BACKSTROKE CHAMPION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22389, 8 April 1936, Page 21

BACKSTROKE CHAMPION

OVERLOOKED FOR OLYMPIAD Indignation is evident in Dunedin toward the New Zealand Council for not nominating the national backstroke champion, P. E. Mathieson, for the Dominion's Olympic team. It appears, however, that the Otago Centre was unreasonable in the first place for expecting the council to support Mathieson as a candidate for the Olympic contest of 100 metres solely on the evidence of his times for 150 yards and 220 yards. The Olympic distance has always been 100 metres, and tho Otago Centre, the Kiwi Club and Mathieson himself have themselves to blame for his neglect to undergo early an official trial with the object of proving his worthiness as a sprinter. Mathieson is undeniably a fine backstroke swimmer, the greatest New Zealand has over had, but it is forgotten that, as steadily as the standard has progressed in this country, so has it progressed overseas, with tbe result that New Zealand swimmers are no nearer world's championships. The feat last week of the American schoolboy A. Kiefer. who covered 150 yards in lm 32 7-10s, 10 l-10s faster than Mathieson's Dominion record, is one instance of Mathieson's slender prospects. Others regularly beating his times in 55 yards baths are A. Vande Weghe, I). Zehr and T. Drysdale, of the United States, K. Yoshido, of Japan. N. Borisov, of Russia, and P. Oliver, of Australia. Oliver, whom Mathieson did not race in Australia, is 16, and five years his junior, .yet he has the better record, which includes a swim of 61 3-5s for 100 yards. Mathieson's supporters do not realise that he falls short of Olympic qualifications.