Year: 2011

  • The swimming pool that turned into a museum

    In the last few years of the twentieth century, the Mayor of Lille in northern France had a quandary. The old swimming pool in Roubaix had been closed in 1985 due to safety problems, so why not simply knock the building down? Except, the pool was a stunning example of Art Deco architecture. Read kuriositas.com…

  • Have you ever gone fishing in your swimming pool ?

    Last weekend, the Scadding Court Community Center swimming pool was drained, filled with tap water, and then filled with over 2,000 rainbow trout. This to offer city dwellers a summer fishing experience without leaving the city. It is an annual event called “Gone Fishin‘”. Fantastic! Via blogto.com.

  • Shanghai 2011 – Trailer 2

    Presenting the official title song for the 14th FINA World Championships. 30 days and counting till I’ll travel there myself :-)

  • Who brings a machete to an ocean swim ?

    Interesting detail here, as mentioned by Gold Medal Mel and The Swim Brief … One of the members of her support team traveling in a small inflatable, a local fisherman named Charles Ebanks, distracted the sharks with dead fish, then killed three of six- to eight-footers with a machete. Earlier this week we read that…

  • Cousteau says use glass, not plastic

    Jacques Cousteau’s granddaughter Céline Cousteau urges people to use glass packaging rather than plastic, since it is more natural and healthier, and recycles better. If you care for the ocean, use glass where you can. See GlassIsLife.com, via scaq.blogspot.com.

  • Santa Clara 2011 will be streamed live

    Americans are good at this, providing live broadcast from important meets like the 2011 Santa Clara International Grand Prix starting tomorrow. Read “Five Storylines To Watch” about for instance the return of Brendan Hansen, and more about who attends here on usaswimming.org. I’ll put that webcast window on our LIVE-page too, and start looking for…

  • Poolside interviews at Santa Clara 2011

    Some media talk before the start of the Santa Clara International Grand Prix this weekend, featuring top names like Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Brendan Hansen, Amanda Beard, Missy Franklin, Dana Vollmer and Cullen Jones. Here Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman: Here Ryan Lochte: And here Brendan Hansen:

  • Orangutan saves baby chick from drowning

    Gentle and all, nudging it to safety with a leaf.

  • Independent SPARC review scolds Swimming New Zealand

    Swimming New Zealand’s high performance environment was today described by an independent Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) review as negative and with a culture of distrust and lack of confidence in its leadership. The role of SNZ’s high performance manager Jan Cameron has come under particular fire, to the point where one of the…