Grade II: Y. Prole (C.N.1.) 1. Time: 29.6. Grade III: N. Fairhall (C.» 1, P. Hill (0.5.) 2, G. Harris (A.) 3. Time: 19.3 (N.Z. record). Grade IV: V. Movnihan (0.5.) 1, K. Harris (0.5.) 2. Time: 21.7 (N.Z. record).

Slalom.—Grade III: P. Hill (0.5.) 1. N. Fairhall (C.) 2. G. Harris (AJ 3. Time: 1:44.4. Grade IV: K. Harris (0.5.) 1, V. Moynihan (O S.) 2. Time: 2:13.3.