FAST SWIMMING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17246, 12 January 1924, Page 10

FAST SWIMMING

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Four Canterbury Provincial swimrning championships were contested last evening at the East Christchurch baths, and were productive of some first-class swimming. Of outstanding merit was the performance of Miss D. Broward in the 75 yards schoolgirls’ championship. This girl, who swam breast stroke throughout, was beaten by a narrow margin by Miss *F. Turgis. who used the modern crawl method of swimming. The. winner’s time was 64 4-osec. and Miss Bre ward’s slightly over 6osec. The New Zealand breaststroke record for this distance for intermediate girls—a class higher than that in which Miss Broward is competing is 68 1-osec. The figures afford some opportunity for judging what an excellent breast-stroke swimmer Miss Breward is. Recently she registered lmin 30sec for 100 yards breast-stroke Last evening* in the intermediate boys 100 yards breast-stroke championship the winner occupied lmin 30 4-ssec in covering the distance. There seems to be not the slightest doubt that, with oddinarv good luck, Miss Breward should break the New Zealand record •—-44 2-osec—when she contests the 50 yards girls’ breast-stroke championship this afternoon.

. Fhe event that created the greatestinterest was the 220 yards senior championship. in which C. Atkinson and N. ►S. Batchelor were the only competitors. They had met twice previously this season—in the quarter mile and half mile championships— and each had scored one win. Batchelor made no mistake about the deciding race. Ho swam Atkinson pretty well to a standstill before the final turn was made, Rnd over the last bit swam away from him.. The victory was quite decisive. The time, 2min 38sec, was only 2 3-ssec outside the New Zealand record, and was a good deal faster than the 2min 43 l-ssec in which Batchelor won tho New Zealand championship last year. Atkinson swam exceptionally well. He has shown better form this season than for some years past. His time, which way 2min" 40 2-osec, was. like his time in the half mile event, among the best performances he has ever registered. The lOOyards boys’ intermediate breast-stroke championship served to demonstrate that Canterbury possesses scant prospects of scoring any honours in this event at the New Zealand championships. Of the three competitors who faced the starter not one was 11 P championship class. M’Tiguc, who won the race, seems to have deteriorated rather than improved. He possesses none of the promise he .did a year or two ago. His time was lmin 30 4-ssec, as against a record of lmin 17 4-ssec. The 150 sards schoolboys’ championshjp showed that over this distance as over most of the others. W. Cameron is in a elass by himself. He swam pretty well a 3 lie pleased, and opened a gap between himself and his nearest opponent as soon as he wanted to. Following are the results of the events: —- 220 YARDS CHAMPIONSHIP. N. S. Batchelor (East CbCh) 1 C. Atkiuson (East ChCh) . . 2 These were the only starters. At the end of the first lan the two were together, but at the 50 yards mark Batchelor was a touch in front. Oyer the next lap Atkinson drew level ao-ain hut Batchelor had a foot the better of it at 100 yards, which was reached in 6,see. Fifty yards further on the pair were together again, hut Batchelor was swimming the more easily of the two and at the 200 yards turn was slightly in front. From then on be never left the issue in doubt, cracking on a pace that Atkinson was quite unable to respond to. Batchelor seemed capable of making the pace hotter if necessary, but he did not have to. He won by about three i;ards. Time—2min 38sec 100 YARDS INTERMEDIATE BOYS’ BREAST-STHOKE CHAMFIONSHIP. V. M’Tigue . . | T. Turgis i 2 W. Meikle . . .3 These were the only starters. At the end of the first lap M’Tigue was a touch in front of Turgis. with Meikle about a foot away. AVith half tho distance gone M’Tigue and Turgis were together again, Meikle being a yard_and a half back. The position at the <5 yards mark was the same so far as the leaders were concerned, and they turned for the final lap together. Meikle was four yards behind them. A hard race over the final twenty-five saw them both extend their arms to touch down simultaneously. Turin's managed to reach the bath end with only.one hand. M’Tigue touched with both and secured the verdict. Meikle Mas seven vards further back. Time lmin 30 4-ssec. 75 YARDS SCHOOLGIRLS’ CHAMPIONSHIP. Miss F. Turgis . . j Miss D. Breward . . o Miss Turgis swam rather an erratic course and so covered a greater distance than was necessary. She led bv a narrow margin at the'first turn and about two feet at the second turn. Miss Breward endeavoured to make up the leeway over the last lap, but could get no closer than a yard to tho winner Time—64 4-ssee 150 YARIXS SCHOOLBOYS’ CHAMPIONS HIP. W. Cameron . . % i M. Malcolmson . . .2 L. Whittington also started. Cameron took the lead from the start, and at 50 yards Whittington stopped. For 100 yards Cameron and Malcolmson were close together, but thereafter Cameron drew away and won by about five yards. Time—2min 5 4-ssec.