Forbes’ medal hopes fade

Press, 9 May 1985, Page 44

Forbes’ medal hopes fade

By

KEVIN TUTTY

An encouraging swim at the New Zealand swimming championships in Dunedin in March, prompted Grant Forbes to make the decision to train himself into medal winning shape for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games next year.

Forbes said after an emphatic win in the 200 m breaststroke final that he would pour more time into training and join the New Zealand swimming team’s tour to Canada, the United States and Japan later this year, to get vital racing and to lower his best times. After a three week break, Forbes, aged 21, is back into solid training, but his dreams of a medal at Edinburgh are slowly fading because he cannot find the ?4500 needed to compete in the three major meetings. The Christchurch club which he swims for is doing its best to raise the money to ensure Forbes can com-

pete overseas. He has a “few hundred dollars” saved himself, but he has already spent thousands of dollars in the last few years seeking competition. Last year Forbes was disappointed that he failed to reach the Olympic qualifying times. Last summer he swam at the Australia Games and the Australian championships, but with little success. It was not until his final race of the season, the final of the 200 m breaststroke at the national championships, that his faith in himself was restored. He won the race with a devastating sprint in 2min 24.995, the third fastest time

of his career. It was sufficient to persuade him that it was worth while making financial sacrifices for another 18 months. Forbes’ financial worries will not end with the competitions in July and August though. The essential part ol his buildup for Edinburgh will start when he returns home, and to complete thal buildup satisfactorily Forbes will need several thousand additional dollars. At the moment he is working for a builder, but to train for Edinburgh he would want to work part-time enabling him to train twice a day and to incorporate weight training sessions.

“At the moment I am training eight sessions a week and rushing through a couple of weight training sessions. What T should be

doing is 11 to 12 sessions of swimming and two or three weight sessions,” said Forbes. That is what his rivals in Australia, Canada and Great Britain are doing with no financial worries. “I would like to be able to work a few hours a day to keep an interest, but you also need to rest during the day. It was O.K. when I was at school, but now that I am working eight hours a day I realise how hard it is to try and train and work fulltime.” Forbes has been looking for a sponsor, and has been told by the president of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, Mr

Don Stanley that he would not be breaching any amateur rules if he obtained one. “If I can get someone to support me I will be able to give swimming 12 months of concentrated effort.” Forbes’ immediate aim, if the finance is forthcoming, is to break the New Zealand 100 m and 200 m breaststroke records at either the Canadian championships in Montreal, the American championships near Los Angeles, or the Pan Pacific championships in Tokyo. If the money is not found the likelihood is that an outstanding swimmer, just reaching maturity, will be lost.