GIRL’S GREAT SWIMMING

Evening Star, Issue 23128, 30 November 1938, Page 5

GIRL’S GREAT SWIMMING

KIWI CARNIVAL HIGHLIGHTS CLIFF'S BRILLIANCE AT BACK STROKE MANY PROMISING YOUNGSTERS [Br Hooker.] The dash, style, and amaazing vitality of Christine Garvin and the fine back stroke displays of Clive Cliff were the highlights of the Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club’s carnival at the Municipal Baths last Wednesday night, their performances being exceptional at this early stage of the season. Miss Garvin has demonstrated strikingly that intensive training brings results. She thrives on hard work, and for one so slight has great reserve powers. Her splendidly relaxed style of swimming and determination were factors that contributed to the fastest

100 ever accomplished by a New Zealand woman, but her physical fitness played just as important a part. For a girl still in the intermediate ranks to return 64sec was sufficient indication of her class, but the merit of the effort was enhanced by the fact that she had already won a heat of the 50yds intremediate and junior handicap in 29sec. Her time for the 100yds was four-fifths of a second faster than either the intermediate girls’ or senior' ladies’ New Zealand record, but being put up in a handicap it will not be officially recognised. Nevertheless, the winning effort over 100yds shows that the Kiwi girl should improve still further upon existing marks, as the Dunedin water is notoriously slow; and since she is likely to be competing at both the intermediate and senior meetings at Rotorua and Invercargill respectively it is more than likely that she will leave her name on the record list for both divisions. Miss Garvin has not done much hard racing over the furlong this season, but she showed what she is_ capable of by clocking 2min 52 2-ssec in her final appearance on Wednesday night, and after staying with P. Young for two laps was narrowly beaten at .the finish for second place. Miss Garvin has the staying power, and at the Otago championships next week good time may he expected of her over 220yds as well. Cliff’s Brilliance at Back Stroke. Last season the Canterbury representative, Clive Cliff, loomed up as a threat to Peter Mathieson’s supremacy in back stroke swimming, but diphtheria on the eve of the championship meeting put an end to his challenge, and also to the possibility of a visit to Sydney for the Empire Games. . His efforts on Wednesday night indicate that he will trouble' Mathieson more than ever, for in winning the 100yds invitation back stroke handicap in 66 2-ssec. Cliff’s time was two-fifths of a second better than the record established by Peter Mathieson at Auckland earlier in the present year, and two seconds faster than Mathieson’s winning time at New Plymouth in the national championship. Cliff gets great power from his stroke, and has that same wide arm-pull latterly employed by Mathieson. A little later he won the 220yds free style handicap from the Bsec mark in 2min 41sec, and the onlookers witnessed the unusual spectacle of a brilliant exponent of back stroke holding off some of the province’s best free style swimmers from the same mark. The national championship distances are 100yds and 400 metres, and Cliff is quietly confident that he will improve upon the existing marks for both distances, so that some thrilling tussles may be looked for in the back stroke events at Invercargill. The field in the invitation hack stroke event lacked nothing in the way of quality, and a young competitor who should make his presence felt at the national meet in his home pool is the Southland swimmer, C. Martin. In receipt of 2sec from Cliff, Martin made a good showing, and was beaten only by a touch. Arthur Thomas, the Otago champion, was another yard back in third place. Thomas was off the same mark as Cliff, but did not swing into his stroke so quickly as the East Christ-

church man. However, he finished with a groat burst, and is another who will help to make the back stroke races among the most interesting at Invercargill. Dyson’s Fast Furlong. A race is never lost until it is won, and Miss Winnie Dunn, Empire Games representative, should fully realise this after her experience in the 220yds breast stroke handicap. The New Zealand ladies’ record-holder was actually placed third, but the disqualification of H. A. L. Laiug for using incorrect breast stroke when the pressure was on, and that of the winner, W. Dyson, for improving 9sec upon his declared time saw the race awarded to Miss Dunn. The Kiwi girl was by no means full out, but she swam well, suggesting that good times may be looked for from her in the coming title races. The feature of this event was the outstanding effort of Bill Dyson, Kiwi deputy-captain and Otago water polo representative. With Reg. Geddes out with a fractured thumb there seems nobody to touch Dyson in the furlong breast stroke at the Otago championships next week. His 3min 7 4-ssec was a splendid performance, and J. C. W. Davies, the Empire Games representative, is the only swimmer who has done better than that locally. Dyson finished with such a margin in his favour that there is no doubt he can improve upon

this time, and those who have followed his swimming are optimistic enough to believe he will go close to the national mark at Invercargill. Making a reappearance after a long absence from swimming, Miss Alice Gillies, the Kiwi swimmer, took second place, and her performance indicated that with training and competition she should be capable of regaining her old form. Dunedin Retains Relay Laurels. The most exciting and thrilling tussle of the evening was provided by the 133 l-3yds Otago relay championship, and, fielding a well-balanced team, Duni edih maintained its fine record in this event by winning by eight inches from Kiwi No. 1, after one of the best duels over the last lap since the inception of the event. Ted Toase and Arthur Thomas took off almost in line, and they raced neck and neck along the bath, Toase shading his Kiwi opponent by the barest margin over the last 10yds. Toase had a busy night’s swimming, and scored a well-earned; win in the final of the furlong in 2min_ 43 3-ssec, besides finishing a close third in the 50yds invitation event. Toase has been tackling plenty of distance work lately, and is now beginning to sharpen up, and from 100yds to 440yds the Dunedin captain is capable of good performances in championship competition. Peter Young is a useful all-round performer, and he carried off the interclub diving handicap, was second in the 100yds and second in the This is his first year as a senior, but with his natural swimming ability there is good reason to believe that he will _ be a successful performer at the coming championship pieoting. The tall Kiwi boy is tackling the Annette Kellerman Cup race this year, and his previous performances as a harbour swimmer suggest that he will acquit himself well. One of the most popular wins of the evening was scored by the St. Clair Club’s secretary, J. Robert, who took the 100yds free style final 72sec. “ Jimmy ” has trained hard, and the result is apparent in his improved swimming. He has smoothed out his stroke, and looks as if he will reduce his time further. Another St. Clair representative in the veteran, H. D. Gillies, swam exceedingly well for third place, and in the heats of this event _ several good performances were registered. Colin Kidd clocking 63sec, while Neil Williams and Don Reid had a neck-and-neck struggle for the former to win by inches in 65 2-ssec. The Otago ladies’ back stroke champion, Miss Elma Abernethy, showed surprisingly good form in the 100yds free style handicap, finishing second, and Miss A. Brown third. Both these swimmers have good styles, and are doing times up to championship requirements. The 50yds invitation short-limit handicap was won by C. Lawrence in 27 4-ssec, but scarcely a foot covered Lawrence, Reid, and Toase, who finished in that order. Lawrence is moving well at present, hut should not be afraid of tackling plenty of distance work. ,

Intermediate and Junior Events. The intermediate and junior events drew exceptionally large entries, indicating that there is any amount of good material coming along in these divisions. Di(?k Barrett, a K.iwi junior, won the 50yds intermediate and junior free style in 33 2-ssec in pleasing fashion. This lad has a nicely relaxed style, has a fairly high elbow recovery, and does not let his_ stroke go to pieces when the pressure is on. Eddie Dolan (who finished second) has made rapid advance this season, and the Balclutha representative, D, Williams, swam well for second place. The Zenith Club put up a very good performance to fill all the places in the 33 l-3yds interclub handicap (under 12),'the swimming of some of the more prominent indicating that, there is no lack of good swimmers in this division. The winner was Miss M. Bode, a daughter of the Zenith Club’s secretary, Mr J. R. Bode, who also filled third place in the breast stroke event. In the free style race, G. O’Sullivan, who conceded the winner 13sec, swam well for third place, Miss M. Wilson being second. Miss Betty Stewart won the 33 l-3yds breast stroke handicap under

12. and showed something of the form revealed by her elder sister the_ New Zealand junior champion. _ Y. Simonsen, who finished second, is a breast stroke swimmer, of whom more will be heard.

Miss Mary Stewart won the 75yds intermediate and junior breast stroke handicap, following the disqualification of Ivan Wilson for a ssec improvement upon his declared) time. Wilson returned 58sec, and on his showing in this race should acquit himself well in the Otago intermediate 100yds championship. Lorraine Kearns, a small junior lassie, gained second place, and another Kiwi swimmer, Marjorie Goldthorpe, was third. It is a long time since breast stroke in Otago has revealed so many swimmers or such good quality.

Arthur Williams made a reappear* ahce in the interclub diving handicap, and dived well for second place, Miss Rita Smith, the New Zealand inter* mediate girls’ champion, finishing third. Several of the competitors were penalised in this event for carrying their arms wrongly in the standing header while in flight. The arms should have been out sideways instead of to the front. The junior winner was Miss Glenna Smith, a little lassie from th® Kiwi Club and formerly of Lawrence. When Ivan Hall was disqualified for exceeding his declared time by 7sec in the 66 2-3yds intermediate and junior handicap—his _ actual time was 63 3-ssec—the swimmer who should have been placed first was E. Dowland (Zenith), whose time was 62sec. Owing to some alteration in the lane numbers this was not done at the time, but the position has been rectified, and second place went to the Kaikorai swimmer. Miss A. Smith, a young sister of-the intermediate diver. The younger Miss Smith filled third place in. the diving, and a brother, R. Smith, won the! 66 2-3yds second class handicap, with the scratch swimmer, C. Sell, in second place. Smith swam rather an erratio course, but is an improving competitor. Sell was rather inclined to sacrifice relaxation for power, being prone to swing his arms rather wide. He is a very promising boy, but must watch this aspect of his swimming.