SWIMMING SURPRISES.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLV, Issue 22, 26 January 1911, Page 6

SWIMMING SURPRISES.

BEAUREPAIRE TWICE BEATEN.. -/ ■ . •,.■■ . ■ •■■'..'■

NEW AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONS

AND NEW RECORDS

Referring to the opening day of the Australian championship swimming meeting, which took place at Sydney on Saturday ,January 14th. the Sydney Daily Telegraph says: — "The swimming woiid of Australia was astounded on Saturday. Probably there isno other sport in which surprises are sprung less than in swimming. - But on Saturday two huge shocks were experienced—so great that the people who experineced thm could hardly brieve them. to t be true. Two mighty giants of the natatorial art suffered defeat from the most unexpected quarters in the first series of the Australian championships. "The redoubtable , Frank "Beaurepaire, the young ■ "Victorian, whose doughty deeds have been sung the world over, was beaten by two Sydney men—and badly beaten by a littleknown (to the general public) swimmer." ■ " /. LONGWORTH WINS 1320 N YARDS.

When C. Healy, H. H. Hardwick and W. Longworth (of New South Wales), F. E. Beaurepaire (of Victoria), and F. /W. Springfield of Queensland) lined up for the threequarter mile event, Longworth—a sturdy lad thick-set, and with a jaw of pronounced determination,, was practically neglected. One lap of 110 yards'had not been cast behind before Longwortli, going through the water in a fashion which reminded one a great deal of the style Dick Cavill used, was in front. Anci there he stayed until the finish, moving further and further away from the rest of the starters until he won by fully 30 yards in the world's record time for the distance of 17min 42see—six seconds better than the figures put up by Healy recently. Longworth swam up and down the long bath twelve times as if he was being drawn along on a rope, such a straight course did he keep. Not one foot did he diverge from the track—he could not have kept straighter if lie had been between the ropes, xhere can be no doubt that Healy and Beaurepaire "had decided to watch each other, never dreaming danger from elsewhere, and possibly Longworth won by more than he would have had the others not expected he would go back to them.. They were locked level twenty yards.from home, when Healy spurted, Beaurepaire following suit. .Inch by inch the Sydney man drew away until he finished , three yards ahead of the Victorian. The . times for each 220 yds were:—22oyds, 2min 32sec; 440 yds, smin 42sec; 660 yds, 8 mm 43sec; 88Qyds, llmin 42sec; 1100 yds, 14min 41 2-5 sec; 1320 yds, 17 mm 42sec. It will be seen that after the initial furlong, Longworth maintained a wonderfully even pace. Healy's time for the full distance was 18min 3sec; Beaurepaire's, 18min 5 sec; Hardwick's 18min 23sec; and Springfield's, 19min 7sec."

The Referee thus notes the action of the winner:—"lt has been said that Longworth swims the crawl

stroke. He does not. The /crawl 5 swimmer has his body steady while delving in like lightling' with either hand. * Never does he roll. Longworth's arm movement is a distinct trudgeon, as is that of Healy and Beaucgpaire, who swim very mucn. alike. Longworth and Healy use their legs as in the crawl, but leg-action alone is not the crawl stroke. '

SOLOMONS' VICTORY IN 100 , .YARDS.

! The Daily Telegraph's report of the . 100 yds championship, which was responsible for the other surprise, states the pace was crowded on from the jump; but Solomons, going great guns, had half a yard advantage when half the journey had been cast behind. They were all nearly level, Graham on the ropes, and the other three in a bunch in the middle of the bath. The excitement over the' last ten yards was tremendous. Hardwick, Healy, and Graham were gradually closing on Solomons, but the Sydney man held his lead and won by a touch. Graham was only inches behind the placed men. TJie time, 58 1-5 sec, has been beaten on several occasions, by Healy and Hardwick. HARDWICK'S GRAND FINISH.

On the second day, Monday, the principal event was the 440 yds championship, in which the competitors were C. Healy (New South Wales), H. H. Hardwick (New South Wales), W. Longworth (New South Wales), .F. E. Beaurepaire (Victoria), and F. W. Springfield (Queensland). From the start Longworth made the pace a "cracker." He turned the first lap in 9 3-ssec, Healy, Hardwick, and, Beaurepaire following in that order, which was unchanged at the end of 'the second lap.*' Beaurepaire then retired, and ih© others settled down to fight out the issue in a desperate fashion. Longworth drew away from Hardwick and Healy, the latter falling a yard or so further to the rear as the third turn* was about to be negotiated. After swinging, however, he rallied wonderfully, and apparently locked together on came the trio. Fifteen yards from the winning end Langford seemed to havi the coveted honor within his grasp; but Hardwick had, yet to be reckoned with. Inch by inch the latter crept up to the leader.

Twelve yards to go, and Hardwick ducked his head and put in a few hard strokes, and the deficit was wiped off. The. remaining few feet saw Hardwick creep in front sufficiently to win by little more than a yard after one of the grittiest finishes ever witnessed in the baths. Healy was a few yards off third, and Springfield hopelessly outclassed. The laps were thrown behind in the following times: First lap, Imin 9 3-ssec;second lap, 2min 33 3-ssec; third lap, Imin 4 3-ssec; fourth lap (and finish), 5 mm 35sec. .

The records for the distance are:— English, smin 26 2-ssec, by T. S. Battersby, September 23rd, 1909; American, smin 31 2-ssec, by C. M. Daniels, February, 1907; Australasian, smin 19sec, by B. B. Keiran, January 4th, 1905.

The times of the placed men were: Hardwick, smin 35sec; Longworth, 5 mm 36sec; Healy, smin 42sec.