N.Z., Canada nearly scoop an Aust. pool

Press, 9 February 1981, Page 3

N.Z., Canada nearly scoop an Aust. pool

NZPA ' Melbourne I New Zealanders and CanaIdians swept all before them I in the six nation interi national swimming . meeting i in Melbourne last - evening winning; lO of the 17 events. Canada won six events to New Zealand’s four. I In a night where the Aus-! rralians were outclassed, the! overseas stars also left with! their names added to three! pages -in the Australian! record books. | Australia’s only win for the night was in an event it could not lose — the women’s 200 metres individual medley, where all four starters were local jgirls. Altogether, it was a. sorry night 'forVAustralian swimming with some of the stars from last week’s New Zealand Games in Christchurch either overshadowed by the internationals or not starting at all.. Germanj'- won three events, the United States two, and Australia’s medley success by Victorian Lisa Dedman matching China’s single win. Two New Zealanders, Paul Rowe and Megan Tohili were double winners. Miss Tohili early in the night coasted to an easy 200 metres butterfly win and later had little difficulty in carrying off the 100 metres butterfly. ■ Paul Rowe’s' first success was a slashing 56.36 seconds win in the 100 metres butterfly, to beat a strong, lineup headed by Germany’s” Andreas Behrend. His second win, in the 200 metres butterfly, was even more outstanding and gave him an Australian record of 2min 3.795, eclipsing the previous Australian best of 2min 4.OGs previously, held by the Queenslander, Paul I Moorfoot. I Rowe’s 200 m butterfly I time broke the New Zealand (record he set in Christchurch at the New Zealand Games. His tin.e then was 2min 4.045. The third new Australian time was set by Heather I Strang of the United States,

> who clocked 57.65 s in wm■;ning the 100 metres i freestyle — 0;37s better than • the previous best set by ; Enith Brigitha of; the Nether- ; lands. ’■ Easily the star of the biggest night’s , swimming in (Melbourne ’was ' Canada’s lAlex Baumann, whcise treble :lwas a repeat of his three (successes in Christchurch. ! Baumann, set the ball rollling in the . first event, the ]2OO metres individual medley, then followed, it by taking the 200 metres ' backroke and 400 metres freestyle just to prove his all-round ability. He ’tried to .make It four for the .night by tackling the feature sprint, the 100 metres freestyle but only managed fifth place. Germany’s Marion Aizpors carried off the 100 and 200 metres backstroke double i while the 100 and 200 metres breaststroke double went to Canada’s Lisa Borsholt. Miss Borsholt’s 2min 39.38 s ih the 200 metres event set a new Australian record, clipping 2.7 seconds from the previous best time held by the Queenslander, Lisa Curry. Miss Curry, an Australian who won two titles at Christchurch last week within an hour, failed to reproduce any of that form in her appearance last night. In the women’s 100 metres breaststroke, Lisa Borsholt scraped home by just o.lls over the deaf Sydney youngster, Cindy-Lue Fitzpatrick. while a 17-vear-o!d Sydneysider. Richard' Cahalan, after swimming almost stroke for stroke alongside China’s Wang Hao over the last lap, was just edged out by 0.16 of a second in the 100 metres backstroke. Australia’s lone winner, Lisa Dedman.could not even make it into the Australian team for the New Zealand Games, but her strong finish in the 200 metres; individual medley landed her a< winner just 0.6 of a second over Lisa Curry after the pair had a furious battle over the final freestyle lap. Last night’s" ivin was easily Lisa’s best, despite the lack of international rivals and followed a string of Victorian title wins she has to her credit. : •