Games gamble for Tozer, Forbes

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 34

Games gamble for Tozer, Forbes

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Two Christchurch swimmers, Grant Forbes and Paul Tozer, embark on a big financial gamble today in a bid to qualify for the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. Forbes and Tozer have had to outlay more than $lOOO to attend the Australian championships in Adelaide this week. They believe the Australian championships, and the New Zeland championships in Hamilton from March 5 to 8, are the only two meetings left that will provide them with the competition they need to better the stringent qualifying times.

Competition in New Zealand this summer has been minimal and both admit that the trip to Adelaide is a gamble.

Forbes was out of training for five days last week after developing a rash on his back. It was diagnosed as shingles, but fortunately it was caught in time and disappeared after five days rest. “I don’t know how I will perform in Adelaide, but hopefully the five days off shouldn’t interfere too much with my preparation. The rest might have helped in fact,” said Forbes. Tozer, who made his debut for New Zealand at the Pan Pacific Games in Tokyo last August at the age of 21, and came within 0.3 s of the New Zealand 200 m medley individual record, and 0.6 s of the Games qualifying time, has not looked like repeating that form this season.

At Adelaide Tozer will concentrate on the 200 m medley, and will be happy if he gets as close to the qualifying time as he did in Tokyo. “I will then have another chance to better it at the New Zealand championships.”

Forbes bettered the qualifying time for the 100 m breaststroke — Imln 6.75 s — in Tokyo but the qualifying period for Edinburgh did not start until October 1, 1985. The national selectors have said performances which bettered the qualifying times between July 1 and September 30 last year would be recognised, but Forbes wants to make certain of a nomination by bettering the qualifying time again.

The pair will not be without support in Adelaide. They will join a squad of 11 other swimmers under a manager, Mr David Mahon, of Auckland, and a coach, Hlsashi Inomata.

The others pursuing Edinburgh Games qualifying times in Adelaide will be Richard Lockhart, Craig Thomas, Ross Anderson, Dale Wright, Kirk Torrance, Tony Gapes, Brent and Dean Foster, Kerrylynne Torrance, Sylvia Hume and Sarah Mahon, all of Auckland. I