Month: December 2014
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Only in Russia: Divers drink champagne, dance around New Year tree underwater
A group of divers in Russia’s Far East decided to be the first to celebrate the coming of 2015 – by drinking champagne and swimming in circles around a New Year tree at the bottom of a nearly frozen bay. “The feeling is amazing, visibility is good, water temperature is about -1C. I think that…
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QuadH2o Designs New Drone for Capturing Aerial and Underwater Video
The creators of the QuadH2o quadcopter have developed a new drone designed to shoot video in the air as well as underwater. This quadcopter, called HexH2o, is designed with an epoxy fiber/carbon fiber body that is waterproof and can float, and is the Thailand-based company’s original creation, according to Gizmag. As a result, users can fly…
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West Seattle Polar Bear Swim 2015 on Alki Beach: Confirmed!
More people than ever have asked in the past week-plus, “Is the Alki Polar Bear Swim on for New Year’s Day?†Longtime organizer Mark Ufkes has just confirmed, yes, indeed, it is. Can it break last year’s record (~500 swimmers)? Why not! See West Seattle Blog
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Quadriplegic swimmer leans on love to push forward
The following is one man’s experience, through two parallel stories. The first story is of a swimmer named Dillon Connolly, a record-setter at Sprayberry High School in Marietta and the University of Southern California. He qualified for Olympic trials and then decided to train professionally. Then in September, he had an accident. “I remember everything,”…
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New Zealand swimmers caught in the deep end in 2014
Lauren Boyle and Sophie Pascoe aside, it’s been another forgettable and concerning year for swimming in New Zealand. And, frustratingly, even Boyle’s year has been hampered. Last month it was revealed the Rio Olympic medal hope has been without a specialist coach for six months and taxpayer-funded entities Swimming New Zealand and High Performance Sport…
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River advocate swims the Mohawk to raise awareness
Wearing a wetsuit and towing a yellow raft, environmental educator Christopher Swain swam across the Hudson River on a gray and drizzly Wednesday to complete his trek of the 149-mile Mohawk River, the Hudson’s largest tributary. The 46-year-old Boston resident made the trip to raise awareness of the river’s history, habitats and environmental challenges, sharing…
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Tenby Boxing Day Swim 2014: Hundreds of swimmers battle freezing rain to take the plunge
An estimated 400 hardy swimmers braved a freezing and drizzly morning to take part in the 44th Tenby Boxing Day Swim On the stroke of 11am before a crowd of thousands, the swimmers – many dressed as pirates – braved horrible weather to take a dip on the Pembrokeshire town’s North Beach. Local hotelier Chris…
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Swimming, Athletics endure dope tainted year in 2014
China’s top sport star Sun Yang hit the headline again. Only this time, he was involved in doping. The Olympic and world swimming champion was banned for three months after being tested positive for the stimulant trimetazidine in May. Sun said he used the prescription drug Vasorel to treat chronic heart palpitations but failed to…
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Swimmers brave cold for Berlin Christmas swim
For a group of hardy Berliners, Christmas Day is a time to sing seasonal songs, don festive wear – and take a plunge in a cold lake. Dozens of swimmers from the Berlin Seals club came to the German capital’s Oranke lake Thursday for their annual Christmas dip, complete with red Christmas hats. The air…