Big Australian contingent at N.Z. swin titles

Press, 31 January 1984, Page 34

Big Australian contingent at N.Z. swin titles

Competition, say New Zealand swimmers and coaches, is the essential element in any bid to qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics in July. There will be no excuses then for swimmers on the verge of reaching Olympic nomination times, who do not produce them at the Bank of New Zealand national championships in Hamilton in March. The championships will be boosted by a team of about 30 Australians. The swimmers are members of the Olympic squad and will be the largest international squad to attend a New Zealand championships. Last year the Australians indicated that they would send a large team to New Zealand, but in November doubt was cast on the squad’s attendance. The Australian Swimming Union was low on funds and it thought it might have to cancel the tour. Late in December the A.S.U. contacted its counterpart, the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, and said that the tour was

on. The president of the N.Z.A.S.A., Mr Don Stanley, of Matamata, said yesterday that the Australians would have a team of 38. “About 32 will be swimmers and the remainder are officials,” he said. The Australians will arrive in New Zealand a week before the championships, an indication of the vast amount of finance the A.S.U. seems to have at its disposal. By contrast the N.Z.A.S.A. is not able to send a team to the Australian championships this month because it does not have any money. It is the first time in memory that the Australians have allowed swimmers from another country to compete in their national championships in an Olympic or Commonwealth Games year. New Zealand will still be well represented at the Australian ' championships, though. The majority of the country’s leading swimmers have decided to pay their own way to the Australian championships in Brisbane at the end of this month.