Evening star., 1924-03-18


Beaurepaire's article follows:
Swimming Clubs yearly interclub
contest, Boy Charlton put one across
me. and despite the fact that / had
mad very little training and was to
sporting way (Melbourne's my home
town. every credit must be given
Charlton for his great effort. Beat
ing me is nothing-others have done
before and will do 1t again. 1t is
the time and conditions surrounding
the making Of that time that count.
When one looks back and finds
that there have been but four swims
over the quarter-mile done in Aus
tralia that are better than Charlton's
quarter on Saturday, you gain a clear
perspective of the merit of this phe-
nomenal youth and can properly as
sess his position at the moment
among contemporary and old-time
swimming stars.
The Best Times.
Lady LANCER did 5:17 3-5 at Ho-
bart in a 50-yard salt water bath at
Sandy Bay Baths. The writer did
5l7 As in the same race. Barney
bieran went to 5:19 at Lavender Bay,
and Norman Ross beat me in Mel
bourne lin 5:19 4-5 at City Baths,
which has fresh water pool of SO Is
- .,
II is his best match effort to date and
i frankly believe he will do better.
As it is, it places him in the best
Hisht of quarter -miiers even seen in
this country.
Arguments have occurred and will
occur again and again, concerning
the manly boys stroke. My own
conyict,ons ~ may be interesting.
notice as boy of thirteen by Tom
my Adrian. This boy was gifted with
nnenomenal staying powers Tommy
went to work on him straight away
and Al. mas been guiding him ever since.
To Adrian must be given the credit
of developing the latent powers that
lay in that thirteen-year-o kid.
Adrian has no two minds about
Charlton's stroke. He calls it
tr1dgeon crawl and would like to
He reckons the stroke has been
based on trudgeon and is trudgeon
without the negative or retardine
movements in the old trudgeon scis-
f sors' Cnarton has eliminated the
KICK and added the crawl leg fiutters.
agree with Adrian's contention.
chariton strokes with his arms very
much in the manner common to all
trudgeon swimmers and but seldom
seen in American crawl swimmers.
am referring to the apparent uneven
ness of his placements. The right arm
dips further ahead than the left,
which is inclined to chop a little
short when compared with the reach
or the right arm. Some may call this
fault, but / would not let him lose
1t. l am certain that it is a manner
ism that is necessary to CharIton's
whole stroke and rhythm.
Stroke Is Analysed.
Under water Charlton's forearms
act correctly in so far as they pull
into position and across the body with
the elbows bent. That is 20 say. the
full arm reach is not made toward
the bottom of the pool, but in rela-.
tion to the body; the arms pass be-
meath the trunk in boomerang shape
until the arms, in rotating course, ex-
and coming forward again. 1t is right
here that any slight improvements
might be. made. Charlton is inclined
TO sweep or swing one arm out Of
the water.
'Chayflton's sense of pace is superb
and his evenness, lap after lap. is al
moSt.,a matter for wonderment In that
he ifaS the vital secret of long-diStance
swimming: Coupled with his amazing
S Amfna, these factors all make up a
youth gifted with workmanship far
Aeyond the average person interested
in swimming. Fooling and swimming
about the Manly Baths since babyhood.
in calm, delightful water, has taught
the boy what possibly only a score of
men have learned in the last thirty
years
Watching Charlton, one can readily
detect a sturdiness of shoulder action
that will stand him in good stead
when he tackles fresh water and
bumpy saltwater swimming. These
he must successfully accomplish to
put the hallmark of enduring fame to
his name. The Paris games will be
held in fresh water and possibly a
portion of this years Australian
championships. I am of the opinion
that young Charlton can master the
difficulties offered by fresh or bumpy
water. His mentor will need to coach
the lad in these matters, but 1 think
Tom Adrian is old enough to make
the best of him under new conditions
Charlton has rhythm-the co-ordi-
nation of leg and arm action, together
with trunk roll--in salt water almost
to perfection. He almost hydroplanes,
and, in fact. applies that principle to
his swimming. His propulsion is con-
tinuous and ever forward, with most
marked absence of movements that
might be considered negative. He is
q. phenomenal youth and we all, as
good Australians, hope for repetition
of his Sydney form under all condi-
tions OF interstate and international
swimming"