Word: meters
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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Hyperactive in all he does-he habitually table-hops his way through lunch at school-Naber's seemingly unlimited energy is reflected in his approach to his sport. He plans to swim not only the two backstroke events but also the 200-meter freestyle-his time at the U.S. trials bettered Mark Spitz's 1972 Olympic winning time by more than a second -and two relays. "I'd rather be good at everything," says Naber, "than be excellent in one thing." Asked to size up his East German rival, Naber is characteristically generous and accurate: "Matthes...
...running, throwing, and jumping events that make up the taxing, two-day decathlon contest can overcome Avilov's excellence in three. Powered by his heavily muscled legs, Avilov (6 ft. 3 in., 191 lbs.) is expected to outscore Jenner in the long jump, high jump and the 110-meter hurdles. Jenner (6 ft. 2 in., 195 lbs.), who is more supple, has an edge in the pole vault, 100 meters and 1,500 meters. The 400 meters could go to either. In the throwing events, which involve both strength and speed, the two are evenly matched...
...METER BACKSTROKE
...swimming events in Montreal, none will attract more attention from the cognoscenti of the sport than the 100-meter backstroke. The defending champion is East Germany's Roland Matthes, 25, an old man among swimming's Wunderkinder who four years ago set the world record mark of 56.30 sec. For Matthes, a skinny (155 lbs.) six-footer, Montreal represents a last chance to add to his stockpile of seven Olympic medals, four of them gold, collected in 1968 and 1972. His challenger is John Naber, five years Matthes'junior, half a foot taller, 40 lbs. heavier...
More effective at the shorter distance, Matthes is expected to enter only the 100-meter backstroke and the 100-meter butterfly, not the 200-meter backstroke. Thus a repeat of the events of August 1974 at Concord, Calif., will not be possible. In a dual meet there between the U.S. and East Germany, Naber stunned Matthes with his first backstroke defeats in seven years, whipping him in both sprints as well as the first leg of the medley relay. Following the meet, Naber wept after he received the East German's sweatsuit that he had exchanged...