Swimmer's Daily

  • Pacific gray whales are showing up dead in North America’s oceans and shores at a rate four-times greater than typical. As of July 11, 182 gray whales have been found dead or beached this year in Mexico, the US, and Canada according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

    While that might seem like a relatively small figure for a species that numbers in the tens of thousands, the dead whales that are spotted by mariners or found on ashore only represent roughly 10% of total deaths: 90% of whales simply sink to the ocean floor when they die, according to Jeffrey Boehm, CEO of the Marine Mammal Institute.

    The gray whale migrates from the Arctic to Baja California in Mexico during the winter before migrating back north in the summer. The whales were removed from the US endangered species list in 1994. Nearly 22 years after the Marine Mammal Protection Act made it a federal offense to harm or kill any marine mammal. Researchers estimate the population has recovered to roughly 27,000 whales, levels not seen since before the peak of whale hunting in North America in the 19th century.

    NOAA is investigating this as an “unusual mortality event,” and so far, the cause of the deaths is inconclusive. Pádraig Duignan, chief research pathologist at the Marine Mammal Center, told Quartz there are several theories that rely on a combination of a lack of food, climate change, and ship strikes.

    Read Quartz

    Photo by Christopher.Michel

  • The Indian Ocean is home to one of the most diverse whale populations in the world – as many as 18 species live there. And no one can get you closer to these hauntingly mysterious creatures than American wildlife photographer Patrick Dykstra. Correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti joined Dykstra as they went swimming with whales in the waters off Sri Lanka.

  • To celebrate his 90th Birthday Mr. Murray Ross asked for some company as he took his daily swim off Point Du Chene Wharf in New Brunswick Canada. Nearly 150 people showed up to take the plunge with Murray on a sunny summer day in Aug 2019.

  • Andy Casagrande and the team spot what they believe are the very same Great White shark brothers they saw a year ago off the Isle of Jaws.

  • Australian swimmer Mack Horton is standing by his controversial anti-doping podium protest in the wake of the Shayna Jack scandal.

  • After the French domination in the past two years, Hungary took over the reigns at the European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, held in Racice. The Magyar team finished atop in the medal table and in the Championship Trophy as well. Still, the landscape was more balanced than in the previous editions: six more nations could clinch a title apiece.

    France was overwhelming in 2017 and 2018 grabbing four golds both in Marseille and in Malta. Now the field became more balanced, seven nations shared the medals and each could have one title, only the Hungarians got two.

    Similar to the scenes being witnessed at senior levels, the best young open water swimmers produced outstanding battles during the three days event in Racice, where the competitions were held in the regatta course, site of the 2017 flat-water kayak-canoe World Championships. In most of the races a couple of tenths of seconds separated the medallist, big margins were only recorded in the men’s 7.5km and the women’s 10km event.

    In the latter one, Oceane Cassignol delivered another gold for France: the young talent had already been part of France’s World Championship winning mixed relay in 2017 among the seniors and claimed gold two years ago over the 7.5km distance among the juniors. She is one of the brightest talents in the sport who is set to enjoy a brilliant career in the years coming.

    In the men’s field, Britain’s Nathan Hughes won an outstanding battle in the 10km ahead of his Hungarian rivals David Huszti and Peter Galicz (the latter one’s younger brother Laszlo also got a bronze medal among the 14-15 year-olds: a rather rare scenario in this tough sport to see siblings being equally successful).

    Among the youngest ones, Hungary’s Mira Szimcsak seems to be a promising competitor as she managed to win the 5km event once again after 2018. She was part of the gold medallist relay on the closing day so finished the event as the only participant with two titles to her name.

    Medallists

    5km, 14-15yrs

    Women

    1. Mira Szimcsak (HUN) 57:07.0
    2. Ella Dyson (GBR) 57:08.2
    3. Marlene Blanke (GER) 57:08.3

    Men

    1. Linus Schwedler (GER) 54:05.5
    2. Pasquale Giordano (ITA) 54:07.8
    3. Laszlo Galicz (HUN) 54:11.0

    7.5km, 16-17yrs

    Women

    1. Maria Claro (ESP) 1:25:19.7
    2. Vivien Balogh (HUN) 1:26:19.2
    3. Madelon Catteau (FRA) 1:26:23.8

    Men

    1. Aleksandr Stephanov (RUS) 1:20:31.7
    2. David Betlehem (HUN) 1:20:43.9
    3. Pol Yagues (ESP) 1:20.48.6

    10km, 18-19yrs

    Women

    1. Oceane Cassignol (FRA) 2:01.28.3
    2. Lea Boy (GER) 2:01:32.3
    3. Ekaterina Sorokina (RUS) 2:01:42.6

    Men

    1. Nathan Hughes (GBR) 1:55:49.9
    2. David Huszti (HUN) 1:55:51.1
    3. Peter Galicz (HUN) 1:55:51.4

    Mixed relays

    5km, 14-16yrs

    1. Hungary 57:01.1
    2. Russia 57:05.9
    3. Germany 57:38.2

    5km, U19

    1. Italy 56:24.9
    2. Germany 56:33.0
    3. France 56:44.8

    Medal table

     

    Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
    HUN 2 3 2 7
    GER 1 2 2 5
    RUS 1 1 1 3
    GBR 1 1 0 2
    ITA 1 1 0 2
    FRA 1 0 2 3
    ESP 1 0 1 2


    Championship Trophy (Top 10)

    1. Hungary 212,
    2. Germany 193,
    3. Russia 163,
    4. Italy 152,
    5. Spain 128,
    6. France 113,
    7. Great Britain 70,
    8. Poland 55,
    9. Czech Republic 46,
    10. Israel 39

    For detailed results, visit the LEN’s website

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of the Local Organizing Committee

  • Springfield Police officer, Aaron McNab, died in a swimming accident in Vermont.

  • Over 200 swimmers gathered at Hampton Cove pool for the 14th annual Swim for Melissa NICU fundraiser.

  • Reece Whitley long had the pedigree, and the backstory, to portend swimming success. He realized it at the U.S. Championships this week.

    The 6-foot-9 19-year-old made his first career summer nationals finals in Palo Alto, Calif. He won the 200m breaststroke and finished third in the 100m breast with personal-best times to establish himself as a contender for the 2020 Olympic team.

    “I haven’t been as fast as I wanted to be the past couple of years,” said Whitley, who broke 23 national age-group records through high school before matriculating at Cal last year. “I feel like I’ve always been on the outside looking in.”

    See NBC Sports