Crucial championship for swimmers

Press, 10 March 1982, Page 24

Crucial championship for swimmers

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Over the next four days, New Zealand’s competitionstarved swimmers will make their bids for national titles and Commonwealth Games qualifying times at Hamilton’s proudest new possession, its indoor swimming complex at Te Rapa. The national championships, for the first time including synchronised swimming as well as diving, are vital for the Brisbane Games aspirants, and the handful of leading swimmers within reach of world championship qualifying times. It is the last, and really the only major meeting of the season, and thus the best chance for swimmers, and divers, to achieve those much sought-after targets that will earn them a place in the Brisbane team.

To predict how many swimmers will earn nomination for Brisbane is difficult. There is always the likelihood of new faces and names leaping from obscurity, and conversely if someone who is expected to perform well is

off colour, months of training will be lost. But whatever the outcome, there should be some invigorating racing. It would help the competitors immensely if Hamilton could produce a supportive crowd. The Waikato centre is vigorous in its promotion of the sport, and that, coupled with the novelty of seeing a major . competition in the new pool, might lure Hamiltonians to the championships. There could be disappointments in some events, namely the men’s and women's freestyle. Unfortunately, New Zealand sprinters have not kept pace with the increasing standards in the other major Commonwealth countries. The men’s 200 m freestyle is a glaring example. The qualifying time for Brisbane is Imin 55.55. Michael Davidson (Auckland) is the only swimmer to qualify with a time under two minutes. Anyone with a chance of reaching the Brisbane time should be breaking twq minutes regularly.

In the 400 m and 1500 m freestyle, Davidson again is the only one within striking distance of the Brisbane times.

In the 100 m Barry Salisbury (Hawkes Bay), Richard Wells and Murray Parker ■ (both Auckland) have the experience behind them to perhaps achieve the target of 53.55. There is no obvious successor to Rebecca Perrott in the women’s freestyle events. Margaret Hesketh (Wellington), Jennifer Queen (Canterbury), Pamela Croad (Manawatu) and Myra Snell (Waikato), are all prospects for the titles between 100 m and 400 m. With 49 entries in the 100 m freestyle, at least places in the final will be keenly fought. Megan Tohill (Otago), providing she is at her best, should win both women’s butterfly events comfortably and qualify for Brisbane, but

in the 100 m event the race for the minor places will be frantic. There are seven swimmers within a couple of seconds of each other, and with that type of competition, maybe another one or two will reach the Games standard of Imin 4s. Anthony Mosse (Auckland) and Michael Smith (Canterbury), are the leading men in the butterfly stroke. If anyone qualifies for Brisbane in this stroke, they are the likely ones. Jeffrey Taylor (Otago) and Parker, might be surprises. They are better swimmers over 100 m than their qualifying times suggest. The stroke with the highest standard at present is the women’s backstroke. Ursula Cross and Monique Rodahl (Auckland) and Melanie Jones (Canterbury), have all had world rankings, and have bettered the Games times of Imin 6s and 2min 21.55. But

their supremacy is now being challenged by two girls from Hawkes Bay, Carmel Clarke and Amanda Hay. If her times at the national agegroup championships a week ago are an indication, Miss Clarke could be one of the new stars. The men’s backstroke ranks are not so well off. Kara Taumaunu (Canterbury) looks to be the only one capable of achieving the 2min 10s target over 200 m. He was within 0.5 s of it last season. Over 100 m, Taumaunu, Salisbury and Taylor will have to improve by about a second to reach the Games standard of a minute flat. New Zealand has never been so well off with accomplished men breaststroke swimmers. In the last year, Brett Austin (Auckland) and Grant Forbes (Canterbury) have been within a Games target time, and Mark Kalaugher (Auckland) within 0.3 s of the 100 m time. The standard set by this trio appears to be rubbing That scoreline might have been the ultimate one had it not been for “a rude call” in the seventh innings. “Fowler bunted to Keith Pullar who threw him out at first, but the umpire called it safe,” said Mr Hall. “It wasn’t even close and the crowd went beserk. That cost us $2000.” The next batter up, Paul i, Rogers, was taken out on i first for what would have ( been the third out. Instead Auckland United, assisted by an infield error and a mighty Robert Todd three-bag wallop, went on to equalise and then add four more runs. Burnside, with a $2OOO cheque seemingly firm in its grasp, had to be content with $9OO for second place prizemoney. Because of limited finance Burnside had had to make : the trip north with a skeleton ! squad of 11 players, while all the others had the full com- i plement of 15. Mr Hall, blessed by an injury-free campaign, said : the whole team (“including ! the lesser players”) made a j’ contribution with the captain, John Daly, providing | inspiring leadership. | He made special mention of . the youngest member, Dean Feldwick, a 17-year-old at his first big national tournament. Feldwick’s dedication even went to the extent of the lean outfielder crashing over the fence in an attempt to catch one home run hit. According to the coach, Burnside actually made i more errors (five), in the Pan ■ Am tournament than in i virtually the whole of the j club season. I But the fine pitching of ■ Tangaroa, together with tre- ; mendous pressure batting, j took the team through. Bum- ’ side outbatted nearly all the teams it faced with best' efforts from Graeme Anderson, Hutton, 'the Hall brothers, Poore, and Lanini. Tangaroa pitched in six complete games, facing 169 batters and taking 35 strikeouts while conceding seven walks and 22 hits. Jimmy Hall, who pitched two games, faced 42 batters for six strike-outs and gave up four ' walks and five hits. The top batters were (with AB denoting times at bat):—

off on younger swimmers in the stroke, and another young Aucklander, Richard Lockhart, could be a serious challenger to the three in the 100 m race. Sarah Mahon (Auckland) and Kim Dewar (Canterbury) are leading a revival in the women’s breaststroke events, and striving hard for places in the Games team. They will have to rely on each other's competition to drag them down to those Games targets. Since Mark Treffers won the gold medal in the 400 m medley at the Christchurch Games in 1974, no-one has challenged his national record of 4min 35.95. The Brisbane qualifying time is o.ls slower than that record, and it is not likely to be threatened in Hamilton. Richard Egan, a Hawkes Bay junior, has the best qualifying time for the nationals, but it is Ils outside the Games standard. Over 200 m, the national record holder, Salisbury, should better the target of 2min 12.05. Three women, Misses Hesketh and Dewar and Gail Jonson (Waikato), are within reach of'the women’s 400 m medley standard. Miss Dewar made a dramatic 10s improvement at the agegroup championships, and needs to improve only another six seconds to reach the target time of smin ss.

Miss Hesketh appears to have the best chance of reaching the 200 m medley time, but Miss Dewar, and another Canterbury girl, Susan Willis, will be serious contenders for the title. Ann Farghar, in her home town, will be seeking a good total in the three metre springboard on Friday. She dived poorly in the Australian championships recently, and needs a good performance on Friday to impress the selectors, but more importantly to boost her own confidence. At her best there would be few in the Commonwealth to beat her on the springboard.

G. Anderson AB Hits Av 22 8 .363 M. Hall 23 8 .347 R. Hutton 23 7 .304 W. Poore 23 5 .217 K. Pullar 14 3 .214 M. Lanini 19 4 .210 A. Hall 25 4 .160