SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 287, 5 December 1933, Page 8

SWIMMING

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONS . LADY SWIMMERS’ VISIT. RACES IN THE DOMINION. The fact that they will appear in Wanganui at the Gonvillc Swimming Club’s carnival on December 20, two weeks from to-morrow, lends a good deal of interest to the arrival of Misses Claire Dennis and Frances Bult at Auckland by the Monowai last week. They will swim in Auckland and other North Island towns. Mrs. M. Chambers. the honorary secretary to the New South Wales Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Association, is accompanying the champions as chaperon. On arrival at Auckland the visitors were welcomed by executive members of the Waitemata Amateur Swimming Club, which is controlling their tour, with the approval of the Now Zealand Council. At the request of the Amateur Swimming Union of Australia, the tour has been limited to three weeks, and the swimmers will return to Sydney from Wellington by the Wanganella on December 22.

The champions were to make their first public appearance in Now Zealand at Whangarei last Friday evening and on Saturday evening they were to swim at Hclo.nsville. They returned to Auckland this evening and on Thursday and Saturday evenings of this week Miss Bult will compete with New Zealand lady champions in test races n t free st,yl e i n the Tepid Baths. Miss Dennis will give exhibitions of the breaststroke, at which she is the champion of the world. After leaving Auckland. Misses IDennis and Bult will appear at Rotorua on December 13 and afterwards at New Plymouth, Wanganui and Wellington. Soon after their arrival. Misses Dennis and Bult had a short training swim in the Tepid Baths. They said the baths were conducive to fast times. The champions’ exhibition in the pool was watched with keen interest by other bothers. Breaststroke Champion. Misses Dennis and Bult are both in the front rank of the world’s competitive swimmers. Miss Dennis is only 17 years of age and at. the Olympic Games in Los Angeles last year she won the 290 metres ladies’ breaststroke championship in 3m 6 3-ss, a record for the world. Miss Dennis also holds Australian championships and records.

Miss Bult swims free-style, and as an exponent of the modern “crawl” is bow ranked the fastest lady in the British Empire and the third fastest, in the world. At thp Olympic Games in Los Angeles she finished fifth in the final of the 100 metres, which was a closely contested race. Miss Bult is the champion of Australia at 100 yards and 220 yards, and also holds the Australian records of 62 3-5 s and 2m 42 2-5 s respectively for these distances. Her ago is 20 and she is a student at Melbourne University.

Although swimming is her favourite sport. Miss Bult is also a keen golfer, and hopes to have the opportunity of playing in New Zealand. She is n member of the Kingston Heath Chib, 'Melbourne. Her brother, Mr. F. J. Bult. is a prominent young player in Vic toria and the champion of Melbourne University.

• MISS FRANCES BULT Miss Bult said she was pleased to receive the Waitemata Club’s in vita tion to visit New Zealand. That was two months ago, and, although she since had often to neglect her training for her university examinations, she hoped to bo in form for the test races. The Now- Zealand champions, notably Misses Marie Farquhar and Mona Leydon, would be strong opponents. The chaperon Airs. Chambers is prominent in women’s athletic activities in Jfow South Wales. She has been the honorary secretary to the New South Wales Ladies’ Amateur Swimming Association for 22 years and for the last four years has represented this body on the council of thp New South Wales Amateur Swimming Association. Important Engagements. “Misses Bult and Dennis regard their engagements in Auckland as highly important,’’ said Mrs. Cham hers. She expressed strong disapproval of a campaign in Australia against the inclusion of ladies in tne team that will represent the Commonwealth at the British Empire Games in London next August. Mrs. Chambers said lady members of past Olympic teams, particularly swimmers, were generally more successful than Hie men. Eng land was donating £lOOO toward the expense of each Dominion’s representation and would expect Australia to send its finest athletes. If ladies were sent Misses Dennis and Bonnie Mealing, the Australian backstroke champion,

were certain of selection, and also Miss Bult, provided she retained her chain pionships. Airs. Chambers said Australia was developing many splendid girl swimmers. She named Misses Pat Norton, Molly Mitchell, Edna IDavey, of S.vd ney, Alisses Joy Shields, of Adelaide, Sheila Holman of Perth and Afarie Cuzza, of Brisbane, as improving chain pions likely to make Australia soon the strongest nation in Indies’ swimming.