JAPAN’S SWIMMERS

Evening Star, Issue 21219, 28 September 1932, Page 9

JAPAN’S SWIMMERS

LEARNED FROM MOVIES WEISMULLER EXPLAINS Many people far and wide have been wondering how' the Japanese swimmers competing at the Los Angeles Olympic Games succeeded in defeating some of the world’s greatest stars, and carrying the honours home to Japan. The simple, surprising fact is that they learned how to do it by gazing at moving pictures of other swimmers. It was a noteworthy fact that practically everywhere a Japanese was seen in Los Angeles, he carried a camera, ready to snap anything thought worth a picture. Will Rogers, the American humorist, stated that he accosted a young; Japanese girl and asked her if her father and mother had come to Los Angeles also to compete in the Olympic Games. “ No,” replied the girl, “ they could not come as they had no cameras.” Johnny Weismuller, who was champion of champions for a long time, giving his experiences while in Los Angeles, said: “ Two years ago I was in Japan on an exhibition tour with some other swimmers. Arriving there 1 saw some of these very youngsters who won championships, or cracked world’s records in the Olympiad, kicking around in the water and doing right well by themselves. When 1 asked who was their teacher, I -was informed that the basic knowledge of free style, back stroke, and breast stroke was being imparted to them via moving pictures, both fast and slow motion. It was about five years ago that they took up competitive swimming. Instead of hiring tutors from different parts of the world, they sent to the different countries and had pictures shipped in. “The bop studied these and went out and tried to imitate the motionsThis they were doing when 1 arrived, together with the rest of our small troupe. We were given a wonderful reception, and every fledgling swimmer within a wide area turned out to see us do our exhibitions. We really were the first of the Occidental swimmers to appear in Japan "after it became ambitious to learn the modern style, and the youngsters watched every move we made. Pictures were taken of us doing everything that could, be done in the water. Some of the boys who made history for their country during the Olympiad, came to us for a few pointers, and, of course, we were mightily happy to help. “ 1 have read much of the ‘Japanese style ’of modern swimming. The intent of the writings seems to bo to create the idea that the Japanese used a method that is distinctly their own. Some persons take the point of view that it is better than ours. But the real truth is that the Japanese style is merely a crude imitation of the Occidental method of free style, breast stroke, and back stroke. These boys have tried to imitate us, and they have not quite succeeded, for the reason that they have not had direct tutoring, but had to depend upon their eyesight instead of being drilled by stylists. Despite this they were good enough to beat the greatest swimmers the other nations of the world could produce. When you remember what those fourten, fifteen, and sixten-year-old youngsters did this year, without expert teaching and without having had real experience against the brilliant stars of the water, can you imagine what' will happen to the ambitions of the swimmers from rival nations in 1936, when the Japanese boys will have been polished to perfection, and will have the addition of a certain maturity that every swimmer needs in the moments when stamina is of such vital importance!-”’