SWIMMING

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17012, 10 April 1923, Page 3

SWIMMING

Notes and Comments by

" Crawl"

j THE AMERICAN GIRLS.

j LETTER FROM ME HANDLEY. Some interesting information regardi ing the doings of the American girl swimmers is contained in a. letter dated ; February 23. recently received from | Air 1,, d© B. Handley, the famous coach | of the New York Women’s Swimming ! Association The letter is important I for it gives a great deal of definite and thoroughly reliable news regarding seme of the more remarkable feats of which only vague and often inaccurate reports have reached us from other WONDERFUL GERTRUDE. “ In regard to Gertrude Ederle, who is .sixteen years of age,” says Mr Handley, ‘‘you may quite safely rate her' m© greatest ail-round swimmer of her uex ever developed. \Y. J. lioweroft, cl Liverpool, wlio saw her in aii her great races last summer, has expressed the opinion in print, that she can do 100 yards in 62 and one mile under 25.50. 1 am not so optimistic, iri so far a* her present ability is concerned, but her actual performances speak for themselves, in her first contest longer chan 220 yards, last August, she defeated Helen Wain wright by nearly on© minute in a three and a- half mile •race for the Day Cups. This race was over an ocean course, with favouring tide, and Gertrude won in Ihr 4min. A.s Helen Wain wright made an American record of 26min 44 4-osec for one mile over a 110 yards course shortly before, and Gertrude improved her distance work rapidly after the Day Cup race, you can figure for yourself her possibilities at one mile. She never had a chance to swim the distance in competition. “ At IOC) yards Gertrude has done 1.14 4-5 over a straightaway in a. still water lagoon and 1.05 in a 25-yard bath. At 220 yards she did 2.49 1-5 over a. choppy 110-yard saltwater course, and 2.49 in a. 75-foot hath. On ihe. way to 500 metres, at 440 yards, she did 6.00 1-5 over a 110-yard river course, across current, so that contestants we re carried yards off a straight line, and she did 5.54 3-5 in a 75-foot l ath on the way to 500 mires, then completed the latter distance, nearly 550 yards, in 7.22 1-5. Also, in Bermuda, in October, she swam 150 yards in 1.45 in a 75-foot bath, and this performance has been accepted by the federation as a world’s record. ‘‘'You arc not likely to hear of any remarkable feats on Gertrude’s part in the near future, however. She does not like swimming in indoor, baths, and I am not pressing licr, so she is doing almost no training and I am quite sure she will not regain top form until next j summer, when she Will swim every day j outdoors, for the Ederles have a cot- ! tage at the seashore, and inhabit it from. June to October. Her latest performances. 100 in 1.06 and 220 in 2.52 ..are a criterion of her winter rating. HELEN WAINWRIGHT. “ Helen Wainwright, also sixteen, ! but a few months older than Gertrude, has been somewhat underestimated because of the latter’s rise to leadership, but she is another marvel. With Howcroft and myself among the timers she covered a supposed 220 yards, 110-yard { stretch, in 2.41 1-5 last July. The time

was so extraordinary that w B had the course re-measured at one© and found it short, but it was disclosed that the actual measurement brought the distance for the two laps to 216 yards 2 feet, *o you will realise that she r.-ouLd have reached 220 yards under 2.44 had the course been accurate. She has done 1.06 for 100. both straightaway and in a 75-foot bath, and she was about 15 seconds behind Kd«rkwhen the latter made her 500 metres under the same conditions in 7.22 1-1. Sin must have pasted ILO on the way

between 6.06 arid 6-00, for Gertrude gained Throughout. • Lately Helen has had sickness in tlie family, so that she is a hit slower, but she won the metropolitan championship at 500 varus (60-foot bath) in 6.55 4-5. passing on the way 220 in 2.53 and 4-'.O in 6.06. Considering the advantage of the turns this is a little short oi her work in the mentioned 500 m race. “ 1 may add that Helen is a particularly noteworthy youngster because of her remarkable versatility. As you know. >he lost the Olympic- diving championship to Aiieen lliggin by less than one point. Lately Helen lias beaten Aiieen .and yesterday, with Helen absent owing to a sore throat, Aiieen won tho national low-springboard championship, so yon will see that Helen is a: the top or tho heap as a diver, or near the top. at least, for we consider Helen IVleany, W.S.A., now at college, the greatest diver of her sex that ever lived. Helen Wninwrijjht, too, is second best at the back stroke in America, probably in the world. Sybil Bauer, of Chicago, stands .supreme, her best time for 100 yards being 1.15. then cemes Helen with 1.20 3-5 Slid Aiieen Biggin with 1.21 ~ NEW ZEALAND G TILLS. Mr Handler considers that the New Zealand gMs should be sent to the Olympic Games. “T. really don t see,” he says, why you should hesitate to send Miss Shand and Miss Hoe ft to the imxt Oly m piad. • Miss Hoeft-’s time for 100 yards demonstrates that she is as ©rood as Gertrude Ederle and better than Helen Wainwright at this distance. Miss Shand’s steady improvement may well make her a dangerous rival at 400 metres to even Gertrude by the summer of 1924. Apart from these two your girls seem Test at both distances, for Hilda James, of England, no longer is being coached by Ho were ft end she is likely to go back, instead of forward, if she lacks competent mentorship. SPLENDID YOU NGSTERS. M'The W.S.A. kiddies are giving more satisfaction just now than the champions. Virginia. Whitenack, who is not quite fourteen, swam 100 yards in 1 min 11 2-Mee. and 500 yards in 7min 55sec recently. Kathryn Brown, twelve until last month, has done 100 yards in Imm 12 3-ssec, end 200 yards in 2min 53sec. Frances Meany, ten, showed 100 yards in linin 28sec* a- few days ago. It is a. joy to note how consistently tho little ones improve. Moreover, .1 hav© so many of them showing possibilities that I’ve asked

ihe W.S.A. to form a junior team for those of twelve and under. It will he a most interesting task to work with ih< children. You never saw a keener livelier, more lovable hunch of youngsters. Above . il, it is amazing to see bow wonderfully swimming benefits them physicallv and mentallv. You hardly recognise them after a lew months of regular practice. So you really feel that you are accomplishing something worth while People often wonder how I can make myoslf devote much time to the Wo.A., but L actually look rerward to the evenings of coaching. They arc such a, wholesome, nice, attractive lot. Never jealousies or even petty animosities, although there arc more than seventy of them in the team. Hie spirit is fine and they hclx> one another with splendid loyalty. PROPER SPOR-TSM ANSHIP. “ - 4 -s you may know, the W.S.A. is run on si co-operative base, with no other paid employees than ' the hath ?nanager anrl her assistant. The task of teaching and coaching non-team members, of wi :oh there are 700., i* undertaken hv the team girls, who serve two evenings a week for on© month, as their turns come?, once or twice a year. As a result even the youngest team members are really competent coaches, so they are- able to be mutually helpful. Recently four of girls went to Buffalo for a championship race and were allowed to practice at the club bolding tho meet the day 1 ■store the event. The hnth was crowded with club members eager to see them work out. As usual, the four swam one at a time, while the ether three followed along the *: ; -Vs coaching. The Bn ffo lonian s '-•■or.Vln’t nnrlersfcj.nd -t. Finally one of the chib officers approached Miss Epstein. W.S.A. can ta i 1:, mi charge of ilic -girh. “ ' Are not those girl.-, comp-e timt

against each other to-morrow ?’ he asked. ‘ Yes.’ said Miss Epstein. ‘ Why?’ And you mean to tell me rnar being rivals: for the same event they try to assist each other?’ Certainly, they are friends, team mates.’ Well, if that doesn’t heat the Dutch,’ exclaimed tho Buffalo man. ‘ -Out to beat each other to-morrow, and helping each other to-day. That’* a new one on me.’ ” ‘ It’s the sport-man ship we try to teach them,’ said Miss Epstein. I can see that now. But I wouldn’t .have thought it possible.’ “The little episode will toll you the kind of spirit developed. If any disturbing element crops up the girl responsible for it is eliminated gentlv. hut immediately, regardless of her rat - ing as a contestant. But there is not much danger of it, for every newcomer must be on probation six months before she is accorded team membership and she- never gets it if she doesn’t, prove 100 per cent desirable in every way. Many a promising swimming prospect has been let go because of some little personal failing. The result is a loyal, clannish, telf-sufficient aggregation of the nicest kind. A WONDERFUL CLUB. ” Don’t blame me if I wax enthusiastic over the W.S.A. I’ve seen it grow from its inception and seen from the inside the splendid work of officers and members, think of the president and vice-president of a big dub <BOO members now) serving night after night as cashier and clerk : other officers assuming the role of dispensers of suits and towels : other studying pools watching the club plant daily in turns giving up time to teach clubmates And all for the lore of the sport, for the good of a worthy cause. And the independence of them! They want a larger pool—need it badly--but they wiil not hear of financial assistance' !rcm the outside. They intend to get it through tlieir own unselfish efforts. Many offers have come. All have been refused with grateful thanks. But the new pool is in sight. Owing to the services of all the volunteer workers the overhead expense is very small. The year ending last November showed u dear profit of 5500 dollars over and above expenses; the present year should show a net gain of 10,000 «lollars or more. Already h committee has Lten appointed to seek the site and conduct negotiations for the new hath. So you will understand why I enthuse. The moving spirits are voung women of the business world, who labour all day. yet find time to carry on and enlarge steadily the W.S.A. WEISSMULLER —AND OTHERS “ John Weissmuller is still breaking records. Recently he swam 500yds iu a 20yd . bath in smm 42sec; passing 440 on the way in Imin 51 2-osec. His speed seems to be limitless. But new stars are cropping up on all sides. Dick Howell, of Chicago, has done 220 (20vc! hath) in 2min 17sec, and Ralph Breyer, ol North-Western University (near Chicago) in 2min IDsee. Dinsmore Banks, of Yale, has lowered tho University national record for 100 yards (75ft hath) to 55 2-ssec. John Fancy, l niversity of Minnesota, Mineapolis, has done 100 yards breast stroke (60ft bath) in Imin 10 3-osec: Mark Coles mid James Stifler, of Brown University. Providence, R.L., both are credited with 100 back stroke (75ft. bath) in Imin 7sec. Times like 56sec for 100 and 2mm 2osec for 220 actually are becoming commonplace. Obviously it is the new stroke, the six-beat double rhythm crawl, which gradually is being adopted universally by the rising swimmers. At that, I am beginning to wonder seriously whether the eightbeat is not going to supplant the six before long Probably one-third of the W.S.A. racing girls are using the eight. Gertrude Egdorle swam it in winning the metropolitan 100 yards in Imin Gfiec. Ethel M’Gary, Lillian Stoddart, Virginia Whitenack, Frances Cooney Eileen O’Mara and other of the most promising youngsters have gone over to it. most of them without intention or knowledge on their part. quite imi malic. It is a matter fur thought.”