Swimming may grab limelight

Press, 22 October 1980, Page 6

Swimming may grab limelight

By

KEVIN TUTTY

The swimming events at the New Zealand Games in January might overshadow the track and field competition if the organisers get a positive reply to their invitation for East' German swimmers.

This week the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association received a letter from its counterpart in the United States saying it would send its top women’s team to the Games if the organisers could guarantee the presence of the East German women’s team.

The East Germans are regarded as the strongest women’s swimming squad in the world. At the’ 1976 Olympics in Montreal they won 10 of the 11 individual events and nine at the Moscow Olympics.

Much to their disappointment the American women’s team was prevented from competing against the Germans at Mos-

cow because of the United States boycott of the Olympic Games. The Americans believed they had the talent to once again become the top* women’s team in the world. :

Since the Olympics the American women’s squad has been eager to meet the East Germans and it is pre; pared to travel to Queen Elizabeth II Park for the opportunity. ■

The Americans are prepared to send a. team ,of 11 women but said' it'was unlikely that a strong men’s team could be organised. The school .and collegiate swimming programmes require the attendance of the majority of the top men. Two further replies to invitations have been received and both were negative — Japan and Great Britain saying they were unable to send teams. Three other countries, West Germany, China and Fiji, have been invited.