DOMINION’S BRILLIANT SWIMMERS

Evening Star, Issue 19802, 28 February 1928, Page 11

DOMINION’S BRILLIANT SWIMMERS

TRIUMPHS IH SYDNEY MISSES MILLER AND STIEKLEY FRACTIONS OFF THE RECORDS. [Written by Spectator, for the ‘Evening Star.’] SYDNEY, February 13. Swimming history made by New Zealand girls in Australia in the past faded into oblivion- on Saturday at the Domain Baths, Sydney, when Ena Stockley, of Auckland, and Kathleen Miller, of Dunedin, astounded 3,000 spectators by their magnificent performances in the New South Wales championships. “ Certainly these girls will go down as the best combination seen here, and we have seen Marieehen Wehselan, Ethelda Bleibtry, Violet Walrond, Gwitha Shand, and Pin Pago —all stars —in action,” one Sydney writer states. Misses Stockley and Miller bore out this contention on Saturday. No girls have ever approached their performances in the Southern Hemisphere. Fanny Durack holds the Australian records, which the New Zealanders failed by fractions to lower, and the ex-Olym-pic champion was in great glee that her marks survived the shaking. But, allowing for the brilliance of Fanny Durack, there are factors which place the swims of the dominion stars first and foremost. Miss Stockley’s race was first. Had she been pressed there is no shadow of a doubt that the Australian 100yds record of 66sec and her own 100yds Australasian best of (55 3-ssec would have gone by the board. Instead, she won all the way by syds and Heated in to touch in 06 l-ssec. Miss Miller’s position was the reverse. She had a long, gruelling chase, and was worried from 50yds on by her inability to keep a straight course. The long 110yds laps of the famous Domain Baths are most perplexing to swimmers like New Zealanders, who are used to .Tfcyds or 50yds laps. In training tho Dunedin college girl found the long laps were nnsuited to her, and confessed to her mentor that she was worried about the race on that account. She evened i her course a good deal in the very limited time at her disposal for practice, but had gone only 50yds on Saturday when she gradually edged toward the right-band rope line and touched it. It was obvious from tho way she flapped her left hand in an effort to steer clear that what she most dreaded had happened. Thereafter her stroke was shorter, not tho long, easy glide she displays in home pools. Over the four laps she often went crooked again, and this had more to do with her narrow victory than anything else. But the Dunedin champion won, and won in glorious fashion, in Cmin 3 9-10sec — only -Jsec slower than tho record. MISS STOCKLEY’S IMPROVED STROKE. There is little to be said about Miss Stockley’s actual victory. She made hacks of the State girls, who, including Edna Davey, are the best in Australia. However, one could not fail to be impressed by the Now Zealand champion’s style. From the moment she dived and emerged at the head of a teaming wake from thrashing feet her shoulder blades were never submerged. Tho power of her arm leverage and the thrust of her leg drive lifted her out nearly to the waist, and she planed tho whole 100yds like a speed boat. In explaining her return to form the Aucklander paid a tribute to her coach, Mr D. B. Anderson. About two years ago. she stated, she had developed a couple of faults in her stroke. As tho supply of tepid water in the Auckland baths* had failed in the following winter and she was absent in Sydney in the winter of 1920-27. Air Anderson had boon unable (o give her the coaching needed. However, the opportunity occurred last winter, and the champion’s stroke was thoroughly overhauled. Miss Stockley even went so far as to wear a learner’s belt in order to obtain correct results. The concentration on stroke errors interrupted her training, but by having preliminary training in Dunedin she was in fair form for the dominion 100yds event, and had never felt better or more able to finish strongly than at

present. By her success in the New Zealand and New South Wales championships

Miss Stockley has stifled the bogey from Auckland that “her star is on the wane ” —a judgment based on one defeat before she was properly fit and the assertion that ago is her master because she is over eighteen years. The Aucklander is certainly an exception to a doubtful rule, and is but following in the footsteps of such world-famed lady swimmers as the late Sybil Bauer and Misses L. Morton, Hilda James, Ethejda Bleibtry, Fanny Durack, and Mina Wylie. When all is said and done these swimmers have remained at the top of the tree simply because they had the sport at heart and the ability to triumph. Nowadays the reasons why prominent lady swimmers drop out of the sport are mainly that they are weary or cannot resist the tempting offers to turn professional. A champion is improved by a beating. Drubbings are the ingredients upon which tlio^g rent in every sphere of life thrive. As one who witnessed the memorable race over 100yds between Miss Wehselau, then world’s fastest sprinter, and Miss Stocklcy in Auckland in March, 1025, the writer, considers Saturday’s swim better in point of merit, so easily was the time registered. When Miss Stockley, then accompanied by Miss I’iri Page, of Auckland, annexed the Australian 100yds championship in the Domain Baths in February, 1926, her time was 69sec. This time Jean Cocks, celebrating her thirteenth birthday, was second in 69 3-ssec. The brilliant Bondi junior is the youngest Australian swimmer to win a State championship. Betty Taw, another youngster, was placed third, and the Australian and State title-holder, Ettic Robertson, fourth.

SENSATIONAL QUARTER-MILE RACE.

Miss Miller dropped tlio greatest bombshell of Australian swimming into the Domain Baths when she defeated Edna Davey, the Spit Club’s Australian champion and record-holder. Miss Davey was regarded as unbeatable, and has already been selected for the Olympic Games. Nor is Australia’s faith misplaced, for she Is a brilliant swimmer. Yet site is not the glittering star that Miss Miller is. New Zealand has a wonderful distance performer in tho Dunedin girl, w'ho, by the way, is going to live in Wellington, and should earn provincial hockey honors as in Otago. Miss Miller has been styled in Australia as one of the greatest girl swimmers of the century. After seeing her win the most sensational quarter-mile on record in sensational time, one feels justified in predicting that the Olympic 400-metres title is within her reach. Martha Norelius won the last Olympic 400 metres with seven turns in Omin 2 2-lOsec. and holds the world’s record of srain 53 2-ssec for 440yds with seventeen turns. Miss Miller won the State title in 6min 3 9-10scc with only three turns, and iu a strange pool, so, allowing for half a second advantage on each turn, her time would border on the World’s best. It was,, moreover, not the limit of the pertinacious New Zea!nnder’s powers. She can and will do barter. In Melbourne on February 23 and 25 Misses Miller and Davey meet fertise 220yds and 440yds champion-

ships, and records seem bound to go. The odds are on Miss Miller scoring slashing victories in the fresh-water baths, with which she is more familiar.

A RACE IN A THOUSAND

Recollections of the thrilling encounter on Saturday are sweet, it was’ a race in a thousand. Miss Davey, with the “ look ” down the first lap, shot to the front, and had a 3yds lead at tho first turn. This was an error on Miss Miller’s part. She should never have allowed the Australian champion to go away from her like this. As already mentioned, Miss Miller also struck tho rope lane at 50yds, and began to cramp her arm stroke. Meanwhile Miss Davey skimmed along in the deepwater on the opposite side of the baths with a long, easy action. The Sydney girl kept her lead at 220yds, swum in 2min 54sec, as compared with Miss Miller’s 2inin 51sec in winning tho dominion 220yds title. Miss Miller made an effort in the third hip, but Miss Davey was going strongly. The memorable and momentous fourth lap was begun. Tlio Dunedin girl turned still 3yds back, but on the “ blind ” side of lier fastmoving rival With the “ look,” Miss Miller sprinted. It was no “ Dash in the pan,” but formidable and sustained. With 100yds to go both girls wore doing their best. Gradually the gap closed, and the roar of the 3,000 spectators grew frenzied. Twenty yards from ■the end Miss Miller spurted again. She had now made up tho leeway, in some wonderful manner. Nohod,y—-that is. only those who knew not her grit ami stamina, imagined she could win. Miss Davev, spurred on by the exhortations of the crowd on the bathsiclc, responded, but to no avail. Her challenge was accepted, and, amid uproar, Miss Miller touched in by the merest fraction. The win was clear, but bow close! A minute or two later the judges announced the Dunedin’s girl’s victory by 1-losec, and there was a mighty cheer from everyone. Never before has such grit been shown, ft was a glorious victory and a glorious defeat. The 3,1)00 spectators wished they were going to Melbourne for the Australian title events. After the 440yds the blonde college girl said she felt “dead” all the way, but never thought once that she would fail to catch her rival. Both the dominion stars have earned a trip to the Olympic Games by Saturday’s performances. There is no doubt they are in world class. I