Swimmer's Daily

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  • Remember the name Clark Kent Apuada.

    Apuada is 10 years old and from Salinas, California, and during the Far West International Swimming Championship on Sunday, he competed in seven events and came in first in all of them. In the 100-meter butterfly, he smashed a record set by Olympian Michael Phelps at the event 23 years ago, breaking it by 1.1 seconds. “Most people just call me Clark, but now, when I beat Michael Phelps’ record, they start calling me Superman,” he told CBS News. “I thought to myself, yeah, if I had positive thoughts, positive things would happen.”

    Phelps congratulated Apuada, tweeting: “Big congrats to #clarkkent for smashing that meet record!!! Keep it up dude!! #dreambig.” Apuada, who began swimming competitively when he was 6 years old, said his goal is to one day compete in the Olympics.

    See for instance The Week and CTV News

  • An entangled whale shark is now free thanks to a group of free divers.

    We first told you last month that the juvenile animal was spotted off Maui, caught in heavy rope.

    Freeing it was difficult because whale sharks are actually sharks, and don’t surface like whales do. That is, until this weekend, when a group of free divers spotted the whale shark off Lanai.

    After about five dives and an hour and a half later, one of the divers was finally able to cut the rope free using nothing but a dive knife.

    “It’s one thing to get down to 40 feet on a breath of air. It’s another thing to get down to 40 feet, jump on a 20-foot whale shark, and start sawing with a knife like it’s your job,” said diver Jon Sprague.

    See KHON2 and Star Adviser

  • Paltrinieri: “The motivation is the same as ever”

    More than 1,000 athletes, more than 200 journalists and more than 40 broadcasters – European Aquatics are ready to put on the greatest show once again, as President Paolo Barelli said in the LEN’s opening press conference on the eve of the European Championships in Glasgow. Two greats from the swimming meet, Olympic, world and European champion Gregorio Paltrinieri and double title-holder David Verraszto are in top shape and keen to continue their respective golden passages.

    Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Gergely CSURKA, Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Gergely CSURKA, Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Gregorio PALTRINIERI Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto

    LEN President Paolo Barelli was happy to announce that the upcoming European Championships would see more than 1,000 athletes participating in the four aquatic disciplines. “Alone in swimming we will have 47 national federations with 645 swimmers and let me emphasise that LEN has 52 members and 47 are here with competitors, this is a brilliant number” Mr Barelli said at the opening press conference. In diving 23 NFs entered while the artistic swimming and open water swimming events are to feature athletes from 22 NFs apiece.

    The President emphasised that LEN was convinced that the new format of the European Championships with six sports in Glasgow and athletics in Berlin would be a tremendous hit in the sport market. “We are expecting outstanding viewing figures and great media coverage and of course fantastic performances from our athletes. Now, the field is yours” Mr Barelli said, giving the floor to the two swimming greats sitting next to him at the conference.

    Gregorio Paltrinieri clinched – or rather swept – all titles on offer in the past five years and enjoys an unbeaten run in the 1500m free in long-course majors, the Italian’s motivation is still the same. “I’m here to win again as I enjoy the challenge as much as ever” the Olympic champion said. “Recently Mykhailo Romanchuk from Ukraine have starting pressing me, and this is great as I feel that I have to improve every year.”

    Greg has already got some adventures in open water swimming, though his European Championships premiere will not happen here. “The lake is just too cold here but I’ve started racing in open water and perhaps next year I will test myself at the World Championships and maybe make a try to qualify for the Olympics. I love open water but you need a lot of experience in order to be successful.”

    Another title-holder, David Verraszto, whose success story also began in 2014, aims to become the oldest ever winner of the 400m IM. “This is one of the big challenge for me here in Glasgow” the 30 year-old said. “I think I’ve managed to reach a good shape, this I have to also thank to Gregorio whom I was training together in Sierra Nevada.”

    LEN Bureau Members and swimming liaison Pia Holmen talked about the global premiere of a new event, the 4x200m mixed free relay which surely give an extra value to the championships. Media liaison Per Rune Eknes added that this event with all the new features in broadcasting and in media shapes the future of sports and said he was happy to see LEN was among the first ones to embrace the new ideas.

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia/Andrea Staccioli

  • “It saved the hotel from World War II,” Bob Tagatz said of the Williams’ movie.

    During those lean war years, the Grand Hotel faced the same dismal predicament shared by many resorts: A long-term lack of paying guests.

    The war years saw the hotel’s business drop 90 percent. Perhaps the darkest day came when 400 employees were on staff to serve just 11 paying guests, he said. Still, the owners held on.

    “We’ve never closed, through wars and the Depression,” Tagatz said, an undercurrent of pride detectable.

    Yet the timing of the Hollywood movie was impeccable.

    “The Esther Williams’ film put us on the map.” The years after its October 1947 release saw the Grand Hotel’s guest registers begin to swell. “The hotel filled up. We started making money.”

  • For Muslims, when participating in the Olympics or other sporting events, it will be easier for them to find a place to worship.

  • Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said turning the clocks forward one or two hours during the Olympics “may be one solution” to combat potential heat-wave temperatures in two years, according to Japanese reports.

    Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, said he and Abe discussed the possibility Friday, according to Kyodo News.

    “We were working under the premise that temperatures wouldn’t exceed 40 degrees [Celsius, or 104 Fahrenheit],” organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said, according to Kyodo. “We’ve now recognized how serious this is.”

    Read NBC Sports and The Japan Times

    Photo by wuestenigel

  • Watch day six finals of the British Summer Championships live from the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield.

  • Serbia clinches 4th title in a row, though Spain falls only in shootout

    For the first time in the history of the European Water Polo Championships, the penalty shootout decided the title and it was retained by Serbia, despite an electrifying performance of the host Spaniards. This was the Serbs’ 8th gold medal, and the 7th in the last nine editions since 2001. Croatia got rid of its demons and clinched the bronze medal after four lost matches played for the third place in the past.

    5 JOKOVIC Maro CRO CRO – ITA Croatia (white caps) vs Italia (blue caps) Final Bronze Medal Barcelona 28/07/18 Piscines Bernat Picornell 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    LEN_WP_EC_BCN2018/Deepbluemedia
    LEN_WP_EC_BCN2018/Deepbluemedia
    LENWP_Barcelona_2018/G.Scala-DBMedia
    LENWP_Barcelona_2018/G.Scala-DBMedia
    5 KOPTSEV Ivan RUS, 11 BEDO Krisztian HUN HUN – RUS Hungary (white caps) vs Russia (blue caps) Final 7th-8th Place Barcelona 28/07/18 Piscines Bernat Picornell 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    11 BEDO Krisztian HUN HUN – RUS Hungary (white caps) vs Russia (blue caps) Final 7th-8th Place Barcelona 28/07/18 Piscines Bernat Picornell 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    10 KHOLOD Dmitrii RUS HUN – RUS Hungary (white caps) vs Russia (blue caps) Final 7th-8th Place Barcelona 28/07/18 Piscines Bernat Picornell 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    SRB – ESP Serbia (white caps) vs Spain (blue caps) Final Gold Medal Barcelona 28/07/18 Piscines Bernat Picornell 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    ESP Coach MARTIN David, SRB Coach SAVIC Dejan SRB – ESP Serbia (white caps) vs Spain (blue caps) Final Gold Medal Barcelona 28/07/18 Piscines Bernat Picornell 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    LENWP_Barcelona_2018/G.Scala-DBMedia
    LENWP_Barcelona_2018/G.Scala-DBMedia
    LENWP_Barcelona_2018/G.Scala-DBMedia
    Flags Transfer Budapest Medal Ceremony Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Podium Gold Medal Match 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Serbia SRB Gold Medal Medal Ceremony Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Podium Gold Medal Match 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    GRE – Greece Team MNE-GRE Montenegro (white caps) vs. Greece (blue caps) Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Final 5th – 6th Place 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    1 LAZOVIC Dejan GK MNE 2 BRGULJAN Drasko (C) DF MNE 12 SPAIC Vladan CF MNE 3 SKOUMPAKIS Dimitrios GRE MNE-GRE Montenegro (white caps) vs. Greece (blue caps) Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Final 5th – 6th Place 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    1 LOPEZ D. (C) GK ESP SRB – ESP Serbia (white caps) vs. Spain (blue caps) Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Final 1st – 2nd Place Gold Medal Match 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    1 LOPEZ P. Daniel ESP (Red Cap) Best goalkeeper Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Medal Ceremony 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    5 FOUNTOULIS Ioannis GRE Top Scorer Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Medal Ceremony 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Team CROATIA Bronze Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Medal Ceremony 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Team SPAIN Silver Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Medal Ceremony 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Team SERBIA Gold Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Medal Ceremony 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    3 RASOVIC Viktor D SRB SRB – ESP Serbia (white caps) vs. Spain (blue caps) Barcelona 28/07/2018 Piscines Bernat Picornell Men Final 1st – 2nd Place Gold Medal Match 33rd LEN European Water Polo Championships – Barcelona 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

    Before this match, Spain’s only European final was against Yugoslavia in 1991 – they lost it. And their last final till date was at the 2009 World Championships, when they met Serbia – and lost in the penalty shootout. On the other hand, the Serbs won 23 gold medals since 2001 and claimed 9 consecutive titles in 2014-2017 before losing in the semis of the 2017 World Championships – with eleven Olympic champion players they were the outstanding favourites, however, the Spaniards were up the task.

    After the initial tensions and two missed man-ups at both sides, Spain took the lead with Blai Mallarach’s left-handed shot from an extra. The hosts did their utmost and their hyper-enthusiastic approach and electrifying playing style pushed the title-holders off their usual track. They needed 8:54 minutes to get on the scoreboard but deep into the second they found themselves 1-3 down again.

    The Serbs had a better spell when they showed their real selves and immediately equalised, however, with some luck Felipe Perrone just beat the buzzer after a rebound to give back the lead for Spain by halftime (3-4). Miguel del Toro doubled the lead from a free-throw right at the beginning of the third and the 4,000 spectators began to believe in the miracle – but next came the Olympic champions, tightened their defence, killed two man-downs while staging a 3-0 rush (Dusan Mandic’s action goal was one of a kind) and for the first time in the game the Serbs were up at 6-5 with 0:19 remaining. Still, a magnificent lob from Alberto Munarriz put the hosts back to even in the dying seconds before the last break.

    The closing period of the championships couldn’t have been any more thrilling. Some tremendous defending denied two man-ups at both ends, then Nikola Jaksic put away another one for the Serbs but the hosts managed to reply with Mallarach’s great shot for 7-7, with 4:30 remaining on the clock. The Serbs earned another 6 on 5, but Lopez, best goalie of the championships, headed out Filipovic’s blast (Filip the great was 0/6 this evening), then the Spaniards couldn’t take a shot in their last man-up 67 seconds from time.

    So the decision on the gold medal was left to the penalties – for the first time in the history of the European Championships, and just like at the 2009 Worlds, featuring the same to teams. That time the Serbs prevailed, and it ended the same here as well: one miss decided the outcome, Francisco Fernandez, hero of the semi-finals who scored the game-winner against Italy, hit the post and that gave the title to the Serbs who buried all five shots (including Filipovic who was picked for the MVP award).

    It means that this was Serbia’s 4th consecutive title, they are now one gold away to tie Hungary’s record run of five straight wins (from the first five editions). This was their 8th title in history, they won 7 of the last 9 editions since 2001.

    Spain deserves all credit as the first team since many years which almost made all the way while facing the Serbs in a major final. At the same time, they couldn’t join the company of Hungary (1926 and 1958), Serbia (2006 and 2016) and Germany (1989), teams capturing gold while playing at home. Still, the locals celebrated their team as if had captured the title – in fact, the Spaniards remained unbeaten in the regular time in the championships, a rather noble way to claim silver medal.

    Croatia began the bronze medal game in the style of the Italians: they took a commanding 4-0 lead in eight minutes, while Italy didn’t show any sign of the game having rocketed them to the top four. They somewhat came back to life by netting two in the first 45 seconds of the second period, but the Croats took the same time to go 6-2 ahead again – Luka Loncar’s tipped goal from the centre was one of the most beautiful goals of the tournament. Still, the Italians fought hard and halved their deficit by halftime to 7-5.

    And they had a man-up to climb back to one right in the first possession of the third but Marko Bijac came up with a big save and soon Loren Fatovic reset the 3-goal margin with a fine shot. Italy missed another man-up and soon Andro Buslje’s pinpoint distance shot put the Croats 9-5 ahead. Though Marco del Lungo returned to the Italian goal – he was substituted after 0-4 – and made some saves, the world champions were still 10-6 up with 4:26 to go. Italy pulled two back in the last two minutes but their rivals’ win was never in danger.

    It means that Croatia broke the ‘bronze-curse’, after losing all four matches played for the third place in their history (1995, 1997, 2001, 2008), now they managed to clinch the medal on their 5th try. On the other end, just four days ago few would have thought that Italy, playing overwhelmingly in their first four matches, will leave Barcelona empty-handed.

    In the matches for the lower ranks Greece beat Montenegro for the first time at the Europeans (after three defeats) and clinched the 5th place. The only consolation for the Montenegrins, runners-up in Belgrade 2016, might be Aleksandar Ivovic’s hat-trick, with that he caught up the rival’s best shooter Ioannis Fountoulis in the race for the top scorer’s crown. Since Fountoulis was off the target in this match (0/6), he had to share the prize with the veteran Montenegrin.

    Hungary sank to the 8th place after losing 8-9 to Russia. At the Europeans the Soviet Union could beat the Magyars for the last time in 1991, the next six matches against Russia saw Hungarian wins in a row (as Russia they could catch them in 2002 till today). At one stage the Russians led 4-8, then the Hungarians staged a late surge, had a possession to force a shootout but missed the last shot and with only 2 wins in 7 matches they had to settle for the 8th place, their second worst ever performance (9th, 1989) since 1926.

    Bouncing back is badly needed for Hungary, since the next edition of the European Water Polo Championships will be held in Budapest, in the state-of-the-art Duna Arena in January 2020.

    European Water Polo Championships, Day 15

    Men’s final
    Serbia v Spain 7-7, penalties: 5-3

    Bronze medal match
    Croatia v Italy 10-8

    For places 5-6th
    Montenegro v Greece 6-8

    For places 7-8th
    Hungary v Russia 8-9

    Final rankings

    1. Serbia
    2. Spain
    3. Croatia
    4. Italy
    5. Greece
    6. Montenegro
    7. Russia
    8. Hungary
    9. Germany
    10. Netherlands
    11. Romania
    12. France
    13. Georgia
    14. Slovakia
    15. Turkey
    16. Malta

    Top scorer: Aleksandar Ivovic (MNE) and Ioannis Fountloulis (GRE) 17-17 goals
    Most valuable player: Filip Filipovic (SRB)
    Best goalkeeper: Dani Lopez (ESP)

    All-time medal table

    Hungary 12 6 6 24
    Serbia (YUG) 8 9 5 22
    Russia (URS) 5 3 3 16
    Italy 3 2 6 11
    Germany (FRG) 2 3 3 8
    Croatia 1 2 1 4
    Montenegro 1 2 0 3
    Netherlands 1 0 1 2
    Sweden 0 3 0 3
    Spain 0 2 3 5
    France 0 1 0 1
    East-Germany 0 1 0 1
    Belgium 0 0 3 3
    Austria 0 0 1 1

     

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala