Swimmer shifts targets

Press, 9 May 1978, Page 44

Swimmer shifts targets

Graeme Wright, the Otago butterfly swimmer, is dis-1 appointed he missed nomination for the Edmonton Commonwealth Games, but he has not given up hope of selection for the world championships in West Berlin a week later. Wright said yesterday that. he would make an attempt on the target time for the world event at the end of next month. His task is an unenviable' one, however. He will have to swim 200 m in 2min 4.55, 1.6 s faster than his personal best for the distance.

But Wright is quietly confident he can achieve the time. “I was hoping to do it at the nationals in March but I wasn’t pushed.” Apart from Wright there: were only two others in thei event and Wright won comfortably. John Coutts (Hawke’s Bay), the bronze medallist in the 200 m butterfly at the 1974 Commonwealth Games, did not swim the 200 m at the nationals. choosing to concentrate on the 100 m race. “Had John (Coutts) swum it might hav* given

>both of us the push we needed,” said Wright. A student at the Otago medical school, Wright is involved in examinations until the end of this week. But once they are completed he will resume heavy training for a build-up to his attempt. “I have been on a light training schedule for the last couple of weeks, but with all

By

KEVIN TUTTY

the training for the nationals, behind me it should not be! too hard to build up again,”: Wright said. He was disappointed that! he missed nomination for (Edmonton, but accepted that iat the time. But he was annoyed when about two weeks later he learned that swimmers were still being considered for nomination after the selectors said that no-one would be considered after the national championships.

Wright w’ould probably have made a late bid to for Edmonton if he

had known it was possible. “But I did no training for two weeks after the nationals and lost my condition. By that time I was preparing for exams.” The chairman of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association’s council (Mr M. R. Duckmanton) said after the original list of nominations was announced a swimmer would virtually

have to break a Commonwealth record to be added to the list. But the Auckland girl, i Penny McCarthy, although 'she warranted a nomination,; I was nowhere near Com-! 'monwealth records with the: itimes she did to secure her! I late addition to the swim- ! ming team. “I’m pleased Penny got aj nomination. She deserved it. But it’s ridiculous to nominate people after the selectors said the nationals would be the last chance to qualify,” said Wright. The times which won Miss

McCarthy her nomination > were recorded in a shortcourse pool, a contradiction of a proviso the selectors made when they released the Edmonton standards: that all times for consideration had to be recorded in a longcourse pool. Wright missed the 1976 Olympics when he was dropped by the Olympic and Commonwealth Games selectors after being nominated by the swimming selectors. Now he has missed Commonwealth Games selection, but wants to represent New Zealand at an international meeting before his career ends, spurring his attempt to ; reach the world champion- j ships standard. With his university stud-j jies nearing an end and a! career to think of, Wright! said he will not be in can-, ij tention for the Moscow* . Olympics in two years. But he does intend to ; have another summer of i competition to defend his ’ 200 m butterfly title and “give Paul Rowe a hurry i up” over 100 m,