EMPIRE GAMES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 998, 14 June 1930, Page 13

EMPIRE GAMES

N.Z. SWIMMERS’ PROSPECTS STRONG OPPOSITION (by “ FREESTYLE”) The Empire Games will be held at Hamilton, Ontario, commencing on August 16, and concluding on August 23. The New Zealand team to compete at the games is scheduled to j ‘leave by the Aorangi from Auckland on Tuesday, July 1. As far as the swimming section of the team is concerned, it is almost a foregone conclusion that R. Calder (diver) and G. Bridson (free style), and Miss Gladys Pidgeon (breaststroke), will make the trip. Miss Pidgeon will be accompanied by her mother as chaperone. For the benefit of those interested, the writer is able to give a few particulars of the conditions likely to be met, with by our representatives, and the opposition likely to be experienced. The bath at Hamilton is an indoor one, 75 feet long by 45 feet wide. The depth of water runs from 3ft 6in to Sft. The diving boards are of international standard, and are as follow: One metre Olympic springboard; three metres Olympic springboard; and 9ft Gin and 16ft 3in firm running boards The bath is claimed to be the finest on the North American Continent, though as it is only 25 yards long, this will undoubtedly surprise New Zealanders. The superintendent of the bath is Mr. David Billington. of Eng- i land, world’s champion in the pre- i crawl days The events to be decided ' are as follow: Men, 100 yards, 400 yards, and 1,500 yards free style. 100 ■ yards back, 200 yards breast; women. 100 yards free style 400 yards free style, 100 yards back-stroke, and 200 yards breast-stroke. The times will be the usual ones. L. J. Moorhouse, of Christchurch, was originally chosen to accompany the team, but has withdrawn owing to business reasons. CALDER’S CHANCES

According to some reports from Dunedin, Calder has already won the Empire title. There is no doubt about it, when they have a good thing in :he Otago capital enthusiasts keep the Dominion well informed of the candidate’s abilities. Calder is certainly a good diver, there can be no doubt, but as far as New Zealand is concerned he has met nothing of international class to enable a comparison to be made. A few years ago he was beaten j in the national changeionships by W. * Keesing. This diver was also successful over Calder when a student at Otago University, on more than one occasion. H. Walker, also of Dunedin, has beaten Calder more than once, but this does not get us away from the fact that Calder puts in more practice than any three divers put together. The funds were easily subscribed for his expenses to the games. The writer hopes the beliefs in Calder’s capabilities will be justified, and that Calder will land the title. There is a story connected with Calder which one thinks must have emanated from Aberdeen. It is to the effect that his father used to throw a threepenny piece into the municipal bath at Dunedin, and get his son to dive for it, and so a champion was made. To anyone who has been in Dunedin this story may appear farfetched. The bath there is whitetiled. and it would take more than a Scotsman to see .a threepenny bit in about eight feet of water under those conditions. Now, if the coin had been a “bawbee,” one might have believed it! The writer can find no record of a Scottish diving champion, but Calder ■ M-ill probably meet A. E. Dickin, of London, who won the English titles j last year. ' Miss Gladys Pigeon, the Auckland

and New Zealand champion, wlio will represent the Dominion in the 200 3'ards breast-stroke event, will have a very stiff proposition to face. Miss Pidgeon holds the 220 yards breaststroke record of 3.35 2-5, made at Dunedin on January 21, 1928. She did not compete in 1929, but this year she has accomplished the following: Won the national 220 yards title in Smin 41 2-ssec; the Auckland title in 3min 37sec; and established a standard of 7min 56 l-ssec for the 400 metres. In addition to the above times. Miss Pitigeon has recorded 91sec for the 100 yards, 2min 26 l-osec for the 150 yards, and, while swimming her 400 metres, 3min 27sec for the 200 yards breast-stroke, this being the distance she will be called upon to swim in Canada. Now, the latter time cannot be taken as a criterion of Miss Pidgeon’s abilities over the 200 yards, for i as stated above, she was doing a 400j metre swim at the time. However,

her fastest time during the past season for the 220 yards was 3min 37sec, and if we knock 20 seconds off this time (a very liberal deduction), this will bring her 200 yards time to 3min 17sec. The writer will stake his reputation that Miss Pidgeon won't do better than this. BRITISH PERFORMANCES According to the official organ of the Amateur Swimming Association of England, to which the writer is a subscriber, the following girls have swum the 200 yards breast-stroke in England or Scotland during the 1929 season: Margery Hinton (14 years old). 3min Ssec, 3min 6 l-ssec, and 3min (world’s record) respectively; C. Wolstenholme.

3min 8 4-ssec; D. Gibbs. 3min 14 2-5 sec; V. Gerber, 3min 22 4-ssec, of England. and Miss E. King, 3min 2sec, and Miss G. Howard. 3min 10 4-ssec. of Scotland. England and Scotland are recognised as separate countries for the purposes of the games, and in all probability the two first-named English girls and the two Scottish girls will be there, as both countries have stated their intention of participating. What the writer would like to know is, what are we to expect? Miss Pidgeon will do her best, undoubtedly, but it must not be forgotten that this is the off-season for swimming in New Zealand, while the sport is now in full blast in northern climes —a severe handicap for our representatives. kittle need be said of the chances of Gordon Bridson. Every follower of swimming in £sew Zealand knows what he can do, and no one can fancy his chances against Cameron or Ryan, the Australian representatives. In any distance above 100 yards Bridson will show a clean pair of heels to anyone from the British Isles, but the fly in the ointment will be some of the other Dominions, of which very little is known. The countries sending swimmers, in addition to those mentioned above, are Bermuda, British Guiana, and South Africa, and. of course, Canada. We have nothing to fear from Canada but Bermuda and South Africa are unknown quantities, and the “rod in pickle” may be British Guiana. Probably the finest all-round swimmer in the world is Walter Spencer, who represented Canada at the Olympic Games in 1928, but since then he has resided in Philadelphia, U.S.A. Spence was born in British Guiana, and the writer is unable to state whether he will require to fulfil the six months’ residential qualification necessary to compete for a country. Spence was still in Philadelphia in April. He has won innumerable free-style, back, and breast-stroke titles in America, against the world’s best, and can be looked upon as the world’s medley champion. The European Games promised to clash with the Empire Games. These games were to have been held in Vienna, commencing on August*26, but owing to a European tour by a party of American swimmers, Vienna refused to go on with the arrangements, and the fixture may be abandoned this year. However, the European water polo championships will be held at Nureraburg, Germany, on the dates mentioned, and England will be represented. The Empire Games Committee requested England not to send a polo team, and as the expenses of the swimmers have been guaranteed. a strong team will probably go to Canada.

It is stated that G. Bridson will proceed to England from Hamilton. If he leaves immediately after the games he wall be in time to participate in the 440 yards championship of England, which takes place at Blackpool on September 5. The only men’s- freestyle championship after that date is the 100 yards at Shoreditch, London, on October 8.