Tough Games swim times

Press, 15 May 1987, Page 32

Tough Games swim times

By KEVIN TUTTY New’ Zealand swimmers, outside the select group which won medals at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games last year, have some intensive work ahead of them if they are to qualify for the Olympic Games in Seoul next year.. .The qualifying times for the ■ Olympics were released yesterday. They have been set by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association selectors (Messrs Laurie Crabb, convener, Doug Cain and Mrs Norma Williams) after consultation with the New Zealand Olympic and Commonwealth Games ■. I •

Association selection panel (Messrs Bruce Cameron, convener, Dave Gerrard and ’ Bernie Fraser). ■ V In eight of the? 13 men’s events the New Zealand record will have to be broken to achieve the qualifying time, in some cases by substantial-mar-gins. The national record will heed to be.broken in seven of the 13 women’s events to better the qualifying time. / Mr Crabb said , that the two groups of selectors had agreed that the criteria for qualification was a place in the top 16 at the Olympics, allowing two competitors per country. In a few cases the

criteria was the top 20, said Mr Crabb. - The qualification period in which the times must be set is from August 13 this year to April 13 . next year. All times must be recorded in 50m pools.. Although the qualification period is nine months, the opportunities for swimmers' based in New Zealand to achieve them is limited. // / . The .New Zealand championships in. March next year will be the only domestic meeting- at which swimmers will have a realistic chance of breaking the times. The qualification period includes the Pan Pacific

championships in Brisbane on August 14, 15 and 16, at which a New Zealand team will compete. ... ... Swimmers will probably have to ; plan trips to state dr national championships in Australia — or further, afield — if they do not achieve the stringent times at the Pan Pacific championships. Of the current crop of Kiwi swimmers only three — Anthony Mosse, Paul Kingsman and Sylvia Hume — have bettered a qualifying time in the last nine months. Gary Hurring has also bettered the times, but not in the last nine months. ,_a Michael Davidson, who

won a bronze medal in the 400 m freestyle at the Edinburgh Games, has to improve another 0.7 s to 3min 56.96 s to qualify'for Seoul in that event , v •' ' ' ■' ■ *•? ■ - ' - The qualifying times, with the times in parentheses, -are:— Freestyle.— 50m: 23.65 s (26.45). 100 m: 51.36 (57.22). 200 m: 1:51.95 (2:3.56). 400 m: 3:56.25 (4:15.95),; 1500 m: 15:26.41 (800 m 8:49.55). •Backstroke.— 100 m: 58.11 <1:4.35). 200 m: 2:4.99 (2:17.15). Breaststroke. — 100 m: 1:4.98 (1:11.81). 200 m: 2:20.02 (2:37.77). Butterfly.— 100 m: 55.33 (1:2.12). 200 m: 2:1.25 (2:15.85). Individual medley.— 200 m: 2:5.98 (2:19.45). 400 m: 4:25.94 (4:55.82).