SWIMMING

Evening Star, Issue 23861, 16 April 1941, Page 2

SWIMMING

NOTES AND COMMENTS

[By HooKiiU.l

Proficient All-round Waterman. W. J. Booth has built up a fine record as a proficient all-round waterman in the last lew seasons, and when he carried off the senior cup at the Otago Boys’ High School sports last week it was fits third school (Ihampiouship in successive years. His times were good—2B 4-sscc for 50yds free style, 68sec for 100yds, and 2rain 54 2-ssec for the furlong. He also won the 66 2-3yds breast stroke in th,e smart time of 50 l-ssoc. It was as a breast stroke swimmer that he first won success in the Kiwi Club, and while attending the North-east Valley School he also showed ability as a diver. In- tihe last year or two me has developed into one of the most promising water polo players in his club, and when an Otago intermediate representative side beat Southland by 4 goals to 0 recently. Booth proved an able skipper. A boy of fine physique, Booth has only to concentrate on obtaining more smoothness in style to register impressive times at free style. So far as his breast stroke is concerned, ho is capable of holding his own with some of the best in the intermediate division. Following His Brother. Winner of tihe senior diving championship and of the open neat dive at - the Otago Boys’ High School sports last week was Co-liu Freeman, a younger brother of the Otago champion direr and coach, Doug. Freeman. Colin gave a good display, and if he acquires similar proficiency with his fancy numbers as he has shown, in his plain diving ho sliould acquit himself well in interclub competition. Highly Promising Breast Stroke Exponent. Every carnival that has been held in Dunedin has served to stress the number of promising young breast stroke exponents with which the province abounds at the present lime, and one of the meet proficient of them is P. Fleisohl, who set a now junior record of 23 3-sseo for 33 l-3yds breast stroke at the Otago Boys’ High School sports last week. This was a fine effort, but Flcischl went one better when, swimming scratch in a handicap event, he returned 23sec fer the length. He lowered the only record to fall at the High School meeting, and similarly when the Technical High School girls held their sports earlier last week the only record broken was credited to a breast stroke exponent. This was Marjorie Hughes, who won the 33 l-3yds jupior (under 14) breast stroke in 28 3-ssec, one-fifth of a second faster than the record. Miss Hughes, who is a pupil of Miss Winnie Dunn, is one of the most promising breast stroke swimmers in junior competition at the present time. Country Swimmer to the Fore. T. E. Wilson, the Roxburgh youngster, who has been a prominent competitor at the Country Club’s championship meeting in the last two or three years, is now at : tending Otago Boys’ High School, and he performed impressively last week to win the junior cup, taking the 66 2-3yds free style in 47sec,' the 100yds in 77sec. and the diving. When he grows a little, he promises to develop into o first-rate exponent of free style, and is also a pood performer on the diving boards. Wilson has had the advantage on a number of occasions of coaching from Mr D. C. Bannatyne when he has been conducting “ Learn to Swim ” campaigns at Roxburgh, and possessed of a lot of natural ability, he should make a name for himself in the swimming world. Technical School Girls’ Champion. Rena Johnston, the Technical High School girls’ champion, scored four wins at her school sports last week, and though; she specialises in breast stroke also showed; promising form at back stroke. A first-season-intermediate swimmer, Miss Johnston; a pupil, of Mr Hr R. de GrewCphas made great- I ’improvement 'At; breast 'stroke, and should do well in intermediate('championship competition next season, when Otago will still be able to call on such performers as Noeline Peat, Phyllis Middleditch, Rena Johnston, and Betty Stewart in the intermediate class. Kiwi Club Carnival. The Kiwi Club is holding a club -carnival at the Municipal, Baths next Tuesday night, and handicap events for swimmers of all ages have been included on the programme. A good deal of interest is attaching to the remainder of the cup events to be staged, these including the club diving championship for the Murdoch Cup, the intermediate diving championship for the Vernon Agnew Memorial Cup, the 50yds junior, girls’ breaststroke scratch race for the de Crewe Gup, and the 50yds under 12 (on October T last) girls’ breast stroke scratch race The diving events will bo contested by . Jack Stewart (the New Zealand intermediate boys’ champion), Jim Purdie (runner-up in the New Zealand ■ championship), Miss Mavis Strong (runner-up in'the New Zealand intermediate girls’ champion-, ship), Colin Sell, lan Johnston, and Dbug. Freeman. Freeman and Johnston will compete only in the club championship. ; A novel attraction will bo a water polo match between a ladies’ team and an intermediate and junior team, and a four-a-side family relay has also been included. Surfer’s Brilliant Double. Completing a brilliant double, Bob Newbiggin of Cook’s Hill, won the senior surf and belt dhampionships of New South Wales at Bondi recently. Newbiggin started in the surf final exactly eight minutes after his belt- swim. Although hard pressed, he kept his lead and finished strongly. An all-time record crowd of more than 12,000 paid £528 for admission. It was estimated by officials that more than 4,000 were turned away. This • was -the third time in four, seasons' Newbiggin. has won a big surfing double.' In 1937-38 and 193839 he won the junior surf and belt titles of Australia. Last season be won the Australian senior surf championship. In the oninion of exports, he has proved himself the greatest surfer Australia has produced. Lectures On Resuscitation. At last week’s meeting of the Auckland branch of the Royal Life Saving Society, nn account was given- by -Mr Alan Gardner, chairman of the Auckland Surf Life Saving Associtaion, of the tour he recently made of the Dominion to explain and demonstrate on behalf of the New Zealand Council of the Royal Life Saving Society the Schafer method of resuscitation to all organisations interested in it,, particularly those associated with the emergency precautions scheme. His excellences, he said, had convinced him tha t the .public was. keenly interested in the work, and that there was great eagerness to leam the correct method of resuscitation. The need for life-saving methods was great in peace as well as in war. Itwas resolved by the meeting to recommend the New Zealand Council to have Mr Gardner’s work acknowledged by the centra) executive. It was stated that Mr Gardner had already been awarded the distinguished service medal, for which he could receive stars. It was submitted, however, that Mr Gardner should be appointed an honorary life governor of the society.