SWIMMING

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1929, Page 3

SWIMMING

BOXING NIGHT GALA. Nominations for the Hokitika Swimming Clubs sports gathering at the Municipal Baths on Hexing night close with A. H. Lawn or M. Houston junr., tonight. AUSTRALIAN SWIMMERS. RYAN AND GRIFFITHS. Champion of Australia at seventeen, with a time for the mile title to his credit that was better than that of any other Australian expert Boy Charlton, is the unique record of Noel Ryan, who is to appear at the Hokitika Municipal Baths on Boxing night, at a carnival arranged by the Hokitika Club. At the age of seventeen Ryan had forged his way into the very forefront of the potential world-beaters. Nothing could he more remarkable or more dramatic than his performance in the mile championship of Australia in 1928. He was at once the bab.v and the wonder of the New South Wales team. Despite drawing the worst position of all he put up a performance that confirmed the earlier verdict that, Charlton

excepted, lie was peerless among the swimmers of Australia. Alter trailing the leaders for nearly 1000 yards, Ryan caught Jones, of Western Australia, and then went ' after Moss Chriiatie. ex-Olympic representative, who was the leader. He headed Christie in the last lap and won . a sensational race by four yards in 23 min. 18 1-osec. This time beat by 31 l-osoe Frank Beaurepaire’s longstanding Australian-born record. When last season, arrangements were finalised for Arne Borg to visit Australia, the defection of Charlton turned all eyes on Noel Ryan. It was of .course, ridiculous to expect that a devieifiteen-y ear-old boy would defeat the most remarkable swimmer in all history—the only swimmer who had gained a verdict over Charlton. Rvan showed in bis contests with Borg that in the tw'elvo months that had elapsed since first lie flashed across the horizon of Australian swimming championships lie had improved as much as he had done in the preceding period. Another twelve months have not elapsed and those people who are fortunate enough to see Ryan at the Baths oil Thursday will witness in action one of the greatest swimmers of all time.