GOLD BECKONS N.Z. LIFTERS

Press, 1 June 1977, Page 20

GOLD BECKONS N.Z. LIFTERS

By

JOHN DREW

New Zealand is entering a new era of weight-lifting supremacy, judging by the fine showing at the Australasian championships at Sydney at the week-end.

The New Zealand team of seven lifters, who started very much as underdogs, scored six wins and one second in seven weight classes. The manager of the New Zealand team, Mr Bruce Cameron, called New Zealand’s effort a triumph and a sensational victory.

All seven New Zealanders scored qualifying marks for the Edmonton Commonwealth Games and, according to Mr Cameron, their performance at Sydney indicated that New Zealand could well win four gold medals l#at the Edmonton Games.

Outstanding among the gold medal winners was the Canterbury lifter, George Newton, who has won three gold medals in Commonwealth Games contests while lifting for England and who is now lifting for New Zealand. Jubilant at his team’s win, Newton speaking from Sydney said: “It was a sensational performance by the New Zealand team. Noone gave us a chance at the start. This means that we could now win possibly four gold medals at the Edmonton Commonwealth Games. Everybody lifted to win for New Zealand rather than going for records. It turned out an absolute triumph for the New Zealanders.”

The winner of the heavyweight title was the Com-

mon weal th Games representative, John Barrett, of Auckland, with a snatch lift of 145 kg, a clean and jerk of 182 kg, and a total of 327 kg. The New Zealand Commonwealth Games representative, Brian Marsden, won the middle heavyweight championship with a snatch of 125 kg, a jerk of 177 kg, and a total of 302 kg. The winner of the teather-weight title, Newton broke the New Zealand and Australian record for the snatch with 105 kg and scored a total of 215 kg for the two lifts. The winner of the bantam-weight championship, Precious McKenzie, broke the Australasian record for the clean and jerk with 128 kg and the

Australasian record for the total of the two lifts of 222.5 kg. The winner of the flyweight, Peter Wedge (Wellington), totalled 160 kg. In the middle-weight division Rod Louis, of Wellington, scored a good second placing.