Miss Perrott to defend North American titles

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 56

Miss Perrott to defend North American titles

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Rebecca Perrott, the accomplished Wellington and New Zealand swimmer, this August will defend the American and Canadian 400 m freestyle titles she won after . the Olympic Games last year. Permission has been granted by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association for Miss Perrott to swim in the Canadian championships in Montreal from August 2 to 6 and the American championships at Mission Viejo from August 18 to 22.

Miss Perrott caused eyebrows to rise in New Zea-

land and Montreal last July when she qualified fastest in the heats of the 400 m freestyle at the Olympics, and then finished fourth in the final, o.ol7sec off a bronze medal.

After the Olympics Miss Perrott and other members of the New Zealand team swam in the American and Canadian championships, Miss Perrott winning the women’s 400 m freestyle titles at both meetings. Her coach, Tony Keenan, confirmed yesterday that she will defend the titles and is already well advanced on a heavy training programme.

Miss Perrott and Mr Keenan will leave New Zealand on July 28. The next day she will compete in the Mission Viejo international meeting before flying on to Montreal. Mr Keenan is not concerned that Miss Perrott will swim on the day she arrives in America. “We will use the Mission Viejo meeting to help her acclimatise to the Northern Hemisphere summer.”

The trip had been in the offing for some time, said Mr Keenan, and it had been made possible by a group of Wellington businessmen who had given financial help. Mr Keenan is seeking sponsorship to cover the rest of the costs.

Before the New Zealand championships last March, Miss Perrott was training only once a day. Since then her training has doubled with the North American trip in mind. This year she is sitting the University Entrance examination and her schoolwork has not been neglected. All through the May holidays she carried on with schoolwork to make up for what she will miss while in America.

Miss Perrott hopes to be accredited her University Entrance. That will leave her with less pressure next year to build up for the Commonwealth Games. Miss Perrott is keen to renew her battle with Shannon Smith, the Canadian who pipped her for the bronze medal at Montreal. Miss Smith did not swim in the 400 m freestyle at the Canadian championships last year, and an expected clash between the pair failed to eventuate when the New Zealand Games were cancelled late last year. Shirley Babashoff, the American who won the silver medal at Montreal, has since retired from competitive swimming, so she will not be among Miss Perrott’s rivals at Mission Viejo. But Kathy Heddy and Brenda Borgh, Americans who finished fifth and sixth in the Montreal final, will be anxious to relieve Miss Perrott of her title.