SWIMMING

Southland Times, Issue 19769, 17 February 1923, Page 13 (Supplement)

SWIMMING

(By “Back-stroke.”) OF LOCAL INTEREST. The Avenal Club’s carnival to-day shows every prospect of success. The number of entries received is large and a glance over the names of those competing in the various events convinces one that the swimming will be of an unusually high standard. Fair weather is all that is needed to enable this club to stage a very attractive meeting. The meeting commences at 2 p.m. The relay race at to-day’s sports should provide the spectators with something exciting, as the various teams have all been improved since the North Club’s successful fixture a couple of weeks ago, when the palm went to the Otatara Club’s representatives. By the way, “Back-stroke” was informed during the week that the relay event this afternoon was the property of the “0.C.A.C.” These cabalistic letters were subsequently explained: they stand for “Otatara Campers’ Aquatic Club,” a select body of week-enders who enjoy their pastime upon the waters of the Oreti, as distinct from those who make Lake Murihiku their hunting ground. This club’s representatives will be the following:—G. Todd, P. Longuet and R. Watt, and quite probably another team, consisting of the following, will take the water as well:—B. i Todd, J. Todd and J. Wilson.

Something needs to be done to make an improvement at the Waihopai pool, which is, as Mr Lillicrap said at the opening of the North Club’s recent carnival, Invercargill's best swimming place. The Council at present cannot find any large amount for such work, but surely a small donation could be obtained from that source and more raised by private subscription, and a portion of the more necessary work carried cut. Also would it not be possible for male members of the club and other users of ths pool to do as the officials of the I.S.C. did before that body assumed the dormant attitude it has of late adopted, and spend a Saturday afternoon or two and a little energy in doing their best for the club’s pool. Such an action would earn the energetic ones unlimited thanks from the many people who from time to time visit the spot. What has become of the Invercargill Swimming Club of late? Nothing has occurred to give any indication of life in that once enterprising body for some time now; it will be the hope of swimmers locally, however, that the Pleasure Bay organisation will throw off this regrettable inactivity and before long promote a good carnival.

That 'live” body, the Lumsden Club, is holding a meeting to-day and the prospects are very rosy. This club is one that is always doing its best to keep things going in the northern town, and deserves a successful function this afternoon. Sixteen aquatic events are listed for competition, and in addition two cycling races are on the programme. N.Z. CHAMPIONS IN AUSSIE. Misses Gwitha Shand and Violet Walrond left on Friday last for Sydney, where they will compete at the Australasian ladies’ championships, which are to commence to-day. The original invitation extended by the Ladies’ Association was to Miss Shand and Miss Hoeft, but in view of the latter’s defeat at Timaru, Miss Walrond’s name has been substituted instead, and there is no doubt in the minds of those present at the championships that she has fully deserved the trip. It is many years since a win at a championship meeting has been as popular as Miss Walrond’s, and the many expressions of pleasure and gratification at this little lady’s return to form are doubly expressive by reason of their sincerity. Critics speak in high terms of her great effort in the ladies’ quartcr-mile championship at Timaru, in which she was only beaten by a foot, and predict she will do better in Australia. It is certain that any lady swimmer who can swim such a brilliant distance performer as Miss Shand to within a yard is high class, and another race between these two young ladies should have an audience on their feet the whole way. Pitted against Australia’s best, there will be some great swimming in store for the Sydney folk, and all supporters of the sport will follow the doings of our two young champions with interest. Mrs Reid, of Wanganui, accompanied the two as chaperon. N.Z.’s BEST DISTANCE SWIMMER. There is no better distance swimmer in New Zealand to-day than L. (“Peter”) Hill, of the East Christchurch Swimming Club. This fact was, of course, emphasised at the New Zealand Championships at Timaru, when Hill retained his title as the mile champion, swimming the distance in 25 min. 49 sec, which is an improvement of 21 2-5 sec on the time he recorded last year, wlien he won the event at Wellington. At Timaru, Hill also wrested the 880yds championship from the previous holder, N. S. Batchelor, his time then being 12 min. 31 2-5 sec, and he secured fastest time in the three-mile open water contest for the Annette Kellerman Cup, in which event he finished third from scratch. It was in 1914, in the first issue of The Sun, that attention was drawn to a promising young swimmer named Hill, of whom the proph ?y was made that he would develop into a champion in distance events. Hill is now a champion. As then, he lacks real sprinting powers. Had he the capacity to develop a really fast sprint towards the close of distance races, he would have become more than a New Zealand champion. But the methods of training he pursued in the early years of his career neglected the development of speed swimming. Several years ago, Hill varied his methods, with considerable improvement, which was soon demonstrated in his successes in the national championships. Though lacking in the ability to work up to a great burst of speed, he has a very considerable asset in his great stamina and determination. It was by grit alone that he obtained the decision in the 880 yards race at Timaru, for he just managed to struggle ahead of D. J. Murrell, of Wellington, who has much the greater sprinting powers.—Christchurch Sun. CLIPPINGS. Blakeney made a good showing in the Annette Kellerman Cup at Timaru. The opinion was freely expressed at Timaru that Murrell was the best all-round swimmer, but lacked in judgment and course craft. Competition in swimming is extremely valuable. It produces speed and stamina, and precludes that easily attained satisfaction with one’s own efforts which is apt to attend the person whose sport in either surf or still water is purely a personal recreation. F. Boulton, who is now breast-stroke champion, is well known amongst Wellington swimmers, having competed there for two seasons with a fair amount of success. He was a popular member of the Lyall Bay Club. His victory was solely due to his perseverance and strict training—one of the very few roads to the championship class. Miss Sybil Bauer, of Chicago, is reported to have lowered her own record of 1 min. 25 3-5 sec for the 100 metres back-stroke swim to 1 min 24 sec. THE SPORT IN AUSTRALIA. IS THERE AN IMPROVEMENT? CHARLTON’S GREAT FORM. The recent remarkable performance of Boy Charlton, the phenomenal young Australian swimmer, will allay to a large extent the uneasy feeling among the controlling authorities across the water as to the decadence of the high-class swimmer. Well-known experts were deeply concerned over the fact that the standard of swimming had fallen, and a big scheme, involving the expenditure of up to £lOOO on an American coach, was formulated, and is being carried out. Whether the scheme will now be gone cn with will probably depend on future performances of Charlton, and

perhaps Herald, Hay, Coppiestone, and others prominent in Australian aquatics. The opinion has been offered that there is not really a permanent deterioration in the standard of swimming, but that the sport suffered a heavy setback during the war and has not yet made its recovery. But it is gradually doing so, and Charlton’s exploits make it perfectly clear that our sister country has produced a champion of champions over distances. As he is very’ young, Charlton’s great performances will act as a greater incentive' to other youngsters than perhaps any other method that could be devised. This being so, it shoula only be a matter of time before a classy sprinter is unearthed, and when this happens, Australia’s star in the swimming world will again rise rapidly. It has already commenced to do so, and in another season or two Australia should again occupy the prominent position she previously held in the sport. W. W. Harris says of Alan Charlton:— “That lad doesn’t know what he can do yet. I’ll be surprised if he doesn’t break every existing record from 220 yards upwards. What a great thing a meeting between Charlton and Weismuller over half a mile would be.”

If Charlton and Frank Beaurepaire meet at the Adelaide carnival, a Sydney writer is of opinion that the latter will extend the youthful prodigy more than anyone has in Sydney. Beaurepaire, under adverse conditions, did the half-mile at the Williamstown baths in the Victorian championships in 12min 40sec. A swell from the bay and a rope turn have to be considered.

Describing Charlton’s win in the 440yds at the recent Sydney Carnival, the Sydney Referee says:—“The start was good though Charlton was slow to move. But his powerful stroke soon enabled him to draw level with the others, and he and Harris turned together at the end of the first lap, 110 yards in lmin 14 l-seec. Then Charlton began to swim in earnest. He took up the lead from Harris with Christie lying third. At 220 yards, covered in 2min 36 l-ssec, Charlton was leading by four yards and going well. Going down the third lap Charlton put on steam, and, though Harris also spurted, the youth began to open up a gap. He reached the 330 yards eight yards in front of Harris with Christie third Down the last, lap Charlton spurted magnificently, and increased his lead until he touched the pontoon a winner by 20 yards amid deafening applause. Meanwhile Christie was rapidly gaining on Harris, and twenty yards from the finish he drew level. The two raced over the last few yards for the board. Charlton’s intermediate times were: 110yds, lmin 14 l-ssec; 220yds, 2 min 36 l-ssec; 330yds, 3mm 59 l-ssec; and 440yds, smin 22 2-ssec.