SWIMMING.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 47, 6 February 1911, Page 11

SWIMMING.

NEW ZEALAND CHAMPION*

SHIP.

BRICE WINS THE lOQyds RACE.

(PE* PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington, Feb. 4. The New Zealand Swimming opened in Wellington to-day in fine though rather chilly weather. There was a large attendance of the public, and competitors were favoured by a fair tide and smooth water. The lOQyds championship produced an excellent race, the New Zealand record being broken on three occasions. The starters in the first heat were C. Atkinson (Opawa Club, Canterbury), C. Brice (Wellington). M. E. Champion (Waitemata, Auckland). E. J. Dawson (Dunedin), and J. Grant (Hawera). Champion got away first, leaving with the crack of the pistol. His plunge was not particularly good, and Brice was the first to come to the surface a few inches ahead of Atkinson. The latter immediately forged to the front, and using the crawl stroke vigorously had nearly a yard advantage at the turn (50 yds). Champion did not appear to greatly exert himself, and was last over the first lap. Atkinson’s course became erratic, and Brice, who was swimming splendidly, rapidly caught and passed him. Not till 75yds had been covered did Champion make his presence felt. He then put in a strong claim, and forging rapidly ahead, and appearing to swim well within himself, he had established a lead of two feet from Brice when 90yds had been covered. He then slowed down, permitting Brice to win by a touch in 63 2-s«ec. Atkinson was third a yard away, and Grant and Dawson fourth and fifth respectively a couple of feet further back. G. L. Bull (Richmond, Canterbury), B. C. Freyberg (Wellington), A. O’Hare (Waitemata. Auckland), F. Seymour (Napier), and F. Roberts (Wellington) came forward for the second heat. Roberts was quickest away, and showed up from the dive a few inches in front of Freyberg. O’Hare cracked on the pace, and closely followed by Freyberg showed the way over the la* t fifty yards. At 75yds Freyberg assumed the lead, and Roberts commenced to make ground rapidly. O’Hare swam at a great pace, and though Freyberg held him off with apparent ease, Roberts was unable to catch. Freyberg touched a yard to the good, O’Hare beating Roberts by a foot. F. Seymour was fourth, and Bull fifth. The time was 65 l-ssec, the winner being the only man to get inside standard time (flfisecX The third heat was contested by L. Dingle (Richmond. Canterbury), G. Seymour (Napier), J. D. Stewart (Waitemata, Auckland), M. C. Stranger (Wellington), and C. Wilson (Waitemata, Auckland. There was a splendid start, the field getting away as one man. Stranger took the lead, accompanied by Wilson, and these two raced over the first 50 yards together. Wilson .was the first to turn, followed immediately by Stranger, with the remainder of the field well together a foot away. Over the second lap Stranger and Wilson had things all their own way. Stranger winning by about two feet, and Seymour being a yard behind Wilson third. . The final produced the best race yet seen in Wellington. The men who faced the starter were C. Brice, M. E. Champion, B. C. Freyberg, A. O’Hare. M. C. Stranger, and C. Wilson. ' As in his beat. Champion got the better of the dive, but Brice immediately got tlw lead, and over the first 50 yards gradually drew away. He turned first nearly a yard ahead of Champion, the time for the lap being 28 sec. Stranger was the next toj reach the board, followed by Frey- 1 berg. O’Hare and Wilson in that] order. Brice maintained his lead, ] and though Champion challenged | repeatedly Brice responded gamely I and did not lose an inch of his lead | Next to these two and about two feet distant were Freyberg and j I’tranger fighting out every inch ofi the ground. As the men neared the ‘ finishing board the spectators be-] came wildly excited and “Brice: wins” resounded from all sides. The pace was killing, Brice and Champion straning every nerve j Brice was ‘ crawling” beautifullv and never at any time did his stroke break or become wild. Over the last ten yards Champion put in a final bid. but Brice sprint !y finely, and, amid a scene of unpreeendenied excitement, won by nearly a yard in the record time of txlsic. Freyberg was half a yard behind Champion. Stranger a foot behind Freyberg. who were third and fourth respectively. O’Hare was fifth and Nelson sixth. M. E. Champion (Auckland). Healy (Wellington), A. McMillan (Dunedin), C. H. H. Rich (Opawa,

Canterbury), and C. Schwarz (Addington, Canterbury), and C. Wilson (Waitemata, Auckland), were the starters for the mile championship. Champion took the lead from Hie start and at the 880 yards’ mark had established a lead of 30 yards from Healy, who was swimming with Wilson, while Rich was leading McMillan and Schwarz by about seven yards, the same distance behind. Champion swam strongly and easily, and though at times he appeared to be merely amusing himself, he continued to gain at a rapid rate, and passed the winning post over 70 yards to the good in 25min 18sec, beating the New Zealand record of 25min 37sec. Had Champion been extended he would undoubtedly have broken 25min. His times for the different portions of the journey were: lOOyds 69sec. 220yds 2min 47 3-ssec, 440yds smiu 58sec (beating : the New Zealand record by 4sec), ; SSOyds 12min 33sec, and 1320yds I IBniin 50sec.

I In the first heat of the water polo championship, Wellington B. I beat Canterbury B. by 5 goals to 1. i Wellington A. beat Hawke’s Bay by 4 goals to 1. The 50 yards boys’ handicap resulted : D. Hood (9sec) 1. H. Walden (Hastings) (scr) 2, H. Jerred

(Christchurch) (3sec) 3. Time. 31 4-ssee. ' 4V yards open handicap ‘ rnans (7sec) 1. J. Knudson 2, I. R. Bridges (•2 sec) 3. Time, 32sec. LADIES’ CHAMPIONSHIP. Sydney. Feb. 5. • Miss Durack won the New South Wales ladies’ 10t> yards breast stroke swimming championship in Iniin 31 sec.

The Borough Council of Invercargill has accepted tender* in connection with the electric tramways about to be installed, amounting ui aU to £42 640. Tho H«»W I" »«“ UnrUrs spend on amuaem«»*' *•«*»*«& aS jw/and eetiniatea «ntertamnwnte ««> r<»pons»bie f0r£66,000, travel and loconwtion raeiog £396,002. and sportafi 2Booo > or a grand total of £54/,902. The Otira tunnel has been completed at the Otira end for a distance of 531 chains, and the bottom headmg t> 91 chains 61 links m. end the bottom heading is in and the lining is < oml^’ d £ P J° " chains. Tlm> woJk there is no possibility of the work beTng completed in the contract time. St” The t<» face enormous difficulties, win b were increased by the fact that this is the first really long tunnel m th< world whose dimensions have been on such a small scale. The smallness ot the tunnel makes the handling of spoil extraordinarily difficult. Nature’s Embrocation— Rockes Eucalyptus Oil- The finest that Australia produces. There s “ something ” distinctive about “Rockes’.”