1939-08-14 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 14, 1939.

SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

50 YARDS FREE STYLE SHOULD PROVE MOST THRILLING EVENT Rumjahn To Extend Lawrence In Back Stroke?

Miss Churn's Threat To Miss Irene Lopes ALL-CHINESE ENTRIES FOR BREAST STROKE

(By "ADREM")

ENTRIES RECEIVED FOR THE Colony swimming championships having been eminently satisfactory, there is every reason to anticipate that keener competition will re- sult this year than ever before.

It must be a source of keen satis- faction to the organisers that Wilfred Lawrence, the finest drawing card in Hong Kong, will be defending most of his titles. His activities hitherto this season have been confined for the most part to water polo, and little has been seen of him in competitive roles. However, in the inter-club swim- ming gala between Victoria Recrea- tion Club and Chinese Y.M.C.A., he swam an extremely good race in the 220 yards free style against some stern opposition from Chan Chan- nam, and his burst of speed over the last two lengths, was a glimpse Lawrence at his best.

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in the 50 yards individual event, and then went even better in the medley relay, by lowering this remarkable time by one-fifth of a second.

However, Chan, who was in the lead all the time and was therefore not pushed as much as Taylor who was set quite a considerable deficit to wipe off, also broke his own.record in the medley so there shouldn't be a great deal in it when this race comes off on Saturday.

David Hutchinson is another entrant for the 50 yards who must not be dis- regarded, but in view of his compar- ative inexperience of competitive swimming, I don't think he will do

Lawrence told me recently that he better than place. was feeling a trifle

stale from too

much water polo but having laid off the game for about a fortnight to date, which will be almost three weeks by the time the championships are un- der way, he should be fighting fit by Thursday.

However, I shall not be unduly sur- prised if he fails to win the 100 free style. He is up against some very good opposition, principally young David Hutchinson and Chan Wing- kai, the latter the holder of the 50 yards record, and he impressed me when he was swimming against C.Y.M.C.A., as being a trifle slower in getting going than he used to be.

He should have little difficulty with the other free style events for which he has entered, although I expect to sec A K. Rumjahn give him some- thing to think about in the 100 yards back stroke.

FINE STAMINA Rumjahn has made tremendous strides of late, and, despite his youth, has adequate reserves of stamina. His recent victories against C.Y.M.C.A. in this event have been marked by fine finishing. He has a beautiful stroke, produced with little effort, and if he can hold Lawrence for the first three lengths, I expect him to win.

THE HOLDER?

Apparently Hutchinson has decided that he is not yet ready for a breast stroke bid and, as I believe Luiz Re- medios is debarred from using the "butterfly" stroke, the only entries in

HONG KONG'S leading divers (L to R) Ed. da Roza, L. Roza Pereira and Stanley Leo.

100 the Chinese.

yards breast stroke aro

has

MISS V. CHURN is expected to do well in the Ladies' 100 yards free style championship.

though Mrs. Willey, a former title- holder, has also entered, I feel that the only other threat to Miss Lopes is Miss Doreen Weir, a fine, swimmer who has been training hard of late.

I don't expect the Chinese contin- gent to do very much although they may have a dark horse or two

up their sleeves.

CRICKET

THIRD TEST EXPERIMENTS

London,

The

To-day. following have been selected to represent England in the third cricket Test match against West Indies which commences at the Oval on Saturday.

W. R. Hammond (capt.), Hut- ton, Compton, Hardstaff, Nichols, Wood, Wright, Goddard, Perko, Oldfield and Keoton.-Router.

There are no fewer than four changes in the team which did duty in the drawn game at Manchester, Paynter, Fagg, Bowes and Copson be- ing dropped in favour of Nichols, Perks, Oldfield and Keeton.

It is evident that M.C.C. have at last decided on a policy of experi- mentation. Both those tried hands, Paynter and Bowes have been drop- ped in order that other younger play- ers may be "blooded."

Nichols, of Essex, has played for England ore. He has been one of the mair ays of Essex cricket for years, be g an all-rounder of great consistency.

Perks, of Worcestershire is a bow- ler. He accompanied the last M.C.C. team which visited South Africa and met with fair success.

Oldfield, although only 28, has been one of the leading Lancastrien bats- men for years.

He Anished third. in the batting averages for that Coun- ty last season with an aggregate of 1,550 uns for an average of 37.80.

Keeton, of Notts, is an opening batsman, and, in the absence of Fagg and Gimblett, will probably be called upon to perform that function in the freeTest wh Hutton.

LADIES' 440 REVIVED The revival of the 440 ladies' style event has only attracted three entries, among them being Mrs. Ver- onica Thirwell Willey. The former champion was a shadow of her form- er self in a recent 50 yards race and I cannot see her lasting as gruelling a race as this promises to be.

I must confess to little information regarding Miss Clara Young and Miss 1p. The former brings to mind a Miss Ruby Young, who mahy years ago won the Ladies' harbour race. If she comes from the same stock, 45 appears quite likely, we will probably not have to go far to find the winner. However, all this is speculative!

With a varied programme of events to intersperse the championships, and all the thrills which can be anticipat-

lasts can look forward with confidence to an excellent week's swimming fes- tival, to be culminated on Saturday with one of these most enjoyable. in- formal V.R.C. dances.

Chan Chan-nam appears to me the Whether or not it is a misprint Ied in the relays, swimming enthus- only entrant for the 220 and 440 free am unable to say, but I gather that style events capable of offering Law- the Enrique F. J. Chaine, who rence any opposition, and, I'm afraid entered for this event, is the record- that talented though the Chinese swim- holder. He can be expected to re- mer undoubtedly is, he can hardly be ceive some opposition from a strong expected to beat one of the finest field but should manage to retain his swimmers ever, turned out by the Colony.

I am looking forward keenly to the 880 yards free style, in which Lionel Roza Pereira, winner of the last Har- bour Race, is making a come-back. As he will not be called upon, to do as much as Chan Chan-nam prior to this race, Roża Pereira should not have a great deal of difficulty in win- ning.

Probably the most thrilling race of the three days, I am now referring to individual and not team events, will be the 50 yards free style, Chan Wing-kal, the record-holder, bas en tered, but, as his time has been un- officially lowered with some consis- tency recently, I shall not be surpris- ed If he is beaten.

Biggest threat to his supremecy, is expected to come from D. H. Taylor, who plopked 25 dat against C.YMCA,

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title.

Principal contenders for the diving will be Ed da Roza and Lionel Roza Pereira, who will probably occupy the top two positions. Stanley Lee has improved considerably

but hardly enough, I think, to oust either these two veterans.

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SOUTH CHINA IN JAVA

Java, To-day. The South China A.A. touring team defeated the Batavia Champions by 4 So much for the men. The ladies' goals to 1 on Saturday with Chan 100 yards free style, the blue riband Tak-fai registered a "hat-rick" and for the fair sex, promises to be more Yeung Shui-vick netted the other. thrilling this year than ever before. On Friday, the South China lost to Present holder of the title is Miss Hercules Selection by 2 to 3. Chan Irene Lopes, who is now at the top Tak-fal and Fung King-cheong were, of her form. She is expected to be the scorers. thoroughly extended by Mius Vivienne Lee Wai-tong played both matches.

Our Churn, however, and actually, I ex- but he was closely marked. pect the latter, in view of her show- Our Correspondent. Ing last week, to win.

On that occasion, over 50 yards, At Caroline Hill yesterday, South Miss Lopes only won by a touch and China beat Club de Recreio by 8 runs Miss Churn was overhauling her hand to 4 in their replayed Baseball League over fist In the last 10 yards. Al

ap-

The effect of the changes is that the average age of the team has been somewhat lowered, although it pears likely that the absence of Payn- ter and Bowes will weaken both the batting and the attack.