Author: rokur

On July 5th, Margaret Hoelzer set a new 200 meter backstroke world record with the time of 2:06.09, beating Kirsty Coventry’s world standard of 2:06.39 from February.

Source: SwimInfo

On July 4th, Aaron Piersol tied Ryan Lochte’s 200 backstroke world record, and Phelps set a new 200 IM world record in the time of 1:54.80. Lochte swam 1:54.34 in the 200 backstroke, and 1:55.22 in the 200 IM (third fastest time in history).

Source: SwimInfo here and here

The agency is studying Viagra’s effects in athletes, but hasn’t yet banned it. Viagra is not on the International Olympic Committee’s list of prohibited drugs, so athletes can take it at the Beijing Olympics.

Read cbsnews.com

First Hayley McGregory bettered the 100 Backstroke of Natalie Coughlin with a 59.15 (Coughlin’s WR was 59.21), and then Coughlin took it back in the next heat with a 59.03.

Couchlin’s own comments after the swim

Katie Hoff beat Australia’s Stephanie Rice’s time of 4:31.46 with the new world record 4:31.12. And Phelps bettered his own world record to 4:05.25, in a race where Ryan Lochte with 4:06.08 also went under the former world record of 4:06.22. Read here and here at SwimInfo.

Here is Phelps’ world record

Imagine having to belly flop in order to survive…

He will be swimming the 100 and 200 metre freestyle, 200 and 400 IM, 100 and 200 backstroke, 100 and 200 butterfly, and the 400 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials this weekend.

Source: cbc.ca

Picture courtesy of Vironevaeh

Imaging swimming with a whale shark as big as a Ford Expedition. Read the Los Angeles Times and watch this video below.

The Japanese Swimming Federation has decided to allow its swimmers to wear Speedo’s LZR Racer at the Beijing Olympics. “In order to get the best results in Beijing, we took into account the opinions of the athletes and the coaches,” JSF vice chairman Kazuo Sano said Tuesday.

Source: iht.com

Two days after wearing a T-shirt stating “I am the swimmer”, in protest against the Japanese Swimming Federation restricting Japanese swimmers to use only Mizuno, Descente or Asics swim suits, Kosuke Kitajima breaks the 200 meter breaststroke world record, wearing a Speedo LZR Racer at the Japan Open. The new world record is 2:07.51, beating the 2:08.50 set by Brendan Hansen at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships.

Source: SwimInfo