SWIMMING.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 33, 8 February 1929, Page 15

SWIMMING.

THE N.Z. CHAMPIONSHIPS. CAMERON'S GREAT SPRINT. Aft KLAXDKP.s Du \\KI.L. ; .\t the time of writing, three -e-shms of the New Zealand amateur swimming j championships have heen held—three -es--ion- full of excitement and noteworthy for brilliant swimming and stirring racing. I'nless the unforeseen happens ' Auckland i- certain to win both the ' Yaldhurst and War Memorial Shields. There have heen some splendid individual performance-.. Those who can claim the honour of being record-breakers are: .A. T. I'. Stoke- I Canterbury). W. j Cameron I Wellington;. L. Moorehou.se ' (Canterbury), lb Geddes (IMago), and , Miss I*. Robertson (Auckland). The only seniors to lose their titles .'nave been N. Dow-ett i Wamiaiuji I. and j L). I'. Lindsay i Auckland). I DoUseit'- defeat by W . Cameron j i Wellington) in the 100 yds men's cliami pioii-hip did not come as a surprise, for I in his heat < a moron had reduced DowI -etC- record of r>7 2-5- by 2-">-. as against | the Wanganni man's 50 -4-.Y-. Cameron j -warn magnificently in the final and just i lloated in four yards ahead of Dow sett :to return tiie great time of 55 4-ss. The (writer i- of the opinion that had i Cameron not eased tip over the la-t few [yards he would have dipped at least j another second otf hi- time. Providing j -ucco-s d(v- not turn his head the new champion, who i- only I sl years of age. has wonderful chances of -jetting down I to .1. W'ei.-smullcr'- world'- record of J52-. Without doubt he is now the fastest sprinter in t itln r An-Iralia m S.'W /•■a- | land. The swimming of the defeated i champion. Dow-ett has certainly deteriorated tor over the la-t 1 •"> yards his • .-troke went to pieces, i Another Wellingtouian. ( . ( laridge. I :illed third place, lie was very lucky 'to reach the final, for in the heat •).

Enwright i Auckland) touched before. him, but under the water. As a matter of fact some who -aw the tini-h o: the final arc unanimous that -1. P. Farroll (Auckland) was really third. Fanvll. ilie only Aucklander to qualify for the final. -waui exceptionally well, leaving in) doubt that in a m-hmhi or two he will l»e lillinu' a phii-e in the i arc Lindsay Out Of Form. Tin- biggest shock for the Auckland.m> was tin; defeat 01 i:.e >>iympic lcprcselitali\e. 1). I'. Lindsay, by A. Stokes ill the one mile and •220 yds men's cham-pion-hip.-. Stokes swam splendidly and de-eives every prai.-e for Ids success, but many enthusiasts contend, and with a good deal of reason, that had Lindsay been in form t'nere would have l>een only one man in both contests. Since coming to Auckland, Lindsay had been in camp with the Dilwortli school pupils at Weymouth which meant travelling altogether about tii miles to train at the nearest hath.

The fact that Lindsay heal stokes by about ti'i yards in the mile championship at Dunedin last year is proof th.it he was far below form in Saturday's race. Moreover. Lindsay'- Dominion record. 23.315 4-5 is 24s faster than Stokes' winning time. Again, in the '220 yds champion-hip. Stoker-' time, -J.M\. which was "-'>> better than L. L. Kronfeld's New Zealand record, was 2s out&ide Lindsay's fresh water record of 2.20. It is under.-tood that Lindsay is going training to prepare tor a special 220 yds challenge race with lb Bridson. The race will be staged at one of the Grammar Club's carnival-. In the one mile and fin long championship (.'. Bridson swain really well. although he finished in thin] place. If he had not gone out at su h a phenomenal pace in the furlong (he covered the first 100 yds in ">n 2-.">.-.) he might have beaten Stokes and Lind-ay. Before starting in the mile champion-hip he had never .swum further than a halfmile. Tlis -bowing in this race l was. therefore, all the more creditable. Bridson's Day. Bridson's day of day- was Wednesday, when he scored a brilliant victory in the SSOyds championship. He could not have judged his race better, toy he stayed just behind Stokes till about

.MM yards had been covered, and then. feeing his chance, he went ahead, to will' easily by abou* lo yards. His time, 11.31 3-5 was only os slower than Lindsay's record. The Aucklanders are confident that Bridson will capture the <iuarter-mile title to-morrow. Mi-s Kna Stockley's victory in the 100 yds ladies' championship was generally expected but the surprise of the iace was the fine swimming of Misses Kathleen Miller (Wellington) and Dorothy Craut (Auckland) who. although recognised as better over longer di-tance-, finished within a yard of Mi-s Stockier. The winner's time. was very disappointing after her swim of Otis in tiic Auckland championship. She was no doubt affected by a heavy cold which -he contracted after the Auckland event.

Mi-.-e- Miller and Grant sprinted beautifully and at the finish there was very little to choose between them. MisGrant especially surprised, for it was not thought that she could break 70s.

When about two-thirds of the journey | had been covered in the 220 yds championship, it appeared that Miss Miller would have to surrender her title to | Miss Grant, who had established a good lead over her. But then the Auckland champion tired and Miss Miller went ahead, to win in the fastest time of her career, 2.50 3-5. Many agree that Mi-s Crant threw away the race by starting ; out too fast in-tead of allowing either Miss Stockley or Miss Miller to make l the pace. liad she done this she would; have done better time, but yet she may i not have been able to beat Miss Miller, 1 who. in the writer's opinion, is still just a little too for her. However. Mis 3 i bant swam wonderfully well, and this 1 will alwavs be regarded as easily her br-t race.' Miss Robertson Brilliant. Miss Stockley also swam really well to gain third place, and if she would take the furlong seriously she would do some fast times. Mi-s Edna Champion failed to shine in this race, and could do no better than to finish fifth. She was just beaten by Mis* Natalie Stratton (Wanganni) whom she could beat by about 30 yards last season. The coming 100 yds lady champion is Miss P. Robertson, of Auckland, who,

in tlie 100 yd* intermediate girl*' championship, reduced 1). Magee's Dominion record of OS 4-5s to OS 2-s*. Mis? J Robertson swam brilliantly and delighted | the spectators with her splendid action.) Her graduation to the senior division I next season will be regarded with no small amount of apprehension by Iwr vlder rivals. Superior control and judgment naio Mi-- Jean Thomson (Auckland) victory' in the Tfiyds intermediate girls' breast--troke championship. The second L-iri. Mis- M. Matliicson (Otago) might have done better had she !iot turned her head mi much. Both the Auckland junior girls. Mi-se-Sylvia ••ran-.- and May Elworth. are promi-ing voting -whinners. Miss Kiwoitli. who won the lOOyd- championship, is mure likely to further in the -port than Mis- c,r,ui".e. the winner of the ")oyd> event. Mi-- Klworth's lOuydtimo. 77 2-.".-. was ynlv Is -lower than , -Mi-- L. Coinr-" New Zealand record. The recent "find." Mi-s Judith Wehi -tor (Auckland) put up a fine time in winning the sUyd- junior crir'.-' breaststroke championship, foi -ln> was onlv I 1 »-.">s outside Mi-s f). Brevard's New I Zealand record, 41 l-o-.