BEAUTY BORN OF VIOLENCE

When he dives in, the swimmer turns the pool into a violent world. The turmoil and beauty he creates are shown here in photographs taken by Coles Phinizy and Jerry Cooke

TRAVELER IN TWO DIFFERENT WORLDS

The racing swimmer moves partly in and partly out of the water. When his head is turned up for air, he may get a brief glimpse of his rivals and spectators. But most of the time his face is scant inches below the surface of the water; he barely can see and is therefore only dimly aware of the beauty he generates in the two elements. The photographic techniques used to make these pictures provide a unique simultaneous look at both of the competitive swimmer's worlds.

The strong thrust of the crawl swimmer's arms and legs pulls bright strands of bubbling air below the surface

Two racers stretch for the wall at the end of a sprint

A quick turn shatters the surface of the pool

His shoulders trailing a mantle of bubbles, the swimmer surges forward

Breaststroker's grace contrasts with distorted images above the water

SIX PHOTOS

COLES PHINIZY; JERRY COOKE