SWIMMING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 46, 24 February 1939, Page 5

SWIMMING

BRIDGE-TO-BRIDGE RACE LONG-DISTANCE EVENT TO-MORROW’S ATTRACTION The annual Bridge-to-Bridge race, Waiganui’s long-distance swimming event, will be staged to-morrow by the Wanganui Central Swimming Club, and the prospects are that it will be contested by one of the largest “fields’’ in recent years. The race starts from the Aramoho Boating Club pontoon at 3.15 p.m., and the finish will be at the Town Bridge. Handicaps will be declased at the starting point. Dressing-sheds will be available for competitors at the starting point and also at the finishing line. The trophies for the event consist of the Williams Cup for the men's section and the Central Rose Bowl for the women's section. The Central Swimming Club will take up a collection on the river bank in conjunction with the annual race, and it is anticipated that it will attract a large crowd of spectators. Each swimmer must be accompanied by a boat.

CARNIVAL AT GONVILLE

FORDELL CLUB'S ENTERPRISE MANY N.Z. CHAMPIONS NEXT WEEK'S PROGRAMME The Fordell Swimming Club is to congratulated on its initiative in marking with a carnival the conclusion of the Learn-to-Swim Week that the club is holding from February 27 to March 4. The week finishes with a grand carnival at Gonville baths on the evening of March 4, at which every North Island swimmer who competed at the New Zealand senior championships at Invercargill last week will Ce appearing, together with leading swimmers from Taranaki, Palmerston North, Rotorua, Auckland, Wellington and Wairarapa. Three races that are listed on tne programme will have the same finalists as al the championship meeting, and comparing the fastness of tne water in the Gonville baths against the slowness of the Invercargill baths it is quite possible that tne three New Zealand records for those distances will be broken. The three scratch races, together with the intending competitors, are as follows:

100 Yards Invitation: R. Hatchweli I Wellington), first at Invercargill; won by a touch. P. Hannan (Auckland), second at Invercargill; titleholder 1938 and Empire Cggpies representative 1938. N. (Auckland), third at Invercargill; recordholder, title-holder 1934; Empire Games representative 1934 and 1938. E. Pennington (Wellington), fourth at Invercargill. A. Pascoe (Auckland), who was second in his heat but did not compete in the final as he had to swim in the final of the mile championship that night, in which he was placed third. W. B. Milne (Taranaki), who was just beaten in his heat, by Pennington, will be starting. P. McGrath (Palmerston North, late of Invercargill), will also be a starter. McGrath unfortunately could not get down to compete at Invercargill and he was looked upon as a likely winner of the sprint. However, he will have his opportunity on Saturday week.

The 220 yards scratch race will have the same competitors swimming and Hanan is confident of a further win, together with the breaking of his own record of 2min. 20 4-bsec., which he set up last month. At the championships last week the 100 yards backstroke was the most thrilling and the nearest to a New Zealand record, P. E. Mathieson (Auckland) winning by a touch after swimming neck and neck all the way with C. Clift (Canterbury). Clitf who is travelling to Auckland next week, intends stopping in Wanganui for the carnival. He immediately challenged Mathieson, who accepted, to swim the 100 yards on March 4, and whoever wins should break the present record of 66 l-ssec. The race down south was won in 66 4-5 sec. W. Whareaitu (Rotorua), whom Mathieson defeated for the title, will most likely be a competitor in this race.

Other New Zealand champions who have promised to compete are: Doug. Ewart (Rotorua), national diving champion 1938-39; Len Smith (Wanganui), 220 yards breaststroke champion from 1929 to 1936, and 100 yards breaststroke champion 1939 and Empire Games representative 1934; Miss Kath Grey (Auckland), 440 yards champion 1939. Miss Grey and Miss Mona Ley don will appear subject to the New Zealand Swimming Council releasing them a couple of days earlier from the New Zealand educational tour, 'which finishes next week. They could thus be able Io appear at Wanganui on their way back to Auckland.

Other swimmers who have, al some time, held New Zealand titles and are still ranked as outstanding swimmers, that will be appearing are: Miss Sylvia Gotlieb (Wellington), 100 yards ladies’ champion 1936-38; D. Pelham (Wellington), 440 yards champion 1925; Miss Mona Ley don (Auckland), 100 yards 1934, 220 yards 1933-34-36-38, 440 yards 1933-34-35-36-38; backstroke 100 yards 1935-39, 200 metres 1938. Miss P. Sporle (Feilding), junior and intermediate champion 1931-32-34. In all the visitors will have held between them 60 NewZealand titles, and they at present hold 19 New Zealand records. The invitation scratch races are supported by eleven other races and a water polo match between AucklandWanganui Combined v. WellingtonTaranaki Combined. Although entries do not close till to-morrow (Saturday) indications suggest that it will be the biggest number of swimmers ever assembled together in Wanganui for a carnival, and the calibre of the swimmers coming brings the carnival up to the mark of a New Zealand championship meeting. Given a fine night the carnival should be a great success. Full particulars will be advertised in to-morrow’s paper.