Mosse ‘could beat Gross’

Press, 14 September 1988, Page 50

Mosse ‘could beat Gross’

PA Seoul The cocky American swimming star, Melvin Stewart, confidently predicts he and New Zealand’s Anthony Mosse could beat Michael Gross in the glamour swim race of the Seoul Olympics. ■ The 19-year-old preacher’s son from Carolina is the third-ranked 200 metre butterfly swimmer in the world and for a brief period last year held the world record. He says West Germany’s Michael “The Albatross” Gross, the current world record-holder and the : dominant swimmer of the last four years, has no heart and Mosse and himself will fight out the finish of the 200 m final. “Anthony brings the race home faster ... Gross likes to go out fast and so do I,” Stewart said. “Gross is beatable. Anthony knows that and so do I and that is in the back of his mind. “The race is going to be won in the final 50m. If we’re all there I don’t

think Gross will win it. Anthony or me.” At last year’s European championships Gross won in Imin 57.5 secs but Stewart was sure he could have beaten him. “There isn’t a faster race in him. Gross has gone as fast as he can.” ». The 200 m butterfly final is being touted as the glamour race of the carnival and Gross said after his arrival in Seoul it was his main objective after being upset by the, then unknown Australian, Jon Seiben, in the 1984 Olympics. Mosse and Stewart apart, Denmark’s Benny Nielsen, the Canadian Tom Ponting and the Australian Marty Roberts are also likely to be on the final starting blocks. Stewart said speed not tactics would win the race and a world record pace will have to be set. “Something like a 1.55 or 1.60 tops. My best time is 1.57.8, Mossey’s is 1.57.27. I know my times and I know how the other guys swim.” Gross holds the world record with 1.56.24.