The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-01-31
CLAIMS ENDURANCE
COUNTS MORE Than
Swimming IN RACE
Thinks Lake Ontario Next Sum.
mer Will Feel Like a
Turkish Bath
ONE OF THE WORLDS BEST
Said He Could Have Won Last
, Year If Swimming Alone
Was Deciding Factor
ONE OF THE WORLDS BEST

Chicago, Jan. 31.-"All you have
to do to knock off that Is grand Is to
stay in cold water"
Norman Ross, one of the worlds
greatest swimmers, was talking about
the Wrigley marathon swim.
Last year I could have won all
that dough If had just been able to
stay in the water long enough to fin
iSh. No one else was able to finish
and If the cold water hadn't frozen
me too I could have floated in there
on my back for first money.
IF they're going to keep on holding
that marathon in Lake Ontario long
distance swimming will be q secondary
qualification. The fellow who can
stand the cold water longer than the
others can win even II he can't swim
within a quarter Of a mile Of the 9TH
crs."
Ross, before he turned professional.
was one of the greatest swimmers in
the world. Or better, he was the most
prominent swimmer In the world be-
cause he is perhaps a greater SWIM
mer now than he was then. He was
the original record buster and then
Johnny Weismuller came along, but
there are some critics now who will
give you a good argument that Weis-
muller was not greater all-round
swimmer than Ross.
Got All Medals
The great Norman got all the
medals and the glory he wanted out
Of the amateur racket before he de-
cided to turn professional. He saw
most of the world, with the freight
paid and when he began to outgrow
the sprint classes he decided to turn
professional. Weismuller went through,
the same course and he, too, retired
from amateur competition just re-
Gently.
II never was a fellow who shivered
at the touch Of cold water" Ross went
on. But when I was in that Lake
Ontario water for while / thought
was going to freeze. The thought
that kept me going was the conviction
that / could stand 1t as well or better
than some Of the others and that il
was suffering they were suffering just
as much. Finally 1t got 80 that
couldn't move any more and it doesn't
take a scientist to teach you what
happens If you stay in q lake ant
don't move. had to give up.
II came back to Chicago and de.
cided that II 1t took only q tough hide
that would stand Ice water to win thu
next race would have It won before
jumped In. I don't know whether
the water in Ontario Is any colder
than the Lake Michigan water in win.
ter but I don't see how 1t could be an,
colder.
II started taking q daily plunge II
Lake Michigan before the boy,
brought out their coon skin coats and
TASKS for football. I didn't stay II
very long at first but gradually in.
creased the time as the weather grew
colder. It was a tough Job not only
because 1t was hard to stay In thu
water but because a lot OF nuts would
gather around and give me the razz.
berry.
Weather Extremely Cold
II found when the weather got ex-
tremely cold that I didn't notice the
temperature Of the water 30 much
This is not an original discovery
Every swimmer knows It. I mention
1t merely to prove that I am not risk
ing my life in open water winter
training as some busybodics have beer
trying to tell me. A couple OF old