Swimmer's Daily

  • Albion College will be sending several swimmers to the College Swimming Coaches Association of America’s Open Water Championship at Lone Star Lake in Lawrence, Kansas. Swimmers Kyle and Megan Harvey and Coach Jake Taber provide a preview of the Sept. 16 meet. Video by Ari Ruiz, ’19.

  • On Mark Spitz earns superstar status by winning seven gold medals and setting seven world records in the pool at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games.

  • State wildlife officers made a bizarre discovery in a Hudson Valley home. They pulled 10 sharks out of a basement swimming pool. TV 10/55’s Richard Rose explains.

  • #StrangerGames Tom and Lance switches jackets with Stranger Things boys at the GQ Men Of The Year Awards at Tate Modern on September 5, 2017 in London, England.

  • Rocking crowds and roaring action in the US – the best moments from a fun-filled and unforgettable climax in Texas. Hell’s Gate combined a wild lake party with world class cliff diving at the fourth stop of the season in the USA, as a rocking and raucous crowd help to spark one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the World Series.

  • Taipei – Anna Hopkin on her aspirations, Keira Knightley and Olaf from Frozen…

  • A Commonwealth Games swimmer raped a woman who had just had sex with his friend after she told him she wouldn’t be “passed around”, a court has heard.

    Otto Putland, 23, who represented Wales at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, is accused of raping the complainant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, twice after a night out with his friends in Cardiff.

    It is claimed the defendant raped the woman at the home of his friend and Olympic swimmer Ieuan Lloyd after the latter had had consensual sex with her.

    Putland denies both counts of rape, claiming the sex between him and the complainant was also consensual.

    A trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard Putland went out with Mr Lloyd and friends to Glam nightclub, in Greyfriars Road, on July 13, 2015.

    While at the club Mr Lloyd met the complainant, who met Putland for the first time that night.

    Mr Lloyd and the complainant went back to his home in Constellation Street, Adamsdown, where they had sex.

    Later on that evening Putland returned to Mr Lloyd’s home as he was due to stay there for the night and went up to his friend’s bedroom where the complainant was lying in bed.

    She claimed Putland sat on the bed and took his shoes off after Mr Lloyd had left the room, which made her feel uncomfortable.

    She later told police the defendant lay on the bed, took his clothes off, and started kissing her.

    She said she turned away and said “What are you doing? You can’t pass me around”.

    It was then claimed that Putland told the complaint “You’re not being passed around” but she again told him she did not want to have sex with him.

    Read for instance WalesOnline, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Metro, ITV, and New York Post

    Photo by ell brown

  • The number of kids learning to swim in the ACT has fallen by up to 1,000 participants, prompting safety concerns as summer approaches.

    The Royal Life Saving Society said some in-school programs have seen participation rates fall over last two years, and out of school programs have not picked up the slack.

    Royal Life Saving ACT executive director Cherry Bailey said the number of Canberra children learning to swim has fallen since 2015.

    “We are a little bit concerned that the participation rate is not what it used to be, and that’s across the board for students of all ages, but particularly in primary schools,” she said.

    [pullquote]”The big scare is the risk of drowning, and that’s what we’re all about, drowning prevention.”[/pullquote]

    Ms Bailey said swimming lessons were often overlooked as busy families try to fit in time for other hobbies and sports.

    “We’re really asking the question, ‘Is that instilling a life skill, or is that something that’s just going to be enjoyable after school?’,” she said.

    “We really want to make sure that children are being enrolled in these programs at a young age, so as they’re graduating through their childhood and into adolescence, and into a more explorative and adventurous lifestyle with less supervision … they’re going to be safe in those environments.”

    Concerns cost too much for families with multiple children

    Ms Bailey said parents have been concerned about the cost of providing swimming lessons to their children.

    “The financial burden is one of the major barriers, especially if you’ve got a family of more than just a single child,” she said.

    Ms Bailey has called for more funding to make learn-to-swim programs accessible across different age groups.

    “The Education Department generously supports the AquaSafe program, which is dedicated to year two students,” she said.

    “The fees are set at a flat rate of $50 for families, and the Government subsidises the rest.

    Read ABC