SWIMMING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8343, 1 February 1913, Page 13

SWIMMING.

(By "Crawl.") There was something about Swifts' carnival that had the effect of rolling memory back a year or two and presenting quite a host of reminiscences. For_ instance George Bruce’s win in the 75yds event brought back quite a page in swimming history. The veteran who looked on and saw him win saw- just the same old George. He hasn't chaiiged a bit. The stroke that won the seventy-five on Saturday was the same stroke that for years had won the hundred at the Thorndon carnival. It was an annual event, that win of George’s in the hundred. The finish was usually good, too, and when one saw him swimming up to the pope first on Saturday, Tc Aro Baths faded, time reversed for a space and one saw George passing the end of the children's section in Thomdon Baths winning famously in a death or glory finish that never failed to provoke the greatest enthusiasm. Another reflection from the past was mirrored in the 230yds event, where Uealy and Freybcrg left the mark together. It was a rough and windy day when first they mot in Wellington, and the distance was 220yds. It was before Te Aro Baths were enlarged, and the northerly sent a roll and a jobble across the course. The excitement crowded into the few minutes that that race lasted was remarkable. One remembers well the loud acclaims of the Thorndonites cheering and encouraging their new found champion, and the appealing barracking of the Te Aro swimmers who had never seen Freyberg defeated, and didn’t view the prospect at all favourably. “Tiny" swam a great race—probably he has never swum better since—but Hoaly was a better swimmer then than he is to-day. Freyberg dropped behiuds at the 150yds turn and the finish was much the same as the finish of the 220yds on Saturday last. The final of this event, by the way, was decided on Tuesday last, and the winner turned up in “Billy" Wilton, whose 34seo start permitted him to touch first with a comfortable margin to spare. A. W, Smith, who is . showing very good form, was second and Ilealy third. It. 11. Little, one of the fastest men in the Wellington Club ranks, did some good swimming on Saturday. In his heat in the - lOoyds event he was clocked to do GSsec, and the indications aro that ho did slightly better in the final, though ho did not unduly exert .himself. Newman, who finished first, proved to be in good trim, and his 69 4- s&eo in the final was creditable. <• There was the usual. crop of ‘T told you so,” after the 100yds championship. Ail the prophets—and most of tho active swimmers were prophets—had spent the major portion of tho preceding week in telling all and sundry who was going to win. Stranger, however, failed to fulfill tho hopes of his many supporters, though nobody could complain of the quality of tho race ho put up. Brice's time was good, but it was not such as to imbue any optimistic expectations regarding his chances at Wanganui. He has a big nut to crack in Champion, who, moreover, will probably find the small bath more suited to hie taste than will Brice. The latter seems quite unable to regain the form he showed two years ago, but perhaps tho prospect of a championship race may furnish the necessary incentive. A. Crowther, one of Wellington Club’s increasing number of distance swimmers, is not registering such good times as usual, and apparently has gone slightly stale. Ho finished very slowly and very tired in his heat in a club 22byds handicap on Tuesday evening. YICTOEIA COLLEGE CLUB. Two races were held at the Thorndon Baths last evening under tho auspices of the above club. One was the first distance for the Aston Memorial Cup (the club championship) and was over 50yds, ail from scratch. The resn’t was Macnab 1, Bullard 2, Grey 3. Also started — Eonayne and Clark. Time, 29 2-sseo. This provided a good race, Maonab winning by two or three yards from Bullard, who finished a similar distnace in front of Groy. Tho tussle for third place was very close, being almost a dead heat, Grey gaining the verdict by a touch from Eonayne and Clark. Tho second race was a 100yds breast stroke handicap and resulted—Mason (8seo) 1, Eonayne (scr) 2, Clark (sseo) 3. Also started—Grey (2sec). Macnab (3sec), Bullard (4sec), Stevenson (Seec), Aston (16sec). Tho three placed men finished very close together. Aston and Grey were too slow to sain a place, while Stevenson. Bullard and Macnab were disqualified, the former for breaking and walking on tho bottom. Bullard for dog-paddling, and Macnab for stopping and making faces at the other competitors.