How fast can YOU swim when chased by a crocodile?

October 9, 1998

Web posted at: 1:32 p.m. EDT (1732 GMT)

DARWIN, Australia (CNN) -- If you're hoping to make record time doing laps in the pool, perhaps you should consider employing a training technique that one swim instructor in Australia's Northern Territory claims yields record-breaking results: a crocodile.

Swimming coach Mark Davies says his young swimmers are beating the clock, now that they're being chased by a hungry "croc."

Davies says he lets his swimmers dive into the pool first. Then, he tosses in the crocodile.

One young girl described the experience as "absolutely terrifying."

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Davies says he checks the croc's swimming speed first, and makes sure the swimmer has enough of a head start that the crocodile can't really catch up.

Reuters contributed to this report.