SWIMMING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 304, 24 December 1898, Page 4 (Supplement)

SWIMMING.

The night gain held on "Wednesday by the Auckland Swimming1 Club was very successful as far as the racing' "was concerned. There were one or two defects, however, which mnst be remedied if tnese gatherings are to retain their popularity. The programme, for instance, was too long, and the intervals between the races were too long1. Swimming" sports of this kind .should be over by half-past nine p.m., but on Wednesday it was twenty past ten before the Jast race was finished. I know thai the management had to work under difficulties, but they should be stricter in j Ihe matter of making the swimmers | be at their marks punctually. T. V. Frost scored his first victory as a swimmer on Wednesday night, when he won the 108 yards MarshallFhrenfried Handicap in gootl style. Frost thoroughly deserved his win, for i hitherto, while swimming very well i ■ last season, he has had to be content ! with second place at ilie? most, liie finish of the 108 yards was an exciting one. There was a great fight between Frost and Bell, and the former ;pist won by a touch. Bell swam very ! well, both in his heat (which he won) • and in the final. He had rather hard j lurk in the Exhibition .Handicap (72 j yards), for after winning his heat he I had again to be.content in the final j with second place. Sainty beating him • by a bare twelve inches. The best performance of the even- j ing- was registered by V. A. Lindberg. ' the ex-Syuneyite.'iu.Uis heat of. the 7^ i yards Exhibition Handicap. Lindberg I was on scratch, and was conceding starts up to Jl seconds, a big handicap in a 'swim of two lengths of the baths. However, he overhauled his men in great.style, and though losing a little ground at the turn, spurted magnificently over the second length, and finished a close second to.Eell (.'i sec). His fine efl'ort was loudly applauded. U. Tyler showed his versatility by winning the neat header and the | Corfu dive, and gaining third place in i the fried Handicap j from scratch. He was conceding ! starts i.ip to 14 seconds in this event, j and swam very well indeed. His i graceful diving was much admired. | The handicapper, Mr Eyre, deserves i a word of praise for the remarkably ■ good finishes which characterised the i races. The handicapping was indeed a notable success. 1 would like, i:i ! conclusion, to wish the Club a pros- i porous season. Seemingly things are not. prospering with the New Zealand Swimming Association, which has its headquar- \ fers in Christchiirch. when its sup- j porters arc beginning io Talk of cancelling the reciprocal agreement with Australian swimming bodies, as being too expensive. According to a Christ- j church paper, 'New Zealand has to re-, turn the (Australians") visit of last season in a comparatively short time, and judging by the present lack of ' interest, will have the greatest difti- , culty in getting a team together.' i Swimming is in a much more flourish- '' ing condition in Auckland, I tun glad Io say. and a successful season is ex- j pocted here this summer. j Mr W. ,1. Bimtton, who won the I! 2:20 Yards Swimming Championship j ' of New Zealand n coupic of seasons i ago has .left London en route for ] the colony. Since his arrival in Km;'- i ' land Strallon has assisted the Zephyr |' Club to win the London Team Cham- j pionship and the London ."Junior Water j J Polo Championship. He is a pretty | tough handful at polo, and r. very rv- |'• liable half back with suliieievti pace' to smother any but the very fastest, of forwards. . ( i