SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1342, 20 January 1912, Page 12

SWIMMING.

(By "Octopus.")

I i At the City Baths. I hear that Mt.. Masgey won a, hundred ' yards sprint in Auckland in a way that would have turned Opie green, with envy. It looks as if ire are going bo havo a very sporting Cabinet altogether, as Mr. A. L. Herd man has been Been rather often lato- . ly at To Aro Baths. He can do a smart i fifty, and Cyril Brioe will soon' begin to [ wonder if things aro really worth \vhile. s I extend bincere, sympathy to Harold > Blick in his recent trouble. I It is refreshing to see A. A. Sommervillo , back.again in the sport like a two-year- . old. "Sominy" and Morpeth were very ! much ir. evidence at the Swifts' 50 yards "crawl" on Tuesday night. Morpeth (to ; use "Jack" Johnson's expression) brought i "home the bacon," with Crowther • and ; King following. ' The -Wellington Club's 50 yards first i distance for the President's Cup did not ; bring out any startling form. h'orsyth ; won, with Bridge and Sommerville very 5 close together, second and third. The Wag of the Polo People, The pob toirnament opened with the Swifts-Did Boys' match. Though the Old Boys' team did not look very strong on papor, they played to such purpose that the Swifts—seasoned players as they are —did not hold it over them at any point. Indeed, one disagrees with tho corner throw which- ultimately gave Swifts the winning goal, as Wiltoa unquestionably fouled twice before the goal was scoivd. One must congratulate Levy on his own play, and on the way in which ho has taught his colts, four of whom were playing their first serious game. Old Boys do not seem to have netted so many as they expected. What a combination, they would have if they could get them all! I'or the best man of Swifts (Jenkinson) virtually belongs to them too. N Tho greatest gumo. and tho biggest shock, camo in tho Wcllingtou-Thorndon match last Saturday. It proves tho wisdom of selecting a team of men who know the game, and can handle the ball, instead of men being* chosen purely for their, speed, as was done in lost year's Wellington representative foam at the championships. Thorndon dropped Brico for Konayno, and looked a stronger team than last .W- Wellington have kst their str.,ng®®t_ back in Levy. Hanna and Mawby havo gone over from tho Y.M.C.A to counterbalance matters a little. Tile'ferine? took Kelly's place at forward, while the genial sergeant, playing at back, watched Healy as if ho were going to break and enter somewhere. Hanna signalised his change of colours by scoring tho first goal, and making tho opcn?n rr for tho second. ° handling of the junior match, I.M.C.A. v. \Voreer Bay, was an improvement on A. \\. Smith's refereeing in W"l----lniglon-Tliomdon. I'or the good of Ihe sport, one hopos that Geo. Suid will bo in control in future, as some of the decisions referred to might have been belter Iho team with the caps like "Joseph's coat wer-3 too good for Worsor Bav, Baker scoring five goals. Baker, Wilson, and Chartros, in the gay headgear, and Blick and bommorrillo, for Worser Bay were prominent. Longworth's "Glad Day." Says tho "Daily Telegraph" on Longworth s fine performance in Sydney on January 6:— It was Longworth's "glad"' day. "I feel good," said the youth just before the start of the 100 yds. event. He looked "good," and lie mado good.. He achieved his ambition. He won the spriut championship, and is now the holder of all tho State titles. The 100 yds. race was probably the finest contost of speed and endurance ever witnessed in Australia. Rising from the plunge as one, the sextetto, in an unbroicon line, fonght over the first 20.vds. at a paco which thrilled over 4000 'odd spectators into an utter sileuco. There . was a slight murmur as HeaJy was seen to break the line. Ho was in the favoured position—close to tho outer piles. Swimming with great determination, the , hero of so many "hundreds" drew ont a , few inches. But, tackled by Wickham, he faltered. The Solomon Islander [ edged forward, his arms going like a . windmill let loose. He brought the I bunch with him, and Healy was over- . taken. Wickham led the other five, , "crawling" stroke for stroke for the . 50yds. post, but by inches only. The . 75yds. was reached. Wickhani's effort j was over. He sank back with the rest, ; and at 80yds. it was impossible to sepat rate one from the other. The crowd, till . this time silent, rose as one man and yelled itself hoarse with excitement. This was Hanhrick's moment. Out flashed the champion of the Empire, and the , Sydney Club" members went wild with joy. "Harold wins," was the cry, but ' it changed as quickly to "Billy," and the liose Bay section shrieked its appreciation and encouragement to its champion. ; Ten yards from the goal Longworth and : Hard wick could not be separated, while F the others in a buncli were only inches 1 away. Fivo yards from the touch and ■ tho positions were unchanged, and tho ' roar from the spectators was deafening. [ Two yards to go, and the crowd weut ' mad. Tho men wore as at tho 95.vds. A dead-heat? No. A last despairing dash by Longworth. A swirl forward. Up to tho board they dashed, and like light- • ning tho younger man shot his hand ' alouj* the surfacc of water and touched, r Hardwiek swung his arm over with I plenty of snap. It seemed a dead heat i to thcee who were not in close proximity. Somo thought Hardwiek had won. It took tho judges quite a lengthy period to dccido. Then they gavo Longworth tho decision, although perhaps no one would have cavilled had it been a dead heat. Longworth won, though it was by the barest of touches. His victory detracted nothing from the excellence of Hardwick's swim. Healy was third, a yard awav. Last year's cliainpion swam a plucky racc. His was a fine efi'ort, and possibly ono of the best he had ever made. _ Longworth carved out the distanco in SIJ l-ssec., which was 1-asec. faster than tho previous Australian record standing to tho joint credit of Cecil Healy and Harold Hardwiek. It is a iic-w 'Australian record, for as such must l)c accepted by the Amateur Swimming Union of Australia, as it was put up under record conditions. It also constituted a world's record for tidal water swimming, and also for a straight 0011™. Hardwiek equalled his and Healy's previous record, while Healy was just outs side it. The other three wero all well ■ under the minute.