Canterbury top in swimming

Press, 18 February 1978, Page 4

Canterbury top in swimming

From KEVIN TUTTY in Nelson Canterbury’s age-group swimming team had a firm grip on the War Memorial Shield after the first day of the Hansell's Mew Zealand championships at the splendid new Nayland Park pool in Nelson yesterday. At the end of the dav its swimmers, and a diver—Kevin Blake—had collected 15 gold medals, five more than Otago and eight more than Auckland. The War Memorial Shield is presented to the centre winning the most titles.

Canterbury had a dream start. After eight events it had five golds, and picked up further golds at regular intervals for the remainder of the day. Two of the team, Paul Rowe and Rickie Binning, won the three events they entered on the first day, while Grant Forbes won two races and was second in a third. Forbes gave the team a bonus win in the seventh event, the 13-years boys’ 200 m individual medley He was only third qualifier, behind two Otago swimmers, Graeme Lain and Saki Hannah. Forbes swam a superbly judged race, however, and won by sm.

Rowe won the first race of the championships—the 16 years 400 m freestyle—by 10m. In the

evening he added the 200 m breaststroke and 100 m butterfly. The breaststroke title came only after a grim struggle with Auckland’s Dion Rogers. Miss Binning won her three events as expected, but she did not completely dominate. In the 100 m butterfly Tania Loughlin (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay) was on her heels at the finish, and in the 100 m backstroke, a Wanganui girl, Carlyn Morgan, pushed her hard. Forbes in the 100 m breaststroke left the opposition far behind. His winning time of Imin 16.2 sec beat the old meeting record by 3.9 sec.

Ngarita Kahl won the girls 12yeari 100 and 200 m breaststroke, and Tracy Turnbull was un troubled to win the girls’ 14 years 200 m breaststroke, her closest rival being her Canterbury team-mate. Paula Woolman, who won the silver medal

There were two other impressive performances by Canterbury girls In the 14 years age-group, Rochelle Inkster winning the 100 m freestyle, and Melanie Jones who established a new meeting record in the 100 m backstroke with the excellent time of Imin 9 4sec. Even though she steered an erratic course in the last 15m sh» won by sm.