OPINION IN AUCKLAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22915, 18 December 1937, Page 15

OPINION IN AUCKLAND

WEAKNESS IN TEAM OMISSION OF CRUMP INCLUSION OF MISS PURDIE The swimming team selected for the British Empire Games is considered by Aucklanders not to be the strongest available, as, in comparison with overseas teams, it has weaknesses which were avoidable. Disappointment was expressed that N. Crump, winner of the 110 yds trial in Auckland last Tuesday night, in fast time, and even R. B. Frankham, another sprinter, had not been chosen. The opinion was that they deserved preference over J. C. Davies and L. Newell, and other selected swimmers. The inclusion of Miss Islay Purdie vas also criticised by those who regarded the Auckland champion, Miss Kathleen Gre3\ as having superior qualifications. It was hoped that matters would be righted by the selectors after the national championship meeting at New Plymouth on January 8, 10 and 12.

i sequence of victories in Auckland cha npionships distinguished the swimmin i last season of I'. Hanan, former y of Morrinsville, who was run-ner-up in the 100 yds national cliampioi ship in 1936. He won the 50yds, 100 els, 220 yds and 440vds titles. Ho finiihed first in the 110 yds scratch race at an inter-provincial carnival in Au'kland last Easter, and broke 11. B. Frankham's national record for 100 metres by one-fifth of a second, tak.ng 60 4-ss. Hanan is 22 years of Miss Gwen Rix, Dunedin, was run-ner-up in the New Zealand ladies' diving championship in 1935, and won the title the following year. She was recommended- to take up diving seriously by H. Tickle, then Australian diving champion, when ho visited Dunedin at the end of 1034. Miss liix is 19 years of age.

Miss Molia Levdon, Auckland, achieved championship rank in spite of the disability of a leg crippled in childhood by infantile paralysis. In her first season as a senior she won at Napier in J983 the 220 yds and 440 yds national ladies' titles. She retained the 410 yds title at Christchurch in the following year, but lost the 220 yds. However, in 1935 and 1936, Miss Le.vdon was again champion at both distances. Early in 1935 she went to Australia, winning the 880vds and one mile championships of _ New South W airs. .\t present she is the holder of the national records of 5m 39 l-5s for 440vds. 12m 23s for 880 yds and 2m 45 4-5s for 200 metres. Her 440vds time is a British Empire record. She is 22 vears of age. Miss Joyce Macdonald, Invercargill, is only 15 years of ago. She established ' a New Zealand intermediate cirls' backstroke record last June of 77 4-ss. only 1 2-5s slower than Miss Ena Stockley's senior national record. At Dunodiu. on November 24, she won the 110 yds backstroke trial in 85 l-ss, four-fifths of a second outside Miss Stockley's national senior record. Miss Macdonald. a pupil at the Southland Technical College, has also "won freestyle championships. /

, Miss Islay Purdie, Dunedin, has been swimming barely four years. She achieved prominence at Hamilton in 1936, when she won tho New Zealand intermediate girls' 100 yds. championship in the record time of 64 4-ss, which also equalled tho New Zealand ladies' record, established by Miss Marie Farquhar, of Auckland. At Auckland last I Easter she established a ladies' freestyle 220 yds. record of 2m 40s and won the 110 yds. invitation race in lm 13s, only 1 ]-5s slower than Miss E. Stocklev's record for 100 metres. She is 18 years of ago. The position of runner-up in tho 220 yds. New Zealand men's breaststroko championship was filled at Dunedin last i year by J. C. Davies, New Plymouth, the race being his first in championship class. Competing at New Plymouth last Thursday, lie was four seconds slower than L. Smith's record of 3m 1 2-5s for 220 yds. His age is 20 years. The present backstroke champion of New Zealand, P. E. Mathieson, Auckland, holds the Australian and Now Zealand records for 200 metres and 400 metres. Ho first gained the national title in 1935, has held the record for 100 metres, and was invincible in Australia in 1936, breaking several records. His ago is 22 years.

0. Cliff, Christchurch, started competitive swimming in 1928, and was successful in senior free-style provincial championships. It was not until the end of last season that he took up backstroke swimming seriously. In a time trial on December 1 ho broke Mathieson's 100 metres record by 2-os, returning 71 4-ss. Cliff is 21 years of age. A record-breaking performance for 220vds. breaststrokc last week qualified M iss Winnie Dunn, Dunedin. for the team. A former intermediate champion, she took 3m 22 3-ss, lowering the record by ono second. She is 18 years of age, and it was her first race as a senior. The nominee for the men's distance events, L. Newell, Christchurch, had his first experience of national championship races at Dunedin last year, and won the 440vds., 880 yds. and one mile titles. He reduced last Wednesday night the 440 yds. record, held by G. Bridson, from 5m 13 2-ss, to 5m 11 2-ss. He is 24 years of age.