SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1634, 28 December 1912, Page 12

SWIMMING.

fßi "Splash."]

CAN WE MAKE THE SPORT "GO"? February 8 to 10—New Zealand Chnm- ' plonships, at Wanganui. The Manly Cracks Have Helped. The Sydney® cracks have como, and "swum," and gone, and there is no doubt that they have left an impression behind them. On the whole the times of Solomons and Hay are a good deal lower than those which have been put up by local swimmers, and this of oourse goes to prove that, although the two swimmers mentioned, were not the best which Australia could produce, they were something much better than Wellington could put np against them. . Undoubtedly, the visit of tho Svdneyites lias aroused the swimming instinct, even in a great many who rarely take to the water. , . . That was exactly what the oentre endeavoured to do. The centre knew that swimming in Wellington was in a somewhat low state, and, being wise in their day and generation, tliey drew on some of Australia's stock. Their hope was to once more conjure up some of the lost enthusiasm and energy. They had done

"'So. on this one point at least, the centre deserves hearty congratulation. Both the chairman of tho centre (Mr. Atkins) and the <=ecretary (Mr. H. C. W. Blick) have worked hard towards making tho stay of the visitors as enjoyable as possible, and the visitors will go back with a vivid of Now Zealand hospitality.'

More in Sorrow Than in Anger. ' Now we . come to a more important asneet of the visit—the local carnivals. It is ten thousand pities that the centre seems unable to run a carnival' worthy nf Wellington. Certainly the two carnivals which were held "won out" all right financially speaking. But, somehow or other there was no elan and "go" about them; they seemed to be half dead. The centre can hardlv lie congratulated on some tilings and they can easily be condemned straight out on others. Tho first carnival was a sombre, gray-mantled affair, wearisome in its sameness. Not one comic item lit that sombre programme. and had it not been for the band's immersion, the spectators mieht nardonablr have indulged in "a little folding of the hands for slumber." Tho Band That Atoned , for the Programme, The centre really ought to give medals to the band for splashing a little bit of colour into a picture which would otherwise have abounded mostly in neutral tints. Also a Coniic Man Who Lit the Gloom. Tho only really intorEuting ovont at tho bet oarnivei w.oa tho diving display given

by the visitors. It waa aplsndld—and th® spectators wore doliprhted. In the seoona carnival the diving was not halt so good, the visitors did not eeom to be in good form at all. Ail! but a word of praise is duo to "Tod" Solomons for his comic diving item. Tho spectators were really amused at his humorous performance.

Tho Socond Carnival Better. The second carnival did not drag bo muoh ns tho first. What with Solomon's brilliant performance ovor tho 100 yds. distance, and two good comio items, there was both achievement and variety—tho tivo things which waken interest.

Solomons's Assault on GOaec. Tho event in which Solomons broke the Now Zealand record was in the second heat of the 100 yds. handioap. His beautiful shallow dive at the start was oomething which looal cracks should take much notice of. In the first fifty yards ha rushed along with a powerful, but even, stroke, but when he turned at the 50yds. his opponents were nearing tho_7s yds mark. Then ho came at them with liis powerful "crawl" strongly in action, and ho cut down his .opponents one after tho othor; they wore nowhere with him. He seemed to exert all his energy, and ho camo romping homo an easy winner, and with a smashed New Zealand record to his credit. It was a splendid race, and the spectators were not slow in showing w'hat they thought of it. In the talk on Saturday afternoon last, Stranger, the Wellington Club's best, was discussed as a likely "surprise packet" for Solomons. Stranger waa reckoned on as being an exceedingly fast swimmer, but his actual performance was not quite what his Winds and admirers had hoped for. He sivam well, howover.

Brouflht from "The Wilderness to tho Baths." M'LeaJi, an ox-Wellington College boy, put up some excellent performances on Saturday afternoon last. "Mao." io quite a young swimmer and ho has latterly been "away in the wilderness" —farming. So his performance waa somewhat surprising. He swam exceedingly well, and would have done better, had it not been for 'a muddlement in. the programme.

The Day of the Sun-bather, During the last week the sun bathers of Wellington have been enjoying themselves. The beautiful hot sun which has prevailed during the holidays, enabled them to fully realise that weird 6ort of pleasant dreaming and "burning" which the sun-bather loves so much.