SWIMMING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 264, 15 December 1909, Page 4

SWIMMING.

(By "Splodge.") The season may now be said to have begun in earnest, the 50yds sweepstake I on Thursday being the opening event. Tlii-f rate was well handicapped, and brought out twelve starters, who were divided into two heats. Both heats mid the final produced splendid finishes, the winner of the final in particular being hard to pick, and several spectators were | in doubt as to the result. The winner, Howell, has a nice stroke, and should develop into a good swimmer, for he is only a lad as ytet. Freshaw who came second, should, if lie trained, be able to cut out a tairly fast fifty yards. He has not been taking a very active part in races for a low* seasons. llawke, who finished third, surprised many, lie has a peculiar style, which, however, gets him along all i right. He is quite a new swimmer, and should turn oul an acquisition to the club, as also should Burgess, who was the other competitor in the final heat. He is a new swimmer in these parts. The light in Ihc baths was very bal on Thursday night, and should l.> unproved. For night sports at least double the light is required. Another thing that needs to be altered is tne finishing rope, which was quite indistinguishable to the swimmers'. A canvas drop would be an improvement, or some other conspicuous object; for, in a sprint racq more especially, a swimmer requires an easily distinguishable finish. The club, I understand, intend to keep the weekly sweepstake going right through the season from now on. it would be a good idea if an aggregate prize were instituted for these races, ilore swimmers would then probably compete each week, as it would be an Inducement for one to go all out for even third place, which would give him a point towards Uie aggregate total. It is also, I believe the intention of the committee to get the water polo competition going very soon'. I'he committee will probably be meeting next week, and make some definite arrangements for the season. Now that the New Zealand championships have been definitely allotted to Auckland, which is handy to us, the proposal to send a polo team to compete should take tangible form, so to speak. Prom what I can gather, nothing seems to be doing with regard to forming the proposed Taranaki centre, lnglewood now has baths, and intends to form a club, so the time should surely be ripe. I suppose it is still 3 case of waiting, but we shouldn't wait too long. We are at present merely an appendage to Waiiganui, as our railway is to the Main Trunk, and if there is. any moving doing we will have to do it

ourselves. The Scottish 100 yds championship resulted in W. 11. Hayncs retaining the title. He won by about eight yards in the quick time of 00 l-ssec, which is a record for the event, and is the best

time recorded for the distance in Britain this season. Radmilovic took Olseo when he won the English championship. On 27th November at Sydney Harold Hardwick won the 100 yds Sydney club championship in the marvellous time of 57sec. This exactly equals the Australasian record created by C. Healy over two years ago. The world's record of 55 2-ssec still stands to the credit of the American, C. M. Daniels, who won the English championship at Manchester two years ago in that time. In Sydney there are hopes of Hardwick improving, but 1 3-sscc is a big lot to cut off 57scc in lOOvds, and it. looks as if Daniels? record' would stand for many a Irm£. day. Healy and Hardwick intend to try to break the 100 metres record in a week or two at the East Sydney Club's carnival. Whatever time taken, it will *e a ding-dong go between the two of them if form counts for anything, and I should like to be there to see it.