SWIMMING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16941, 16 January 1923, Page 2

SWIMMING

Note', and Comments by

“Crawl"

The selectors announced that the possible competitors at the championship gathering would be : -Alile race and hali-mile, K. V. Cunnold: 220 and 440 yards. Cunnold and J. Indies 100 vards. Misses Pauline Hoeft and Violet "\Valrond ; intermediate girls, Misses Piri Page. K. Stockley and E. Yv’alrond ; intermediate boys. A- Barker and 1-j. Sparling; girls' free stroke. Misses M. Farquhar, K. Fernandez and G. Lockie; 100 yards, Enwright and J. Stevens.. Tests are to be held during the week. It was urged that the selection of the ladv representative to compete at the Now South Wales Ladies’ Association championship in Sydney lie deferred till after the New Zealand championship meeting. It appeal's to be beyond doubt that in Alan. Charlton Australia has discovered a potential world-beater. His recent half-mile swim in 11 min O 3-ssec was a marvellous performance, and indicates that even the mighty Weissmuller is not to have a career of unchallenged supremacy. Charlton is only lo£ years of ago, and before he created a sensation by his half-mile effort he had done some remarkable swimming. In a competition in the Manly Baths Charlton swam 440 yards in omin 10 3-ssec, the fastest time ever recorded for tins distance in Australia (and both Norman Ross and Lud.v Longer have swum the distance in Australia). It looks very much as though Australia should have ready by the next Olympic Games a swimmer who will make a big bid to bring back swimming supremacy to the South Pacific. Charlton stands sft llin and weighs list 31b. His chest, unexpanded, measures 38in. Discussing his recent tour through the Dominion, W. Harris, the noted Honolulu sprinter, said he was greatly struck by the hospitality of the New Zealand people, and voiced N his regret at being unable to accept the many invitations he had received to various functions, etc., whilst in the different towns. As far as swimming was concerned. and his own performances, he found that the continuous travelling did not permit of his giving of his best, neither was the water of sufficient warmth to enable him to register anything particularly brilliant. Of the various towns visited, Napier was the ono place where the water was to his liking, iind this was reflected in the times He established there—the fastest he had done in New Zealand. He would have liked to have tried the water in Te Aro Baths, in Wellington, but unfortunately time did not permit, and os it will be well on into March before he returns, the water may be then too cold tor him. But should the conditions be then favourable and circumstances permit, be will test out the water for a comparison for fast swimming as between his own country, Australia. and ours. With regard to the swimming lie had seen in the Dominion, he said it was vjerv apparent that we were labouring under extreme difficulties in not having had the benefits of correct coaching. He had endeavoured, wherever possible, to illustrate the latest scientific methods of speed swimming, as far as he knew them, but tbe time was all too short to do more than give a bare outline of what was really required.. The Wellington selector, Mr P. Coira. lias made his iinal selection of. the team for the forthcoming championships at l imaru, and it is practically the. same as that chosen to go into final training some time previously. It is very gratifying (states a Wellington paper) to see that ho has included an intermediate lady, and two junior representatives .ni his team, and, even though successes may not come their way, the experience gained and the encouragement it will offer lor future representation in these grades, should keener liiteiost among the young swimmers. j. lie team selected is a good one, and should make a better showing than did last season’s. All the members are in good racing form, and should be at- their best when the big gathering commences. Murrell was unfortunate in that he was suffering from a severe cold during the holidays, but is now reported as being quite well again. This interrupted ids training somewhat just at a period when it's value would have been felt, but he now looks in solendid fettle, and is expected to figure prominently in the decision of the various events. Most of his training is being done in fresh water, and Edwards is following a similar course, and swimming well too. and none of the other competitors will have anythin-' on him on the score of condition. Tho Claridge brothers. Evatt. Bridson and the Misses Imam+t and Breen appear to he revelling in their Work, and thev should be capable of gaining some lion ours between them. The team will leave Wellington on the Wednesday night preceding the championships--the 24th -and should arrive at their destination on the following morning, thus allowing plenty of time to rest and get over nnv ill-effects of the trip Mr J. M'Nic will manage the team “ Already swimmers arc discussing how good this youth really is and how good he may become. ’ (says the Sydney Referee !; in discussing Alan Charlton). The Olympic Games in Baris in 1924 are already being discussed, and it is felt that, all going wej 1, Charlton will be able to give the Americans a great race for the world’-, honours. The coining championships are being looked forward to with groat interest. Charlton will not. swim again till he appears in the 880 yards championship on the first day. It- is believed by many good judges that he will smash Barney Kieran’s longstanding half-mile record (as recent cables informed us. Charlton did break the record). Now that we have swimmer likely to prove a worldbeater. every care should lie takeu to provide against his over-dcing liis racing and training in the first year of his career. The strength of Charlton’s swimming undoubtedly lies in his great stroke, and his wonderful stamina The stroke, he uses in principle is simila - to the American trudgecm-crawl, hav mg a major kick when his right, arm 15 extended, and a succession of flutter kicks until the major kick again comes into action. His arm stroke is long and easy, the bands being put in directly in front of the head. and pulled straight through. The head is

held fairly well tip. the breath taken in when the left arm is finishing tho stroke, and exhaled when the head is down A noticeable and interesting feature of his stroke is that before finishing liis pull with the left arm liis right arm is catching therefore he has a. continuous motion in the water. The intermediate times of Charlton’s quarter-mile are interesting, as they show clearly the wonderful average maintained and also the splendid finish Thev are: —Fifty yards. 30 4-osec; lOOvds. lmin 7 l-ssec: 1-10yds. lmin 45sec : 20*0vds, 2min 21 3 osec ; 550yds, 2min 59 2-osec; 300yds. 3miu 30sec: 350vds. 4min 13 T-osec : 400vds. 4min 4.8 3-sseo: 440vds, 5m in 16 3-ssec (official times). AUCKLAND’S TROUBLES. The Auckland Centre, apparently, is faced with many troubles, judging by the following account of the last centre meeting. Mr A. J. Fernandez presided over an important meeting ot the Auckland Swimming Centre on January 9, at which the question of sending a team of competitors to the New Zealand championships was considered. The chairman said it was imperative that they remember the prestige of the province before tho prestige of individual clubs, and although the fuhds of the centre were very low, it would be disastrous if Auckland were not represented at the championships because of lack of money. It was hardly fair that the Auckland representatives should have to travel so far to the championships. Only once in every eight years was the gathering held in Auckland, and this was responsible for the lack of funds. It had cost £2BO to send the team to the championships at Dunedin. He thought it was high time for the North and South Islands to be divided. When the Auckland Centre reckoned up its expenses, it was found that, for the privilege of holding the championships at Auckland once in every eight or nine years, it had to pay over £IOOO. The centre was now practically “ on the rocks ” financially, and it was necessary for the clubs to stand loyally by tbe centre in the matter of finance, if they were to send representatives this year. Several suggestions were advanced, but none of the schemes put forward for raising funds mot with the approval of the meeting. It was found that there was not sufficient time for the centre to organise a carnival, and the idea of going round the town to business men hat in hand did not appeal to the delegates. Finally it was resolved that meetings of the executives of the various clubs be convened and the matter of contributing to tho travelling expenses with a reasonable hope of being reimbursed by the centre before the end of the year be discussed, the answers of the several executives regarding the amounts each would contribute to be in the hands of the secretary of the. centre prior to the meeting. The chairman said that if the clubs refused to contribute in this manner they would probably have to pay the expenses of their members who went to the meeting. it was decided to send the following remit to the annual conference at Timaru : That trip Now Zealand championships be held in each of the four centres (Auckland. Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin) in rotation, and that the gatherings be conducted by the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association. tho profits therefrom to be divided pro rata among the centres participating. according to representation."’ It was resolved that the secretary of the South Canterbury C entre be written to requesting that, at the championship gathering, tho 100 yards event be put on prior to the mile championship, since it was not fair to swimmers having pretensions to both distances that they should be required to cover a mile before competing in the shorter distance. Further, it was resolved that this suggestion be a remit to the conference regarding all future championships.