JAPANESE TO THE FORE

Evening Star, Issue 23122, 23 November 1938, Page 5

JAPANESE TO THE FORE

STARTLING SWIMMING FEATS AMERICA'S SUPREMACY AGAIN CHALLENGED [By Hooker.] In a bulletin forwarded to the writer by Professor John A. Jackson, of San Francisco, L. de B. Handley, one of America’s foremost coaches, says that the disappointing performances at the men’s and women’s national A.A.U. championships were alarming from the international viewpoint, for, although their men free stylers easily reaped the lion’s share of the laurels during their competitive tour of Europe, their breast and back strokers, even: their fancy divers, did not faro so well. The Japanese, in decline since the Olympic Games of 1936; took another leap forward during their summer and achieved some rather startling feats. Most outstanding was the work of Tomikatsu Amano, newly-developed champion of Nippon University. He stamped himself the greatest middle-distance swimmer of all time, according to Mr Handley, by slashing the world’s free style records for 1,000 metres from 12min 41 4-ssec to 12min 33 4-ssec, and 1,500 metres from 19min 17 l-ssec to 18min 58 4-ssec. Hardly less noteworthy was a 200metre swim in 2min 9 3-ssec in a 60metre bath by Shigeru Arai, of Rikyo University. This exploit represents approximately 2min 5 3-ssec for 200 metres in a 25-metre pool, as against the universal standard of 2min 7 l-ssec set by Olympic 400 metres champion Jack Medica in a 25yds pool, or with one more turn!

Other Japanese stars showed rating speed at 200 metres, making clear that Japan again can muster a formidable quartet for the 800-metre relay. At 200 metres breast stroke several of the Japanese went well under the fastest time returned by an American, so that only at 100 metres back stroke did America’s top-notchers display slight superiority. As for the American girl swimmers, their performances were so far behind those of the European leaders that they were literally outclassed. _ Denmark’s sensational champion, Miss Ragnhild Hveger, sprinted 100 metres free style in Imin 5 9-10 sec. She lowered the world’s record for 200 metres from 2min 25 3-10 sec to 2min 21sec in a 25-metre pool, and for 400 metres from 6min 12 2-ssec to smin 9sec in a 50metre bath.

Then she helped to lower the international mark for the 400-metre relay from. 4miu 32 4-ssec to 4min 31 3-ssec over a 60-metre course, an average of Imin 7 9-10 sec per 100 metres. It is worthy of note that the quoted old record of smin 12 2-ssec for 400 metres was hung up in a 25-metre pool, so that Miss Heveger actually beat it by more than 7sec. Miss Cor Kint, of Holland, negotiated 100 metres back stroke in Imin 14 3-ssec in a 50-metre pool, which indicates she is capable of shading the world’s mark of Imin 13 3-ssec set in a 25-metre pool. Several of the European fair breast stroke exponents swam 200 metres within a very few seconds of 3min over long courses. Compare these figures with the women’s American long-course records of 2min 35sec for 220yds free style, omin 28 5-10 sec for 400 metres, Imin 18 l-sseo for 100 metres back stroke, 3min 12 3-ssec for 200 metres breast stroke, and 4min 38seo for the 400 metres free style relay. Unless the Americans make wonderful strikes by' 1940, they will not have a remote chance against their European rivals at the next Olympic Games. The one hopeful feature, according to Mr Handley, is that many of the scorers at the national championships were immature lassies ranging in age from 12 to 15. Perhaps from among them some stars of the required calibre will emerge in time.