Swimming.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 33, 8 February 1908, Page 14

Swimming.

(By "Header.") COMING EVENTS. Carnivals. Feb. 15— Swifts A H.C , Te Aro Baths. Feb. 29— Wellington A.S.O , To Aro Baths. March X— Wellington Centre Championships, Thorndon Bathu, Maich 19 to 23— Xcw Zealand Championships, Napier. Water Polo Matches. Feb. 17— Swifts v. "Wellington, Te Aro BafhF. Feb. 18 — Thorndon v. Swifts, Thorndon Baths. Feb. 19— YM.CA v. Wellington, Te Aro Baths. March 3— Thorndon v. V.M.C.A., To Aro Baths. The Feilding Swimming Club last Saturday demonstrated what gieat possibilities swimming has as a tporr, and deserve every commendation for tho display they gavo to their townspeople. For a club which has been formed barely a fortnight to secure a membership of fifty, an entry of about 500, and an attendance of nearly a thousand spectators at a carnival is matter for congratulation, it being probably unprecedented' in the annals of Now Zealand swimming. Visiting swimmers from Wanganui and Woodville took part in the carnival, and went away highly pleased with the conduct of the meeting. A pleasing feature of the programme was the inclusion of a 220 yds handicap, which was well supported, c-pocially by tho Wanganui men, of whom. Bridges (Bsec) secured first place, and C. D. Campbell (ser) second. Aston, of Woodvillo, won the high-diving event, giving a dieplay much ahead of anything ho was capable of whilst in Wellington. As a result of this carnival, which was held in an artificial lake, a proposal has been set afoot to secure the erection of a tank bath, and it is probable that a poll of tho latenajxrs will be held shortly. The carnival of the Y.M.O.A. Club, which was hqld last Saturday, attracted a great amount of intnres' in faco of the big counter attraction in the Basin Reserve. The racing in tho bracelet event was the most exciting of the afternoon, the final producing a dead heat bptwoen A. R. Blank and 11. Blick for first place. The race was spoilt for two of the competitors — MeLcod and Vaney — through a foul occurring between them ; otherwise they must; have finished close up, as in their heat , they each finished ahead of Blick. The decision in the ueateat header event was not well roceived by spectator-, many of whom considered that the first and second men — R. Nelson and C. Mcoro — should havo had theirportions reversed. The judging of diving events is altogether too much a go-as-you-please kind of affair, and there is a good opening for a man with a knowlcdgo of the finer points of the art to act as sole judge of these contests. The life-facing event wa3 not particularly interesting, and it resuHod iv a win for R. Xeteon, who gained the position more on arc-omit of his spcod than through any knowledge of life-saving- methods. The 100 yds handicap, for which there, wero thirty-five entrants, wati contested by only bixtcen, all of whom wore, placed in one hoyt, with tho ineutable result that a hopeless tangle - resulted when tho back-mprkqrs lpot'tho limit men after ,1110 iirst fifty yards had been oovered. 1 In the fcramblc the front men got the best positions, while the back-rankcp were prevented from making up. the ' starts they were ghing away. ' G. R. Itattereon, who is a fact improving young swimmer, won the cvt-nt, beating- D. MeLeod by a fool, with N. J. Gantiy, the limit man, third: Tho exhibition <polo match at tho closo of tho carnival was cut short ou account of the coldness ot the water. Tho events for Y.M.Q.A. members only, produced good' fields', and keen competition, as did also tho* schoolboys' race. Tho experience gained in the first round of tho championship water polo games has caused Iho centro to reduce' the playing spells in future games Jrom soven to five minutes. Piayere will woleoirfe' this change, especially a<- tho matches v. ill extend, into' Mnv,eh, whou it p, only reasonable, to cjtpoct the Tvater wilY bo a degree J or two ,'cpldcr than it 7is nt present. ■'. Tho. W'ollifyjton'-piMitre'H representative/ on, tho council 'of lhe, v N:Z.A.S,A.,>" at Chnstchureh — Mr. ."Angus DonaldaoniTwas in town last' Saturday tp witness tho aihlotio chaiupiqn?hipvand al{houßh' y on]y Fper/duig tho-da'y in Wollington, managed to find timo to confer with MrC' Ludwig, chairman of tho local centre, on matters affecling the two bodies. Local swimming circles have lost an enthusiast by tho departure of Mr. N. A. McLean, for England, by the Star of Australia on Wednesday last. Mr. McLean is seeking experience in tho engineering profc-sion, and intends remaining away for Fcrmo year*. * ' The Napier Carnival Committee havo add^d h mile championship to the programme of th'o second day's events, at tl\c direction of tho X.Z.A.S A. In cynsequenco of this, the 200 yds breast stroke championship has been shifted from the second to the first day, thu? giving thres championship events, on each dry. The suggestion made in this column recently regarding the 'water polo championship has been taketi up by the Wollington Centre, and there is a strong 1 probability of the tournament being held in Wellington. Entries for all events at Napier, close on 20th February, which in view of tho fact that the meeting does not eommei'co till ISth Marc-h, eecim ridiculously early. ±low many men can be. certain a month beforehand of being able to make tho tnp/ burely a week before the meetuic would give the cuminittco time to frame their handicaps and draw up the procr m no <P l " oa "iuc's for tiiu printers. t in°n S Siftsr ifts Cl * ub sot off a handicap race of 100 yds on Monday evening under favourable condn ions. Tho winner turned up m L. Moore, who has only lecently commenced training for distance? over fifty yards. This is the fir=l race that Mooro ha, won from the Swifts, although ho has ueon an active member for about I six beasoiw. IIi s time for the distance was 81 seconds. >C. Fordham finished second and the consistent Jenkinfon third rl li I '. ro -Y b i n '3 swam a great race, and dead-heated for first place, Init, owim?.to a misunderstanding, ho started before hi«= time, and was disqualified by tho ohuek barter. Entries lor this club's cainhal next Saturday arp coming in freely, and [ give every sign of reaching the record of t last year. , T , he 1 Australasian championships are to bo held ln PpHI,, and will commence next Saturday. Four days will be taken for tho decision of the diffeient events- viz , Bth, 12th 15th, and 19th February Queensland will be represented by her champion, F. W. Springfield, who leaves at the closo of the meeting to take part m the Olympic games. New South Wales will be represented by Cecil Healy and another man to- be selected from tho following threo after tests have been held over 880ydb and one mile distances:— R at y> «• t R " Garla nd, and O. Dickman. Mr. H. S. Ribband, of England, a diver ot some reputo, who competed at tho Au?tralas an championship mooting at Chnstchurt'h last year, is again in Now Zealand, ho having decided to sottle in Iho Dominion. If ho decide:, to make Wellington his headquarters hp should be secured as a member of onn of the local clvb ft , as his knowledge of diving is always at the disposal of club members. Tho 440 yds championship of Auckland, which was swum last week at the Waitomata Club's evening meeting, gavo Malcolm 'Champion another chance to prove his mettle. Tho race attracted five starters, of whom threo finished. Champion went to the front early, but on the sixth lap J. Grant pu£ in a strong challenge, and gained a good dpal of ground. The effort, however, could not bo sustained, nnd Champion won with 12 yards to spare from Grant, with A. W. Kean, who swam in Wellington throughout last season, some distance away third. The time given was 6min 19seo, which is 6soo below New Zealand standard and 9see better than the previous best time by a Now Zealand swimmer.

""Uno, Tod! You arp in a 'urry. I don'i think!" "Yiu : man up the road wauts a job done." "You always strikes it lucky 'Ow much is he Roing to pay?" "Dunno; I 'ooked it d'reckly c spoke of WACV 'i.