SWIMMING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23072, 24 December 1936, Page 4

SWIMMING

By Neptune

FIXTURES

January 16, 18, and 19.—New Zealand intermediate and junior championships, at Nelson. January 24.—Batt Cup Harbour Race.

Club Hours (at Municipal Baths)— St. Clair and St. Kilda Life Saving Clubs: Mondays, 8.45-9.45 p.m. Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club: Tuesdays. 6-7 p.m.; Thursdays, 8.45-9.45 p.m.; and Saturdays, 6-7 p.m. Dunedin Amateur Swimming Club. Wednesdays and Fridays 8.45-9.45 p.m Kaikorai Amateur Swimming Club: Saturdays, 8.45-9.45 p.m and at Kaikorai Baths during season. Training College Amateur Swimming Club, Saturdays. 8-9 a.m. Zenith Amateur Swimming Club, at Y.M.C.A Baths nightly except Fridays. A DANGEROUS PRACTICE The recent fatality whereby a swimmer lost his life as a result of underwater swimming draws attention to this dangerous practice, which for many years has been banned by the New Zealand Association. Years, ago it was the custom for underwater events to be included on carnival programmes, the most popular items being plate diving and long distance plunges, but it was apparent from the exhausted condition of some of the competitors that such contests were exceedingly harmful, hence their elimination. Similarly the covering of distances under water was also discouraged, and to-day, expect in isolated cases, it is rarely that exhibitions of this kind are seen. To a modified extent, long distance plunging is occasionally indulged in, but with a time limit the dangers are practically nil. Nevertheless, any form of underwater swimming other than that required in lifesaving tests is fraught with danger to the inexperienced, and swimmers generally, especially the younger folk, would be Well advised to lejive it well alone. ACTIVITY IN WANGANUI To a correspondent In Wanganui, I am indebted for the following commentary on swimming activities in that town. Writing under date December 17, he says: "It is pleasing to learn that Wanganui will be sending a polo team to the New Zealand Championships this season. On two previous occasions, a Wanganui team has won the championship and the much coveted trophy which accompanies it, and this year's team should merit as much consideration as its predecessors. It should be easy to pick a good combination when such players as J. Carde, B. Howarth, D. Gowan, C. Marshall, and K. Welsh, all of whom would be hard to keep out of any team, are available. Special mention must be made of J. Carde, who is undoubtedly a player in the top flight. He is a good swimmer, always fit, and in the writer's opinion one- of the best ball throwers in the Dominion; in fact, after having seen most of the best throwers in this country, I consider him to have only one equal, our old friend Jack Enwright, of Auckland. The Central Club team, of which Carde is a member, has played two matches in the local competition and has won both. The first against Aramoho was won by 5 goals to 1, and that against Gonville by 3 goals to nil, and of this total Carde has scored no fewer than 7. A. Reeve and K. Harrison are the best two players of the club's younger school, and more will be heard of them in the near future.

Miss P. Watts is showing good form, and returned the excellent time of 29 2-ssec for 50 yards recently. Otago friends will be interested to learn that C. Bullivant is again taking an active part in the sport. That great race at the Lower Hutt. in which Bullivant and Noel Crump swam a dead heat in the 440 yards event, will long remain in the memory of those who saw it. WATER POLO With two rounds of matches in the A Grade water polo competition completed. Kiwi holds a two-point lead over Dunedin, St. Clair being another two points in arrears. Last year's champions have shown better combination than the other teams, and in the second round especially won their matches against Dunedin and St. Clair most convincingly. The good form shown by this team has been due in no small measure to the coaching of Mr Don Watson, who has brought about a great revival of interest in the Kiwi Club in the last four or five years. The B Grade competition has not yet completed the first round, five teams taking part in this grade.-So far, Dunedin is leadine. CARNIVAL POSTPONED The Kiwi Amateur Swimming Club was to have held its annual carnival on January 11, but owing to the epidemic it until later in the season. It will now probably be held in conjunction with its junior and intermediate carnival about the middle of March. The club has fixed January 16 as the date for its annual harbour race, and its picnic is to be held about the end of February. NOTES The New Zealand Council has forwarded to the Amateur Swimming union of Australia an invitation for Miss Evelyn de Lacy and a male swimmer, to be chosen by the Union, to visit Auckland in February. The value of motion picture films as a coaching aid has not always been appreciated in New Zealand, but it is gratifying to learn that the New Zealand Council is now interesting itself in this matter. The secretary has been instructed to obtain definite prices as to the cost of 16 motion pictures of swimming events at the Olympic Games.

UNNECESSARY SHOWMANSHIP I have yet to be convinced that this leaping up and down on the high board before a dive is undertaken serves any useful purpose. The fashion was introduced two years ago by the Australian, Harry Tickle, who probably found it of some benefit, but so far as diving was concerned Tickle was a law unto himself, and could do things that in less competent performers seem merely showy, and utterly futile. One recalls such champions as Roy Calder, H. E. Walker, Miss Myrtle Foote, competing for years with some small measure of success without any preliminary exhibition of aerobatics, and it is difficult to understand just why and how this peculiar vogue has arisen. In the past few weeks fully a dozen patrons of swimming carnivals have asked the why and wherefore of this extraordinary piece of showmanship, and I have had to confess myself just as much in the dark as they were. Harry Tickle, no doubt, left much behind him that was good, but in this respect he has a lot to answer for. In the meantime, if any of the divers who practise it can show me that their bounding Dervish "stunt" (for that is all it is) helps them to dive better I will gracefully retract. Until then, my advice is to stop it and get on with the business. After all, local competitors should be sufficiently acquainted with the feel of the boards at the Municipal Baths to perform their dives without such unnecessary waste of time and energy. INTERPROVINCIAL CONTEST The suggestion by Mr M. Hunt, the secretary of the Southland Centre, that an annual competition between composite teams from Otago and Southland be inaugurated, is one that should commend itself to every swimmer. The proposal, which has been cordially approved by the Otago Centre, is that the competition should be conducted along similar lines to a previous one with Canterbury, each team to comprise water polo players, divers, and a flying squadron. Interprovincial contests of this nature are particularly valuable, in as much as they bring together in friendly competition the best all-rounders from the provinces engaged and, moreover, do much towards stimulating a healthy rivalry which cannot but have the best of results. It is probable that the first meeting will be held in March, and as the members of teams should by that time be at the peak of their form, the competition should prove full of interest.