“Greatest Collection Of Swimming Talent”

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31786, 17 September 1968, Page 15

“Greatest Collection Of Swimming Talent”

(From MURRAY ROSE, of the Associated Press) NEW YORK. Miss C. Ball, a 16-year-old schoolgirl known as the queen of the breaststroke swimmers, heaved a sigh of relief when she made the United States Olympic team. Breaking her own world records in the 100 and 200 metres of the Olympic trials did not impress her as much as making the team. “This was my dream,” said the blonde from Jacksonville, Florida, of making the Olympic team. “It’s harder to make our team than to win a medal in the Olympics. It was what I have been working so hard for in the last eight years.” Swimmers and coaches the world over marvel at the unsurpassed talent and the tremendous depth of the American men and women’s teams a product of the Amateur Athletic Union’s age-group programmes, and of the clubs and the colleges all over the land. SINCE 1960 This has been going on ever since the United States resumed domination of the Olympic swimming programme at Rome in 1960 and extended it at Tokyo in 1964. At Tokyo there were 18 swimming events, 10 for the men and eight for the women. The American men won seven and the women six for a total of 13 of the 18. Since 1964. 11 more swimming events have been added to the Olympic programme, making 15 for the men and 14 for the women. With the j four dives added, the aquatic programme now has 33 events compared with 36 for track and field. 23 GOLDS “We should win 23 gold medals in the swimming and diving—l2 by the men and 11 by the women,” says Mr H. Hainsworth, the aquatics administrator of the Athletic Union. “We could even win more This is the greatest collection of swimming talent I’ve ever seen.

“It seems to me that I have to say this every year. The depth is tremendous, and there are always new ones coming up.” Of the 15 men’s swimming events on the Olympic pro-

gramme from October 17 to 26, Americans hold the world records in nihe and are favoured in two others—the 400metre freestyle, held by R. Hutton (Canada) and the 400metre medley relay, held by East Germany. Of the 14 women’s events, the United States holds the world records in nine, has the fastest four in the world in the 100-metre freestyle (the retired Miss D. Fraser, of Australia, has the record), and has solid contenders in the four other events the 100 and 200 metres of both the butterfly and backstroke.

The other American world record-holders include D. Schollander, the four-gold medal star of the 1964 Olympics, 18-year-old M. Spitz, C. Hickcox, M. Burton, A Zorn and K. Walsh, Miss D. Meyer and Miss C. Kolb. And there are many others close to world records, in-

eluding Miss S. Pedersen, the 14-year-old on the trail of Miss Fraser’s long-standing 100-metre freestyle mark. Outside the United States, the leading gold medal swimming candidates are from Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Britain, and Mexico. RUSSIAN HOPES

Russia is strong in the breaststroke for both the men's and women’s events, and has power in the freestyle and individual medleys. East Germany has the backstroke record-holder, R. Matthes. The Netherlands has Miss A. Kok, the world recordholder in the butterfly and Canada has a backstroke contender, Miss E. Tanner, and the 400-metre record-holder, R. Hutton.

Britain hopes to win the 100-metre freestyle with R. McGregor, and Mexico is pinning hopes on the freestyle swimmer, G. Echevarria, in the 400 and 1500 - metre events.

Swimming in the 7400 ft altitude he is accustomed to could inspire the Mexican, who held the 1500-metre record briefly before Burton took it.

J. Fiolo (Brazil) the PanAmerican Games 100 and 200metre breaststroke champion and a holder of the 100-metre record for two months, also is rated a chance for a gold medal.

Records have not lasted long in this Olympic year. But in Mexico City’s mountainous terrain, not many world marks are expected to be broken. The battle will be for medals.