SWIMMING ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21068, 30 December 1931, Page 14

SWIMMING ITEMS.

SEVEN NEW RECORDS MADE,, LINDSAY'S NOTEWORTHY TIME. GOVERNMENT GRANT SUSPENDED. The maintenance of the standard they pet last year by seniors and an appreciable widening in the ability of juniors and intermediates are salient points revealed by the completion of another year of activities in swimming. The fact that only seven new records, the fewest for some years, were, established, gives no cause for any misgivings regarding a possible decline in the sport, as, on account cif the depression, fewer carnivals were held. Champions, in consequence, found their opportunities to set fresh standards iestricted. The general improvement by younger swimmers inspires enthusiasts with confidence in the future of the sport as New Zealand is now in the position of being able to say that its boy and gul Swimmers are worthy of being ranked on practically equal terms with those in other countries. Four of the new records were made by juniors and one by an intermediate. At ♦he Auckland championship meeting in January Noel Crump covered 100 yards in 655, reducing Leslie Olds junior lecoid which ha (J stood for four years by fourfifths of a second, and Miss Dorothy Dowman, an intermediate, swam 75 yards at breast-stroke in 635, an improvement of 'l 2-5s on the previous record of Miss M. Mathieson (Otago). Walter Jarvis, a Dunedin boy, having clipped 1 2-5s from Cramp's time, the .Aucklander was impelled to make an effort to regain the honour of holding the record in April. He succeeded, by sprinting the hundred yards in 62 2-ss. Later another sterling performance, a swim of •2m 37s for 220 yards, was placed to Crump's credit. Junior Girls' Ability. The third fresh record for a junior was that of the Feilding girl, Miss P. Sporle, who, in winning the 100 yds. junior girls New Zealand championship at Ashburton, ' registered 75 2-ss, after Miss R. Low '(Canterbury), a heat winner, had equalled the previous record, 76 2-ss, held by Miss Lilla Coutts, of Auckland. A month later Miss Low improved upon Miss Gbutts' mark of 32 2-5s for 50 yards, hei time being 325. . . , The national champion, G. Bndson, of Auckland, was successful in creating one record as compared with three'last year. ~ This was for 100 metres, a distance which he covered in 62 3-ss, 1 4-ssi better than the former best time by A. D. Adamson. Of recent occurrence was _ the splendid half-mile swim of D. P. Lindsay, Canterburv, and formerly of Auckland, whose time, 11m ss, breaking Bndson s record bv so wide a margin as 16 3-ss, justifies recognition as one of the finest performances by a New Zealand swimmer. The suspension of the Government grant ' toward the expense of teaching children the art of swimming came as a blow to the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, which had striven for years to make every child in the country a , swimmer. Not possessing the funds to contirrue the instruction scheme on its own account, the association has had to suspend its operations, which were of vital national importance, indefinitely. Instruction in Schools. However, instruction is to be continued this season among schools in the 'Auckland district at east This has been made possible by the thoughtfulness of the educational officer of the Auckland Centre, Mr. C. rStratford, who has introduced the scheme of imposing a levy of 3s 6rl a year on each school enjoying the benefits of the instruction work. Mr. Stratford was granted £5 on loan by the centre recently to enable him to meet expenses until every school had paid its levy. . ' The centre's notion in appointing Air. Stratford its educational officer is commendable as no one is more suited for the position .than he and. being a teacher, he will be able to keep in close touch with the schools. Much of the success achieved by the Primary Schools' Swimming Association, of which he is secretary, can ' be attributed to Mr. Stratford, and there is no doubt that when he presents his first report as educational officer to the next annual meeting of the. centre he will prove himself a worthy successor to Mr. L. Brighton, whose work, as is well known, /esched a high degree of efficiency. , The financial stringency prevented the parent body from conducting tours in the jDominion either by overseas or local swimmers. The noteworthy feature of the year in 'Auckland was the great success achieved by the centre and the Primary Schools' Swimming Association in spreading a knowledge of swimming among school children. Working in conjunction, these bodies issued over 4000 awards for efficiency in shimming. The Primary Schools' Association controlled a two-day meeting to decide the championships of the primary schools at the Tepid Baths in March. Standard Time Exceeded. The meeting was said to have been the largest of its kind ever held either in Australia or New Zealand, over 1100 boys and girls from 28 schools taking part. Striking illustration of ■ the creditable capabilities of the contestants was provided by the fact that in no fewer than .f 90 events the standard time of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association was eclipsed. The only fault that can be found with the control of the sport in Auckland is that insufficient encouragement has been given to swimmers by handicapping them with too little competition. Especially has this been notieeablo since the start nf the new season. It is granted that two or three clubs have not the money necessary for the holding of si completely satisfactory carnival, but if clubs in southern towns without the advantages of Auckland's ways) climate and tepid baths have been able to conduct galas or, failing these, club races on Saturday afternoons fo - several weeks past, those who are responsible for carrying on the objects of the sport here are obviously deficient in enthusiasm and energy. MONEY THROWN IN RING. BOXERS BOTH TAKE COUNT. A remarkable incident of two boxers on the floor together and the timekeeper .-counting over both as they lay on the canvas almost " out"' was seen last month at, a, charitv tournament, at the Stadium Club, London. They were Bill Huntley and Arthur Lloyd, two Londoners, who fought, with such ferocity that in ithe second round, after an exchange of heavy 'blows, they sank fo the boards. The ,timekeeper reached " six" before the men rose to continue. - Roth fought strenuously'after the bell -- and had to be separated my I heir seconds. The. Inst round saw both up and down, , and at the finish of their six rounds a draw was declared. Some members of the 'audience, in their appreciation, showered money into the ring.