SWIMMING TITLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20817, 9 March 1931, Page 11

SWIMMING TITLES.

DOMINION MEETING. BRIDSON'S FURTHER SUCCESS LAST' YEAR'S EFFORT EQUALLED! SLOWER TIMES RECORDED.. ! [BY TELEGRArn.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WANGANUI, Sunday. Tho national swimming championships were concluded at the Gonville baths last evening. The weather continued fine and there was a capacity attendance. Gordon Bridson, of Auckland, was sue-! cessful in retaining the men's 440 yds., title, thus equalling his effort of last year, when ho won every senior free style event n't Greymouth. His times, however, were not nearly so good, but this is attributed to the slowness of the water. The results wei'e:— 440 YDS. G. Bridson (Auckland) t .» I 1 A. T. Stokes (Canterbury) . . .. 2 H. Gowan (Wanganui) . . . . 3 Also Started.—D. Reid (South Canterbury). Won bv 10yds. Time, 5m 42 3-ss. LADIES* 220 YDS. Miss E. Champion (Auckland) . . 1 Miss M. Farquhar (Auckland) . . 2 Miss. D. Anderson (Wanganui) . . 3 Also Started.—Miss S. Bracefield (South Canterbury). Won by svds., 10yds. between second and third. . ' Time, 3m 2 2-ss. LADIES' DIVING. Miss J. Eggers (Otago) .. ... 1' Miss Foote (Canterbury) ~ .. 2 MEN'S DIVING. H. E. Walker (Otago) . . ... ~ J W. Hassan (Auckland) . . t . . 2 R. Thompson (Canterbury) . . .. 3 220 YDS. LADIES' BREASTSTROKE. Mi.";s G. Pidgeon (Auckland) . . . . 1 Mis.s E. Anderson (Wanganui) . . 2 Miss J. Thomson (Auckland) . . . . 3 The only starters. Won by syds., 2yds. between second and third. Time, 3m 44 4-ss. 50YDS. SCRATCH RACE. C. E. Claridge (Wellington) .. . . 1 C. Dalton (Canterbury) . . . . 2 J. Enwright (Auckland) 3 Also Started.—A. Raper (Auckland), J. Blakely (Wellington), B. Haworth (Wanganui), L. Anderson (Taranaki). Won by a yard, a touch between second and third. Time, 275. 500 YDS., FIVE-A-SIDE. Canterbury (Stokes, Moorehouse, Dalton, Rattray, Bolan) . . . . 1 Auckland . . 2 Won. by a touch. Time, 5m 19 l-ss. WATER POLO FINAL. Canterbury, 6; Auckland, 4. In the Nelson Shield life-saving event Lya.ll Bay (Wellington) won by a narrovr margin from the title holders, Maranui (Wellington), while Maranui B filled third place. The William Henry Memorial Shield was won by Maranui B, with Opunake second and Wanganui C third. The champion beltman's competition was won by L. Brown (New Plymouth) for the second year in succession. YALDHURST SHIELD RETAINED. MISS PIDGEON TO RETIRE. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WANGANUI, Sunday. Aucklanders were jubilant over t'hei? success in winning the Yaldhurst Shield.; Canterbury wrested the relay title front Auckland and also the water polo cham«

pionship. By annexing the quarter-mile Bridsoq again achieved the feat of winning all five titles from the 100 yds. to the milo. Miss Champion easily -won the lailiesfl furlong from her team mate, Miss Far* quhar. Miss Pidgeon decisively won that ladies' breaststroke for the sixth time.! Miss Thomson, who was second last vearj was third. It was announced that Mistf Pidgeon is retiring from competition. Enwright was again prominent, being third in tjie 50yds. scratch race. Bridson did not start.

Hassan failed with a running neab header, otherwise he would have probably won the diving championship.

COMMENTS ON THE RACING, AUCKLANDERS FARE WELL. BRIDSON AGAIN WINS EASILY. [from our own correspondent.] WANG-ANUI, Saturday. The second session of the New Zealand senior swimming championship meeting last evening was marked by the outstanding success of Auckland swimmers. Five events were decided, and of these Auckland secured four firsts, one second and one third.

G. Bridson annexed two more championships, the 220 yds. and the 880 yds. free style. In both events he was not troubled by his opponents, winning with as much ease as he did at last' year's meeting.. Considering the easy nature of his victories his times were really good, being considerably under standard.

The veteran Aucklander, J. Enwright, swam with his usual consistency in the 220vds. championship. Although A. Stokes (Canterbury) beat him by 3yds. for second place, Enwrighfc finished very, strongly, and again proved too speedy for the Wellington representativos, C. Claridge and J. Blakely. A. Raper (Auckland) found the opposition too strong, being forced into last place. With the defection of the Miss R. Miller, who has now retired from competitive swimming, the 440 yds. ladies'championship was won by Miss Edna Champion. Auckland champion met very weak opposition and won by a lap. She swam strongly throughout, and had she been at all extended she would have undoubtedly improved her time of 6m 27 4-ss, which was just above standard, 6m 265.

Miss M. Farquhar, who won the 100 yds. free style event at the opening session on Wednesday, won her second championship at the meeting when sha wrested the 100 yds. ladies' title from the holder, Miss N. Stratton. Miss Stratton's defeat did not come as a surprise, as after the reverse she suffered at the hands of Miss Farquhar at the Auckland championships it was anticipated that she would lose ner national title. Miss Farquhar swa.m witft her customary dash, and the time s e corded lm 23 4-ss, was excellent. Mis» kept m* Mto the final 20yds., when she tired ana finally was beaten by 4yds,