SWIMMING.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17736, 9 December 1919, Page 6

SWIMMING.

GONVILLE CLUB

°<A 100 yai;d& handicap race "was swum ©£ Saturday aiternoon. Eleven swimlifers took part, making two heats. 1< oli*»w.n^ are the results:— * First Heat—Dowset 1, White I, Lowe 3. Time, BUsecs. The _three placed men maintained their order aitor the seventy-hve, when the other competitors dropped out. The lasi length was swum very fast by Lowe, who was beaten by a touch for second' fsewmd Heat-Tilly 1, Veitch 2 Pidwell 3. Time, 81secs. Tilly, Veitca, and Pidwell left together, kept even for 50 yards, when Pulwell. drew ahead. Tilly and Veitch, by sprinting tfio last length, beat Pidwell by a toot. : Final—Tilly 1, Veitch 2, Dowset a. Time. 79 3^ssecs. Veitch and Tilly kept'together ail the way, gradually Kainino- on the other swimmers, out with Dowset pressing them hard two , yaTds behind. The last 25 was both fast 'and exciting. Dowset gamed on, and, •passed all save Tilly and \eitch, wno heat him by six inches, they being separated by a touch.

By "Leander." ' The weather being beautifully fine md hot the last few days has caused the Corporation Baths to bear a busy Appearance every evening with different members of the Wanganui amateurs and "Colts' Club" getting themselves into condition for the Coming season. With any sort of decent weather during the next few weeks swimming ought to boom tiere, as it did before the war, as we have a number of promising lads coming on. With a little coaching and training they should develop into

champions. '. A new club has sprung up this year, called the Club," who comprise all young swimmers under the age of 20, and they will have a strong team to be reckoned with at the different swimming sports. Vernon Reid (captain) is the brightest fctar in this club, and very brilliant aver short courses. ■ With careful training I see him a future New Zealand champion. This lad is none too robust in health, and to my mind was overtrained last year.. All he -iHJrants is time to develop, as his speed is undeniable. Johnston, another member of -this club, has the,makings of a longtTlstance champion. Johnston is only ■a* boy of 15, and has a magnificent

physique for-his age,, and is growing fait. He shbwed good form last -year when he captured the Dublin JSridge to. Town Bridge race. ;=." Bolton and Wakelin, two other swimmers from this club, are both good boys and. should win some big races this season. ■ " The Wanganui Amateurs will have ».very strong club through the re-

tttrn of several of its old

members

from active service in Clem Swan, •Trey, Thomas, Norman Annabell, JT&ck Roche, Reg. Hollis, Rex Notman and Ponty Jones. The writer

sincerely welcomes them back, as ihey are all needed to give filip to the game.- Two new members of jjive amp to the game. Two new members ,of this club in Pat Mouatt fia.d Fred' Faber showed good form ffie other evening, and with a'little training will need watching in fuTflre races. \ -An interesting relay race for Tfiomas' Shield eventuated between

Cfie Colt's Club and the Amatuers (present holders) on Friday evening 'fiKst. From the word go it Was a splendid race, and there was little

difference between the competitors

Ell Moor© (Wanganui) got a beautiful start oh Johnston (Colts) and the latter, slowing down to touch, enabled Thomas to get a dive start gift his opponent. Reid, however, who made up, through a brilliant burst of speed, the last 25 yards, was SjftJle to make a dead heat of it amidst great excitement.

Colts are to be congratulated on the fight they put up to wrest the Shield from the holders. Anna- , bell, Thomas, Swan, and Moore all swam well for the older club, considering the condition they were in. It* is to be hoped there will be more challengers for this Shield before Che season closes.

"■• Alf Muller (Wanganui captain),. who has been laid aside this last two months with "water on the knee" informs me he hopes shortly to start training again to assist his club.

All swimmers are looking forward to. seeing the.word famous Americas champion swimmer Norman Ross in action some time in February next. His itinerary for the Commonwealth and New Zealand will have to be altered through his inability to secure a-berth on the Niagara and having t>srforce to wait the sailing of the Makura. Ross is a better all-round jfHjrformer as far as distances are concerned than Kahanomaku. Norman Ross stands 6 ft. 2 in^ in high aflfcd weighs over 13 st. He swims the trudgeon stroke —so-called. It iS'not the real trudge but a mixture at', tho crawl with it He, 'tis said, has a remarkable take-off, which inffcfriably sends him speeding through Hie water yards ahead of all opposition before his arms get to work. Btia turning is the perfection of adroitness. The turn means much to; swimming. Americans are artists *t it through the great amount of practice they get in small pools, inhere turning is of paramount importance and actual swimming "cuts itt»' Ice," as they would themselves siay. The impetus gained by the kick-off at one end is hardly exhausted: when the other side is reached. Boss will find the open water courses of Australia none to his liking on account of there being very little turning and if Billy Longworth, who has just returned from active service, can produce anything like his best form he may trouble him over the long distance.