1.
MV Shirley Babashoff into water, start of race, swimming as crowd watches (3 shots)
0.26

2.
CU Miss Babashoff's coach speaking:
0.48

3.
GV Start and finish of men's 400-metre freestyle, won by Tim Shaw (5 shots)
1.20


TRANSCRIPT: MISS BABASHOFFS: "The swimming training has changed drastically in the last ten years. We're seeking a lot more weight training, both in the men and the women, which makes stronger swimmers. Swimmers are spending more hours in the water -- many up to five hours a day -- whereas ten years ago it was one, two or three hours a day, and there's a lot more endurance. And for this reason, records are being broken at a rapid rate."




Initials BB/0030


SPORT: SWIMMING
TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Records fell as some of America's top swimmers limbered up for the coming world championships at trials in Long Beach, California, last week (18-21 June).

On the second day (19 June) of the Amateur Athletic Union's meet, 18-year-old Shirley Babashoff from California broke her own national 200 metres freestyle record, with a time of two minutes 2.54 seconds.

And a day later she broke her women's 400 metre freestyle world record with a time of four minutes 14.76 seconds. He record stood at four minutes 15.77 seconds before the swim.

Seventeen-year-old Tim Shaw, of Long Beach, broke his own world record in the 400 metre freestyle, clocking three minutes, 53.95 seconds. His old mark of three minutes 54.69 was set last August in Concord, California.

The top two finishers in each event qualify for the world championships in Cali, Columbia, next month (18-27 July).

This film is serviced with a commentary by TVN reporter Charles Amundson, and an interview with Shirley Babashoff's coach, a transcript of which follows.