Swimming SPORT AS A SCIENCE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30214, 20 August 1963, Page 15

Swimming SPORT AS A SCIENCE

Address By U.S. Coach “We have to analyse ectentiifloally what we are doing; we have to make a science of sport,” raid the worldfamous swimming coach. Dr. J E Counsiilman, of Indiana University, in an address to an audience of 31 in the Rlccarton Town Hall last evening. Dr. Councilman said the United States was only just arriving art the scientific approach to sport, but already tests carried out with highspeed cameras had revealed a tremendous gulf between whait was laid down in textbooks on spouts training and the actual movements of an athlete.

Studies made of hurdlers art the United Stales championships had shown thait instead of leading over the hurdle with arm and leg extended in front of the body good text-book action—the competitors’ arms were flung wide, as if they attempting swan dives. “Their hands were almost touahung—jt looked like a daisy chain,” he observed dryly.

many P*ert athletea know whet they are do OounsHman asked. He told of a professional grid, iron footballer who was adamant he threw the bell in the approved manner—bringing it past the right ear ae close as possible and rafeasing it in front of him. But the high-speed photographs showed otherwise—<be release point was almost an arms length to the side of the body. He commended these gtudaudience and said the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association would do well to buy a camera and W out Ute own research the median iinvolved when s®.»tolrte trained was only Part of the scientific approach «' !d CouneilRussians, who, he ®a«d, had a running start on Ameraoa in the scientific approach to trteteg, were '*** Phystotogtets, peycholoan.d nutrition experts i” the furtherance of their endeavours in this field CounrtJmsn described toe . scdenMfic study of sport as a continuing search The Present generation had a treobMgMton to future generations, he send The lecture wee Dr. Coun-24-day tour of the country.