SWIMMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13355, 8 December 1906, Page 10

SWIMMING.

The newly-formed City Swimming Club will open their club season in the -Albert■street baths on Wednesday evening. The committee have decided to hold a 72yds open handicap, a neat header contest, also open, and a 50yds handicap race for boys. An entrance fee of 6d will be charged for the open events, but. in order to encourage the boys no entry fee- is required for the boys' race. All swimmers should enter largely for the events, for it will depend upon the swimmers/ themselves in this respect as to what sort, of programmes they will receive later in the season.

There was a good attendance of the members of the Y.M.C/A. Club at the bath, last Monday evening, but: there is apparently much apathy among a lot of the members, for they have not turned up as they might. I might suggest that the committee put on a handicap race for the members, or an open event, with a minimum entry, to see if the swimmers ctin be induced to attend in larger numbers./ Members of the other clubs might also;' attend, if possible, the club evenings, of other clubs, and so assist one another. -1

At a meeting of delegate* ■■ from the Y.M.C.A.. City, and Auckland Swimming Clubs, held last evening, it was unanimously decided to form a swimming centre in Auckland as a. branch of the New Zealand Association. Mr. J.) G.-Mitchell was elected lion, secretary,; and Mr. Sinclair chairman of .the centra pro tern. Other details were arranged. tfU'S.' . . . The Now Zealand Swimming Association i« giving much attention to th» human** branch, and arc putting the whole matter on a working basis, with, I understand, a sub-centre to more directly control it. Miss Beatrice Kerr, the Australian, who recently went to England in the expectation of" rivalling, if not eclipsing. Miss Kellerman's feat* in the water, is very highly thought of in the Old Country. Recently in an exhibition swim, and clad in a heavy costume, she covered 100 yds in lilt. 22 2-58. A writer in the Athletic News comments as follows on the youthful Australienne:--"When 1 had the* pleasure of seeing Miss Kerr's gracefully poised figure at the end of the spring-board ready for her "back front" dive she appeared to nic as a picture of grace, activity, and refinement. A pleasing face, fine "carriage, clean, wellformed limbs, and slightly stronger in colour than the average English girl, she depicted an admirable type of physical beauty. She is not tall, but this does not militate against her: so graceful and subtle are the lines and so harmonious her proportions. When a display of ornamental swimming lias been announced I have generally dubbed it slow, and, with resignation, waited for the next item. This exhibition kept me aero;? with interest right from the commencement. According to Mr. W. T. Kerr, a wellknown Sydney sport, who has returned from an eight months' trip abroad, the 100 yds English swimming championship race was one of the most exciting he ever witnessed. He never saw a more adept turner than Daniels, the American champion: ho rounded from one lan to the other like a fish. Healy, on the other hand, turns badly, and it. was that, which cost him the championship. Daniels gained the honour by a touch only. Hcaly had the sympathy of the. crowd, because it was evident that the faster and better swimmer had been defeated. Miss Fletcher, the 15-year-old girl who recently won the 100 yds ladies' championship of England, subsequently won the Midland Counties championship, and followed this up by carrying off the Leicester ladies' senior championship, 100 yds. in Im. 215., which is 3s. better than the record made by herself when she won the English championship.

SUGGESTED TOUR OP BILLINGTON. "Concerning Billington's proposed visit to Australia (says Mi. W. H. Mitchell iu the Referee) i understand Mr. C. Barstard, of Adelaide, is negotiating with Billington for a visit, this year. Billington was very keen on visiting Australia, and should suitable, terms be offered would surely come. If Dick Cavil! wete in anything like" championship form it would be worth anything almost to see the pair in a contest at any distance from 300 yds to a half-mile. Billington has improved vastly the last two seasons, and is. I think, the best living swimmer from 300 yds to one mile. In the half-mile championship of England last year Billington was well inside Cavill's English record of 11m. 10s., though only swimming second to the late B. B. Kieran. Again this'vear. according to, English files, Billington 'is still in groat form. His 300 yds at Lister Drive Baths. Liverpool,'a few mouths back, done in 3m. 555., is' a first-class i>erformance. He cut out the first 200 in 2m. 195., and on* that swim must have done the 220 in about 2m. 345. It is rather a pity he was unavailable for the English championships this year, as a good race would have resulted between Heaty and Billington over 220. Healy would have done much better time with a fast man alongside hire. If Billington does come, and I think he will, Cavill should be persuaded to seriously train and do'himself justice in a series of contests against. Billington." Cavill is at present engaged in giving displays in connection with Wonderland at'the Christchurch Exhibition. . "