SWIMMING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 July 1924, Page 10

SWIMMING.

BORG IN CALIFORNIA. MAKES A BIG- IMPRESSION. This little story, unfolded by Ernest M. Smith in "the £}an Francisco Examiner of May 6, shows that- the young Swede., impressed himself on the critics of California. Arne Borg swam 400 metres in smin 11 4-osec early in May at Neptune Beach, California, in his first swim in continental United States, thereby demonstrating to the doubting Thomases of the acquatic world. that he ranks with John Weissmuller as one of the greatest mermen in the world to-day. Borg’s wonderful feat, accompanied "with no competition, and in , spite of a serious infection in his ear which caused him great pain, is the fastest quarter-mile ever done in. the West. "The great Swede* answered Starter Lineer’s pistol shot with a sprint- that carried him to the end of the first lap, 100 yards, •in 59. 3-ssee. - His 200 yards was done in. 2min 11 2-ssec, and the furlong in 2min .25 4-ssec-. His third lap was slow, but in the fourth and the last lap he showed that his reserve, strength was tremendous. His finish -was that of a fifty yards swimmer. .

All that has been said of Borg’s revolutionary style in the water was confirmed in his swim at - the Alameda Beach. Perhaps the most noticeable ofhis -idiosjmcracies - is his fast arm action, and the manner in which he 'crosses his stroke in front of his fdee. The tempo of Boi'g’s arm stroke is that of a sprint swimmer, and he maintains his ter rifle, pace, from gun to tape. -As soon- as his'arms enter the water they start, their pull. Tim pull is positive at all tidies, and its scope is but half an arm. length, instead of the long straight-arm sweep of the average American champion swimmer. Borg’s appearance was highly satisfactory to the huge body of his country, who turned out to greet the greatest athlete Sweden has put in the water in many years.