SWIMMING

Evening Star, Issue 21991, 29 March 1935, Page 6

SWIMMING

NOTES AND COMMENTS [By Hookkk.] FIXTURES. April 2.—Otago University swimming championships. April B.—Christian Brothers High School carnival. April 11.—Secondary school Girls’ life saving and relay championships. April 11 and 12.—Schools swimming championships. April 16.—M'Glashau College sports. April 22.—New Zealand University swimming championships, at Dunedin. Club hours.—Kiwi, Tuesdays (6-7) and Thursdays (8.45-9.45); St. Clair and St. Kilda, Mondays (8.45-9.45); Dunedin. Wednesdays and Thursday* (8.45-9.45); Kaikorai, Saturdays (8.459.45). All at Municipal Baths. Zenith (7-8.30) each night except Friday, at the Y.M.C.A. Baths.

The T. Hussey Cup will be at stake in the under 12 division, iu which there are some very promising swimmers in .). Shanahan, Skinner, P. Greenback, N. Mullin, L. Fahey, R. Seannell, and R. McLennan. John Shanahan is the outstanding swimmer in this group, and the competitor most likely to push him is J. Skinner. The others are young and will be able to compete in the same class next year. In addition to the cup events, a varied list of handicap races will be swum off, and there should be much interest in the old boys’ race. The carnival is being held under the auspices of the Otago Swimming Centre, and a number of special displays arc being arranged. P. E. Mathieson (New Zealand 150yds back stroke champion) will give a display of back stroke, and Walter Jarvis (New Zealand 100yds and 220yds champion) has been invited to give a display. While still attending the Boys’ High School. Jarvis gave an exhibition last year which was very much appreciated by all. Reg. Geddes is to give an exhibition of breast stroke.

University Club’s Meeting. More than usual interest will attach to the University Club’s interfaculty championships at the Municipal Baths nest Tuesday night, since the New Zea- „ , land University championships are to Christian Brothers Carnival. at Dunedin on April 22. 'the annual swimming carnival of the Otago University can call upon D. Christian Brothers’ High School will be H. Symes,' who is not only the New held on Monday, April 8, and it pro- Zealand University champion, but who mises to be one of the most interesting won the New Zealand l 440yds national fixtures of the season, the standard of title at Auckland last month and was swimming at the school being exception- runner-up to W. J. Jarvis in the ally high at the present. 220yds event. Following the national

.indeed, it is doubtful if there is another school in the dominion that can boast of so many well-known swimmers as the Christian -Brothers’ High School, which is almost unique in the fact that the present champion, J. D. O’Driscoll, who will be defending his senior title, is also the New Zealand national 880yds champion and the holder of the Otago -140yds and 880yds titles.

OMJrisooll won his national title on K i s eighteenth birthday, and he has already been champion of his school on two occasions. He will not be allowed to retain his title without serious opposition, as the contestants for the senior cup include also Jack Barry, who was runner-up in the New Zealand inter-

J. D. O’Driscoll, mediate 100yds championship at Timaru, and was winner of the Otago Centre’s Batt Cup harbour swim last month, in which he also put up fastest time. .Barry is a strong and determined swimmer, his fitness often standing to him in 'a hard finish. Although , unlikely to defeat O'Driscoll, he should keep the champion moving. T. Wallace is another improved swimmer, especially on the hack stroke, and with B. Bennetts and D. Jenkins will make up the field in the senior cup. O’Driscoll will have a strenuous evening's work in the championship events, but will probably take part in an exhibition swim subsequently. He has brought great honour to his school by his success at Auckland. The under 15 division will contend for the J. M'Grath Cup, which promises to provide very keen and close competition. The competitors are AV. Dyson (who has don? well in intei - - mediate handicap competition this year). M. O'Connell, F. Quirk, M. Healey, B. Harrison, D. Mills, P. Canter, J.’Robertson, A. Wigg, E. Dolan, and K. Cowie.

W. Dyson and M. O'Connell fought out the’ issue for this cup last year, and it was not till the last race that the winner was decided. Dyson taking the honours. O’Connell is very keen to reverse the position this year, but Dyson is taking no chances. Three others are improving—Harrison, Mills, and Canter—and if they reach top form there should be some very close finishes.

The under 13 championship competition for the J. M. Smith Cup has drawn a very representative entry, including several first-class swimmers. In this section there are F. O’Driscoll, M. Shanahan, L. Woods, 0. Ryan, M. Collins, •(. Holmes, and B. Lenihan. The two' outstanding swimmers are Frank O’Driscoil and Michael Shanahan, who each broke records last year. Shanahan is the cx-New Zealand junior boys’ breast stroke champion. L. Woods, who performed so well in the under 12 class last year, is now in the higher section and should give a good account of himself. M. Collins is an improved swimmer, and the other entrants are very keen and should make the leaders pul the pace on.

championships, Symes (undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s most improved swimmers) had a,slight lay-off, and this probably accounted for his defeat by C. Cliff* for second place in the invitation 440yds scratch race, won by Jean Tans, the world-famous French swimmer. at Christchurch recently, Symes’s style has shown a very big improvement this year, and being a swimmer always anxious to learn, he benefited greatly from his association with Taris during the latter’i tour of New Zealand. Symes has been training solidly during the last few weeks, and from 100yds to 440yds should set new records at the inter-’Varsity fixture. His swimming on Tuesday night should be one of the big attractions of the carnival, hut there will be other good’ performers taking part, including, it is understood, Neville, the little Taranaki star, who gave such a good account of himself in winning his heat of the mile at the New Zealand championships, though he never afterwards reproduced the form he showed in this event. Neville will not be eligible this year for the tournament, but his swimming on Tuesday night will be closely watched, as he is looked upon as one of the most promising distance swimmers in the dominion at present. There should he some good swimming in the 100yds breast stroke, and the ladies’ events should also provide spirited competition. Exhibitions will be given by P. E. Mathieson and W. .). Jarvis, and several interclub events have been included on the programme, including a four-a-side relay and a three-a-side medley relay. Primary Schools' Titles. Tho training still being carried out by many of the younger members of the clubs is not without purpose, for to the junior swimmers the Otago State primary schools’ championships is one of the big events of the season, and undoubtedly the meeting provides the public with some of the keenest competition and best racing. This year’s meeting' will be held on the evenings of April 11 and 12 at the Municipal Baths, and with so many promising newcomers to important competition taking part the events should be even more dosely contested than usual. One of the encouraging features of the Schools’ Sports Association work is the attention given by the teachers in the different schools to the boys and girls who may be classed as merely average swimmers, for they are the ones who make the compaction after all. The Schools’ Swimming Committee wisely limits the number of events in which a coriipetitor may take part, and with the Begg Cup going to the champion school, it may readily be seen that ihe friendly rivalry among the schools helps to make the schools’ carnival the success it invariably is. The championship events to be contested are as follows2s, yds under 11 (boys). 25yds boys under 12 junior boys’ relay (under 12), 33Jyds boys under 13. 33Jyds boys under 14, 50yds breast stroke boys under 14. 66<|yds bovs under 14, senior boys’ relay (under 14), boys’ diving (under 14), width of baths girls under 11. width of baths girls under 12. 25yds. girls under 13, 331yds girls under 14, 25yds

breast stroke girls under 14, girls’ relay (under 14), girls’ diving (under 14), mixed relay (under 14), girls’ junior relay (under 12), 25yds breast stroke boys under 12, The non-champion events are:— boys under 14. 2oyds boys under 12, GOJyds boys over 14, 33lyds girls under 14, 25yds girls under 13, 33'yds girls over 14. Entries close on Thursday next, and competitors in diving events must attend the Baths for elimination contest on Saturday. April 6—boys at 9 a.m. and girls at 10.30. Hint* tor Divert. A word to beginners in the art of diving. Do not let a crash in trying a fancy dive for the first time stop you, but get back on the board and try it again before the sting has left you. If you don’t you will probably find that you will dodge this particular dive throughout your career. If yon get up and try it again immediately you will do it more or less correctly, and then it is only a matter of improvement in this particular dive. If, however you land in a, heap more than twice running try some quite different dives before having another try. When trying a new dive a good plan is to don a jersey for the first two or three attempts. This gives a diver great confidence, but should not be carried to excess. Germany’s Swimming Progress. Germany’s swimming authorities are delighted with the form shown by a new backstroke swimmer named Simon, quite unknown in Australia, who ip a 25 metre pool at Dusseldorf amazed by covering 200 metres in 2.38 3-10 (says a writer in the Melbourne Sporting Globe ’). This wiped out the previous best of 2.39 7-10 estabiished_ by Ernst Keuppers, who finished fifth in the Olympic backstroke championship at Los Angeles in 1932. American swimming experts are confident that this season will see Johnny Weissmuller’s eight-year-old world’s record of 51 for 100yds obliterated. The swimmer tipped to do it is the giant twenty-one-year-old Neiv York Athletic Club man, Peter Pick, who last summer clipped Weissmuller’s 100 metres world’s record from 57 2-5 to 56 4-5. Since the opening of the season Pick has three times W’ithin a week bettered 52 for the 100yds in twenty-five pools, his times being 51 9-10, 51 2-5, and 51 3-5. It appears to be simply a question of luck in getting away to a good start and in negotiating the turns, thus any day we may expect to get news of Pick’s success in lowering Weissmuller’s lor so long considered unassailable record.

.At one of the carnivals at which Fick covered the 100yds in 51 and a traction, another remarkable performance was witnessed.

_Paul Friessel, of the Dragon Club, X°V k ' employing the new “ butbreaststroke trith above wat6r recovery in a medley relay race, covered 100yds in 66 1-5, unofficially eclipsing Leonard Spence’s American record of 66 2-5. Kiwi Notes. Despite the heavy downpour on Tuesday night the club coaching hour was attended by nearly 100 members, and there is no doubt that the latest coaching scheme has brought about the greatest enthusiasm among members. This is indicated by the fact that the junior membership now totals 155, no fewer than twenty-five new junior members having joined up in the last fortnight. The club is stronger also in intermediates this season, before the end of which the total number of financial members should be over the 300 mark.

The championship competitions are now drawing to a close, and a good deal of interest will centre on the club diving championship, to be decided next Thursday.

The intermediate girls’ handicap competition has closed, the winner being Miss Winnie Dunn, a first-season member. The intermediate boys’ handicap competition is still in progress, W. Dyson being in the lead to date. The junior boys’ Vernon Smith Gun competition is still in progress, M. M'Murtrie haying a good lead. The junior girls’ Vernon Smith Cup competition has been won by Miss Joan Jeiivey, with Miss Jean Jenvey as runner-up. Unfortunately, these two very promising junior girls, as well as their brothers, Ted and Gerald, are to be lost to the club shortly, their father, Mr A. E. Jenvey. having been transferred to New Plymouthi Mr Jenvey is a vice-president of the club, a good worker on its behalf, and a particularly keen water polo enthusiast. His departure will mean a real loss to the club, blit it should not be long before the two girls do well in competition in Taranaki.

With attention to training Miss Mollie Gollan should develop into a firstclass swimmer. She is a real trier.

'After only a few lessons Miss Dorothy Thompson is showing good progress on the breast-stroke. Desmond Smith is showing more confidence in the water, and Bill Smith, Ron Williams. R. Barton, Jack Eisher, and Ross Honeyman are all improving, though they should concentrate on straightening the knees when kicking.

Miss Dot Pope is doing plenty of distance work, and will reap the reward next season. She is a promising intermediate, and Only requires to concentrate on her stroke during the off season.

The group coaching system has been splendidly organised by the ladies’ captain (Miss M. Boulton), who has done great work this year. The club captain (Reg. Geddes) also has sOlne promising swimmers in hit group, while valuable work was also being done on Tuesday night by Arthur Thomas, Dave Pickard, Mr A. Greig, and Misses C. Knowles, A. Gillies, and W. Dunn. With so many juniors to coach the assistance of every useful senior swimmer is being sought, Miss A. Thompson is a very much improved swimmer. Sjhe has a very food leg action, and is improving her rin action, though she can still get the elbows up higher. , Similar remarks apply to Misses Agnes Brpwn and Maud Stewart. Gordon David, who is one of Air A. Greig’s most promising pupils, is showing marked improvement on the crawl.

Miss E. Calverley is putting in plenty of time on the diving boards, and is getting more height than formerly. She has the makings of a very neaf diver.

Dunedin Dashes. There were splendid attendances at both club hour’s last week, and it is most pleasing to see the number of new members who join up every week. Members are all training hard at present lor the coming carnival and tor the championship events and for the diving. It is hoped that more of the members will enter for these r aces.

Joan Higgins and Jack Ingram can each do half a width, and are both keen. Miss E. Johnson and Miss M. Mathieson, are always oh duty coaching, and Jim Byrnes, Clive Elliott, and many others spend a busy hour with the younger members. Miss Winnie Newall is swimming well at present, and Miss Joyce Ramsay is showing marked improvement. Doug. Leckie is training on the back stroke at present, and is doing well. He is a promising pupil. Mr D. C. Bannatyne Is coaching quite a number of intermediate girls, who show improvement every week. Mr W. Williams has been much missed at club hours lately. The committee hopes to start a series of socials shortly after Easter, The new club rooms are now open for use.

Splashes. During the past few weeks the writer had an opportunity of meeting swimmers and officials front the Canterbury Ashburton, South Canterbury, and Southland Centres, and all were unanimous in their expressions of delight at Otago’s tine showing at the intermediate and junior championships at Timaru, and in the men’s events at the national championships at Auckland. It was generally agreed that Otago's success had been achieved by the policy adopted in this province of concentrating on the younger swimmers. With the building up of a strong polo team, the entry of a filing squad relay, and an effort to regain lost laurels in the diving events, Otago should make a bold "bid to win the Yaldhurst Shield next year. An operation for appendicitis kept A. T. F. Stokes, the ex-New Zealand national champion, out of active competition this season, but Alex, told the writer while in Christchurch for the Taris-Poussard meeting that he intended making a serious attempt next season to regain his old form. Stokes is the Otago Centre's delegate on the New Zealand Council, and he is anxious to compete at the national championships to be held here next year. If Stokes can reproduce something like his true form there is no doubt he can still help to make distance competition very interesting at the New Zealand championships. He has a young brother, N. Stokes, who is showing promise as an intermediate in Canterbury. The youngster represented his province in his division at the New Zealand intermediate and junior championships at Timaru. During a recent visit to Invercargill the writer renewed acquaintance with Horace Smith, who is now an assistant on the Baths staff at Invercargill. “ Horrie ” has been undoubtedly one of the finest water polo players developed in New Zealand since the war, and besides representing Canterbury for years he captained that province on occasions. Southland can count itself fortunate in being able to avail itself of the services of such a player in a cbaching capacity, and if his knowledge and experience are fully utilised the sister province should be able to field a strong water polo team for the New Zealand championships next year. The Oreti Surf Club will hold a carnival at Invercargill at Easter, and it is hoped a number of Dunedin swimmers will be able to make the trip south. The only fixture here dt the time will he the" New Zealand University championships, and while good ■ support should be forthcoming for the open interelub .events, there arc bound to be a few swimmers who will welcome a trip to Invercargill during the Easter period. Though beaten by Kilty M'Kay in the 320yds invitation scratch race at Googee on Saturday evening, New Zealander Mona Leydbn gave an excellent display, considering it was her first competitive swim in Sydney. She was 1 2-ssec outside the winner’s time of 2min 46 3-ssec (says the Melbourne ‘ Sporting Globe ’). The local girl had thp advantage at the turns, the paralysis with which the visitor was affected still hampering her in this phase of swimming. She also had the misfortune to foul a rope. It . only toward the finish that Miss M‘Kay definitely took charge. The arm , work and flotation of Miss Leydon are splendid. She won a heat and was third in a semi-final of 100yds handicap. The lam} drill in the secondary school girls’ life-saving championship will be held at Columba College on the afterlioon of April 9, and the water work at the Municipal baths on the afternoon of April 11, when the relay championship will also be decided. MrH.H. Henderson (president of the Otago Head Centre of the Royal Life Saving Society) mil be the superintendent and timekeeper, and Messrs P.. A. Mathieson and D. 0 Bannatvne will be the judges. No fewer than nine carnivals of one kind or- another are to be held at the Municipal Baths during April, this being in addition to the second round of the A and B grade water polo competitions. They are: April 2. University champion ships; April 5. St. Hilda’s College sports: April 8. Christian Brothers’ High School carnival; April 11 (afternoon), secondary school girls’ life-saving and relav championships; April 11 and 12 (evenings), State Primary Schools’ championships; April 16, M’Glashan College sports; April 22, New Zealand University championships. The dates for the Boys’ High School and the Scouts’ carnivals have yet to be fixed. Kiwi A’s defeat of Dunedin ± on Tuesday night will give added inflrest to the remaining games in the second series of matches in the senior water polo competition. This is the first defeat sustained by Dunedin for four years, and members of the Dunedin team wore the first to congratulate Kiwi on its success. Dunedin still holds a lead in the competition, and as Dunedin B defeated St. Clair A on Monday night the forthcoming games should be full of interest.

Since the National Swimming and Diving Championships were held in Timarn four years ago. the South Canterbury divers ,in particular have Wade most noticable progress, ard Keith Moffett, the winner of the South Canterbury divine championship this year, is a diver who would perform with credit in the of company at the present lime. He is a likely competitor m the men's- diving chamnionship at Dunedin next reason, and besides several

divers C|uite a few South Canterbury swimmers promise to be present. A promising lady diver in Timarn is Miss Akins, who is tackling the more difficxilo dives.