SWIMMING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 27, 1 February 1913, Page 14

SWIMMING

(By "Header.") CARNIVAL DATES. Wellington Club— 22nd Februaiv. Old Buoys' Club— Bth March. i\ew Zealand Championships (Wanganui) —3rd to 10th February. Star Boating Clvb — Bth February. Next week the New Zealand championships will be decided at Wanganui, and very keen interest is being taken in ' the contests. Swimmers from all parts intend visiting the river town in large numbers. There will be a very big contingent from the South, which, it is understood, will include teams from Blenheim and Nelson. A large number of local swimmers left by this morning's train, and Wellington promises to be well represented in the handicap events, if not in the championships. The 100 yds promises to "the" race of the series, and with the mile will be special fea- | tures on the first day. The sprint is J sure to be very_ keenly contested, and the heats that will be necessary will add to the attraction. Wellington's representative will be Brice, and there are some who are doubting whether he has enough condition to come out on top. It would certainly seem that he will have to improve on last Saturday. The writer is of opinion that he can do better if lie will. He will have to go right out to win. The mile seems an easy thing for Champion, and it looks as if the Aucklandcr will liave things much to his liking in the other events. 'Tis stated, nevertheless, that he is likely to be pushed in the two-twenty and fourforty ; but those responsible for the statement are very careful not to mention names. Wellington should have a fairly team in the water- polo, and they will need to be good to defeat Canterbury. Another attraction will be the contest for the Wigam Shield, in which Wellington will be represented by a reliable team. Altogether a week's good sport is in prospect for all who are lucky enough to make the trip. "Header"' will supply The Post with detailed descriptions of the events. Swifts annual carnival last Saturday was poorly attended by the public, and many swimmers showed a decided preference for the more exciting sport of horse racing. Really the carnival deserved better support, for it^ was an interesting gathering. The 100 yds provincial championship — the "star" attraction — was contested by three only ; a fact which should cause those who say that competitive swimming was never better than it is now to think. Of course, there are many^ who will say tliat a swimmer is not likely to start in a race when he knows he has not the least possible chance of success. Well, that's just 'the point. To think that Wellington can produce only three swimmers who can break 66sec is to make ono sorry. Perhaps if the centre were to offer standard certificates for all those who finish in championship events within a given time — 67sec, say, for 100 yds, that would at least induce starters. Perhaps the centre will consider this proposal before the 440 is decided. Other evidence was not lacking to prove the statements recently made by Messrs. Atkins and Smith. "Header" is of the opinion that those now "famous" remarks aro going to do a great deal of good. It has made swimmers think ; and although many will not admit it, the writer is sure that quite a number realise that the gentlemen in question were right. For tho 75yds race last Saturday there was a fairly large entry, but there were a surprising number of scratchings. Is this a sign of "pot-hunting"' V 'The heats were all keenly contested, but created little excitement. The winner of the final was G. Bruce, who scored a well-deserved success. Bruce was once a very consistent swimmer, but he does not give so - much time to the sport nowadays. He has not a great turn of speed, and- in winning in 57 l-ssec he did about his best. This year was the first for four years that Bruce did not win the Thorndon Club's President's Handicap at the annual carnival. Bullard, another Thorndonite, was second. There was a poor entry for tho hundred, which was won by R. M. Newman in 69 4-ssec. Newman is at present the most promising swimmer in Wellington, and is improving all the time. . Secretary H. C. W. Blick was a competitor, and it was remarkable how he beat the check-starter with his Solomons start — that is a second or two ahead of his time. It was pleasing to see such a comparatively large entry for the 220 yds race, and as already stated in Tho Post the event fully justified its inclusion. It provided a great race between Healy and Freyberg. Bim Smith swam a fine race, too, and deserved second place in the final, which was won by W. Wilton. Healy could do no better than get third. Annette Kellermann, the Australian swimmer and athlete, is married. She has taken the high dive, so an American paper j>uts it. Tho journal in questioon continues on these lines : "Yes, she is really, truly married to James R. Sullivan, her business manager. Three years ago, when Miss Kellermann was in her second vaudeville season it was persistently rumoured that the graceful swimmer and Mr. Sullivan were wedded • . . but finally tho report simmei'cd down to the belief that they were only engaged. They were married by Assessor William A. Leonard, a justice of the peace, with two members of Miss Kellermann's company as witnesses. Every effort was made to keep the marriage secret, and Miss Kellermann appeared at the local theatre that evening, and left the city with Mr. Sullivan beiore the marriage became known. After showing in England and other parts of Euorpe, Miss Kellermann came to this country and first appeared before Bostonians'at Revere, where she gave eight or more exhibitions of diving a day in a concrete tank. She made a tremendoiib hit on account of the novelty of her act and the extreme grace and comeliness of the swimmer. Jn the fall of 1908 Miss Kellermann went into vaudeville, making her debut in Boston in an act which included diving, dancing, and diabolo.' 1 VICTORIA ' COLLEGE CLUB. The secretary of the Victoria College Club supplies the following report of ! two races decided at Thorndon Baths j last evening under the auspices of the j club:— One was the first distance for, the Aston Memorial Cup (the club championship), and was over 50yds, all from scratch. The result was M'Nab 1, Bullard 2, Grey 3. Also started: Ronayne and Chirk. Time, 29 2-ssec. This provided a good race, M'Nab winning by two or three yards from Billiard, who finished a similar distance in front of Grey. The tussle for third place was very close, being almost a dead heat, Groy gaining the verdict by a touch from Ronayne and Clark. The second race was a lOOyds breast stroke handicap and resulted :— Mason (Bsec). 1; Ronayne (scr), 2; Clark (ssec), 3. Also started: Gray (2sec), M'Nab (3scc), Bullard (4sec), Stevenson (Bsec), and Aston (losec). The three placed men finished very close together. Aston and Grey were too slow to gain a place while Stevenson, Bullard, and M'Nab were disqualified, the former for breaking and walking on the bottom, Bullard for dog-paddling, and Al'Nub for stopping and making faces at the other competitors. j