Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-05-16
Stir Up Discussion
How to Determine
Aquatic Records

| iOui WI W. . SN iiiliillll[ iAi bl Us Ia .
recent meet at Detroit has stirred N
considerable controversy rcgardr,
, the method of detc rmining a worlds
| record in the aquatic sport. which
was explained Saturday 10y Charts
| VI. Lynch. chairman of the Na,iona.
A. A. L. swimming committee. Mr.
| Lynch declared that records are
! made under different conditions. ana
the time given for "A swim in cor.
! tain length tank would not he The
same for the same distance In a
smaller tank or for open water
swimming where the tide will often
aid the swimmer. Mr.. Lynch. in e..
planning the indoor records esptc.
tally those established at Detroit.
said that the United States recog.
nizes records made in tanks OF -
yards or less while the international
Swimming Federation. recognizes
only marks made in tanks - yards
or longer.
At Detroit. Mr.. Lynch explained
the new records were made in
regulation tank. Johnnie Weiss.
mueller of Chicago. set a new mark
for the 30 yard free style for men.
when he did the distance IN - Is
seconds. Sybil Bauer accomplished
the 30 yard back stroke for women
in 30 10 second: Robert SHELTON
swan the 40 yard breast stroke in
Us 1-J seconds while Dorothy An
Dire set a record when she did the
, 100 yard breast stroke for women IN
1.27 rs seconds.
In explaining the conditions GOV.
crninG the indoor swimming records
Mr.. Lynch. pointed out that a great
err number of turns In making a
swim aids swimmer and for that
reason record made in n short tank
under % yards in length is not as
good a performance as il made in the
same time in n 25-yard pool.
The worlds record for 30 ward
free style in a - yard tank was -
20 seconds and formerly was held
by Duke kahanamoku. When Weis-
mueller covered the distance in De-
troit in 81 Is seconds. he broke The
world mark by Is OF a second
kahanamoku. however. holds The
record for the distance in salt water
over a straight away course.
The fact that the United States
recognizes performances made in
tanks 20 yards or longer. whereas the
International Federation only recos-
nizcs performances in tanks Of =
yards or longer. Mr.. Lynch declared.
was responsible for confusion in
connection with new records Tho
logical suggestion 10 overcome this
situation. he said. was for the Unit
ed States to adopt the international
rule. which does rot recognize re-
cords made in tanks shorter than IS
yards.
After Miss Bauer had made n now
mark for the so yard back stroke for
women the question afose as 10
whether she had broken the mark
made by Ethclda Bleibtree Of New
York, who covered the distance in IS
seconds Mr.. Lynch said that the
record OF Miss Bleibtrce was not ac-
cepted by the National 4. A. L. at It's
annual meeting in 1920 because the
pool in which the performance was
was made was only 20 yards long
and the International Swim: .ing
Federation requires n worlds record
10 he made in pool at least %
yards long. Miss Bleibtree, he said,
had two turns in making her record
OK 80 seconds. whereas Miss Bauer
swimming at regulation pool IN
Detroit, had one turn. As, nc said, an
additional turn aids a swimmer at
least one full second on the back
stroke. Miss Bauer's performance
was considered superior to that Of
Miss Bleibtree.
The record of :23 made by Miss
Nina Wylie in Aus.i; la for the 100
yard breast stroke fer women, Nj.
Lynch sad was not recognized as
world mark. l.. dc Il. Handley. who
is a member of the international
Swimming Federation and perhaps
the only man in the United States
VINO is in possession Of n complete
swimming records. told Mr.. Lynch
that the record for the 100 yard
breast stroke was 129 seconds, this
record being broken by Miss y. An
ore, who swan the distance N 1:2S
40 and then in 1:27 AS and finally
on the 18th of February. accomplish
ing 1T in 1:27 2-5. This mark is
held by Mr.. Lynch to be world
record. Mr.. Lynch explained that
marks made in 20 yard tanks. while
not listed as world records. are listed
as note worthy performances