SWIMMING

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 118, 14 November 1925, Page 18

SWIMMING

■v 'Header'

CHAMPIONSHIPS

NATIONAL MEETING AT NAPIER

TO BE HELD IN JANUARY,

The national championships are to be held at Napier this season;' and will commence on 23rd January. This date is much nearer than most swimmers may realise, and any of them who have pretensions of being included in the representative team will need to commence solid training straight away, even though the climatic conditions are not favourable. Experience in the past has proved, that local swimmers at championship meetings are not in the same class' as other representatives when it comes to a matter of condition, and it would occasion no surprise if the selectors for the new season adopted strict measures to remedy this, in fact, they may even go so far as to do away with a representative team if aspirants to that honour are not considered forward enough in condition. The doings of the Auckland representatives at recent championship meetings has only to be mentioned to realise the importance of this question, pf individual swimmers, Messrs. Atkinson and Enwright arb quoted as being shining examples as to the value of physical fitness. What these two gentlemen have done, can also be done by others if the spirit is there. Last season, locally, there were really only two swimmers who impressed the writer as being really .well trained, and they were Fred. MolJier and W. Cameron. The former is an object lesson in the matter of fitness, and even co early in the present season is in better niclc than many others will be at the end. Even allowing that other centres are blessed with tepid baths for use right through the off-season,' this does not contribute to all of their successes in big swimming. It is a matter for the individual himself, and no matter how good a swimmer he may be, if he is not in the proper condition' to give of his absolute best, it is little use pitting him against the select of other centres who are. A swimmer has to train as hard as any other athlete if success is to be achieved, but unfortunately this fact seems to be lost sight of by the majority. Bo up and doing and follow along the lines of the Cameron Brothers, Mollier, Leask, "Watson, and Eyan, all of whom are getting into racing trim.

Dark Honei

Each season brings forward rumours of some-new " dark horses " in bur midst, 'who can cover, a hundred easily under tho minute or a inilo in about 22 minutes, but unfortunately they db ; not often materialise. Howevor, •'Header" knows of at least one gentleman at present in the city who can beat the minute over a hundred yards, but whether he can be persuaded to take on the sport seriously is a matter lor tho various clubs to get busy on.

It seems pretty certain that the Olympic Club will drop out of existence, as there does not appdar to be anybody sufficiently interested to step in and- boost things along. The chief difficulty is to get an energetic person to accept the secretarial duties, but such individuals are apparently honest. Whether ex-members of the club will distribute themselves amongst the other clubs, or the Lyall Bayites will revert back to competitive swimming, remains to be seen, but most likely the former attitude will, be adopted.

Carnival at Khandallah,

The ceremony held at Khandallah on Saturday afternoon last was quite a success, übont twenty swimmers 'representative of all clubs making the trip out in the motor bus kindly provided \>y the Progressive Association. The swimming pool, which is situated in ideal surroundings, is approximately 100 ft by 40ft, although the measurements are not exact. After the various speakers had been introduced by Captain Galloway, president of the association, the latter gentleman dived in and swam a length in good style, and this marked the final opening of the season in this., suburb. An open event of two lengths (66 1-3 yards) was then put on, being contested in three heats and a final. Iv the first heat Johnny Cameron, from the back mark, put up a good showing, catching his field at the first turn, thereafter holding his advantage and winning easily from Blakely. The competitors in the second heat provided a good race, and the winner, Thomas, just managed to head off Leask on the post, with the others inches away. C. Claridgc had no difficulty in winning the third heat, only using his speed to catch the leaders ,in the 'first lap. The final was expected to provide a great tussle between the back-markers —Cameron (lsec) and Claridge (scr) —but although the latter quickly made up his handicap, he displayed his old fault of swimming an erratic course, and cannoned into the side wall, which put him out of action. Cameron, Blakelcy, and Leask, the place-get-ters, all showed good form for so early in the season, and should be prominent in early competitive events. As usual, the diving efforts of Hicks, Cameron, Headland, and Griffin were very popular items, and, although handicapped by a temporary board, they brought off some "nice dives, which the spectators wore not slow to appreciate. Griffin's comedy stuff was highly amusing, and he has lost none of his skill in this direction. Albert Claridge, Evatt, and Humphreys demonstrated the breast-stroke method of swimming, Humphreys making a good showing'against, his well performed opponents. The providing of afternoon tea for the visiting swimmers was greatly appreciated, all enjoying the outing thoroughly.

Carl Stevenson, Stanford University boy, raced to victory in the first annual mile swim on the Russian River a.t Healdsburg, on 30th August, defeating Lester Smith, Olympic Club champion, who wa» tliG favourite. Btnvcimyii boveied the dietuuue ia 17ailu 43eei;.