Swedish Drill Part Of Training For Japanese Swimmers

Taranaki Daily News, 21 January 1935, Page 12

Swedish Drill Part Of Training For Japanese Swimmers

M UCH . swimming and Swedish drill, which latter is considered an essential phase of the training for swimming, are making the youth of Japan grow—developing a physique that would have been regarded as remarkable by an older* generation. For practical proof of this, contemplate the physical proportions of Yasutaro Sakagami and Masaji Kiyokawa —Sakagami particularly—the Japanese swimmers now in Australia.

Sakagami is of the opinion that the intensity of swimming and Swedish drill is increasing the stature of the Japanese race. Children are developing remarkably. Sakagami is about 6ft in height and weighs 12st. He is 22 years of age. Kiyokawa is three years younger, fairly tall, and weighs about lOst. Neither Sakagami nor Kiyokawa experienced great difficulty in understanding interviewers; they replied readily to questions (writes W. F. Corbett in the Sydney "Sun”). They are bright young men, both students of economics at the Tokyo University of Commerce. Since he has been in Australia Sakagami has been informed that he has been elected captain of Waseda university swimming team.

To indicate Sukagami’s free style speed, here are his best times: Fifty metres 26 2-ssec, 100 metres 59sec. 200 metres 2min 14sec, 400 metres smin 4sec.

Kiyokawa is the greatest backstroke swimmer who has visited Australia. He is a world champion and recordholder, his finest figures being: One hundred metres Imin 7 3-5, 200 metres 2min 35 2-ssec, and 400 metres smin 30 2-ssec (world record). Sakagami explained that Yasutaro implied “Peaceful first son,” and Sakagami meant “climbing the mountain side to the top,” while Masaji meant “Just” (or “Righteous”) “second son,” and Kiyokawa “clear stream.”

On the subject of what has come to be popularly termed the “Japanese stroke,” Sakagami said that, in free style, the Japanese swam wi + h the elbows high and an inside pull. The head was given greater lift, and that assisted in the important matter of breathing. The sprinter swam with a looser movement than that of the Japanese distance swimmer.

Sakagami favoured a 1000-metre training swim twice a day, with a couple of 25-metre sprints. Neither be nor Kiyokawa smoked or drank anything more potent than soft drinks.