World Records To U.S. Swimmers

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30541, 9 September 1964, Page 15

World Records To U.S. Swimmers

(Specially written for "The Press" by

FRANK D. HAY)

A HOST of world and national records were swept away by a tidal wave of speedy swimming by leading competitors in the 1964 American championships at Los Altos, 30 miles south of San Francisco. Twelve world records were broken in four days.

New Zealand could learn little from the actual running of this year’s championships, but could learn much from the swimming and the equipment used. Judging was done by a machine called the Max Ritter machine, the details of which I hope to obtain.

The championships were set alight in the first event when 13-year-old Patty Carretto tore through the water to break the world’s 1500 metres record, and on the way the 800 metres as well. Throughout the entire distance the speed of her choppy stroke did not vary or flag, enabling her to rip 4.lsec from the 800 metres mark and 13.5 sec off the 1500 metres time. Her split times must interest New Zealanders: 100 metres, 68.9 sec; 200 metres, 2min 23.65ec; 400 metres, 4min 53.25ec. Claudia Kolb, another slight girl, had a convincing win in the 200 metres breaststroke, when she bobbed her way to an American record of 2min 49.8 sec. The slowest qualifying in the race was admitted with the

time of 2min 56.95ec. Kolb narrowly missed a world record with her 100 metres time of Imin 19sec. Richardson gave some idea of the competition D. F. Gerrard would meet at Tokyo when he loped home .5 of a second outside the world’s record ip 57.5 for the 100 metres butterfly. Six swimmers in this race broke the minute.

In the men’s 400 metres freestyle, world record holder Murray Rose went under to the brilliant D. Schollander. From the gun Schollander opened up a lead that was never really threatened, though over the last 100 metres Rose made up considerable ground. It may be that Rose has a problem to overcome with this slow first four laps. Schollander established a new world record of 4min 12.7 sec, Rose being second in 4min 15.7 sec.

Schollander also gained the world’s record for the 200 metres, when with a splendid exhibition of turning, he recorded an unbelievable time of Imin 57.6 sec. This was 13 seconds faster than his target mark.

The women’s 400 metres freestyle was another brilliant swim, the result indicating America can put a circle around this event at Tokyo. The winner, Marilyn Ramenofsky, a pretty

17-year-old Arizona girl, was a different cut from the other girls competing. Whereas they came through a searching and arduous age group programme, her first serious race came at 15. Like

Schollander, Ramenofsky differs from the bulk of American swimmers by her smooth style which reminds one of the almost perfect rhythm produced by the Americans a decade ago. Her 400 metres time of 4min 41.7 sec must look formidable to the rest of the world.

Though the American girls swam well in the 100 metres freestyle they did not, on this day’s performances,

seem capable of pushing Dawn Fraser from her crown. However, they showed plenty of evidence that they would win the relay. In the men’s 200 metres butterfly, the titleholder, C. Robie, had a good win in 2min 9.2 sec. It is interesting to note that New Zealand’s Gerrard would have, with his best performance of 2min 13.9 sec, made fourth place. Although U.S.A.’s top sprinter, S. Clarke, had injured his shoulder and could not swim, there was no drop in standard in the men’s 100 metres freestyle: a time of 55.95ec was needed to qualify. Schollander won the final in 53.8 sec, only .2sec outside the world record. The 1500 metres was a time trial, the swimmers being graded into heats. In the morning two heats were held and at the evening session the two fastest heats were conducted. The person with the fastest time takes the title. Officials told me that one could not, as we do in New Zealand, ask swimmers to race over this distance twice in the same day. Rose easily beat R. Saari, the world record-holder, in the final heat and set a new world mark of 17min I.Bsec. Later he said he had hoped to break 17min but nevertheless was pleased with his effort, for he felt he was a long way from a peak.