SWIMMING

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 29, 4 February 1913, Page 4

SWIMMING

m CHAMPIONSHIP GATHERING AT WANGANUI. (bt telegraph— press association.) WANGANUI, 3rd February. The New Zealand amateur swimming championship meeting commenced here to-day. In the evening there was ftn attendance of a couple of thousand, and some magnificent racing was seen. 100 YARDS CHAMPIONSHIP. First heat: A. O'Hare (Waitemata), 1; G. Seymour (Hawkes Bay), 2; Pfankuch (Blenheim), 3. .Muller (Wanganui) also started. Seymour got the best of the start, but was soon overhauled by O'Hare, who won by a touch. Pfankuch was six feet away. Time, 67 2-ssec. , Second heat : M. Champion (Auckland), 1; C. Atkinson (Opawa), 2; H. Stevenson (Hawkes Bay), 3, Davy (South Canterbury) also started. Won easily, with something in hand, in 6i 1-Ssec— -two seconds inside the New Zealand recordThird heat t C. Welson (Waitemata), 1; R. Healy (Wellington), 2/ The only starters. Welson won as he liked. Time, 64 3-sscc. Fourth heat : C. Brice (Wellington), 1 ; F. fridges (Hawkes Bay), 2. Armstrong (Wanganui) also swam. Arm' strong got off badly, and could not make up hw leeway. A good finish resulted between Briee and Bridges, the former getting the verdict by a touch. Time, 65 1-S&C. First semi-final : Welson, 1 ; Seymour and O'Hare, dead heat, 2. Time, 66 2'ssec. " Second semi-final ; Champion 1, Atkinson, 2. Time, 61seo, which is a fifth of a second better than his afternoon's record. ' Final : Champion, 1 ; Atkinson, 2 ; Welson, 3. Time, 63 3-ssec. Won by a touch, the same distance eepirating Atkinson a&d Welson. 50 Yards Ladies* Handicap.— Final : Miss Bade, 1 ; Miss J. Gordon, 2 j Miss A. O'Leary, 3. Time, 41 l-ssec. 75 Yards Inter-Club Handicap.—J. Stevens (Napier), -1 ; Armaftd (Christchurch), 2. Time, 58£ sec. High Dive.—Polaon (Christchurch), 1} Armstrong (Wanganui), 2. MILE CHAMPIONSHIP. Starters : Champion (Auckland). Pfa,rrkuch. (Blenheim), Wilson (Auckland), Rich .(Opawa), A. Seymour (Blenheim), R. Hftaly (Wellington). Champion, Welsdn, and Seymour noon went to the front, the last-named establishing a lead of a few yards at the quarter-mile. Pfankuch and Rich were two lengths and a length respectively behind. After going 880 yards Champion led by five yards, but, half a dozen lengths later, Welson and- Seymour sprinted , and overhauled him. The three raced together for the next 100 yards. Rich was now about 75 yards behind, pfanEuch having withdrawn. At the 900 yards mark' Seymour withdrew, and Champion commenced to forge ahead, 'and was booji 20 yards in front of Welson, who led Rich by 60 yards. With 220 yards to go Champion led by 35 yards, and increased the lead over Welson all the way, eventually' defeating him by 50 yards. Rich was 20 yards away. Tune, 2Smin 34sec. Relay Race.— Blenheim, 1; East Christchurch, 2. Time, 66sec. PoJo,— Wejlington (7) defeated Wanganui B' (nil). .; • ■ NOTES. ■ (BY WXEGBIPH— BKCIAL I'D, TBB JOST.) F WANGANUI, Thte Day, , The High School Bath, in which the championships are being decided, ip only 25yds long, and. consequently, proved somewhat unsatisfactory. The weather *was fine and the water very warm. There waa a great crowdpresent, and the baths were uncomfortably overcrowded. AH interest centred in the 100 yds event, which, as Was to be expected. Wad productive of great' swimming. There vas a total of fourteen entries from all over the Dominiol). Of these, thirteen faced the starter. Four heats and two semi-finals were necessary. The heats were decided in the afternoon. The first heat saw a hard tussle between O'Hare and Seymour. The former jusfc got there in 67 2*s6ec. .The second heat practically decided the championship, for Champion went 'out to beat Atkuwoii, easily in 61 l-ss6c. This time was not approached by any others. Welson and HeaJy contested the third heat, which was won easily by the former in 64 3*ssec. Brice (Wellington) and Bridges and Armstrong met- in tlie fourth heat tfye result of which was doubtful. The judges declared for Bi»ce, who was clocked at 65sec. The first semi-final was secured' by Welson, with O'Hare and Seymour a dead heat for second. In the second semi-final Champion was not troubled, and Atkinson and . Bridges fought out for second place, the former winning. Brice was not in it at all, having mißjudged the last turn. Champion won the final, pulling up, in 63 2-6 sec. Atkin-son-beat Welson by l*s6ec. Champion was the' only one' in the mile. None of the others troubled him in the least, and he won by fully 52yds. Champion > Seymour, and Welson kepttogether, and at 800 yds Rich wag 25yds behind. From this onward Champion commenced to go right on, leaving the others, and falling back ab his leisure. At the thousand yards, Champion had a lead of 15yds. Seymour, who was iuft .ahead of Welson, pulled out. Champion, ■who has developed a crawl, swam splendidly. In the water polo match, Wellington,' although up against a weak team, played a great game, and would probably have beaten a team three tunes as strong. Jenkinfeon scored five goals, and Healy one. , A very noticeable thing was that the vast majority of swimmers at the meet* ing usetf the crawl stroke. ] ■