SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 75, 21 December 1907, Page 10

SWIMMING.

• ': ■'" , ':'/,.':.:y'. (By .Sp£a^h.')";'."". T , . Owing, to. -the 'high wind .which/preyailed.-.pn-.Thursday aftjernoon, the 'Wellington ■G3ub'.was--:;Un'abro' to- get; off the ''50yds. handicap,: which- it had arranged for /that day. \ Entries, were'igood, but naturally Ipiijy ,a..fow.;enthusiasts' turned up Ho compete. .'lt ,was..>,(leoidc(lv,to'postpone-'the fixture until. Monday .aftorriooliV ■'..' ; V:Al.C:Ai'rClub;decided-' a SOyds. handicap' at -Te y.Aro Baths on Wednesday .afternoon, which resulted; in'.somp very fair '.racing. As as usual'.jn: the, ease of this ~Chib, which has sqiia'any; new swimmers on .its membership rbll;'',hahdicaps wero pretty •freely- given, the': scratch';'.man, Chartres, .haying to overtake : ;rnenwitli, 16 seconds. He „iyf! : s, however, ,eqifil', to .-the.'-task, and won ;hy. a touch,in the'excellent, time of' 33 sees. :liaker, who was •concedingiJ-J-isecs,, put in good work, and .succeeded" in .'swimming into 'second place. .It .is^'regreUabl'o;'-that with ian entry of some^,2o.swimmers -only, half a dozen could be induced to' face tho starter, /l'licro does not .-appear to bo- any reason'alilo ex.eu'se o 'for .'such"wholesalo. 'scratching, :dnd. if/members'desire. ;to sec their' Club go alioad' they should- at '/least (.make every of-' fort to swim in'all fixtures for which they "ohtor. '' '~ ' •*-' -'"'•- :■•■■'■■- : ' '■■ •■■:'! ,: '"'',' ' .-' '" ■ ;./,Tho idecidcd- a 50yds.. on/Wodiie'sday;evening,'< : 'gotting the' !o'reht off ih'. ; thred-'fieats ;and/a final.. J The in 'tho heats were" made, - sufficiently: /small to allow of cpmpetitprs starting from a. straight line, thus/.avbiding cross swim.niin'g, but as.first';;"s'ecpnd, and third in the 'three, heats: were,ia'll6<ived.'to 'swim in the •final, tho field v/asitniich crowded' and some bumping and jostling;, ensued." It' would be (more advantageous, ;tp swim only, firsts and ,'secqnds in x a final-where tho size of tho entry ba.s ; necessitated, three or more heats. Hoy Nelson, who;, rapidly, swam .well, awl,' had/, he., not .'been ■'blocked. in'- the .'final would have-'gone' ve^y■'.near .winning. ;Nelson used the "crawl" - stroke, which ablOj to adopt for a full 100 yds. Ik. Ronayno■ seems" to''start out somewhat diffidently,'wliori'-racing;'and'-'.to. cxerciso unnecessary'caution, for the first 25 yards. In tho ■ above / raqo, he ' was in ' rbebipt of 2secs. Ifrbm Fredi' Roberts, who/caught him at the 25yds.',mark.'., .'-About, 15yds. 'from home,' however, Rqriaynp,.spurted, caught: Roberts, sand- fiiiisheil;' ahead of. : him; although the !latter':'wa's'j.''_-' : air, , oul|? "at, tho finish. The 'jUdgqs/of/this'/raco'ivero-very slow in givingjtheir decision, and .in. this- connection it '.woulcV'seem'adyi'sablp' : to, point out that the centro'of,''a.'.finishing;'.board is a most-dis-'.advantagepus .//ppint'fjoin "which to .judge. •Judge's'should station*/themselves at either end, 6i" tli'e finishing board. • '', '•;:.■ I): '..Jenk'ihJ a./prominent member of the : Wellington Club, 'is ."entering ■ - for tho 50 Yards, Provincial - Championship of Canterbury;' which •'takes' : placo at Lyttelton on ■New-Year's'-3)ay.'-''He is being nominated by theYaldhiir'st Club'.'' :

!-BStß's'"o'h Sunday morning a .-bather '• buinpetl' ' his "hfead on tho bottom through (living' into;'tho baths ; fronr the western spring-boardand received' concussion of ■ the ,; :braiii.' ; Tt. 's'cems a great pity that the baths l 'arc'lit l .-such a deplorable condition'that take place in' .thoir deepest part witjjmit' tlio above result. .Swimmers arcj'however,' hoping for a groat improvement 'iri'tlio condition •of things when the. Uity ■ CouiiciK has completed the oxtonsivo' alterations-which: are to be put in hand. • "A club" lias been formed in Masterton, and has; decided to affiliate'with- tlio Wellington .Centre' 'of^the'jNjZ-iA.S.A:A sports meeting ;>rill be-held on {January 22. °Gliamjiibn "won ' his...heat in the •72 Yards .Dominion Handicap at tlio vWaite.!nata_.Ulubls..sports..ia_i4sccs.' from scratch. Champion ' won' tl/e 216; Yards Waitomata 'Handicap ;ihV2mi'ns- VI2V 3-ssccs. Champion .-finished with a great dash, and gained the .iVerdwj; Ijy, a yard-and.,a half. i, . 28,".(special) —Mrs. Lina Brandenburg, nearly threo score years .of .age, and.'a 'grandmothor, is'among the received Jsy t thc- Missouri Athletic Club for its : ten-milo swimming race,.to be :hold , '.'..''tho '' 'Mississippi ', next' ■ Wedliesday :'i A 'on..' the.-*": occasion- ■ of Pre-side;^,-.Roosevelt's visit. She is '57, and'the mother; ;of a prominent young physician of St., Loilis. - Despite -hor ago and • sox, her muscular development is wonderful; and it is possible that she will give sonio of tho young athletes of „tho ,club. a hard tusslo for first lionours in,;the':long;.swim. Fivo years ago Brandenburg jvas almost an invalid, arid took lip swimming'' to benefit her health, oil the'fidvic'e" of' her son. Now she is ablo ,'.ttt 'siaw .for Jigurs', atxa stretch without becoming tired qr exhausted, and beliovos'that i the/ ; tcn-mile 'course without any trouble: —Mrs. Brandenburg declares itjiat-since .'she took, .up swimming she has I enjoyed the best-of-health, and feols more :lik<f a girl of twenty; than a "woman of fifty- ■• '• • - .-fc'•- •'••.» •' '■ • '