Swimmer shifts camps

Press, 8 March 1978, Page 32

Swimmer shifts camps

Trudi Garland, one of several swimmers on the borderline of achieving Edmonton Commonwealth Games target times, has transferred from the Wharenui squad to Pegasus.

Miss Garland joined the Pegasus squad, which trains at Queen Elizabeth II Park and is coached by Do Inkster, after the Hansell’s New Zealand age-group championships in Nelson two weeks ago. It was not a happy cham-

pionship for Miss Garland. For the first time in four years she failed to win a gold medal, although she qualified fastest in both the 16 years 100 and 200 m backstroke. She did have the consolation, however, of beating Toni Grayburn (Auckland) — who won the backstroke events in the 200 m individual medley.

With the New Zealand championships, the final chance to qualify for Edmonton, at Queen Elizabeth II Park next week, it seems a bad time for Miss Garland

to be changing coaches. Mr Inkster said yesterday, however, that she has quickly settled with the new squad, although she was out of the water for a week after the age-group championships with a muscle injury in an arm.

She has done light training since returning to the water a week ago to continue her preparation for the nationals. She avoided the Christchurch inter-secondary swimming sports last evening for fear of damaging the arm again.

Her former coach, Clive Power, commented on Miss Garland’s move yesterday only by saying he hoped the change would benefit her.