IN BATHS AND SURF

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1932, Page 10

IN BATHS AND SURF

SWIMMING IN THE SOUTH

JTMES SWIMS GREAT 100 YARDS.

TARANAKI’S COUNCIL DELEGATE.

(By “Beltman.”) Christchurch swimmers staged a..great >.,_1 0 to the carnival season on Ihurs K when three Canterbury records terft smashed and one New Zealand reequalled. The P erf L °. r “ °Vmwho’register’ed 57 *■?£evente “to™Xltomrf. tauces were 50 yards, 100 yards, z«v IS 440 yards, diva and relay for the yards, 440 y 100 dg> 75 yards breaststroke and dive for ladiee '. club is allowed two representatives in each event, but no swimmer may take Srt in more than one race. By this £ans the best all-round club is sucThe racing began with the men s 50 yards, in whih the struggle lay between E. McConville (Somerfleld) and A. T. Dalton (United). McConville had the better of the turn and won by a yard. His time was 25 4-ssec., equalling the N6W Zealand and Canterbury records. McConville is comparatively slight m Mature-but he can fly through the water in a sprint event. Symes’ Great Swim. Heats were necessary In the 100 yards. The first was won by G. Low, L. Moorhouse’s backstroke protege, in 6,7 2-osec. from Alec. Stokes, and Symes won the second in 69 4-osec. These were merely canters, however, and the pace was on in the final. Stokes held to Symes fairly well for two and a hal lengths, but then the winner produced an amazing burst of speed, drew away easily and won by two yards. His time of 57 4-seec. broke the Canterbury record by 3-ssec. . D. P. Lindsay was seen in action m the 220 yards event. This, as did the IDO yards, necessitated heats; Lindsay won the first in 2min. 45 4-ssec., and MacDonald beat Bolam in the second in 3min. Isec. Lindsay made no race of the final and his long, easy stroke carried him to victory by 12 yards m 2min. 35sec. Coming Intermediate Champion. The 440 yards was the medium of a, good performance by C. Cliff, a 16-year-old schoolboy. Swimming a steady stroke and not at any time showing signs of fatigue, Cliff gradually gained the ascendancy over M. Rattray and won by eight yards in smin. 57sec., clipping 4sec. off the existing, Canterbury intermediate record. The real thrill of the evening, however, came in the 133 1-3 yards relay, Elmwood putting up a determined challenge to East Christchurch’s supremacy—and winning. East Christchurch had Lindsay and McConville in the team, hut Symes established a first lap lead for Elmwood which was retained throughout; the time for 133 1-3 yards waft 69 2-ssec.—less than HAsec. a length per man. The other record broken was the Canterbury ladies’ 100 yards. Miss Shona Campbell, Canterbury’s main representative at the New Zealand championships, made a hot pace and won by eight yards in 71 2-ssec. The previous record was 72 3-sscc. The result of the shield competition was that Elmwood, owing to a more balanced ladies’ division, took the shield from East Christchurch, holders for two years, by 29 points to 28. Canterbury Strongest Province. The impression gained .was that in senior men swimmers Canterbury is now stronger than Auckland. Lindsay, with his long, effortless and heart-breaking stroke, has demonstrated his supremacy in the longer distances; Symes, and in a, lesser degree McConville, ought to be able to account for Bridson in the sprint evehta next year. Symes has the makings of a champion. His most recent triumph had been at the University tournament at Wellington at Easter, when he carried off all three free style events. Symes is well built, but he has massive shoulders, and when they drive with full force the Christchurch youth is a flier. McConville is good over 50 yards and there are several 100 yards men who could beat anybody in Taranaki —Canterbury’s boast of being able to produce four men capable of breaking 60 seconds for 100 yards is no idle one. Cliff has a long way to go before he will be senior standard, but his 440 yards time —27sec. better than the Taranaki record —speaks for itself. Lindsay has numerous superiors at 33 1-3 and 50 yards sprints. Anything from 220 yards to a mile or two, however, will find his long, slender arms driving his tall slimness through the water with a relentless steadiness. • Miss Campbell’s style is an upright one and she secures all her speed from a perfect leg action. With 100 yards in 71 2-ssec, to her credit she would trouble the majority of men swimmers in Taranaki. Representation on Council. Although Taranaki’s representative on the Royal Life-Saving Society Head Centre, Mr. H. J. Ballin, has the interests of the province at heart, and matters of life-saving generally are satisfactory at Christchurch, the same cannot be said about the Swimming Council. There is a move on foot to replace the older and less efficient representatives with younger men. In the southern city there are several swimmers who are just on the point of retiring from competitive swimming in favour of younger exponents, and they are keen to take up executive work. “Beltman” was talking to Mr. Norman Batchelor, whose name is prominent in New Zealand swimming and life-saving circles and who, the older Taranaki swimmers may remember, broke a record when in Taranaki for the Nelson Shield a few years ago. Mr. Batchelor pointed out that D. R. Lindsay was already a representative on the Swimming Council and himself expressed'a wish to act for Taranaki if it were desired. That is a matter that is worthy, well worthy, of the centre’s consideration before next season. f Methods of Judging Diving. The Canterbury Centre introduced a new method of judging diving events at the carnival mentioned above. The three judges were each provided with curds having largo numbers printed thereon, and after each competitor’s dive at a signal from the announcer exhibited the card bearing the number of marks awarded. With a result steward to note the number and make an average the results were ready immediately the event was over. The spectators were -able to form an idea during the progress who was - best. Probably the greatest advantage was the effect of popular criticism on the judges’ awards. ; . . . “Beltman” would suggest consideration of this scheme to Taranaki clubs and their- judges of _ diving—always providing that the introduction of'the-'method docs not lead to dissatisfaction ■ and riots —shall we say?—at sext season’s carnivals.