SWIMMING Variety At Spreydon Carnival

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29763, 5 March 1962, Page 21

SWIMMING Variety At Spreydon Carnival

Events which ranged from an escape act at the end of a burning rope to exhibitions of swimming by Children aged as young as seven gave the Spreydon Swimming Club’s carnival at the Centennial Pool on Saturday evening a rather different character from the usual inter-club fixture. The presence of nine competitors who have gained either national titles or records and the appearances of large teams from Blenheim and Greymouth helped make the body of the programme interesting. Several good times were returned and three Canterbury records were bettered unofficially in handicap races.

The programme, while showing enterprise in its arrangement proved to be unusually long. It was a few minutes before 11 pun. before the last race ended and even then two relay races had to be abandoned. The events were watched by a crowd that was pitifully small for such a major carnival.

A former Canterbury breaststroke champion, G. H. Pratley, returned to the scene of many of his former triumphs to attempt a feat of an entirely different nature—to escape from a strait-jacket while suspended by the ankles at the end of a blazing rope. A magician of no mean repute, Pratley succeeded in his race against time with about 30 seconds to spare. It had previously been calculated that the rope would burn through in about a minute and a half.

Competitors in pool events were not completely outshone by this act, however, for several close contests and fast times claimed much of the crowd’s attention. Competing in handicap events, the Canterbury women’s breaststroke champion, Miss C. Hopper, returned times better than her own provincial records for 110yds and 220yds. Her 110yds time of Imin 29.8 sec was one-fifth of a second faster than the record and her 220yds time of 3min 12.9 sec represented an improvement of 2.3 sec on the record.

Another record to be beaten In a handicap race was the under 13 girls' 110 yards backstroke. in which Miss F. Pearce swam half a second faster than Miss W. Dale’s mark of Imin 28.6 sec.

Some good swimming was seen by the leading backstrokers in a handicap event. The Canterbury men's champion, G. Elmsly, came through strongly from the back mark for second place in 725sec—only slightly slower than his best—A. Harrow, the junior champion, returned a creditable Imin 20 ssec and Miss L. Netman improved on her previous week's performance with a time of 789 sec.

About 55 swimmers took part in the 110 yards freestyle races, the fastest time being G. Dann's 62.25ec. The former national record holder covered the first 55 yards in 395 sec. There was a possibility of a Canterbury senior record for 230 yards freestyle when G. Stringer and W. G. Andrew reached half-way in about 64.55ec. but they were unable to sustain the pace in the last length. Stringer, the winner, was timed at 2mfn 17.4 sec. a second and a half outside the record. Clubs participating in the carnival competed on a points basis for a donation offered by the Spreydon club. Spreydon itself gave the other clubs a start of 20 points but still won.

points, duly qualified with a comfortable margin to spare from Linwood and Greymouth, each with 42. Abbreviations used in the results are:—Ash., Ashburton; B„ Beckenham; Bl„ Blenheim; C„ Christchurch: E., Elmwood; F„ Fendalton; G„ Greymouth; L„ Linwood; P„ Papanui: R., Ricso club officials decided to award the donation to the next highest scorer. Blenheim, 77 carton; St.A., St. Albans; S., Spreydon; W„ Wharenul. Results were:— 55 Yards Freestyle (primary competitors).—Boys: R. Wilson (L.). 1; P. Connor (S.), 2; P. Hay (E.), 3. Time, 36.3. Girls: Miss D. Rochford (G ), 1; Miss K. Donaldson (L.). 2; Miss K. Steel (W.). 3. Time. 36.7. 55 Yards Freestyle.—Miss G. Norcliffe (G.), 1: L. Furness (Bl.), 2; P. Jeffs (Bl ), 3. Time. 34.0. 55 Yards Butterfly.—Section I: Miss H. Armstrong (W.), 1; G. Wild (W.), 2: D. Jamieson (Bl.), 3. Time, 44.3. Section II: A. Harrow (S.), 1; L. Lloyd (Bl.), 2; G. R. Bliss (S.). 3. Time, 40.3. Section III: A. McDonald (S ), 1; K. Southam (Bl ). 2; M. Hay (E.), 3. Time, 32 2. 110 Yards Junior Girls’ Butterfly.—Miss L, Cox (S.), 1; Miss C. Johnson (F.). 2. Time. 1:24.3. 220 Yards Freestyle.—Section I: Miss D. Jamieson (Bl.), 1; Miss E. O’Leary (G.). 2: D. Mitchell (S.), 3. Time. 2:53.1. Section 2: C. Brosnahan (St.A.), 1: B. Colville (Ash), 2; K. McCready (G.). 3. Time, 2.50 6. Section III: Miss J. Reid (E). 1; A. Jamieson (Bl). 2; M. Wvatt (S.), 3. Time, 2.46.2. Section IV: Miss J. Clark (S.). 1; N. Bota (S.). 2: G. Cowan (G.). 3. Time. 2:34.5. Section V: W. Robertson (Bl.) 1; Miss S. Pitama (S.), 2; A. Hunter (S.), 3. Time, 2:31. Section VI: G. Stringer (S.), 1: W. G. Andrew (S.), 2; G. Le Cren (C.), 3. Time, 2:17.4.

110 Yards Breaststroke.— Section I: D. Stuart (P.). 1: N. McEntee (P.), 2; Miss J. Anderson (Bl.), 3. Time, 1:44.3. Section II: J. Saunders (Bl.), 1; I. Johnson (F.). 2; Miss P. Whitta (R.), 3. Time, 1:38.7. Section III: R. Bliss (S.). 1; J. Plows (L.). 2; Miss F. Brown (G.), 3. Time. 1:28.6. Section TV: T. Wooster (Bl.) (7sec), 1; Miss C. Hopper (S.) (Isec). 2: W. Brown (G.) (Isec). 3. Time. 1:23.3.

110 Yards Backstroke.—Miss D. Jamieson (Bl.). 1; Miss M. Allen (L.). 2; Miss S. Brown (W.), 3. Time, 1:38.7. Section II: I. Donaldson (L.), 1; Miss E. Holland <S.>. 2; D. Harris (Bl ), 3. Time, 1:32.9. Section III: A. Harris (E.). 1: R. Genet (S.). 2: Miss S. Dyer (S.), 3 Time, 1:26.8. Section IV: J. Robinson (S.) (go). 1; G. Elmsly (F.) (ISsec), 2; Miss F. Pearce (S.). 3. Time, 1:19.3. 110 Yards Freestyle.—Section I: J. Hay (E.). 1; P. Jones (L.), 2; L Lloyd (Bl.), 3 Time, 1:10.3. Section II: D. Dyer (S.), 1; G. Wild (W). 2: A. Jamieson (Bl), 3. Time. 1:12.1. Section III: W. Pearce (S ), 1; A. Broughton (Bl.). 2: M. Wyatt (S.), 3 Time, 1:11.9. Section IV: N Bota (S.), 1; K Southam (Bl.). 2; G, Gowan (G.). 3. Time. 1:8.1. Section IV: G. Dann (B ). 1; G. Le Cren (C.). 2; G. Andrew (S ). 3. Time, 1:2.2. Section VI: Miss B Poulsen (S.). 1: Miss E. O’Leary <G.). 2; Miss F. Reynolds (W ), 3 Time, 1:19.8. Section Vn: R. Genet (S.), 1: Miss H. Armstrong (W.). 2; Miss J. Humphries (S.), 3. Time. 1:17.3 Section VIII: G. Gotlieb (B ). 1; W Newton (P.). 2; K. McCreadv (C.). 3. Time, 1:20.5 Section IX: J Robinson (S.), 1: B. Colville (Ash.), 2: A. Boyd (S.). 3. Time, 1:14.4..

220 Yards Breaststroke.—Section I: J. Saunders (Bl.). 1; I Johnson (F.), 2: Mln M. Hopper (S ). 3. Time. 3:37. Section II: G. R. Bliss (S.) (go). 1; Min C. Hopper (S.) (go), 2: T. Wooster (Bl.) (15secj, 3. Time, 3:12.6.