SWIMMING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 15, 18 January 1929, Page 12

SWIMMING.

PARNELL'S FINE GALA.

BRIDSON'S RECORD FURLONG,

NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE. "The best for a long while" was the verdict of the seven hundred spectator? who saw the Parnell Club's gala, held in the Tepid Baths on Tuesday evening. It ie to be hoped that the club will hold more c-a/nivals of the same high standard before the season closes.

Mention must be made of the club's enthusiastic young official?, who spared no effort to make the carnival a success. Like enthusiasm by other clubs would do much to revive public interest in the sport.

The applause of the spectators testified to the popularity of the fancy diving display by the Ponsonby Club's troupe. One cannot understand why other clubs have not included this popular item on their programmes. The best of the troupe, W. Hassan, should go a long way in championship diving.

The outstanding feature of the evening's sport was Gordon Bridson's magnificent record-breaking swim in the first heat of the 220 yards inter-club handicap. When he covered the distance in 2.33, 1 2-os outside Leo Kronfeld's four-year-old salt-water record, it was generally predicted that he would record some startling times ere the season closed. This he forcibly demonstrated on Tuesday evening by leaving the furlong behind him in 2.28 3s faster tlian Kronfeld's record. The best time previously standing to the credit of a New Zealander was 2.29, this being Dave Lindsay's fresh-water record. The Olympic representative's time is really the better performance, since it was put up in the flower fresh water. The races between Bridson and Lindsay at the Dominion championships will be worth going a long way to see.

There seems to be no limit to the stamina of the Mount Eden Club champion, K. de Loree, who won the second heat of the 220 yards handicap after having competed in the dual relay and the 50 yard? inter-club handicap. His wining time, 2.30 2-o, was therefore splendid.

There was a record entry for the 50 yards inter-club handicap, which required no fewer than eight heats and two semi-finals. No fast times were recorded by the heat winners, but several of the backmarkers, notably Farrell (scr), Plank (Is), and Sellars (scr) did fast times.

The field for the (>6 2-3 yard? ladies' handicap was not so large as usual, but line form was shown by all the starters. The winner Mis s D. Grant (3?) won in 43 2-ss, a good time for her. The second girl. Miss M. Farquhar (2s), is swimming well at present, and appears to have regained her speed of two seasons ago. Misses D. Magee (scr) and E. Stockley s) provided an exciting tufsle for third place, the latter beating her opponent by about half a second. Both must have recorded fast times.

The dual relay handicap was well-sup-ported, and could be repeated to advantage at future galas. Miss Grant and Bridson won the special prize for returning the fastest time (395) in th© final. In the heats the times coukl not have been taken, for in them Miss Magee and Farrell and Miss Stockley and de Loree did much faster times.

r l he 500 yards relay championship for the Tui Memorial Cup was an interesting contest, since it gave an opportunity to note the. form of aspirants for the 100 yards championship next week. The Mount Eden Club team sprung a surprise by easily defeating the holders, Waitemata. The latter club is not now as stiong as it was a couple of years ago. D. Plank (Mount Eden) easily swam the fastest hundred." while hi? time must have been very close to the minute. De Loree's swim took about 61s. The showing of the Waitemata team was disappointing.

Since Dave Lindsay announced that he was to reside in Auckland many conflicting rumours in connection with his choice of a club have been circulated in Mvimming circles. It was generally thought that the Mount Eden Club was to be the lucky one to claim him as a. member, but the writer ha s received information from a reliable source that the champion has definitely decided to join up with Grammar Claiming Lindsay, Bridson, Ena Ntockley, and Dorothy Grant as member*. Grammar should be a strong combination.

When the world's champion, Arne i at P resen t in Svdnev, was told that Noel Ryan had swum 880 yards in a.round 11 minutes, and that 'Moss Christie was swimming better than ever, he replied: "A man who cannot break 11 minutes is not a good swimmer, and Christie has passed his zenith long ago" On his arrival in Sydnev Borg informed his interviewers that ho would not be swimming himself only ( 'or hi- wife, who desired to visit Australia. Mrs. Borg, by the way, introduced the bare-leg fashion to Sydney. Some particularly fast swimming must have been seen in the 100 yards Wellington championship, which W. Cameron won by four yards in 56 4-ss, which is 3-5s inside N. Dowsett's New Zealand record. The second man, C. Claridge, returned 59 3-ss, and the next to finish, J. Blakelev. 61s.