Month: March 2011
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Akaiwa swam in to save his wife and mother
The Los Angeles Times brings this incredible story about 43-year-old Hideaki Akaiwa, who couldn’t wait for rescue workers when large parts of his hometown of Ishinomaki were turned into a lake by the tsunami, but donned a wetsuit and went looking for his wife himself. He managed to find their house in all the debris,…
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Mobile phones may be banned at the London 2012 Olympics
According to The Independent, phones are unwelcome at the London 2012 Olympics, “as they may disturb the action, along with banners, horn, whistles, drums, rattles and musical instruments”. The ban is mentioned as security measures produced by the Games organisers, included in a “non-exhaustive” list of banned and restricted items in the terms and conditions…
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Watch out for the USA Swimming video contest
Exciting stuff here on usaswimming.org, where USA swimming is looking for the next great America’s Swim Team video: The best 30-second video that demonstrates what being a part of America’s Swim Team means to you, with deadline April 9, 2011. There is also this great video where Ryan Lochte surprises America’s Swim Team teammates at…
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Entire swim team lost in Japan
Heart wrenching story here in the New York Times, about how a whole swim team and their coach were lost to the tsunami, when walking a half-mile to practice at the nearly new natatorium in Rikuzentakata. But they are not the only ones: in this town of 23,000, more than one in 10 people is…
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Strasbourg is the place to be this week
SwimNews.com describes the upcoming French nationals and World championship trials as “a firepower in men’s freestyle events that is hard to find just about anywhere else in the world”, with Alain Bernard, Amaury Leveaux, Fred Bousquet, Fabien Gilot, William Meynard and Yannick Agnel in the short to middle distances, and Sebastien Rouault, Anthony Pannier, Xavier…
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Alshammar has a “Diva” tattoo to remind her not to be a diva
Interesting detail about Sweden’s Therese Alshammar, 33-year-old World Cup winner 2010 and Dubai 2010 World champion in the 50 butterfly. Source SwimNews.com: “I lived in London for a number of years, so it’s like my second home. I really, really like the city so it would be nice to have a little bit of ‘homeground’…
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Is David Nolan the next Superfish?
17-year-old David Nolan set two individual USA high school and age group (17-18) records during the PIAA Swimming Championships this weekend, improving upon his own 200 yards medley record from 1:43.43 last year to 1:41.39 now, and swimming 45.49 in the 100 yard backstroke, where the age group record was 46.11 and the high school…
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Dale Oen operated so that he can train more
Norway’s Olympic silver medalist Alexander Dale Oen underwent a nose operation recently, in order to hopefully be freed of the 4 to 6 weeks that he usually struggles with the common cold, or at least be able to train better through these weeks. “I can of course train when I have the cold, but it…
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Test your fast twitch with “Sheep Dash”
Recommended by none other than Jessica Hardy, this game called “Sheep Dash” on bbc.co.uk/science is a must do for every serious swimmer out there. As a native inhabitant of the ‘sheep islands’ (Faroe Islands), I guess my proud 0.1994 average reaction time is next to impossible to beat.