| Show I ff i i rte Ju i ti L 7 t J r t p f r f J f I t T I 1 t T J r 1 if 1 I X kt I Ia 1 a Q 1 I j i ln I r r I I r e H t r tl e x ll a r r 4 h r i Q Cv H HNot Not Mermaid 1 Every Relies American on the How U h e Simple Simple S. S Imp l e Introduction 1 n t ro d UC t. t lon of OJ to a Water vv a t- t er Tank T 1 an L M s Fins for Propulsion Pedals Miss l Barrett to Win Used a aWater Into 1 nto the h School 5 h 00 I Curriculum C I um Has LJ Led L e d to t 0 the ic lh e eVater t Q r Water Vater Bicycle Race New from the York B Battery to r. r Development D eVe I o ment of OJ to a Surprising 5 List L. L IS t of oJ OJ to New 1 7 yeW T Staten Island i f I lA Aquatic Champ Champions ions i I y it ct At Left Left Hiss Miss I 4 Sybil S bil Bauer I i of Chicago Holder of the M and d Record Re d. d y an cor i fir Worlds World's Record for 1001 r r iW 3 H Back stroke Back stroke Swimming 1 f Breakers r b C r Miss Below Below Miss Aileen Ri Riggin in ji wt I the Year 14 Old 14 Old Olympic Champion Fancy Diver Dig 4 er Miss liss Helen Wainwright 8 h tr the National Nano 1 v At Right Right- w. w Fancy Diving Champion Has Just Cele cele- f Miss liss Kat Kathryn ryn B Brown o braced Her Birthday Ye Year Old Diving Dicing the 11 j jand v. v and Swimming Marvel MarceL y rY t f 1 I a J I J J It d t t I 4 i 1 j t sT r l al r di r bri I t A rY i r S. S y tJ p. lY va 3 wl r fi 0 t i tt J J t s fy i dr rj i. i r i. i J I 4 4 7 r LA 3 m y M 1 ft t p Y f S' S 4 j a. a Rs r ti r A. A rye i it r t ts s l Miss Margaret l Woodbridge of or Detroit National Swimming Champion at Yards and Olympic pic Games Winner By L. L de B B. B Handley P more remarkable has featured the NOTHING very recent athletic emancipation tion of of the well known author American woman woman as as a has has' hast t termed it it than it-than than nn her her wondel wonderful ful development in swimming sw and other oth r branches of water sports snorts Little more than a decade ago the percentage of girls and women who could swim at all V was was s quite negligible in this country The great majority majority majority ma ma- pleaded ignorance of the very cry rudiments ud crits of expert swimmers were were conspicuous con conspicuous con 8 because of their scarcity even our champion mermaids trailed so far behind their rivals of foreign nations as to be outclassed completely com Nor could it have been otherwise c. c Swimming imming S S f r was then looked upon as nothing more that than a a rather pleasant pastime virtually no nJ effort vas was made to 10 teach it to girls organized f competition for women was unknown in the United States But Dut these very facts make the more astonishing the swift and universal progress witnessed inthe in inthe the tho few years elapsed since Today there is no place on earth where swimming for women ismore is ismore more popular nor where hero devotees individually and collectively are able to claim the same degree of skill as in this land of ours American fair bir contestants lead the world It is not easy to determine d what set afoot tho the thoI Sweeping I movement in favor of L the e art of nata nata- I tion but we know that several causes served to speed it along and and cO coi to its development de t. t Among them for instance was somewhat belated t realiZation realisation on oh the part of O our l'- l' educators that swimming deserved more consideration ti n than it of its value in because was was receiving not only protecting life but aa as a most beneficial b form of exercise In recent years we wo have seen at nt our Cur for girls girls' a fast falt growing tendency ten ten- and colleges colleg s dency to build pools and make swimming s a Ii compulsory compulsory com corn course so that knowledge of oL waterman waterman- n- n ship hip is now an essential requirement at most of 4 our institutions of learning and from the student k tied body O Y is s. s being drawn yearly a n larger er number of proficient swimmers T Then cn too too organizations of many kinds such U young women's associations clubs for girls r camps social cen- cen 1 tHe et etc came caleta to ci some some time Ago the e. e vant by swimming in fa the way of K l. l i. i t T s s Miss Ethelda y r Bleibtrey Olympic Swimming Cham Champion ton L and Holder of Many World Records forto for to Free Style Swimming pastime and physical culture and t they ey h have c made instruction instruction c- c competent every effort since to provide the ranks tion and encourage practice swelling of adepts adept the thereby by J. J L LA interest A factor r also has been the keen interest taken of the sex lex in all b branches anches recently by members tr members emb r great many to se seek k expert expert expert ex ex- of at athletics It has led a n pert guidance gu in i le learning to swim srim and in m per- per perfecting perfecting feeling their But chiefly responsible responsible- on the whole may beheld be held the a action tion of our oUt national notional Amateur Athletic Union in undertaking some five years ago ago- agoto to supervise and standardize aquatic competition for women It took took no no end of labor on the part of the fair fairl rs to induce the governing body to assume control for officials of the metropolitan tan and ither pr prominent n districts opposed the step with determination But pe perseverance overcame over- over overcame of winning for the came came objections to the thc point trial and the rest WAS wis mermaids mermaids a one years easy Indeed before the year of probation was over water sports for women att attained bied striking popularity In jn the ry district which had fought against extending g recognition re to the fair swim swim- mers No longer could th there re be question of the tho advisability of retaining them In the association Let Lct it be understood that before the tho Amateur Athletic Union took charge of the situation there for were no official ial swimming championships v women men inthis in this country no registered records and andr andrare andrare r rare rc water carnivals held were conducted in in a an manner n ner to to discourage many gins girts from taking p part rt No soon sooner r did the national organization start directing activities however than all was w s changed cli District and national championships under standard ta conditions ons were re reintroduced introduced record performances meeting with established re rc requirements requirements re- re found official recognition and w were ro duly listed efficient delegates from the tho association association tion two took to attending competition for mermaids and lent I nt of their knowledge and experience lence to tomake make all meets a success Thus flus contestants were afforded ded a long sought opportunity to bid for fo titles and try records for for records in pleasant circumstances under ta standard lard conditions conditions condi condi- c ti ns and and- t they ey set to work with a will Swimming Swimming Swimming Swim Swim- ming clubs dubs for for f r women omen sprang sprang up everywhere meets men's athletic clubs cubs helped matters along by forming t teams ams of mermaids to wear wear their their- colors coors then able coaches co c es were pressed into service and girls began to train regularly and properly under able supervision Miss l America at the Top Apart from the Ue fact that the sweeping change chango brought b about about- out rapid and general improvement among the he comp competitors it also influenced tho the situation to a a marked d degree indirectly Tho The newly developed stars began to appear before tho the public with increasing frequency and their exhibitions ex ex- proved widely instructive and a d construe tive Girls and women who could no note not swim or lacked skill saw saw practical demonstration of the case ease and efficiency of the modern strokes and usually became eager caper to acquire wa or better b tte their form Interest grew ew and spread d' d da accordingly I a The outcome of it all n is that in a very few faw risen ri from one of the most years this co country try t has ha n ba backward kwa d to th the s leading Jedi nation in swim min ming and vater spots sports for women omen Af At the Olympic Games am Jn last Antwerp sum sum- t. t i j 1 t f ti o t i i i rill to e f mer American girls won four of the five fhe aquatic championships championships championships champion champion- ships at stake Miss Ethelda Bleibtrey of f the New York Women's Swimming Association Association Association tion took the and metre free style swims her year 14 old Miss Aileen Riggin Riggin Rig Rig- gin gill captured c the fancy daving contest the Misses Bleibtrey YI y s k Margaret Woodbridge Irene Guest Gu st stand and Mrs Frances Prances Cowells won the tho metre melre relay rep re re- re p lay race race Moreover our bur lassies lass r 9 Another branch of the sport port in which w ich our maids stand peerless is fancy diving The talc tale is told that before our Olympic fancy divers rc reached ched Antwerp last summer cr quite a few for foreign ign contenders contenders contenders con con- tenders were expected to oppose them in the springboard contest but no sooner did the girls start to practice at the stadium than rumors thun rumors of or withdrawals began to circulate and when hen tho the day o the contest cams camp around the only entrants to answer the clerks clerk's call were our own four selected se selected se- se Ic ted representatives The rhe others had read tho the writing on the wall So it came to pass that two immature little American nymphs Aileen Riggin and Helen He en Wainwright finished first and second f J 1 1 r L y r u f L j V j tr ri w f K y s J r r pY c f e a 4 Y k p. p 1 V Y YX r c X r fry A ri Ir 4 S 73 Jo r It A 1 r. r n Some of the Members of the National Champion Swimming Team N. N Y W. W S. S A. A beat the Ol Olympic records b by K treat great at margins in all nil three swimming events and they earned collectively collectively more points points' than did all their foreign opponents opponents ne ts put together It was ore more than a victory it was a n triumph But our mermaids have ha furnished further proof of international supremacy since Last winter Miss Bleibtrey engaged in a competitive tour in Australia and easily defeated all aU rivals while whilo the there besides shattering four worlds world's records Then on her h r way home at a water carnival in Honolulu she swam yards straightaway in 1 minute 3 5 2 seconds a feat which bettered her own international standard by one full fun second and which has been declared by aquatic au authorities authorities hori hori- ties the greatest bit of speed swimming ever achieved by woman Meanwhile Me on this continent Miss Charlotte Boyle of the toe New York Women's Swimming Association lowered the worlds world's figures for yards free style she and three team-mates team the t e Misses Helen Wainwright Gertrude E Ederle erle and Alice Lord brought down the international marks mark's for and yard yard relay y r racing cing Miss Sybil Bauer Dauer of the Illinois Athletic Club of Chicago beat all previous times for yard lOO back stroke swimming As the result of these and earlier exploits American girls may claim at present all b but t one of women's international 31 records for free stylo and stroke back back stroke swimming the exception being the standard for one mile still to the credit of ot Miss bliss Fanny anny 1 Durack Dur ck of Australia 4 str lin once the tho all all- allaround around lady champion of the world v r F Fe tur 1 L i t. t r i S h I i y in the order named their scores s otes only one point apart while white Miss Thelma Payne of Portland Or secured third place Recently Miss Wainwright turned the tables o on her Olympic vanquisher Miss Mis Riggin and now v at the age of 15 she is the American champion champion champion cham cham- pion in fancy diving for women and admittedly the tho cleverest springboard artist of her ber sex the tho world has known One of the most remarkable features in the development of our mermaids is the amazing ability gained by very young girls It is a com com- thing to see tiny shavers of 10 and 11 enter competition against grown full rown rivals riyals nowadays while girls from 12 to 16 have figured conspicuously conspicuously conspicuously in district and national championships a afew afew afew few taking place even among the record breakers Until recently for Instance the worlds world's standard stand rd for yard relay swimming was held by the tho Misses Wainwright Riggin Ederle and Helen whose average ego ago was 13 years when they performed the brilliant feat in the spring of 1920 At present too the skill of the child water queens extends into fields thought closed to very cry young girls As an illustration ion may ny be cited cite the work of Kathryn Kathryn Brown Brown jBrown an un year old star r de do developed developed by the New York Women's Swimming Association At the age of 9 Kathryn t took k part partin in the annual three mile marathon of the Riverton River- River Riverton Riverton ton Yacht Club of Riverton NJ N. N J. J a classic classie fixture which yearly brings together the ablest fair con eon contestants contestants of the East and she not only completed thelong tho long course In excellent form but ut she defeated a Miss liss Frances Taylor of Pittsburgh h at 16 Years Is the National stroke Breast Swimming Champion several mature rivals Last summer when 10 she finished fifth in the same race race beating 12 opponents and she later competed in the Ameri American can Olympic fancy diving tryo tryout t. t some of the star candidates including a f former rm r national champion A particularly noteworthy feature of the progress made by our mermaids is the part they have played in the evolution of tho the swimming stroke There is not a doubt that Miss Claire Claim Galligan and Miss Charlotte Boyle were chiefly responsible for the adoption for around all racing of the stroke known technically as the tha six beat t double They took it up at s 's A period when experts considered consider d it too punishing for other than sprinting purposes and they proved the fallacy of this b belief lief by using i it successfully successfully suc sue up to three miles s winning c championships championships champion champion- a pion- pion ships and breaking national and worlds world's records record with it The Stroke That Won for Them for Them It is is significant of the influence borne rne by thes eM practical demonstrations on swimmers at large Jarge that champions of both bot sexes mostly y addicted at TAt atthe atthe the tho time to the beat six straight crawl or single or double four beat crawl started soon after to try the new stroke and presently became ca e its exponents I Now the tho six-beat six double crawl is our pur stand standard rd medium for competition at s sand and competent judges fudges declare we owe we in good measure to its efficiency the tho worlds world's leadership assumed by our watermen and maids Since the universal adoption of the stroke various contestants and coaches have shown a tendency to claim credit for its introduction but but their claims can be disposed of readily Shortly before the tho New York girls displayed It for the tha first time over a middle distance course c urs in tho the women's national yard championship champions ip of 1918 1018 champion swimmers and instructors throughout t the country were consulted concerning the tho value of the six beat rhythm double action All with without t exception expressed the opinion that it could not be used effectively in racing at nt distances longer than or yards This correspondence c is still on record a most conclusive and convincing doc document ment The rapid and widespread growth of ot Interest in swimming and water sports for women in the tha United States is source for congratulation Aside from the natural pride we must feel in |
