FOR A SWIMMING CHAMP

Chronicle (Levin), 13 January 1949, Page 7

FOR A SWIMMING CHAMP

Farties, Liqnor and Cigarettes Are Detinitely Out, Say Three N.Z. Toplmers

* If you have ambitions to become a swimming- champion, work is the' only answer. Parties, liquor and cigarettes ar6 definitely. out and regularity in training, meals and sleep are essential. ' This was the- unanimous opinion'of Misses Ngaire Lane, Bette Casey and' Hazel Forsyth, and th'ey should know for they are the three topline women swimmers in the Dominion' today. In an*\nterview yesterday, they said that "playing" around in the pool would get swimming aspirants nowhere, but with rigorous training on the right lines a swimmer could go a lpng way in a short .time.

Three good meals a dav were neeessary, with no "picking at food55 in between, and plenty of mjlk. In Levin to attend the Levin Swimming Club5s carnival, the three girls, who are accompanied by Mrs. C. Atkinson, as manageress, are . on a three months5 tour organised by the New Zealand' Swimming . Association. The main object is /to give the smaller clubs of the ^Dominion a • chance to see first class swimmers in action by demonstrations. They explain each movement and "generally give tuition to all those seeking it, with particular emphasis on the children. It is not an easy task and entails much concentrated exertion. Besides this tour, the girls are also training for the New Zealand championships,, which are held in Auckland in February. Grand AmLr.ssadors All The three girls are grand ambassadors for the sport, being not only extremely proficient, but possessive of charming personaliti.es and bright, easy-going natures. They'have also the added ability of being able to pass on the lessons they have learnt in a manner that is easily understood, which is an art not always acquired by the champions of a particular sport. During' the interview the following hints to swimmers were given by the girls in the following order: —

Miss Hazel' Forsyth (breaststroke champion) : For serious training first carry out arm practice, trailing the legs and using the arms only; After 400 yards of this, strengthen the legs by holding on to a board and kicking. This is also done for 400 yards, and is followed Dy swimming for 1000 yards. Next comes practice on those starts and turns, which may win or lose a race. Things to watch when doing the breaststroke are breathing and timing. The swimmer should inhale with the mouth and breathe out through the nose and mouth. The breath should not be held, the swimmer inhaling with, every stroke. The body shoula- be relaxed the whole time during the breaststroke glide. A short choppy stroke is useless. The heels should be brought up together, thrust out and down, and be snapped in hard together. In the arm stroke there is a bad tendency among swimmers to pull the arms back to the level of the shoulders. A smaller circular movement is needed. The arms should start their outward sweep at the same time as the legs are brought up together for their kick, and -the arms thrust for ward for the gliae at the same

time as the legs. are snapped in together. When turning and finishmg the end' of the baths should be touched with both hands together. The head should he kept as .level as possible, allowing for breath, and there should be no bobbing. Miss Ngaire Lane (backstroke champion) : The , training ' here should be the same as for the breaststroke. It is neeessary to watch the arm stroke particularly. There is a tendency among young swimmers to put their arms directly behind the head, making a stfaight pull under the body, as in the freestyle reversed. That 'is wrong. Taking the head as 12 o'clock on a clock, the arms. should be put into the water at 1 and 11 o'clock. . The pull is .then made sideways about six to nine inches under the. watef — completely sideways as an oar is swept through the water. At all times the arms should be diametrically opposed to each other. The head should- be neld in an easy position and relaxed on the water at the level, of the lobes of the ears. The body 'should not be held too stiffly on the water. The leg-drive comes from a definite up thrust . and the. Movement can oe a four, six or eight- beat, depending on the swimmer. (Miss Lane said hers was eight, but the "normal beat was six.) " " Those Backstroke Kicks Most backstroke kicks come from a complete relaxatio'n of the feet from the ankle, not from a wild thrash irom the knees downwards. The legs should not thrash wildly above the water. In relaxed swimming particularly, the legs should not break the surface of the water. The start of the backstroke is from the water and not from a dive. It is from a back spring from the side of the wall. The swimmer must not be off the back at any stage. The latest turn is a backward somersault, with a side tuck, so the swimmer is on the back in all positions. Miss Bette Casey- (freestyle champion) : In freestyle there is a variance of distanees and for the sprint and long distance eachlias different training. The sprint follows the same' training rules as the others mentioned, but in long distance the swimmer works over 2000 yards, • swim, ling generally 600 . yards, ■ kicking only. For this the legs must be really fit. { Relaxation and breathing, too, are most important, and it is always found at the start of a season that much concentration is needed on these two points. It is impossible to get the stroke correct until the breathing is mastered-. As soon as the arms enter the water,, they start their work pulling down through the water,

J with the elbows sligKtly bent to}| opposite the shoulder; then beginsf the push to the thigh. The recov-:i ery is made with , the elbow slightly| more raised than the rest of theif arm, and the pull through beginsf again. The arms, as in the back-/ stroke, are- diametrically opposed./ The position of the body depends| largely on the head position. The;f head should be in the water to the / top of the forehead, for if the head/ is to'o far under this will result in!! 1 the legs b€ing too high in the water? and energy will be wasted in the 3 air- ' \. Shoulders Should Not Move % For breathing, ttie head shouldf be moved from side to side only as$ though on a pivot. If the shoulders) are allowed to move, then thefj swimmer will roll like a ship, whichf is wrong. The kick is exactly likei| the movement of a person walking,^ The powei\of the kick is in the up4| thrust, which comes from the soleN of the foot in the instep. The feet'f should weave in and out past eachf ofcher, to the depth of" about I2f inches. If the feet come out of the! water, then the swimmer will lose i "-power and the *res'ult will be like-! the propeller of a ship out of| water. • 5 1 In starting it is best to have thej feet as far over the end of thell baths as possible, so as to get the| best of the push agkinst the wall.'i The idea is to shoot straight outl from the wall, entering the wateF fike a torpedo. The kick is started! as scon as the swimmer feels that? he or she is losing the glide from* the initial dive. The arms are held,?" loosely behind the body, which is in/ a crouched position when taking;-' the dive. The" turns used dependi? largely upoh the build of the swim-f mer and the -distance, to be swum. A long distance' swimmer uses as "top of the water" turn in order tq| take in breath on the turn, whereas'l • a sprint swimmer' uses a somer-U sault, or under water turn, which'5 can only be successfully executed^ at top speed. /