Swimming: Bright Prospects for Otago Championships

Evening Star, Issue 25950, 15 November 1946, Page 5

Swimming: Bright Prospects for Otago Championships

(By Marlin.)

The Otago swimming championships, to be held on December 11 and 12 of this year, are expected to attract the largest entry for many years, and consequently there will be* keen competition for places in the team to represent Otago at the New Zealand championships .meeting at Nelson in February. As a pipe-opener to the Otago championships, the interclub carnival to be held on November 30 will afford contenders for Otago titles the opportunity to test themselves. An excellent programme of events has been arranged, including two short-limit handicap races. These two races will be for breast stroke swimmers over 220yds and back stroke exponents over 110yds. The breast stroke event will be contested" by several well-known swimmers, and it will be interesting to see how W H. Dyson and Miss Colleen Ramsay will perform. Despite a recent operation to his knee Dyson is swimming freely, and he is rapidly regaining his fitness. Miss Ramsay will have to be 1 fit to head off Miss ltena/Johnstone, who has been a regular attendee at training hours. P. F.leische, R. Peat, and Marjorie Hughes and Hazel Forsyth are other breast stroke swimmers who will have to be reckoned with. During her tour of Australia Ngaire Lane will be swimming in back stroke

! races over 110yds, and the short-limit handicaps arranged over this distance at the interclub carnival will afford her the opportunity of a trial under competitive conditions at the distance 10yds longer than that which is used in New Zealand competition. Trevor Wilson, whose swimming continues to improve, will also take part in this event. It is interesting to note that he has been experimenting with the more expeditious somersault turn. Dave Doake, a -.former Southland swimmer, will also contest the back stroke event, and Jean Stewart will be prominent. Among the starters in the 100yds free style handicap, W. J. Jarvis, T Logan, L. Wilson, and possibly S. W. Jarvis and C. Sell, should have a great rluel. The Jarvis brothers are - both swimming well, and T. Logan, of the University Club, has always been capable of good times over 100yds. There is a good variety of events for inter- ! mediate and junior swimmers, and an ! innovation is the 50yds free style hanj dicap, which will attract good entries of more than useful sprint swimmers. An event of this nature will provide thrilling finishes. There are also diving events for all ■ classes, and the form of Jack Stewart, Vie Eckhoff, Graeme Sinclair, and Mayzod Reid in particular will he watched with interest. Jack Stewart is diving right up to standard, and Vic Eckhoff has been successfully attempting some of the more difficult dives. Miss Lane’s Australian Tour. Ngaire Lane, accompanied .by her manageress, Mrs E. C. Isaacs, will leave Dunedin on December 28 to compete in the New South Wales and Australian swimming championships. She will cross the Tasman by air on New Year’s Day, and on January 4 she will compete in a 55yds invitation back stroke race which will be held in conjunction with the New South Wales swimming championships. On the same day, preparatory to competing in the 110 yards back stroke championship on January 7, she will swim back stroke ih the 110 yards free style championship. Under the supervision of her coach. Miss Lane is at present undergoing a thorough training programme, and she is swimming easily and appears fit at this stage of her preparation. Her arrival in Australia just before the New South Wales championships should suit her admirably, as the hot weather which will be predominant at that period of the season will not have time to affect her. The dates for her visit to Melbourne have not been settled. Australian Visit. An itinerary for the visit of a team of Australian swimmers to the Dominion shortly after the New Zealand championship meeting is still under discussion, but an offer of the appearance of this team at 10 other centres as far north as North Auckland and as far south as Invercargill has been made.