YES I'm gonna tell this story

here's what USA Swimming has to say about IT


the "creation" of
"Master's Swimming"
but THAT IS NOT
the best story to tell ?

BTW that's ME that George Haines
( THE most "incredible GUY ! )

that for this Life Mag shot

felt comfortable "enuff"

to "lean" on me

for what he was told

was a "potential" cover SHOT !

Hotel Bratislava

where June Krauser maintains

Master's Swimming

was created

( there's LOTS more to this story ! )

OK...here it IS.."unfilterd" ?

John Spanneth..."El Roundo" was the men'd coach for the trip

he actually "bloked" me...with June Krauser doing "donuts"

because of the "controversy" he was creating

I had "preannounced" that on that very day
I was going to break the World Record for the 200m breastroke "once and for ALL"
why...since I was 12....people said
"maybe some day HE could get that ONE WR the US doesn't own" ?

well...1969.,.I started "breaking' it BUT
the "Russians" would ALWAYS...schedule ONE MORE MEET
Nikolai Pankin in the 100 Vladimir Kosinsky in the 200
would "always" better my times    ( I was 17 )
by as little as .1 second....in a "special" end of summer..."meet" !