Year: 2011

  • 4-year-old girl swims 2000 meters in just under 2 hours

    Tae Smith only started swimming lessons five months ago, for safety reasons to learn the basics, and now practices for just an hour a week. Her instructor saw her as a natural on day one, and now thought  she was ready to take the 600 meters distance badge, already an impressive achievement for a four-year-old.…

  • The 2015 World Championships will be in Mexico, Hong Kong or Russia

    Three cities have made the shortlist to host the world championships in 2015 and 2017: Guadalajara, Mexico; Hong Kong and Kazan, Russia. FINA will choose the 2015 host on July 15, and the 2017 venue also “if two bids are judged capable of hosting.” China originally entered Guangzhou in the 2015 and 2017 contest, and…

  • Ian Thorpe is not gay, not that there is anything wrong with that

    Funny how an undoubtedly modern and open-minded reporter can begin by quoting Ian Thorpe on saying that he doesn’t like people writing about his private life, and then go on writing about his private life. It reminds me of when people are being loud about being more tolerant than others, not understanding that by doing…

  • Barbosa and Santos removed from Brazil’s World Champonship roster

    In conjunction with their positive doping tests, which resulted in the loss of results from the Maria Lenk Trophy meet, Henrique Barbosa and Nicholas Santos have been removed from the Brazilian World Championships roster. Vinicius Waked did not make the team, so he is naturally missing as well, and now only Cesar Cielo remains, having…

  • Swimming across the Corryvreckan whirlpool

    The Corryvreckan Whirlpool is a mile of swirling, turbulent water that separates the Scottish Inner Hebrides island of Jura from northerly Scarba. Rumour whirls around this murky place, they say it is the third largest whirlpool in the world, that the Royal Navy classify it as officially ‘unnavigable’, that an unfortunate Norse king was swept…

  • Steve West qualifies for the U.S. Olympic Trials at age 39

    Steve West recently became the oldest man ever to qualify for the U.S. Olympics trials, with a 2:20.65 in the 200 breaststroke. Juggling family, job and sports, he still manages to squeeze in the 3 times 1 hour of training a week that he needs to pull out a 2:20 in the 200 breast. Kudos…

  • Something’s rotten in Brazil: This wasn’t Waked’s first offence

    FINA will press for an urgent CAS appeal before pool racing at the Shanghai 2011 World Championships begin on July 24, if current investigations conclude that Brazil was wrong to issue only warnings to Cesar Cielo, Nicholas Santos, Henrique Barbosa and Vinicius Waked for testing positive with furosemide. Especially Waked’s case looks suspicious, if the…

  • Canada Cup: Phelps flew in the 100 fly

    The king is back, at the Canada Cup yesterday, Michael Phelps posted a world’s best this year in the 100 meter butterfly, 51.32, beating Chris Brady and Wu Peng and others. Read more on for instance SwimmingWorld Magazine and SwimNews.com.

  • NZ teen swimmer ‘divorces’ parents for Rhi Jeffrey

    17-year-old Justin Wright has taken legal actions against his parents, so he can continue his relationship with 24-year-old Rhi Jeffrey, American gold medallist from the 2004 Olympics. Jeffrey retired in 2007, but has since moved to New Zealand to revive her career in an attempt to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London. When Wright…