Swimmer's Daily

  • FINA has proposed expanding the swimming program to 42 events for the Tokyo Olympic Games, according to a report from InsideTheGames. The proposed lineup would include adding the 50s of each stroke, the men’s 800 and women’s 1500 free and mixed 400 free and 400 medley relays to the current schedule of 32 events.

    The addition of those events would bring the Olympic swimming schedule to match that of the biannual FINA World Championships. FINA introduced the 50s of stroke and the non-Olympic distances to its signature meet in 2001, and mixed relays were added in 2015.

    These additions are just some of the more than 25 possible events various international federations have proposed adding to the Olympic schedule. There were 306 events contested in Rio, but according to InsideTheGames writer Nick Butler, the IOC is hopeful to keep the total number of events at or under 310.

    Therefore, it’s not likely the IOC will accept all of FINA’s recommendations for swimming, particularly with so many other recommendations on the table. This is not the first time FINA has proposed the additional events—prior to the 2016 Games, FINA proposed 40 events for Rio, but that suggestion was denied.

    Read Swimming World and Inside the Games

    Photo by wuestenigel

  • The final contest of the 2016 Rio Olympics looks a lot like “Let’s Make a Deal.” With 100 million reais ($32 million) in outstanding debts, the organizing committee is trying to pay off suppliers with stuff — air conditioners, portable energy units, electrical cables — in lieu of or in addition to cash.

    The cash crunch is a legacy of the financial crisis that hit Brazil just as preparations for the Olympics were getting underway. Rio 2016 is now asking creditors to agree to settle debts for 30 percent less than they’re owed, said Mario Andrada, Rio 2016’s head of communications.

    Andrada said Rio remains hopeful it will meet its obligations by June, when the organizing committee shuts down. If it doesn’t, the burden will pass to local and state governments that backed the committee’s credit. Both governments now have financial trouble of their own, and it’s not clear whether they can pay off Olympic debts either. The state government, on the verge of bankruptcy, is already struggling to pay public servants.

    “We are confident we will come to an agreement and will honor our commitments,” Andrada said. He said the committee is still waiting on some money from sponsors.

    Read Bloomberg

    Photo by Brian John Godfrey

  • The Global Swim Series: this is what we are… and what we do!

  • Students applying to one of China’s most prestigious universities have been told they must learn to swim before they graduate.

    (more…)

  • New research by Virgin Sport reveals that working out with a friend is the key to achieving fitness goals and a stronger friendship.

    • 35% of people say working out with someone else helps them develop a close bond
    • 62% of people say they are more likely to keep up a good exercise routine with a friend & 61% of people say it helps motivate them
    • Millennials are the least likely to exercise without moral support – with over 65% more likely to keep up an exercise routine if they do it with someone else
    • When it comes to exercise, more than half of us (56%) would shun loved ones if their best friend was available instead

    (more…)

  • Training in the pool for your open water swimming event? Great Swim’s ambassador Keri-anne Payne shares her tips.

  • When asked why drowning should be such a common cause of death for individuals with ASD, Dr. Li says: “With impaired communication and social skills, autistic kids tend to seek relief of their heightened anxiety from the serenity of water bodies. Unfortunately, this behavior too often leads to tragedies.”

    Children are often diagnosed with ASD at the age of 2 or 3. At this point, Dr. Li says that “pediatricians and parents should immediately help enroll the child in swimming classes, before any behavioral therapy, speech therapy, or occupational therapy.” He continues: “Swimming ability for kids with autism is an imperative survival skill.”

    Read Medical News Today

  • Michael Phelps went to a Starbucks on Monday and, much like my experience at the coffee store today, his name was incorrectly spelled by the barista. But Phelps, the 22-time gold medalist and the (G)reatest (O)f (A)ll (T)ime at the Olympics, got a description perhaps a little more accurate than “Michael.”

    Read Fox Sports

    Interesting names on our Starbucks cups today 😁🙊made us all laugh #hiltonvillage

    A post shared by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00) on