SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1569, 12 October 1912, Page 12

SWIMMING.

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LOCAL & FOREIGN NOTES. , More Popular Each Year. Most of the swimming clubs in Wellington have had their annual meetings, and new committees have been elected to again put forth their energy in tho endeavour to foster the fine healthy sport of swimming. The last few years have 6een swimming in "Wellington grow somewhat. It is, of course! a fascinating, sport. There are few—very few—who refuso to enjoy a splash in tho briny. "Surfing" has nlso come along here, and is now very popular. In good summer weather -Lyall Bay, with its long stretch of beach, affords splendid attraction for the joyous cult. ' As to swimming pure and simple, it has grown so much that the principal baths (To Aro), which some time ago were oniarged, can hardly hold the numbers who patronise them. The promotion of a Wellington CollegeOld Boys' Club helped considerably to increase; , the interest in swimming. Notwithstanding the fact that that club has only been in existence for about a year, it" "was ' responsible for •Mγ. . "Tod" Solomon's visjt from Australia to Wellington. The' visit' resulted in a much more lively interest being taken, in local swimming. • .

A Levy of Sixpence. ' Tho Wellington Centre is inaugurating a levy, of, fd. on all members of clubs, for the purpose of building up'a fund for sending a representative Home to tho Olympic Sports euch year. • At the annual meeting of the -Thorndon Swimming Club the matter was discussed freely. Somo members were of opinion, that sending a man Homo would not bo as beneficial to the clubs as if visits were exchanged with, Australian swimmers. - , .

Most of the members were of opinion that it would be muph better if some of Wellington's best swimmers were sent to Australia, with the idea of picking up some of the Australians' strokes. While there they could also pick up some' hints regarding club management, etc., which, by the way, ''Splash" thinks is needed in some cases in Wellington. After the Wellington. swimMers had returned from Australia, arrangements could be made for the visit of an Australian team. The writer is of opinion that if visits were arranged between Aus-. tralia and Wellington,, the interest in swimming would be largely increased, and again it would be'much easier than arranging for a representative swimmer to visit England. A Few.General Notes. The Thorndon Swimming Club are to ;hold their opening in the form of a day's outing at Paremata 'On Novomber 17. The annual general meeting of. the Swifts Swimming Club is to be held onFriday, October 18. ■ Comes new 3 from Mr. Prank Wilton (who was recently married) that his services as captain and handicapper of-the Swifts Club will no longer be available. The Swifts Club will find it hard indeed to fill such a gap in their ranks. Frank Wilton has skippered his club for a very long time, and has'ever been a valuable friend to swimming in Wellington. \ Mr. Charles Moore, who was for. eome yours the vice-captain of the Swifts Club, has returned to Wellington after a lengthy visit to the Old Country. "Charlie'' Moore was a very popular man among the swimmers, and his old club mates should not be slow to avail themselves of his services onco more. '•

Longworth's Return. Australia's champion, Longworth, ie back in. Sydney again-back after his unfruitful visit to Sweden, a mission which when he left here, appeared bo pregnant with promise. But "man proposes,'* etc. In-Billy Longworth Australia thought eho had a world beater, says the "Sydney Re'feree. But Canada's remarkable champion, Hodgson, was not reckoned upon. Hodgson stands easily and well out from the next best Canadian or American swimmer. We also had not reckoned upon tho meteoric appearance of the Hawaiian Kohanomaku, who had for sorao timo beon wasting his.swimming sweetness upon the desert air of his homo, that little sea-girt plot in the Pacific. Both Hodgson and tho Hawaiian were dangers to the acquirement of world's supremacies at their distances, as far as Longworth was concerned. Longworth tells us now that for a. week before the opening of the swimming section of the programme he suffered severely froni ear trouble, and yet faced the first ovent— tho 100 metres race—and finished second to tho flying man-fish from Honolulu. Kohanomaku's performance was an eyeopener. And matters were not assisted at all when Longworth, on the samo dpy, faced the task of endeavouring to "down" tho Canadian marvel, Hodgson, in the 1500 metres event. Once more did the Australian have to play second fiddle, and against ft world's record performnnco. Tho semi-final, on tho second day, of the 100 metres, saw him a competitor. That pffort proved >the last crack at doing anything, it was to bed, and the ordeal of an operation for him immediately afterwards. Longworth speaks in high praise of Hodgsons and Hanield, the young Englishman, as distance swimmers, and says Hodgson is without an equal at the "present moment. The Trudgeon stroke is the method of propulsion adopted by tho Canadian, and it is used in such a manner that he seems to glide along with almost the grace and absence of disturbance of the water, of a porpoise, and the paco acquired and the hiding of effort are marvellous. How different the progress of the Hawaiian! his is the movement of a big "screw" propelled boat, and his leg work is tho cause. He gets all power possible through the well studied uso of a pair of abnormally largo pedal extremities, which look liko so much of hia nether limbs turned up nt right angles, thoy extend so far from tho end of the shins. And tho legs are very much moro in sorvice than the arms, that is to 6ay, the kicks are several to the one movement of tho upper helps to movement. In passing, the .returned athlete snid that though Kohanoraaku put up <i world's Tecord (lmin. 2 3-ssec.) in tho 100 metres at Sweden, he improved upon that achievement at Homburg with 1 1 3-ssoc. Hardwick's showings were, Longworth eays, an improvement upon anything he had done prior to leaving home, and Cecil Healy certainly rose to great occasions in a surprising manner. Cecil never appears to grow old as a swimmer, and but for that late-in-the-day comer, Kohnnomaku, he must havo carried off the eprint ewimJ ming honours of the Gamea»