Author: rokur

Lebanon has not won an Olympic medal since 1980. But Lebanese-American swimmer Katya Bachrouche hopes to change that at this year’s London Games in July, where, as a dual citizen, she plans to compete for her ancestral homeland. Read Middle East Voices via the17thman.

As they put it on www.simma.nu/no, “Norwegian journalists never get tired of challenging Norwegian swimmers to a duel,” this time Dagbladet photographer Thomas Rasmus Skaug challenging world champ Alexander Dale Oen to a 50 meter breaststroke at altitude in Flagstaff, Arizona, Skaug with a 15 second headstart. Good to see Alex in the pool again, in the article on Dagbladet he says that he doesn’t feel any pain from his shoulder any more, they are holding back but it looks like he’ll be back in top shape come London 2012.

Funny DIRECTV commercial

With the London Olympics less than 100 days away, British swimmers are preparing to race on the international circuit, including the Europeans in Debrecen in May, the Mare Nostrum Series in June, the OW Marathon qualifier in Setúbal in June and the Santa Clara International Grand Prix in May/June, before the last chance to book a remaining slot on Team GB at the British Gas ASA National Championships on June 20th – 23rd. Read more here on swimming.org. Team GB at Debrecen 2012 Robbie Renwick – City of Glasgow Michael Jamieson – British Gas ITC Bath James Goddard – British…

The Swedish Olympic Committee today nominated Jennie Johansson and Martina Granström for the London 2012 Olympics, in addition to already qualified Sarah Sjöström and Therese Alshammar. Johansson and Granström are Olympic debutants, while Sjöström also participated in Beijing, and Alshammar at all 4 games since 1996. The Committee also nominated the women’s 4×100 freestyle, though without naming the swimmers. According to the Swedish Swimming Federation, the next selection will be at the end of May, after the European Championships. Via simma.nu/se (Alshammar happy at the World Cup leg in Stockholm back in 2010)

Svimjihøllin í Gundadali, main swimming pool of Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, all dressed up to greet young swimmer Magnus Jákupsson after his successful Nordic Youth Championships participation back in July 2010, where he won gold in the 50 backstroke, silver in the 50 butterfly and bronze in the 200 backstroke. Had to find a photo with Merkið today, since it is our annual flag day :-)

At the FINA 10K Marathon Swimming World Cup í Cancun (MEX) yesterday, Brazil’s Ana Marcela Cunha won the women’s event in 2h09m14s78, ahead of Angela Maurer (GER) in 2h09m16s22 and Martina Grimaldi (ITA) in 2h09m19s04, and Germany’s Thomas Lurz the men’s event in 1h58m16s51 ahead of Spyridon Gianniotis (GRE) in 2h57m16s55 and Nicola Bolzonello (ITA) in 2h58m16s56. Oussama Mellouli (TUN) made his first appearance in a FINA-sanctioned open water event, taking 11th in 1h57m32s02. See press release on FINA.org and results here.

So at the just-for-fun Speaker’s Corner event on Friday night at Hotel Føroyar, our federation president Jon Hestoy got into a mine-is-bigger-than-yours competition with Ilkka Keskinen from Finland and Hafþór Gudmundsson from Iceland, speakers at the 11th Nordic Conference in Elementary Swimming Teaching, on how many 5-6th grade kids could swim in their countries. Unfortunately there is quite a lot of background noise, but I strongly recommend at least to listen to Hafþór, since their statistics are absolutely impressive, and the solution quite simple. And notice, they compare the Nordic definition of swimming ability, which is to be able to…

The drivers if fortunately OK after losing control of his car, flying through the air and plunging upside down into a family pool, the accelerator apparently having gotten stuck on his 1968 red Chevrolet Camaro. Bumblebee, is that you? Read 7News

The Skandalopetra FreeDiving Event will be held in Bonaire, Northern Carribbean on May 2-9, where freedivers will use the ancient Greek sponge diving technique of using a stone called a “skandalopetra” to dive head-firt to the bottom. Read more here on Greek Reporter.