Sportsman’s Notebook Canterbury Swimming Titles Tomorrow

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28490, 21 January 1958, Page 17

Sportsman’s Notebook Canterbury Swimming Titles Tomorrow

If performances over the last three months are a fair indication of the strength of swimming in Canterbury, then records should be broken often at the Canterbury swimming championships which will begin at the Centennial Pool tomorrow evening. More than 300 entries have been received, and swimmers will be trying hard to gain selection for the representative team to compete at the national championships next month.

Colin McFadden, a Canterbury prospect for the Empire Games, seems likely to beat P. R. Garratt’s 1650 yards men’s freestyle record- in the first event on tomorrow evening’s programme. Still an intermediate, McFadden is acknowledged as one* of New Zealand’s finest distance swimmers. A surprising absentee from the 110 yards freestyle is O. Snoep (Spreydon) the national sprint champion last year. R. Blair, C. Bidwell, and D. J. Graham will probably have a close race for this title. On the second night, McFadden will swim in the 440 yards freestyle^—a distance for which he already holds the national title and record. On Saturday afternoon, diving events will be held and here R. L. Hodge (Spreydon) the national junior and intermediate champion should predominate. The final session will be held on Saturday evening. # « # American Boxer Formerly a successful light heavy-weight boxer in the United States, Chuck Woodworth has arrived in Auckland to prepare to meet the Tongan, Kitione Lave. The American has recently completed Mormon missionary work at Niue Island. Woodworth has had several exhibition matches at Niue and according to Mr Nat Fleischer, he is likely to beat Lave if his form is approaching that which he showed in the United States. Wood worth was a former sparring partner to Joey Maxim when Maxim was attempting to regain the world light heavy-weight title from Archie Moore. ¥ ¥ * Gatehouse In Form A competitor at the Ashburton athletic meeting recently was Ken Gatehouse, who holds the Canterbury senior and junior pole vault records with a height of lift 7Jin made in 1952. Formerly a member of the Technical club. Gatehouse is now schoolteaching about 20 miles from Palmerston North. Although his opportunities for training and competition are limited he showed much of his old ability when he cleared 10ft 6in at Ashburton in his second competition of the season. After leaving Canterbury, Gatehouse continued to improve and he has done more than 12ft in the North Island. ¥ ¥ ¥ Divers In Training Two of New Zealand’s finest divers, Jack Stewart and Cyril Beaufort, who have taken part in events for several years, were

both on the diving boards at the Dunedin Municipal Swimming Baths recently. They intend to take part in the Festival Week carnival in Dunedin. Stewart was a dual bronze medallist at the Empire Games and also won the New Zealand diving title many times. Beaufort was one of this country’s most promising springboard divers, but a back injury has kept him out of competition recently. ¥ ¥ ¥ One-Legged Cricketer One Petone cricketer, J. B. Wilson, had established a batting average of which any batsman would be envious. When last Saturday’s games started in Wellington, Wilson had an average of 143. This is no mean effort, especially as he has only one leg. Wilson had scored a 25 not out, 14 not out, 62 not out and 42. He has been a very useful player for Petone’s second grade team this season and has greatly helped the batting, often when his team needed runs most. ¥ ¥ ¥ Island Bay Surf Club During the last year or so Wellington surf clubs have had to embark upon an extensive building programme. One of the major projects at present is that of the Island Bay club which will build a club house costing about £BOOO. Island Bay has suffered considerable inconvenience for many years through inadequate facilities. In recent years, however, it has occupied a prominent position in national competition. ¥ ¥ ¥ Swimming Clubs’ Title In an effort to introduce more competitive spirit into inter-club carnivals, the Canterbury Swimming Centre has instituted a points system which will decide the champion club at the end of the season. The most commendable feature of the new system is that the club suffers a penalty of one point for each of its members who scratches. Although the centre realises that many youngsters are unable to compete sometimes for very good reasons, it thinks that all too often laziness accounts for the large number of scratchings. All the clubs in Christchurch have been divided into two grades according to their standard. In the A grade are Christchurch, Beckenham, Elmwood, Wharenui. Fendalton, Spreydon, and St. Albans. Christchurch Ladies, Phillipstown, North Beach, Kaiapoi, Liiiwood, Riccarton, Air Force, Sheffield, and Rangiora make up the B grade. Three points will be awarded to each club gaining a first place at the carnivals. ¥ ¥ ¥ National Water Polo Two teams will be sent by both Waikato and Wellington to the national water polo titles to be held in Christchurch during the New Zealand swimming championships next month. Entries from other provinces have not yet been received.