SWIMMING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1430, 14 April 1905, Page 1

SWIMMING.

A Sydney paper has tho following ; Without a doubt the upheaval of Keren during the present season has been something astounding. Even supposing the phenomenal success of Australian swimmers is duo to the short baths in whioh they put up their records, tho improvement in Keren’s form is little short of marvellous. Bacing over and over again in the same water, he repeatedly breaks his former records, and now he owns and shares eight world records. The 880 yards and the mile ho owned last year. This year he knocked 18 8-ssec. off his 880 yards time, and 1 min 19 2-ssec. off tho mile. Since February this year he has appropriated and equalled the world’s record for the 200,220, 300, 440, 500, 880, 1000 yards, and the mile. Now’they want' him to go to England and show the boys there how to get through the water. It transpires, that young Dickenson, who t’other day won the half mile handicap, and arranged to give Keran an opportunity to lower his owu world's fastest time, never swam in a race before, and the'faot that he used the crawl stroke from end to end surprised most swimmers, who thought it impossible over aoy distance beyond 200 yards. Trudgeon (double over arin) method of travelling will now have to go before the crawl as the side stroke went before the'trudgeon. Tho crawl is indubitably -, speedier than any other'stroke, and directly it is generally adopted over long distances,? as t it surely will be 6ince Dickenson’s display, Keren's remarkable list of records created this season may be relegated to oblivion—perhaps before the end of next season. Have come to the conclusion that it is impossible for anyone to be a champion Bwimmer nowadays unless he can almost live in the water. The exercise is so very different to anything on land that it wants a heap of practice. Swimmers who have lots of time, and can jump into the water as inclination prompts, are the champions of to-day, and have been for many years past. Most were bath proprietors’ sons, who helped in the baths—notably the Gavills (Australia), and Derbyshire and Billington (England). Old-time Australian champion Gormly, in his day, might have been Been at the baths at any hour ; ditto Arthur Kenney, son of the proprietor of Kenney’s baths, Melbourne. Keron has Cockatoo Island baths close to where the Sobraon is moored. Fred Lane did his best swimming when he had nothing blbb to do. George Bead was a fine performer while occupied at tho Domain baths, and so on