SWIMMING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 76, 1 April 1899, Page 4 (Supplement)

SWIMMING.

' In some respects, and more particularly in the-matter of management, the Auckland Swimming Clui/s> carnival on Saturday was tne best they have yet held. The attendance— about 1800—may be considered very satisfactory, in view of the threatening state of the weather, which kept, away most of the ladies. The handicapper (Mr Eyre) made the race's as interesting as ever; and sb'nTe 1 of £he finishes were exceedingly close..

' J\ fevy; features Reserve special mention. In the 100 yds Championship of New Zealand, G. A. Tyler again proved his superiority,'reducing his. former world's record for a straight away course, in University costume, to 66 I-sth sees. This.performance is surely sufficient vindication of the : time he registered last year. It'was eut.oti't against a head wind, and is the more meritorious from the fact that Tyler has not had opportunities for regular practice this season, having been away from Auckland for severnl months. Other competitors in the 100 yds also did particularly well. Bell is a very promising swimmer, and I was pleased to see Stone so close up. Both of these, found a rival in a new man —Churton —whose performance in the 200 yds was a remarkable one for a novice. This race was only the second in which Churton has started. It proved his second win, and the time was excellent. Hoey also swam well, but was oiitpaced by some of his younger opponents.

The relay race provided a splendid object lesson as to the speed of. our local sprinters. - Not one of four local teams entered but would have held their own against any team in the colony outside Auckland.

I noticed that J. C.. Connolly was among the absentees on Saturday, and I regret to find that- he has been too \inwell to swim. This is a stroke of bad luck for Connolly, who has been practising very consistently of late, and put up some good performances.

Perhaps the most interesting event of: the day was the Water Polo Championship. The. combination of the visitors put,our men on-their mettle from start to finish. There was no chance of loafing. They had to be on the ball.all the time. The Wanganui team started favourites, and if sports* manlike play goes for anything they certainly deserved success, even though they could not command it. They played a., more scientific game than the locals, and their passing was much admired. The Auckland team did well indeed to defeat so strong a team. The names of the winningteam are: G. A. Tyler (captain), C. O. Hughes. E. dittos, S. Cook, J. W. Cook, C. J. Sainty, and H. H. Dacre. The Wanganui team comprised: P». McGregor (captain), G. Whitcomb?, W. Piper, W. Brennan, W. Kurth, A: W.-Haywood and C. Halligan.

The Ladies' Bace , out a good number of competitors; : Miss Cook's swimming was admired, and the winner, Miss Caffrey, gave evi^ dence of being a coming swimmer.

Sainty's win the Ladies' Bracelet was a. popular one.. The Plunge Championship, went, as usual, to John Russell, who covered 58ft 4in, a good performance considering the • head wind the plungers had to contend against.

A word as to the management of the carnival. All the events w 7ere brought oft' punctually to time; the officials would brook no delay on the part of competitors;, results were posted promptly; the rules as to costumes and numbers were strictly enforced, and. altogether the meeting was about the best managed that the Club have yet held. I was glad to see also that the Club took efficient measures to put down any suspicious swimming. A viligance committee watched all the races on Saturday, with the result that three swimmers were suspended and their swimming reported to the committee of the Club. As the matter is, now under consideration, I need not refer to it further ,beyond saying that the Club's action., will -tend to keep the sport free from the suspicion of 'crooked' swimming, '•■

The visitors thoroughly enjoyed the excursion on Sunday. On. Tuesday evening the Auckland Swimming Club tendered them a benefit s« o-ala in the Albert street Baths, the results of which have already been published. 1 cannot close this review of the meeting without putting on record the high esteem in which the visiting swimmers have come to be regarded during their brief stay in Auckland. They will carry away with them the best wishes of all the local followers of the sport. The Auckland Swimming Club will lose a good worker and enthusiastic member in their present secretary, Mr Knox, who has been transferred to Wanganui. What Auckland loses will be YVanganui's gain, as the old saying puts it. _____