Crabbe takes second place in 440 swim

Every Sunday, “Back in the Day” looks at an article that ran on this date in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The items are verbatim, so don’t blame us today for yesteryear’s bad grammar.

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Records Fall As Weissmuller and Kojac Are Pressed To Win Races
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Johnny Weissmuller Shows Wonderful Speed in Quarter Mile Event

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Two world’s swimming records were knocked galley west last night at the men’s national outdoor swimming championships, war memorial natatorium, by a couple of water splashers from the mainland — George Kojac and Johnny Weissmuller.

It’s getting so a meet is a complete failure if Johnny does not set up at least one new record each night. But he outdid himself this time when he ripped through the 440 yard freestyle event in 4 minutes and 52 seconds, clipping 10 3-5 seconds off the old American mark held Arne Borg.

Weissmuller can thank Clarence ("Buster") Crabbe and Harry Glancy for their assistance in lowering the record by so many seconds. Glancy and Crabbe fought their second duel of the meet, scrapping it out for second place in the quarter mile after pushing Weissmuller the entire distance.

Wednesday night this pair put on a great show in the mile swim, Crabbe winning the event during the last half mile. Last night Buster was again the victor, outtouching Glancy at the finish after they had sprinted neck and neck the last 100 yards.

It was a great race. Weissmuller had pulled into the lead before they reached the 220 yard mark and held his advantage during the last half of the race. He finished with a beautiful sprint, his long powerful stroke carrying him to the mark five or six yards ahead of Crabbe.

Takaishi, champion of Japan, was close on the heels of Crabbe and Glancy. Officials say that both Crabbe and Glancy were under the old record and that Takaishi just about equaled Borg’s old time. …

Crabbe, Hawaii’s newest swimming hero, forced Weissmuller during the first half of the race and Johnny had to put everything he had into that first 150 yards to keep up with the Outrigger star. Buster again showed that he is one of the greatest swimmers in America.