When chubby Nell van Vliet, 22, a baker's daughter, arrived from Holland two months ago, she waved her hand at the questions, ticked off U.S. women swimmers: "Free style? Yes, Ann Curtis, the best in the world. Your backstroke swimmers? Two or three good ones. But breast-strokers?" Nell wrinkled her nose significantly. She knew that she was far & away the best woman breaststroke swimmer going.
At Daytona Beach last week, in a practice swim, Nell breast-stroked 220 yards in breath-taking time (16 seconds faster than the record). She seemed to be a cinch to win the A.A.U. crown later in the week. But at the last minute, someone raised the question of whether Netherlands Nell was eligible to compete in a U.S. championship. When embarrassed A.A.U. officials failed to uphold her eligibility at once, Nell withdrew, saved further red faces. Next day, Clara Lamore of Providence won the 220-yard breast stroke in 3:10.5 (more than 19 seconds behind Nell's practice-swim time). Who had questioned Nell's eligibility, and on what exact grounds? Officials were clam-mouthed on that. But one A.A.U. man conceded: "Obviously because Miss Van Vliet was a sure winner."
Victory had become a habit with Nell. Since her first race in competition, six years ago (in which she placed second), she has never been beaten, now holds more titles than she can remember. One reason for her endurance: during wartime in German-occupied Holland, she lived most of the time with friends and relatives in the country, pedaled a bicycle on 100-mile trips to visit her home in Amsterdam.
As good as Nell is (next summer's Olympic breaststroke crown is practically hers for the taking), her speed, of course, doesn't compare with that of a good man breaststroke swimmer. In New Haven last week, where the men's A.A.U. swimming championships were held, blond Joe Verdeur of La Salle College became a hero for the second week running. He came butterflying and frog-kicking down the final lap of the 220-yard breaststroke race to win. His time of 2:30.5 (compared to Miss Van Vliet's 2:51 at Daytona Beach) was a new U.S. and world 200-meter record.
"I didn't think I was breaking any records," said Verdeur. "I felt sluggish and tight in my legs."