Swimmer's Daily

  • A recent economic impact study, conducted by the Canadian Sports Tourism Alliance, revealed that the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) and the FINA World Aquatics Convention held last December in Windsor, Canada, generated over $32 million of “economic activity” for the city.

    The six-day swimming competition, held at the WFCU Centre, resulted in a surplus of $146,311, which a report from Deputy Treasurer Tony Ardovini’s recommends using “to fund aquatics equipment to help grow the sport of competitive swimming in the city”.

    A further funding surplus of $116,191, specifically related to Windsor’s $3-million investment in the event, is recommenced to be rolled into the city’s capital budget for 2018.

    These expenditures supported $13 million in wages and salaries in the province through the support of 191 jobs, of which 125 jobs and $8.1 million in wages and salaries were supported in Windsor. The Championships also widely supported tax revenues in Canada.

    Windsor’s Mayor Drew Dilkens was naturally satisfied with this outcome: “I think the results were very, very positive and I think the city should be looking at more opportunities when it makes sense. All those who were present had a chance to experience a world-class swimming event. It was a great event for Windsor!”

    The FINA President Dr Julio C. Maglione also commented this report: “Despite being the smallest city ever to host our FINA World Swimming Championships (25m), the event had a tremendous and positive impact on the local economy and on the overall exposure of the city and province of Ontario. FINA experienced a great time in Windsor and this outcome proves once more the advantages of hosting a major FINA event, in terms of social, economic, tourism, and sport development benefits”.

    The event attracted 864 swimmers from 153 National Federations, and reached a global audience of over 460 million TV viewers.

    Photo by 123 Chroma Pixels

  • LEN President Paolo Barelli visited Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to meet Sport Minister Azad Rahimov and Khanlar Fatiyev, the President of the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation.

    LEN President Paolo Barelli paid a visit to Azerbaijan, the country with one Europe’s fastest growing economies. He met Sport Minister Azad Rahimov and Khanlar Fatiyev, the President of the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation and representatives of other local authorities to discuss a future cooperation on the development programmes of the aquatic disciplines in Azerbaijan.

    The hosts and Mr. Barelli also analysed the possibilities of staging major LEN Events in Baku in the future. In the capital, world-class facilities would welcome the continent’s best athletes, including the outstanding Aquatics Palace constructed for the 2015 European Games.

    During his visit, Paolo Barelli also met the executive board members of the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation and the representatives of the National Academy of Sport.

    “I am really happy to see such commitment from the local Government and the Azerbaijan Swimming Federation to develop aquatics in their country” the LEN President said. “They have dedicated people who can work in magnificent facilities and enjoy tremendous support from the authorities, setting an example for everyone. When you see this kind of approach in a country which can now be regarded a developing nation in aquatics, you will realise why Europe is the strongest continent among all in this sport. I believe that Azerbaijan will play an important role in European Aquatics in the coming years.”

    Press release from LEN

  • Artist Aquil Virani invited over 800 delegates to contribute to a collaborative painting at the International Life Saving Federation’s 2017 World Conference on Drowning Prevention (WCDP) in Vancouver. Responses to the question, “What is the most effective action taking place in your community to prevent drowning?”, were integrated into the collaborative artwork which was unveiled at the WCDP closing ceremonies on Thursday, October 19th, 2017.

    Aquil Virani is a Montreal-based artist who often uses simple forms of public participation to inform his socially-conscious art projects. Watch more videos of Aquil’s work at aquil.ca. To purchase a print of The Life Jacket Project, please click http://ow.ly/pV2r30giiOy. All proceeds go to the Swim to Survive program which provides survival swimming skills to Grade 3 and Grade 7 students.

    Projet Gilet de sauvetage
    Peinture acrylique et en aérosol sur toile
    Artiste : Aquil Virani, 2017.

  • If blue is your favorite colour you are in luck as everything on this new OMEGA Seamaster Planet Ocean “Michael Phelps” is done to remind the wearer of water and swimming pools, even going so far as calling their colour scheme “pool-blue”.

    See Hong Kong Tatler

    The Seamaster Planet Ocean “Michael Phelps” is limited to just 280 pieces. A salute to the great aquatic athlete’s 28 Olympic Games medals – 23 of them gold. Though Phelps is famous for racing ahead, the watch’s chronograph function stays right on the beat.

    See OMEGA

  • Over the summer, it appeared Ryan Lochte had been cleared of criminal charges in Brazil after he was accused of fabricating a story about getting robbed at gunpoint in Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Olympics.

    Not so fast.

    On Friday, a decision made by an appeals court that originally ruled the case should be dismissed was reversed, according to USA Today, which cited Brazilian newspaper O Globo. The ruling came after Rio’s prosecutor’s office filed its own appeal.

    “I’m disappointed that they’re trying to take another shot at it,” Lochte’s attorney Jeff Ostrow told USA Today. “I think they should just let it die because they lost and because he didn’t do anything wrong. But for whatever reason, they want to try to save face and continue this charade, let them do what they gotta do and we’ll continue to fight it because we believe we’re right.”

    Read NOLA

  • Tokyo marked 1,000 days to go until the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympics on Saturday, with countdown events held to set the mood for the games.

    Preparation for the Olympics, to be held July 24-Aug 9, 2020, is making progress, with its main stadium currently being built in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward with its completion set for November 2019.

    Tokyo’s second Olympics will feature a record 33 sports and 339 events. The capital hosted the Olympics in 1964.

    Read Japan Times

  • Terry Laughlin could make anyone fall in love with swimming.

    He talked about his sport as if it were art, like poetry or dance. The Total Immersion training method that he developed over his 45-year coaching career didn’t just hone swimmers’ technique; it also encouraged a way of thinking, an approach to life, whose basic principle was to move in harmony with the water, rather than fight it.

    Read Outside Online

  • American reporters claimed French and Austrians, among others, were too quick to oblige Hitler, including dipping their flags to the ruler and giving the Nazi salute as they passed. The German people returned the salute, cheering loudly at each country’s obedience.

    When the Americans marched, they turned to face Hitler. But instead of outstretching their arms, they removed their straw hats, and pulled them close to their hearts. The flag bearer refused to dip the flag in Hitler’s direction.

    A hissing sound rose from the crowd. The sound of vibrating lips pursed together.

    The Nazis blew raspberries.

    A native Philadelphian absorbed the brunt of the backlash. Some believe the 1930s equivalent of Michael Phelps may have been cheated out of a medal in retaliation.

    Read The Inquirer