SWIMMING SPEECHLY MILE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21896, 24 February 1941, Page 3

SWIMMING SPEECHLY MILE

WIN FOR G. O’ROURKE Tire Speechly Mile harbour swim, which was held on Saturday afternoon, attracted a fair amount of interest. Six competitors only faced the starter, and half the field finished, the withdrawal of three being due mainly to the coldness of the water. A fairly strong easterly blew up the harbour, causing a swell, and the competitors had to face this over two of the four laps which constituted the race. The swimmers were dispatched from the Fishermen’s Wharf, and turned at a buoy at the far end of the harbour, returning to the starting point. A second trip over the course comprised the measured mile. The cup this year went to G. O’Rourke, off the 2mln. 40sec. mark. Second place went to D. O’Rourke, off scratch. He won the cup in 1939 and again last year, but on Saturday failed by about 30 yards to catch his brother. The trophy will remain in the same home for the third year running. While he failed to win, D. O’Rourke registered fastest time, covering the mile in 24min 53 4-ssecs, which is a record. O’Rourke held the previous record of 25min llsecs, which he set last year. The winner’s actual swimming time was 27mln 12 4-ssecs. K. Morris, with a handicap of 6mins, went away alone at 2.40, and Irnin. 40secs. later J. Lewis set out. These two had covered a fair distance when G. O’Rourke was dispatched. Twenty seconds later M. Moore started, N. Belcher diving in 40 seconds behind Moore. D. O’Rourke started out when the limit man was threequarters of the way up the first lap. Morris was showing signs of having had enough long before he finished the first 440 yards, and he rested until he was joined by Lewis, who was slightly off his line. These two rounded the buoy together, and they were followed by G. O’Rourke, Moore, Belcher and D. O’Rourke in that order. Lewis and G. O’Rourke were the first to complete the half-mile in 16mln. 2secs. Morris was just behind, but decided to retire from the contest. Moore turned in 16min. 56secs, some 26 seconds ahead of Belcher, who had made up ground. D. O’Rourke covered the half-mile in 13mln. 17secs, having picked up 65 seconds on Belcher, 79 seconds on Moore, 2S minutes on Lewis and 99 seconds on his brother. G. O’Rourke went into the lead over the third lap, and remained in front to the finish. Coming down the final lap, D. O’Rourke swam into second place 220 yards from the finish, with Belcher and Moore on terms in third place. D. O’Rourke continued to make up ground, but his brother had too big a lead and reached the finishing line with 30 yards to spare. Belcher was a similar distance back third. Moore retired with cramp 100 yards from home, Lewis having retired earlier. The placed competitors were:— G. O’Rourke (2min. 40secs.) 30min. D. O’Rourke (scr), 30min. 53 4-ssecs 2 N. Belcher (Imin. 40secs.) 31min. 14 4-ssecs 3 The cup was presented by the president of the Swimming Centre (Mr H. H. Fraser) who congratulated the winner on his line race. He also congratulated D. O’Rourke on gaining fastest time. Mr Fraser mentioned that conditions had been very close to those the donor had visualised, he having given the cup for a mile swim in open water.