EMPIRE RECORD

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 70, 15 December 1937, Page 6

EMPIRE RECORD

Miss M. Leydon's Swimming Feat CRUMP BACK TO FORM (By Telegraph — Preas Associafion.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. The splendid triumph of Miss Mona Leydon in recording the fastest time yet achieved for the 440 yards freestyle by a woman swimmer in Australia or New Zealand was the feature of the final trials to-night for the seleetioa of swimmers to represent New Zealtnd at the British Empire Games in S>.'dney. Miss Leydon gave a brilliant display of stylish swimming, outclassing her rival, Miss N. Ludlo'w, in 5min. 39 l-5secs. This was 7 l-5sec. better than her own Dominion record and 6 2-5see. superior to Miss D. Green's Australian record. Miss Leydon's time is also credited with being a record for the British Empire. The 440 yards women 's event at the lasi Empire Games in 1934 was won by Miss P. Dewar, of Canada, in 5min. 45 3-5secs. A praiseworthy return to form marked N. Crump's victory in the 110. yards men's freestyle trial. R. B. Frankham led for nearly 80 yards and had so comfortable an advantage that he appcared a certain winner. An exhilarating sprint by Crump, combined with Frankham 's inability to sustain the pace, carried the former into the lead aqd he won by two yards. D. H. Symes (Canterbury) was third. Crump's trmfc was 62sec. The nearest distance for which national records are recognised is 100 metres (109 yards 1ft. lin.) and the record, held by P. Hanan, Auckland, is 60 4-5secs. In putting up this time last March, Hannan covered 110 yards, and, as the events to-night were swum in fresh water to comply with the Empire Games eonditions, Crump's performance bears a favourable comparison. The Auckland champion, Hanan, was unable to' race owjng to ear tronble. The 110 yards women 's race was won by Miss Kathleen Grey, 16 years o age, in lmin. 16sec., which was threefifths of a second faster than that made by Miss Islay Purdie, of Dunedin, the first woman sprint nominee for the Games in the trial race. Although discharged from hospit.nl only a week ago after suffering from German measles, P. E. Mathieson touk part in the 110 yards men's backstroke trial. He defeated C. R-. Bm chanan by 14 yards, but as expected, his time, lmin. 15 ^3-5secs., was not up to his record standard, being 3 4-,'» seconds slower.