SWIMMING TITLES

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26800, 4 August 1952, Page 7

SWIMMING TITLES

Fine Win By Australian (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 7 p.m.) HELSINKI, August 2. John Davies won Australia’s sixth gold medal of the Olympic Games this afternoon. He gained an exciting victory in the final of the men’s 200 metres breaststroke in Olympic record time. The first six to finish all brqke the old Olympic record. Davies was timed at 2min 34.45ec, 7.1 sec outside the world record of the German, Herbert Klein, who finished third to-day. With his customary late finish Davies, aged 23, came “from nowhere” to win. As in both his heat and semi-final, Davies was among the slowest away and was lagging last at the first turn. He was fifth, behind the leader, Klein, at the 100 metres mark and was only third at the final turn behind Klein and the American, Bowen Stassforth. With an amazing burst of speed over the last 40 yards Davies caught the leaders. 1500 Metres Final The final of the 1500 metres men’s freestyle was a fantastic race. When half of the race had been completed, the Japanese, Shiro Hashizume, who had broken the old Olympic .record in the heats, appeared to be going to win Japan's first Olympic gold medal for 16 years, even though the Hawaiian, Ford Konno, swimming for the United States, was only a body length behind him. , After swimming stroke for stroke for lap after . lap of this gruelling race of 30 pool lengths. Konno came up to Hashizume, and at the 1200 metres mark they were dead level. Kono took a slight lead after 1300 metres. The Japanese tried desperately to hold him but slowly and surely the American forged ahead, to win by nearly 20 metres. The fitst seven to finish broke the old Olympic record. These included Peter Duncan (South Africa), who finished seventh. The Australian, John Marshall, was last. Valeria Gyenge, of Hungary, won the women’s 400 metres freestyle from her fellow countrywoman, Eva Novak. The American, Evelyn Kawamoto, finished third. Miss Gyenge’s time of smin 12.1'sec broke the Olympic record set on Thursday by 4.ssec. Patricia McCormick (United States) to-day won her second gold medal. She added the women’s high board diving title to her springboard championship. Miss McCormick gained America its third gold medal of the day and its thirty-fifth at the Games. Women’s Relay Record The Hungarian girls, I. Novak, E. Novak, J. Teames, and K. Sozoke, broke both the Olympic and world records in winning the women’s 4 x 100 metres relay final in 4min 24.45ec. The team beat the previous Olympic record by 4.Bsec and reduced the world time by 2.Bsec. The Dutch team, in finishing second, also bettered the old Olympic record. At the end of the first leg there was nothing between the Hungarian, Dutch and united States teams. At the end of the second leg-, however, Judith Teames had given Hungary a clear lead from Holland and America. Continuing to swim strongly, the Hungarians won comfortably with the Dutch keeping their lead over the Americans.