Exclusive club dominating Masters event

Press, 27 April 1984, Page 28

Exclusive club dominating Masters event

By

KEVIN TUTTY

The name of one club crops up regularly in the results of the men’s events at the Arena international masters swimming championships at Queen Elizabeth II Park. Members of the Olympic club from San Francisco have been winning events frequently during the championships and on Wednesday its relay teams won six of the seven age-groups. It is a club with a proud heritage. It is the oldest sports club in North America, founded by four German immigrants in 1860.

Today it boasts 7000 members. It is an all male club comprised of professional men, and has headquarters in Union Square, in the centre of San Francisco, and a country club on the Pacific coast which has two championship class golf courses. The Lakeside course is one of the top 10 championship courses in the United States. Being an exclusive male club in a liberal city like San Francisco does not cause problems according to Mr Glynn Jones who is the masters swimming commis-

sioner at the club. “Wives are permitted to use the majority of the facilities at the club.” The club is au athletic club to promote physical culture and foster amateur sport. Besides swimming there are 15 other sports the club members can indulge in. The club’s headquarters in downtown San Francisco has a covered pool, squash courts, a basketball court, handball courts, and an indoor running track. There is a four-year waiting list for the exclusive club and then the applicant

faces an entrance fee of between SUSI2OO and SUS2OOO. Before he has to worry about opening his cheque book he must pass a screening committee. After he has overcome that hurdle and paid his entry fee, a member then has to pay between SUSSO and SUSIOO a month membership fees. Thirty-eight swimmers, assisted by the club, are competing in Christchurch, and they are dominating almost every age-group from 25 to 29 years to 75 to 79 years.

Yesterday three members of the club made a clean sweep of the first three places in the men’s 30 to 34 years 50m butterfly. The most noteworthy member of the team is Mike Bottom who equalled the world record for his age-group in the 25 to 29 years 50m butterfly with a time of 25.165. On Wednesday Bottom set a new record in the 100 m butterfly. Although their names are perhaps not as well known in this part of the world there are some accomplished swimmers in the club’s team.

The oldest member of the team is Art Hargrave at 77. He was one of America’s leading swimmers 60 years ago and in 1925 he swam against the legendary Johnny Weismuller at the United States national championships. Don Hill, a 198 cm, lean 52 year old holds three world records in his age-group — for the 50, 100 and 200 m freestyle. A former United States college 50 yard record holder — the equivalent of a world record — Hill can still cut out the 100 m freestyle in under a minute. His

world record is 59.255. A former Olympic waterpolo player, Mike Garibaldi is included in the team in Christchurch and there is a father and son — Ed Rudloff sen. and Ed Rudloff jun. One man who earns respect at any competition he enters is Jim Harwood, a surgeon back in San Francisco. He has an artificial leg but does not let that interfere with his enjoyment of the sport.

Further report, page 18