Aust. skiers dominant

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 6

Aust. skiers dominant

PA Wanganui. Australians maintained their dominance at the world group three water ski-ing champion ships at Lake Wiritoa yesterday. Sue Wright. Sue Barton and Bruce CoeKbUrn teamed up to make the third day of the BP sponsored event notable for Aus tralian triumphs. New Zealanders managed to sneak into a few minor piaeings to stay in contention for titles ‘ to be decided today but members , of the Japanese and Indonesian teams struggled against superior competition. Wright set the Australian title challenge alight with a magnificent leap in the first round of the women’s .lump. In landing at 35.3 m. she set a world group three record as well as establishing a New Zealand all-comers’ , record.

i In the tricks event, Barton . bounced back into the limelight. She notched 2400 points, marginally ahead of Anne Carmichael > (New Zealand), after finishing in ■ second place in the jump. 1 Cockburn ruled supreme in the men’s tricks and jumps 1 events. He scored 2910 points ■ from his tricks to finish the first run 280 points ahead Of Craig • Irons (Australia), while he ■ achieved easily the best jump st : 42.4 m. substantially better than i the next pest leap of 38.4 m recorded by the New Zealander, 1 Paul Wigglesworth.