SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 722, 22 January 1910, Page 12

SWIMMING.

(Bt Splash )

;:. ..V/VK , : CARNIVAL DATES. ■-.■■ V ;:. ; Swifts Club—February 12. : . .-' ■'■:.'■'. ■.. '■■'■''. Thorndon Club—February 26.' '■•..■ ~'.- .:■;'■.. . Wellington—llarchfl2; •;.: . '■'.": ',: . :On' "We'dnesday -ieyening./E. .' Russell (9sec). 'and H. , Silver (lOsec.) 6wam'".,off their tie lor second'placeiin. the, Wellington Club's ."13"; 50yds.. handicap, of | the previous- Wednesday.. : Russell, who,, is muohvmpre expert-at the. starting plunge than. Silver," was almost level with" him. whon he recovered,, and; before the next 10yds.': had,!'gone,'he' was leading .by,:'a foot.. Silver,■."however, 'stack gamely. ;to histask, and stubbornly 'contestcd.'every inch.of the, distance, :but ; Russell.proved too good for himj'and won by a touch in 37soc. ':■:',...:■ .:;. ;':■■;.■:'■■.;;'.; : ..; w>. , . , .

~13. O'Neill, who. was on/'tho, 'scratch mark with. Cyril. Ward in the Swifts 220 yds; handicap last week, proved.beyond , doubt r who is: the better, man: at prosont overthc.furlong..- The.'pacowhich ho.set from the moment "the pair struck the water carried Ward, .'-'off his'legs," and -he .retired after. 175yd5... had-been' , covered, i ;ln;the event. in .question P. A'. Wilton.won.'from; J.. Devine,; with /something to sparo. -As ivas mentioned; last week, Devine-ibelieves.in.:dbing a distance,'and his form came in.handy when W. ;'Wilton pressed .him in this race.' Dovirie has three second prizes to '.'his cro'dit; so far; this Beason. ■'~:-•:-; ■:. Cyril Aston, -who was'secretaryi of. the Wood villa 'Club, a, few: seasons .back,' is stationed.', in this city; again.. He . has commenced and; as ,'he. intends to-compete in all-tthat.-is goingj no . doubt '.we; shall;'hear'of : his-success before..the 'season closes. ; ;-.- V ;.. : ;.., ; . L.. M'Carthy,'- who won., the high '■■ dive' at the recent State; championships, /held in Sydney, , is a'native of: this city; being .a-.'-St.: Patrick's. College,-, old , boy.'.:- He carried ■ off ■ the neat rheader' at ■ the, Wei-' lington Club's-carnival in 190 C . •;.. •'.- . : The :programme for the.- eleventh' an-. nual. carnival '. of : ,tho; Swifts;.'-Club■■'•l includes .the following items:—soyds. ; club junior handicap (under 16), 100 yds. Ladies' ■Bracelet Handicap, . 500 yds." Inter-olub Handicap, 1 ■ 220 yds. Inter-club: -Handicap; 200 yds. Handicap -Relay Eace. .An '■■:; ex-hibition-game of-water polo will also be played,.'and, in addition, '■■ there will 'be' the diving competition and-a novelty'entitled ; "Bellman's; Buff." The relay.- race, which is for, teams of four'men each, is open to all athletic dubs, business firms, Government Departments, etc., the only stipulation, being that eaoh man: must be able to sign the. N.Z.A.S.A. amateur de-; claration.' Entries, close on ; February 7;' ; The following: polo fixtures, have been drawn up:—January 25:.;...:X.M.C.A. .-.ji Thprndon, .at : Thorndon;';. January 26:' Wellington v. Swifts, at Te Aro; Janu-ary-31:.-Thorndonv. Swifts; at Te Aro; ■February I:^.Wellington B v. Swifts.'ai Te Aro; February 3: Wellington B v. Wellington A, ,at Te Aro;-February 7: Wellington B v.''.T.M.C.A.,-l-:of-Te- Aro;. February,lo:.Wellington A v. T.M.C>.', : at Tβ Aro;.February 11: Wellington B v. Thorndon, at Te Aro,-: February W: Wellington A vi Thorndon, at Thorndon; .February 24■.'•Swifts/.v. Y;M.C.A.,: .at, Te Ar0.... :•■ ■■.-,'■■'[: ■.■ ..-= 't.; 1 -,'.':'.■,■■.■.;;.• V.: ■•

.The following dates have:been'decided onby the. Swifts : Club for the series, of races for the -Smith Cup:— January 27, 50yds.; Jj'ebruary 17, ■•' 100 yds.; March 3, •150 yds:-:-;•■■■.■■•■-.-.'■:.■.•■■ :->;-- ; " ; ; ':: !:•.:;■• . A 40yds. novice race for ladies has been arranged for. January ,26 'by the Swifts Club.. The race , will be!'decided' at the Te-Aro Ladies' Baths, r ;" ■■■':■;';■. ; ;> The Swifts Club's mile, race:has been postponed, from 5 to', , February 19 so as to. avoid clashing with tho-.Star 13oating Club's swimming.sports. . :■ .. "The ■Wellington. Centre has preferred not to take the council's hint that it should drop its foolish attitude in regard to'the championships, and has reiterated its, decision not to .'be "represented at Auckland. ■.'.';.• Tho Wellington wiseacres aro likely to lose much more than they ■ will. gain by. their , ridiculous obstinacy." Extracts from the "Canterbury Times", criticising, tho' attitudb ..adopted' by tho Wellington Centre in regard: to tho championships. . . "Natator", . also, writes:— <r What the council , will do when Wellington's latest; motion :comes up. for. consideration will, I. shall not bo at all surpijised to find, bo something' that will cause a pretty severe shock' to. tho . selfesteem with which our/northern friends, seem to bo overburdened, just, now." :,, A southern paper says: "Tho number of drowning accidents in New Zealand 13 appalling, there having been upwards.of twenty persons' drowned within .a; fortnight sinco Christmas. In a country like ,-Now Zealand overyone should be taught to swim, and overyone. should be taught how to revive tho.apparently drowned.", ■ O. Seymour .will pfobablv. be. ono of the Hawko's Bay ropreseiitativcs at Auckland. He is said to have swum his hundrod in CCscC:recently, and: his friends expect him to do a good deal better., . ". The 220 yds. Club. Handicap final for the Wood Challonuo Cud. at the Opawa

Club's (Christcburch) carnival saw. the vetoran swimmer H. . Rich conceding 56sec. start, unci by a great effort lie got up in time to win by .two yards, from •X. Manhire in 2min. 54 2-ssec. - -..■■..-' >Y

■' The Relay Hace at the Opawa Club's sports brought out twenty-three . teams, and provided somo good finishes. The final was '.:'■ won by East Christ;church No. 2 on the touch, after a determined struggle with Sydenham in 58 ■t-ssec. W. .Dinsmore, for the winners/ swam splendidly. In tho heat ho'loft the 25yds. behind iii ill 4-ssec, and"; in tho final ho was clocked to do 12 3-ssec, two good. performances. ' ' ../ , No: finer struggle could .be imagined ;than that for the sprint honours (says the "Heforee" referring to tho 100 yds. South Wales' Championship).- For some littlo distance after the'word "go" tho whole pf, the, starters;were well in line, but. midway down. the. long straight L.Solomons : , singlod' out and shot clear,, amid the applause, of . many' hundreds, who already., hailed, the .■ North; Sydney chanipion.the winner, and indeed he appeared very much. likovgetting, there. 'At 75 yards another great shout, and yelle of "Hardwick! Hardwick!" proclaimed the fact that the young Sydney Club topnotcher '■'was • putting in: ■ some "effective work/and eoon-he swam neck and neckwith Solomons, while;' Cecil' Healy; well within , striking distance,'lay .third.. "'■A , ! second or two later a further roar, towards which every man ; and every woman of the huge, onlooking , crowd' , appeared to contribute,, was heard. Cecil. , Healy had made a mighty; effort ls,:or 20-yards, from tho ! termination' of the course,. and overhauled two' leaders'' inch by , inch.' Hacing as ii very'life depended upon the outcome, the trio, of. great swimmers were 'as.near' 1 in line, as possible five' or six: yards off: the finish. ,, -The , ' most" intense excitement' now! prevailed everywhere—in' tho grandstand, and .among the' officials". On.the contending cracks struggled, every: ounce ;pf power;.in'l'.evidence,; aid. every nerve and , sinew : strained.. : Shouts 'of ."Healy.l?. "Hardwick!" "Solomons!" bit the ear. from.-all directions/ Hardwick's head appeared slightly,.:in front of fiealy's as'they breasted'.the end; but he was.slow, to touch, and'.tho.coveted'distinction went to Healy,; who... might ■.■/. have' i- made; Ms triumph more •.pronounced 'had! that '.concluding effort not;been' 'left 6b:'late. : vln the circumstances; , it was a 'remarkable performance indeed:for him to; win; .the strain must', have' ;been ; very severe over, those last_few: yards/ , . Solomons finished only o few .'.inches -away third, <ahd\so much. pace. did; he'. possess-, over tho first iialf :'of 'dash' that ho : covered..it in ■80seb;.-'The: time<(sß ,, lf&ec.).i:is" l'-l-osec; slower." thai"; the':-: ■ Australasian'- v'. record; ..which Healy and Hardwick. share. .'"■ ;: :;',"

■■; The .Half-mile Championship Vas a one* man' race/'illardmok; went ; tortile front. almost.'immediately, ■ and: remained there .throughout, though ! the r Manly crack, , ,S.' Wright;'- made ; a;game effort all .the way, and cut. : : a few. .yards off. the leader's vantage , ; in ■ the , -, last -.couple 'of laps.. , ■ At 220 yds. Hardwick showed ■put' 10yds. bet-, ter tHan Wright,; while:the-other starters; were;bunched,';with J.,T." Hall- Inst, , and, ho.; : retired , .soyds.. further ..on 1 ; ■ .Half the' journey over Hardwick'"Had a margin 'of :15yds. .to the; good, ..and McQueen, Con-: lon v and Brown swam together;' and' , Long? worth dropped behindtho 10t.,: Hardwick improved his position'by a.: yard' or. :two,' in: the. next furlong.'at; the; end of which; 'Longworth:.loft thd',w,ater.':?-Thero were , still, eighty, yards . to' bo, negotiated when .■••Hβ time-keepers (Messrs; 'W:-T.-Kerr and. T.C.Eoberts),announced the' late-Bar-ney. Kieran's -. world's '.record ■ figures— .llmin.'.ll.S-Ssec.- , Hardwick won •. by. 12yds.- from: Wright, with Conlon' third,.ls' or. 20, yards', further', off. .Hardwick'si•time .was; 12min. • 12£5 sec, .Wrighfs 12 min.:24sec, J.. ; : Cordon's 12min.:.473-ssec.,,.and. B. L. ; 'Brown's, (fourth); ISmini—exactly standard! time.' The: laps /(110yds.- each) were. completed by- Hardwick'' as follow:- lmin. -16 3-ssec, 2min;-,482-ssec.'," 4min. ,'ls 2-ssec., :smin.' 49 2-ssec., 7min. 243-sseo;,,9min.' 13-ssec.,: .lOmin/ 36 and 12mini, 12 2-ssebi ';'., •;' ■. ■ ; . Hardwick won'the':mile by .about.lß yards,.-, his'.time. being' 25min.r321-sseo. v His'times for the various'stretches' wero: -220 yds. i: 2mih. 48,2-sseb;; 440 yds.' ,; smih. '■ 342-sscoi; ; .i 880 yds),; \l2inin.' 22sec.i. Tand 1320yds'., 18min; 55 l-ssec. .;■-'•:'■:).';:' : . y