Show Backseat Driving By Frank J K Baker Telegram Sports Editor Competition Will Prove Good for Miss Madison Miss Helene Madison whose name has become synonymous With free tree freestyle freestyle style swimming records found the experience of being pushed to winan win this week Inthe in inthe inthe nn m exhilarating thrill the national A. A A. A U. U women's indoor in door swimming championships The Seattle girl who has broken more than 70 American records described de scribed it as the closest call I 1 can remember when petite Miss Josephine Jose phine McKim slipped up behind her herIn herin in the yard free style and stuck there to lo be beaten out by only a afoot foot toot Spectators Immediately began to conjecture if it Miss Madison had gone stale from fron too much training or if the little Los Angeles swimmer swim swimS mer has the makings of a sensational performer Far more likel likely however seems the belief that the Seattle miss had become careless for the lack of proper competition Race Timed Over Helenes Helene's Record The time of 1 minute 24 seconds witnesses the belief that the champion cham chain pion plan had grown careless For a ayoung young oung woman so accustomed to flirting flirt Wrt ing with records or in breaking the existing marks completely the time was comparatively slow She holds the short course record of 1 minute lat flat for that distance Her own version of the race is interesting in in She was so close to me mein mein mein in the next lane she said that I 1 didn't know there was anybody near I looked around and there she was right at m my shoulder Gosh it was thrilling and the closest call I can remember I Students of or swimming have a treat in store for th them m in June when Miss Madison appears here hero in an exhibition exhibition tion Her perfection of maneuvering the turns has been described by many coaches as perfect It is her ability on these turns that en enables her to tomake tomake tomake make so man many invasions Her Tier records show how well velt she capitalizes on the turns for tor her mark for lor the meter race over the short course Is almost two full seconds second fas faster r than her accepted time lime for the longer course Incidentally Inci mci dentally she Is reco recognized as ns the American record holder for both events havIng a time of 5 1 over o the long lone course courso and 5 1063 5 3 for forthe forthe forthe the short course The old year old record of 5 1032 S 2 set b by Ethelda Bleibtrey In 1921 Is one of the few marks to withstand her onslaughts although she sho has covered the century cen cen- tur tury over the short course in less time Performers Need Competition To Improve Their Work Miss McKims McKim's fine tine showing not only marked her as a a courageous fighter but it also proved Miss Madison Mad Mad- ison has the heart of ot a champion It likewise is bound to prove the inspiration she has needed to keep going in her unmatchable fashion In fact Miss Madison rose to the occasion the very next day when she led the Washington A A. C. C club yard free style relay team tto to a anew anew new American record of ot 4 minutes 19 5 5 1 seconds clipping o one fifth fifth of ofa a second of off the old mark set by the New York Women's Swimming association association as in 1930 Miss Madison's vindication came appropriately enough against the same Miss McKim whom she pulled away from in the final lap finishing finish ing lag a good two yards ards ahead of ot the Los Angeles girL Former Ute Cites Benefit of Competition Outstanding athletes have long noted this need of ot competition in every line o of endeavor I Lee Ue Christensen former University Uni cr ity sity of Utah swimmer recently related related re reo a n similar example when in Salt I Lake for a few days' days leave from sheep I ranching in Wyoming J Christensen swam the longer races I Competition was naturally scarce and being the peer of the few men who I 1 had the pluck to swim against him I he found himself going sluggish J Finally he became a student at Stanford and found plenty of ot tion I clipped from two to three I seconds off oft my customary times he C said aid There was a target out there thereto t to aim at when somebody was giving I you a battle for the race and somehow somehow some some- C Chow how a fellow always does docs just a little lit lit- 1 tic tle better than when hes he's swimming c against time alone |