SWIMMING NOTES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 31, 6 February 1935, Page 4

SWIMMING NOTES

- liu

"FREESTYLE."

I Wanganui clubs will be strongly represented at the Marton Uldfo’s carnival next Monday night, provided the weather keeps fine. Judging by the number who have intimated their intention of making the trip, some fifty Wanganui swimmers will be found participating in the carnival. This is just as it should be, for the Marton swimmers have extended support to local carnivals, several coming through for the Wanganui East gathering last week, while another contingent promises to come through for the Central carnival to-night. Several good novelty events are pro niised for the Marton carnival next Monday night. These events are welcomed by spectators, for too much straight swimming tends to bore during a lengthy programme. In addition, ‘ among the fourteen events there will be included a mixed relay and a Hying squadron event for teams of four. This should arouse considerable interest. The Marton Club is showing a revival in interest and in membership, but it, could do with several more senior

swimmers who could be of invaluable ’ assistance in many ways. ’ The first, round of the Wanganui Centro’s polo championship competition has been completed, with the pos'tions of the teams thus:—Central, three wins, no Josses; Gonville, two wins, one loss; Avenue, one win, two losses; Wanganui East, no wins, three losses. The first match of the second round takes [flace at the Central Club’s carni- • \al to-night, the contestants being Central and Wanganui East. The carnival to-night is the first to be staged by the Wanganui Central Club this season, and there is everv prospect of liberal patronage being accorded it. Among inter-club events to be staged are the Thomas Shield (four men aside) and the Tingey Cup (ten men a side). With such draw-cards it 1 is rather to be regretted that seating 1 accommodation is rather limited at the St. George’s Gate baths. ’ A busy time is ahead for swimmers, for the national championships are to 1 be held on February 16, 18 and 20, ' while the Wanganui district champion- ’ ships are also set down for decision beiore the end of th-e month. Then

there are the national surf championships, which will be held at New Plymouth on February 23 and 24. With local carnivals also claiming attention, swimmers will be kept fully engaged. The decision of the Wanganui Swimming Centre to conduct a Learn-to-Swim Week will be received with approval by all who have the interests of swimming at heart, but the majority would appreciate an early move on the part of the sub-committee appointed to make inquiries into the suggestion. Perhaps an early announcement may be looked for. The unfortunate drowning fatality at Castlecliff last week-end draws pointed attention to the fact, frequently stressed in this column, that the encouragement of learners is just as important a duty of 'the Centre as is its administration of the rules which govern competitive swimming. The intimation that Wanganui’ will be included in the itinerary of the two noted French performers, Jean Taris and Emile Poussard, and the Chinese swimmer Kwok Chun Hang, will be well received locally. The Gonville Club is to be congratulated on the enterprise shown in arranging for the visit after the decision of the Centre that it would be unable to undertake the risk attendant on the visit. It was the Gonville Club which arranged the appearance here of the two Australian girls, Frances Bult and Clare Dennis, some fifteen months ago. The excellent influence these two swimmers had on Wanganui amateurs is still making its presence felt, and it is hoped that the forthcoming visit will be equally beneficial. The performances of Taris and Kwok in their Australian appearances is such as to reveal that they are in top form and capable of brilliant swimming, while the diving of Poussard is reported to be very fine and right in line with the world’s best. In the three games played in the first round of the water polo competition Central have scored a total of eleven goals, while only two have been scored against them. Gonville scored ten goals and had five notched against them, while the reverse was the fortune of the Avenue Club. Wanganui East, who have shown consistent improvement since they commenced playing, had twelve goafs, scored against them, while in all they scored three goals.

On the result of the polo competition to date Central must lie congratulated, but it might be permissible to ask at this stage why Central persists in including in the team players who could well be on the bank, coaching, thus giving the y Hitiger players a chance at the game. There is a good deal of credit in holding the position on the top of the ladder, but the younger players who are disappointed would scarcely appreciate this aspect. • c- • • Polo referees in Wanganui are hand ling their games with commendable restraint. for n game can be spoilt by too much whistle just as easily as by too little- One offence which is likely to meet with stern disapproval is that of deliberately splashing in the face of an opponent. Naturally, a referee would be reluctant, to order an offender out of the water, but such is the penalty he is empowered to inflict. .Playing the man rather than the ball was another practice of the early season to be suppressed, and it is pleasing to note that referees have been able to bring about the disappearance of this infringement

of the rules of good sportsmanship. Waler polo enthusiasts in New Ply mouth do not place reasonable bounds on their enthusiasm, states a writer. Several senior matches played this sea son for the Dalgleish Cup have been marred by foul tactics and organised partisanship. These evils were exemplified by a recent, game between Fitzroy B and New Plymouth A. A player from each side was ordered out of the water, and any foul was wildly cheered by spectators, who also booed the referee when he appealed for silence. Sydney swimming enthusiasts are highly impressed with ihe perform anccs of W. Kendall, an 18 year-old sprinter, who recently won the .11(1 yards championship of New South Wales in 61sec., Ihe fastest time ever registered by an Australian. He. »1p leated K. Clark and N. Ryan, two

Empire Games representatives, who were second and first respectively last season. Two false starts before the race were considered to have robbed Kendall of K. Takaishi’s record. Kendall has been judiciously coached by his father, who has modelled his style on that of the former world’s champion, Johnny Weissmuller, from whom they received instruction when they i were in tho United States two yeari ago. Recently Jvendall was the runnerup to the Japanese, Sakagami, in the 190 yards championship of Australia, won in 55 l-ssec. in a fairly slow bath, and thus he became the new resident. holder of the title- It is expected that he will soon prove himself the greatest sprinter developed in Australia. At. the Auckland district championships R. B. Frankham dispelled all doubt that for the time being, at least, he is the speediest sprinter in Auckland. By winning the 100 yards men’s championship, he scored his second convincing victory over N. Crump within a week, and in doing so, showed him-

self as the only swimmer undeserving of criticism for not making satisfactory performance, his time, 55 3-ssec., being only three-fifths of a second slower than Crump’s Dominion record. Although he won the 100 yards national championship in 1933, the title of Auckland champion is new to Erankham. He has always been regarded as a better stylist than Crump, and his superiority in this respect was accentuated by his victory, states the New Zealand Herald. Formerly, when Crump was the champion, attention was distracted from Frankham, but in the latest contest, it was noticeable that when the latter tired, his style lost its natural smoothness only slightly. Crump, on the other hand, provided a marked contrast with his rapid slamming on the water when he applied the catch. Support in the New Zealand championship, which is at present held by Crump, h is now been transferred from him to Frankham, who alone, apparently, has a chance of overcoming Jarvis’ challenge. Whether Crump will regain hfs lost prestige is doubtful, except to those who are convinced that his progress has ceased, and that he will not fulfil his early promise. However, the fact should not be ignored that, for a youth .18 years of agr

. Crump enn still sprint 100 yards exetf tionally fast. i • • • • , Southern England’s 100 yards fre® . style junior championship for girls, conducted over a straightaway course at Hastings, brought to light a young new- - comer, hailed by British critics as one of the brightest sprint swimmers ever i developed in England. Her name is - Kathleen Webb, of London. She is 15, and, despite having to contend against shallow and cold water with torrential rain, Miss Webb won the title in 67 - l-ssec., cutting 2 4-ssec. off the record. Interest will be displayed in the , Bridge-to-Bridge Race to be staged on Saturday by the Wanganui Central ’ Swimming Club. This annual event ■ generally attracts a representative, entry, the contenders for the trophy honours sometimes including several visitors. It is understood that a collodion will be taken up on behalf of the Central Club, who control the I event. Perhaps it’ there was some > method of maintaining interest at the i finishing point, the Town Bridge, the crowd could be induced to congi-egate in the vicinity. Some means might be devised of keeping the crowd informed of the progress ot the individual swimmers, while a display of fancy diving and novelty ovents might also be a ' welcome innovation. An example of keen support in swim* i ming was provided at a recent carnival staged by the Feilding Club, for in the men's 5(1 yards event no fewer 1 than 59 names were entered. The event was split into twelve heats, with two Imais and a semi-final tu decide the issue. Swimmers were present from > over a wide area. If the Gonville Club could obtain support on a corresponding scale for the forthcoming carnival on the occasion of the Uentenarv Games swimmers’ visit, seating accom- ’ modation at Gonville would be at a premium. J hroughout the three days during which the New Zealand intermediate and junior championships were being staged at Timaru, keen interest was taken in the contest between Auckland and Otago for the War Memorial Shield, in which the latter eventually ■ emerged victorious. As had frequently been the case in past years these two • provinces were the only two considered to be in the running for premier ’ honours; and when it came to individual swimmers, probably the two who came under discussion most were Sydney Jarvis and the Auckland inter-

1 mediate, Allan Pascoe. In the furlong • and the 440 yards events, supporters of th-e northern province were particularly optimistic, regarding Pascoe's 1 chances, in view of the fast times ha ’ had turned in at the end of last sea--1 son. As was expected, all the inter I mediate boys’ freestyle championships were looked on more as a struggle between these two lads, but after their first meeting it was obvious that the Auckland boy would have a long way to go In?fore he could be seriously considered as an opponent for Jarvis. In the JUL) yards he made the mistake of ’ trying to break the Otago swimmer up ' over the first half of the journey, and ’ realised his mistake on the second lap, when he faded out of the picture. In 1 the two longer races he was out-gen-eralled and out-swum, but he should do better next year when he has gained further experience, and fills out more. From his first appearance Jarvis was the idol of the crowd, and the ridiculous ease with which he won all his races stamped him as the outstanding swimmer of the meeting. For the. 100 yards ho registered 59see., for the fur

long 2min. 32sec., and for the 449 yards smin. 37sec., and in view of the fact that, he was never seriously challenged in any of h.s races, it is obvious that, he could easily have clipped these, figures by a considerable margin had he been extended. Apart from bis powerful, easy stroke, a contributing factor to his success was the shrewd manner in which he generallcd his races, ami cleverly forced his opponents to swim just as he wished them to. J. Barry, who was second string lo Jarvis, sprang a surprise when he captured second place in the final of the 100 cards championship, but those who knew him expected that he would never be far out. of the hunt in any of his races. Throughout he swam with all the gamenrss that he has shown ever sim o he entered competition, and in every event in which he competed he staged a great fighting finish.