Forbes takes medal tally to 10

Press, 20 January 1981, Page 6

Forbes takes medal tally to 10

Grant Forbes (Pegasus) took his bag of gold medals at the 1981 Canterbury swimming championships to 10 when he won two races at Queen- Elizabeth II Park last evening, and narrowly failed to gain- a bonus — the Canterbury record in the 200 m breastForbes scratched from the 16 years 100 m backstroke to put i all his effort into two attempts on the Canterbury record set by Brent Lewis five*and-a-half years ago. ■ In his first attempt, the final of the men’s 200 m breaststroke, Forbes completed the first 100 m in Imin 14.75. Even by this stage he was well clear of his opposition and had to pace himself over the final 100 m. He tried valiantly but with no crowdencouragement’ or opposition he was 2.4 s outside Lewis’s recordof 2min 33.65. .. Later, in the final of the 16 years 200 m breaststroke, Forbes was a little slower over the first 100 m — Imin 15.1 s — and although he covered- the last 100 m more quickly, his time, 2mln 35.75, was still 2.1 s off the record. ' The tragedy is that Forbes was not Included in the New Zealand Games team. Potentially he is. the best male breaststroke swimmer New Zealand has had, and the experience. of the Games would have been of enormous value to him. Murray -and Steven. Bates, brothers from the Nelson South club, added to their considerable number of wins last evening, Murray won two events to take his tally to eight from six in the 12 years age-group, and Ste. ven won Ms sixth race in the 13 years section. Murray was pressed by Brett Lyons (New Brighton) in the 200 m individual medley, But Bates, who . possesses a fluent stroke for a 5 - 12-year-old, drew away on the freestyle leg. ■ Susan Willis (Wharenui) completed a herculean effort late in the evening. Five events from the 'end she won the. girls 15 years 200 m butterfly, and then she was the sole’ competitor .in the ■women’* 200 m butterfly, the last event. ' Melanie Jones and Teresa Stanley, the other two entries, scratched; They are in the -New Zealand Games squad’s training camp that > started. yesterday. That dM not deter Ims, Willis and she swam solo, to a time only 1.9» slower than -tier swim 15 mtnutee earlier. ’ln a desperate final few strokes, Belinda Gaul (Nbrtfc End, Timaru) caught Tracy Turnbull (Whatenui) napping In- the women’s 20Om breaststroke fin al, and pipped Miss Turnbull, the titleholder, by 0.1 s. David Baldwin (Nelson)« and Gregory Cadigan (Wharenui) had a close battle in the. 16 years 100 m backstroke. Baldwin,, -with his superior strength, just,man-aged-to hold off : Cadigan’s challenge, and both swimmers returned very good times — Baldwin, Imin 5s .and Cadigan, 0.6 s slower. An improvement of another couple of seconds would make both swimmers contenders for medals at the national championships at Rotorua next month. Abbreviations used in the results are:- Beckenham (B.), Greymotrth (G.), New Brighten (Njjj,

: North Beach (Nth 3. Papanul i (Pap.), Pegasus (P.), Westport • (Wst.), Wharenui (Wh.), Bien- > helm (Bl.), North End, Timaru ; (N.E.), South End, Timaru (SJE.), Nelson Amateur (N.A.), Nelson - South (N.S.). MEN . Open . ri 200 m breaststroke: G. Forbes , (P.). 2:36.0, 1: P. Tozer (Wh.), , 2:45.3, 2; G. Taylor ()%.), 2:474, ■ 3; •' 200 m butterfly: M. Smith t (Wh.), 2:11.1, 1; M. Cockraft (S.E.), 2:19.1, 2; G. Gillard (Wh.), [ 3:22.3, 3.. . - ... 16 years 100 m backstroke: D. Baldwin • G ' Cadi??® (Wh.), I 1:5.6, 2; S. Cockroft (S.E.), 1:14.7, . 200 m breaststroke: G. Forbes L (P.), 2:35.7, 1; G. Horner (Wh.), 2:53.4, 2; A. Srzich (B.), 2:53.9,3. i 15 years -100 m breaststroke: A. Srzich ; (B.), 1:19.6, 1; A. Lauder (N.S.), . 1:21.7, 2; G. Van Tuinen (Wh.), i 1:23.3, 3. i butterfly: S. Grenfell (Wh.), 2:35.3, 1; P. Cosseboom (Wh.), 2:37.0, 2; P, Alexander ; (Wh.), 2:37.2, 3. 14 years : freestyle: B. Waugh . (Wh.), 4:52.3, 1; A. Bould (Wh.), , C. Hollows ; 100 m backstroke: G. Mclntosh ; (Wh.), 1:104, 1; C. Hollows (S.E.), 1:17.1, 2; S, Jones (SJE.), 1:20.1, 3. , ... 13 years . 200 m individual medley: S, I QtS-L 2:43 0 » K. ; Ly«n« years,-.; ■ backstroke: M. Bate* 1:214, 2; S. Faoagali (Wh.), 1:23.5, 200 m individual medley: M, Bates (N.S.), 2:48.8, 1; B. Lyons ■ 2:50 - 9 ’ 2: R - Osborne , (Wh.), 8:14,3. WOMEN ■ ■ Open - ■ ' breaststroke: B. Gaul , 3:2.5,1; T. Turnbull (Wh.), 3:2.6, 2; F. James (Wh.), 3:4.6. 3. 200 m butterfly; S. Willis (Wh.), 1. ?■ . 16 years 100 m backstroke: S. O’Connell JWhJ, 2 1:16.7, 1; M. Foley (BL), . S. O’Connell ' 15 years . , breaststroke: K. Dewar [ (Wh.), . 1; E . HornerJWU.l* wiUs (Wh.), 1:29a.?- ■ . 3. Willis (Wh-h , 2--35.0, D e, Horner (Wh.), S&J? 400nj freestyle* L? Chamberlain £J££ 3 5:5 0. 2; H, Healey (P.), N - Chambers (Wh-)» 1:13.4, 1; K. Nichols (Wh-), 1:14.6, 2; H. Healey (P.), 1:21.1, 3. h . 13 years C 200 m Individual medley: K. (N. 8. 2:43.0, 1: J. Bishop 2:48 ‘ 8 ’ 2; S ’ Timm * <P) ’ years ) ,J2 (^ n ,ba« k stroke: K. Mclntosh I? M. McKay (P-), ■ latt’ 3 : P ‘ clUH »berialn (N 3.