SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 11

SWIMMING.

[Br "OcTorcs."]

MAN WITH THE RIGHT NAME. Ho Even Grows Monotonous. Swimming locally has been almost :i dead-letter during the last week or mi. as all of our cracks have been engaged at tho big meet in Christchurrh. One or two of the junior clubs have got olt' races, but these are not of importance. All eyes have really been fixed on tho results of the championships. As oue spectator put it, after seeing the final of tho 880 yards, at Christchurch, Champion's wins begin to get monotonous, 110 started bv winning the 100 yards. Then ho collared the 220, mile, and tho half-mile, and-must win the 4-10 yards as well. It quite looks as it ho is the best swimmer which New Zealand has produced. If wo could produco men as good, comparatively, over tho 100 yards as he is over the longer distances thero would be some justification for the New Zealand Council's desire to take part in the Australian championships.

How He Won. Champion and Brico made the pace for the first lap of tho hundred, but after the turn, the Aucklander gradually drew away, and won, though, at the end, he had very little to spare. It is significant of the strength of Auckland swimming that the leading four—Champion, Weston, O'Hare, and Stewart—are all from tho northern city.. If it had not been for tho unfortunate disqualification of Welson, ho, too, would have been well in the discussion. The 220 yards events was the beginning of the procession, and people then began to think that Champion was really worthy of his name. Tho further he went tho longer his lead became till, at tho rope, ho led by fully ten yards from his club mate, Welson, who in turn, was some yards ahead of Seymour. Tho other competitors never looked like getting there. Our representative, Hoaly, seems to be going back so much that he will soon have to consider himself in the handicap class. The results of the half-mile were the same as thoso in the 220, with tho exception that Rich filled third place instead of Seymour. Here the writer would liko to extend sympathy to I'clix Seymour. In the second heat of the mile he strained a sinew in his side, and was thereafter unable to compete. It was a great misfortune for Hawke's Bay, as he was their principal representative, and he must have been very close to Champion in the half and mile. At the same time it gave an opening to ono of the keenest sports now in tho game—Rich, of Canterbury. This season marks his majority as a championship candidate as he first took part in 1831, and has competed at every gathering since that time. Champion's most serious opponent, Seymour, was rendered hois de combat in the heat, so that tho Aucklanders had it all to themselves in the final. This carnival was, to a large extent, a "Champion" benefit, but we have several young swimmers who arc improving every day, and will very soon be good enough for almost any company. Weston, (he sprint champion of tho Ponsonby Club, is only 20 years of ago, while Welson—another from the northis a veor younger. It is to the younger generation that we have to look for the cracks in a year or two, and one can feel satisfied that these two are going to be first-fliglitcrs.- ■Schwartz, Jcrrcd, and Poison, of Canterbury, are all youngsters who show promise. The breast-stroke was rather n disappointment to Wellingtonians who thought that King would have a chance, but the distance proved too much for him, so Hint in the final, he had to leave the water. Nevertheless, Poison's win was the most, popular victory at the carnival, ami sundry otherwise respectable Christchurch citizens shouted themselves hoarse. The ladies' championship proved io be a. verv "soft snap" for our friend, .Miss O'Lca'ry, from the "dry country" over tlio ■liiiiiutakasi She won very easily from the Waitemata champion, Lucy M'Kay, thereby lowering the blue and white for their second defeat.

Comment <on. the. Polo Match. In the ."Weekly Press" comment on tho polo match runs:—"Great interest centred in tho Water Polo Championship, held by Canterbury. Although Canterbury pained tho verdict, they have a lot to bo thankful for in the first roundfirst, to the splendid defence of Canterbury's goal-keeper, who was half his time stopping hot shots, and, secondly, to tho non-allowance of a goal to Wellington through the goal-keeper incautiously carrying the ball backwards prior to throwing out. The rule is very specific on this point. Kule 13. 'A goal shall be scoved bv tho entire ball passing beyond tho goal-posts anil under the cross-bar. And that is exactly what happened, and no doubt was overlooked 'by the goalscorer. The referee was not so g;cod as I have seen him, and some of his decisions wero most remarkable, to say tho least of it. Tho game calls for very little comment. Wellington played the better game and handled the ball better, and were mostly on the attack, and as above stated, .Tones was the impregnable barrier. There were too many breaches of the rules,' and tho decisions were net always satisfactory, which robbed the game of its interest. At the call of time each side had scored one goal, and' in the play-off Canterbury secured tho verdict, Poison and Stokes "scoring for Canterbury and It. Ilealy for Wellington." ,

Diving. A marked improvement was shown in the diving events, as compared to that witnessed at the several club carnivals, s-cvsrnl of the visitors gave good exhibitions. Kspecially was this noticeable in the springboard diving, when C. M'l.ean, of Napier, won, after a good contest, from L. I'olson. The high diving was another treat, and P. Schwartz, who has boon diving exceptionally well, secured the verdict. P. Hanii-a, of Wellington, winner at Auckland in 1010 and Wellington in 1911, did not emu pete.