SWIMMING.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 5474, 31 December 1904, Page 14

SWIMMING.

(By “Plunger."!

The council of the New South Wales Amateur Swimming Association has decided to eliminate the plunge event from the championship, and Blr E. S. Marks has given notice of motion to the effect that a three miles’ premiership be substituted. In this connection Blr Blanks wrote as follows to the Association;—“l would .like to point out to the council that in England and America, and on the Continent, the different swimming bodies are doing all in their power to encourage long-distance swimming, All we do in this State is to encourage a ‘crawl’ or some other method of fast sprinting, and the ambition of all seems to be no more than to try and cover 100yds, in speedier time than anyone else. For this the association is in some way to blame. In England every year the five-miles’ championship is swum on the Thames, and there is a like event in the American list. The blue ribbon contest of English swimming is the mile championship. Longdistance swimming is the only kind of much use ' in cases where life is to be saved, and I hope your council will do something to promote stamina. I understand a 220yds breast-stroke championship has been suggested as an alternative, hut in my opinion this is farcical, because, from a, practical standpoint, in cases of need, a man oould swim * his fastest stroke for a furlong, but would not he able to do so for a couple of miles, or stay in the water an hour at a stretch. If a breast-stroke is desired, it should he at least over a mile or two.”

Alt the last meeting of the N.S.W. A.S.A. it was decided’ to send three representatives to compete in the Australasian championships which are to be held in Melbourne. B. B. Keran was chosen for distances, and it was decided that the winner of most points in the 100yds and 220yds State championships should he sent to. compete in the sprints. A mile test race to select a Queensland representative for the Australasian championships, was swum in Brisbane on Dec. 20nd and was won by F. W. Springfield in 27min 12sec. The standard time is 28min 30sec. Springfield is now considered certain to be the Queensland reprasentatiA. The 880yds championship of N.S.W. was decided at the carnival of the East Sydney Club which was held on Dec. 17th. Keran endeavoured to create a new record for the distance, but failed. There were nine competitors. They got away well and kept level for about two laps when Keran gradually drew out and increased his lead at every turn. At the eleventh lap Keran was a lap clear of H. Baker and N. Smith, and finished over a lap and a half in front of Baker, who was followed homo by Smith. Koran’s time was llmin 4Dseo., hia previous record being llmin 29 4-sseo. In addition to Koran’s endeavour to break the record for 880yds, two other attempts at record-making were made at the latest carnival of the Bast Sydney Club. O. Healy essayed to cover 100yds in less than 58seo, but could only register 58 l-ssec, and Miss Dorothy Hill was also unsuccessful in her attack on the record held by Miss E. Carr (Imin 19 2-ssee) for 100yds. Describing the race for the 220yds N.Z. championship decided at Wanganui oa Wednesday the “Wanganui Chronicle” says:—D. Neven and M. Hunter were the first to show to the front. Knowles, who was suffering from an inflammation in the leg, retired after the first 50 yards, ■ Hunter following him after traversing 100 yards. Neven continued to keep to the front, Hamilton following - closely, Campbell being about five or six yards in the rear. Neven retired at the 150 yards lap, being passed by his opponents on the X 25 yards stretch. Hamilton continued to forge ahead of Campbell, having a lead of about 13 yards at the end of 175 yards. The latter, who was turning badly, reduced the lead in the last 45 yards, finishing about nine yards behind Hamilton, who was heartily applauded on finishing. The race for the 880yds New Zealand championship is thus described by the “Chronicle”: —“E. T. Hegglun made the pace for the’start, Hamilton holding well with him. Alter the first 50 yards Neven went to the front, but had a short stay, soon falling behind. Hegglun appeared to he shipping water, and gave up at the 200 yard lap. Ho was soon accompanied by Neven, leaving Hamilton and Campbell to fiaht it out. The former gained at every length, and at the end of the 550 yards had a lead of 25 yards. He continued to improve his position, and soon lapped his opponent. Campbell pluckily stuck to his work and plugged along in good style. Hamilton, however, made an extra effort probably with a_ view of breaking the standard, and his lead cn the former was considerably increased, eventually winning by 100 yards.”