SWIMMING

Southland Times, Issue 22489, 25 January 1935, Page 3

SWIMMING

RECORD TWICE BROKEN P. H. McGRATH IN FORM. SOUTHLAND 880 YARDS CHAMPIONSHIP. Any suspicion that swimming in Invercargill was in ■ the doldrums was quickly dispelled at the Tepid Baths last night when the Southland record for the half-mile free-style was twice broken. . The occasion was the swimming ot the heats of. the 880 yards men’s championship, the final of which is to be swum at a future date. When F. W. Springford staged a great recovery to win his heat in the record time of 12mm 51sec—the former record stood at 12min 53sec —the crowd realized that they had witnessed some good swimming. When P. H. McGrath began to lengthen his stroke and draw away from the rest in the second heat, those present realized at once that this was the night of nights. They were seeing the Southland champion in his best form. And when his winning time, 12min 26 l-ssec, which bettered the record just established was announced the onlookers gasped. McGrath is usually a competitor only in distances up to 440 yards, but by his showing last night the Southland champion must now be regarded as a force to be reckoned with over any distance. His chances of representing Southland at the national swimming championships in Auckland next month now also seem assured, for McGrath is now displaying his best form the form that in 1930 won for him the title of intermediate swimming champion of New Zealand. Details of the progress of the two heats are as follows:— SOUTHLAND HALF-MILE CHAMPIONSHIP. First Heat. The six competitors in the first heat went away to a flying start, the first length of the baths being covered in the fast time of Msec. At the turn A. Marshall held an advanage over F. L. Clark (an ex-Wellington swimmer) of about a foot. Clark crept up to take the lead at the second turn, but Marshall, who was settling into his stroke, assumed command in the next lap. •F. Springford appeared to be slow in settling down but after the first 100 yards (which were put behind in the good time of 70sec) he lapsed into his usual powerful, untiring stroke and. thereafter swam his own race. Clark, who seemed to find the pace a trifle 1 too good for him, withdrew in the 14th lap. The quarter mile mark was reached in 6min Bsec. Marshall i who had a lead of about six yards, at this stage began to fall back a little, I while Springford steadily crept up on 1 him. Marshall still managed to main--1 tain lead, however, till the second last lap when Springford came up on him and the two swam stroke for stroke. Both came round together on the final turn and in a desperate spurt, Springford just touched ahead of Marshall. The placings were as follows: — F. W. Springford 1 A. Marshall “ W. Coatsworth J The time, 12min. 51sec., created a new Southland record. Second Heat. After a good start McGrath was the first to show out, closely followed by Malthus. At the outset it was evident that these were the only two with a chance of success in the race. Malthus took the lead at the end of the first lap, with McGrath, content to bide his time, a few feet back. The pace at this stage was solid, but not fast, the 100 yard mark being reached in 74sec. Malthus held his lead to the 220 yard mark, for which distance he recorded 2min. 57sec., when he lengthened out a little and put McGrath six lengths behind. The position was unchanged till the quarter mile was covered in 6 min Msec. McGrath now began to clap on the pace and the distance between him and Malthus gradually lessened and at the end of the 15tn lap McGrath caught Malthus and thereafter never looked like being headed. He won by about 12 yards, while Malthus finished over a length of the baths ahead of the next placed man. McGrath’s style throughout was a revelation in the art of swimming and his great time of 12min, 26 l-ssec., but exemplified the fact that, when he cares to train, he is a reallv great swimmer.