Swimming additions old Boys bid for title

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 46

Swimming additions old Boys bid for title

Five swimmers and 12 divers have been added to the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association’s international squad after the New Zealand championships. The selectors made the additions on performances recorded at the championships, bringing the squad total to 44.

The five swimmers added to the 27 named earlier this year are Richard Wells, Mark Kalaugher and Michael Davidson, (all Auckland), Kevin Brown (Otago) and Randall Gempton (Hawke’s Bay).

Gempton, a former New Zealand junior record holder, is making a bid for next year’s Olympic team after reasonable performances at the nationals on limited training. Graeme Wright (Otago), who narrowly missed selection for the Edmonton Commonwealth Games, last year is also making a comeback, and it is surprising he is not in the squad. He recorded good times at the nationals, also on limited training. The divers named in the squad are: Mark Graham. John

Walker, Sally Lindbergh, Susie Beckenham (Auckland); Gary Lamb, Wayne Taumata (Otago); Anne Fargher, Vicki Thorne, Ruth Millar, Susan Bankier (Waikato); Russell Duffy (Wairarapa); Paul van Saarloos (Wellington)..

Miss Thome has withdrawn from the New Zealand team to compete in the Canada Cup in Montreal later this month. The team leaves on Friday and Miss Thorne’s place has been taken by her Waikato teammate Susan Bankier.

A bold attempt to win the Wattie’s national final of the New Zealand track and field club championship will be made by High School Old Boys-Te Kura in the Hastings Highland Games on Saturday and Monday. The club, which won the Canterbury league, will have all four of its present New Zealand representatives among the 25 athletes it is taking to Hastings. Richard Goldstone (400800 m), David Long (400 m hurdles), Terry Lomax (high jump), and Graham Seatter

(track walk) are all likely winners of their main events. Lomax is the New Zealand high jump champion and record-holder; Seatter is the national 5000 m track walk champion and the holder of all New Zealand walking records up to 20km. The club also has a number of outstanding young athletes to support the national stars. Among these are the New Zealand junior 100 m champion, Joe Leota; the Canterbury 100 m sprint champion, Andy von Biel; and the New Zealand junior

champion walker, Hamish Riach.

Previously, the club has been unable to make a big impact in the final because, until recently, it was restricted to male athletes. This has now changed and the club’s chances of winning have never been greater.

Among its female contingent are two prominent Canterbury representatives, Rosie Burnand Karen Forbes, who will each compete in six events and two relays.