SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 66, 18 March 1936, Page 4

SWIMMING

-Bn

"Freestyle.”

The 1935-36 swimming season is rapidly drawing to a close, and within a fortnight the curtain will fall on Wanganui activities.

The weather has been against swimmers to a great degree, and the storm at the beginning of February w’as also a setback, for at some of the local baths lack of water prevented many youngsters from enjoying their schoo. l swimming.

However, a good deal of activity has been crowded into the pa-t week, for the schools have held t’.rir annual swimming sports. This is all to the good, especially as the primary schools’ eban.pionships are to be decided tomorrow.

Len Smith, New Zealand bi eaststroke champion, will pay a vi.-it to Auckland at the invitation of the Otahu'hu Swimming Club, at whose carnival he is to attempt to break his own New Zealand record for the 220 yards. This carnival is to be held in the tepid baths at Auckland, and Wanganui supporters will wish Snnith the best of luck in his endeavour to keep Wanganui on the map. Negotiations for the conduct at New Plymouth next summer of the New Zealand senior swimming championships were started by the Taranaki Swimming Centre at a meeting last week. A sub-committee comprising Messrs. Eggleton, J. F. Devine, W. J. Moorhead and S. F. Fookes was appointed to undertake preliminary work. The question of finance and baths improvement was discussed and it was decided to invite a committee representing the combined New Plymouth swimming clubs to meet the centre at its next meeting to discuss improvements to accommodation at the baths. Since its formation shortly prior to the current season, the Eastern Suburbs Amateur Swimming and Life-j saving Club has done excellent work. About 50 children are being coached h. swimming and life-saving by the club’s instructors. Sixty-one pupils of the Sr. Helier’s School, most of them members of the club, underwent tests in swimming at the Parnell baths, and all but two gamed certificates of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association for covering distances ranging from 25 yards to 880 yards. They were supervised bv Mr. A. B. Floyd, the headmaster, and Mr. G. W. Bell, representing the club. The club has three senior surf teams, and several swimmers from these passed an examination recently for the Royal Life saving Society’s bronze medallion. To commemorate the holding of the New Zealand senior championships in Dunedin the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association presented a trophy named the Otago Cup for an annual interprovincial relay among teams of four men. The first contest was won by Auckland, the team comprising R. B. Frankham. I’. Hanan. N. Crump and W. G. Smith. The stipulation is ‘hat the races si ou 1 .1 be of four laps, owing to the varying length of the baths where the national championships arc decided. Next Saturday evening the Invercargill Collegiate Club is holding its annual swimming carnival. No effort has been spared to ensure its success. The club has secured the services of several prominent northern swimmers and their participation in various events should be one of the features of the carnival. D. Svmes. the Dominion furlong champion, will be competing in the 220 yards handicap as well as in a special 100 yards invitation race. In the 220 yards event. P. R. Malthus should give Svmes strong opposition. The Souiftlander beat Symes over 440 yards at the New Zealand championship meeting' . The secretary of the Auckland Surf Lifesaving Association, Mr. H. C. Sidford, will be present at the Australian surf championships, to be held in Sydney on March 21. Mr. Sidford, who is on an extended holiday and business trip, expects to visit many Australian clubs. As a result of his observation many points of difference should be cleared up, making it possible For intercolonial teams’ visits. Mr. M. G. Adams, assistant-secretary to the association, will act as secretary in the meantime. At the national carnival in IDunedin recently the competitors applied the advocated principles of propulsion in a manner that varied widely. The winners of championships arc not always models of perfection; in fact, a champion seldom uses a style fit for emulation, states an Invercargill writer. Swimmers who attained national championship rank at Dunedin afforded an interesting study. Only two or three could be rated as good stylists, although Frankham was one of the neatest swimmers present. His body position is high and his head is held with the eyes at water level. Reaching well forward, he places his arms at least three inches out of the shoulder-line and rolls very little. He produces an exhilarating glide, which is probably the, result of his very strong leg kick. Miss Mona Leydon’s arm action must be considered almost perfect, for owing to a disability she can make very little use of her leg-kick. She appears to swim with a pronounced jog, but nevertheless she does not appear to make hard work of swimming. There is a distinct and deliberate reach forward on the hand and although “catch” is made fairly near the surface. Miss Leydon derives most of her speed from a powerful push at the end of her armdrive. In fact, the action she adopts really consists of two movements: From the points of catch and for about ten inches the arm performs a strong pull. It is then bent and the action becomes a push. (This pull and push action is used to a great extent by the Japanese and is advocated by Gilbert Collins, the famous English coach.) In the middle and longer distances ing from “staleness.” The best remedy would be a period of club racing, but unfortunately they are already scheduled for more rigid training in tlueight. However, this being their last race of the season, this fact may count as an antidote. The new four comprising the youths’ crew, performed remarkably well, with only a few training rows to their credit, and lack cf experience lost them second place at the finish.