SWIMMNG NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18889, 11 December 1924, Page 6

SWIMMNG NOTES.

LONG • DISTANCE RACING.

NOT MUCH INTEREST TAKEN.

FEW MEN COMING FORWARD.

"Althoueh it is somewhat early in tho season to pr-idict tho happenings of the coming period of competitive swimming, there does not at present appear to be many who are turning serious thoughts to tho question of distance swimming." states a Wellington writer. "With one or two exceptions we have not produced any du>lancfl swimmer approaching the calibre of Malcolm Champion. Take the national championship meetings of the last few year.*. Hill and Atkinson won these cvcnK axthough their best days are over, yet nobody comes forward with any senoi-s attempt to wrest tho honours from them. E. V. Cunnold for a short period bwam with marked ability, so much so tha. he lowered one long-standing distance rocord and gave every promise of being a really top-notch distance man, but subsequent events did rot bear this out. "C. Claridge, when swimming in \he intermediate grade, put up some fine performances over the half-mile, but bis evferts over distances last season did not leave tho impression that he had improved on previous efforts. N. Batchelor was another swimmer who showed great promise when compctiiiir in the intermediate grade, ana at ono stage it looked as if he would make good, especially over tho middle distances, but on his last season's performances ho, too, appears to have gone back. Keen to Win Sprint Races. It is of course, implied that these swimmers, just to mention a few, are not good swimmers. They are., but it eeems they are perhaps under-estimating their own ability or aro being misadvised as to the class of swimming that it best suited to them individually. The tendency neema to bo of late to concentrate on winning the 100 yards event at tho national championships, and although this is generally regarded is being tho blue riband of swim ing, the other events carry equally high honours, ,ind should be just as much coveted. Boy Charlton's Olympic honours were gained over a distance and he probably received greater recognition in this manner than if he had won the sprint event, so ciat in a similar, though smaller degree, tills same could .be taken to apply to our iihtional championships. "1 understand Leo Kronfeld is coming back this season, and bearing in mind his swimming of former years and his efforts during the latter end of last season. 1 do not think ho will have any difficulty in doing 68 seconds for tho 100 yards. In fact, I would go so far as to say that, if he trains aoiriously and gets into first-class condition. Le could win the Australian and New Zealand championships. What chance, then, have our other swimmers got of beating him? I believe he is t;oing to confine himself mostly to the shorter events, in which case half of his expected opponents would surely do better if.thoy trained for the longer distances."

The Return of Miss Hdeft. Miss Pauiine Hoeft, who announced about, a year ago that she had definitely retired from competitive swimming, has renounced her decision and states she Will a sain take part in races, this time as a member ot the Mount Eden Club. Recent trial swims have convinced Miss Hoeft that she can regain her form of :v few seasons ago when she was responsible for some brilliant performances. Her re-entry into tho sport will bo welcomed. As is the oas* in the swimming centres Auckland ,is threatened with a scarcity of lady swimmers and her presence at local galas wi£l do much to make up For this deficiency. Early. next vear the Hawaiian champion. . Miss M Wehselau. v. ill probably visit this city, and it is practically certain that Miss Hoeft will make a big effort to avenge the defeat which Miss Wehselau inflicted on her at Honolulu in 1922. During her retirement her 100 yds record has been lowered by Miss Shand. and the regaining of this record will apparently be another objective. Many athletes try to come back after retirement, but few succeed. It seems that during their teriod of inactivity they forget the method and lose tho stamina that once came naturally. However, Miss Hoeft's comparatively brief retirement of one season will be in her favour, and _as she has not altogether neglected swimming during that time, the should still be capable of performances eq.ua!, if not better, than th.o!ie that stamped her as one of the' world's best swimmers.

:Races at Local Carnivals.

Some promising swimmers catm> to light on Tuesday evening, when the Wnitematii Club hell 50yds club races for Indies and men. The events were not as well supported Bii they might have been, but this was counterbalanced by close finishes. W. Foster, (w.aJid A. Baird, 2s, fought out the issue lri both heat and final of the men's race, W. Johnson, 7s, winner of the second heat' swhiming third in the final. H. Adamson, the recent arrival from Ha wife's Bay, proved very fast over his favourite distance, fc.nd finished clone tip to the leaders from the scratch mark. Miss J. Bell, by witrainjr the ladies' eveiat in 31 2-ss. time equal to that of Foster, was responsible for a fine performance, and Miss A. Ba3ter also did well to secure second place. During the next few days the competitive side of swimming will be firmly established in Auckland. The Devonport Club ia holding a carnival in the Calliope .Dock on Saturday, and it needs only fine weather to mako the gathering a success. To celebrate the opening of the commodious now Mount Eden bath, the Mount Eden Club will decide a programme of events on Monday evening, and on Wednesday evenins the newly-formed Grammar Club will commence its career with a gala in the same bath. , » Wellington has cause to be jubilant over W. Cameron, the junior 300 yds national champion. Competing in n. 100 yds handicap he covered the distance in (>T 4-ss. which is C l-5s better than his winning time in the championship at Wansranui last March. To those vho have seen Cameron in action his time is no surprise, as ho has a beautiful, gliding "crawl" ptroke, which cannot fail to give good results.