English strike back in pool events

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 46

English strike back in pool events

From

KEVIN TUTTY,

, in Edinburgh

England’s swimmers produced an inspired evening of success at the Royal Commonwealth Pool yesterday, halting the previous dominance of the Australian and Canadian teams.

The Australian men filled the three places in the first event, the men’s 200 m freestyle, and its 4 x 100 m freestyle relay team — the “mean machine” — won the last event. In between the English team sent the largely British crowd delirious, with two superb wins including, a clean sweep in the women’s 100 m butterfly.

It was a likeable young Bradford man though, Adrian Moorhouse, who produced the finest moment of the evening when he won the men’s 200 m breaststroke, beating the world record holder, Victor Davis, of Canada.

Four years ago in Brisbane, Moorhouse upset Davis when he beat the cocky Canadian in the 100 m breaststroke. He was beaten narrowly by Davis in the 100 m final last Friday, but was determined not to let his brash adversary win both gold medals at these Games. Moorhouse left the blocks as if propelled by a hidden force, and he surfaced from the dive fractionally ahead of Davis. He led at the first turn,

conceded the lead to the Canadian in the second lap, although only by the barest of margins — two hundredths of a second.

Davis attempted to drop Moorhouse on the third lap, but his move was unsuccessful, and Moorhouse was ahead again at the final turn.

Half-way down the final length, Davis attacked again but Moorhouse met the challenge and Davis was beaten in the last five metres. Moorhouse’s time was a new British record, but three seconds outside the Davis’s world record.

Davis was angry at his failure to complete a double gold medal success for the second time in four years, and said after the race that he felt sluggish. Davis, who was attempting to break his world record, afterwards refused to talk to reporters. Moorhouse on the other hand was voluble. He expressed unrestrained delight at his win, and then said how unfair he thought it was that Davis received sCanloo,ooo a year in Government assistance and endorse-

ments, while he had to survive on £2500 grant from the English equivalent of the New Zealand Sports Foundation.

Moorhouse had been offered a £5OOO contract to wear a sponsor’s logo at these Games, but official procrastination denied him that valuable revenue, which would have been put into a trust account He asked permission several weeks before the Games to wear the logo, but has not heard back from swimming officials.

Another Englishman, Nick Gillingham, finished third in the race. The women’s 100 m butterfly was a triumph for the English squad. Its three representatives in the women’s 100 m butterfly final had qualified first, second and third fastest in the heats, and they did not disappoint their team-mates. After the first 50m it was obvious the English trio had the medals to themselves. The only problem was who would win the gold. Caroline Cooper was the lucky girl, Caroline Foot was second and

Samantha Purvis, the fastest qualifier, had to settle for the bronze. The trio admitted later they were just as excited about the medal presentation as they were about winning the medals. The medals were presented by Prince Edward, who attended the evening session with the Queen. Her majesty presented the medals for the men’s 200 m freestyle and 200 m breaststroke.

The Australian freestyle relay team arrived at the blocks in Australian stockmen hats and oilskins, and displaying what has become their trademark, shaved heads.

If the gear and shaved heads were a psychological ploy they certainly worked. The Australians stormed to a Commonwealth Games record of 3min 21.585.

A 13-year-old Canadian, Allison Higson, completed a golden double when she won the final of the women’s 100 m breaststroke. To the consternation of the home crowd Higson crept up on the local hero, Jean Hill, in the last 25m and pipped her for the gold.