BRILLIANT SWIMMING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 15, 15 December 1937, Page 10

BRILLIANT SWIMMING.

MISS LEYDON PROMINENT. EMPIRE GAMES TRIALS. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Dec. 14. The splendid triumph of Miss Mpna Leydon in recording the fastest time yet achieved for the 440 yards freestyle by a lady swimmer in Australia and New Zealand was a feature of the final trials to-night for the selection of swimmers to represent New Zealand at the British Empire Games in Sydnev. Miss Leydon gave a brilliant display of stylish swimming, outclassing her rival, Miss N. Ludlow, in smin 39 l-ssec. This was ( 1-osec better than her own Dominion record and 6 2-ssec superior to Miss D. Green’s Australian record. Miss Leydon’s time is also credited with being a record for the British Empire. The 440 yards ladies’ event at the last Empire Games, in 1934, was won by Miss P- Dewar (Canada) in smm 45 3-ssec. A praiseworthy return to form marked N. Crump’s victory in the 110 yards men’s free-stvle trial. R. B. Frankham held the lead for nearly 80 yards and had so comfortable an advantage that he appeared a, certain winner. An exhilarating sprint by Crump, combined with Frankham’s inability to sustain the pace, carried the former into the lead and he won by two yards. D. H. Symes (Canterbury) was third. Crump’s time was 62see. The nearest distance for which the national records arc recognised is 100 metres (109 yards Ift lin) and the record, held bv P. Hanan (Auckland). is 60 4-seec. In putting up this time last March Hanan covered 110 yards, and as the events to-night were swum in fresh water to comply with Empire Games conditions, Crump’s performance bears favourable comparison. The Auckland champion, Hanan, was unahle to race owing to ear trouble.

The 110 yards ladies’ race was won by Kathleen Grey, 16 years of age, in lmin 16sec, which was three-fifths of a second faster than that made by Miss Islay Purdie, of Dunedin, the first lady sprint nominee for the games, in a (trial race.