SWIMMING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 22, 7 November 1935, Page 7

SWIMMING

AMERICA’S WORLD RECORD.

400 METRES FREE-STYLE TITLE.

(By “Backstroke.”)

Jack Medica, of Seattle, bettered the world’s 400 metres free-style swimming record as he and other American aquatic stars cut down the lead of Japanese opponents in the second day of the three-day international meet at Tokio on August 18. Medica’s victory in the 400 metres, a magnificent win by the American team , in tlio 400 metre free-style relay, and a triumph by Taylor Drysdalc, of Detroit, in the 100-metre .back-stroke gave the Americans three of the day’s four events.

The victories cut the 14 to 7 points lead the Japanese had established the previous day to 22 to 20, a slim margin for the Nipponese to defend in the final contests.

Medica was forced to swim at re-cord-breaking speed in the 440 metres to meet the challenge of'Hiroshi Negami, of Rikkyo University, Japanese champion, who flushed second by an eyelash. The American’s time was 4min 45 l-ssec. This was slower than his claimed record time (4.38 7-10), set in Honolulu in 1934, hut better than the world’s recognised mark of 4.46 3-10 sec, held by S. Makino, of Japan. Japan’s only victory of the day came in the 100-metre breast-stroke, when Reizo Koike, of Ivcio University, won by a slim margin over Jack Kasley, University of Michigan, in Imin 10 l-ssec.

Drysdale won the 100-metre backstroke in lmin 10 2-ssec. Russell Granehh, of Detroit, was second, and Kentavo Kawazu, of Mejji University, third.

Japanese Supremacy. Japan lias- resolved to preserve the supremacy it gained in swimming at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1932 at the Olympiad in Berlin next year. Preparations even more thorough than those for 1932 are being made for the Japanese Swimming Federation. Directly after the Japanese Biennial Games in October, about 30 swimmers with the best record during the outdoor season will be selected as candidates for Berlin. The swimmers will he placed under N. Matuzawa, the head coach to the team at Los Angeles and he will, concentrate on them. The final trials will bo held next May, so that those who qualify can he sent to Germany in ample time to become acclimatised and complete their training there.