SWIMMING.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXII, Issue 15515, 16 January 1911, Page 8

SWIMMING.

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. OPENING CARNIVAL. NEW RECORD ESTABLISHED. United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, January 14. Tremendous interest was displayed to-day in the first of the Australian amateur championship swimming carnivals. There was an attendance of seven thousand people at the municipal baths in the Domain, and as many were turned away. The following are details of the racing:— 1320Yds AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP. W. Longworth, New South Wales . . 1 C. Healy. New South Wales ... 2 F. E. Beaurepairo, Victoria . . .3 F. W. Springfield (Queensland) and H. Hardwick (New South Wales) also started. The spectators expected to see a race between Healy and Beaurepaire, but Longworth led from the first lap and steadily forged ahead. Healy and Beaurepaire raced together until eleven hundred yards had been covered, when they began a spurt which they maintained for the remainder of the journey. Longworth won by twenty yards, and Healy was three yards ahead of Beaurepaire. Hardwick and Springfield finished, but they were a considerable distanco behind. Longworth used the crawl leg action and the trudgeon arm movement. His time was six seconds better than Healy's recent Australian record and twenty-two seconds better than Beaurepaire's fastest performance, being 17min 42sec.

NOTES ON THE CHAMPIONSHIPS. The Press Association has omitted from its message the result of the 100yds championship, which also was decided on Saturday. It has sent, however, a brief description of the race, stating that it was a great struggle, the three placed competitors finishing almost together, and the only other starter, C. Graham (Queensland), being a yard behind. Healy, the previous holder of the title, would certainly be one of the placed men, and on his recent form it was confidently expected that he would win the sprint championship. Beaurepaire was nominated by Victoria for the event, and probably competed, and the third placed competitor would be a New South Wales representative, probably either Hardwick or L. Solomons.

This year the championships have been divided into two section's, to be decided at Sydney and at Brisbane. The 100yds, 440yds and 1320yds and one of the breast>stroke events were allotted to Sydney, Brisbane taking the ,220yds, 880yds and 1760yds and the second breast-stroke event. The second of the Sydney carnivals will be held to-day, and the Brisbane carnivals on January 21 and 25.

For some time past swimmers in all the States have been keenly interested in the preparations for the championships, and it was expected that they would attract a great deal of attention m Sydney. The principal factor in creating this great interest was the anticipated meeting of Cecil Healy and F. E. Beaurepaire in the long-distance events. Beaurepaire is fresh from his Enghsh and European tour, during which he won all the English championships and established new records in the principal swimming centres of Europe. Healy has been the sprint champion of Australia for a number of years, but prior to this season' ho had not competed in a long-distance race since 1906. He announced his intention recently of competing against the allconquering Victorian champion over all distances, and his decision aroused intense interest. On January 7 Healy established a new Australian record for three-qunrters of a mile, and as he had made tresh records for 150yds and 100 metres already this season he was obviously in remarkably fine form, while Beaurepaire also has done some good work since his return from abroad. It was recognised, moreover, that New South Wales was exceptionally strong this season, Hardwick", who swam second to Beaurepaire in four of last year's championships, and Longworth both having shown godd form. Longworth's success in the 1320yds championship, which is included in the programme this year for the first time, was not anticipated, and he must have improved rapidly of late to accomplish so fine a performance.

OPAWA CLUB. The eighth annual carnival of the Opawa Swimming Club was held in tho bath en Saturday afternoon, in ideal weather, and the racing was good, many close finishes creating! a great deal of excitement. Tho juddes were Messrs E. H. Turner, C. Ferrier, E. W. Wood, C. Hollis, G. Beese and A. Calvert. Mr W. E. D. Bishop was roiereo, and Messrs J. R. Buchanan, K. Bossett and P. Menzies were timekeepers. Mr A. Calvert acted as starter, and an efficient committee carried out the arrangements well. The results are as follows: WOOD CUP HANDICAP, of 220yds; prizes, trophies valued at £1 Is and 10s Gd— U. Gemmell, loseo, 1; T. M-anhire, 56sec, 2; C. Steven, 66sec, 3. Time—3min 2sec. A very close finish, all being bunched. OPAWA HANDICAP (inter-club), 75yds; prizes, trophies valued at £3 3s, £1 Is "and 10s 6d—First heat: H. Howarth (East Christchurch), 13scc, 1. J. Matthews (St John's) Osec and T. Condlifie (Opawa.) 13sec also started. Time —Gl 1-jstc. Second heat: E. Fowke (Waltham), Usee, 1. W. Tulloch (Opawa) 12sec, F. Congreve (Richmond) 13sec, W. Tucker (East Christchurch) Msec and L. Wylie (Kaiapoi) 18scc also Btarted. Time—--57 3-ssec. Third heat: H. Dower (Opawa-), Usee, 1. C. Jones (Spreydon) 13sec, L. De la Mare (Riccarton) 'ls=ec, W. Hunt (WaHharu) ISseo and .V. F. Battle (East Christchurch) Msec also started. Time—6lsec. Fourth heat: J. Malhsch (Kaiapoi) lOsec. 1. E Ad; ins (Richmond) 13-=ec, T. Payne (St John's) 13sec, R. Wylie (Kaiapoi) l-isoe and J. Wylie (Kaiapoi) 19sec alro started. Time—6l l-ssec. Fifth heat: F. Drake (East Christchurch), 3;ec, 1. C. Atkinson (Opawa) scr, W. Manhire (Addington) 4see, D. Barnfcrd (St John's! 7sec and H. Ontler (Richmond) lleec also started. Time—sl 2-ssec. Sixth heat: E. Veivm (Richmond), 10-oc, 1. J. Cooper (East Christchurch) Isec, M. Murphy (Spreydon) Bs3c. A. T. Donnelly (Christchurch) Ssec and E. Percival (St John's) 7<ec also started Time— 56 -l-3seo. Seventh heat: G. L Bull (Richmo-d). 1-cc. 1. T. O'Kecfe (East Christchurch) L. Moltzen (Opawa) Bsec and A M'Gerty (St John'*) lOfoc also started. Time --19 l-3<ec. Eighth heat: R. Wills (Sydenham). Ssec, 1. H. Rch (Opawa) 2sec and E. J. Dmglo (Eiohmond) S?ee aJso smarted Time—s 6 2-Ssec. Ninth heat: W. Cooksoii (En«t Christchurch). 2ssc, 1. L. Poison (Sydenham) -lsec, V. Atkinson (Opawa) 9sec and T Manhire (Ooswa) ISseo also started. Timers 2-ssec. Tenth heat: L. Dingle (Richmond) 2seo. 1. H. Jerred (Opawa) 3p C c, J. (Kaiapoi) 6*ec, W. Jurman (Sprevdon) 9« e e and H. W. Wilson (Addington) lo«ec also started. Time—SOsec. Eleventh heatJ. Owen (Richmond). Usee. 1. P. Mason" (East Christchurch) lseo. P. Schwartz (Addington) 3cec. G. Gemmell (Opawa) 4sec and H. Reed (St John's) lOteo also started. Time —SB '2-D3CC. Twelfth heat: H. Key (Addinirton) osec, 1. L. Aunand (Opawa) 3sec, C. Bullivant (East Christchurch) -tsec, W.' K. Butters (Richmond) 7soc and W. Higgins (Kaiapoi) lOsec also started. Time—s 3 3-Sseo. Thirteenth heat: J. Rodger (East Christchuroh), osec, 1. J. Kmulson (Richmond) Ssec and J. Boyd (St John's) 14sec also started. Time—s2 4-ssec. Semi-finals First heat: Fowko 1, Drake 3. Mallasch, Howarth and Dower also started. Time R7sec. Second heat: Velvin 1, Bull 2. Dingle. Cookson and Willis also started! Time—s7sec. Third heat: Rodger 1, Jerred 2. Key and Owen also started. T*nc—s2 i-S pec. Final: Jerred, 3soc, 1; Fowke, Usee 2Velvin, lOsec, 3. Rodger Ssec also started Won ou the touch. Time—so l-sscc.

LADIES' HANDICAP (inter-club), 50ydsprizes, trophies presented by Mr P. Menzies —Miss Mayes (Addington) 1, Mies Fabian (Addington) 2, Miss Ostler (Richmond) 3. Miss Baunton (Opawa) also started. Time 54 i-otuc.

THREE-LEGGED RACE; trophies value 10s Gd—Rich and Atkinson 1. RELAY HANDICAP .(inter-club), 200yds;

prize value £2 2s—First heat: East Christchurch No. 3, 26scc (Coulter, Collins, Tucker and Pattle) 1. Opawa No. 2,7 sec (Gemmell, Jerred, Steven and Condliffe) also started. Time -2min 37 2-Csec. Second heat: Spreydon (C. Jones, M. Murphy, J. M'Gettrick and W. Jarman), Osec, 1. Opawa No. 1 (Rich. C. Atkinson, V. Atkinson and Manhire) lsec, Richmond No. 2 (Dingle, Butters, Velvin and Newman) 4aec, East Christchurch No. 2 (Cooper, Stirling, H. Howarth and F. Howarth) 6sec and St John's No. 1 (Roed,' M'Gorty, Cook and Boyd) Bsoc also started. Time—2min 27 3-ssec. Opawa was disqualified through a swimmer not touchin"' the <--nd of the bath. Third heat: East Christchurch No. 1 (W. Cookson, F. Drake, T. O'Keet'e and L. Cookson), lsec, 1. Richmond No. 3 (Bull, Adams, Ostler and De la Mare) lsec, St John's No. 2 (Bamford, Matthews, Reed ana M'Gerty) 9scc, Opawa No. 3 (Aunand, Tulloch, Dower and Moltzen) lOsec". Kaiaooi (R. Wylie. L. Wylie, Mallasch and Purdie) 19sec also started. Time—2min 17 8-ssec. Final: Spreydon 1, East Christchurch 2. Time —2min 23seo. Opawa swam under appeal. SPRINGBOARD DIVE; trophy 10s 6d R. Wills (Sydenham) 1. SYDENHAM~CLUB. Following is the result of the 75yds Handicap, swum at the Sydenham Baths on Thursday:—First heat—L. S. Poison, scr, 1; W de Roo, sscc, 2. Second heatr—A. Cameron, Usee, 1; L. W. Gill, Osec, 2. Third heat—J. Avery, Wsec, 1; S. Ramsay, Msec, 2. Fourth heat—J. Rodger, 3sec, 1; E. Fitzsimmons, 9oec, 2. Fifth heat—R. Fitzsimmons, Usee, 1; S. Loader, 3sec, 2. Final—J. Rodger, 3sec, 1; L. S. Poison, scr, 2; J. Avory, 13sec, 3. A. Cameron 143ec and R. Fitzsimmons llseo also started.

A meeting of the Christchurch Ladies' Lifesaving 'and Swimming Club was held on Friday evening. Miss Teape, club captain, presiding. Eight new members were elected. It was decided that the ladies should give two items at the Royal Life-saving carnival on January 26, and it was also decided to apply to the Royal Life-saving Society for affiliation. ' Two club races will be decided tomorrow evening—a 50yds handicap and arace for beginners. [Pee Press Association'.] WELLINGTON. January 10. At the Thoradon Club's ealo on Saturday R. Healy covered 100yds in 63 2-se©c, C. Brice in 61seo and F. Roberts in 64 2-ssoc, all beating tho recognised New Zealand record. Brice is only eighteen years of age.