ACTIVE SEASON AHEAD

Evening Star, Issue 24003, 30 September 1941, Page 9

ACTIVE SEASON AHEAD

SWIMMING NOTES AND COMMENTS CLUBS HOW WELL UNDER WAY [By Hookup..] It, is anticipated in the coming season that more attention will be paid at local carnivals to the presentation of something in the nature of water pageantry which once used to be so popular. The standard of swimming in Otago is a high one, and it has been found even in the United States that the public appreciates some features on the programme other than ordinary competitive events. 'The clubs are getting well under way with their activities, and the Kiwi carnival on November 6 will probably be the iirst inlcrclub meet of the season. Bates which are to bo recommended by the outgoing committee to the annual meeting of the centre for the Otago championships are December 9 and 11. Swimmers at Trentham. W. 11. D yson, the champion breast stroke swimmer, who is an instructor in the Army School at Trentham, writes that among new arrivals in the Army School lately is Don Kerr, the Nelson competitor, who was runner-up in the New Zealand men’s diving championship at Invercargill in 1939. Ho is now in the Officer Cadet Training United. in this unit is “ Snowy ” Bowman, the All Black Rugby forward. In the Divisional Signals is Sergeant Ken Mprse, formerly of Gisborne, who has been credited with breaking the minute for 100yds and 24[min for the mile. Kiwi Handicap Competitions. Club handicap competitions will be begun at the Kiwi Club hour next Tuesday, when a start with be made with the under 12 (on October 1) and junior series. There will be boys’ and girls’ events in each section, and the first event in the under 12 classes will be a 25yds free stylo race. The under 14 event will be a 33 l-3yds free style. The programme of races is a follows:—Under 12: 25yds free style, 25yds breast stroke, 33 l-3yds free style, 33 l-3yds breast stroke, 33 l-3yds back stroke, 50yds free style. Under 14: 33 l-3yds free style, 33 l-3yds breast stroke, 50yds free style, 50yds breast stroke, 50yds hack stroke, 100yds free style. The intermediate and junior diving handicap series will be held on Thursday nights, begining on October 9. The handicap series for boys and girls under 10 will be held a little later in the season, the events being one width breast stroke, one width free style, 25yds breast stroke, 25yds free style, 25yds back stroke, and 33 l-3yds free style,

Champion Diver Shaping Well. No diver lias made more rapid advance than Miss Mayzod Reid, the young Dunedin competitor, -who won the New Zealand junior girls’ title at New Plymouth last year. She was then only 12 years of age, but had already made one appearance in the Dominion championships. This was at Dunedin in 1910,-when after only a month's preparation she took third place in the junior girls’ event. Miss Reid will defend her title this season, and she will then still have another year in the junior class. In her training activities to date she has already shown better form than when she won the championship last year.

Catering for Young Seniors. Men’s championship events have been abandoned in Otago for the duration of the war, but having regard to tho number of intermediates who have recently passed into the senior division, it was a worthwhile suggestion made at the centre meeting on Monday night that some consideration should be given to the holding of wartime championships for such swimmers as those. Boys pass out of the intermediate division at the age of 17, and if something in the form of championship competition is provided for' them their interest will not bo lost. A similar proposal was made last year, but it was not gone on with because of the lack of swimmers in the senior class. That position is bound to rule every now and then, but when there are young competitors available everything possible should be done to encourage them to improve their swimming.

Promising Intermediate Competitor. One of iho most improved intermediate swimmers in Dunedin last season was lan Chadwick, who was clocking 65sec or better for 100yds by the end of the season. Chadwick represented Otago in the New Zealand junior championships at Dunedin in 1940, and with a good preparation he has it in him to turn in impressive performances in the intermediate division this year. President To Retire. After 10 years as president of the Otago Swimming Centre, Mr W. A. Jenkins has intimated his intention to relinquish the position at the annual meeting on October T 3, and the centre has decided to honour its president at a social function on that occasion. Since the death of Mr F. E. L. Forrester Mr Jenkins has carried on the duties of treasurer, and he has agreed to continue in that office. It is the intention of the Otago Centro to nominate Mr Jen ; kins for the position of president of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association at the annual meeting of that body this month, and no better choice could be found of a man so capable of guiding the destinies of New Zealand swimming. Contender for Title. One of the moat painstaking and conscientious little divers in the country is Mavis Strong, who won the New Zealand junior girls’ title at Rotorua in 1939 and was runner-up in the intermediate title event at New Plymouth last year. The Kiwi girl has done a good deal of gym. work in the off season, and now that she is back on the hoards the results arc showing. At the present time she is concentrating on a

straight back somersault from the low board. Good displays may be expected from her in the coming season. N.Z.E.F. Swimmers. At a recent N.Z.E.F. camp swimming gathering in Cairo, the high light of the carnival was provided by Private Aratemn, of Rotorua, who won the 100yds invitation free style event handsomely from Ibrahim Kadi. 'The time, 59 3-sscc, was a baths record. The previous figures were 60 l-Sscc, made by sometime New Zealand champion Noel Crump, of Auckland. Aratemn, possessing, like all members of bis race, great initial speed, opened up an early gap and appeared only to coast in the, last half-lap. Utile is known of him, bub he is credited with a New Zealand performance of sSscc (says an exchange). He was later to meet the Cairo 100-metre champion, Valcimedes, in the Egyptian championships. Another interesting competitor at the Army carnival was Bombardier Dyer, former Australian diver, who was well known in Wellington for a year or two before the war. Dyer was a prominent all-round athlete in Sydney, and at one time was a member of the New South Wales diving troupe. Mishap to Breast Stroke Champion. Winnie Dunn, the New Zealand ladies’ champion breast stroke swimmer and recordholder, had the misfortune to injure an ankle just before the start of the field eport relay at the patriotic gala at Carisbrook on Saturday, and sbo is unlikely to be able to resume serious training for a few weeks. However, she is hern" kept very busy with the team of promising junior boy .and girl 'breast stroke exponents she is at present preparing foi the coming season’s events. Among two of her most promising pupils are Murray M‘Gro"or and Ron M’Gregor, both of whom have shown much ability in competition at the primary school championship carnival. University Club’s Keenness. The University Club has been deserving of all tho success that has come its way this year, for it is possessed of a very keen band of officials, the directing force bein" G. L. Gleeson, their very live secretary. Earlier in the year Otago carried off the Swimming Shield at the New Zealand University championships, and the success has given a great stimulus to activities in tho Varsity Club. Already attendances at tho club hour on Monday have been very satisfactory, and it is "hoped the Varsity Club will be represented at some of the early carnivals this year. Further Bid. Runner-up in the Now Zealand inleimediate boys’ diving championship last season, Jim Purdie will make another bid in tho coming season. This boy is a brother of Islay Purdie, the national ladies swimming champion, and he has it in him to produce first-rate performances on the divin" hoards. As a junior he won the New Zealand title at Rotorua, and at present is working on his compulsories. Graeme Sinclair, the promising junior diver, is also being prepared by Mr D. Freeman for championship competition, and has been executing forward and back somersaults quite nicely.