Author: rokur

Some call it the final frontier. While humans have breached the limitations of land, air and space, the underwater world remains largely untouched. Read more here on ABC News

Athletes’ Performance, the Andrews Institute and HydroWorx are hosting the first organized Underwater Marathon to raise funds to help heal wounded Special Forces soldiers on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012 at Tröegs Brewery in Hershey, PA. The marathon will allow individuals and corporate teams to raise money for the Eagle Fund by running 5K, 10K, half-marathon or marathon distances on HydroWorx X80 underwater treadmills. Via PRWeb, learn more about the Eagle Fund at www.underwatermarathon.com

Video from James Magnussen’s 100 freestyle post race interview at the Australian Trials. Reporter says (@0:30): “Just pause it here as you’re coming into the wall, we’ll just get the boys to pause it. How important is the turn at this stage?”. Magnussen is being all polite and talking about ‘momentum’ and stuff … but seriously, if he didn’t turn, it could be catastrophic! :-P #beentheredonethat

Here it is, Ian Thorpe’s 200 meter freestyle semi-final at the Australian Olympic Trials, in full length. Painful to watch, and to listen to those reporters going “Ian-Ian-Ian” even though they have 7 other great Aussies in that pool. Found by Ricky Berens [blackbirdpie url=”https://twitter.com/#!/RickyBerens/status/181891905427226624″]

There I was, about to be beaten to a pulp by the former Danish 200 meter butterfly champion, now president of the Faroese swimming federation, the coach of Pál Joensen, and the guy who used to be able to do 100 pushups in 1 minute (and still probably can). Must work on my start, my turn, my kick and maybe everything :-)

Trials of a lifeguard alert system called Sensa will begin in two weeks at several hotels in Dubai, if successful to be adopted by several of the emirate’s 20,000 pools. Swimmers are given wristbands containing a sensor that alerts the lifeguard’s pager if held deeper than 60cm underwater for more than 20 seconds. The complete package costs about 100,000 Dirham for one pool (US$ 27,225), but the makers believe the system in return will allow for more cost-efficient lifeguard staffing levels. The Swimming Pool Safety Company also has an underwater video system adopted by pools in Britain and the Hamdan…

The day is getting ever closer, when James Cameron will go for the second ever dive down into the deepest abyss available, according to one commenter on Facebook as soon as weather conditions are calm enough to allow them to navigate to the dive site and make the descent.

D’Arcy pleaded guilty in a 2009 criminal court case to recklessly causing grievous bodily harm and was given a suspended 14-month jail sentence. He is yet to apologise to Cowley over the incident and veteran swimmer Michael Klim on Monday said it would be “nice” of him to do so. Read more here on ninemsn, via the17thman “We’re all very friendly and I think most of the people would appreciate that sort of gesture,” London hopeful Klim told Fox Sports. “Nick has obviously got his own agenda and he wants to prove it’s more about the swimming than anything else…

Jordanian swimmer Nazih Samer Mezayek has been banned for two years after testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone in an out-of-competition test last September. Ban starting on September 10, 2011, and ending on September 9, 2013. Source FINA via The Washington Post

At the French Olympic Trials today, Camille Muffat set a new French national in the women’s 400 meter freestyle, with a time of 4:01.13 besting Laure Manaudou’s 4:02.13 from the European Championships in 2006, and the world textile record of 4:01.97 set by Federica Pellegrini at the Shanghai 2011 World Championships. She and Coralie Balmy qualified for the Olympics, Balmy with a 4:05.45 in the event. Read more here on SwimmingWorld Magazine, also about how Amaury Leveaux and Laure Manaudou are back in business again.