SWIMMING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1748, 6 September 1905, Page 48

SWIMMING.

THE LONG DISTANCE CHAMPIONSHIP. BURLINGTON AGAIN DEFEATS KIERAN. A REMARKABLE FINISGBf. rFrom Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, July 21. Never in the history of the Long Distance Championship —an event inaugurated in 1877—-has a closer or more exciting struggle for supremacy between two swimmers been seen in the race than that put up by Barney Kieran and Dave Billington last Saturday. That two men should race a distance or 5 miles and 60 yards, even with a stream to help them, and only be divided at the finish by barely half a dozen yards is in itself a remarkable fact. Usually the race has resolved itself into a “one man show” during its last stages, the only exception I remember being the memorable struggle between Percy Carl 11 and Arthur Green. Even then the former won by a much greater distance than Billington did on Saturday. Some people aver that Kieran lost the race by making his effort too late, and point to the remarkable way in which he overhauled Billington after passing ■Craven Steps, as evidence in favour of their contention. Mv own impression is that, as in Arthur Green’s marvellous effort to overhaul Cavill, Kieran caught a. favourable slant of current at a time when Billington was ploughing through comparatively slack water. Be that as it may, Billington was certainly not going “all out” , during the period Kieran was making up his leeway, and the moment the North Country crack was seriously tackled, he proved equal not only to holding his own, but getting a little the best of the challenger. Neither swimmer was “spun out” at the finish; indeed, both seemed comparatively fresh considering the strenuous nature of their final tussle.

The conditions were by no means favourable to fast times, the ebb being a good deal slower than when Jarvis gained his seventh win 1903 in- 63min 48 l-sseo. No less than 22 swimmers turned out for the race, and though some of them were quite outclassed by the winner and his nearest attendants only two cried enough before reaching the win-ning-post. Bar cramp and it was generally conceded that the race lay between Billington and Kieran, for though Jarvis was there to defend his championship, it was apparent that he was not in sufficiently trained condition to do himself full justice.

From a capital start Billington set out at a rare pace, followed by Kieran and Jarvis, and these three soon, singled themselves out from the rest. After swimming about eight minutes Billington had.a lead of 15 yards, Kieran lying second a few feet ahead of Jarvis. At the Ship at Mortlake, which Billington came abreast of in 12fmin from the start, he held a lead of 25 yards, and in some rough water caused by a string of barges in tow of a tug near Barnes’s Bridge, the Mile Champion increased his lead to 40 yards. Meanwhile Kieran had slipped away from Jarvis, whose form was by no means good, and led the eight years’ champion by half a dozen yards. Passing Chiswick Church. Billington held a lead of over 60 yards, and Kieran continued to improve his position in relation to Jarvis, who by the time Billington reached Hammersmith Bridge, 46min 27sec from the start, was fully 150 yards behind the leader, and 80 behind Kieran. At Hatreds’ Stores, which Billington passed at 50min 12sec, he led Kieran by over 40sec, but then the Australian urged by - Mr Henry, who had kept him on an admirable course, made an effort to overhaul his man. Swimming with great power Kieran commenced to pull up rapidly, and getting a sight of his man at Walden’s Wharf, he put such wlgour into his work that with only half a mile to go he had drawn to within half a dozen yards of the leader. Billington now became aware of the danger threatening, and after taking a backward glance at his rival quickened his stroke. Kieran, however, was still going the faster of the two, and just before reaching the Thames Boathouse had drawn up to within three yards. A remarkable and intensely exciting race ensued. Kieran made a desperate effort to get oh terms, and Billington answered with an even mere powerful spurt. From there to the end each man went for all he was worth. Billington’s final effort enabled him to get a little further away, but dt was only by a bare half dozen yards that the passed the post first in 68min 55seo. Jarvis, who finished third, was a quarter of a mile behind what time the leaders finished, with Harvey, of the Ravensbourne Club, fourth, Naylor, of Hornsey, fifth, and Jones, of Dover, sixth, these being the only ones to finish within 10 minutes of the winner. Kieran was coached by Mr William Henry, an ex-holder of the title, and never lost an inch. He used the “crawl” stroke throughout the race. Altogether is to be congratulated upon his first appearance in the race, for hitherto he had never swam so far. As a matter of fact, his longest raoe prior to Saturday had been over a mile, and

thus the long-distance chompionship of England—which is about equal to 2% miles in still water—caused him to undertake a task of which he had no previous experience. Whether he should have made his effort earlier, it is impossible to say, and what effect this would have had had he done so is also problematical, for at the finish Billington was quite as fresh and strong as the Australian. LONDON, August 29. B. B. Keran, the Australian swimmer, won the 500 yards handicap at Leeds in 6min 7sec. This swim establishes a new record for 500yds. The record was formerly held by Keran, who put up 6min 10 3-ssec on February 18th of this year. J. Nuttall, the English professional, has 6mm 24 l-ssec to his credit, and D. Billington holds the English amateur record at 6min 25 2-ssec.