SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 31, 7 February 1939, Page 4

SWIMMING

DOMINION TITLES JUNIOR AND INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIPS EFFICIENT ORGANISATION. Those present at the New Zealand junior and intermediate championship meeting in Rotorua were left with two deep impressions. One was . n admiration of the excellent ability of contestants; the other was appreciation of the efficiency of the Bay of Plenty Centre of the Nev Zealand Amateur Swimming Association in organising the meeting. No previous intermediate and junior meeting has been so great a financial success, states the New Zealand Herald.

Two officials especially were popular with visitors. They were the carnival director, Mr. L. M. Joblin, and the honorary secretary to the Bay of Plenty Centre, Mr. D. Ewart, the 18-years-old national diving champion. The latter reinforces his ability as a competitor by being a competent ad-

ministrator. After performing his duties splendidly, Mr. Joblin left Ritorua on Monday on transfer to Khandallah School, Wellington. He has been one of the officials chiefly responsible for building up the Bay of Plenty Centre in the two years of its existence, and it will miss him keenly. All followers of swimming will hope that his energy and enthusiasm will be directed toward lifting the sport in Wellington. In some respects the swimming at the meeting was superior to that at previous carnivals. What really made the carnival so interesting was the keen competition, there being numerous wildly exciting contests for championships. Close racing is most desired by spectators, who are not usually concerned whether a performance is good in relation to records. The crowded accommodation on each of the three nights was evidence of the public’s interest. In the competition for the War Memorial Shield, for which only wins count, Bay of Plenty and Otago tied with seven each, after an exciting contest, the issue not being decided until the last event. Southland followed with four wins. Auckland was among the least successful, having but one win. Except for K. Williams,

quarter-mile intermediate champion, all the Auckland representatives were beaten decisively. Nevertheless, in a few years some of those who failed on this occasion, especially the younger ones, may be prominent in senior championships. The Aucklanders had the education of observing that the contestants most successful, notably Miss C. Garvin and J. Whiti, were swimmers with good styles, which reflected sound coaching. In the Auckland team there was good yet raw material. Without exception, e\ery member needs to be carefully encouraged and instructed to cultivate a correct technique, as their styles arc principally retarding them at present. Foor Body Balance. Bad faults were noticeable—faults which, if not removed promptly, will prevent the young competitors from ranking as champions in future. There were numerous instances in tree-style I and backstroke of poor body balance, of body twisting and rolling, of incorrect kicking and feathering arm drives. The Otago and Bay of Plenty representatives were by no means free from fault, but generally their stroke work was of a go' ' standard and their success may be regarded as the outcome of the vigorous coaching policy of the centres to which they belong. Largely responsible for the Rotorua swimmers' skill was their coach, Mr. J. B. Perrin. All his victorious swimmers being Maoris, their inherent ability has obviously been a solid foundation for his theories. The intermediate sprint champions. Whiti and Miss Garvin, already rank with the finest of New Zealand's swimmers. Sprinters of the calibre ol P. Hanan, N. Crump and R. B. Frankham would have to exert themselves to the utmost to register 57 l-ssec. in the Blue Bath, yet this was Whiti's time for 100 yards. When Whiti swims his body ir. in a high, planing position, and he employs an arm-drive that is steady and direct from the moment the hand enters the water until it leaves it. Like most of Mr. Perrin's pupils, he has a quick recovery with the arms. He is 16 years of age.