TWO RECORDS BROKEN

Evening Star, Issue 22247, 27 January 1936, Page 11

TWO RECORDS BROKEN

INTERMEDIATE AND JUNIOR SWIMMERS MISS PURDIE SHATTERS FURLONG MARK S. W. JARVIS RETAINS TITLE [Special to the 4 Stak.’] HAMILTON, January 26 Two titles and a record were the accomplishment of the Otago swimmers in the New Zealand intermediate and junior championships at the first session at the Hamilton Municipal Baths last night. Far surpassing her home form. Miss Islay Purdie, the 16-year-old discovery of the season, outclassed her rivals in the 220yds intermediate girls’ contest, treating the large crowd to a delightful display of speed and stroke technique, and smashed the "Dominion record by 1 4-sec, taking 2min 50 3-ssec. The record was created eight years ago by Miss Edna Champion (Auckland) in the fast salt water at Auckland. Sid Jarvis fulfilled the hopes of his supporters by retaining the quartermile intermediate boys’ championship, withstanding the challenge of the improved Aucklander, A. Pascoe, without being put to a severe, test. These were the only Otago victories, hut give a useful lead for the War Memorial Shield, which_ Otago is generally expected to retain. The Otago nominee in the 75yds junior boys’ breast stroke, B. Ingram, finished third in his heat, but was well beaten in the final. The victorious Otago hoy and girl, together with the other winners, particularly the 13-year-old Rotorua Maori gifl, Miss Nawi Kira, a performer who put up astonishing time for 100 yards in the junior girls’ championship, gave displays that were a revelation to Hamilton enthusiasts, who had never seen anything as good, notwithstanding frequent visits from Auckland senior champions.

MISS PURDIE’S POTENTIALITIES In Miss Islay Purdie Otago has a splendid swimmer in process of development. Her potentialities impressed critical Auckland experts even more than those of Jarvis. It is only hoped that Dunedin will give her every sound opportunity to take full advantage of her talents. One Auckland critic considers Miss Purdie the fastest female over a furlong in the Dominion, and said that on time she should hold the present national senior champion, Miss Mona Leydon, of Auckland, who was a spectator of the race. Her best effort is 2min 46 2-ssec in capturing the title at Auckland last February.

Miss Purdie was aided in breaking the record by Miss Gotlieb (Wellington). who sot the pace for the first 100yds. Miss Purdie stayed about a .yard behind her, and then moved up to be equal at the 100yds wark in 09 4-ssec. Right from this turn she opened up a gap, transforcing the race into a procession and winning by 11yds. The holder of the title, Miss Dorothy Symori (Southland), was well beaten into third place. This girl failed to realise her early promise of two years ago, and while keeping her. present stroke can definitely be excluded from any prospect of prominence in big swimming later on. Miss Purdie’s stylo was easily the most effective and attractive, her time being an improvement of nearly lOsec on her form in winning the Otago championship. In her and Syd. Jarvis, as well as other Otago youngsters yet to qualify for their names on the results board, Otago has rich resources for the future. This is in contrast to Auckland, the present holders of the Yaldhurst Shield, the senior interprovincial trophy, whose juniors and intermediates are not ex-

pected, even by AucklanderSj to again a point for the War Memorial Shield at this meeting. If Dunedin peope do not appreciate the capability of their swimmers it is time they did. SYD. JARVIS WINS.

Aucklanders were exceedingly hopeful that Pascoe would vanquish Jarvis, but began to feel uneasiness before half the distance was swum. Both boys were level practically stroke for stroke, but it was obvious that Pascoe was compelled to expend more energy than Jarvis, who was stroking in easy fashion, apparently having Pascoe’s measure. At 300yds in 3min 43sec Jarvis crept to the front from the push off into the tenth lap, and Pascoe’s fatigue emphasised his own vigour. He forged ahead, and a final sprint assured him of the title again by 10yds. Pascoe beat his team mate, Goldsmith, by 30yds. . Creditable though Jarvis’s performance was for fresh water, it bore no comparison with the record of the Aucklander, Noel Crump, at a shade over smin Msec, and it seems unlikely that Jarvis will eclipse this before graduating as a senior. However, he will be a great asset in, middle distances and distances. It was unfortunate that the South Auckland Centre, conducting the championships, arranged speeches of welcome by the president (Mr E. ClaytonGreene), and the mayor (Mr J. R. Fow) immediately prior to the quartermile boys being marshalled on the board. They then had to stand back, being kept in the cold air fully 10 minutes. AMAZING PERFORMANCE BY MAORI GIRL. The most amazing swimmer ever produced in New Zealand is Miss Nawi Kira, the winner of _ the 100 yards junior girls’ championship. During the last two years rumours had been heard in Auckland of the little Rotorua girl, but her remarkable ability was dismissed as exaggerations, but Nawi firmly quashed scepticism, using a stroke which was the essence of effortless and fascinating movement; Its effectiveness was increased by perfectbalancing leg work, and racing with the assurance of, a.;, veretan', she absolutely outclassed the field and won by six yards from the unusually accomplished Aucklander, Miss Marjorie Black, in 67 l-ssec. This lowered Miss Dorothy Symons’s two-year-old record by 1 2-ssec, registered in fresh water which is at least a second slower than salt water. Miss Kira’s time justifies her being ranked as good on last season’s performances as the speediest senior ladies. Furthermore, her time has been bettered in senior national championships only by Misses Ena Stockley, Marie Farquhar, and Edna Rainey, three of the greatest sprinters produced’ in New Zealand, merely by fifths of a second, and the wonder of it is that they had the advantage of salt water. Properly handled—and Coach J. Perrin can be relied upon to' do this—Nawi should become a worldbeater. At the moment Nawi is the idol of the Hamilton crowd, as whose representative she has gained one shield point. Mick Shanahan, formerly of Otago and Auckland, was beaten into third place in the junior boys’ breast stroke, won by a promising Wellington lad, L, Robertson, but the time was 2 4-osec above the record of G. Chambers (Otago). Results:— 440 YARDS INTERMEDIATE BOYS’ CHAMPIONSHIP. First Heat.—S. W. Jarvis (Otago) 1, J. Franks (Nelson) 2, H. Goldsmith (Auckland) 3. Also started: B. Christie (Hawke’s Bay), N. Stokes (Canterbury) . Jarvis was never seriously troubled, and won ns he liked by 15 yards. Goldsmith being 10 yards back. Time, smin 44 2-ssec. Second Heat.—A. Pascoe (Auckland) 1. J. Leslie (Taranaki) 2, M. Cleary (Auckland) 3. Also started: T. Richards (Wellington). Won by 10 yards, with the third man two yards back. Time, 6min 3 4-ssec. Final. Jarvis 1 Pascoe ... 2 Goldsmith 3 Won by 10 yards. Time, smin 33|-sec. 100 YARDS JUNIOR GIRLS’ FREESTYLE CHAMPIONSHIP. First Heat.—Miss Nawi Kira (South Auckland) ], Miss J. M‘Donald (Southland) 2, Miss B. Hobson (Canterbury) 3. Also started: Miss S. Richardson (South Auckland). Won by eight vards, with a yard between second and third. Time, 68 l-ssec—a New Zealand record. Second Heat.—Miss M. Black( Auckland) 1. Miss P. Watts (Wanganui) 2, Miss M. Brown (Auckland) 3. Also started: Miss J. Wright (Auckland). Won by two yards, with five vards between second and third. Time, 71 3-ssec. Final. Miss Kira J Miss Black 2 Miss M'Donald 3 Won by six yards, with 12 yards between second and third. Time, 67 l-ssec. 75 YARDS JUNIOR BOYS’ BREASTSTROKE. First Heat.—T. Mitchell (Canterbury) 1, J. Cameron (Southland) 2, B. Ingram (Otago) 3. Won by a yard and a-half, with syds between second and third. Time, 61sec. * Second Heat. —L. Robertson (Wellington) 1, M. Shanahan (South Canterbury) 2. Only starters. Won by a yard. Time, 59sec. —Final. — Robertson 1 .Mitchell 2 Shanahan 3 Time, 58 4-ssec.

‘>2o YARDS INTERMEDIATE GIRLS’ FREESTYLE. First Heat.— Miss T. Purdie (Otago) I. Miss K. Gray (Auckland)- 2, Miss J. Finlayson (Auckland) 3. A-* BO started: Miss W. Pango (South Auckland). Miss Finlayson hung to the winner until a lap had been covered, and Miss Purdie then drew out to score an easy win by 10yds. Tune, 2mm 5656 C Second Heat.—Miss L. Gotließ (Wellington) 1, Miss D. Symon (Southland) 2 Miss J. Melhose (Auckland) 3. Also started: Miss T. Alleman (Taranaki). Won by lOvds, with syds between second and third. Time. 3mm I 2-ssec. —Final. — Miss Purdie 1 Miss Gotlieb f Miss Symon d Miss Purdie and Miss Gotlieb swain almost level for the first 100yds winch was covered in 70sec. Miss . Gotlieb then began to find the pace too much for her, and the Otago girl went on to win comfortably by 11yds, Miss Symon being 7yds back. Time. 2min 50 3-ssec —a New Zealand record. JUNIOR GIRLS’ DIVING CHAMPIONSHIP. Miss P. Watts (Wanganui) 1 She was the only competitor. SHIELD POINTS. Otago 2 Wanganui 1 South Auckland 1 Wellington 1