SWIMMING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 96, 4 February 1936, Page 2

SWIMMING.

CANTERBURY CHAMPIONSHIPS. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The Canterbury provincial swimming championship was concluded last evening. Results: — Men’s Open Events. 100 Yards —D. H. Symes (Elmwood) 1, R. M. Mackenzie (ChristchurchUnited) 2, G. Low i(ChristchurchUnited) 3. Won by four yards. Time, 56 3-5, a. Canterbury record. 220 Yards Breaststroke —H. Horsfall (East Christchurch) I. The only starter. Time, 3min 19 2-ssec. 440 Yards Men’s—L. Newell (East Christchurch) 1, D. H. Symes (Elmwood) 2, C. Cliff (East Christchurch) and G. M. Connor (East Christchurch) (equal) 3. The only starters. Won wy four yards. Time, smin 22 3-ssec. Diving Championship—E. C'rossley (East Christchurch) 1, H. Nunes (East Christchurch) 2, C. R. Riordan (Elmwood) 3. Intermediate Boys. 220 Yards —N. Stokes (East Christchurch) 1, R. Hatchwell (ChristchurchUnited) 2, H. Gennnell (ChristchurchUnited) 3. Won by five yards. Time, 2min 39 l-ssec. 100 Yards v ßackstroke —L. Donaldson (East Christchurch) 1, N. Stokes (East Christchurch) 2, H. Gemmell (Christ-church-United) 3. Won. with ease. Time, 72 4-ssec. Diving Championship—A. Westawav (East Cliristchurch) 1. The only competitor. Junior Boys. 75 Yards_ Breaststroke —I. Mitchell (East Christchurch) 1, R. Rutledge (Woolston) 2. The only starters. Won by 10 yards. Time, 62 2-ssec, a Canterbury record. 100 Yards—R. Mitchell (East Christchurch) 1, N. Chambers (ChristchurcnUnited) 2. Won by six yards. Time, 73 3-ssee. Diving—R. Woodham (Phillipstown) I. The only competitor. Women’s Senior Events. 50 Yards —Miss N. Hughes (East Christchurch) 1, Miss B. Frye (East Christchurch) 2. The only starters. Won by two yards. Time, 30 1-5, equal to Canterbury record. 220 Yards —Miss N. Hughes (East Christchurch) 1. The only starter. Time, 2min 59 4-ssec. 100 Yards Backstroke —Miss R. Low (Christchurch-United) 1. The only starter. Time, lmin 27sec, a Canterbury record. Intermediate Girls. 50 Yards—Miss B. Graham (Christchurch Ladies’) v l, Miss iP. Cairns (Phillipstown) 2, Miss L. Boanas (Christ-church-United) 3. Won by a yard. Time, 32 3-ssec. 75 Yards Breaststroke —Miss Q. Tomkinson (Christchurch-United) 1, Miss J. Ardagh (Elmwood) 2. 100 Yards—Miss B. Graham (Cliristchurch Ladies’) 1, Miss Q. Tomkinson (Christchurch-United) 2, Miss H. O’Flynn (Hornby) 3. Five started. Won by three yards. Time, 74 4-ssec.

Junior Gilrisi 50 Yards—Miss B. Hobson (Christchurch Ladies’) 1, Miss B. Bea (Linwood) 2. There were' three starters. Won by less than a foot. Time, 33sec. YOUNG GIRL’S WORLD RECORD. COPENHAGEN, February 2. A 15-year-old girl, Ragnhild Eveger, swam the quarter-mile freestyle in Bmin 49 9-10 sec, establishing a world’s record for women over the distance.

AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL GAMES. ANOTHER RECORD BROKEN ADELAIDE, Ternary 3. The Now South Wales champion swimmer, Noel Ryan, won the 1500 metres free style championship at the National Games, in the splendid time of 21mins 4 secs., breaking Arne Borg’s Australian record for 1000 metres by 10 seconds. * M. Witt, of Queensland, 21mins. 57secs. was second. The high diving championship was won by R. Masters (Victoria), who also won the men’s springboard diving championship. The women’s springboard, diving championship and the tower diving championship were won by Miss I. Donnett, of Victoria.

A 15-YEAR-OLD PRODIGY BOBIN BIDDULPH. A wise father is taking care that Robin Biddulph, 10-year-old Sydney swimming hope does not go the way of so many sporting prodigies. After Biddulph, who weights 14 stone and is magnificently built, had won the Eastern Districts 440 yards title by a margin of 20 yards from some of Sydney’s best swimmers, there were many who predicted that he would gain a place in the Australian Olympic Games team. Diddulph’s time was not ex-

ceptionally fast, but the ease with which he covered the distance indicated that he could have reduced this time greatly had ihe been pushed. He was expected to offer strong opposition to Noel Ryan and other stars in the New South Wales 440 yards championship, but his father wisely withdrew him from the event, recognising the danger to a young athelete of the strain of competing toot often against mature men at the speed of champions.