Fiji and Tahiti put their

talent to the test

From SUE WENDT in Suva.

The on-again, off-again athletics and swimming confrontation between Fiji and Tahiti during the last week in February finally ended in a wash-out for the athletes.

At Buckhurst Park, Suva, Fiji was leading comfortably 89 to 70 when a tropical storm washed out the meet ing, which had already been delayed by two days because of heavy rain.

Fifteen of the 28 points-scoring events of the two-day meeting had been completed when Suva’s weather put a stop to proceedings. The Fiji girls, locked in a tight contest with the Tahitians, were leading 37-28 and the Fiji men 52-42.

One of the most spectacular per formances was turned in by Tahitian Jean Bourne, who won the 100 metres in blinding rain in 10.65, equal ling the Fiji all-comers record held by J. Pothin, of New Caledonia, and Roy Thomas, of Fiji. Fiji’s Kalivati Cavui lati was second with 10.7 s—although observers say he broke early, after two previous false starts.

Jean Bourne, who has represented France against the US, also won the match triple jump with 44ft 3Hn.

Fiji’s Etuate Kautoga was second with 43ft 3iin.

Among the highlights for Fiji was victory in the men’s 4 x 400 metres relay, with anchor Samu Bulai arriv ing home 50 metres ahead of Tahiti’s anchor Jean Tetuanui.

Although the meeting ended in conclusively, athletes and coaches agreed that the contest was a useful warm-up for the Tahiti Games in September.

On the swimming side, the outlook wasn’t so bright for Fiji.

Although Fiji team members have covered something like 40 miles in training, they hadn’t the conditioning of the Tahitians, who have been in serious, harness since last August when their superbly fast Olympic-size pool was completed.

The American champions who went to Tahiti for the grand opening of the pool commented that the water

was perhaps the fastest they’d experi enced. With showers and foot-baths a must before entering, the Tahiti pool makes the Suva sea baths look a murky mud-hole.

Nevertheless, Fiji’s girls won their section of the match 39-31, in the overall results of 93 points for Tahiti and 66 for Fiji.

Young Tyndall Probert, top Fiji swimmer, broke Olive Pickering’s Fiji record in the 100 metres butter fly by o.ls, returning a time of 1m 18.55. Her previous best was 1m 21.55. Tyndall also won two other individual events she entered—the 200 metres individual medley (2m 53.25) and the 100 metres freestyle (68.75).

She gained a maximum 15 points for the Fiji team.

Tyndall and the other Fiji girls— Torraine Emberson, Sandra Hazel man, Merilyn St. Julian and Patsy Taylor constitute the strongest women’s team Fiji has had since 1966.

In the monthly Fiji newspaper, Fiji Sport, Mike_ Hohensee commented that in Tahiti in September, it looked as though Fiji would be fighting every inch of the way with New Caledonia for top awards in the women’s events.

“Swimming honours in the South Pacific have tended to go in phases,” he pointed out, “the phases being in fluenced by the facilities becoming available to those territories which have staged the Games.

“In 1963, with no standards to go by and the only full-length pool be ing the host, Fiji, Fiji took 14 out of the 15 gold medals.

“But at the same time Tahiti did not have a swimming team and until recently relied on one 20-metre hotel pool and a river creek for training.

Tast month they came to Fiji and broke every record in their book”. • The 1971 Trust Territory Micr- Olympics scheduled for August in Palau have had to be postponed because the Congress of Micronesia has not yet provided funds for the event. A bill providing for the funds was pending when the Congress was adjourned after the chambers were burned down (PIM, March, p. 22).