UNIVERSITY SWIMMERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26982, 18 January 1949, Page 7

UNIVERSITY SWIMMERS

TOUR OF AUSTRALIA

APPEARANCE IN MELBOURNE Impressions of the visit to Melbourne of the New Zealand University swimming and water polo teams .are given in an exclusive article to 'the Daily Times by a special correspondent with the team, which left Wellington on January 6 in the WanganellaMichael Shanahan, the well-known breaststroke swimmer and brother of the champion, John Shanahan, could not make the trip, and L. Piper (Victoria College) tpok his place Mr M. T. Butterick (Canterbury College) was then appointed manager-coach. , On board the Wanganella, physical training and ball throwing were undertaken every day, and haka practice under a Maori member of the crew was a regular feature of the days activities. The ship’s surgeon, Dr Rose, who is superintendent of the Sydney Public Hospital, was on board to greet the members of the team. He is a prominent member of the Sydney University Swimming Club, and gave the team all details of the trip. The party was met in Sydney by Mr W. Berge Philips, who was manager of the swimming section of the Australian Olympic team. The swimmers were also met by a battery of cameras and reporters, including Fox Movietone News. In Sydney, members of the team were made the guests of the exclusive Tattersall’s Club. They swam in the club’s indoor pool and had a buffet lunch on the side of the pool. This is the pool in which the New South Wales Olympic stars did their training, and is the only indoor pool in Sydney. It is 25 yards long. . „ , The team arrived in Sydney, on January 10 and departed that night for Melbourne, arriving at 2.30 p.m. on the following day. The journey to Melbourne was very tiring, especially after four days on the boat. After training at the Brunswick pool, 50 metres long, in the afternoon, the New Zealanders attended the Richmond 50 metres indoor pool in the evening for the Australian inter-uni-versity championships. They saw Miss Nancy Lyons, who was second m the Olympic 200 Metres Breaststroke, win the 50 Metres Breaststroke, and. also witnessed the final trial game prior to the selection of the Victorian State water polo team. Four of the Australian Olympic water polo team were playing, the game being exceptionally fast. University water polo in Australia is of a high standard (The. Australian team later defeated the New Zealanders 6 —1.) . , Competing at the Brunswick pool last Thursday afternoon D. Begg, of Canterbury, the New Zealand national champion, won the Australia v. New Zealand Universities’ diving title by four points. He was not diving at his best’ by any means as he was still suffering from the effects of the trip. At the Olympic pool in the morning the New Zealanders met and saw in action the Australian diving star, D. Norris, who was eighth in the Olympic Games. He is to coach Begg. The same evening heats of the Victorian State championships were decided at the City of Fitzroy pool, 50 metres long. . „ _ ■ The Otago University pair, L. Barry (New Zealand national 100 Yards Freestyle champion) and T. Logan, swam in the fame heat of the 100 Metres as John Marshall and were both placed. Marshall, who was second in the Olympic 1500 Metres, was timed at 63sec. Barry at 66sec and Logan 67sec. In the other heat K. Knox won in 63sec. Both Barry and Logan qualified for the final. D. Dowse, of Victoria College, a former New Zealand national .220 Yards Breaststroke champion, was just beaten in his heat of the 200 Metres Breaststroke, his time being 3min 6sec. The present New Zealand champion, ■ John Shanahan, who is now living in Melbourne, won his heat in 2min,sßsec, breaking the State record. (He also won the final.) Shanahan has had great success in Australia. He is being picked by critics to win the Australian championship this season as the Olympic star, John Davies, is at Michigan University in the United States. Shanahan holds three Victorian State records —100 Yards, 67 2-ssec (butterfly); 100 Metres lmin 19.6 sec (butterfly); 200 Metres, 2min 58.4 sec (orthodox). At the Australian championships Shanahan will be swimming against Hallett, an Australian Olympic representative, who is credited with 2mm 53sec, but the New Zealander is confident that he can better this time with butterfly. Shanahan will not be home for the New Zealand championships next month, but.is returning in the Monowai in April. He intends to represent New Zealand at the Empire Games.