REMARKABLE SWIMMING.

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1927, Page 3 (Supplement)

REMARKABLE SWIMMING.

AUSTRALIAN GILL’S FEAT. If the reports of officials of the Bondi Ladies’ Club concerning the swimming of Jean Cocks, aged 12, are exact, Australia has unearthed a child swimmer unequalled in any part of the world, says a Sydney writer. In a 440 yards club handicap at Bondi, Jean Cocks, according to three watch-hold-ers, swam 440yds. in the almost unbelievable time of 6min 35soc. The swim is easily the speediest ever done by a 12-year-old girl, and the time is much better than the figures denote, as Bondi is a very slow pool. When it is remembered that Edna Daveys’ time in the Australian 440yds championship at Brisbane was 6min 2Ssec,S., the Bondi girl’s performance is wonderful. In her swim, Jean Cocks passed the 300 yards turn in 4min 35sec Earlier in the afternoon she swam 100 yards in 73 3-5 secs. It was her third swim over 440 yards. When in Australia in 1920, Ethelda Bleibtrey’s best 440yds effort was Oniin 27secs. At last, with Edna Davey, Bettey Taw, aged 13, Jean C|cks, and Jean Watts aged 141, Australia appears likely to again produce a world-beating

woman > immer of Fanny Durack’s calibre. The New Zealand ladies’ record for the distance is 6min Ssec.