Personalities In Sport

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 417, 27 July 1928, Page 10

Personalities In Sport

Piri Page Retires From Swimming

Since the war, Auckland has had a I wonderful record in girls* swimming, j In the sprint events, especially, Auck- j land has been supreme. Many bril- ; liant performers have come and gone since 16-year-old Violet Walrond first ! appeared on the international horizon [ .some eight or nine years ago. It was about that time that a fair- | haired little schoolgirl was starting to show speed above the average in the Tepid Baths. At the age of 13, she won her first big success—the Auckland schoolgirls* championship, in 3 921. TRIPLE CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER Since that time many other successes have come the way of Piri Page, who has decided to finish with competitive swimming. During her career Miss Page has built up a splendid record, including the proud distinction of having won Auckland and New Zealand championships in three ! divisions —junior, intermediate and S senior. Some of her most notable perform- j ances were registered at the Aus- ' tralian championships, when she I

I visited Sydney with Miss Stockley in 1926. Miss Page still holds the New J Zealand record for the 75yds inter- ! mediate girls’ salt water swim. At the New Zealand championships in 1921 she won the 100yds junior girls’ | event, clipping 23-5 s off Miss Walj rond’s record. As an intermediate the I next year she won various Auckland ; titles and at Wellington accounted for ! the 75yds and 100yds New Zealand championships, in the latter event making a new record. HER BEST SEASON As a senior in 1925, although beaten in the 100yds and 220yds at the Auckland championships, Miss Page clinched the 440yds event, and at the New Zealand championships that year she took both the 220yds and 440yds events. Last year Miss Page was not up to her usual form and suffered one of those lapses which so often develop in an athlete. Even so, she retained her 220yds Auckland title. This season she competed only in one or two small events, but failed to strike her old I She will be missed when .the chamj pionship fields line up next season, j but she has left behind a fine record ; lor the girls who will follow her as ; representatives of the premier swimi ming centre of New Zealand.