Author: rokur

Brave sea swimmers ready for the “Ólavsøkusvimjingin 2012”, a 400 meter swim in about 7°C (45°F) warm sea water along the main pier of Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Most of them members of the masters team of Tórshavn swim club.

Wow, soldiers have been drafted in to fill empty seats at the London 2012 Olympics after prime “Olympic family” seating at the aquatics centre, gymnastics arena and basketball venue again went unused on the second day of competition. Some of the troops, working at the Olympics to provide security, said they were scheduled to start shifts but instead were offered courtside seats at the basketball arena to watch the USA v France, the London organizing committee (LOCOG) refusing to rule out offering seats to G4S staff if the problem persists. Well, at least it beats being drafted for Afghanistan. Read…

Featuring Summer Sanders, see Yahoo! Sports (video autoplays, pushed below the break)

At the London 2012 Olympic prelims today, China’s Shiwen Ye was head and shoulders above the rest of the field in the women’s 200 IM, looking to add that one to her 400 IM Olympic gold from Saturday. Federica Pellegrini led the field (narrowly) in the women’s 200 freestyle, and in the men’s 200 butterfly prelims, Austria’s Dinko Jukic lead in 1:54.79, Michael Phelps comfortably in 5th en route to that elusive 3rd Olympic gold medal.

At the London 2012 Olympic swimming finals yesterday evening, the French men upset everyone by taking back the 4×100 freestyle Olympic gold medal that they lost in 2008, clocking 3:09.93 with USA in 3:10.38 and 2nd and Russia in 3:11.41 and 3rd, the Aussie ‘weapons of mass destruction’ backfiring to a 3:11.63 and 4th. USA’s Dana Vollmer scorched the women’s 100 butterfly in a new World record of 55.98, China’s Ying Lu 2nd in 56.87 and Australia’s Alicia Coutts 3rd in 56.94. South Africa’s Cameron van der Burgh clocked an impressive new World record of 58.46 in the men’s 100…

They call it “Ólavsøkusvimjingin”, the 400 meter swim along the main pier of Tórshavn, right after the traditional boat races on our national holiday Ólavsøka. Me and Bartal had planned to film it in a relay fashion, one guy filming while the other moved to a new position along the route. Turned out to be an intense run through spectators, rain and large puddles, following this guy Magnus while trying not to become a part of the swim ourselves. Winner time Magnus Jákupsson, 4:43.0, here receiving a special prize for all his accomplishments at the European Juniors and Danish Championships…

The Olympic Games has its first scandal: hundreds of embarrasing empty seats at events which were officially sold out, including the swimming heats. Seats reserved for members of the ‘Olympic family’ – including internationals federations, national governing bodies, athletes, IOC officials and media representatives. There are swimmers competing whose parents couldn’t get in, shame on the IOC. 100’s of empty seats again in the Aquatic center. My parents would’ve given an arm and leg to get in yesterday as would the parents today.— Barry Murphy (@Barry_J_Murphy) July 29, 2012 Read for instance The Week, The Telegraph, The Chicago Tribune, The…

On this second day of London 2012 Olympic prelims, Australia’s Emily Seebohm posted a new Olympic record of 58.23 in the women’s 100 backstroke, USA’s hot favorite Missy Franklin 2nd in 59.37. Sun Yang looked invincible in the men’s 200 freestyle, beating USA’s Ryan Lochte in the 5th heat with a 1:46.24 to Lochte’s 1:46.45. Lithuania’s 15-year-old Ruta Meilutyte posted a scorching 1:05.56 in the women’s 100 breaststroke, an Olympic textile best they say. America’s Matt Grevers looked unbeatable in the men’s 100 backstroke, posting the only sub-53 time before helping his team to the 4×100 freestyle final. France’s Camille…

On the first night of the London 2012 Olympics, China’s Shiwen Ye posted a world record of 4:28.43 in the women’s 400 IM, quite unusually by ripping the field apart in the last 100 freestyle. USA’s Elizabeth Beisel 2nd and China’s Xuanxu Li 3rd, old record was Stephanie Rice 4:29.45 from Beijing 2008, Rice now finishing in 6th. Michael Phelps didn’t make that 3rd gold medal in a row in the 400 IM, coming in 4th after Ryan Lochte in 4:05.18, Brazil’s Thiago Pereira in 4:08.86 and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino in 4:08.94. China’s Sun Yang set an Olympic record in…

We are celebrating our national holiday “Ólavsøka” this weekend, which explains the clothes. Sea swimmer is Eyðun Húsgarð, chairman of Havnar Svimjifelag (the swimming club of Tórshavn). Video will be ready later.