Channel swim hindered

Press, 11 September 1985, Page 3

Channel swim hindered

NZPA staff correspondent London French bureaucracy helped frustrate the English Channel swimmer, Philip Rush, yesterday as he missed a record time. Rush, aged 21, of Wellington, reached France and during Tuesday morning (New Zealand time) seemed on the way towards completing a double crossing at least. His coach, Mr Tony Keenan, said by radio from the pilot boat Arema Jay that France’s coastguard had held Rush up for 20

minutes halfway from Dover because of the large number of attempts being made on the Channel. The French were reported to be worried that the many boats would block the sea lane and wanted all the swimmers to gather in a group. The pilot, Mike Oram, halted but Rush and Arema Jay were still several miles ahead of the other swimmers. He eventually carried on and the French “concentrated their efforts on surrounding the other boats.” “By that stage they had

lost sight of us,” Mr Oram said. Rush was not swimming quickly enough and Mr Keenan told him to slow as he neared Cap Gris Nez, as it was obvious he was not going to break the record held by an American, Penny Lee Dean (seven hours 40 minutes) or the men’s time set only last week by another Californian, Paul Asmuth (8:12). Rush crossed in nine hours three minutes, climbed out on to rocks and stretched his legs before starting back for England.