CONTROL OF SWIMMING.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18822, 10 March 1931, Page 4

CONTROL OF SWIMMING.

To the Editor of the " Tlmaru Herald.” Sir,—l am sure all South Canterbury will be pleased to see In the Press that Mr Carlton, the Centre secretary, was able to Impress upon the New Zealand Swimming Council, the merits of Tlmaru as the place to hold the New Ifealand senior championships there next year. Now, sir, It behoves every supporter and club, and every swimmer affiliated with the Centre, to be up and doing. A little fair criticism of their methods In carrying out the different competitions at carnivals will perhaps do some good, so I will point out a few faults as I see them. In the first place I find that each individual club makes its own rules, so that the swimmers have to make themselves conversant with the rules of the officials of each particular carnival that they participate In. If the officials of the different clubs do not Intend to carry out the New Zealand Swimming Association rules, as far as possible, then each Centre should be compelled to issue rules, and make them available to every member. With regard to handicapping, the Centre has a very able man in Mr Morrison, and while some clubs take advantage of his experience, and knowledge that he has of almost every swimmer in the Centre, others do their own, which leads very often to a procession in most of the races. Under the handicapping of Mr Morrison, the public have witnessed some of the finest finishes in races one could wish to see.

I find that nearly every club has a different method in holding diving competitions. I will give some of the different clubs and their methods:— Waimate.—Two running dives, and then pick out six of the contestants from the 15 that were diving, to do a high dive, giving the others no opportunity to recover perhaps a few points in that particular dive. Temuka.—Two running, and one high also. The swallow dive was not allowed as a plain dive. Methven.—One running, two optional. Geraldine.—Two running dives. Timaru.—Two running, one high, and contestants ordered to run the full length of board (cannot find any rules for this). It seems the officials are very averse to a standing dive. Now, I consider a true test of a diver, at an ordinary carnival is: One standing, one running, one high, and one optional dive. If the officials would make this a rule, then there would not be so much discontent as at present. In Timaru, I find they have some very fine supporters of each individual club, but what is needed is, some supporters with a much wider outlook. I consider that this is the reason of a dearth of good swimmers in Timaru. For instance, when the two Australian champions were in New Zealand, Timaru went to sleep and let them pass. Ashburton and Temuka secured them. The result is, that Ashburton and Temuka are far ahead of Timaru in speed swimmers. As far as I can see, Timaru will never produce fast swimmers until the swimmers are given the opportunity to see and study the art of getting speed. I know of very few swimmers in Timaru that have the semblance of speed action, and until this is altered, they will never improve. Most of them swim with their head and shoulders out of the water, as if they were afraid of hitting the end of the baths; or, as in the Speechly Mile, they were afraid of spoiling the parting in their hair. The remedy is that each club should have a coach, not necessarily a paid one, but one who will study the art, and give the benefit of that study to the swimmers. The championships to be swum in Timaru next year, will be a great opportunity for the swimmers to study the champions' actions, and I trust will be taken every advantage of. Who knows we may have a Weismueller or Arn Borg among our swimmers.—l am, etc., INTERESTED.

Timaru, March 7. P.S.—ln attending carnivals, I find that breaststroke swimming is unknown. This stroke is essential for beginners, life-saving, and endurance swimming, so should not, on any account, be neglected. It would also add variety in the programme of carnivals.