GIRLS TOPPLE EMPIRE SWIMMING RECORDS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23174, 9 February 1950, Page 3

GIRLS TOPPLE EMPIRE SWIMMING RECORDS

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 9. Til an afternoon of brilliant swimming in Empire Games events at the Olympic Fool yesterday afternoon, Scotland and Australia each took two titles and England one.

Helen Gordon, of Glasgow, in winning the 220yds. women’s breaststroke not only gave Scotland its first title but set a new Empire Games record of 3min. I.7sec., slicing substantially from the previous record of 3min. C.Ssec. set by D. Storey in 1038.

Scotland's second success came in the tower diving which P. Hcatly won by -i convincing points' margin.

More brilliant swimming was seen ! when the Australian, Judy Joy Davies, took the 110yds. backstroke title in ! lmin. 18.65ec., equalling the Empire j Games record established by the New 1 Zealand girl, .1. Stewart, in the heat

of this event on Monday night. Today, however, the New Zealander could not do belter than lmin. lO.lsec in finishing second to Miss Davies. Her performance. however, still improved on the Empire record which had existed until she lowered it on Monday. Tlie South African girl, Joan Harrison, struck top form to clip a cool eight seconds of! the British Empire Games record for the -140yds. freestyle, winning her heat in smin. 31sec. The race was swum at such a pace that England's M. O. Wellington, who finished second, and the New Zealander, Winifred Griffin, in third place, also broke D. J. Green's 1938 record of ■lmin. 39.75ce. This record was broken yet again by Judy Joy Davies, who won another heat in smin. 39.65ec. The surprise of these heats was the failure of the Australian, Marjorie McQuade, to qualify for the final on Friday.

The men’s 220yds. breaststroke final provided a spectacular duel between the Australian Hawkins and the Englishman, Romain. Hawkins won by a touch but Edna Child compensated by winning the women’s springboard diving for England from the Australian, Noeline Maclean by two points. Auckland's favourite “Buddy’ Lucas was beaten by the Australian, Graham Johnston, in the first heat of the 440 vds. freestyle but Lucas, who qualified for the final on Friday, had the satisfaction of covering the distance m 4min. 58.05ec., the best time yet recorded by a New Zealander. 220yds. Women’s Breaststroke. —Final: 11. Gordon (Scotland), 3min. l.Tsec. (breaks Empire Games record), 1; N. Lyons (Australia), 3min. 3.6 sec„ 2; E. Church (England), 3niin. 10.3 sec„ 3; I. Strong (Canada), 3min. 17sec., 4; B. Hosking (Australia), 3min. 21.9 sec. 5; M. Sweeney (New Zealand), 3mm. 28.2 sec., 6. , _ 440yds. Freestyle.—First Heat: G. Johnston (South Africa), 4min. 58sec., 1; F. Lucas (New Zealand), 4mm. 08.9 sec., 2; A. Gilchrist (Canada). smin. 10 sec., 3; R. Legg (England), smin. 15.9 sec., 4; D. Arndt (Ceylon), smin. 38.1 sec., 5. Second Heat: D. Agnew (Australia), smin. 2.75 cc., 1; M. Amos (New Zealand), smin. O.lsec., 2; J. Hale (England), smin. 7.2scc, 3; L. Portelance (Canada), omin. 18.2 sec„ 4. Third Heat: B. Kellaway (Australia), smin. l.tisec., 1; D. Bland (England), smin. ssec„ 2; J. Portelance (Canada), smin. 7.9 sec„ 3; N. Chambers (New Zealand), smin. 14.1 sec., 4. Qualifiers for Friday's final are Johnson, Lucas, Agnew, Kellaway, Bland and Amos, 110yds. Women's Backstroke—Final: J. Davies (Australia), lmin. 18.65ec., (equals Empire Games record), 1; J. Stewart (New Zealand), lmin. 19.1 sec„ 2; M. Yate (England), lmin. 20.5 sec„ 3; J. Hollo (Australia), lmin. 22sec., 4; M. Girvan (Scotland), lmin. 22sec., 5; P. Seymour (Australia), lmin. 23.55ec., 0.

Women’s Springboard Diving, three metre board. —(Aggregate points awarded on Tuesday’s and yesterday’s sections): E. Child (England), 12G.58pt5., 1; N. Maclean (Australia), 124.59pt5., 2; L. Hunt (Canada), 115.33pt5., 3; E. Buchanan (Canada), 106.15pt5., 4; P. Barnett (Australia), 104.55pt5., 5; M. Reid (New Zealand). 104.29pt5., 6: J. Carpenter (New Zealand), 95.88pt5., 7; B. Moore (New Zealand), 93.30pt5., 8. llOvds. Backstroke. —First heat: I. Wiid (South Africa). (J9.sscc., 1; A. Kinnear (Scotland), 70.5 sec„ 2; P. Salmon (Canada), 73.Gsec.. 3; F. Stevens (Australia) 74.55ec.. 4; R, Gibbs (New Zealand), 78.75ec., 5.. Second Heat: J. Brockway (Wales), 68.85ec., 1; P. Mathieson (New Zealand), 73.75ec., 2; P. Kendall (England), 74,Gscc., 3; L. Beaumont (Canada), 75.45e'c., 4. Qualifiers for Friday’s final are: Wiid. Brockway, Kinear, Salmon, Mathieson and Stevens.

Tower Diving, 10 metre platform.— (Aggregate points awarded on Tuesday’s and yesterday’s sections) P. Heatly (Scotland), 156.07pt5., 1; G. Athans (Canada), 145.3fipts., 2; F. Murphy (Australia), 129.40pt5., 3; J. McCann (Australia), 128.72pt5., 4; J. Bourke (Australia), 124.14pt5„ 5; W. Jaine (New Zealand), 115.28pt5„ G. 440vds. Women’s Freestyle.—First

Heat: J. Harrison (South Africa), smin. 31.1scc. (beats Empire Games record), 1: KI. Wellington (England), smin

37.75 CC., (also breaks record) 2: W, Griffin (New Zealand), omin. 38.45ec.. (also breaks record) 3: M. McQuadc (Australia). smin. 4G.3sec., 4; S. Gaddum (Ceylon), Gmin. E\2sec., 5. Second Heat: D. Norton (Australia), omin, 40.3 sec 1; G. Wood (England), smin. 4G.7sec. 2: IT. MacKenzie (Now Zealand), smin. 47.iisec., 3: K. McNamec (Canada). smin. 52.55 cc., 4. Third Heat: J. Davies (Australia), smin. 39.Gsec., (also breaks Empire Games record), 1: L. Preece (England), smin. 43.25ec., 2; M. Girvan (Scotland), Gmin. 7.Gsec.. 3, (Only starters). Qualifiers for Friday’s final are; Harrison. Wellington, Griffin. Norton. Davies, Preece. 220yds. Breaststroke. —Final: D. Hawkins (Australia), 2min. 54.15ec.. 1: R. Romain (England). 2min. 54.25ec., 2: R. Sharpe (Australia), 2min. sG.Bsec., 3; J, Shanahan (New Zealand). 2min. 59.85ec.. 4: T. Engle (New Zealand), Gmin. 2.95ec.. 5: C. Callan (New Zealand), 3min. 9.Bsec., 6.