Perrott 'swam wrong events’

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 30

Perrott 'swam wrong events’

NZPA staff correspondent Edmonton Rebecca Perrott, New Zealand’s heroine of the Commonwealth Games, was overswum. This is the opinion of the New Zealand swimming coach, Mr Bob Mclntyre, who left Edmonton with the New Zealand swimming squad for Berlin yesterday. “Her programme was decided by the New Zealand Commonwealth Games selec* tion panel. She had too many events and swam in the wrong events,” Mr Mclntyre said. “When we get to Berlin, Rebecca will certainly not be swimming in the 800 m for example. It was an exhausting programme that the

(Games selectors set her here lin Edmonton,” he said. Perrott was entered in six events at Edmonton. “In retrospect she was entered in too many events here, but at the world championships, where Tony Keenan (her Wellington coach) and I have greater say she will not have the same load,’’ Mr Mclntyre said. After her swim for the bronze medal in the 400 m final at Edmonton Perrott was too distressed to discuss the race with anyone. “She had the strange idea that she had let someone down by her swim — but it was a magnificent effort,” Mr Mclntyre said. The day after the race Perrott and other members of the New Zealand swimming team left town. Instead of the daily grind of training they went to the Rockie Mountain resort of Jasper, about 320ksn from Edmonton.

‘‘lt did everyone good,” Mr Mclntyre said. “No-one talked about swimming at all and just relaxed.” Mr Mclntyre, a realist, believes that only Perrott in

the squad for Berlin has any chance in the world championships, but even then, against declared world'

times, he is not overoptimistic. “Rebecca has proved herself as a great competitor and she is capable of swimming faster in her best events than she has accomplished until now — but it will be hard to peak again in such a short time.” In Berlin Perrott will concentrate on the sprints — 100 m, 200 m and possibly the 400 m. If she swims in the individual medley it vyill be strictly as a warm-up. ‘ “The Games selectors chose Rebecca to swim in the longer distances, but her real strength is in the sprints,” Mr Mclntyre said. “Her 56.8 s in the final leg of the women’s relay was a brilliant swim and. her world-class time in the 200 m when she won the gold medal, was a further indication that she should have I been entered here in the Ishorter distances.”