NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPS

Chronicle (Levin), 20 February 1948, Page 7

NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPS

Press AssociationJ

• '• (Per

DUNEDIN, Feb. 19. , Tke seeond night oi: tlie Nevv Zealand National Swimming Ohanipionslups provided a kigh standard of performance. Tliree" further New Zealand reeords were broken, making-'five to date and tlie defeat of several titiehoiders added interest to one of tke most exeiting cliampionskip programmes of recent years'. • - Oompetition for tke Yaldhurst Shieid was again exceptionally koen and 'Otago increased its lead to a niargin of Iti points froin Auckland, witli Canterbury (present iiolders) 12 points further back in third place. . Tke record, breaking began with the tirst ev.ent of the evening, the 220 yards men's freestyle cluimpionship, Noei Chambers, of Canterbury, fonner chanipiou, wresting tlie title from Lvall Barry, of Nelson, after a thrilling race in whieh Chambers showed the way throughout and staved off a strong chalj,enge by tlie Nelson swimmer, to win by two yards. Chambers' time ot| 2min. 20 2-5sec. clipped two-fiftks of a seeond off the existing record established by the Ernpire Games representatve, P. Hanan, Auckland, in 1930, at Auckland. A short time later, Colin Chambers, also of Canterbury, colleeted his socond title, the '.sSO vards men's free-style, and added to the family laurels by setting new figures for the distrtnce of 10 ' min. ' 51 3-5sec. which was twoseeoiuls faster tlian the time recorded by L. Newell, of Canterbury. at New Plymouth in 1939. Colin Chambers swain an-equall.v as brilliunt a race as his brother and clearing out from thc field nver the last two laps, won by 27 yards from T. E. Wilson, the Otago ehampion, who provided almost Ihe major upset by heading P. Blumlield (Auckland) for seeond place with 14 yards to spare. * .Fohn Shanalian, of Auckland, who has had aa notaiile meethig, won two more titles, liringing his championshi]) wins to date. to four. Ile broke his seeond record wlien he won Ihe 220 vards men's breaststroke* championshi]) by 12 yards from 1). Dov.se (Wellington) in 2inin 58se\ which cut three-fifths of a seeond off' the previous mark held by the late K. Rliaw, SouthJawl, and Shanahan himself. There was an excitiug tussle for seeond place, Dowse vvithstanding Jarvis's challenge to get J liome byjialf a yard. Shaaahan de prived Jarvis of his lOOyds medley j championship after a good race, Hhana t hau 's timg of lmin 4 4-5see being the ifastest yet recorded in New Zealand for j this event which has been on the championship programme for only two ; years. It, too, will be applied for as a record, no mark having yet been Irec.ognised for tliis distance. ; • ATiss AT. Ilolmaii, Waikato, accom ! ! piished one of the most impress^ve per- I | formances of the. ehampionships wlien ! jshe defeated the- titlehplder, Betty! U'asey (Otago) iu tlie most excitiug race j !of the night, the 440yds. women *s i'ree- j jstyle, in 5min 54 4-5sec. This was ATi.ss : :| Casey.'s lirsl det'eat iu a freestyle j j race at a national champipnsliip meet- j | ing for foui> years. Aliss Holiuau swam i a perfectly judged race 'and after she \ J and Aliss Pusey had swuni together for j ralmost all tlie distance, the Waikato | ' girl went ahead with two laps 'to go j j.and, stroking nicely. linished strongly ! ! to win by four yards. Aliss Casey 's j j time was, ouiin 57 2-5sec which was! several seconds faster than her win- j i ning time last year, while Uie Otago | • i

. intermediate swimmer, Aliss G. Allen, who ffnished a ereditable third, recprded (imin 14sec. . • Ngaire lane, Qtago, eomjileted the backstroke double for the lifth successive year, scoring a very easy win by 23 yards in'the . women ;s backstroke championship, from Aliss S. Beager, t(ie promising Waikato swimiper, tlie winner's time being^3mih 3sec whieh was 2 ,2-5sec outside hex own record. The Otago intermediate swimmer Hazel Forsyth also achievod a brilliant double by winniug the 100 - yards women's breaststroke ehainpionsliip in lniin 23 4-5see whieh was only threefifths of a seeond slower than the New Zealand record and the best time ever put up in the Dunedin-pool. M. Teague (Wellington) who gave Aliss Forsyth a great battle, was onl}' a touch. behind, her time being lmin 24sec. D. AI. Begg, Canterbury, who had already won the men's low-board diving championship, gave a first-class per- , formance to win the men's springboard title by . a niargin of nearl'y 30 points from 6. Jaine (Auckland), with J. A. Aiorrison (Canterbury) in tliird place. Some of Begg's dives ,were brilliant efforts and Jaine and Aiorrison botli displayed promising form. I. A. Johnston was Otago 's best perfornier and linished just out of place. Canterbury won the flying squadron 500 yards relay championship comfortably froin Otago in 5min. 7 4-5sec. but the erowd, which iilled ihe building to capacit}', §aw one of the most exeiting water polo games for a long time when J Otago A maintained its unbeaten rej cord since 1936, by defeating Cant erj bury in an exeiting game b\- 7 goals to |4. Wellington and Canterbury eacli i scored wins in earljer games and Otago ' A won by default from Otago B.