Category: History
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‘Blood in the water’ – Hungary vs USSR at the 1956 Olympics
Try to imagine the situation,” says Dezso Gyarmati, captain of Hungary’s 1956 Olympic water polo team. “A superpower destroys your country with weapons and tanks — a country that has never asked for that power to be there. And after that revolution is crushed you have to face the representatives of that superpower.” CNN via…
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The making of Madame Tussauds’ Tom Daley
One of the most dramatic figures ever to feature at Madame Tussauds, British diver Tom Dailey is captured in mid-dive as he soars from the diving board towards the water. Via hollandswimming.nl
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Herald Sun names Thorpe as top 3 comeback failure, Torres as top 2 success
Ouch, the Herald Sun has apparently given up on Ian Thorpe with the Olympic Trials yet to come, and names him the top 3 most unsuccessful comeback behind tennis player Bjorn Borg and boxing legend Muhammad Ali: 3: Ian Thorpe: We may never know the genuine reasons behind his comeback but to date it has…
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What does swimmer Jeremy Linn think of Jeremy Lin ?
Olympic gold medalist Jeremy Linn, a graduate of Central Dauphin High School, once had a very unique name; now he hears and sees it all the time, thanks to Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks. CBS21 via SwimmingWorld on Twitter.
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Life since Beijing 2008 renewed Shanteau’s focus
Since the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Eric Shanteau has undergone surgery for his condition, been declared cancer free, lost his father to lung cancer, and found renewed focus for swimming and Olympic goals. Source FSMidwest via the17thman. Video: Shanteau on lessons from cancer recovery
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Adolph Kiefer on aquatic therapy
Born in 1918, Adolph “Sonny Boy” Kiefer was the first ever to swim 100 yards backstroke under 1 minute. He won the 100 backstroke at the 1936 Summer Olympics in (Nazi) Berlin, was asked to audition for the role of Tarzan but joined the US Navy instead and served during World War II, was appointed…
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Michael Phelps ready for London 2012
Swimming superstar Michael Phelps has won 14 Olympic gold medals, more individual Olympic golds than anyone in history. He spoke to AFPTV in New York earlier this month. about the upcoming Olympic competition in London and his plans for retirement after the games.
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Misty Swim: Greg Burgess demonstrating the backstroke
Wow, great shot here on the United States Marine Corps Official (Flickr) Page, CC BY-NC 2.0. Major Greg Burgess won a silver medal in the 200 IM at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1997 and has among other things served two tours of duty in Iraq. Here is a…
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Two swim coaches killed in tragic plane crash
Swim coaches Rob Marshall Hill and Seth Dawson have been identified as casualties of a single-engine plane crash Wednesday on Little Si near North Bend, Washington, according to for instance The Seattle Times. Both were swim coaches at Decatur High School and the Valley Aquatics Swim Team in South King County, Washington, 30-year-old Hill also…