SWIMMING

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 22 January 1927, Page 13

SWIMMING

Mi W. Poison, who has been an ardent supporter of the Swimming Club in Hawera for several years, and has cloud much, useful iwoxh for tho club, has resigned from the committee. Mr P. O. .Veale has taken his place. He also is a very keen enthusiast. The programme for the season was considered and arranged at a meeting on Tuesday. It is good advice to people who go swimming in the breakers at any beach, and especially at an open ocean beach, to be careful always to bathe on an incoming tide. Many an accident has been caused by a neglect of this advice. The Dominion championships are held to-day at Auckland, and have created tremendous interest. In view of the excellent times put up recently by Dowsett and Adamson, their meeting to-day has been awaited with very keen anticipation. One of the most unique swims ever attempted was accomplished a few weeks ago by a fifteen-years-old girl, Peggy Duncan, who swam to Dob ben Island, olf the South African coast, from Capetown, a distance of seven miles, through shark-infested waters. Twelve people attempted the feat —six men and six women —accompanied by launches carrying guards, harpoons, and guns. The party left at 10.30 a.iu. and arrived at 8.35 p.m. INSTRUCTION NEEDED. A remit will be sent forward from Auckland to the Dominion conference to the effect that an efficient instructor for both islands be appointed for the teaching of swimming and life-saving, and that the New Zealand Council approach the Government in connection with having the teaching of swimming and life-saving made compulsory throughout the schools of New Zealand. ,£j ASTONISHING TIMES. Deporting on Charlton's wonderful 880 yards race last week, the Referee gives his intermediate times: 110 yards, I min 12sec; 220 yards, 2min 28sec; 330 yards, 3min 48sec; 440 yards, smin 9 2-5 sec (Australian record); 550 yards, 6 min 30 2-ssec (Australian record), bettering Arne Borg's listed Australian 500 metres best of Omin 534 see, and Charlton's own 6min 43 4-ssee put up in his great race with Borg in 1924 over 880 yards in the Domain Baths); 660 yards, 7min 53sec; 770 yards, 9xnin 14 3-ssec; BSO yards, lOrnin 32seo. His lap times were: lmin 12sec, lmin 16sec, lmin 20sec, lmin 21sec, lmin 21sec, lmin 22 3-ssec, lmin 213-ssec, arid lmin 17 2-ssee. Charlton's time, lOrnin 32sec, reduced Arne Borg's world's record of lOrnin 37 2-ssec, put up in a 50 metres bath at Hamas in 1925, by 5 2-ssec. Previous Best Times.

tiinee 1920, when the big American, Norman Ross, made an all-conquering tour of Australia, six 880 yards world's records have been broken in the Domain Baths by the following: —1920, N. Ross, 11 min 24 l-ssec; 1922, L. Langer, llmin 16 2-ssec; 1923, A. Charlton, llmin 5 l-ssee; 1924, A. Borg, lOmin 59 l-ssec; 1924, A. Charlton, lOmin 514-ssec. The best official times by Australian swimmers are: W. J. Gormly, 12min 52see; F. C. V. Lane, 13min 18see; H. H. Hardwick, llmin 48sec; C. Healy, 11 min 36sec; R. T. Cavill, llmin 36sec; F. E. Beaurepaire, llmin 20 2-ssec; W. Longworth, llmin 31see; B. B. Kieran, llmin ll'3-ssec.

PAN-PACIFIC SWIMMING. Alderman E. S. Marks, at a reception to tie Japanese swimmers in Sydney, mentioned that when in Japan recently he realised that the Pan-Pacific movement in sport becoming a live issue. He looked forward in the near future to seeing the United States, Honolulu, Japan, the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand competing in annual PanPacific Games, to fit in with the fouryear periods of the Olympic Games. He could assure everyone that Japan had taken to sport in no superficial way, and was inculcating the true spirit of sport into her young men. Japan has taken up swimming only a few years, but he was informed by friends in Tokio that there are many other first-class swimmers over there besides the speedy young pair now touring Australia. He mentioned a 14-yeax-old youth at Manila, in the Philippines, who would astonish the world in the near future. Mr Marks, with the spirit of youth beaming from his ex perienced eye, invoked the swimming-powers-that-be to turn their eyes to Thursday Island, where, he said, there is a swimmer who is another Alick Wickham. CHARLTON’S QUARTER-MILE. Andrew Charlton, the champion Olympic swimmer, won the 440 yards championship of New South Males at the Domain Paths, deefating the: visiting Japanese swimmer, K. Takaishi, by 10 yards. Charlton’s time, was 4min. 59 4-ssecs —an Australian record —and Takaishi’s time was smin Osecs.

About 6000 people were present, a record crowd for a week night swimming carnival in Sydney, and great excitement prevailed throughout the race. Charlton (says the Sydney Morning Herald in its account of the great swim) was the first to appear on the starting board, and was given a routing reception. The champion, who appeared in fine condition, smiled in acknowledgment of the applause and the encouraging remarks of 1 officials on. the board. Takaishi received a wonderful reception, and the other competitors— Summergreene and Kelly—also came m for applause. Another burst of cheering accompanied the megaphone steward’s announcement of the positions on the board, which were: A. M. Charlton (Manly), 1; T. Summergreene (Sydney) 2; J. Kelly (Balmoral), 3; K. Takaishi (Japan). 4. Moss Christie (Drummoyne), who was also eligible to start, did not take part in the race. There was a tense silence as the starter prepared the competitors. Charlton was first to reach the water, and when the competitors came to trio surface the champion was leading by about half a yard. Charlton maintained that lead over the hist 75 yards, and he was carefully watching Takaishi, apparently not being prepared to take any risk. Takaishi sprinted over the latter portion of the first lap, and at the same time Charlton fpiickened his stroke. At the end of the lap Charlton was leading by two yards. Charlton was -swimming a wonder! u. cour-se, travelling within a few inches of the 'rope at the side of his “lane throughout the. race. He was. making powerful strokes, and the visitor was swimminrr splendidly. At the end or the second lap Charlton had increased his lead to four yards. Charlton s time over half the distance was 2in in 24see. The Manly representative made a .splendid turn at the end of the second hip, and he was able to further increase his lead. The two leaders kept ‘ 4 ol tigging” along, both swimming: nt their top pare, the sterling rate being accompanied by deafening applause by the crowd. . At the end of the third lap, Charlton was leading Takaishi by five yards, the

former’s time being 3niiu. 42secs. Half way down the last lap, Takaishi appeared to tire, and Charlton came over tin.-; Just 50 yards with a great burst of speed, tho like of which has seldom been .seen in .Sydney before. I lie cheering increased in volume, and Charlton won by 10 yards. The champion did not appear to be in the least distressed as a result of his wonderful achievement, and .swam over to Takaishi, at the other end of the course and shook hands with him, amid a further round of applause. Takaishi made a remarkable swim, and both he and Charlton swam at their best. Charlton’s time—4mm 59 4-sse*cs — was an Australian record for the race, he champion’s previous record being smin. 11 4-ssecs, he having covered that distance at the Domain Boaths on January 12, .1924. The previous holder of the title. Moss Christie, covered the distance in smin 33 3-ssee. Tli-:>, world’s record is held bv Arne Borg, who established it in linin 52 3-5 eecs. at Stockholm on September 11. 1925. Charlton’s time last evening ' was within 7 l-ssoes of the world’s record a- wonderful achievement, when it is remembered that Arne Bore- swam li.is -race over a 25 yards’ course. During the evening Tnknhiro Saito unsuccessfully attempted to break the 100 yards Australian back-stroke record. field by Dr. Keith Kirkand. The latter’s time is linin 12 4-ssecs. Saito got a bad start, and covered the distance in lmin 14 2-ssec., or 2 2-sseo. more than Dr. Kirkland’s record.