SWIMMING Canterbury Championships May Be Reorganised.

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30043, 30 January 1963, Page 13

SWIMMING Canterbury Championships May Be Reorganised.

Future Canterbury swimming championships may be reorganised if suggestions put forward at last evening's meeting of the Canterbury Swimming Centre are adopted. After a comprehensive report by Mr C. A. Harrow, authority was given to the carnival sub-committee to consider reorganisation and bring down a report in three months.

Because of the increased entries, the centre would have to consider holding the heats at sessions apart from the championships, Mr Harrow said. Not only would that result in more intense oompetition in the heats, but it would also eliminate many of the scratchings as heats often coincided with other events and swimmers wanted to conserve their energy. Thought should also be given to the provision of an emergency for the finals in the championships in case a swimmer scratched at the last moment A break in the programme for a mock diving or synchronised swimming display was also suggested by Mr Harrow. “I feel the time is fast

coming for ■ major reorganisation,” said Mr J. H Johnson, Canterbury could wdl follow Auckland's example in having junior and senior events only at the championships. Auckland planned to eliminate the under-age events at its championships next season. However, it would not prevent an under-age swimmer from competing in the junior events if he was good enough. For the under age swimmers, Auckland proposed to bold a separate “junior Olympics.” That would cater for the swimmers in the under--14 sections. That system would get the results; there was no doubt about that, Mr Johnson said. Substandard There had been 08 entries for the Canterbury championships, and at least 110 of those entries had not been up to the required standard. Many of them should not have been allowed to compete, said Miss Doreen Brown. The centre should ask clubs to be a little more careful in making entries for the championships in future. It was not fair to the swimmers who were up to standard. Miss Brown said.

She had been keeping a

close eye on the timing and was sure that aome of the watches wore “sadly out ot plumb,” Miao Brown said. A more strict method of watchchecking than the centre had at nreeent was required. The secretary (Mr T. J. Whltta) reported that £MI had been taken at the Canterbury championships and he . estimated that a profit of . about £lOO would be realised. ■arbew Ewta A sea start and a sea finish ■ was required if the harbour . swims were to be held at Diai mend Harbour, said Mr Hari row, reporting on Saturday's open water races. With the ; rocks at Diamond Harbour it was impossible to expect the swimmers to run up the I beedi, he said. Closer collaboration with the surf movement was also required. The Canterbury surf championships had taken place the day after the harbour swims and quite a few surfers, who would otherwise have competed, had been absent The ones they wanted in the swims were those that were talking about swimming Foveeux and Cook Straits, Mr Harrow said. The centre agreed that the ne-.z venue at Diamond Harbour was superior to the old one at Corsair Bay and decided that it would become toe permanent venue of the open water swims. The carnival committee was authorised to look into the matter of organisation A total of 43 Canterbury records, compiled by Mr Johnson, was approved Approval for an attempt on the New Zealand 110 yards women’s butterfly record by Mias Shirley Nicholson at a carnival on February 9, was given Mr W S Hodge was appointed the centre's delegate to toe annual meeting of the New Zealand Diving Committee If he is not available, his son, Mr Len Hodge, will be appointed in his place