SWIMMING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8349, 8 February 1913, Page 15

SWIMMING.

(By ."Crawl/') The events in Die New Zealand championships <lcci(led on the iirst day did not end to tho disappointment ot anybody so far us tho winner's wore concerned. Wellington had some hopes ot seeing Brice do better, and his performance in his heat raised more sanguine anticipations than had been formerly entertained for his chances in tho semifinals. He was not 1 (joked to by many to win. and the majority present in the bath tipped Bridges,(of Napier), to boat him in the preliminary. Bnco beat Bridges by a touch after a race that by no means troubled him, but in the semx-linal the Wellingtoiuan went badly to pieces. The twenty-live yard bath where the championships are being decided is filled to within about tour inches of tho top, and a swimmer travelling fast (especially if ho bo unused to such conditions) lias great difficulty in determining when tho precise moment for turning has arrived. Thus Brice, failing to see tho end of the tank properly, missed and lost time. At tho 75yds mark ha miscalculated so badly that he was compelled to waste several moments. The result is easily seen. With a bad turn to commence tho last twenty-five yards he sot out on a hopeless chase after Champion, Bridges and Atkinson. Champion touched urst with plenty to spare, Atkinson and Bridges following him home in that order. Atkinson is swimming remarkably well, and may be relied upon to show something near 63soc on the clock whenever ho goes right out. Bridges, too, is showing excellent form, and there was some reason for the expectations entertained by some that ho would beat Brice. He has been credited with 63seo odd in club swimming this year, and gives every indication of improving. Champion is a faster "hundred/ man than he was last year. Hii time of Blsec in teh semi-final proves that the big Aucklander is still in first-class fettle, no was never pushed in that semi-final, but ho swam splendidly, and it is quite a matter for speculation whether faolomons could beat him on tho form the Australian was showing tn new Zealand. By virtue of there being only two men in the heat—himself and Welson—ilealy managed to get into tho semi-final, where he was opposed to Seymour, Welson, and OTlure. Welson won in the slow tune of 66 2-ssec, O'Haro and Seymour deadheating for second place. Champion swam right away from the others in the final, and tho comparatively slow time of 63 3-ssoc is accounted for by the tact that tho winner slowed up oyer the last fifteen yards. Atkinson gained second place after a gruelling finish with Welson, the respective times of these two being: Atkinson 6-1 3-ssec, Welson 64 3-5 secIn tho mile, F, Seymour made an excellent, raco of it until cramp forced him to withdraw at lOUOyds. Over the whole of that distance ho led Welson and was always close to Champion. It is stated that ho will never make. a good, mile swimmer. The injury which he sustained while swimming at last year's .championships tells its story every time he attempts the long swim. At the time of writing (Wednesday) a belief is prevalent that in the 830yds this evening he will give a better account of himself. Ho is ufidoubtedly a first-class man, and it is a pity he is physically incapable of showing his best form. Another starter in the mile was Pfankuch, of whom Solomons recently expressed such a high opinion. He* was also a starter in' the lUOyds. Prom his performances so far ho appears to bo, at best, a 68sec i man for tho hundred. He has a crawl stroke for the sprint that may give him greater speed later oA. hilt at- present his stylo is not impressive. In the distances he gives less promise. Ho was hopelessly out of the contest in the mile, and was lapped by Champion shortly after passing the 350yda mark. Tho company, of course, was hot, and Ffanfcuch’s entry was an ambitious, if a laudable, proceeding. C. H. H. Rich, the Opawa (Christchurch) veteran, swam better than he has done for years and was only about 7oyds behind Champion at,tho finish. Welson, who was seeofid, was a little over 50yds behind Champion. Tho time for the race—2smin Msec—is 3scc hotter than tho record at present on the hooks, but is well outside tho record of 25mla X 4-ssec recently put up by Champion ih Auckland. The annual bridge to bridge race (from Aramoho railway bridge to Wanganui bridge)- is set down to take place this afternoon, and is likely to attract a good deal of outside patronage. The distance is approximately two miles and a quarter.