TARANAKI SWIMMING

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1931, Page 4

TARANAKI SWIMMING

THE HEIGHT OF THE SEASON ATTRACTIONS FOR NEXT MONTH. ITEMS FROM OTHER CENTRES, (By “Backstroke.”) The past few weeks have seen tlie opening of the swimming season in Taranaki and during next month swimmers will experience the busiest part of their year. Already four carnivals have been held, Inglewood’s last week being the. latest. During February, however, there seems to be no end to the competitions scheduled. Besides the weekly dub nights and aggregate competitions of the clubs there will be the Taranaki championships on February 18, the Learn,, to Swim Week starting on February 16; and numerous carnivals. . < Stratford will have its first carnival next Thursday; on the following night, there is a Hawera carnival, and on Saturday there will be a New Plymouth carnival. Three carnivals in three days—it is a strenuous: programme. During the visit of H.M.B. Veronica to New Plymouth the combined Fitzroy and New Plymouth clubs have arranged a carnival to take place on February 12. The following Thursday has been chosen by the Inglewood club for its second carnival, while on the afternoon of Saturday, February 21, the Okato club will hold its annual carnival. The postponed Waitara, event will, take place, on February 26 and on the following Saturday the NewPlymouth Ladies’' Life Samng Club is to stage its' first, carnival. INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS. Interest in swimming circles now centres in the New Zealand intermediate, and .junior championships, which will be held at Ashburton, to-day and to-mbrrpw.

In the junior division Auckland should furnish the title-holders in both the boys and' girls’ free style championships, says a writer in the New Zealand Herald, reviewing northern candidates’ prospects. Judging by his Auckland championship form, N( Crump should win the 100 yards and 220 yards boys’ events. He is improving so much that it would occasion no surprise, if he reduced his newlyestablished 100 yards record of 65sec'aiid sets new figures for the furlong distance, frump’s hardest opponent over both. dis?, tances will 'probably be W. Jarvis, the Otago champion. ‘ Miss E. Rainey should retain her girls’ free‘ style titles, as her times at the Auckland championships were much faster than ‘those 'returned in other, centres. It may be only the slow fresh water conditions that will prevent her from creit-: ing new records. • . . ■'. ■ s The : 75 yards intermediate girls’ breaststroke championship is expected to' be a close' struggle between the ' titleholder, Miss M.- Mathieson (Otago), and Miss' D. Dowman, the Auckland champion. Although Miss Dowman recently lowered Miss Mathieson’s record by 1' 2-5 sec, the Otago swimmer, who is certain to have improved since ■ the last championships, has not been seen at her best so far this season. Miss Dowman is still- an unknown .quantity and gives I ' the impression that she will: further improve on her time. Miss Mathieson will also have to look to hen laurels in the intermediate girls’ free' .style’ championship's, as in thbse events tlie Auckland champion, Miss M. Ley don, will be her most formidable opponent. Miss Leydon hAs faster time for 100 y/irds than Miss Mathieson, while her 220 yards time is only one-fifth of a second slower? Miss Leydon was far from being fully extended when her times were recorded at the Auckland championships, and in view of this fact she may prove too stfong for the title-holder.

The Auckland’representative in the intermediate boys’ free style eVerits, R. Frankliam, luis only fair chances of success against R. Geddes (Otago), last year’s. Dominion junior champion. By his performances this season Geddes has demonstrated that he has excellent prospects of success and lie should be an easy< winner. Frankham has a good chance of being runner-up, although B. Gallate, the Wellington.title : holder, will be hard to beat. ' AUSTRALIAN ACTIVITIES. The .New South, Wales section of the Australian national championships concluded recently saw three national and .five New South Wales records fall. The latest Sydney Referee contains particulars more detailed than the cable messages ’received earlier from Sydney. Of the eight national title events decided, New South Wales representatives won seven. "As Noel Ryan is regarded as a certainty for -the 880 yards and one mile events and F. McCure similarly for the-two breast-stroke races, ‘which are all to be-held at Brisbane,-it looks as if

New South Wales will this year regain from Queensland the Kieran Shield for the men’s national State premiership.

Sensations of the second and third carnivals were the unexpected defeat of the national 100 and 220 yards lady champion, Jean Cocks, by Mollie Mitchell, an improving Sydney girl. Miss Mitchell at Drummoyne headed Jean Cocks in the 220 yards event in 2min 44 .g-ssec, chopping 23-10 sec off Miss Cocks’ Australian record. At Coogee Miss Mitchell won the 100 yards race in 64 4-ssec. Vera Pawley filled second place.

The most meritorious win of-the series, however, was considered to, he Bonnie Mealing’s Imin 11 2-ssec for the 100 yards ladies’ national backstroke event, which,'however, cannot be recognised as a World’s record because 100 yards is not a recognised distance. Noel Ryan easily accounted for the opposition in the 220 yards national championship, witifch he won in 2min 24 4-ssec, which is close to various records although not actually eclipsing them. Ryan was reported from Brisbane on January 24, however, to have covered the (distance in 2min 9 l-ssec, only l-ssec outside Weissmuller’s world record.

Swimming beautifully, V. Besomo took the 100 yards New South Wales backstroke championship from the holder, W. ! Cameron, in the record time of 68 3-osec. CANTERBURY CENTRE FINANCE. It would be a most unfortunate thing, and a sad reflection on swimming in Canterbury, if the centre could not afford to se\'d a team away to the New Zealand championships at Wanganui in March. Canterbury lost the Yaldhurst Shield at Greymouth by only one point last year, and its chances this year are just.as good,-says the Christchurch Sun.. The centre now has a- deficit of £3 4s 7d, and the'money required’ to send away a team must • be raised by. some other means. ■ It will cost about £4O to do so. There will be a polo team of seven; A., T. ’ F., Stokes, will .have plenty to do without taking part in the polo matches; go he will be an extra, man. Miss D'. (Foote, holder of the diving champion-' ship, must be sent to defend her title. That makes a total of ten-in the team, and the travelling expenses will not bo much under £4 each. An'appeal is being made to the clubs for financial assistance. At'the same time; most clubs work on a slender credit balance,/and the amount they, can give is limited. The carnival which the centre is holding should yield a profit, but the sum received from these sources is likely to be a good deal short of the £4O required and the position is still/very uncertain. -. : ; NEW SWIMMING RECORDS. The International Swimming Federation at a congress held in Berlin lately approved the following world’s records;' 'Men: 150yds free style, W. Laufer ((United States),-Imin 25sec,. February 3, 1929,'. at Chicago; 200 metres breaststroke, Y. Tsuruta (Japan), 2min 4ogee, February 27, 1929,' at.( Kyoto; 150yds backstroke, G. Kojac (United States), lmin. .38 : 2-ssec, March'3, 1929, at New Brunswick. Women:-. 100 metres free style, Miss A. Osipovich (United States); Imin 9 2-ssee, August 25, 1929, at Honoitilu;'44oyds free'style, Miss J. McKim (United States); omin 47 >2-ssec, August 8, 1929, at . Honolulu; 500 metres free Style, Miss M. Braun' (Holland), 7min 18sec, March 2?, 1930,-at Bruges; 880yds free style, Miss J. McKim- (United States), 12min 3 4-ssec, August 10, 1929, at Honolulu; 220yds breast-stroke, Miss H. Schrader. (Germany), 2min 57 4-ssec, December 17, 1929, at Magdeburg; 100 metres backstroke, Miss M. Braun (Holland), Imin 21sec, November 27, 1929, at Gravenhage;. 150yds backstroke, Miss J. Cooper (Great Britain), Imin 56 l-ssec, April -29, 1030, at London. OFF THE DEEP END. Surf Slogan,—None, but the brave observe the bare.. . '■ * " This girl • Gleitze ■ is always " in' the swim.. i # * # * With a total of 39 countries as members'the internatidrial Swimming' /’ tjbn'is the largest'sport body of its kind in the world,' ' ■ ■ ■ ■ •# # - # Since, she has . been meeting with-(suc-cess in he“r long-distance swims this season Lily ' Coppiestone may perhaps attempt the Wrigley Marathon, as she once said she' would, if she does ; well .in her appearances in Australia. The Wrigley Marathon is that very spectacular and- much boosted “stunt” staged by the chewing gum millionaire, Charles Wrigley, in America. Prizes aggregating £5OOO-are"distributed; ' . - .*.. *■ # • * :.’ The splendid' attendance' of the. public at the. three carnivals in the New-South. Wales' series of the Australian national championships is reflected in the .gate takings:’ '(Domain Baths, Sydney, £150; C'bogee, £100; £7o. Direct evidence of the Australian depression 1- . ■## ■ * An attempt to swim from Stirfdale to Motuilii, a distance Of approximately six miles, was to have been made by,A. E. ■ Baird) the: Auckland swimmer, yesterday. Baird, who was the New Zealand dis-’-tance champion of 1926; succeeded .in swimming from the Ferry Tee to Milford Beach two years ago.

Andrew Charlton, tlie famous Australian swimmer and ex-Olympic champion, has decided not to take part in any competitive swimming this season. He has not fully recovered from the effects of an illness and his medical adviser is against any serious swimming. Charlton intends, however, to make his reappearance in next season’s championships.

After much discussion the Australian national championships that are to be decided at Brisbane will be contested in salt water. The city council reconsidered its decision to place fresh water in the Valley pool after many protests had been received. The news was very welcome to southern State swimmers, says the Sydney Referee.

Although Alec Stokes won the 220 yards men’s championship of Canterbury in only 4-ssee. outside the record, and l-ssec outside the time put up by Gordon Bridson at Greymouth, last year, he was suffering from the effects of a cold. Alec has shown steady improvement this season, and his meeting with the Aucklander in March ovei - this distance should be full of interest. <■

A protest having been lodged in South Africa over the selection of Candidates for th 6 recent British Empire Games in Canada, swimmers deserving of recognition hot having been chosen, the fact was revealed that, except for football, there are more young men and women actively engaged in swimming competition in South Africa than in any other branch of sport.

Miss Helene Madison, the crack American girl swimmer, will most likely visit Australia after all. Word has been received in New South Wales that Miss Madison would be available providing she could return to the United States by April 1 for the national indoor championships. Should the trip have been definitely arranged Helene was to have left San Francisco on January 21, arriving at Sydney on February 14 and leaving Rfflta pn, 3» — ’ -

Miss Ena Stockley, former New Zealand swimming champion, is regaining her form in competition in Sydney. Competing in a 150yds handicap recently she was timed to cover 100yds in 67sec and the full distance in Imin 51sec which is Isec faster than Miss P. Hoeft’s New Zealand record. Miss Stockley did riot compete in the Australian championships, held recently, but she hopes to oppose Miss Helene Madison, American champion and world’s record-holder, in the New South Wales championships on February 19. * * * # Among the records approved by the English Amateur Swimming Association in London are those by Miss M. Joyce Cooper and Miss Celia Wolstenliolme. Miss Cooper is credited with the world record for 150 yards backstroke at Hornsey in Imin 56 l-ssec in April. She also secured the 440yds record in smin 57 l-ssec in London in October. Miss Vvolstenholme is credited With three world’s records—the 220yds breast-stroke at Manchester in July in 2min 56sec, the 500 metres at Chadderton in November in Smin 35, l-ssec, and the 400 metres at Royston, Lancashire, in November in gmin 41 2-ssec, 1-—l——- |