SWIMMING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19758, 8 April 1926, Page 4

SWIMMING.

By Neptune.

There is no doubt about Ena Stockley being a backstroke star. At a L'oogce carnival the other week she won the 100 ids event in 80sec, beating Mattie Mealing (whose Australian record time is 86sec) and Eileen Brown, says the Sydney Sun. The New Zealand champion had four yards in hand from Miss Mealing, though the latter broke, her previous time by 2 3-ssec. In view of the fact that Miss Stockley declares she had never swum a 100 yards backstroke race before her Australian trip, she must be regarded as an angel New Zealand entertained unawares. Gertrude Ederle, the American lady swimmer, undaunted by her failure last year, is going to make another attempt to swim the Channel. T. W. Burgess, who made the swim in 1911. is to have charge of her training arrangements, and both are sanguine of success. The visit of the Queensland swimmer, drier, greatly benefited swimming in Auckland (states the New Zealand Herald). Bv his performances during his limited stay Grier left no doubt as to his capabilities, and the fact that he is Australia’s secondbest sprinter gives an indication of the remarkable talent of the 18-year-old Australian champion, Doyle. In the three 100 yards races that he contested Grier recorded the times of SSsec, 59 l-ssec and 57?ec. all sterling performances. He swam 220 yards in 2min 34sec. 2min 35sec and 2min 32 l-ssec. and 440 yards in smm 37 l-ssec. Coming so soon after his long ionrney and a strenuous series of championship races in Australia these’ times suggest that the youthful Queenslander is bound to be a member of Australia’s swimming team for the 1928 Olympic Games As in the case of other similar visits a New Zealand record was lowered by a Dominion swimmer faced by superior speed. It is doubtful if any New Zealand sprinter has given a better display against a proved overseas champion than did Norman Dowsett, Wanganui’s brilliant young representative at the final carnival. Dowsett should not soon forget his first race at the Tenid Baths. Nor will those who saw it. The Dominion champion has a fine style, and glides along with long, clean strokes. As Grier pointed out. his only failing is his tendency to pull under the water in breaststroke style instead of under and parallel with the body. With this fault rectified and with more competition against fast men, the Wanganui youth should do just as well ps Doyle, who is one year his junior. The new record of 57 2-ssec should stand,until the holder returns to Auckland next January as Wanganui’s representative in the 100 yards New Zealand cbampionnews of Frank Doyle’s decision not to embark on a tour of New Zealand was received with considerable surprise. But there is no doubt he has had quite sufficient swimming this season, says the Sydney Sun. Doyle feels just as many others have felt alter a exceedingly active season—thoroughly tired of swimming, and yearning for a rest. Surely the Waitemata Club can afford to wait, till next season. An invitation then would be gladly accepted, and more could be expected of Doyle, and, no doubt. New Zealand’s swimmers themselves. Christie and Kirkland declined the Waitemata Club’s invitation, and Doyle’s announcement was delayed until he returned from Adelaide Carberry was next to turn it down. Grier was approached, and accepted. Carberry has received a message from the Queens lander to the effect that he will arrive in Sydney to-day. It will be a great inconvenience to the northern star it the Waiteinata Club now resolves to cancel his trip Doyle has shown splendid sportsmanship—ever ready to help anywhere he could. The secretary of the New South Wales Amateur Swimming Association (Lcs. Duff) remarked that it was quite likely that strenuous racing in New Zealand would have a serious effect on the young chain pion's health. After all, Doyle is only 18 years of age. The following letter received by the New Zealand Swimming Council from Sir James Parr, Minister of Education, dearly -els out the policy as regards the teaching of swimming in schools: “In reply tu your letter of March 7, 1 have to state that, while the regulations specify that where possible children should bo taught swimming and life-saving, u is now laid down that these subjects of physical training must be taken and it is not expected that they shall be taken hir.ng school hours. The only physical training which is compulsory during school ’ours K physical drill, which must be given to all boys and girls for a period of not less than 15 minutes daily during school hours. “As regards swimming, the regulations specify that a definite provision should be made for teaching in this subject during the recess or after school hours. The department consulted with the New Zealand Educational Institute regarding the question of compulsory training in swimming and lifesaving. which question the institute discussed at its last meeting. and expressed the opinion that, while teachers generally support the giving of instruction in swimming and many of them engage in the work with gieat enthusiasm, their view, derived from experience, is that thev cannot support the suggestion that it should be made compulsory in all schools. “With- regard to the suggestion that swimming and life-saving should be included in the teachers’ training syllabus as an optional subject, I have to say that consideration could not be given_ to this point apart from the general question of the inclusion of subjects of physical training in the schedule of teachers' examinations, such subjects not being at present included.’’