SWIMMING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8361, 22 February 1913, Page 15

SWIMMING.

Tho New Zealand championships, just concluded, were responsible for the best all-round exhibition of swimming chat the Dominion has yet seen. Champion’s record breaking achievements add further laurels to the already much bedecked Aucklander. He has certainly never shown before such excellent form as he exhibited at Wanganui. And, with the hundred excepted, ho never appeared to bustle himself—certainly he was never pushed. He swam with tho same easy stylo and unconcerned manner that was noticeable m his swimming when he swept the board of all but the sprint in Wellington two years ago. In tho sprint his style has altered somewhat. Sis stroke is shorter and faster and very powerful, and the flip of his foot between kicks imparts to his swimming an appearance of crawling. Hie record-breaking performance of 61 l-ssec in his heat of tho lOOvds championship was eclipsed La the flying squadron race, when, from an excellent start, ho finished with the clocks showing 60sec dead. There is, therefore, some very good foundation for tho expectation previously expressed by Aucklanders, that he would break the minute. In the writer’s opinion, there is not the slightest doubt that, given good conditions and average luck, he could cover the distance under 60sec. What he can do over longer distances is, of course, a matter for speculation. Ho played with the other competitors,' and it was his particular hobby to fiwim level with Welson for a great part of the distance (.0 be covered (sometimes letting tho latter make the pace) only to draw right away at a rattling pace as the ond drew near and win as ho liked. When Seymour put up such a good race in the 880yds the uninitiated .began to give the Napier boy a chance. For over 500yds he made the pace all the time, Champion and Welson swimming together always a few feet behind him. But it was the old story. Champion was merely taking things easy. When he. considered the time had arrived for him to move in earnest both Seymour and Welson dropped right out of the race so far as firsfplaoe was concerned. Taken all round Champion’s swimming was a revelation, and it. is a pity be does not turn his attention to the Australasian championships. Atkinson’s world’s record for the 220yds breast stroke event was not unexpected, for the Christchurch crack bad expressed an opinion some days prior to the race that he could lower the existing figures. How he did it is history, and the beauty of his swimming and the remarkable pace he attained. will linger for a long time in the minds of those who saw the race. Atkinson appears to possess great stamina. On the concluding evening of the meeting he gained a place in the final of the 440yds championship, took part in the life-saving competition, played a gruelling game of polo, and then faced the starter again to swim into third place in the 44Qyds final. That, it will be admitted, is not a bad evening’s work. Atkinson is splendid in life saving, one of the most dangerous men in Now Zealand at water polo, fast over a hundred and good up to 440yds, and a phenomenal breast stroke performer. That is a record of which he and Christchurch may bo proud. C. H. Neal, the Wellington breast stroke representative, who followed Atkinson home and gained second place, had bad luck in missing standard by 1 l-sseo. Neal is the best man on the breast that Wellington has yet had, and may be looked, to to do better things in the future, fox he . is still young, and should improve. He was a tower of strength to the Wellington side in the life-saving competition, and the Empire City owes it to him that it gained second place. Those Wellington polo players who faced Canterbury in the final for the championship have nothing to be ashamed of in their defeat. Seldom before has a polo team, experienced such bad luck or strived with such admirable pluck against heartbreaking conditions as did the Wellingtonians. They faced tho powerful Canterbury combination with » team that included three substitutes, and thus handicapped managed to give the southerners plenty to do. And then the cup of ill-luck overflowed. Brice and Bridge were both seized' with cramp. Brice, with admirable spirit, returned to the water after a hasty rub had been administered, and a few minutes later was caught in the act of sinking, and conveyed ashore with cramp in both legs. Even then he returned again, and remained in the contest right up to tho finish. Jenkinson, on whose scoring ability Wellington justly pinned so much faith, played a splendid game, but the odds were against him. The other members of the team •were quite unable to send the ball to bin, and he was forced to do the best be could in the circumstances. A notable performer in tho ladies’ races at the championship meeting was Miss Farquhar, the . young Auckland swimmer, who gained second place to Miss A. O’Leary. She. is the possessor of a very good stroke, and is capable of putting in an excellent finish. More should he heard of her at future meetings, and there appears to be- every probability that ere long she will make Miss O’Leary look to her laurels. Given good weather, Wellington Club should have a large gathering at their carnival to-day. The programme is in every respect a good one, and some good novelty ©vents may be looked tor. G. P. Hanna has quite a troupe of youngsters in training, and as the majority of them are good divers and clever swimmers, his efforts should bear good fruit. On the final evening of the championships at Wanganui the Wellington team presented its manager, Mr T. Shields, with a marble clock, suitably inscribed, as a token of their appreciation of tho able manner in which he had looked after their interests. Malcolm Champion, the Auckland crack, does not hold with the views of certain more of less experienced gentlemen who recently rushed into print to stagger an astonished community with the prophetic news that swimming as a competitive pastime was on the decline. “It is improving right New Zealand,” said Champion when questioned by the writer. “There is a great increase in the number of swimmers,” he continued, “and everybody seems to bo ‘crawling.’ ” At the time of speaking Champion had just visited a number of North Island towns on his way to the New Zealand championships, and he had found good Swimmers in plenty in Hamilton, Cambridge, and Palmerston North. Champion’s opinion, based on actual observance and an extensive experience, coincides with tho views expressed by Mr T. Shields and other TveU-informcd enthusiasts, and may he accepted as representing what the actual state of the sport is in New Zealand at the present time. Yet another contributor to tho apparently interminable controversy as to tho origin of the crawl. America claims to have “invented” it; a similar claim is made on behalf pf Cayill;

some sav Wickham brought it from the South Sea Islands, and others have various theories all different and all probably wrong. The statement that Wickham introduced the crawl to Australia seems to be nearer the mark than any of the other suppositions. When Champion was still in his native Norfolk Islands (and that was in the pre-crawl days of Australia) th. 6 stroke was, h.o says, commonly used, ‘lt is an Island stroke,” he says, and the probabilities incline to the accuracy of his statement. A movement is afoot, fathered by Mr G. Rich (of Christchurch) on this side of the Tasman Sea, and by Tod Solomons in Sydney, to bring about the visit of some twelve or fourteen New Zealand swimmers to the New South Wales capital. It is proposed that each centre in New Zealand should send two swimmers, paying all their expenses. The Manly Club (and other Sydney clubs) would hold carnivals, and the profits of the meetings would be distributed among the centres concerned with a view to covering the cost of the trip. The scheme, of course, is ambitious, and though extremely difficult of consummation, is not entirely impracticable. It would probably do incalculable good to New Zealand swimming. TO-DAY’S BIG CARNIVAL. The biggest club carnival so far this season will take place at Te Aro Baths this afternoon, when the Wellington Club will hold their annual sports. Should the weather bo fine the meeting will be a great success, for among other competitors will be C. Weison (of Auckland), runner-up to Malcolm Champion in the New Zealand championships. This swimmer is one of the best that New Zealand has produced, and his appearance is of special interest. The programme includes the 220 yards Wellington provincial championship (for which there is a record entry), public schools championship, relay schools race for the Dutbie Cup, 440yds handicap, high and fancy diving, and a budget of excellent novelty events. Special attention is being paid by the management to the prompt running off of the events, and spectators are promised that there will be no delays. .