SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1354, 3 February 1912, Page 12

SWIMMING.

STRUGGLES AT THE BATHS. [Bt "OcTorns."] The Swimming of the Week, ' Inspired, no doubt, by tho brilliant weathor which wo have been experiencing during the lnet week or so, the various swimming clubs seem to bo waking from their lethargy. Tho Wellington Club held the final distance, 150 yds. for the President's Cup, on Friday evening last. This last distance was won by W. G. Morpeth, from D. Martin and 11. Griramott. The result of this race loavos the cup still in doubt as Martin and Grimniott are equal with five points each.

On the same evening the Old Boys' Club held an inter-club 50yds. handicap. The final was won by K. Fraser from Bridge and I'atci'son. The winner is a new man in the prize-list, but tho handicap of !)sec. was probably responsible for this, <is his time of 3D l-sseo. is not by any means fast.

There has been a great deal of discussion lately as to the falling-ofT in breaststroke swimming, but if the clubs continue to go in for it as well as they have dono lately, wo will soon have some capable exponents of this method of progression. _T. ,T. King's time-of 85sec. in the Swifts "100" breast-stroke on Tuesday was a distinct improvement on anything else of the kind which we have had for a long time. Vango won rather easily with 20sec., but the honours of the race, are all with King, who swam into second place from scratch.

At last the Victoria College Club is doing something to justify itself. During the last week they liavo decided tiro races at Te Aro. P. brey swam very_ well to win tho MOyds. from scratch in Gmin. 18 Msec. Grey has previously shown us that he is a good distance man. Their second race wa9 a 50yds. handicap, won by W. .T. Robertson from Bsec., followed by C. Gamble with 13sec. handicap, and T. llonayiio from scratch. '

The popular secretary of the Thorndon Club, T. H. M'Lean,"managed to win the 50yds. handicap on Wednesday evening with a handicap of Ssec. Ho was followed home by J. Wareham and R. Ronayne. , The Polo Matches. The first match last Saturday was between Wellington and Old Boys. As expected "Wellington managed to win all the way, and never looked like being beaten. Their'team was weakened by the absence of Gosling, whose place was taken by Little, but not sufficiently to malco any difference. Kelly played a fine gamo in defence for Wellington, as did Levy for Old Boys. In fact, the backs of -both sides were far stTorigor comparatively than their forwards. Capper and Levy wore the only members of tlio Old Boys who seemed to know anything about the game. They are the making of a good team, but require moro expenonco. Jfono of the other Wellington men stood out for conspicuously clever play, but all played good, solid games.. Before the match someone made the remark: If you ask a Swifts man if he also belongs ,to tho Thorndon Club li(! would die fighting. This spirit was borne out in tho game, and some of the fouling was disgraceful. As a matter of fact tlie whole game was quite spoiled from a spectator's point of view by somo of the tactics adopted by both sides. Swifts managed to win by two goals to one, but half of the spectators were of '.lie opinion that their first goal should never have been allowed. Two games were played in the junior grade iK'twecn the i.M.C.A. and Old Hoys, and Swifts and W : «lli)ngl:on respectively. In the first gamo tho only noteworthy feature was the play of Baker who was head and shoulders abovo anyone else in the water. The results were: Y.M.C.A., -1; Old Boys, 2. Wellington, i; Swifts, 0.