CAREER OF GREAT DANISH SWIMMER
RAGNHILD HVEGER
Twelve World's Records And Only 18 Years Old
SWIMMERS know little about Miss Ragnhild Tove Hveger, the great Danish swimmer, whose ex- ploits have filtered through the cables at odd times, mainly to announce that she has made an- other world's record. Recently she won the 100 metres free-style championship of Europe in the record time of 1m. 6 2-5s.
In the following article by N. Jagd (President of the Danish Swimming Council) from "The U.S.A. Amateur Athlete," there is some highly interesting information.
Ragnhild Hveger was born in Nyborg on December 10, 1920. During her first years at school she showed one great interest-to be on the beach and splash in the water, and after her school hours she passed her spare time in the municipal swimming pool in Elsinore.
Part of the bath was reserved her almost perfect and extremely for the Elsinore Swimming Club effective leg movements... and the board and members of the club soon noticed this little) girl who was a daily guest on the] beach, and who had-apparently without any instruction-an ex- cellent grip of crawl swimming.
With her parents' sanction she thereafter became a member of the Elsinore Swimming Club, and her teachers there soon became aware of the great possibilities this little exceptionally slender girl had in her.
The Elsinore Swimming Club was, of course, highly pleased with this addition to their ranks and chose her to repre- sent the club in a match be- tween it and two clubs in Hel- singfors (Sweden) in 1933. This was her first start in com- petitive swimming, and she won with ease the 50 metres freestyle for girls under 14 in 36.4sec., a surprising time. Furthermore, she took part in the senior teams' match over 450 metres and secured second place for the club by her sprint finish.
After having competed in matches the same summer, where
"child of nature,” She took part in the instruction, swimmers from Copenhagen also over the fastest girls of her own not suit this
age in Copenhagen, thereby pro-which the Press had christened her. and a few weeks after becoming took part, the Press in that city bably also in Denmark. a member she was the best crawl-took notice of her, and this result- swimmer among the juniors of her ed in an invitation to a match in club, asd this essentially because of Copenhagen where she clearly won
Best In The Club After
A Few Weeks
SOLE AGENTS:
some
CALDBECK, MACGREGOR & CO., LTD.
Ragnhild Hveger, Denmark's golden-haired wonder swimmer, staged 8 rousing finale when she outclassed the pick of Europe in the last event of the European Swimming Championships, which were held at the Empire Pool. Wembley. It was the ladies' 400 Metres free-style, in which the record was broken in a time of 5 minutes 9 seconds, clipping the existing time by a full 3 seconds, Photograph shows the world-breaker being chaired by her team- mates after her remarkable performance in the 400 Metres, · (Copy-" right, Fox, by Air Mail).
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"No wonder the Press began to This great improvement of the write about the small provincial times was continued, and the fol- girl. "This strange boy-girl from lowing winter she trained with Elsinore, who moved like a fish in Miss Ineborg Paul-Petersen, who the water," and her career had thus has trained the best Danish swim- really begun.
mers, and with this exceptional After having taken part in sever-material she also succeeded in get- al galas in 1984 and having won ting Ragnhild Hveger into absolute most of the races, Ragnhild Hveger elite class over distances from got permission to train in the en-1200m. and up
closed swimming pool in Copenha- It would take too long to go over gen. Her teacher was Miss Grethe details regarding her development Priergaard from "Handelsstandens into a swimmer of world rank, and Gymnastikforening," who had taken it must, therefore, only be mention- an interest in Ragnhild after she ed that at this time she also began had twice taken part incontests to take up back-stroke, with the re- between H. G. and the champions of sult that in her first contest dur- Zeeland.
'ing a gala at Goteberg-she won This instruction soon influenced over the Swedish champion, so it Ragnhild's swimming, style, and was evident that this kind of swim- technique, which were much im-[ming also came easily to her being proved. At this time she won the as agile as a cat. silver brooch of Danish Swimming —and Life-Saving Association-- for a 100 metres crawl in Imin. 22.4sec. She now rapidly improved her times.
Astonished Fans By
~ The
Her Results
23 半
Had Won 205 Races
Up To January
The results of these last years are known all'over the world and it is therefore suf-, ficient to mention that during · the time Rangħild Hvøger, has been an active swimmer sho year after-în 1986-she has, up to January 1, 1988;: went on her first great continental taken part in 264 racea and won tour Czechoslovakia and Austria. 205 first places, 89 8 Everywhere she astonished swim- places, and 13 third places. ming fans by her results which A cold prevented her from being were out of all proportion to her in top form during the Olympic Games in Berlin In 1986, and, thus, She won several championships from winning the Olympic Gold . for Zeeland, but utterly amazed the Medal in 400m freestyle, which was
Danish sports people by beating all wón by Rie Mastenbrösk (Holland).
the lady swimmers in July, and who was, however, severely beaten. thereby winning her first Danish when these champions -mèt in) FIS championship” with the following sinore the summe
in-8.58.1. It metres. where
mbes did.
[Continued
Page 19)
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