The Shark of Quilla Creek

Grizzled, fiftyish Pedro Candioti is one of Argentina's most beloved athletes. His specialty is not futbol, polo or tennis, but endurance swimming. Last week, for the 26th time, Pedro Candioti tried to realize his life's ambition: to swim down the Parana River to Buenos Aires.

In the past he had started from various towns, 200 to 300 miles away. This year he started from Rosario, 205 miles above the capital. For three days & nights he churned and paddled--past San Pedro, past Baradero, past Uriburu, past Campana. At each river town he was greeted with crowds eager to cheer on their beloved "Shark of Quilla Creek." At Point San Ysidro, only twelve miles from Buenos Aires, the upstream tidal current began to force him back. After two futile hours, Pedro Candioti gave up. When he was hauled out of the river he instantly fell fast asleep. Pedro was not as young as he was: he had been in the water only 74 1/2 hours. Once he had managed to endure 13 hours longer.

At week's end a female compatriot of Pedro's tried a less ambitious but nonetheless staggering swim--the 42 windy miles down the Parana from Campana to San Fernando, at the head of the Estuary. She was Mrs. Soledad Bueno de Gutierrez, 38, swimming teacher in a Buenos Aires department store. She made it--in 17 hours, 38 minutes.

The world's endurance record was set in 1937 by legless Charles ("Zimmy") Zibelman of New York, who paddled down the Hudson from Albany to Manhattan in 147 hr., 37 min.

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