"HOLIDAY TRIP"

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21419, 11 March 1935, Page 12

"HOLIDAY TRIP"

FRENCH SWIMMERS IN CITY COMMENT ON TRAINING AND STYLE IN N.Z. "Just a holiday trip," is the description given by ?!. Jean Taris, European middle distance swimming champion, who is touring New Zealand with M. Charles Poussard, French Olympic diving representative, of their visit to the Dominion. The two Frenchmen are not at present in strict training, although not long after their arrival in Christciiurch yesterday morning thev were on their way to North Beach where they spent some time in the water during the day. M. Taris referred to his performance in Auckland, where he swam the quarter-mile in less than five minutes, as "not good but not so bad." "It is true that our form is not good here," said M. Taris, "but it is impossible to keep in good form when travelling. We were a month on board ship in November—there was too much beer and lager and smokes. We had too much of a good time in Melbourne —it was very amusing." Both the visitors can express themselves comparatively well in English, though they admit that they have become more fluent during their tout. M. Tans said that he had learnt English for three years in Paris, mucn as school children here learn French. He is the owner of a factory in Paris for the manufacture of bathing costumes. M. Poussard at one time studied mercantile law, but, as he put it, "that j« finished." At present he does a small amount of newspaper woik. Hard Training The style of New Zealand swimmers M. Taris considers to be very fair; but he said that they do not train seriously and do not know how to tiainHe noticed that some even of the best swimmers in Australia were completely "out" at the end of a hard race, which indicated that they had not trained properly. M. Taris gave as an example his performance in Auckland where he swam 220 yards in 2min 16 3-ssec, and half an hour later swam 440 yards in time which has never been equalled in New Zealand by any swimmer. . His training for a big event, continued M. Taris, began a year beforehand. For nine months he would be in a Paris swimming bath every day between mid-day and 3 p.m. Asked if that were the best time for training, he answered, "Yes, because in the bath there are no people." For months before the event there would be two visits to thebaths each day. In the morning M. T%is would swim j slowly over 1000 or 1500 metres; then over 500 metres using arms and shoulders alone, and 500 metres using only the legs. In the afternoon he would swim 100 metrp.s four times, with a short rest between each distance, and sprint over 25 or 50 metres. Points of Style M. Taris explained that the Australian style of swimming was different from his own. lie illustrated the method of breathing used by Australian and New Zealand swimmers, in which the head is turned to always the same side at alternative strokes. His own style was now individual, he said, as Us only other exponent had been a former Hungarian champion. In it, the head was turned alternately to either side at every third stroke. M. Taris believes that his success is largely due to this method of breathing. Another point of difference was that the Australians kicked downwards, while he, in common with other European swimmers, kicked upwards. In practising the leg stroke, M. Taris supports himself on a small wooden float, propelling himself entirely with his legs. While in Sydney he gave 10 yards advantage in 50 yards to a number of Australian swimmers at this exercise, beating them without difficulty. Shallow Baths M. Poussard and M. Taris both made the same criticism of New Zealand swimming baths —they they were too shallow. M. Poussard thinks that the baths in Auckland are not deep enough for safe diving, and that diving boards in the Dominion arc terrible; and M. Tans said that faster times could be recorded in deep water than in shallow. They were impressed, however, by the new swimming pool at Lower 1-futt. in Wellington, and by the number of open-air. baths provided at. the sch ncils. The Frenchmen cannot litid words to express their enjoyment of their stay m Australia, and their appreciation of the treatment they received there. Their tour of New Zealand has been so hurried that thev have formed only the slightest impression of the people. M. Poussard said that Australia was 'a great country for sportsmen." New Zealanders he had found a little colder, but they had been very cordial. M. Poussard said that they had heard » great deal in Perth of the wonderful surfing in the eastern states, but he does not think the Australian beaches any better than those on the Continent, particularly as neither in Australia nor in New Zealand are proper rafts provided for swimmers. On the Mediterranean coast, there was splendid surfing for 100 kilometres, from Biarritz to the Spanish border. M. Taris established himself as European middle distance champion last year, when he defeated the Italian, Costali, over 400 and 1500 metres. M. Poussard ranked fourth in the diving contest at the last Olympic Games; lie will go to tlv> games next year but may not compete.