COUNTRY SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 22249, 29 January 1936, Page 4

COUNTRY SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

OAMARU’S BIG CONTINGENT That Oamaru is right after winning the Otago country clubs’ swimming championships, to be held at Milton on Saturday next, is shown by the fact that no fewer than 23 swimmers from Oamaru are making the trip, and from the manner in which these competitors have been training of late it is confidently expected in many quarters that the Oamaruvians will be hard to beat. For the past month, the members of the Oamaru Swimming Club have been indulging in assiduous practice, and under the able guidance of Mr J. Weir some good talent has been revealed. The members of the team will contest every event, and if conditions are favourable it will not be surprising if some fast times are registered. Following is the team chosen to represent the Oamaru Club;— Seniors.—Men : M'Laren, Jones, Miller, MTvor, Bulleid, Watson, Gemmell, G. M'Lardy, H. M'Lardy, and Young. Seniors. —Women: Misses Jones, M'Laren, Lindsay, and M. Frame. Intermediate. —Boys: Cooney, Bruce. Crawshaw, Brown, and Hpughlow. Intermediate. —Girls: Misses Gemmell, Cradock, and Woodgate. In the senior men’s events, R. M'Laren will be Oamaru’s choice, and from his recent performances he should do well. In a recent test race this competitor swam the 50yds free style in 27 3-ssec —a very creditable performance. In the ladies’ senior events Misses Jones and M'Laren are the favourites, although this section is not so strong as the men’s. Misses Woodgate and Cradock are expected to bring honour

to the club in the intermediate section. , The No. 1 relay team (M'Laren, Jones, Gemmell, and H. M'Lardy) should be hard to beat. All these swimmers can give a good account of themselves in the water, and as a combination they stand a very good chance of annexing this event. In _J;he intermediate boys’ ■ section Cooney should do well. His fastest time for the 50yds breast stroke, is 43sec, and it is_ reported that he recently bettered this time by two seconds. Brown, another very consistent swimmer, is expected to put up a good showing in the free style. Jones has swum the 100yds free style in 68sec, so that it should require a worthy opponent to upset this swimmer’s chances of success on Saturday.