Bob Kiphuth's Greatest Swimming Show on Earth, starring John Marshall, started off in New Haven last night as Yale, top team in the world, plays host for the weekend to the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming Championships.

In the lone event of last night, Marshall broke an eight-year-standing 1500-meter record of 20:02.2 with a time of 19:03.7. Other finishers in order were Wayne Moore, Yale, Dexter Smith, Army, Joe Burnett, Yale, Phil Ware, Niagara, and Bill Yorzyk, Springfield.

Some 14 Harvard, hopefuls left for New Haven last night and early this morning. Most of them should score in the two-day water-circus, and Harvard figures to finish second to the Elis, in the mythical team championship, for the second successive year.

A year ago, when the Easterns were held in the Blockhouse pool, the Crimson had 11 finalists to the Blue's 28. Yale also took 8 out of 14 first places. This year both squads have shown an even greater degree of superiority over their Eastern opponents.

Once again Harvard's best chance for a first place rests with diving champion Pete Dillingham, who has swamped the best in the East this year, with one exception. Dillingham's lone loss was to Navy's Jerry Anderson, and fellow sailor Owen Davies, who was ill the weekend of the Harvard-Navy meet, has defeated Anderson several times since. There was some discussion at the time, however, about the Annapolis scoring, and Dillingham will have at least an even chance for revenge in the Easterns.

Crimson sprinter Dave Hedberg will have his work cut out for him when he comes up against Don Sheff of Yale and Bob Nugent of Rutgers. In the 100 freestyle Sheff has been under Hedberg's best time of 51.7, and Nugent set a Harvard pool record of 51.4 a year ago. Harvard's John McNamara can score in the 50, and sprinters Ron Huebach, Phil Pratt, and Captain Bob Stroud may do well.

Sophomore Don Mulvey is the only Crimson entry in the backstroke, but the Elis still have Dick Thoman, who set a 100-yard intercollegiate, meet, and pool record in the afternoon trials a year ago. Last year's final winner of the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 150-yard individual medley, Jim Thomas of North Carolina, has graduated, leaving Thoman virtually a clear field.

Also in 1951, John Marshall, Wayne Moore, Jim McLane, and Frank Chamberlain of Yale finished one, two, three, four in the 440 freestyle. All four are juniors this year. The first three also took the first three places in the 220. Because of this, John Millard is the only Crimson middle-distance swimmer to make the trip.