5 TITLES, 5 RECORDS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 29, 18 February 1937, Page 4

5 TITLES, 5 RECORDS

Dick Watkins is. H.B.'s , Outstanding Swimmer SETS NEW 440 YARDS MARK When. ha established a f resh H.B. record for the_ 440yds. at the Maddison Baths* Hastings, laat cvCning , Dick Watkins, of the Mahora Club, proved hdmself to be tbe outstanding swimmer of the province. He has aehieved the remarkable performance of securing all five proviiicial championship t"itles°and also the record times for the five distances. The titles for the 100 yards, 220 yards, 880 yards ahd mile canxe his Way at the championships eai'lier this week and in addition he added to his collection of records fhe 100 yards, which he covered iii 57 4-5s"ees. He alrea'dy held the record times for the furlohg, halfmile ahd mile, leaving only the 440 yards outstanding. Last night, in. a solo swim, he set out to depi'iVe >S. Bdadman of this record, which was set up in Napier two years ago at 4mins. 39 2-5sees. Watkins sWam very steadily throughout tlie journey and clipped Off 7 1-5 seconds, two of ihe watches clocking 5mins. 32 l-5secs^ His times fbr the variouS distances were as f ollow :-^-50 yards, 28 4;:5; i00 yUfds, 62 1-5; 150 yards, 1.38 4-5 ; 2M) yards, 2.17 3-5; 220 yards, 2.34; 250 yards, 2.58 1-6; 300 yards, 3.39 3-5; 350 yards, 4.20 4-5 ; 400 yards, 5.3; 440 yards 5.32 1-6. Watkins' achievement of securing the five titles and the five records has hot been equalled since the War. It is believed that in the old days Felix Seymour accounted for all the titles and records at one stage of his career but there are no djffioial records kept of thbse days. Ih recent years swimmihg haS ma.de remarkable strides, cohipetition is inuch keener and times are very considerably reduced over all distahces. Watkins may well claim, under the eirourostahces, to be the outgtahdihg swimmer of all tiihe as far as Hawke'js Bay is concerned.