SWIMMING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19815, 5 December 1919, Page 2

SWIMMING.

Owing to being unable to secure «. berth on the Niagara which necessitated waiting tor the .dakura, Norman Boss, the champion swimmer, will not arrive in Australia earlier than a fortnight after the date originally sot down, itcf erring to Ross, .VI r \V". I'. Corbett. writes:—Ross is a bettor swimmer than Kahauaiuulvu was for the same, mission. Ho is an all-round performer as far as distances are concerned. The Duke loft- oft as a strong attraction after 100 yards—porliaps 2iXj yards at the outside, lie was, like all natives, too lazy to train, otherwise the famous Hawaiian might have been "as brilliant in events of endurance as he was in sprints. Norman .Ross stands tift 2in high, and weighs over 13st. He swims the trudgeon stroke—so-called. it is not the real trudge. He, 'tis said, lias a remarkable take- off which invariably sends him speeding through the water yards ahead of all opposition beforo his arms get to work. His turning is the. perlcction of adroitness. Boss is not likely to.havo much over somo of our youngsters in take off or turn. Watch our lads; as sprinters, See them cutting the worlds record for fifty so closely that it shakes even to the verge of falling, and wonder bow Ross is going to get a move on early'enough, to do better. The turn means much in sprint swimming. Americans are artists at it, thanks to the great amount of practice they get au small pools, where- turning is of paramount importance and actual swimming cuts.no ico as they would themselves say. .Hie impetus gained by the kick oif'at one end jjs hardly exhausted when tho other side is reached. .Most American swimming is clone indoors. Had Cecil Mealy been better at turning ho would undoubtedly havo defeated Daniclls when they met in England. The Australian w.-is .so superior as a swimmer that the pair were often almost together at the basin's end, despite the go the American got on 'his opponent rounding into the next stretch. Tho various club events contested in and around Sydney last Saturday afternoon (writes W. F Corbett in the of November 26) produced some eye-opening evidences of speed which augur more than favourably toward the belief that Australia may lie able to offer strong opposition to Norman Koss. At the .Domain Baths S. Meek iravcrsed 7oyd?; in -10 3-3sw:. jUanly's consistent top-not cher, Harry i Hay, threw KK)yda behind in o!)sec, and i made it plain that he could have done ■ better had ho been pushed. Another .Manly crack in tho person of Keg. Urown made play to tlie extent of eau*- > ing tho watchholdcr to click bis time- ■ piece at (JO 2-osee. A fifteen-year-old Manly junior swimmer—A. Tenfold . streaked over 7-syds in 46sec. Beck's • 75yds achievement is only one second ; outside the Australian record for that . distance, shared by Albert Barry ani i Tod Solomons. The boys are ccrtaiulv i going some.