1941: Swimming

American swimmers accounted for 53 new men's records and 64 for women in A. A. U. competition, and 33 national standards in N. C. A. A. events during 1941. William Smith, Jr., of Hawaii, a seventeen-year-old lad, shattered 12 world and American free-style records from 220 yards to 800 meters. Now considered the greatest middle distance swimmer in history, he gained the Hawaiian nickname of Malolo, or flying fish. Smith lowered standards for 220 yards in 2:07.7, 440 yards and 400 meters in 4:38.5, 200 meters in 2:10.8, 800 meters in 9:50.9 in a 100-meter pool, and 1,000 yards in 11:14.9 which bettered by 22 seconds the world's free-style record set by Jack Medica in July 1933. Smith's coach is Soichi Sakamoto, who claims that the new human fish will wreck every record during the next three years.

Five world's records are accounted for by other swimmers: Adolph Kiefer, of the Chicago Towers Club, reduced the backstroke marks for 100 yards to 0:57.8, 150 yards to 1:30.4, 200 meters to 2:23, and 400 meters to 5:10.9. Yale, Michigan and Towers Club teams beat the 400-yards relay time of 3:30.7, and Yale reduced the time in two races within ten days, lowering it to 3:28.8. During a dual meet with Brown University, Howie Johnson covered his 100 yards in the anchor leg in 50.8 seconds.

The Middle West and Pacific Coast made rapid strides in water polo. The New York A. C. withdrew from the sport after a half-century of success. The Illinois A. C. of Chicago captured the national indoor polo championship and the Los Angeles A. C. won the national outdoor title.

Among the national title holders for women who broke records were: Miss Nancy Merki, of Portland, Ore., 800 meters in 11:15.9 and 1,500 meters in 22:12.2; Miss Gloria Callum, New York, 100 meters back stroke in 1:17.5; Miss Lorraine Fischer, New York, 100 meters breast stroke in 1:22.9; Miss Patty Aspinwall, 220 yards in 3:07.8; Miss Helen Rains, 300 meters medley in 4:32.9, and the Riviera Club quartet winners of the 800 meters relay in 10:30.7.

1940: Swimming

Swimming continues to gain in popularity in the United States. It is estimated that $35,000,000, spent for swim suits, accessories, and admissions for 35,000,000 swimmers and spectators at 24,000 beaches and pools scattered from coast to coast, comprised the national outlay for aquatics in 1940. Swimming as a highly competitive sport reached a state of near perfection judging from the listing of 25 (out of 31) world records held by Americans; Japanese swimmers hold four and German swimmers hold two of these records. In these record-wrecking exploits, Jack Medica has seven marks.

It is also safe to say that had the Olympic Games been held, the United States team would have captured the major honors both in men's and women's competitions. The ranking swimmers of the United States are Otto Jaretz, of the Chicago Towers Club, national indoor and outdoor champion who holds five key places, the 100- and 220-yard free style, and positions on the relay teams; Adolph Kiefer is a close second, dominating competition in free style, backstroke and medley tests. Peter Fick and Ralph Flanagan, topnotchers for six years, have dropped out of competition.

Brilliant performances marked the national A.A.U. indoor championships, conducted in the pool of the New York Athletic Club, when the University of Michigan team beat the Chicago Towers team for the national team title. Three double victories were marked up by Tom Haynie, of Detroit A. C., Adolph Kiefer, Towers Club, and Al Platnik, Ohio State University. Outdoors, the A. A. U. title events hit an all-time high, when Kiefer emerged as the high point man of the meet, creating a new record for the 110-yard backstroke (1 min. 5-5 sec.) and 330-yard medley (3 min. 58.6 sec.). Otto Jaretz broke Johnny Weismuller's 220-yard free style mark by a half-second, in 2 min. 13.1 sec. The team trophy was captured by Alexander House of Maui, Hawaii. In women's swimming, Mary Ryan broke three national records and was presented with a diamond-studded medal for top honors.

1939: Swimming

In swimming more new records were established by Americans than in any other amateur sport during 1939. There are now on file 46 applications for new records, including 8 world's records. The stellar performances of Richard H. Hough, of Princeton University, are worthy of first consideration, for he clipped the world breast-stroke records for 100 yards to 1 min. 00.6 sec.; 100 meters to 1 min. 7.3 sec.; and 220 yards to 2 min. 22 sec.

Ralph Flanagan, who has been lowering many records made by the late Ray Ruddy (he died in 1939) and others, is continuing to make faster times. Flanagan reduced the world time for 500 meters free style to 5 min. 56.5 sec. Adolph Kiefer, of Chicago, did the 100-yard backstroke in 58.8 sec. And the New York Athletic Club team, consisting of Thomas McDermott, James Reilly, Peter Fick and Walter Spance, set up new world figures for the 400-yard relay, in 3 min. 31.3 sec.

A new American record of note is the 300-yard medley relay (100-yard free style, 100-yard breast stroke, and 100-yard back stroke) in 2 min. 51.9 sec., achieved by the Princeton University trio of Albert Vande Weghe, Richard H. Hough and Hendrick Van Oss. Michigan again led in the Varsity field, winning the National Collegiate A.A. swimming championship from Ohio State and the Western Conference title. Yale, defeating Princeton, led the Eastern Intercollegiate League Championship.

An upset in aquatics was the first team victory ever gained by an Hawaiian organization in the national A.A.U. championships, when the A.H.C.A. squad of Maui won the crown. Of its swimmers, Kiyoshi Nakama won both the 220- and 440-yard free style titles, the 880-yard relay title and many second and third places. Flanagan, the only other double winner, accounted for both 880-yard and 1-mile free style.

The outstanding girl swimmer of the year was Miss Nancy Merki, age 13, who set new American records for 200, 400 and 800 meters.

1938: Swimming

For the first time in the history of competitive swimming, both the senior indoor and outdoor team championships of the Amateur Athletic Union were won by aquatic stars representing the same university. The Ohio State team, in its home pool in Columbus, Ohio, scored 43 points to win over the University of Michigan, with 19½ points in the indoor annual fixture. Outdoors in the pool of the Lakeside Club, Louisville, Ky., Ohio State scored 30 points to defeat the Detroit Athletic Club with 25 points.

The Princeton team swam to a new championship record at the indoor championships, reducing the 300-yard medley relay to 2 min. 54.2 sec. This was one of many high lights during the two-day competitions. Outdoors, Adolf Kelfer established a new American 300-meter medley record of 4 min. 2 sec., one of three titles won during the meet. Ralph Flanagan, winner of many national titles and records in the past, scored three victories, besides setting noteworthy performances for 550, 1,430, 1,540 and 1,650 yards.

A team of nine American swimmers, picked from the winners and outstanding performers during the two title meets, toured Europe during the summer, competing in thirteen meets and exhibitions in Germany and Hungary. The Americans did their best in a dual meet in Berlin, defeating an All-Europe team, 38 to 36 points. The United States relay team of Hirose, Jaretz, Wolf and Fick clipped the world record for the 400-meter relay from 4 min. 2 sec. to 3 min. 59.2 sec., and later the first three named and Flanagan swam the 800-meter relay in 9 min. 3.6 sec.

In the five-mile long distance swim, held at Rocky Glen Park, near Scranton, Pa., Steve Wozniak, of the Y. M. C. A. of Buffalo, won the individual title. He covered the course in 1 hr. 46 min. 48 sec. The Scranton 'Y' won the team title, placing Taylor, second; Phillips, third; and Herzog, sixth, making eleven points in all. Among women, Katherine Rawls Thompson won national titles at 440 and 880 yards, one-mile, and the 300-meter medley swim.