Word: meters
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Texas-born Associate Editor David Tinnin, who wrote the accompanying piece on the increasing politicization of the Olympics, was the German collegiate champion in the 100-and 200-meter sprints (in 1950 and 1952) while attending the University of Heidelberg. He had Olympic visions but opted instead for Cambridge University in England, where, he says, "I couldn't work out in summer [because the] track was built around a cricket field where 'young men running [about] in shorts' were not welcome." Tinnin approaches his subject with expertise, having just finished a book, Hit Team, which begins with...
...simplest way to keep tab on the women's medal count was to tally the ones the East Germans did not get. It was not until the fourth day that their domination was broken, and then not by the U.S. but by the Russians, who swept the 200-meter breaststroke. Through the first five days, Shirley Babashoff, who was the United States' one gold-medal hopeful, was kept to a respectable but disappointing harvest of two silvers-in the 200-and 400-meter freestyle. Canadians, Soviets, Dutch and Americans took eight other medals. That left the East Germans...
What turned out to be the most enjoyable day of Naber's swimming career came within a split second of being the worst. On Monday he carelessly cruised through his morning heat in the 200-meter freestyle and wound up qualifying eighth, a risky .23 sec. away from elimination. That evening, in his long-anticipated 100-meter backstroke confrontation with East German Champion Roland Matthes, Naber stayed frozen to the starting block in what happily turned out to be a false start. At the real start he burst in front with his first three strokes, executed an explosive turn...
Naber, however, was far from through. After beating Matthes, he retreated to a training room, turned off all the lights and mentally raced the 200-meter freestyle. Less than an hour later he was racing it in reality. This time he left the starting block punctually, but at the finish was .2 sec. off U.S.C. Teammate Bruce Furniss's world-record performance of 1:50.3. And Naber, too, had broken the record...
Though Matthes has been unable to top his own world record in four years of 100-meter backstroke competition, there is nothing like the Olympics to embolden an athlete-even an old one. Says Matthes: "It is going to be harder than ever for me, but I have a chance." Says Naber: "I can beat him. I'm not saying I will beat him, but I can beat...