Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-08-12

else. His performances have held tho
public spellhound and made It wender
what Impossible" feat tho human
hydroplane would do next. Weismuller
ls only II years OF age and will break
all OF his rscords In the years to
come, II the work OF Duke KahAnarno-
ku In a criterion. The Duke competed
In the races at the Olympic games
three successive times and each un,e
established a new worlds record for
the events in which he competed. The
outstanding feature OF all OF Weis-
muller's record breaking performances
has been the establishing OF a new
worlds record for 100 meters at ssh
seconds. which mark Is 1% seconds
better than the record established by
Kahanamoku at the Antwerp Olym-
pics.
Fred Schwedt, a 17-year-old high
school boy OF Detroit, plunged 8, feet
in the pool at the University Of Michi-
gan, and made new worlds record
for this event Tho feat unfortunate
ly was done in an exhibition and does
not stand.
The girls have been even more busy
than the men In doing the "im-
possible" and IL 10 hard TO tell to whom
the most credit should go. Aileen Rig
gin who won the Olympic diving
champion ship at IA years OF age. Helen
Wainwright. Gertrude Ederle and
Sybu Bauer, a backstroke swimmer
have all had a turn at establishing
new worlds records at various dis
tances ranging anywhere from so to
44o yards. Miss Hilda James, a IL
year-old English swimmer. established
new worlds record for 500 meters
and smashed the American figure for
500 yards IN the pool OF the Brighton
Beach Baths last Saturday in an in
vitation race and set the world agog
Miss James defeated such stars as the
Misses Aileen Riggin and Ethel Nc
Gary, national 500-yard champion.
| Why is ii that 30 many girls-girls
barely in their teens are smashing
one worlds swimming record after an
other? How does 1t happen that the
majority OF them hail from New York
City. Chicago and the Pacific coast
The fact OF the matter Is that 9
swimming pool Is part Of the equip
ment OF the high schools in the larger
municipalities and those children tina
learned TO swim before they reached
high school were ready to take ad
vanced work and as rule developed
rapidly as speed swimmers.
With the big growth in the popu
larity Of swimming in Wilmington
has come a growing demand for
large indoor pool that will meet tn
requirements Of the aquatic lover
and particularly those Who are inter
ested in competitive swimming.
The High School has one of the mos
promising teams in the country. an
only the lack OF an adequate natator
ium which unfortunately Wilmingto
is without, seems responsible for Tn
! local High Schools failure 10 annex
national scholastic championship
There is no doubt but what the locs
J swimmers and plungers are ser;ousl
, handicapped by short pool and IN
divers on account OF the low ceiling !
the Y. M. c. A. natatorium. Frequer
J turns as practised in a short pool ar
a serious handicap to the swimmer
! In an official 25-yard tank, due to tn
-
correctly when swimming in a large
pool. The plupgers are handicappe
to just as great an extent as IN
J swimmers by a short pool. Since the
: are unable to work for distance the
) Invariably develop bad faults in
longer pool. In spite OF these hand
: caps the local boys have made wor
J derful showing and deserve gref
deal OF credit.
The youngsters pictures appearin
: herewith are the most promisin
J group of swimmers and divers eve
developed at the local Y. NJ. c. A. The
, range from IL to IA years OF age, an
! win be ready to step into the shoe
: left vacant by the stars on the Hig
school team year or two henc