The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-10
BOY, 13, NEW CHAMP
 OF SWIM WORLD
BY JACK CUDDY United PVess Staff Correspondent

NU1tEN EtGAB CtaAt &WHaUAtl~u
 New York, Aug. 10. UP)-Jimmy Mcr.ane, latest boy wonder" Of sports, Is a skinny, lS-year-old Kid from Akron, O., who Is as physically unimpresslve as an angleworm ex- cept for his No. 10 feet--bie. broad tootsie that have put a new kick into the crawl" and made him the na- tion's champion long distance swim- mer.
 Little Jimmy. youngest merman ever to wsn a national senior title, says, T wisht I had a canoe or a sailboat: it gets awfully monotonous just swimmin around day after day"
 However, tank experts find no monotcny in performances of the Akron eel. With bulging eyes. they watch his astonishing giant but terfly' kick as he churns through the water. The over-sized paddles on his spindle legs go up and down in lengthy. dynamic strokes. appar- ently without effort. They are not the fluttery. little-butterly foot movements that have distinguished the American crawl for years. Sorne- thing new has been added.
 Because of his extreme youth and his amazing kick. the experts twho have sen hifn) united in acclaiming the amphibious Akrontte the great est long distance swimmer in his- story" These acclaimers include Coach Bob Kiphuth Of Yale and Lawrence Johnson. chairman Of the A.A.U. swimming committee. Rare tribute. indeed. for a shaver who was first exposed to aquatic tech- nique three years ago. when an older sister. Noel. decided to get into the swim.
 Scrawny Jim Of the unkempt sandy brown hair and faintly freckled face arrived in New York yesterday. accompanied by his coach, Harold Minto Of Akron's Firestone club. The naive youngster could not understand what caused reporters and photographers to grin when he caslfhlly related that his father was a cost accountant for the Goodrich Rubber company. al- though Jimmy swam for the Fire stone club.
 While the diminutive natatoF de- monstrated his giant butterfly at the Hotel Park Central pool, Coach Minto disclosed that Jimmy will rty to break the world record for the 1900 meters metric mile) at least twice before he enters his first term of high school in September. His first attempt will be made Sunday in the State of Ohio championships at Akron. and the next one during the general National Senior cham" pionship at Great Lakes. H., Aug. 2a-27. At Great Lakes he also will try for the s00 and 800-Ineter crowns.
 Although young McLane will shoot for the l500 record, he made his reputation oyer longer distances. It was over a fouT-mile course at Wtl- Hams Lake, Kingston. N. ", thai he won the mems national distance crown last Sunday, beating out Paul Maloney of Buffalo. the defending champ, ard Ke0 Nakama, Ohio States speedster from Hawai-. who finished third. On July 20, he won the National Junior distance title at clementon, V. J.. establishing a new American junior record of one hour. i6 mintes. 33.l seconds for three miles.
 coaeh Minto's only explanation for MeISane's remarkable KICK is this: T guess it's because he went at swimming feet-flrst. made him concentrate on his feet for a long ltime-beeause Of their size-befOrs lI taught him arm strokes and breathing This enabled him ic pogress later without thinking about his feet, and they just went to work on their own accord-in a big way"