SWIMMING CAREER CUT SHORT

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 254, 27 October 1939, Page 11

SWIMMING CAREER CUT SHORT

OLGA SMITH, WELLINGTON AN INJURED SHOULDER. Wellington, over many years, ha produced only two national women swimming champions—Miss Sylvia Gotlieb and Miss Olga Smith. Miss Gotlieb, 100 yards free style champion in 1936 and 1938, is still in action, but Miss Smith, 1936 220 yards breaststroke titleholder, has unluckily been compelled to withdraw from competitive swimming. She dislocated a shoulder late in 1937. A badly torn ligament still troubles her whenever she attempts anything strenuous. Her doctor expressed the opinion that the injury might take four years to mend, and four years is a long time in the life of a swimmer. Miss Smith therefore turned her al - ■ tention to coaching, and is now in charge of the women members of the 1 Wellington Club. Her injury, to re- i

“ peat, was most unfortunate. Now only r 21 she was at the time improving ‘ “ rapidly. A Wellington intermediate !I rep. in 1934 and 1935, she swam un--11 placed in the 75 yards breaststroke i events in both years, but she was ad- ' vancing. c She moved into senior company in 1 l 1936, and, a stayer rather than a ; sprinter, she took the 220 yards title s finely at Dunedin that year. The fol- ' e lowing season, she-was swimming in ’ - great heart, and appeared reasonably ] certain to retain her crown. The epi- • demic, however, ruled out the championship meeting that summer. And '■ then, a few months later, came her 1 injury. Bad luck! Miss Smith was not just a breast- ■ stroke exponent. At college she won u. the junior championship; the runnery up, curiously enough, was Miss ■ ii Gotlieb. Incidentally, it might be said ■ ) (and this is just one further example a of the difficulties under which Welo lington swimmers labour) Miss Smith, e prior to her success at the national I gathering, had never once competed e over 220 yards. r There was not at the time another I y woman breaststroke swimmer in the < city, and she was compelled to com- | 'S pete either against women in free- [' •f style events or, as she usually did, ! d against men in breaststroke competi- 11 • Lion. v