Bathe took swimming aged 8 to improve poor health and at 19 won two Olympic medals. He continued swimming until about 1930, winning 6 national breaststroke championships, 5 Crownprince Trophies, and 3 River Oder swims (7.5 km). In 1910 he set two world records in the 100 m breaststroke, at 1:18.4 and 1:17.5.[4]