Long distance swimming

Long-distance swimming. There are no specific rules for competitive swimming, and participants can be individuals or groups, but in Japan, there are many events where participants swim in groups. One record is the "Great Crossing Across Ise Bay" in 1856 (Ansei 3) in the Kankairyu Japanese Swimming Method. Since the Meiji period, it has been held in places such as the Sumida River in Tokyo, Tateyama Beach in Chiba Prefecture, and in the Kansai region. Osaka's Hamadera Swimming School in particular has had a long tradition of long-distance swimming. During World War II, swimming was incorporated into school education, and the army and navy began researching practical swimming techniques, which is when long-distance swimming reached its peak.

In those days, long-distance swimming was generally divided into classes by distance according to the physical strength and skill of the swimmers, and by the color and line of their hats. The leader thoroughly researched the currents, water temperature, and dangers of harmful fish such as sharks in advance. The swimmers were organized in two lines, starting with the leader who beat a drum to prevent the danger of harmful fish, and the weakest swimmers lined up in two lines, with the instructors in the middle. The boats escorted the swimmers and provided rescue, security, and instruction. Rock sugar was also distributed along the way. This method was a traditional ancient way of crossing the ocean (Kankai-ryu), and was adopted as a part of school physical education as a group swimming technique that was effective in giving swimmers confidence. Long-distance swimming is still carried out in various forms today, but it is often held at the end of summer swimming lessons to test the progress of swimming ability.

The first long-distance swimming competition in Japan was held in 1905 (Meiji 38), a 10-mile swim from Tempozan (present-day Chikko) in Osaka, passing through the Settsu Coast (Nishinomiya, Ashiya, Sumiyoshi) to Mikage Kurosaki. The first women's competition was in 1908, when three runners took part in the five-mile swim from Shin-Ohashi Bridge to Senju Ohashi Bridge at the mouth of the Sumida River in Tokyo, as an extra event.

Because swimming took so long, putting hands above the water surface was prohibited as it caused participants to tire quickly, so breaststroke and noshi (a Japanese swimming style that refers to the sidestroke) were the norm, but later, emphasis was placed on time (speed) over distance, and one group swam the crawl from Atami to Hatsushima. Nakajima Shoichi (Tokyo) also became the first person in the world to swim the Tsugaru Strait in 1967 (Showa 42), the Palk Strait (Sri Lanka-India) in 1971, the Korea Strait (Tsushima-Busan) in 1972, and the Strait of Malacca (Sumatra-Malaysia) in 1974.

Abroad, the British poet Byron successfully attempted to cross the Hellespont (Dardanelles), a sea mentioned in Greek legend, in 1810. The most famous attempt is the 33km crossing of the Straits of Dover, which connects Dover in England with Calais in France, and was first made in 1875 by British Matthew Webb in 21 hours and 45 minutes. The first woman to cross the Straits was American Gertrude Ederle, who started from the Calais side of France and took 14 hours and 31 minutes. It has now become an annual event, with volunteers of both sexes attempting to shorten the time every year.

[Tsuneo Ishii]

The first official record for crossing the English Channel was set by Eiko Onuki on July 31, 1982, when she crossed the English Channel in 9 hours and 32 minutes.

[Editorial Department]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

遠距離水泳のこと。とくに競泳規則はなく、個人・団体を問わないが、日本では団体編成で泳ぐ行事が多い。記録としては、日本泳法の観海流に1856年（安政3）「伊勢(いせ)湾横断大渡り」が残されている。明治以降は東京隅田(すみだ)川、千葉県館山(たてやま)海岸、関西地方などで行われた。とくに大阪の浜寺水練学校では古くから遠泳の伝統があった。第二次世界大戦中、水泳が学校教育に取り入れられ、陸海軍が実用泳法を研究するようになって、遠泳は最盛期を迎えた。

　当時一般に行われた遠泳は、泳者の体力、泳法の巧拙によって距離を区別し、帽子の色・線でクラスを分けた。リーダーは事前に予定水路の潮流、水温、フカ（サメ）など害魚の危険を綿密に調査する。泳者の編成は、害魚の危険防止のため太鼓をたたきながら泳ぐリーダーを先頭とし、弱い泳者から2列に並び、中央に指導者級を置く。周りを船で護衛し、救護、警戒、指導にあたる。途中、氷砂糖なども配給する。この方法は、伝統的な古式沖渡り（観海流）で、泳者に自信を与えるのに有効な集団泳法として、学校体育の一環として採用された。現在でも遠泳はいろいろな形で行われるが、夏季水泳講習の納会などで、水泳の実力の進歩を試す意味で催されることが多い。

　日本で初めて遠泳競技が行われたのは1905年（明治38）大阪・天保山（現在の築港）から摂津海岸（西宮(にしのみや)、芦屋(あしや)、住吉）沖を通って御影(みかげ)黒崎までの10マイル遠泳。女子では1908年東京・隅田川河口の新大橋―千住大橋の5マイル遠泳に、番外で3人が参加したのが初めてである。

　長時間泳ぐため、手を水面上に出すと疲れが早く出るとして禁止され、平泳ぎ、のし泳ぎ（日本泳法の一つで横泳ぎをさす）が主だったが、その後、距離よりも時間（スピード）を重視するようになり、熱海(あたみ)―初島間をクロールで泳いだグループもあった。また、中島正一（東京）は、1967年（昭和42）津軽海峡、71年ポーク海峡（スリランカ―インド）、72年朝鮮海峡（対馬(つしま)―釜山(ふざん)）、74年マラッカ海峡（スマトラ―マレーシア）をいずれも世界で初めて泳破した。

　外国では、イギリスの詩人バイロンが1810年、ギリシア伝説に伝えられるヘレスポントス（ダーダネルス）海峡の横断を試み成功している。有名なのはイギリスのドーバーとフランスのカレーを結ぶ約33キロメートルのドーバー海峡横断で、1875年イギリスのマシュー・ウェッブMatthew Webbが21時間45分の所要時間で初めて成功。女性初横断はフランスのカレー側からスタートしたアメリカのガードルード・エダールGertrude Ederleで14時間31分。現在は年中行事化され、時間短縮に毎年男女の有志が挑戦している。

［石井恒男］

　ドーバー海峡横断について、日本人では1982年7月31日に、大貫映子が9時間32分で横断したのが初の公式記録となった。

［編集部］

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