MISS GLEITZE WINS HIGHER HONOURS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19268, 3 January 1931, Page 13

MISS GLEITZE WINS HIGHER HONOURS.

SETS NEW ENSOURANCE SWIMMING RECORD. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, January 2. Having swum continuously since 8.35 on New Year’s Ji>ve, Miss Mercedes Gleitze concluded her long endurance swim at 3.5 o’clock this afternoon in the Boys’ Institute tepid baths. She increased her British endurance swimming record by half an hour. Her best time for \ continuous swimming was previously forty-two hours, established at Dublin a day or so before leaving for New ZeaSand r There -was a large and enthusiastic crowd present to see the swimmer finish, and she was cheered from time to time over the last lap. There was a scene of remarkable enthusiasm when the plucky swimmer was helped from the water to She expects to be up and about to-morrow, although she will naturally spend the day resting. According to her uSjual custom, Miss Gleitze swam to muaic, and this was provided voluntarily throughout the swim by local pia&msts, singers, a string band and a qjuartet of Maori singers whose refrains and hakas Miss Gleitze found most inspiring. In order to vary the muscles; in use, Miss Gleitze changed her stroke from time to time, the back-stroke, breast stroke, side stroke, overarm and trudge all being used for short spvlls On an average, she did thirty-three strokes per minute. Mr P. Carey, Miss GSeitze’s husband, who manages her swims?, said that between 4.30 and seven o’clock this morning his wife had the worst attack of sleepiness she ever had to contend with on an endurance swim. She had for her food during the* swim chicken broth, hot milk, bacon and eggs, egg flip, bovril, crayfish, hot lemon and a little cake. Large numbers of people attended the baths throughout the swim, including a large party from Palmerston North which came down especially to see Miss Gleitze make her attempt, and there was also a noticeable increase in the attendance late on Wednesday night to see Miss Gleitze swim the year 1930 out. She» was loudly cheered as midnight passed. Some of the spectators, apart from the officials, spent as long as thirty hours at the baths, merely going out for meals, while others attended five and six times. MISS COPPLESTONE BREAKS AUSTRALASIAN RECORD Per Press Association. HAMILTON, January 2. Miss Lily Copplestone, entering the water at Cambridge this morning, swam 33J miles down -the Waikato River to Ngaruawahia in eight hours and a quarter, breaking the Australasian record by three and a half miles. She swam with the dorible trudgeon all the way, and was swimmfeg strongly when she finished.