SWADDLING UPSETS IN FOREST RUN In a major upset J. Swaddling (Pinelands), one of the promising younger brigade, won the New Zealand elite men's orienteering championship over the favourites, C. W. Battley (North-west) and J. Rix (Central), in the Waitarere State Forest yesterday morning. Swaddling's time for the fast, open, forest running, was a swift 60m 49s, with Battley close behind in 1h 2m 48s and Rix a fine third in 1h 5m 44s. In another major upset Mrs Anitra Dowling (Dunedin), who was forced to withdraw from this year's New Zealand team to the world championships in Norway when she contracted mumps took the elite women's title off Mrs Trish Burbidge (Bay of Plenty) with an astonishingly fast time of 47m 13s over the 5km course. Second was the consistently good South Auckland performer, Mrs Phyl Snedden, with Mrs Burbidge a good third. Times Better A notable feature of the performances of these two women was that their times bettered that of the veteran men's winner, the redoubtable R. Murphy (South Auckland), who had the satisfaction, however, of winning his class by 10m 30s. Mrs Dowling's victory gave the South Island its first national title in the sport. Pinelands also claimed the M19A title, K. Ireland, a national junior representative against Australia, trouncing the field in his class in a very promising performance. Neil Scott, in his first year as a senior, finished fourth in the elite class in 1h 8m 28s, with R. Brighouse (South Auckland) fifth in 1h llm 46s in what proved to be a fiercely contested class which saw the former champion B. Walker (Bay of Plenty) relegated to seventh place. To continue a day of upsets, Herbert Moore (North West), who missed the Auckland title a few weeks ago, turned the tables to win the 12 and under boys' class in fine style. Jan Davies (Pinelands), by retaining her 12 and under girls' title; ensured Pinelands of top place in the country by giving her club its fourth title at the championship. One control out of the 20 laid on the elite course changed the fortunes of Battley and Rix. A few minutes lost time at tht flag, made it impossible for them to match Swaddling's remarkably even running and has thrust Swaddling into the front rank of competitors for next year's New Zealand team to the world championships in Finland.
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