SWIMMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13672, 13 February 1908, Page 9

SWIMMING.

' H. Baker, the 300 yards New South Wales State champion, did not. defend his title, on the last occasion in Sydney, 0. Healy (East Sydney), 11. Hardwick (Sydney) A Hill (Mosman), A. Brett (Balmain , and 0. Dickman (Pyrmont) were the start, ers. Healy won by 25 yards in 3m. 56 2-58., • which must be fated an excellent performance, seeing that the condition of the water Was very unfavourable for fast time. Wardwick and Dickman struggled through a • ' most exciting finish, . amid sustained applause from the crowd, and Hardwick won .the second 'prize by the touch. Hardwick a time was 3m. 51 l-ss. •'...-. 0. M. Daniels, in his book on swimming, gives the following hints which should interest local competitors:—"lf X have Leon .'• asked once 1 have been asked a hundred ■ '■■ times by ambitious youngsters whether it is best to sprint at the beginning, m the middle, or at the end of a race. The, correct way of racing in theory »3 not to sprint at all, but to find the fastest gait one can hold over the distance to go, and to hold it,-. . Unluckily, we are all such poor judges ot pace that it is next to impossible for us to ap- "'• portion our energy ..equally-over, the course , ~so that it will just run out in the last few •i ! -"yards; We either kill ourselves by early sprinting or reserve energy for a sensational finish which would have been fay better ' , employed sooner. J consider good judgment in pacing the most valuable asset to the fart swimmer. It is undoubtedly the pace that kills, the pace above the individuals normal one for the distance, and a punishing . sprint, whether indulged in at the start or at any other part of the race, is harmful ■■'■■;. and detrimental to the beat results. Distributed evenly over the entire course the extra strength needed for that fiprmfc would : -'. have made the final time better, Fust men 'are often seen to ' lay back/ sprint away from an opponent, and then slow, down, and do all torts of jockeying. Put anything you see in this line down to the galleries -and in very bad taste. A man who feels certain of victory should be enough of a sportsman not to try to bring ridicule to his opponent, and the man who is not certain .victory will find it far more profitable to swim his own race without botherjng about what his opponents are doing, and by : folding a. steady gait. To allow onc«elf' to ■f» djawit out, by an «uir)y. sprint, or to lay • pack, it always foil v."