The sun., 1919-08-10
AUSTRALIAN GIRLS
HERE THIS WEEK
Misses Durack and Wylie, Fa-
nous Swimmers, to Compete
at Manhattan Beach.
TO BE PUT TO THE TEST
Visitors From Antipodes Will
Meet Keen Competition
From Local Mermaids.
TO BE PUT TO THE TEST

Now that the A. A. u has undertaken
to handle the American tour of Miss
Fannie Durack and Miss Nina wylie.
the world famous swimmers from Aus
trEtfa. there is no longer any douht that
they will be afforded the opportunity to
try conclusions with every worthy rival
in this country. t./
II is interesting. therefore. to glance
over recent developments and endeavor
10 sestimate the chances OF the home
champions in their coming engagements
with the noted foreigners.
Were oris a safe criterion by
which to Judge It might be taken for
granted that Miss Durack. at least.
would easily defeat at any distance our
foremost free style girl swimmers, for
She has hung marks all the way from
ffty yards to one mile that never have
been eaualled.
Apart, however. from the fact that
conditions AFFECT to n very large extent
tintes made in swimming. so that stand
ards are not necessarily token of su-
prefhacy, two important factors enter
Nthe consideration in this particular case ::
First, the possibility that the Australian
leader may not be able nowadays to re-
pear her best performances of the past !:
second. the virtual assurance that our
fair. stars will shatter every national
record Mt present on the list before the
summer is over.
Bars the sPrints.
II needs be noted in this respect that
Miss Durack has announced she win
not compete az any distance shorter
than the furlong. which leads one to be-
neve she has lost some of her truly
wonderful speed. and that several of our
girls have lately furnished convincing
proof of ability to cut by good margins
the official figures bracketed for the
regulation outdoor courses.
AS matters now stand Miss Durack
holds the International records at
:bs 2-5 for 220 yards; 6 :03 As for 44O !:
2:44 for $50 and ,2s :06 for one mile,
while the American marks for these dis
tances are 2 :56 2-5. s :39 2-5, 13 81 As
and 20 :33 2-5. the aforementioned by
Miss Olga Dorfner of Philadelphia, and
the other three by Mrs. Claire Galligan
Finney OF New York.
This comparison is misleading. In the
: past few weeks three of our rnerma ids
have been credited with beating 2 :55 for
the furlong and doing 440 yards under
6:20-Mrs. Frances Cowells Schroth of
San Francisco and the Misses Charlotte
Boyle and Ethelda Bleibtrey Of this city.
The latter feats not only show an i'm
proyement of more than twenty seconds
on Nhe national quarter mile record, but
oher quite conclusive evidence that any
member OF the trio now can dispose OF
thes $50 yards and one mile figures under
normal conditions.
~ Fit for Fast Mile.
II may also be pointed out that Mrs.
Fihney's half mile swim of last summer
IN 1881 AS leaves no doubt she could
even then have done ono mile around
"a $50. for she swan her second 440
yards three seconds faster than her first
in the race.
Conceding then that Miss Durack is
ae iast as ever. her range OF superiority
over cur topnotchers will amount to net
more than one second at the furIonR.
about IL seconds at the quarter. in the
neishborhood of 80 seconds at the half
and possibly IL minutes at the mile.
But II our girls continue to improve or
the Australian falls short. of her rec
oras we Will see some great racing, at
least up to $50 yards.
Miss Wylie will confine her efforts TO
the sprints In free style swimming. but
she is ready to meet all comers at the
breast and back strokes. It will not be
wise to underestimate her ability. The
fact that the many victories she scored
last winter at home were won In times
which hardly class her as dangerous
should be overlooked. Lack OF worthy
opposition might well be the explana-
tfon.
= Must Wreck Records.
Australian experts feel confident she
wfll give her wash to our best In any
event she enters. and. although We may
hold quite different views, for she must
best worlds figures to escape defeat,
cverconf1dence is unwarranted.
Among the stars who should prove
Miss Wylie's strongest opponents at the
breast stroke are the famous Smith
twins, Ruth and Eleanore, formerly OF
Columbus. now OF New York; Miss
Helen Thomson Of Milwaukee. and Miss
Mabel Arklie Of Philadelphia. At the
back stroke the Smith twins. Miss Dor
othy Burns OF Los Angeles. Miss Marie
Curtis OF Detroit, Miss Schroth and
Mise Bleibtrey will furnish keen COM
petition for the girls from the Antipodes
Miss Durack's first important race will
besfhe national A. A. u. 4teN yard
swimming championship at Manhattan
Beach on August 16 in which she is
hooked to meet several OF our title hold
ers. including Miss Bieibtrey and Miss
Boyle. At the Same carnival 1t Is hoped
to see Miss Wylie pitted against the
Smith twins In q breast stroke test