NELSON’S RECORD BREAKER OMITTED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 13 January 1944, Page 2

NELSON’S RECORD BREAKER OMITTED

I To the Editor] Sir,—Something is wrong with Nelson when it sends a team to the New Zealand swimming championships with the most brilliant young swimmer it has yet produced left completely out of the picture. I refer to the 18-year-old L. Barry who, last season, while still in the intermediate boys’ class, broke all Nelson records for any class by doing the 100 yards in 59 4-ssecs, and who last month broke another Nelson record by doing the 50 yards in 25 2-5 Until this year, no New Zealand championship meetings have been held on account of the war. This year Dominion championships are being held at Auckland next week in all grades except senior men’s, for which the programme, however, includes open races with no title allotted as so many swimmers are on active service. L. Barry, although Nelson’s fastest swimmer to date, has thus had no previous chance of racing in New Zealand championships. This year, on championships being resumed (except in senior men’s grade), he is left out of the picture as he has just reached senior age. The local Swimming Association may have acted in accordance with the rules, but it certainly does not seem right that this altogether exceptional young Nelson swimmer should never get a chance to show his form at a Dominion championship meeting. I also cannot quite follow the Swimming Association’s decision to pay the expenses or ten girls to the swimming championships and of only one boy, the other boys who are going up having to pay all their own expenses. Is it intended to make swiming a girls’ sport only in Nelson? If there is still time to have L. Barry go to Auckland as a Nelson representative,, even if only to have a fling in the men’s open events, carrying no championship title this year, I, for one, shall be most pleased to contribute £1 towards his expenses (cheque enclosed), and I have no doubt others of your readers will wish to do the same. The team leaves to-morrow—l am, etc., NELSON-BORN. Nelson. 13th January. The president of the Nelson Swimming Centre, Mr F. E. Boulton, stated to-day that L. Barry had been approached by the association and asked whether he would be prepared to go to Auckland if finances could be arranged but he had declined. In regard to the swimmers whose expenses were being met by the association, Mr Boulton said that, after trials had been held, the centre selection committee, considering the finances available, had decided that only one of the boys had attained the necessary standard to be nominated as a representative of the centre. As the others wished to travel to Auckland at their own expense, the centre agreed to include them in the team. “Certainly, at the present time the standard of the ladies’ swimming in Nelson is higher than the boys,,” said Mr Boulton. “However, a number of younger swimmers who are coming on may alter the position in a year or so.”