SWIMMING NOTES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 104, 26 January 1933, Page 14

SWIMMING NOTES

Origin of Crawl Stroke SATURDAY’S CARNIVAL

(By

"Trudge.”)

Fixtures.

January 28.—Centre. Championships, Te Aro February 4—Peck Shield Harbour Race. February 11.—Worser Bay Carnival, Te Aro ,11 s» February 18, 20, 22.—Senior National Championships, Napier. . February 21.—Kellerman Cup Lace, Aapier. February 23.—Hutt Club Carnival, Rlddiford Baths. February 25, 26.—National Surf Championships, Foxton. . . „ . March 4.—Wellington Club Carnival, Te Aro Baths. No field of athletic endeavour has made greater strides in the last decade than swimming. New records have been made repeatedly, only to be broken within a very short period. The sensational times set by those world-beaters of the past. Arne Borg, Johnnie Weismuller, and “Boy” Charlton, would have seemed impossible ten years prior to the time when they were in their prime, and yet we accept them almost as commonplace. Why? Well, the reason of these great improvements in swimming times is found in the exhaustive study which has been made of the crawl stroke. Evidence available points conclusively to the crawl stroke having originated in the Pacific Islands. Duke Kahanamoku, in 1912, assured that the stroke was natural to the Hawaiian. Alex. Wickham, a Solomon Islander, who lives in Sydney, and who held the world's record for 50 yards, says that all children in these islands swim a species of crawl stroke. About the year 1900 the then popular Australian champion, Dick Cavil!, evolved, probably from what he had heard of the native stroke, a style of swimming which was the origin of the crawl as a racing stroke, and led to its later development all over the civilised world. In championships, Cavill was prone to use this stroke in the last few yards, and accomplished what was then a sensational finish. That the crawl theory or_ principle is a production of the Pacific and Southern Seas is little doubted. The development of the stroke, however, aud its demonstration to the world at large, are absolutely attributable to Australians, and, if any reader can point otherwise I will be only too pleased to give their version publicity in this column. In 1902, while in England, Cavill demonstrated the stroke, and Barney Keirau in 1905. Miss Gertrude Ederle, the American holder of many world's records for women, swam the English Channel with the crawl stroke, being in the water over 14 hours and a half, a really wonderful feat of endurance. The styles accepted nowadays are the six-beat crawl and the trudgeon crawl. Centre Carnival on Saturday. The carnival to open at Te Aro baths at 2.30 on Saturday afternoon under the auspices of the Wellington Centre will bo the first of a series for the season. Included on the programme will be the 50 and 440 yards free style, 220 yards breaststroke, and women’s diving championships of Wellington. J. Blakeley, present holder of the abovementioned free-style titles, will defend them again on Saturday. He has been showing excellent times in his trials, and must be difficult to beat in either event. Blakeley is shortly to be married, but it is understood will continue to take part iu competitive swimming for at least the remainder of the season. With the exception of C. Moss there does not appear to be any worthy opponent for K. Sjll’y in the 220 yards breaststroke championship, and with Moss not quite at his best it certainly appears like Spry retaining his title. Splashes. G. Rose, who was beltniau in the Maranui team that wou the Nelson Shield last year, has been transferred to Pongaroa. J. Penman, runner-up to W. Hicks in the diving championship last year, and who now is a member of the Hutt Valley club, accompanied the team from the Maranui club on tour north as far as Gisborne. Penman, who will be giving exhibition dives, should benefit considerably in his quest to regain the Wellington diving championship. The Canterbury Swimming Centre is leading Wellington a fine example by its ”learu-to-swim week,” which is to commence on Monday. Instructions are to be provided each evening from 5.15 to G o’clock. Why should Wellington have to be set examples by other centres in promoting the sport? G. Bridson, holder of the 100 yards and 220 yards New Zealand titles, acting under medical advice, will not be a competitor at this year's championships. Unless sufficient funds are raised it is probable that Canterbury will be unable to send a water polo team to Napier to defend its title. Lacking any women swimmers of real elass, Canterbury also holds little hope of lifting the Yaldhurst Shield from Auckland. At present touring Australia arc two American swimmers, Frank Kurtz and Maiola Kalili. Kurtz is said to be the greatest diver ever to visit the Commonwealth, and he has been placed in an Olympic event. An extensive repertoire includes many clever trick (lives. Kalili, a Hawaiian, did his first swim at Honolulu, where he used to perform for coins thrown by tourists from visiting steamers. Taken in hand and properly coached, he developed into an American representative.