New-York tribune., 1911-10-01
SWIMMING. SEASON OVER
Much Progress Made and Two
New Records Established.
DISTANCE WORK IMPROVES
Coaches Have Hope of Develop
ing Strong Contenders for
Coming Olympic Games

The outdoor aquatic season which has
Just passed into history was most aatis-
factory from every point OF view. The
much regretted retirement Of Charles NJ
Daniels seemed 10 infuse new life into the
sport. for II aroused 20 greater efforts men
who had hitherto deemed the winning OK
important races a vain hope. and as a re-
suit progress was rapid and widespread.
Competition also was keen and close hah
a dozen swimmers vying FOR hOnors, with
first one and then the other IN the lead,
and records tumbled with a crash.
The most gratifying feature waH the
improvement in distance swimming. For
many moons II has been a thorn tn the
side OF coaches that the half-milers and
rrilers should trail far behind those Of
other countries. so that II was a pleasant
and unexpected surprise 20 see the best
figures Of the great Daniels swept ruth
lessly of the board The oue-mile mark
created by James Reilly, Of the New York
Athletic Club. IN the national fixture, OF
. minutes 40 2-5 seconds, was about forty
seconds better than the Old one and near
enough 20 the foreign standards tO allow
hopes that. with another indoor season in
which to improve. the best swimmers here
NAV have a look I'm" at the olympic
games of 1912. particularly. as Reilly was
not the only one TO show great speed His
clubmate Bud" Goodwin was only about
one second behind him when he established
the new mark.
The other record which fell was that
for $40 yards. which r. NJ Ritter. Of the
City Athletic Club. brought down from
5.54 10 to $50 3-5.
Championship hoEors were pretty even
~ divided between the veterans and the
newcomers. George Ga.dzick. Of the Chi
cago Athletic club. Kurt Behrens Of tho
city Athletic Club. an Bud Goodwin,
Of the New York Athletic club. we're the
oldtimers 20 score. while James Reilly.
Richard Frizelle. Nicholas Nerich, Arthur
McAlcenan and Frank Mullen. Of tie New
York Athletic Club, and Michael McDer-
mott. Of the Chicago Athletic Club, were
among the youngsters who won laurels.
Gaidzick captured the national fancy
diving championships. Behrens took sec-
ond in both the metropolitan and national
contests. NcAleenan wo7 the merropoli-
tan title. while Mullen earned third place
I'm the latter event
In swimming Ritter walked away With
both the quarter-mile races and Wns third
in the half-mile metropolitan, Nerich won
brilliantly in the district S80-yard race.
Goodwin captured the national haif-mile
title and was second IN the metropolitan
quarter and mile and national oue-mile
races. Reilly put 20 his credit victories
in the two one-mile races and took second
md third. respectively. in the 88o-yard
and quarter-mile metropolitan swiuss.
while McDermort won the ten-uiIe and
finished second in the half-mile national
To Frizeu went no titles, but he defeated
all comers in the short distances and was
undoubtedly the best sprinter Of the sea-
son.
The critics are now advocating specials
zation that progress may in future be even
greater They contend that it is not pos
sible for man TO attain his best form un-
Jess b. finds out what distance is best suit
ed to him and devotes his entire attention
10 il. and they point 10 the poor work o.
Reilly az The quarter and OF Ritter AMI
Nerch in the miic 10 prove their conlen-
ton
That they are right is generally conceded.
In no other branch OF sport DO athletes
take in the whole list Of events. They have
learned by experience that one cannot do
ones self justice by training indiscrimi-
natcly for the sprints, the middle dis
tances and the distances The custom has
obtained IN swimming because Of the vast
superiority Of some man or other IN an
round work. which has enabled him 90 take
the bulk Of the championships without half
ht.l IA
reason Of The slow Improvement
II would Of course have been unfair and
quite useless to try 20 persuade such pro-
Inc winners as Z. G.. Shaefer. Charles Ru-
berl or c. NJ Daniels t0 relnquish their
several titles in order 90 better themselves
at any one particular distance. but condi-
tions have changed Many L.orC men are IN
the field the fight FOR hon0rs is flr more
keen. and even in their own interest the
candidates for championships will ind IL
wise 20 specialize.
The superiority Of the crawl stroke over
the trudgeon for all distances was demon
strated conclusively Not only were all the
big races won by its eXponeuts, bur In one
race-the metropolitan mile in which Good
win alternated between the TWO strOkes-lr
was quite noticeable that he lost ground
every time he used the trudgeou.
The review OF the seasons work would
not be- complete without a mention OK
Charles DurborOw, of the Philadelphia s.
.C.. who performed some truly remarkable
feats OF endurance and In so doing uilnchOd
his right % the title of champion long dis
tance swimmer OF America Tie covered
twice the f--mila course between Chester
and Philadelphia, breaking an previous
records. he went from ocean cry 10 At
lantic City in splendid time and le swan
from the Battery 90 within about "a mile
Of Sandy Hook.