SWIMMING

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16032, 24 January 1920, Page 5

SWIMMING

CANTERBURY’S GREAT BOY SWIMMER.. REMARKABLE HALF MILE. ENTHUSIASTIC FINANCIAL SUPPORT. Norman Batchelor, of Christchurch, who last year won the Junior Schoolboys’ Championship and this year is competing in the intermediate grade, is putting up some remarkable performances in the trials at Christchurch. He promises to be easily the finest champion swimmer New Zealand has ever produced. Last week he lowered the New Zealand intermediate record for 220 yards by four seconds, and he has now added to this worthy achievement by pulling down the time for the half mile. In the test, Batchelor, who, by the way, is only 15 years of age, set off at a hot pace, covering the first 100 yards in 76 l-ssec. Succeeding distances were covered as follows; 200 yds, 88 l-ssec; 220 yds, 3min; 300 yds, 4min 13 4-ssec; 400 yds, 5 min 43 2-ssec; 440 yds, 6min 20sec; 500 yds, 7min 13 4-ssec; 600 yds, 8 min 43 2-ssec; 700 yds, lOmin 15 4-ssec; and 800 yds, llmin 48sec. After traversing the first 100 yds Batchelor settled down to a very even pace, and swam the remainder of the journey to the 850 yds mark at an average of a trifle over 22sec per lap of 25yds, showing a maximum variation of not more than 2sec. The effort to raise money locally to send a competing team to Auckland for the championships is meeting with fair success, and it is confidently hoped that the money required—between £4O and £so—will be subscribed. At Christchurch there is great enthusiasm being evinced in the proposal to have adequate and efficient representation at Auckland, and one enthusiast, Mr Walter Johnston, has guaranteed up to £l5O towards the expenses of the trip. When a city is teeming with enthusiasts such as Christchurch possesses, it is no wonder that swimming there has reached such a high standard.