Swimming.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 274, 7 February 1929, Page 1

Swimming.

FAST SWIMMERS. Borg’s Great Form. His Style and Method. In build Arne Borg, who, by the way, has had his erstwhile irregular teeth straightened to real symmetry, does not suggest the super athlete, as he possesses almost thin round shoulders and long thin arms and legs. His lower chest is well developed and discloses where he gains his marvellous stamina. He is very ungainly in his walk, but is very active an 1 alert, and has the crowd on the “ qui vive,” as he is most unconvent - anal and does anything that comes into his head. He is a great showman.

Method Training. To the average “ fan ” Borg’s method of getting into racing condition must come as something of a shock. His cardinal rule is not to let training become an irksome and monotonous grind. To develop heaps of wind Borg believes in long runs, followed by a hot bath and massage to loosen the muscles. When training for 440 yards Borg swims a hard 500 yards every other day, and if he becomes tired in the race he says to himself : “ I can’t be tired, as I have been swimming 500 ; I must have something left.” Borg’s chief training must surprise many—water polo ! He is a real enthusiast at the game and plays about three hours a week at least. He considers this form of training invaluable. To gain a longer arm action (on the advice of Backrach, the famous coach of Weissmuller) Borg constantly practised before a mirror for two years. Likewise to get a good “pigeon-toed” leg drive he exercised continually by placing his feet, turned inwards and insteps downwards on a towel, resting his hands on a chair and raising his body up and down. Borg holds the opinion that whatever suits one swimmer for training does not necessarily suit all, and as he gets such phenomenal results by his own methods he naturally looks to no other. His Racing Stroke. To the ardent student of scientific racing strokes Borg’s action confounds all the alleged principles of perfect style. His arm stroke is very fast and short, and apparently he does not relax much. Of course this I cannot be the case, as he could never cover distances as he docs. He places both arms directly in front of each ear, and with a very high elbow arch. On striking at the catch, which is ‘ made about IS inches out from his 1 head, the arms continue forward under the water for about six moro inches before sweeping straight back towards the hip. He does not pull right back past the hip, however, but the elbow breaks the surface first, about the middle of his body, and the forearm whips around in a small semi-circle and the arms move forward to the next catch, which is made with the elbow noticeably higher than the hand. His pull is very vigorous, and his shoulders add great power to the arms, for he utilises his shoulders without rolling a great deal. His head barely turns to breathe, only sufficiently for his nose and cheek to create a little wave which leaves a small air space for a fraction of a second. The head alone turns, and no body movement is noticed. He turns just after his under arm (that is, the arm on the side from which he turns to breathe) has made the catch, and he brings his head back with the recovery of the top arm and keeps it perfectly square to the front till the next breath.

Borg’s leg stroke is unique. It consists of four beats to a cycle of both arms. A major or big scissor kick occurs with the left leg at the catch of the right arm, and another big scissor at the catch of the left arm with the right leg. Between the two kicks Borg puts in two small minor flutters ” and then trails his legs straight out without any motion whatever. He also breaks the surface with his feet, and one can only

(wonder whatever he does correctly with his legs. His turning and starting are per excellence, and his judgment superb. An Australian “ Crack.” Noel Ryan, a slightly built 17-year-old Australian, is undoubtedly the best distance swimmer ever produced in Australia with the exception of “ Boy ” Charlton. “ Tiger ” Ryan, as he is called (most appropriately), is about 5 feet 8 inches in height, and would not weigh more than lOst 71b at a rough estimate, but, :1though of slight build, he has the heart of a lion. Ryan chased Borg relentlessly in the 880yds, and his time of llmin 2sec is 22 l-ssec better than the best of Norman Ross, ex-world’s champion, 14 2-ssec better than Ludy Langer’s. best, and only 3 l-ssec outside Charlton’s best, put up in the same bath in 1920, 1922, 1923 respectively, when they then were world’s records. When Borg was defeated over 880yds in the Domain Baths by Charlton in 1924 (when Charlton established the world’s record only broken last week by Borg) Borg did lOmin 59 l-ssec, or 2 4-ssec better than Ryan did, consequently it is no wonder Borg rated Ryan as a very fine swimmer. Ryan, on the same day, swam in a relay race for Manly Club, and covered 220yds in 2min 28 4-ssec, and he registered smin 20 2-ssecs on the previous Saturday for 440yds. He has a “ rough ” stroke, and, like Borg, a short fast arm action, with an orthodox six-beat crawl kick. High flotation and exceptional stamina seem to be the secret of Ryan’s success. Other Events.

The 100yds N.S.W; championship was a wonderful race, and to give some idea of the closeness, all the finalists registered 58sec or better. The winner, Arthur Besomo, has made the meteoric rise from being the winner last year of a secondclass 100yds scratch race to a 56sec man this year. Frank Doyle, Australian record-holder, showed a good leturn to form by staying well at the fnish, which has been his failing, end registering 57sec. Hans Robertson was expected to win, as in the previous week he had covered 100yds at Manly in choppy water in the great time of 56sec dead. He could only touch third, dead-heat with 220yds champion Owen Griffiths. George St. Heaps, who holds the Australian 100 meters record ar.d has equalled the 50yds record of Alick Wickham (23 3-ssec), could not secure a place. The 100yds backstroke championship was also a great race, and was won by Marsden Campbell, ex-title holder, by a very narrow margin | from an ex-Wellingtoniau, A. J. Wat- . son. "Unfortunately for the latter, he 1 drew the outside lane on the shallow water side, and as it was low tide this was a big disadvantage at the finishing post. Watson’s lime was 1 2-ssec faster than the N.S.W. championship was won in last year, and 2—ssec behind that of this year’s winner. New Zealand’s Best. Having seen the best in both countries, the writer is firmly of the opinion that N. Dowsett and W. Cameron, the two best sprinters in New Zealand, would more than held their own with the best in Sydney. “ Lindsay would, I consider, defeat all here but Ryan over 4-10 and 880 yards and a mile, but would find Owen Griffiths a tough proposition over 220yds. W. Cameron would defeat all but Boast on backstroke, and with practice no doubt would amaze the critics. TJie water is more conducive to fast times, and the sunny air and competition would, i am sure, bring the New Zealand champions right into the fo-efront of the Australians. Leslie Olds, now in America, is a miniature of Borg in the water, and the Australians cannot credit his time done in New Zealand as being correct. His style of arm action is very similar, and there is no doubt he will some day figure as an American representative at the Olympic Games, to New Zealand’s great loss. The New Zealand lady swimmers are acknov.l-dg-ed to be superior even in Australia, and I am sure the men would surprise the public also, if given the opportunity.” Wellington Evening Post.