SWIMMING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1939, Page 2

SWIMMING

DOMINION CHAMPIONSHIPS. MANY THRILLS PROVIDED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) INVERCARGILL. February 19. The leading swimmers of the Dominion provided many thrills at the Invercargill Municipal Baths last night for the concluding events of the New Zealand swimming championships. No records were broken. This was to be expected considering the acknowledged slowness of the water in Invercargill, but there were many fast times during the evening and the standard of the performances was excellent. In her second senior championship race Miss Joyce Macdonald brought Southland its second title of the contests by winning the 200 metres women’s backstroke championship. Firmly establishing his claims to the honour of being the leading middle distance swimmer of the contests, A. T. F. Stokes, the Canterbury veteran, who has made such a wonderful “comeback” this year, won the quarter-mile men’s freestyle championship in convincing style from L. Newell, Canterbury, the record holder. Stokes gave an excellent performance, winning by seven yards. Another veteran swimmer showed superiority over younger rivals in 100 yards breaststroke, when L. Smith, Wanganui, won by a touch from W. Dyson, Otago. Eight times breaststroke champion of New Zealand, Smith gave one of his best performances in beating a Very strong field. The Annette Kellerman Cup for the open water race, swum in Bluff today was won by A. V. Osmond, Hawke’s Bay. The water was very cold and only three of the starters finished. The Yaldhurst Shield for the province gaining most points in the championships events Was won by Otago, which secured 45 poihts, nine points more than Canterbury. Southland and Auckland, which won the shield last year, were third, the final points being Otago 45, Canterbury 36, Southland 33, Auckland 33, Wellington 9, Wanganui 6, Taranaki 5, Bay of Plenty 5, Nelson 3.