OLYMPIC NOMINEE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20085, 2 March 1928, Page 4

OLYMPIC NOMINEE

LINDSAY’S SUPERIORITY. CAN TERB U R Y SWIMMER’S RECORD. B. P. Lindsay, New Zealand’s nominee for the 400 metres and 1500 metres free style events at the Olympic Games, is twenty-one years of age, and is* considered the greatest male swimmer that New Zealand has yet produced, writes “Crawl” in the Christchurch Star. He commenced his swimming career in Timaru, where he early became, prominent, and while still a boy was easily able to win local championships. He made his first entry into national championship competitions in J 924, and had little trouble in winning the distance events for intermediate boys. Then, as now, ho was possessed of a great determination in his swimming, and it can be said of him as truly as of any athlete" that he never knows when he is beaten. His championship

record in his first season was quite a good one:— lUUyds championship of South Canterbury, first; time 65 3-ssee. 220yds intermediate boys’ cuampionsiaip of New Zealand, first; time 2miu 43sec. SBoyus intermediate boys’ championship of New Zealand, second. The xuliowmg season lound. Lindsay among the seniors, in whose presence he had to be content with places. He was still improving, but he had not yet reached the stage where he was able to asert superiority over the Oust men swimmers m the country. Towards the end of the season lie transferred frum Timaru Lu Christchurch, and was quite good enough to take the chief honours in a local championship. His record for the 1924-25 season was:— One mile championship of Canterbury, first; time 28min 47 4-ssec. I4llyds championship of New Zealand, third. 880yds championship of New Zealand, fourth. Mile championship of New Zealand, third. Ju addition he swam third in that season in the Kellerman Cup race, a three-mile open water swim. It was a much improved Lindsay who thicw down the gauntlet to the other swimmers in the J 925-26 season, but the discovery by Auckland of A. Baird l compelled Lindsay to exercise patience for yet another season. The writing was on the wall, however, and it was apparent in the races that Lindsay swam against Baird at Napier that, all going well, the Aucklander was having his last triumph over the fast improving Canterbury boy. In both the 880yds and the 440yds iLindsay clung on to Baird throughout, and it was only the superior sprinting powers of the older swimmer that enabled him. to draw away at the conclusion. At home, Lindsay was already almost invincible, and local honours came his way thickly. His record for the season was:— 100yds championship of Canterbury, first; time 60 4-ssec. 220yds championship of Canterbury, first, time 2min 40 2-ssee. 440yds chtfinpionship of Canterbury, first; time smin sJsec. 880yds championship o’f Canterbury, second. -Mile championship of Canterbury, first; time 25min 28sec. 220yds championship of New Zealand, third. 140yds championship of New Zealand, second. 880yds championship of New Zealand, second. As is usual at Now Zealand championship meetings, the first of the distance events to be decided when the championship meeting was . held in Auckland was the mile. Baird and Lindsay were there again, but under what dramatically changed circumstances! There were others in the race, but they did not matter. Aucklanders still had faith in Baird, while Canterbury pinned its faith in its colt, but was not too confident. Lindsay was the pace-maker from the staic, and, the crowd thought that Baird was [indulging him. At 333yds Baird, instead of turning, stopped and crawled out of the bath. The action sent a gasp of amazement round the bath. Then some people hooted, thinking that Baird had “quitted.” The old heads, watches in hand, knew better. They knew that a new record was being hoisted, and that the younger swimmer had simply broken the older boy up. Baird had hung on gaflicly to a better swimmer till a hopelessly over-tired physique refused any longer to stand up to the intolerable strain imposed. Lindsay went on alone, whole laps of the bath separating him

from his nearest attendant, and wfiei he finished the time-keepers announe ed that he had broken the New Zealand record by over a minute.

It was a year of victories and records in the national field, though, as far as local championships were concerned. his championship activities were restricted owing to an educational tour which he undertook at the (request of the New Zealand council. His record for the year was:— 410yds championship of Canterbury first; time smiu 41sec. 880yds championship of Canterbury, first; time 12min 9 3-ssee. 220yds championship of New Zealand, first; time 2min 31. 4-ssee. 440yds championship of New Zealand. 1 , I first; time 5m in 24 2-ssec, a New Zealand record. 880yds championship of New Zealand, first; time llmin 25 3-ssec, a New Zealand record. One mile championship of New Zealand, first; time 23min 36 4-ssec; a New Zealand record. In the, 1927-28 season Lindsay was in the position of having nobody to extend him. He won his races as he liked, and there, was lacking the incentive of competition to make fast times. However, he hung up four new' records, the list for the season to date reading:

J 00yds championship of Canterbury, first; time 62 3-ssec. 220yds championship of Canterbury, first; time 2min 29sec. a New Zealand record. 440yds championship of Canterbury, first; time smm 31sec. 220yds championship of New' Zealand, first; time 2 min 37 J-ssec. 440yds championship of New Zealand, first; time smin 28 l-sscc, a New Zealand fresh water record. SSOyds championship of New Zealand, " first; time llmin 45 4-sscc, a New Zealand fresh water roecord. Mile championship of New Zealand, first; time 24niin .14 4-ssee, a New Zealand fresh water record.