Australians’ Tours Will Brighten Swimming Season

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 821, 15 November 1929, Page 14

Australians’ Tours Will Brighten Swimming Season

Auckland will Make Strong Bid to Retain National Titles —Losses Apparent, But Young Competitors Promise Well — Men Sprinters Wanted —Will Peggy Robertson Meet Jean Cocks? —Whiter Polo to be Placed on Firm Basis in the Forth.

cust'jmary .-peculation after swimmers arc looking- ayead lo what will be a heavy season. Apart from the presence of the northern team at Greymouth in an effort to retain the national titles for Auckland, the visit of Noel Kyan, of Sydney, next month, and that of Jean Cocks and Edna Davey, the Austra- ; lian girls, in January-February, will mean a series of interesting contests in Auckland. Experience lias taught swimmers that suggested tours by overseas visitors are likely to lapse. The negotiations with Johnnie "Weismuller vere not ther« is the report that Keg Grier, of Queensland, will not make a New Zealand tour with Kyan this summer. This uncertainty in arrangements with imported swimmers is an unwanted feature in swimming and the New Zealand Council, in extending invitations should have dependable information before issuing circulars of proposed itineraries to centres and clubs. In a busier part of the season, there would be considerable dislocation. now, New Zealand is* awaiting Kyan, who. in any case, would have been the visitor to have claimed most attention. The suggestion is for up- : pearances by him in Auckland first, on December 4 and 5, and a heavy tour ending at Ashburton. The earliness of the tour (for the New Zealand season) and unfavourable weathei have not allowed full preparation for the visit, but Kyan will taco a formidable trio in Gordon Bridson. of Grammar, national champion in two distance races; David Lindsay. Waitemata, Olympic representative; and Aubrey Baird. Parnell, making an awaited reappearance after two seasons. There are other distance swimmers, but these three are outstanding. Wellington has Claridge, who continues to prove his ability, and Cani terburv can produce its Dominion champion, A. Stokes. Otago, which I seems to have fallen on lean times—a i decline since “Buster*’ Olds went to California to figure in really big swirn- | ming—could not have produced a | competent distance man had the tour I been extended to Dunedin. Races with Ryan will place Bridson in form for his task in the national events against Stokes

and Claridge. The competition will be a dependable indication of Bridson’s development; this indication was not forthcoming when Arne Borg swam against gener-ously-handicaped Aucklanders last season. So far. with claims for enterprise in arranging a tour by the New Zealand Council and the Mount Eden Club, no great certainty is attached to double appearances of the Sydney girls, Jean Cocks and Edna Davey. Miss Cocks has stated her willingness to swim in New Zealand. A visit by outside girl swimmers would mean a great deal to the sport, and, with the tour proposed for the peak period of the season, Auckland would be able to judge the worth of its younger talent.

Parnell Club has almost a monopoly j of the most promising girl swimmers. : Peggy Robertson, generally consid- ‘ ered to be next in line for the national j sprint titles, and Joan Roberts, who j is improving; each season, are the two I important girl swimmers of the ! moment. Ena Stockley has gone to I Sydney, and the Auckland girl distance | swimmer. Dorothy Grant, is in Suva, j Grammar had its most severe losses! with the departures of these girls, Waitemata will not have Marie Farquhar tins season. Edna Champion (Mount Eden) and Doree Magee (Parnoil) are other losses to the sport. This tremendous deficiency in women’s swimming cannot fail to be apparent when the selectors of the championship time will have a new i

task in making a judicious choice of young swimmers. Devonport Club has the junior girl champion of the Dominion, May Elworth. who will enter intermediate ranks this year. Jean Thompson, of Parnell, is the intermediate breaststroke champion. The 'Wellington girl. Kathleen Millet*, seems almost certain to retain the longer distance titles in women’s swimming, and. should Edna Davey visit New Zealand. Miss Miller will be one of the outstanding o -oents for the Australian. Miss Davey is a prominent back-stroke swimmer, and competition with Miss Stockley. who has led New Zealand in this form of swimming, 'will be missed, Is the Dominion entering on a

new era in women's swimming? Miss Miller is the last remaining competitor of -ro .lincnce who has been in the sport for a considerable period. ! niTi-ur declined when the Aucklanders! i Missies V. Walrond. P. Hoolt. M. lloeit. Piri Page. and. more recently. Gladys Pidgeon. and the Canterbury -irl iGwithr* Shand. left the sport. Miss Stocklev and Miss Miller earn I the good Standard of women's swimming. however. 1 The urgent need in swimming today |is the development of mot. men sprinters. I. W. Cameron, oi " - ington, is likely to keep ids championship title, and tiie attempt ot toe Wanganui man. Norman Dow sen. to return, is not viewed with mneh lie - our Auckland has its sprint champion, Johnnie Farrell, who has "Wuitemata to assist the new l nio rsite Club. Farrell should do better this season. The reappearance foi Mount Eden of Don Plank and Ken de Loree is doubtful, but Hclensville can show IS. A. Sellars. Ponsonby, the improving A. W. Ila per. and \\ aitemata the veteran Jack Enwright. Ponsonbv has the excellent breaststroke swimmer. X. K. Svlow. who | could not attend the last New Ze.i----j land championships to defend ois i title, back this season, i There is no lack of divers with i the Ponsonby team members. Wilfrid Hassan. Auckland champion, G. Johnson, and H. Neal. Barry I Young, formerly New South Wales | star, may appear in competition. In water polo, there a. new outlook. and Auckland will make its I strongest attempt to win the DonnnS ion contest. All the clubs arc enter- ; ing well-trained sevens. The club competition between the evenly- ! matched sides of Parnell, aitcimita. Ponsonby, Mount Eden, Devon port. Grammar, and University Clubs will • • attract more attention than in any : | season previously. The whole sport has been reorganised. U \nd vet, apart from the Auckland | Centre’s advocacy of more baths in •the suburbs, the main problem facing • swimmers is the stimulation of public I interest. Club carnivals last season I were not always financial successes. I and the support for really worth-while | sport was disappointing. The cliamj pionshipsi and the Borg carnival showed that the interest in swimming i does exist, but support for the clubs ! was not as steady as it could have I been.