Spinks retains judo title after tense final

Press, 4 June 1984, Page 3

Spinks retains judo title after tense final

Graeme Spinks had a tough fight with his fellow Canterbury judoka, Mike Smith, before retaining his senior men’s open title when the South Island judo championships ended at St Thomas’ College yesterday. The open final between Spinks and Smith represented the latter’s last chance to press his claims for a late place in the Olympic team, but both men were tired by the time they met each other. Spinks, a third dan black belt, added to the Olympic team a week ago, met a succession of heavier opponents in the open eliminations. In the final Smith managed one spectacular throw, but it was ruled that he had stepped off the mat to do it and a penalty was incurred. Spinks was actually forced off the mat on four occasions, but maintained a points advantage to the end. The bouts in which Spinks and Smith figured were watched with special interest by one of the referees, Mr Brian Cloynes, of Dunedin, who will coach the judo team at Los Angeles. Both men also won their respective weight divisions — Smith the under 95kg class and Spinks the under 78kg class — but Spinks almost left it too late in his final against another old rival, John Moody. Spinks managed the equalising points against a very defensive Moody only as the final hooter sounded. The finalists in the senior men’s under 65kg division, John Hart and Kevin Hunter, both of Nelson, were responsible for the best throws of the tournament in the prelimaries. In the final, Hunter, a first dan, fought extremely well

to upset his clubmate, Hart, a third dan. Janet Poole, of Dunedin, lost her senior women’s title to Kathryn Cooper, of Canterbury, but the placings were reversed in their under 66kg weight division. Among the other judo players to impress was Nigel Ross, of Nelson, who showed beautiful technique to win the intermediate boy’s open title and stepped up a grade to win the junior men’s open as well after a great battle with Andrew Hundleby, of Canterbury. For Susan Hawkey, of Canterbury, a win in the under 45kg girls’ weight division completed a North Island-South Island titles doubles. Brenda Leftly, a member of the New Zealand underage team which competed in the United States recently, showed the benefits of that experience to win the under 52kg title in the young women’s grade. Abbreviations used in results.— Canterbury (C.), Central Districts (C.D.), Southern Districts (S.D.). SENIOR MEN Open.— G. Spinks (C.) 1, M. Smith (C.) 2, P. McSweeney (C.) and J. Moody (C.) 3. Under 95kg.— Smith 1, J. Noema (S.D.) 2, M. Davis (C.) 3. Under 86kg. — McSweeney 1, R. Harris (S.D.) 2. Under 78kg.— Spinks 1, Moody 2, F. Martel (C.) and B. Smith (S.D.) 3. Under 71kg.— E. Barnes (C.D.) 1, I. Hanfling (C.) 2, G. Craig (C.) and B. Hananeia (S.D.) 3. Under 65kg.— K. Hunter (C.D.) 1, J. Hart (C.D.) 2, S. Cooper (C.) and D.Hannaneia (S.D.) 3. Under 60kg.— J. Rawiri (C.) 1, R. Hananeia (S.D.) 2. JUNIOR MEN Open.— N. Ross (C.D.) 1, A. Hundleby (C.) 2, M. Oetgen (C.) and B. Butterfield 3. Under 78kg.— Ross 1, B. Craig (C.) 2, Butterfield and D. Hagan (S.D.) 3. Under 71kg.— Hundleby 1, T. Milton (S.D.) 2, M. Muir (C.) 3. Under 65kg.— K. O’Connor (C.) 1, P. May (C.) 2, B. Spinks (C.) and S. Greig (C.D.) 3. Under 60kg.— J. Rawiri (C.) 1. INTERMEDIATE MEN. Open.— N. Ross (C.D.) 1, J. Watson (C.) 2, S. Le Compte

(C.) and S. Muir (C.) 3. Over 71kg.— Watson 1. Under 71kg.— Muir 1, Le Compte 2. Under 65kg.— S. McLay (C.D.) 1, S. Gregg (C.D.) 2. Under 60kg.— S. KingTurner (C.D.) 1, J. Rawiri (C.) 2, D. Milton (S.D.) and P. Murtagh (S.D.) 3. Under 55kg.— L. Jones (C.D.) 1, T. Armstrong (C.) 2, L. Hau (C.) and P. Henderson (S.D.) 3. Under 50kg.— R. Crouch (C.) 1, R. van Nobelene (C.) 2, M. Chant (C.) and K. Hastie (S.D.) 3. BOYS Open.— J. Stark (C.) 1, S. Kaan (S.D.) 2, A. Thorpe (C.D.) and G. Mclntyre (C.) 3. Under 55kg.— G. Mclntyre (C.) 1, K. Snelgar (C.) 2, S. McDonald (C.) and S. Mcllwrath (C.) 3. Under 50kg.— S. Kaan (S.D.) 1, C. Schurr (C.D.) 2, Z. Lightfoot (C.D.) and C. Stark (C.) 3. Under 45kg.— N. Hau (C.) 1, A. Tihore (C.) 2, A. Thorpe (C.D.) and S. Wild (C.) 3. Under 40kg.— D. Edwards (C.D.) 1, K. Warlow (C.) 2, S. Ludbrook (C.) and A. Tasker (C.D.) 3. Under 35kg.— M. Henderson (C.D.) 1, D. Lend (C.) 2, G. Burrin (C.) and S. Buckingham (S.D.) 3. Under 30kg.— L. Bennett (S.D.) 1, M. de Nijs (C.) 2, B. Lee (C.) and A. McLean (C.) 3. SENIOR WOMEN Open.— K. Cooper (C.) 1, J. Poole (S.D.) 2, K. Peter (C.D.)

and B. Andrews (C.D.) 3. Under 72kg.— Peter 1. Under 66kg.— Poole 1, Cooper 2, M. Edwards (C.D.) and J. Smith (S.D.) 3. Under 61kg.— L. Smith (C.D.) 1, D. O’Brien (S.D.) 2, C. Shaw (C.) and J. Smith (S.D.) 3. Under 56kg.— K. McGeown (S.D.) 1, A. Wong (C.) 2. Under 52kg.- H. Dash (C.D.), 1, L. Weston-Webb (C.D.)2, L. Hastie (C.) and K. Tyler (C.D.) 3. Under 48kg.— L. Walker (S.D.) 1. YOUNG WOMEN Open.- K. Gilbert (C.) 1, K. Peter (C.D.) 2, B. Leftly (C.) and M. Edwards (C.D.) 3. Under 72kg.— Peter 1. Under 66kg.— Gilbert 1. Under 61kg.— K. Shirley (C.D.) 1, J. Smith (S.D.) 2, W. Le Compte (C.) 3. Under 52kg.— Leftly 1, A. Wong (C.) 2, K. Tyler (CD.) and M. Lightfoot (C.D.) 3. GIRLS Open.— K. Deepak (S.D.) 1, S. Hawkey (C.) 2, L. Good (C.) and K. Peake (C.) 3. Over 50kg.— Deepak 1, Good 2. Under 50kg.— Peake 1. Under 45kg.— Hawkey 1, R. Day (C) 2. Under 40kg.— A. Southon (C.D.) 1, K. Taylor (C.) 2. Under 35kg.— S. Blacklock (C) 1, R. Smith (C.) 2. Under 30kg.— T. Southon (C.D.) 1, K. Rangiwananga (C.) 2, T. Reddy (C.) and K. McLay .CD.) 3.