I'll watch Swimming...
Brings back memories...some a little sad...
Last year in HS, was recruited by Yoshi Oyakawa and Kerry Donovanto visit Yale, and stayed in Bob Kiputh's apartment and worked out with the Yale swim team over my Christmas Vacation. Kiputh was coach for four Olympics I think, and had the best won-loss record in US history at Yale.
After visits to Harvard, and 5 Ivy schools, chose my Maine alma mater.
Simple times then. No such thing as a athletic scholarship, and had to keep a B avg. to keep the scholarship received.
Oyakawa won the 1952 Olympics, and I never swam him in competition.
Was a few seconds too slow for the 56 Olympics. By the 60 Olympics, was out of school and into the Army at Benning.
The off-year olympic equivalent in those days was the Pan Am Games... The winner of the 58 games was Frank Mckinney,(100m bckstroke) who was my chief competitor. Will never know how we would have made out... we were pretty even in times.
Frank was second in the '60 Olympics.
Problem for me, being, that '57 Jr. year, slipped to a B- avg. and lost a semester scholarship, and had to work during the summer to pay my tuition... $$400... or half of the yearly tuition. (lifeguard @ $.75/hr.)
In 1957, I held the national record for the 100yd. B.S... (the last year it was an official race. ), and found out that I still hold the record in the Old MIT pool... (or so my brother told me), as well as several NEAAU and National HighSchool AAU records. #1 in 1954.
Would have been nice to have an Olympic medal.
Memories....
So much for my last ego trip... After I realize what I've done, will come back and delete this, but dontcha know, everyone needs a little picker-upper once in a while.