SWIMMING

Evening Star, Issue 20687, 9 January 1931, Page 5

SWIMMING

NOTES AND NEWS [By Hooker.] Club Hours. —Monday, St. Clair Life Saving Club and Training College Swimming and Life Saving Club; Tuesday and Thursday. Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club; Friday and _ Saturday, Dunedin Amateur Swimming Club. Club hours are held at the Municipal Baths from 8.45 p.m. to 9.45 p.m. FIXTURES. January 20.—Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club carnival. January 24.—Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club’s harbour race. January 30 and 31.—New Zealand intermediate and junior championship*, at Ashburton. February 12.—Otago senior championships. February 14.—Bait Cup harbour race. March 4 to March 7 (inclusive). — New Zealand national championships, at Wanganui. KIWI CARNIVAL. The next event of importance in the swimming world will bo the Kiwi Club’s annual carnival on Tuesday, January 20, and although the club lias staged some successful fixtures in the past, this year’s meeting promises to be one of tho best to date. Considerable enthusiasm is already being shown, and although tho entries do not close until Tuesday next, they are already of large dimensions, twentysix swimmers, representative of both sexes, having come forward for the 50yds intercliib handicap, with the prospect of the number eventually being over thirty. There will be at least twenty entrants for the 50yds handicap under seventeen, the competitors including most of those who will represent Otago at Ashburton at the New Zealand intermediate and junior championships this month. Reg. Geddes, AV. Jarvis. Val. Newall, Don Neivall, Miss AV. Newall, Miss Maxine Mathieson, Miss M. Pockson, A. Thomas, and S. Jarvis are among the competitors and should be capable of providing a thrilling race. The mixed relay will also be an interesting event, contested by nine or ten teams, cacli containing two ladies and two men, and iu the 33J,yds junior handicap the best junior boys and girls will be seen in action. One of the events of the night will bo tho 220yds Otago men’s championship. won last season by S. M'Kenzie, of the -St. Clair Club, in 2min 50sec. M'Kenzie will be defending his title, and he is likely to meet with solid opposition from E. Turgis and H. D. Gillies, while there will also lie one or two others taking part. M'Kenzie has improved since last season, and it will not he surprising to find him bettering last season’s time with the others pushing him hard. Tho GGiiyds back-stroke handicap will lend variety to the programme, and much interest will centre in the meeting of those old rivals, B. Kerr, the popular Dunedin secretary who holds the Otago title, and S. Fogg, who is captain of the .newly-formed University Club. Fogg is very speedy over a couple of laps, and there should bo an exciting race between this pair with good time being registered. Tho 100yds breast-stroke handicap has drawn some good swimmers, and there is likely to bo a close race between the back-markers, Reg. Geddes and C. Durand, tho former being tho present intermediate champion, and tho latter holder of the title last season. Both have done good time, and tho race should ho an excellent trial for Geddes iu view of the Ashburton meeting less than a fortnight later.

Two diving handicaps are included on tho programme, and that amusing novelty, tho punt fight, is bound to provide a lot of fun. The club is arranging a novelty of an unusual nature, a troup of swimmers arranging to give an exhibition of fancy and stunt swimming along unorthodox lines. A special feature will he an attempt on her own New Zealand intermediate girls’ record for 75yds breast stroke by Miss M. Mathicson. THEN AND NOAV. The last time tho national swimming championships were held at AVanganni was in 1924, tho year being a notable one for Otago, as it marked the first occasion that the province had its name engraved upon the AVar Memorial Shield, Otago tieing with Auckland and Wanganui for the honour. So far as the seniors were concerned,' the only titles brought south were tho men’s and ladies’ diving championship Mick Walker, of tho Dunedin Club, won the men’s title for the second time, Bill Hicks (Wellington) being second, Boy Caldcr (of the Dunedin Club) third. Caldcr subsequently won the honour on many occasions. 'The ladies’ diving championship was contested for the first time, and was won by Miss M. Morrison, of the Kiwi Club. AValker will he making a bold attempt to regain the laurels this season and M iss Morrison (now Mrs Isaacs) is also attempting a come-back. The open plain dive at this meeting was won by AValker.

in the 220yds men's breast-stroke championship C. B. Lewis, of the Kiwi Club, but subsequently a member of tho St. Clair Club, filled second place. Ho won Hie title the following year. Tho dual relay was won by Miss Kathleen Miller and Bruce Ford, both of the Kiwi Club.

M iss M. Jepson, of the Dunedin Club, won the intermediate girls’ 75yds and 100yds breast-stroke events, and, though she never won a ladies’ title, was frequently placed behind Miss Kathleen Miller, proving herself to be one of the best ladies New Zealand swimming has had in recent years. Miss V. iSeotten, a member of the Kiwi Club, won the 75yds breast-stroke intermediato_ gilds’ championship in 07 4-ssee, which, if memory serves me rightly, was then a record, though AT iss Mathieson’s record is three seconds faster than that Miss Jcpsou’s time for 75yds was 53scc and for the 100yds 71 l-sscc—both fast moving.

Otago will not have such big representation in the senior division this season, but those who do make the trip are likely to perform well.

DUNEDIN CLUB DASHES,

The Dunedin Club’s divers have been showing commendable keenness, and Mick Walker has been going a string of dives in addition to giving the benefit of his wide experience to others. Mick is always only too willing to help promising young divers. Miss Olive Crowley, the Otago ladies title-holder, has been taking her diving more seriously of late, but, unfortunately is likely to be. off the boards for a week or two by reason of injuries sustained in a recent spill off a cycle. She is a very keen little diver once she gets going. Miss M, Staples is a very consistent trainee, and she has lately been trying the back half-screw off the top board, one of the compulsories for the New Zealand championships. With a little more control during night she would be an improved diver, for she will try anything. . A. M. Rix is putting in some time with the younger divers, and it is pleasing to find that he seems able to make M‘Lay take his work more steadily. M'Lay will show at his best at Ashburton if he will continue to work as he has done lately. His greatest fault is inconsistency. Clive Elliott is doing some good workouts, but should show more determination when trying the new numbers. None of the intermediates have yet mastered the running borer of the 10ft board. This dive is likely to be the downfall of most of the championship competitors at Ashburton, but one or two of the Otago competitors are likely to make a very good attempt at it. Apart from Olga Ferguson, the junior divers have not been so regular m their practice. She does a nice back back somersault. _ dive and pike, and is fitiishing off the Senior swimmers have not done much work during the week, but Brian Kerr is doing well on the back stroke. There is every prospect of the club fielding a strong team in the race for the Old Challenge Shield, six-a-side championship, the contenders lor places including B. Kerr J. Fleming, W. Jarvis. V. Newall, Lf. E. Walker. G. Collett, R. Nuttall J. Byrnes, D. Newall, and Miss M. Mathiesom Another possible candidate will he Vic Nelson, who is joining the club alter a long absence from the sport. Quite a few members are working out for the coming harbour races, which are likely to bo more popular than they were last year. The junior championship representatives are sticking gamely to their preparation. in spite of the holidays, and Miss M. Pockson is expected to shave the breast stroke record of 41 l-ssec if she lets the shoulders loosen a bit and sweeps the arm stroke a little more freely. Miss Winnie Newall is going very nicely on the free stylo distances, and has improved her stroke a little. Walter Jarvis has reappeared after being laid up with an injured foot. Bill Cunningham was a visitor during the holidays. He was a keen club member and an ex-New Zealand champion diver. Ho is now stationed outside Wellington, with no opportunity of taking part in swimming activities. ST. CLAIR BREEZES. Under the capable direction of 1. Turnbull, a most energetic secretary, the St. Clair Life Saving Club is show ing renewed activity, and there must have been nearly forty members present at the club hour on Monday night, the largest for two or three years. H. Isaacs is putting a class through for the bronze medallion in life saving, and another very keen club man is J. Swan. T. Rodgerson is a new member who shows a good deal of promise, and there are several others among the younger swimmers who will bo taking part at the Kiwi Club’s carnival on January 20. They will include J. Marston. who met with some success in handicap events a year or two back. KIWI JOTTINGS. The passing of the holiday season has marked a renewal of dub activities, ami there was a splendid muster at the baths on Tuesday night, most of the swimmers being engaged in training for the club’s carnival on Tuesday week, while the usual coaching was carried out.

A new member who promises well is R. L. Cotton, who has not. done much for a year or two past. With experience in competitive events lie should be a real asset to the club. Cliff Nicholl is another of the new members who is showing rare keenness. Both ho and Cotton will find a place in the relay teams at the club’s carnival, but Nicholls shows most promise on the diving boards, and will compete in the open handicap. P. E. Mathieson has resumed training after a short spell, and. Reg. Geddes is one of the most active members of the club. He has been putting a little more time in on the bieast stroke, and should improve upon his Otago championship time when he goes to Ashburton. Reg. is also a most promising diver, and in the space of a week has developed quite a good one and a-half somersaults off both boards. Miss Joan Mnnro and Mrs E. Isaacs are both working out consistently, and both should bo capable of a good showing at the Otago championships. It says something for the splendid spirit now existing among the clubs that the latter is now being trained by that sterling performer Mick Walker, of the Dunedin Club, who himself is diving better this season than ever ho did, Mick is arranging an exhibition of stunt diving for the Kiwi Carnival, and it is possible Roy Calder will make his first appearance since his return from the Empire Gaines, though that no doubt depends upon how his back improves in the meantime.

H. D. Gillies and M. Taylor have both been training steadily, and both will have a full night’s work on the occasion of tHo club’s carnival. Misses P. Lang and P. Taylor are both in good form, and. a couple of juniors who shape well are Roy Gcddes and J. Grubb. W. A. Buckland is now back in steady work, and it is likely lie will compete in the 50yds handicap under seventeen at the club’s carnival, though ho can hardly be_ expected to. do his former times in view of the long lay-off he has had.

The club’s harbour race will be held on Saturday, January 24, entries closing for it next Thursday. The distance is one mile, and the course followed will not vary much from that used last season.

Miss O. Buckland is an improving little swimmer, and for her age lias rare pace. She will be a competitor in the junior event at the club’s carnival on January 20. , • A. Thomas has resumed training, and will be competing in most of the events at the club’s carnival on January 20. Harold Clark will also be a competitor, and when in form this swimmer is capable of some very useful performances. H. Outran! is a keen intermediate, and if he takes part in competitive events is bound to show improvement.

INTERNATIONAL ENDURANCE SWIM.

From the promoters of Manly’s International Endurance Swimming Carnival (New South Wales) I have received news concerning the first Australian endurance contest, which is to be held at Manly on January 24 next. So far as New South Wales is concerned, the public and swimming circles are all agog with excitement. These contests in America have aroused the utmost enthusiasm, and the Marathon contest, inaugurated _ by Mr Charles Wrigley, an American millionaire, drew over half a million people, while the swimmers received prizes in the aggregate of £5,000. The first prize in the Manly contest, is £3OO, second prize £IOO, third prize £SO, fourth prize £25, fifth prize £ls, and sixth prize £lO. The winner will be the competitor who shall have remained in the water for the longest duration of time, calculated from the moment the competitor hits the water until he emerges therefrom. After hitting the water a competitor shall not during the entire endurance swim either touch, hold, or be held by anyone or anything whatsoever, any infraction of which will immediately disqualify the competitor.* Another condition is that swimmers shall have remained in the water for at least four hours prior to entering for the endurance swim. SPLASHES. The Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club has decided to hold its annual picnic at Warrington on February 22, the members of sister clubs being invited to bo present. In addition to the usual foot races it is hoped to stage a surf race on this occasion.

Miss Lily Copplestone is a most versatile swimmer, and one who has won not a few distinctions in the sport. She has held the New Zealand ladies’ diving championship, won at Wellington in 1929, and also the 220yds ladies’ breast stroke championship, though she had no competition in the latter event and her time was very, slow. At Dunedin, in 1928, she won the open plain dive, and off 29min swam into first place, in the Annette Kellerman Cup race.' She has several good distance swims to her credit since then, but for the life of me I can not see the merit of her swim down the Waikato River other than from the point of an endurance test. She, was a little over eight hours in the water, and covered 331 miles. The Waikato River, however, has quite a considerable fa’ll, and flows probably at not less than four miles an hour, so that Miss Copplestone had merely to go with the current and stay in the water till she was too cold to swim any longer. She had no record to beat, and at the best the swim can bo regarded as little more than a soaking match. The es-New Zealand ladies’ diving champion, Miss L. Hood, of Hawke’s Bay, who impressed greatly by her neat anil finished diving at Dunedin in 1928, is still in the sport, and at the Heretunga Club’s carnival in Hawke’s Bay recently annexed the senior diving event, ’which would suggest that she is again likely to be a competitor at Wanganui in March. Commenting on the Sensational burst of speed that won fourteen-year-old Beryl George, of Surrey Park, the 100yds back-stroke championship of Victoria last week from the title holder (Edna Bostock), H. A. Bennett (president of the Victorian Swimming Association) said that she was the greatest find Victorian swimming had had among. the girls for many a long day (says the ‘Sporting Globe’). “Beryl shows rare promise and has a good style, so we can look forward to many further successes and greater development from her.” stated Mr Bennett Her win created great excitement and enthusiasm at the city baths, where the first events of the Victorian ladies’ championships were held. She sped over the 100yds back-stroke in Imin 21 2-ssec, and knocked off exactly 9sec from the previous record. Edna Bostock came second, and she also showed great form. Beryl George, who has been coached at the Surrey Dive by A. Burke, the club’s coach, Jias been selected to represent Victoria at the championships to be held in Sydney and Brisbane. The Hutt Valley Club is staging a carnival on January 15 at the Riddiford baths, and at this even sonic of flic junior and intermediate centre championships will be staged with a view to helping the selectors to choose the representatives to go down to Ashburton for the championship carnival there at the end of January. There are also a number of interclub fixtures scheduled for the programme at the Hutt (says the Wellington ‘ Post ’). The centre championships .here are set down for February 7, though it is possible that a change will be made in the date, and it is also possible that a change may be made in the location ;.f the meeting to the Hutt baths, where there is fresh water —an important point in view of the fact that the national championships this year will be held in fresh-water baths. The Worser Bay Club will bo holding its annual carnival on February 28 at the To Aro baths, and the change of location here will moan that this club’s usual gala day on January 22, with the swimming events in the afternoon, will not be held this year. The next carnival set down so far is that of the Primary Schools’ Association on March 7. '

Mr T. Thompson, the Otago Centre’s delegate on the New Zealand Council, was in town over the holidays. “ Tommy ” used to do a lot of diving, and is the present holder of the Canterbury title, though he lias not done a grc_t deal this season. His wife was formerly Miss M. Foote, who won the New Zealand ladies’ 'diving championship, as an Otago representative, in 1920. She has given up diving, but is putting a lot of time into life saving work.