U.S. SWIMMERS BREAK RECORDS

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31725, 8 July 1968, Page 20

U.S. SWIMMERS BREAK RECORDS

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) SANTA CLARA. The brilliant young Californian swimmers broke three more World records in an international pre-Olympic competition on Saturday, posting a formidable warning to competitors at the Mexico Olympic Games.

Miss C. Kolb, G. Buckingham and a team of girls, all from the Santa Clara club, set new world marks in the women’s and men’s 400 metres individual medleys and the women’s 400 metres freestyle relay, in successive races. Overseas entrants were left

trailing in most events, although M. Rousseau (France) went near to winning.

Miss Kolb, aged 18, sliced almost three seconds off her own world mark in the women’s medley, finishing 15 yards ahead of her nearest rival, in smin s.4sec. Her previous best was smin B.2sec. She pulled far ahead on the breaststroke leg and beat a fellow-Califor-nian, Sue Pedersen, by about 20 yards. Russian Holder

Buckingham, a 23-year-old student, won the men’s medley in 4min 45.1 sec, one fifth of a second better than the pending world mark set recently by the Russian, A. Dunaev.

It was only the second time Buckingham had swum the race in international competition. The first was earlier in the day, in a heat. The young Santa Clara team of Misses L. Gustavson, P. Watson, P. Carpenelli and J. Henne beat the 400 metres women’s relay record set by a team from their own club last year, by 2.ssec. They recorded 4min Isec. The French champion, Rousseau, led the Olympic champion, D. Schollander, until the last few yards of the 200 metres men’s freestyle, but lost the final touch. Rousseau returned a fast Imin 58sec. The Japanese champion, K. Iwasaki, was fifth, equalling his country’s record of 2min o.4sec.

Another Japanese, Y. Takada, held off several powerful Americans, to finish third behind the world record-holder, M. Spitz, and his Californian rival, J. Ferris, in the men’s 200 metres butterfly.