SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 15, 12 October 1907, Page 9

SWIMMING.

(By Splash.) ' The custodian of 'the Thorndon Baths has' been getting tho baths into order for the summer months. . The piles have been scraped and tho .intprior or the bath cleaned up generally so .that, tilings are now in capital,.order,' with the exception of the learners' portion, which will probably bo-renovated next tveek. ■ "• ■I • > Nominations for tho. first,',carnival: of tho season in Auckland include the names of Messrs. Noyoni.and Kean, both well'' known - performers .in Wellington. , • 'v.' iTlhe -recent' gale! damaged' tlm' outer /w'all.'.bf tho ;To-< Aro'- Baths'," about-, one , and'V halfv'spans, or 20ft:" pf ;tho':wall, '.having been carircd away.. . This.; latest mishap may hasten;.tho crectioi of the tnlkcd-of concroto wall. The .vail will cost N a good deal, of•/ money, but: an appreciable saving, .would ' .be' effected by the decrease .in' tho repairing bill. ' .'Malcolm - Champion; who is now in Auckland, has joined the nowlyjformed W aitemata Club., ; The - following appeared in tho London "Sportsman" ot August 23: —"The fooling that the almost'obsolete art of plunging should bo abolished by tlx; A.S.A.' grows yearly.' season the. championship is to. take placo on; tho occasion of the Cygnus at CamberwQll, -and -..Isamntbvulgingis.nosecret in ' stating 'that tho club-- .only took tho event off -the -hands ;o£ the Southern Association to tree; them of a contest in which-nono but the entrants and a few others take-tho smallest interest. I inquired of a-.well-known Cygnus rocmbor whether the club were going to decide tho event at the beginning or the end of. tho - programme. °What,' lie said, 'do you think wo are going to spoil our show ? If I have my way, it will be'-all over;before- the public. are allowed to outer , the building.' I have so often advocated tho abolition of the oventr-for it is not an edifying spectacle to watch fat gentlemen lying on their faces on the surface of tho water—that there is nothing new to add, except that .it is neither swimming nor sport, at all. ,;Tho competitors ihfiato' their bodies with air, dive in the bath, and then 'hang on' for a minute. Tho disposal of tho challenge cup given in 1901 to -' tho A.S.A! by Mr.' Horace Davenport, after Mr; W. Allason, of tlie'.Otter S.C.'j,liad won for threo successivo years, would, df course,- cause some difficulty, but I do not doubt that : Mr!. Davonport would cheerfully consent to its being devoted to another contest —say, a 1000 yards championship." New Zealand cut the dive out of its. championship progranimo two years ago, and substituted a breast stroko race.

F. Unwin's 150 yds. on the back in lmin. 57 l-ssec. at Gloss6p.Road baths backmarks yet another .'English- record (says London "Sportsman" of August 23). That ho beat was-W, Call's 2min. 1 2-ssec., accomplished in the Championship at Manchester just less 'than three years ago. Call, liko Unwin, . 'is a .'Sheffield man, aiid woiitliQ championship in three successive . years, , after which he turned professional, and is now a bath superintendent. " Unwin, whi) won the,, championship: : at Newcastle on-Tyno last year in 2min, dsec., accomplished his performance! in ,'a';2s yards bath. Ho is'not ' yet 20' years of ago, and," apart from his fine back swimming,'has not' shown tho-form in other departments of . tho sport thatwas anticipated a few; years ago, when ho swam prominently in, several A.S:A. championships." . v

Many inducements aro now offered to men who indulge in swims ranging from ten miles upwards (says an.English paper). Judging from the correspondence brought bofore the committeo of the Channol Swimming Club, at a rccent meeting, this new club, which has for its object the cncouragemoiit of distanco swimming in the. open sea, augurs well for a succossnil career. Gentlemen from all parts .liavo applied for momborship. .The outstanding • featuro of . the club will bo tho holding of races in the Channol. For one over a distanco of ton miles a Challengo Cup has been presented a similar trophy for fifteen miles, and a third for a twenty-five mile swim. Tho trophies aro to bo won twico in succession, or three times in all bofore becoming the property, of tho competitor, while -medals and diplomas aro to be awarded for- each contest. The club's lion, treasurer, Mr. A. Jonas, has presented a . challenge trophy, to be known as'the "Webb Momorial Shiolcl," for a relay race across the Straits of Do-ver, by teams ' of four ' swimmers.- In addition, there is tho "Alexander". Channel Cup for tho swimmer (amateur or professional), irrespective " of nationality, who emulates tho feat of Captain "Webb, made thirty-two -years ago. Apropos of tho above it is stated .that five stalwartß of the, London City

Police intend to try,.- 'and swim tho Channel, with a ,v'io<v to .winning the Webb MemorialVjSHield. The names are:—P.O. Dfijke", of Moor Lane, win- • ner of thb_-pplicG Bwimming championship for nitio successive years. P.C. Green op,' also of Moor Lane, a giant of 19 stcijEs and. owner of tho broadest shoulders in tho city forco. Inspector Riiko, of Old Jewry, .weighs 18st., is»;'Royal Humane Socicty medallist, and goal keeper of tho City, Police 'Water Polo Club. Sergeant Claro, of iliishopsgato, is tho durk horse of tho team. , .Ho onco swam second in tho polico championship. Police Constablo Blackinore, of Bridewell Place, the reserve man, has the proud record of .having jumped over the Embankment twico in one month to save lives. After waiting in Dover as long as their ioavo- permitted, tho officers had to return to London, irithout making their venturo. They Will try again shortly;

An English paper's opinion of swimming:—"Swimming is a severe exerciso. It is an exercise which should bo practised very moderately, except by the robust and trained swimmer. And yet tho difference is not only that the skilful swimmer has moro strength, but that he has learned to cconomiso his strength.' A strong,man may tiro himself out.iii a few' strokes,,while ono much, less muscular may, by a' skilful application of his strength, and by saving-himself all useless work, moro than 'equalise matters. A careful study of the movements of the-fish in an aquarium will make this point moro clear than many -pages of description. The fish moves its fins at exactly the right ' moment, at exactly the- right'angle,' and exactly tho right, amount of force. This exactness of movoment is the secret- of. its quicks ness, ; case,, and power:in the water. A man, of course, 'cannot, because, of structural differences, swim like a fish any more than ho can fly like a bird. But by a careful study of the movements of a fish lie may gain valuable hints as to tho natural method of propulsion through the water." '