SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 1, 2 January 1936, Page 5

SWIMMING

By

Freestyle. ” - -

The month c-f January should bring better weather for swimmers than was experienced during the firet three months of the season. With half the season gone the Wanganui Centre will have a good deal 10 do in the next couple of months to complete th« usual programme c-i activities. The district, championships are to held during the first week in February. As all grades will be dieposed cf at the two carnivals to be held locally, the contests should prove, most atlrac t i \ v. In passing, jt may be mentioned that some of the certificates for last season ’r district championships have not yet, boon distributed. The remainder may eause the Wanganui Centre to rectify an oversight. As the ‘ ‘ Lea rn-to-Swi m'' week is to commence on January 20, interest will attach to the preparations being made by the committees responsible for arrangemcns. Parents c.-f children who are desirottr of having them taught to swim should communicate with “Learn-to-Swim.” carp of Minster House, Wan* ganui. Adults also may write and will be later informed of the programme to be followed. It. is interesting tn note that, sine® publicity has been given the “ learn-to-swim” movement, several adults have already approached baths custodians with a view to obtaining tuition and instruction. At. the Aramoho baths the, caretaker has set, aside an hour, from 6 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays, fnr th« exclusive use c-f the baths by beginners. This is evidence that, there is n large field lor the promoters of the scheme. .: :: : < The New Zealand junior and intermediate championships will bo. decided at Hamilton on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, January 25, 27 and 28. En tries close at midnight, on January 15. It, is understood that the Wanganui Centre will meet, next week to consider the, question c-f sending representatives to the championship/-'. 'The next club night at the Aramoho baths will be on January 7, Tuesday next. There promises to be a pro gramme of interesting events, and judging by the number of names on the membership board, competition will be keen. The Aramoho- Club has a large membership of intermediates, thcr® being .18 boys and six girls, and there arc also over twenty juniors. The seniors number 17, and it is on the cards that, two teams will be available for lhe. polo competitions. This i» only a. new club, but it could i*e materially assisted by the centre in allc-tiug a couple of the more experi ouccd teams to play their fins-t-round matches at Aramoho, The. Gonville Club will resume activities next week, when another pro gramme of club events will be swum on Thursday night. Before the break occasioned by the Christmas holidays these club night had developed into miniature carnivals, with as many «<• a dozen c-r fourteen events to be dp cidc-d. It is a matter for congralula lion that the club officials were? able to get through a lengthy programme with the minimum of delay. Perhaps it would not. be amiss if it were suggested that a demonstration of strokes in alow motion and at. racing pace were provided ar a. diversion at. the. con elusion of the club night. This would bp as interesting as I’. would be inThe Gonvjlip UJub has a very pro* mising senior in E. Manssen. He has [plenty of pace but, would do even better if he would tako the time to im pre-vc. his turns and hits starting plunge. Far too many swimmers neglect these important points. F. Donaldson is another who has improved considerably but could do with more con.ii'iont training. M. Shipman has won the senior cnampionrhip and has maintained training ic-r other cvenls, with cosiderable improvement to his pace. T. Tunbridge has developed pace .since hn has got down to training, ]n Mi.-.s N. Davis the Gonville Ulub has a ' cry promising aspirant for A grade honours, and if the continu?s improvement she should go a long way c-n the mad to success. The youngsters have taken on diving at Gon'ille ami many of them show versatility as well a.i ability. At Wanganui East a paternal eye !■ k'-pt on lhe juniorc and intermediates by the committee, and it is therefore not surprising Io find a .steadily increasing mcniiiership. Ulub nights will be resumed on Thursday, January ft, and members are looking forward to this with keen anticipation. 'The club costume, with a distinctive, white sarh across ihe chest, has won the approval of critics and makes a distinct appeal. ’ihe life saving patrol at the Castlecliff beach has done a good deal of work lately in educating bathers on obcervir.g safety in th-e surf. Bathers may also learn a good deal fre-m tire demonstrations gixen on thp, beach during the week-ends. A knowledge of life-saving methods and resuscita lion can often be put to valuably use. It mav also be mentioned, in passing, that tite reckless ur*e of surf-boards by surfers has resulted in several bathers having narrow escapes fre-m serious in jury when the boards are used in a crowded turf. The. chairman nf tne council of tiie N\w Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, Mr. W. E. D. Bishop, of Christchurch, who is known as the “grand old man of New Zealand swimming,’ - ’ is a holiday visitor to Auckland. A noticeable feature of recent swim* ming carnivals in Auckland, states the New Zealand Heiald, has been tire tendency of eome competitors, especially champions, to beat the starter. Titere seems to be much diffcrcn<-e of opinion where a swimmer is permitted to be in the a»-t of plunging at the word “go ’ or whether his feet must be still on the board. The official starter at. tire New Zealand championships, Mr. C. Bryant, of Christchurch, insists upon the latter practice, so that, for the benefit of Auckland-ers, a ruling should be obtained from the New Zealand Council. For a national ladies’ championship two years ago Mr. Bryant declared a false start when three Aucklanders, following their usual custom, got away a fraction of a second before the command.