REMARKABLE SWIMMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19343, 2 June 1926, Page 16

REMARKABLE SWIMMING.

AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. An amazing all-round swimmer in Walter Laufer, aged 18 years, scored his first national successes in the American championships held in Chicago from April 5 to 9. For several seasons Weismuller has been regarded as a peerless sprint swimmer, but the performances of Laufer serve to show that the Olympic champion's reign is nearing an end. Imperfectly recovered from a lengthy illness Weismuller had to remain a spectator of the performance put up by the young Cincinnati Y.M.C.A. member. Laufer was third in the 50yds championship, won by Daubenspeck in 24 2-ss, but he carried all before him in the 100 yds event, winning in 52 3-ss. He also won the 150 yds backstroke race in 1m 42 4-55., the 300 yds. medley, and the pentathlon (100 yds. and 500 yds, freestyle, 100 yds. breaststroke, 100 yds. backstroke and fancy diving), and he was third in the 220 yds. Laufer engaged in no less than 22 contests, including heats and finals, during the five-day meeting. Aucklanders who saw the remarkable speed Arne Borg achieved when he swam in the Tepid Baths in 1924, will marvel at the fact that the Swede has now improved out of sight, especially over the shorter distances. In Chicago, Borg swam third to Laufer over 100 yds., and won the 220 yds. title in 2m 15 3-ss, and the 500 yds. in 5m 43 2-ss. Glaney was second in each event. The Swede's 220 yds. time is 6s faster than his swim in Auckland, when lie defeated L. L. Kronfeld by 10s. The German breast-stroke .swimmer, Eric Rademacher, proved that he has no equal by recording the wonderful time of 2m 46s for 220 yds in beating the American, Spencc. The principal points scorers at what was virtually a world's championship meeting were :—Laufer, 26; Glancy, 14; Borg, 15.