SWIMMING

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 478, 10 April 1909, Page 12

SWIMMING

~ (Br Small.) The curtain has now been rung down on swimming for the season, and followers of the sport can look- back on the past six months as,.'the, most.successful experienced in Wellington .(for many years. No great amount of new blood has been attracted to tho racing platform, 'but somo of tho older hands" have- dropped^but, and Reg. Healy's swimming has given .a general impetus to racing. One of the most pleasing features of the season has been the general advance ia,thor,spbrt.'.as'-a..p'astime, and tho special enthusiasm.'with which'.'the younger members of the'community, have taken to the water. Somo of tho schoolboys have put up excellent distanco • performances, tho advantage of which should.'be'reaped within the noxt year „or, .two;'"When'.these young swimmers enter the lists. Tho~same remark applies to the- girls bf.'tbb schools. .The,- in the racing world has been Reg. Healy, tho ox-Aus-tralian, who- holds -; the top position in all 1 distances. Freyberg, the local champion for 1 somo timo previous to the advent of Healy, has. had to tako second position, but his later, performances', against the ex-Australian have been a.. decided improvement on his first essays! ' With Healy out of the way, Froyberg would still havo been the champion over distances, but ho must havo had his work cut out to beat Roberts and Ronayne over 100 yds. Roberts has been swimming better than ever over the hundred, some of his performances being brilliant, and, the,'same.'.remark applies to Ronayne, who won the 100 yds. New Zealand Championship' at Timaru.'; Before ho went south, tho'young Tborndon'STvimmer was at the top of' his form, and . had made ,a name for brilliant finishing. ' Aftor Freyberg, in the Te Aro ranks, tho most convincing srvimmcr has been young Ward,..who.has trained hard and reaped the advantago "of it." 'Ashford also swam well, but might have done oven better if he had dono sufficient training. O'Neill and Watson came to the foro in tho distances as tho season advanced, their improvement being dub' to sheer hard work. Taking a lino through"tho"'general' improvemnt this year, and,the,number of promising juniors coming along, io say nothing •of tho improved training facilities at To Aro, clubs should be ablo to look forward to a. record season noxt year. The points scored' for the Sir Joseph Ward Cnp, which was won by Fred. Roberts, were as under:—F. Roberts, 19 points; R. Healy, 13 points; R. Ronavno, 11 points; R. Nelson; 10 points; V. "L. Allan, 10 points; C. Brice, 5 points; E. Picot, 5 points; G. Bruce, 5 points; D. MTieod, 3 points;'K. Wiggins,"3 ; points; J. Stratford, 3 points i[" A. W." Smith, 3 points.