SWIMMING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 126, 21 February 1940, Page 8

SWIMMING

WHAKATANE COMPETITOR AT WELLINGTON Mr G. Usher, of the staff of the* Bank of New Zealand, Whakatane, has returned from his trip to Wellington, where he contested the harbour race of three miles for the Annette Kellerman Cup. Mr Usher said that conditions for the race were fair, part of the triangular course being choppy and part calnfi. The water temperature was lower than expected at this time of the year and being only 60 degrees, caused some competitors to. withdraw through cramp. Mr Usher was the only entrant from the Bay of Plenty in this swim and performed well. He was eighth at the end of the first lap and finishing the second roiuid Avas lying third. He occupied this position when the third lap had been completed and at the last turn, about GOO yards from the finish, was one of a group of seven. His placing at the end of the three-mile race Avar? ninth, having completed the distance in 99 minutes 1 second. Regarding the temperature of the water, Mr Usher said that it was not as severe as at Bluff last year, when he could swim only one of the three miles because the temperature was at the extremely low level of 5t degrees. He expects to be competing for ' the Annette Kellennav Cup next year, when the contes' (Continued foot next column).

will be held at Auckland over a course familiar to him. Mr Usher observed' that' the triangular course, on which the racewas held at Wellington, is preferable from the public's poiiit of viewas they can see the whole race m '~>rcgrcss. Three thousand' people witnessed the swim'..