Australians dominate swimming titles

Press, 8 March 1984, Page 40

Australians dominate swimming titles

PA Hamilton Australian swimmers dominated the first session of the finals of the New Zealand swimming championships at Hamilton last night.

The members of Australia’s Olympic Games squad won all but three of the eight finals at the Centennial pools complex before a good-sized audience. Despite the Australian dominance, New Zealand swimmers performed with distinction, improving on their heats’ times and benefiting from the presence of the faster visitors. Auckland’s Paul Kings-

man provided the highlight of the night by pipping an Australian, David Orbell, for first in the men’s 100 m backstroke.

Kingsman began the race as the second-fastest qualifier and faced strong competition from Orbell (the third-fastest to qualify from the morning heats) and a fellow Australian, Kim Terrell (the fastest finalist). Orbell and Kingsman last battled in this event at the recent Australian swimming championships. There Orbell only just beat Kingsman.

Circumstances last night were very similar although

Kingsman, benefiting from a home crowd, put in a determined spurt to win a touch ahead of Orbell.

Auckland’s Anthony Mosse gave New Zealand its second victory over Australia when he easily won the men’s 209 m butterfly.

Mosse’s win was never in doubt. He holds the Commonwealth record for the event and has just returned from a successful European campaign. Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay’s Carmel Clarke showed that she is just as good as the best Australians when she swam a brilliant 100 m backstroke.

Garke remained with Australia’s Audrey Moore and Georgina Parkes and was only just edged into third place. Her time of 1:05.08 broke Ursula Cross’s New Zealand record of 1:05.5 and won her the New Zealand gold medal. A Hamilton 18-year-old, Gail Jonson, swam a determined race to take second in the women’s 200 m butterfly. Jonson was the third fastest to qualify and in the final beat the second-fastest qualifier, Karen Phillips, of Australia, to come home behind the Australian ace, Janet Tibbits.

Results.— Women’s 200 m freestyle: Michele Pearson (Australia), 2min 02.665, 1; Anna McVann (Australia), 2; Rebecca Williams (Wellington), 2min 07.745, 3 (gold); Lisa Chamberlain (Canterbury), 2min 11.45, 4 (silver); Tracie Sanders (Auckland). 2min 11.355, 5 (bronze). Men's 200 m freestyle: Thomas Stachewicz (Australia), Imin 54.465, 1; Graeme Brewer (Australia), imin 54.525, 2; Richard Wells (Auckland), Imin 56.115, 3 (gold); Dean Greenwood (Otago), Imin 58.765, 4 (silver); Brent Foster (Auckland). Imin 58.765. 5 (bronze). Women’s 100 m backstroke: Audrey Moore (Australia), Imin

04.855, 1; Georgina Parkes (Australia), Imin 04.975, 2; Carmel Clarke (Hawke’s Bay-Poverty Bay), Imin 05.085, 3 (gold); Sylvia Hume (Auckland), Imin 07.045, 4 (silver); Ursula Cross (Auckland), Imin 07.155, 5 (bronze). Men’s 100 m backstroke: Paul Kingsman (Auckland), 58.455, 1 (gold); David Orbell (Australia), 58.675, 2; Kim Terrell (Australia), 59.605, 3; Gary Mason (Auckland), Imin 00.765, 4 (silver); Kirk Torrance (Auckland), Imin 01265, 5 (bronze). Women’s 200 m butterfly: Janet Tibbits (Australia), 2min 13.685, 1; Gail Jonson (Waikato), 2min 17.405, 2 (gold); Karen Phillips (Australia), 2min 17.735, 3; Anna Doig (Wellington), 2min 20.725, 4 (silver);

Kerrylynne Torrance (Auckland), 2min 23.295, 5 (bronze). Men’s 200 m butterfly: Anthony Mosse (Auckland), 2min 00.195, 1 (gold); Jon Sieben (Australia), 2min 02.425, 2; Dean Foster (Auckland), 2min 11.88 s, 3 (silver); Shane Teehan (Auckland), 2min 13.495, 3 (bronze). Women’s 1500 m freestyle: Tanya Green (Otago), 17min 48s, 1 (gold); Helen Pearson (Bay of Plenty), 17:49.38, 2 (silver); Anne Condie (Southland), 18min 13.57 s (bronze). Men’s 800 m freestyle: Wayne Shillington (Australia), Bmin 15.635, 1; Dean Greenwood (Otago), Bmin 34.705, 2 (gold); Brent Foster (Auckland), Bmin 38.615, 3 (silver); Richard Tapper (Southland), Bmin 55.695, 4 (bronze).