SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

Taranaki Daily News, 8 August 1930, Page 3

SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

NEWCOMERS TO TARANAKI. ENWRIGHT, YOUNG AND ATKINSON One Taranaki swimming club will benefit by the inclusion of two of the best swimmers and one of the best divers in New Zealand when the season opens this year. The ■trio consisting of Messrs. Jack EnWright (Annette Kellerman Cup holder),'Barry Young (ex« diving champion of New South Wales) and Bert Atkinson (West Coast sprint representative at the 1930 national championships), will probably all be stationed in Taranaki and have intimated tliat they will all join the same club. All are first-class water polo players. . Probably the best known of the three, Mr. Enwright has maintained a place at the head of swimming activities in New Zealand for a number of years. It is understood h» anticipates joining a Taranaki club for the coming season. His faultless rhythmic stroke has carried , him” to victory over a long period. First successes in the national championships came in sprint' races, but of late h has excelled in long distance trials. LONG ' SERIES OF- SUCCESSES. In 1921 when the championships were staged at Dunedin he won the 100 yards in 63 l-ssec and during the three follow-.' ing years retained the title. At Wellington in 1922 he won in 61 4-ssec, at Tiffiaru in'l923 in 62sec and at Wanganui in 1924 in 62 3-ssee._ The fallowing year (1925) he annexed' the New Zealand 220 yards title at Christchurch with a time of 2inin 36 3-ssec. Since that time he has' remained among the fore? most at the Auckland centre championships, ' being beaten by the University champion J; P. Farrell and Gordon Bridson, wlio last year played havoc with Dominion titles and is. at present touring with the New. Zealand Empire Games team. In 1929, for instance, he was second in the 100 yards and 440 yards and third in the 220. yards. -■ •' Mr. Enwright’s ability as a coach is well known, and lie was the, Taranaki . centre’s choice for the proposed swimming week in February- should, the professional . services of Mr.' Anderson, be not available. In addition he has been chairman of the Auckland ' Swimming Centre for a number of years. N.S.W. GIVING CHAMPION. ; . . . His. prowess as a diver has earned--Mr. B. J. (Barry) Young a .place with the front-rankers in both Australia and New Zealand. For a number of years he was a member of the Mosman Club, the home of divers, which for. three years had ten representatives in the New South Wales' State troupe and the State troupe of which Mr. Young was leader in 1926 held the fancy, trick and plain diving championship of Australia from 1920 to 1926. The Mosman troupe, .the “Seagulls” were very well known in Sydney and .their practices from the tower in the Clifton Gardens baths never fail to raise the admiration of ferry boat passengers passing by, , After leaving Sydney Mr. Young came to Auckland, which he represented at, the national championships. In 1929 lie was second in the Auckland championships to W. Hasson, who in turn was runner-up to R. Calder. Curiously enough G. Johnston, who was a member of the New Plymouth club last year, was third. 7 Last .year, however, Mr.' Young won the diving championship, appearing to approach nearer his New oouth Wales form. WEST COAST SPRINTER. The last member of the trio, Mr. Bert Atkinson, comes from the West Coast of the South Island, where, last year the national championships were held. ;He annexed the Coast 100 yards champion- . ship during. 1929 and 1930, a time, of 59 seconds being returned. As a water polo player he represented the Wcsj; Coast, On the historic occasion, when Billy.'Cameron smashed the New Zea- . land 100 yards record Mr. Atkinson was swimming with him. Finally, he was a member of’ the party which toured the South Island-with Misses Kath Miller, Lossie Hood and Eria Stockley. ,