AQUATICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 225, 21 September 1915, Page 8

AQUATICS.

SWIMMING. During hr* roccnt sojourn in Auckland Ilandd Hanlwick. although no InngeOn of his status as an amateur ewimmer, renewed hi.s acquaintance with tolliitvcre of natation in this city. It gors without Buying that the pleasure wis mi.itii.il a.-, in common with many other Au.str.il.in.-.. Ilardwkk loft Ins impress on local swimming on the occasion of ti;3 previom visit In I!U4. Ilm position in t:ic norld of t-port to-day enabled , him to brush aside the reluctance to draw v-oniparitons, especially when on* , a-m-!i is luit n brief yextorday l.om the gl.tmour and £iory of rhampionship honours, and he chatted interestingly of the ohampion swimmers of thr present and the past. Hardwick shares with CYril Henfy, Benurepairc ami Champion the honour of being selected on two occasions to repret-ent Australasia in overseas competition, and his on the leading lights m the natatorial world demonstrated that his observant vision was not limited to hie pcn.on.il succoKS in championships of New South Wales, Australia and Knpland, besides his dual win in the li«i \ards swi'mminß ami heavy-wpijfht l>o\inf; rhampioneliipe of the Rriti-h Empire. On the question bcinjr plied he expressed diHiculty in diecriminating between the lite K.eran. ol Australia, an i ol Canada, a.the ti(vt di.-«tan>'« swimmer the world ha.' produced. Even allowing that at the time of his premature death K.eran had reached his r.enitK many of his records have stood the test o£ repeated aaeaulta since 1000. The Australian's tine jwim of ")00 yardrt in fi niinutei it* on an equality with the best of the Canadian's many brilliant feat* at the 1912 Olympic games. While K.eran ewam under all conditions for f.fur seasons without any respite othir th.in ihat pained :n the journey to and from England. Hodgson reserves himr-eli for extra special occae >ince his fensntional entry into e«imm;ns at the Knipire Festival 5 -.ort~ in 1011, at which he defeated Batteraby. the English champion and M. E. Champion in the one mile, the Canadian only mark at the Olympic, ami jn.*t nn un ostentatioii'ly retired, to le heard of no more in the interval. Hodj»won also eschens competition ~n f.llt-water, and in Hardvrick'e belief, but for this woula have been seen in Australia bviorc now. Kelt to KJfran and Holpson. Ilrrdniek pJarei The Victorian an s.vereii every demand mide on him until Long»orth achieved a furpri.«e victor', over hiai ;n three quarter mile cliam piohsh;p of Australia, hut. nliHe n't ■tt-i-hinj t" Jetrart from the prevent Antralihn chimpinn's success, Hardw ck liken« Heaurepairr's experience to th.it of K:er:ui. only the latter mflde th< I greater i-ariiUi-e. Apropos of the recent controversy in Sydney relative to the merits of tl:e (rndpeon an i

"crawl" -ti.Vi,'- fcr distance even!.* our visitor supports Cecil Hcaly. a* Opposed to 1..,.,.w ,rth. in IT* a iv'oc.icy of th, older method of propulsion ]\r cit.tthe micco-m of Iho three Pons of the s.v. mining pool he ba. named, outside of English erne!.-. Taylor. La;to--';,-, .mi Hatfield, as evidence of the «uneriority of th" trinireon strn .-. In salt water i; is quite po-eib!c to vravvl" ',1 mile Heaiy. wh_> champions the trii.lgoon stroke, was the first to demonstrate this. but in fresh water the doproein' on n, buoyancy ij detrimental to the effective ness of the "crawl." As Au-traLxe.i alnfs at Olympic supremacy in swimm ng being at tbe present the oh_rap.iy. s.vim ming nation of tho world. Hariwick be lieves :t futile to 'persevere with any stroke which has 'hern tested undo Olympic conditions and failed, and the "crawl" eofiois within that category.

- Tiwning hss remarks to the short dis tance men. the Australian ,nnbejitat ngly acknowledge, that "Dti'-e' Kahanamo-u has no jH-er. and possibly' his mod for midable rival* arc included in the crop of fast men who have come to tho fore in America in the last few seisons. Bui the famou* Hawaiian, while a world bea_»r nt 100 yards, and a champion up' to ISO yards, is only a moderate, in a comparative sense, beyond the latter di< tance. In this respect ho shows no im prnvemcnt on his form at tho Olympic games, where he encountered Hardwirk in a relay of the Soil metro* teams' race Thanks to a splendid swim by M.' E. Champion. Hard wick entered the water some seven or eight yards ahead of the coloured phenomenon, who moved through the water to such effect that at 150 yards he was almost on terms with the Australian. At this point, however his wonderful buret of. speed terminated, and Hardwiok, maintaining hi« speed throughout, went on to win by a couple of yards more than his original advantage. Australia was singularly unfortunate during the period of K.ihana moku's tour last summer. Beaurepaire was swimming well, but his position as n awimming instructor gave him only a xpcctaciilar interest in the big swimming. Longworth was indispo-od. Healy was on the retired li*t. and Hardvvick had held a post in the country for some considerable time, so that the "Duke." while surrounded by a quartet who have some doughty performance* over 220 yard* to their credit —world's record figures in some instances—had tho- furlong championship practically to himself. In the 440 yards Tic wont under, though only by a small margin, to a fourth-rater in T. Adrian. Kabanamnku's team-mate Cunha. was also superior at the sprint distance to tho Australians opposed tc, him, but. given a freedom from ante race nervousness,, the present Australian 100 yard* champion. A. W. Barry. who has boon soon m action in Auckland might r. verse the defeat by a touch Cunha inflicted on him when they met

Taking a prospective view of Auatra linn swimming Hardvvick expro-ecd fear that the present crisis would be a sot back. Since IS!). . when F. C. Lane first gave English swimmers a taste of Anti podoan quality. Cavill. Kieran, Hcaly. Reaurepiiiro. Hardvvick and Champ'on have all triumphed in English champion ships. Their success did not come as a surprise; as in each and every instance their metier prompted their dispatch, but however prolific may wo have beep in the production of champion* in tho past a close scrutiny of the performances of tl.o yoijng idea in the last two seasons docs ii..t prcenge the existence of any destine! to follow in tin- footstep* of those alio have won for Australasia nn Imperishable record iv the world's swimming. On the other hand, n continuity of host'litil- will mean marking time so far as Olympiads are concerned, and by tin tii|ic the games arc renewed Aliatralasi.'s athletic fertility may be personified by one or more who will perform In a manner worthy of the best tradition* $f Australian swimming.