CHAMPION SWIMMER RETURNS

Evening Star, Issue 23371, 14 September 1939, Page 4

CHAMPION SWIMMER RETURNS

MBNA LEYDON BACK IN AUCKLAND MAY NOT COMPETE THIS SEASON

[By Hooker.]

f c T lon ..the former New land ladies champion swimmer and on!y Domimon swimmer to gain a place J ? mplr( , } Games in Sydney, rov > re^ rne T l - t 0 Auckland after a ■ u fl fc , to , tlle United States, during which she met some of the most famous American coaches, including L ; I de B. Handley and Mr Bachlach, the coach of Johnny Weissmuller. Miss Leydon s style has frequently gained favourable comment from leading coaches overseas, and it was a tribute to her coach, Professor D B Anderson that Mr T. Walker, coach with the Canadian swimmers at the Empire Games, classed her style as one of the best seen at the Games in Sydney. This view has been confirmed by Mr Bachrach who was greatly impressed by Miss Leydon s swimming, and told her that her stroke needed no modification, it being impossible to fault her xt i® his* l praise indeed for the New Zealander, and it was a pity that Miss Leydon did not have opportunities during her visit to the States to train seriously, for in the only race in which she competed she filled third place without any previous preparation. and in spite of the fact that she engaged in no serious competition last summer.

Miss Leydon told the writer during a recent visit to Auckland that she was still undecided whether she would take part in competitive swimming again next summer, but at the present time she did not think she would.

However, she is indulging in a swim every day, and a companion in these work-outs has been Miss Naney Ludlow, who won the national ladies’ 220yds title at Christchurch in 1934. Miss Ludlow hopes to regain her best form in the coming season, and those who recall her performances in the past will agree that it. will be a big gain to Auckland if she succeeds in reproducing that form which placed her in the top flight three or four' years ago.