Aust. swimmers for N.Z. titles

Press, 29 February 1984, Page 56

Aust. swimmers for N.Z. titles

Swimmers, who between them won four gold medals, nine silver and seven bronze, at the Brisbane Commonwealth Games, are included in the Australian Olympic team to compete at the New Zealand championships in Hamilton next week. Lisa Curry, the only competitor to win three individual gold medals in the pool at Brisbane, and the towering Neil Brooks, who won the 100 m freestyle, are the gold medallists in the team of 28. Also included is the 15-year-old Adelaide swimmer who dominated the freestyle events at the Australian championships in Brisbane last week-end, Anna McVann.

She won every freestyle event from the 100 m to 1500 m and prompted Curry to comment after the 100 m freestyle: “She’s too good to be true. I can’t believe she’s real.” Three of the men’s team will not be in Hamilton, and no reason for their absence has been given to the organisers of the championships. The three absent are Mark Kerry, a backstroker, Peter Evans, a breaststroker, and Justin Lemberg, aged 17, who won the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 m freestyle titles at the Australian championships — the former two in Australian record times. Notable absentees from the team are the former New Zealand representa-

tive, Paul Rowe, and Michelle Ford. The Australian team to swim at the Bank of New Zealand national championships in Hamilton is:— MEN Rob Woodhouse, Glenn Beringen, Brooks, Glenn Buchanan, Graeme Brewer, Delany, Peter Dale, Fasala, Ron McKeon, David Orbell, Wayne Shillington, Jon Sieben, Tom Stachewicz, Brett Stocks, Mark Stockwell, Kim Terrell. WOMEN Suzi Baumer, Curry, Dimity Douglas, Sharon Kellett, Suzanne Landells, McVann, Audrey Moore, Michele Pearson, Georgina Parkes, Karen Phillips, Russell, Tibbits.