SWIMMING EVENTS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 70, 20 February 1939, Page 9

SWIMMING EVENTS

DOMINION TITLES. VETERANS TO FORE. Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Feb. 19. The leading swimmers of the Dominion provided many thrills at the Invercargill Municipal Baths last night for the concluding events of the New Zealand swimming championships. No records were broken. This was to be expected considering the _ acknowledged slowness of the water in Invercargill, but there were many fast times and the standard of the performances was excellent.

In her second senior championship race Miss Joyce Macdonald brought Southland its second title of the contests by winning the 200 metres 'women’s backstroke championship. Firmly establishing his claims to the honour of being the leading middle distance and distance swimmer of the contests, A. T. F. Stokes, the Canterbury veteran, who hns made such a wonderful “come-back” this year, won the quarter-mile men’s freestyle championship in convincing stylo from L. Newell (Canterbury), the recordholder. Stokes gave an excellent performance, winning by seven yards. Another veteran swimmer showed superiority over younger rivals in 100 yards breastroke when L. Smith (Wanganui) won by a touch from W. Dyson (Otago). Eight times breaststroke champion of New Zealand, Smith gave one of his best performances in beating a verv strong field. The Annette Kellerman Cup for the open water race swum at Bluff to-dav was won bv A. V. Osmond (Hawke’s Bay). The water was very cold and only three of the starteis finished. The Yaldhurst Shield for the province gaining most points in the championship events was won by Otago, which secured 45 points, nine points more than Canterbury. Southland and Auckland, which won the shield last year, wore third, tho final points heimr biat'o 45. Canterbury 36, Southland 33," Auckland 33. Wellington 9 Wanganui 6. Taranaki 5, Bay of Plenty 5, Nelson 3. Results:— 100yds men’s breaststroke.—First heat: W. Dyson (Otago) 1; J.■ 0. WDavies (Taranaki), 2; H. Horsfall (Canterbury), 3. Won by two feet. Time 76 4-5. Second heat: L. Smith (Wanganui'), I; K. Spry (Wellington) 2: K. Shaw (Southland), 3. Won by a vard. Time, 76 2-5. Final: Smith 1; Dyson, 2; Spry, 3. Won by inches. Time. 74 3-5. . , , 440yds men’s freestyle. —First heart A. Paseoo (Auckland), 1; A. A. T • Stokes (Canterbury), 2; W. Johnson (Southland), 3. Won by a yard. 5.32 3-5. Second heat: L. Newall (Canterburv), 1 ) P. Mathicson (Auckland), 2- D. C. Berry (Southland), 3. Won by a touch. Time, 5.32 1-5. Final: Stokes ] , Newell 2, Mathieson 3. Won by six yards. Time, 5.15 2-5. ]oovdcj women’s freestyle.—Miss C. Garvin (Otago), 1; Miss K. Grey (Auckland), 2; Miss I. Purdie (Otago), 3. Won by a touch, 'rime. 65 3-5. 220vds women’s breaststroke. —Miss \Y. Dunn (Otago), I ; Miss C. Lynch (Southland), 2; Miss J. Hannon (Southland), 3. Mon by a yard and a half. Time, 3.25 1-5.

200 metres women’s backstroke. — Miss Joyce Macdonald (Southland). .1 ; Miss Islay Purdie (Otago), 2;_ MisS Denise Mulvev (Southland), 3. Won by 60ft. Time, 3.7 3-5.

Men’s diving. —D. J. Ewert (Bay of Plenty). 95.39pt5., 1 ; D. Kerr (Nelson). 82.44pt5., 2; A. Pranks (Southhind). 75.63pt5.. 3. Women's diving.—Miss G. Rix (Otago), ]. The only competitor. 500yds flying squadron inter-centre relay!—Auckland. 1; Southland. 2; Otago, 3. Won by four yards, nine yards between second and third. Time, 5.3 3-5.

Water-polo competition, semi-film.!. • —Otago A 6, Southland A 1. Final: Otago 3, Canterbury 2. Annette Kellerman Cup, three-mile open-water race.—A. V. Osmond (Hawke’s Bay), 4.30, 1; W. B. Milne (Taranaki). Itnin.. 2; G. M. Robertson (West Coast), 2.30, 3. Tho actual times of the placed men were 1.56.25, 2.8.22 and 2.13.45. Osmond won by 700 yards, and there were ino yards between second and third. F. Clow (Taranaki), _ last year’s winner, retired after swimming a mile. ,J. Frank (Nelson) pulled out after swimming about half the course. He had no Iwat to guide him and had difficulty in keeping to the course.