Australian shot putter shamed N.Z. rivals

Press, 13 March 1985, Page 64

Australian shot putter shamed N.Z. rivals

A young woman with the ability to make a big impact at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games next year handed out some fairly emphatic lessons to New Zealand’s foremost women shot and discus throwers at the Countrywide New Zealand track and field championships at the Caledonian Ground in Dunedin last week-end.

Astra Etienne, the latest in a growing line of worldclass throwers from Australia, was easily the most impressive performer in the shot championship, an event in which she competed by invitation. Her 15.54 m effort made the biggest put of 14.79 m by the New Zealand champion, Glenda Hughes (Auckland), seem almost inadequate.

The next day she served up similar fare in the discus championship. She won the competition, leaving behind a very clear message that New Zealand discus throwers were being left behind in the international scene.

There was some hope and pleasure in the performance of New Zealanders who finished behind her. Heather Marsters (Auckland) won with a solid distance of 45.80 m, although she was inconsistent with her throwing. For Canterbury athletics followers the performance of Vai Young, now aged 48, was a highlight of the competition. She threw 45.10 m her best for four years, and very nearly stole the championship. Hope for the future was

provided by Elizabeth Ryan (Canterbury), who won the bronze medal with a distance of 44.30. Another season should see her challenging for the title.

The sobering thought, however, is that as far as Mrs Etienne is concerned, the discus is very much a secondary event. “I am not a discus specialist. The shot is my main event,” she said after dominating the discus championship. “I only do it for a bit of relaxation. If the discus goes, it goes. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t. What happens in the discus doesn’t really matter to me.”

Even so, this stronglybuilt Australian Amazon has a best performance of 53.44 m, and clearly has the ability ter improve markedly on this if she sets her mind to it.

Mrs Etienne (nee Vitols), a pleasant person who gets on well with her fellowcompetitors, comes from a European background. Although she was born in Australia, her parents are Latvian. When this became known at the championships she was quickly introduced to the former New Zealand Olympic coach, Mr Valdemars Briedis, of Christchurch, who comes from Latvia. Mr Briedis, freely acknowledged as New Zealand’s finest coach of field events athletes, is the coach of three of the first four place-getters in the championship. Mrs Etienne and Mr Briedis found they had a lot to talk about.

Mrs Etienne, aged 25, is on a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, an organisation designed to help promising Australian athletes reach their full potential. She came to New Zealand on her first trip overseas as a senior competitor with another representative from the institute, Peter Beams, who competed in the long and triple jumps at Dunedin.

In the long jump, Beams’s best of 7.33 m was not enough to give him a place. Stephen Walsh (7.71 m Mike Shaw (7.48 m and John Hunt (7.44 m all finished ahead of him, which was pleasing. But in his main event, the triple jump, he was easily

the best performer with a distance of 15.90 m. This was just 4cm outside the national resident record held by the former Commonwealth Games representative, Dave Norris (Auckland). Beams also has his sights on the Commonwealth Games, although on a world scale Mrs Etienne has the higher ranking. Her best performance in the shot of 17.19 m, set last December, gives her top ranking in Australia and fifth placing on the Commonwealth ranking list. Not even Gael Martin (nee Mulhall) has beaten this distance. Her best this season is 17.03 m.

Since her big put, Mrs Etienne has had problems with an elbow injury, which has forced her into the background in recent weeks. Her entry in the New Zealand championship was, in a sense, a test for her. And she came through it well pleased. “Every throw was more than 15m, so I am happy about that. It is just a case of getting my confidence back.” Mrs Etienne and Mrs Martin will clash in the Australian championships at the end of this month, and both are hoping their performances will ensure their selection for the Pacific Conference Games in the United States in June. One of them will be selected for the World Cup contest in Canberra at the end of this year. Mrs Mulhall, Australia’s top woman thrower in recent years, is favoured to win the place, although she faces strong competition from her younger rival.

For Mrs Etienne, on the verge of an international career of some substance, the main aim is the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh next year. She is keen to improve on her fifth ranking. There can be few doubts that Mrs Etienne will develop into a Commonwealth Games medal prospect for Australia. She has the strength and the resolve, and, on the evidence of her display at Dunedin, the skill and technique to reach the highest levels. Sadly, the same cannot yet be said of New Zealand shot and discus exponents.