SOUTHLAND SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD NEXT WEEK

Southland Times, Issue 23716, 14 January 1939, Page 11

SOUTHLAND SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS TO BE HELD NEXT WEEK

By

LIFEBELT

CLUB HOURS Monday, 6.15-7.15 p.m.—Murihiku. Wednesday, 5.45-6.45 p.m.—Collegiate. Thursday, 6.15-7.15 p.m.—Murihiku. Wednesday, 8.30 p.m.—Water polo practice. Senior swimmers in training are requested to attend at" the pool at 5.45 p.m. daily. c COMING EVENTS Jan. 19—Southland senior championships. Jan. 21—Sports meeting at Bluff (entries now invited). Jan. 25-28—New Zealand junior and intermediate championships at Rotorua. Feb. 14-19—New Zealand senior championships at Invercargill. Feb. 18-19—New Zealand surf and life-saving championships at Auckland. The Southland senior championships have been fixed for next Thursday, starting at 8 p.m. A good programme has been arranged and great interest will be taken in the championship events as on the performance of the individual competitors will depend their chances of inclusion in the Southland representative team to compete in the national championships to be held here for the first time from February 14 to February 18. H.M.S. Leith will be in Bluff for the Sanders Cup races from January 18 to January 21 and two races have been included in the programme for the ship’s crew. The ship is also being asked to provide a novelty event and a polo team to compete against a local team. In previous carnivals the presence of one of the warships has created the greatest interest, as the ships generally harbour some good swimmers who add to the interest of the carnival by their competition and humorous novelties. All senior swimmers are in active training and although Southland has never won a men’s senior title some critics are optimistic enough to say that Southland will secure at least three men’s titles this year. The women also are confident that at least one or two titles will come their way.

As is generally known the Centre has been experimenting with a broadcasting system which because of the acoustics of the pool building is not yet perfect. It is hoped that the new system that will be tried out at this carnival will give general satisfaction and so relieve the Centre of a great deal of worry and experimental work. For some time the Centre has had under consideration an improvement in the running of carnivals. The scheme has now been completed and out of it the desired results should be obtainable. Saturday, January 21, /will be the big Sanders Cup day at Bluff and as nobody has been training for the Watson Cup three-mile open water swim this race has had to be abandoned. The Centre, to keep faith with its Bluff friends and supporters, has substituted the following races: 100yds backstroke, 100yds breaststroke and 220yds freestyle. Entries are now being invited for these events. As the Centre is’dependent on the Bluff sporting section for much assistance in conducting the Annette Kellerman Cup, another three-mile open water race to be held at Bluff on the Sunday, February 19, it now behoves the local swimmers to supply big entries and make the competition good. Bluff is trying to run a race for its local swimmers and H.M.S. Leith is also being asked to hold a race for the crew. If these events are held they will add to the interest of the Sanders Cup race and swimming generally. SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS The New Zealand senior national championship dates are rapidly approaching; in fact, one month from today they will start. The various sub-committees are functioning with the result that arrangements are progressing splendidly and the Centre hopes to have all arrangements completed in ample time for the successful conduct of the greatest event in the swimming history of Southland. Interest in other centres is awakening, and although teams have not been selected by all as yet, indications point to exceptionally big nominations.. Including two polo teams, Otago will be represented by 23 competitors and several officials. Taranaki will have J. W. Davies defending his breast-

stroke title as well as F. Clow defending the Annette Kellerman Cup. Taranaki is also hopeful of providing another competitor for this three-mile event. Private information points to all titleholders being present to defend their titles so the competition will be keen. Southlanders will have a treat in seeing the cream of New Zealand’s swimmers in action. It can confidently be said that not 2 per cent, of Southland people have had the opportunity of patronizing a New Zealand senior national swimming championship meeting. The leading lights of the New Zealand Council, Mr F. J. Dunn and Mr Baxter O’Neill, president and secretary respectively, will be in attendance as also Mr C. Bryant, who has officiated as starter for all championship meetings for more than 20 years.

The following players are asked to attend water-polo practices every Wednesday evening at 8.30, so that there will be two teams in action at the senior championships: Springford (2), Davis (2), Grace (2), Millar, Mitchell, Marshall, Wesney, Smiley, Cameron, Duthie, Feam, Duncan, Grenfell, Brown, Johnson, Henry and Berry. As only one month is left all those asked to attend will be helping the polo committee if they will make zjn effort to be at the baths at every opportunity both to get used to handling the ball and also to get themselves fit in the water. WINTER TRAINING Colin Sell, the Otago junior freestyle champion, is an outstanding example of what winter training can do for a swimmer. Last season, although showing promise Sell was not very much better than the rank and file of junior swimmers, but he persevered through the winter, swimming slow distances and concentrating on stroke mechanics with the result that he is now in the class of Jarvis, Mclnnes and Cameron, who were all outstanding’juniors. His 62 3-ssec for 100yds after winning by 10yds or more, was a great swim and his 220yds in less than 2min 49sec, with no one within 30yds of him, was decidedly good. On the strength of these swims, which have seldom been bettered for time in the New Zealand junior championships, Sell appears to have a mortgage on the titles in that section for Otago at Rotorua. He and Christine Garvin will certainly help Otago in the struggle for the Shield which is at present held jointly by Otago and Southland.

In spite of an earnest attempt to have the War Memorial Shield conditions changed last season, the latest issue of the New Zealand handbook shows that the points are to remain the same. That means that'a point is scored only by the winner and second and third places gain nothing. ,It is doubtful if this system is the best as many consider that if points were won by all place-getters, more competitors would be sent and racing would benefit. This seems to be borne out in practice ’by the fact that very often certain events haye only one or two starters and this is rather disappointing, especially for the Centre which is staging the meeting. Four girls have recently been passed in Invercargill for their bronze medallion life-saving award by the examiner, Mr A. J. Kingsland. The girls were Misses J. Halligan, N. Dixon, M. Frederic and N. Hitch and all passed very well, although one girl was a little weak in one section of the swimming. It is gratifying that girls are showing more interest in still water life-saving and it would be very interesting to see some sort of competition instituted in Invercargill between secondary schools. In Christchurch there is the Monica Thacker Shield for competition among secondary school girls and excellent team displays and life-saving exhibitions are given. Under similar conditions the Sir John Hall Shield is given for competition among secondary school boys. Mr W. T. Springford was responsible for the instruction of these local girls and they responded very well as Mr Kingsland sets a high standard of marking. Some think the standard is too high, but any award to be of value must be difficult to win, and although no examiner likes to fail a person, he is not doing his duty if he passes an obviously weak display. For the bronze medallion a theoretical examination as well as test is given.