Swimmer's Daily

  • Olympian Conor Dwyer spread some holiday cheer in Manhattan Beach with an insta-meet toy dry for special needs children.

  • It’s no secret that swimming makes for one of the most effective workouts on the planet. It’s low-impact and high-reward, and it’s also a valuable skill to practice. Really, it checks all the boxes! That said, just like any other cardio activity, it can get somewhat monotonous if your goal is simply to hop in a pool and swim laps a few times a week for the sake of exercise. So here we’re going to consider a few specific ways to use the pool to accomplish your fitness goals and maybe drop a few pounds.

    Walk & Read

    It’s worth noting that you don’t actually need to “go swimming” to get an extremely effective workout in the water. Think of it this way: if people go for walks to get cardiovascular exercise, and we know that resistance improves the quality of a workout, wouldn’t it follow naturally that walking in the water can be good exercise? As it turns out that’s exactly the case. According to one fitness site, water-walking burns 563 calories per hour if you weigh about 155 pounds, and potentially up to about 700 calories per hour if you weight 200 pounds. That’s an extremely effective hour of exercise. And because it can get a little dull to simply pace back and forth in the water, we’re recommending you bring a book along with you and hold it in front of you while you pace. Alternatively, you could buy some Bluetooth headphones and keep your phone on the side of the pool pla
    ying a podcast or a playlist to keep you entertained while you walk.

    Swim To A Goal

    It may be that we as a population underestimate the impact of challenges and incentives on fitness. The idea of betting on yourself or challenging yourself to reach a certain milestone is gaining popularity, however. There are numerous apps and online programs that set up arrangements to this effect. A few years ago there was even a story about a betting firm getting involved in a major weight loss bet! A guy in England lost 100 pounds to win £5,000 – and was inspired to make his bet by another weight watching punter, so apparently it’s a thing. You might not be able to get that sweet a deal – but consider arranging some kind of small bet or challenge that you’ll be able to swim a certain distance or number of laps by a given date. This kind of specific goal and reward structure takes the monotony out of daily exercise and gives you a specific thing to strive
    for. You’ll be shocked how much more dedicated you become about your swimming.

    Try Water Polo

    Water polo is a sport many of us don’t think about unless the Summer Olympics are on television (during which time it’s actually a wildly entertaining sport to watch). But have you ever thought about actually playing? Playing Water polo means treading water, swimming quickly, absorbing physical contact from other players in the water, and generally working yourself out like crazy. There are numerous health benefits to playing water polo – most notably burning calories, getting a cardio workout, and exercising your entire body. If you’re interested in water-based workouts but you’re not into swimming laps, do some research to see if there are any recreational water polo opportunities in your area.

    Guest Post by David Schooner

  • The Honeymoon SPECIAL- How I knew Ali was the ONE + Other really cool stuff like fly boarding!

  • The 2016 US Olympic Swim Team. Omaha to Rio.

    Thanks to the athletes and staff of the Olympic Team and all of USA Swimming. What a journey.

    Shot equally with my iPhone, Missy’s GoPro, and an actual video camera.

  • Two-time Paralympic medalist Elizabeth Marks learned to swim three times: for the first time in 2012, after her injuries in 2014 and after her amputation in 2017. In this episode of My Focus presented by milk life, Marks discusses how the pool has enabled her — and others — to heal mentally, physically and emotionally.

  • A video that purportedly shows a diver’s terrifying encounter with a massive great white shark has gone viral.

    See FOX News

  • For San Francisco tourists, Aquatic Park Cove is one of the city’s most iconic areas, a popular spot to watch enormous sea lions and harbor seals frolicking in the water across from Ghirardelli Square.

    For locals – or those who can brave the brisk waters, in any case – the cove is known as one of the best places for an open-water swim, especially favoured by triathletes.

    But last week, the cove’s most prominent features clashed in a harrowing manner, when “aggressive” marine mammals attacked three swimmers in the span of about five days, officials said.

    The incidents prompted the National Park Service, which runs the cove, to temporarily ban swimming there over the weekend. On Friday, Park Service workers posted signs around the water that warned of the recent attacks: “Danger. Aquatic Park Cove Closed for Swimming Due to Multiple Marine Animal Bites.”

    Read the Independent

  • 2017 European Short Course Swimming Championships, Copenhagen (DEN)

    Golden finish for Sjostrom and the Italians

    Three titles in two hours secured a worthy end of the magnificent season of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom. Italy also clinched three golds on the closing day which helped them to retain the Championship Trophy. Russia topped the medal table with nine golds as their medley relay crowned the meet in the Royal Arena by winning the men’s title with a new world record.

    Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    SJOESTROEM Sarah SWE Gold Medal MEN – 100 M BUTTERFLY – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    VALL MONTERO Jessica ESP Gold Medal PEDERSEN Rikke Moeller DEN Silver Medal LECLUYSE Fanny BEL Bronze Medal WOMEN – 200 M BREASTSTROKE – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    DOTTO Luca ITA Gold Medal TIMMERS Pieter BEL Silver Medal SCOTT Duncan W GBR Bronze Medal MEN – 100 M FREESTYLE – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    SJOESTROEM Sarah SWE Gold Medal WATTEL Marie FRA Silver Medal BECKMANN Emilie DEN Bronze Medal WOMEN – 100 M BUTTERFLY – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    ORSI Marco ITA Gold Medal FESIKOV Sergei RUS Silver Medal STOLK Kyle NED Bronze Medal MEN – 100 M MEDLEY – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    KAPAS Boglarka HUN Gold Medal KOEHLER Sarah GER Silver Medal HASSLER Julia LIE Bronze Medal WOMEN – 400 M FREESTYLE – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    SABBIONI Simone ITA Gold Medal MEN – 50 M BACKSTROKE – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    SJOESTROEM Sarah SWE Gold Medal KROMOWIDJOJO Ranomi NED Silver Medal BLUME Pernille DEN Bronze Medal WOMEN – 50 M FREESTYLE – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    SABBIONI Simone ITA Gold Medal KOLESNIKOV Kliment RUS Silver Medal STRAVIUS Jeremy FRA Bronze Medal MEN – 50 M BACKSTROKE – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    RUSSIA Gold Medal ITALY Silver Medal BELARUS Bronze Medal MEN – 4X50 M MEDLEY – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    RUSSIA Team Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    SWEDEN Gold Medal WOMEN – 4X50 M MEDLEY – FINAL Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto © Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia
    Luca DOTTO ITA Gold Medal 100 freestyle Men Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto Andrea Staccioli / Insidefoto / Deepbluemedia
    Team ITALY Squadra ITALIA Copenhagen 17-12-2017 Royal Arena LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships – Campionati Europei nuoto vasca corta Foto Andrea Staccioli / Insidefoto / Deepbluemedia

    Sarah Sjostrom’s season ended in style: the Swedish superstar, who already earned the best female swimmer’s award from FINA after her glorious summer, finally captured gold in Copenhagen too. Three in a single session, in fact. After slight struggles in her earlier events, including a bowing-out from the 50m fly final, she stroke gold in her trademark event, the 100m fly, drew luck to her side in the 50m free and helped Sweden to an unexpected triumph in the women’s medley relay.

    In the fly she was a cut above rest, claimed her third straight title by a 0.97sec winning margin. The 50m free was the usual tight affair between Sjostrom and Ranomi Kromowidjojo – two years ago the Dutch out-touched the Swede by 0.07sec in Netanya, this time the tiniest gap possible (0.01) separated them but it favoured Sjostrom here. Then came the medley relay where Sjostrom rocketed Sweden in front over the fly leg and they kept the advantage till the end.

    Italians also had something to cheer for in the closing session. The previous two days saw a great medal boost, Italians earned eight on Friday and Saturday in total but none of them were gold (four silver and bronze respectively). However, on Sunday they made up the missed ones, rushed to three back-to-back titles which helped them to clinch Championship Tropgy once again.

    Luca Dotto did a clean job and retained Italy’s title in the 100m free – the 2015 winner Marco Orsi, after a sickness-forced transformation, came first in the 100m IM. Then came an upset as Simone Sabbioni denied Russia’s teenage sensation Kliment Kolesnikov’s backstroke triple by out-touching him in the 50m back by 0.02sec.

    The young Russian, winner of the 100m and 200m titles, got some consolation soon in the men’s 4x50m medley relay when he was 0.3sec faster in the opening leg than he was in the individual final, clocking a way better time and posting another junior world record. The relay cracked the senior world record, securing a worthy ending to the meet.

    This crowned the Russians’ performance too: just as in the last edition in Denmark (Herning 2013) they topped the medal table. Another gold was delivered by Aleksandr Kharlanov in the 200m fly where title-holder Laszlo Cseh came only fifth, leaving the Royal Arena empty-handed (for him Denmark brought bad luck as Herning and Copenhagen are the only events in his 15 year-long carrier where he didn’t win any medals).

    Hungary came second behind the Russians with a slightly weaker medal-haul than they achieved in Netanya which had put them atop in 2015. Though the 6-time champion Katinka Hosszu enjoyed a rest day, the Magyars still celebrated a victory, courtesy of Boglarka Kapas. The four-time European champion of London 2016 left behind her ‘short-course demons’ and finally stepped on the top of the podium for the first time in her career. She won a fine duel against the 800m victor Sarah Koehler (GER) in the 400m free. History was made in this event as Julia Hassler got the first-ever major international medal for Liechtenstein by finishing third.

    Spain also got its first gold after Jessica Vall Montero won the women’s 200m breast. Former ruler of the event, Rikke Moller Pedersen heated up the stands by clinching silver – and the capacity crowd of 6,500 also loudly cheered for the bronze-medal winning swim of Pernille Blume in the 50m free and the Danish medley relay’s silver. The hosts finished with 3 silvers and 4 bronzes – though in the pool they didn’t earn gold but at the stands, the future generation got two: Adam Peaty’s generous gesture on the previous day was repeated by Sarah Sjostrom who also gave one of her golds to an amazed youngster in the front rows, setting a kind of tradition for inspiring the future generations.

    Copenhagen will be remembered for this and several other reasons as the event goes down as one of the best ever in LEN history. European Aquatics now head to Glasgow, site of the following long-course Europeans in August 2018 and the next short-course Europeans in December 2019.

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