MEMORABLE SWIMMING

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1935, Page 10

MEMORABLE SWIMMING

POUSSARD ON HOW IT IS DONE

(By

“Beltman.”)

Those who were privileged to meet Emil Poussard and Jean

Taris on their short visit to Taranaki saw them go with a feeling that except for a difference in language and perhaps in outlook, the Frenchmen were exactly the type of fine sportsmen one meets in every English-speaking country. Genuinely delighted with New Zealand and Taranaki, embarrassed if too much were done for them, and very anxious to give all the help they could, they have left with Taranaki swimmers and divers recollections of a memorable evening and ideas of technique opening up a field for great improvement.

Taris was the shyer member of the party, perhaps because his "English was not so good, but his eyes said more than his tongue. PousSard’s bright and breezy manner was typically French and his conversation was not in the least limited. He was perfectly ready to talk about New Zealand and New Zealand swimmers.

“Yours is a very fine country,” he said, “very beautiful and all up and down. Australia—too flat; New Zealand —very much like France. Your New Plymouth is beautiful and your park very nice. “We have seen your New Zealand swimmers and they are very good, but their training—lt is not right. To swim and dive you must train all the time.”

Training Each Day. Monsieur Poussard explained that each day, except Oh Occasions such as the present tour, he trained for an hourhalf an hour exercises and half an hour of the board. “Diving is not done from the springboard,” he explained. “One’s body must be in perfect condition before one walks on the board.” The Frenchman’s perfect bearing and the layer Of rippling muscle under every inch Of his clear skin showed plainly how he kept to his principles. “Mr. Hassan, he is a very good diver,” he continued, “but he lose before he go on the board.” By that the Frenchman implied that the New Zealand champion had little to learn in technique but his training had not been intensive enough to give him the capability of execution. “One must exercise, exercise all the time.” -

“Plenty of Water—No Board.” “For a year before the Games,” Said the visitor, “One must do no work. The Americans Will train for a whole 12 months before each Olympiad. Last time they come first, second, third. Diving is not sure; one miss—out. It is practice and exercise all the time. “Here in New Plymouth you have plenty of water—no board. At Auckland, good board, nd water,” he pointed Out. “I do not like the spring you have here, because they do for you what you try to do yourself. The board is too long and the hand-rail, “cen’est pas necessaire.’

“A good diver may break a springboard easily,” confessed Emil. “Myself, 1 broke four last year.” And Taris added that he had seen three of them. In spite of the efforts of New Plymouth divers, ■it is quite certain that, the top. board at the New Plymouth baths was never treated so strenuously as on Wednesday night. “How did you come to take up diving?” Poussard was asked. “Well,” he replied, “a new pool was built near where I live pt Paris and I liked diving. ■ The instructor said, *lf you train you will be a good diver.’ So I trained and exercised and in two years I was champion.” No Dieting Fads.

“One must be careful about eating,” he added, “for what is the use of being a, good diver if one does not help oneself?” Neither he nor Taris refrains from smoking and they are both partial to a glass of lager. They went to bed after

their arrival from Hamilton on Wednesday, had nothing to eat or drink between dinner at Mokau and the carnival, and sat down at 10.30 to a hearty meal of grilled Steak, vegetables and potatoes. “Do you take part in any other games?” asked “Beltman.” “I used to play a little Rugby, but it is too hard,” and Poussard raised his fist in an expressive gesture. “They learned from the English—too hard.” He pdded that he found French boxing best —“the touch, not the hit”—for it taught quickness of action and balance and made the whole body supple. “Do you do any swimming?” was a further question. “Me? Oh no!” laughed Emil, pointing to Taris, who was busy writing letters. “He the swimmer here.” “Emil,” rejoined Taris, “he swim one, two metres—stop!” And he raised his ari" like a traffic inspector!

Splendid Leg Drive. Taris was a man of action rather than speech and his actions spoke volumes. Destroying almost every precept taught in Taranaki, he demonstrated that he did not need Io rely on the orthodox. His leg action was a revelation. The downward kick with the full leg, with a final Whip from the knee downwards, kept the full length of his body planing the surface. It was the upward drive that gave the tremendous speed and formed the main part of the leg action, however. A stretch of the ankles and the soles of the feet propeller fashion, provided power that kept the body going as Taris’ powerful shoulders pulled him onwards. Balance of the Arms.

His arms swept very wide, presumably to keep the balance necessary for the flashing leg beats. On the right arm the catch was made almost Opposite the left shoulder and a cut down and through was countered by the outrigger sweep of the Other arm. Taris’ breathing action—left arm, right arm, left arm breath; right arm, left arm, right arm, breath —did not appear strange. It is just a peculiarity of style that gives results as excellent as the usual method.

Inspired by Andrew Charlton, Taris has been swimming now for 10 years and his inspiring ambition was to swim as well as he saw Andrew Charlton swim at Paris in 1924. Constant training at his honie at Versailles lias brought him to a stage where he has won the Australian 220 yards, 440 yards, 880 yards and mile titles, creating a’new record in the 220 yards of 2m 16 3-ss. Besides that, he has held five world’s records at different times. Back To France to Work. The two Frenchmen, both 25 years old, Taris a manager of a sports clothing business and Poussard a lawyer, are assiduous letter writers to their home country and during a final visit to Pukekura> Park yesterday said their people would hear much of New Plymouth,, which appealed to them tremendously. “Coming back?” exclaimed Poussard. “We should love to, but we are six months away from France. We have work and we must train. But perhaps, sometime.”