SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 431, 13 February 1909, Page 6

SWIMMING.

N.Z CHAMPIONSHIPS. ■ ..-;. ■; HEALY AGAIN SUCCESSFUL' :;V ■ ■'-.. (d'y. teleq'eaph—speciavcoerespondent.) -'".-' ;■'"''• :/.. .".'-.' Timarui February 12. ' :For" the.second- day of .'the New. Zealand Amateur •■ Swimming Championships, the weathor. ,was all that could-be -wished,' -a warm sun boing tempered by'..a' pleasant breeze. The arrangements for the carnival were-again excellent, the officers of the. South Canterbury Centre of the association .doing; their work ;able assistance from the many.- visiting officials,' among whom was, the president of the-association; Mr. ;Goorge..;Harris. - The afternoon'b programme again, inclnded three championship races and a number of competitions open to, interclub swimmers, as well as the final contost for. the. water, polo, championship, v It had .been,expected that the three championship races would provide a keen competition, as 'on. the first ■ the Wellington representative, R.: Healy, and ; M."B. Champion; of Au'ekland; Healy, however,"decided not 't0.. , swim .in the 100 yds. champion shipj Wellington,having a good "second string" in; R. Ronayne,; and_ Champion did not 'start in the mile championship. The one' meeting Healy and Champion in tho quarter;mile .race served : to demonstrate .again the. superiority',of v the.Wellington representative, and,_taking into consideration the differences of .climate and .conditions, .there is no reason to doubt that his form is very little inferior to, what'-'be displayed last.6eason in winning a number of championships "of New South :Wales.-,;, Champion's ■performance in';, the ; 100 yds. was. not so good as some he has done recently;-but in .the 'quarter-mile' his 'time ..was; better, than, the. record; he created .last/ season,' and. his .performances throughout the.- meeting stamp him as a. pf..unusually high calibre. 'Taking the meeting as a whole, it.has shown.swim? . ming in' the Dominion to•be .improving. Four new records have been establislied, three' of them -by. Healy, and the 'rather generous :standard times fixed by.the association for the. championship distances have been, broken .on: ; 15 occasions.- ; .-v - .-.-V-. ... .: "■: : ',]

■ The: programme, opened witi the , heats.of .a 100 yds. handicap, .and some' thoroughly interesting races paved the: way; for the 440 yards champiohsnip.- , "■ .Besides "Healy and Champion there we.ro 'only- two competitors, the. , Chris.tchurch representative, ,, F. :.E. :Dodge and -H.; H; Rich. Champion;.went off 'with the'evident; intention of i setting a /sound :pace, .in'the.hope.of retaining . .the: lead throughout, and for half the distance'he was, well, -clear- of Healy.. :: , .Then, ■the latter/ moved up_ to,.'.him, ..and at .ISO. ■yards from home the issue'was.bey'ond doubt. ;Tho,;time;was good : throughout, , ' 100 yards. ,bein^coyoredin; 69 sec, 20p.iri.2min. 32 sec., , 3OO';in'4minV";and.i4oo in : smin.\3lsec., .while, the time for'the".full distance' was. 6rain..]S. 3-ssec.,. easily), beating the • previous reoor.d of:^min;":l9Seo.-.'',.Champion's..time, ;6min..,i6 ■3-ssec.,was well within the, standard of 6min.i 25sec.', and -Dodge, .who. swam exceedingly. , .gamely;/in , , the : last fifty yards, 'was ..also thd standard; his.' time/being ; 6min.■18 ißich 7 missed beating the standard ■.by-2;l-5seo.---""-; ,-_- .■■/;y, :\ : ■■■■. v 5;. , ;, , ,:\i-"-Y; j, A. .'The' : lOO'.yardis cbampionship-.lost■ some: of.' 'its'interest wheh'Healy's withdrawal.was an,nbuhced,_ but Ronayne. was:known to have, been swiinming' ; well, 7 aud it generally he .would . be';> Champion's "strongest'oppbnent. 'R.Easthope.and J..D. Stewart, .of Auckland; and F. :E..Dodge wefe the remaining.competitors,-and each of.them; found "friends..;\:;The race was marred -ibon-.' eiderably .by .Easthope's swimming across; the .course..:' He;'; began very quickly,': and' early crossed Ronayne, who must'havo lost at least: .two,yards/,;:'.Champion;:, : and v ,Dodge/, also ■suffered, though riot so miichj-from East- , hope'B , : There.v.was the' 'firiest contest of: the meeting iii the last .'twenty 'yards!. ■; .Champion , led- almost to' the finish, but. Ronayne .put,' in. a'-.grarid- effort and.' ."tpuclung'l. quicker ;than Champion won by. the barest-possible margin> •.' Dodge' swam. another ■ gpod| race, finishing: less than' three yarii behind, the ■ leaders; and' Stewart was : riqt 'farlaivay. '■■ .The time-wasislow,- the.starida'rdibeiug,unbeaten for,the/only-time at the meetiug.' .--,,• ".-'v,-'. : ;:?< ■ --.v '}':■ ■*';.-.■.-:,■ ■:' l; '-':^/.;!'■'- ■■ ';■ <Champion's :'- withdrawal- -from . .the'-.inileV ,'cbampionship ■ i'was''■' quite *■ unexpected,"'-arid , caused considerable disappointment.-YHe'was" reported to have , swum a^yerr'"faat'-'ihile rej', \cently; in"'A'uiklarid, 'and.itt'was'generally felt' that; his best: chance of 'success'against Healy ■ ; , ,wasi.in/the > mile race] '■ His' retirempntYre-' j duced the 'number -'of Healy's opponents'.to 1 Manhire, who had swiim-a.fino. race in .the half-mile on the previous day, land A. ; M'Millan, of Duncdin:. : ; M'Millan was a Competitor..at the .Australasian: championship riieetirig held in ■ Ghristcburch two seasons: ago,' - arid,:! then ''established- , "very; creditable times, and until'yesterday he-hold the.mile' record; of. New Zealand...'; The.face was. made .'interesting 'by., the. fact , -.that ■ Heajey.was''attempting to : create' ,- !' , ,new; re-'" cord; ; arid:.Manhire : and M'Millan , weroV.iex.ceedingly,: well matched', in the for.' second ■'place...-,,Hcaly ; swam ' as, he.'always. does,'like".a machine,; reeling off the "lap's, with ; remarkable,,regularity, -and;the : " :times taken ..as.- heicompleted 'each, hundred yards are; interesting ■ evidence, of ■ his ;steadiness'.. They are'.as: follow: : —lining I.6sec'. ; ,. 2min.'-.'!43 : sec.; , . 4min. : , 14sec.-, ; .smin. -465e0.,- 7iriin.: .19 sec., ,Bmin.. 52sec ; , lOmin.'23sec, 11min.."55' !sec.', 13min.' 27se'c.,.15min.' lsec, 16min. .32 sec.,: 18min. ssec. ; ,, 19min. : 37sec,, 21min. .10 'sec.,-; 22mjn.t41sec.v '24min.. :15sec, 25min." :47sec; v, His ;tim<? for', half a-mile wasl3niiki. ,12sec, better time than;. that' which ; had stodd'as the record 'for. that distance , until the .previous day.. His time-for the full; distance, 26miri. 45 3-Ssec.,is more than.a miri-; ute and; a' half •. better than: the, previous: re-' cord..:.; ManhireV. and M'Millan; made~a' finerace for :Second,j)lape,, and the success of the former wasVlojialy cheered. , _•■ Both.: were well inside" the,'.standard., Manhire is. not 'ye't : <lß years.of .'age,/and his",performance , shows him to be an unusually proiriising.swimmer.■ He/has plerity' of:time'to improve, and be-' ; fore;many,years are over. , he.should.be.among: the;champions. M'Millari also;:deserves credit for his performance, for he is.severely handicapped, by .the •facts that-there is'no suitable bath in" Duuedin and ;interest.iri -swim- : . ming ; ;is?dead.,; ;; /;.^\ ; .i ;;; ..-'■;.■. " : o' >-;- , '-'-': : ' i .'.:, ' ;.The contest between .the, Canterbury N6; ; 1 rand. Swifts (Wellington) teams for the :water polo championship.; waa • not the least .interesting event of. the day. Both teams showed: considerable knowledge, of the .game, 'and the .combined; work' throughout• wasfeffective and'pleasing. : The chief 'strength lof the Canterbury^team lay insthe powerful throwing of"two. of the forwards,- and wheh'eyer, Penrose \ and' Hales .got "within ' range they sent in - :,shots', that' cpuld be;; stepped' only .with: the/greatest difficulty. ■'Taken all round/the•members : of the Canterbury.-team" played, a 'really'.good game. -'.:Of the Swift's players Even sen, -in goal, G. : ';Mo6re, one of the'backs,■jWJllmot, half; arid Jenkinson and" P. Moore, , forwards were. most, conspicuous..