Swimmer's Daily

  • South African Olympic swimming champion Chad le Clos, who beat Michael Phelps in one of the upsets of the 2012 London Games, announced Monday that both his parents are fighting cancer.

    Le Clos said in a statement that his father Bert, who himself became a global celebrity for his exuberant celebrations and animated interviews in London, has prostate cancer and underwent surgery last month.

    His mother Geraldine has breast cancer, had a double mastectomy, and is undergoing chemotherapy, Le Clos said.

    Le Clos’ mother had been in remission since 2010, but the cancer had returned, Le Clos said.

    “It has not been an easy time but I am training hard for Rio,” Le Clos said in his brief statement . “More than anything else I want them to win their battles. I also hope that they will be in Rio.”

    Le Clos asked for privacy for his family and said he would not be doing any interviews ahead of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, which open on Aug. 5.

    Read ABC News

  • At its meeting on Saturday in Budapest, the LEN Bureau backed unanimously the Hungarian bids for the 2020 European Championships in all disciplines. It means that Budapest will host the European Water Polo Championships in January, then the LEN European Aquatics Championships in May, and the open water event in June. Kiev (UKR) was awarded the 2017 European Diving Championships.

    (more…)

  • Kolesnikov: more junior WRs in a busy day

    Russia rocketed to the top of the medal table with three more titles on the penultimate day of the European Junior Swimming Championships in Hodmezovasarhely (HUN). Kliment Kolesnikov cracked two World Junior Records in the semis and in the final of the 50m back respectively, his third here after he had also set one in the 100m.

    Team Poland POL 4X200 Freestyle Relay Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Egorova Polina RUS 100 Butterfly Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day04 09-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Gonzalez De Oliveira Hugo ESP 200 Backstroke Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day04 09-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Johansson Victor SWE 800 Freestyle Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day04 09-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Kameneva Mariia RUS 50 Freestyle Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day04 09-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Kesely Ajna HUN 200 Freestyle Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day04 09-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Kolesnikov Kliment RUS 50 Backstroke Men Final Gold Medal New Junior World Record LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day04 09-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Team Italy ITA 4X100 Medley Mixed relay Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day04 09-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

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  • Italy: the magnificent eight

    An 8-medal haul from Italy highlighted the third day of the European Junior Swimming Championships at Hodmezovasarhely. They won two titles and missed another two by tiny margins. A rare disqualification of a champion was the most dramatic event of the afternoon session which also saw the first titles for Croatia and Portugal.

    Egorova Polina RUS 100 Butterfly Women Heats LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Gonzalez De Oliveira Hugo ESP 200 Backstroke Men Heats LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Holub Tamila Hryhorivna POR 1500 Freestyle Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Litchfield Joe GBR 200 Medley Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Milak Kristof HUN 200 Butterfly Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Miressi Alessandro ITA 100 Freestyle Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Obrovac Nikola CRO 50 Breaststroke Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Russian Federation RUS 4X100 Medley Relay Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Team Poland POL 4X200 Freestyle Relay Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Verona Giulia ITA 200 Breaststroke Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day03 08-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

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  • Kolesnikov sets new WJR, Team GB clinches 4 titles

    Great Britain enjoyed a brilliant day at the European Junior Swimming Championships at Hodmezovasarhely, amassing four titles. Still, the best individual effort belonged to a Russian, Kliment Kolesnikov who set a new World Junior Record in the men’s 100m back.

    Mordashev Kirill RUS 200 Breaststroke Men Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 100 Backstroke Men Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 400 Freestyle Women Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 200 Butterfly Women Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 100 Freestyle Women Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 200 Breaststroke Men Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 200 Backstroke Women Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 1500 Freestyle Men Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Podium 4X100 Freestyle Mixed Final LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    (L to R) Stephens Laura Large Emily GBR 200 Butterfly Women Final Gold and Bronze Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Kesely Ajna HUN 400 Freestyle Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Kesely Ajna HUN 400 Freestyle Women Final Gold Medal LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Kolesnikov Kliment RUS 100 Backstroke Men Final Gold Medal New World Junior Record LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Kolesnikov Kliment RUS 100 Backstroke Men Final Gold Medal New World Junior Record LEN 43rd Arena European Junior Swimming Championships Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary Day02 07-07-2016 Photo Andrea Masini/Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

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  • A Navy SEAL trainee drowned after an instructor repeatedly dunked him underwater, violating training guidelines and contributing to the sailor’s death, according to a San Diego medical examiner’s report released Wednesday that called the incident a homicide.

    Seaman James Derek Lovelace died May 6 following a pool exercise at the grueling SEAL basic training course in Coronado. The Navy didn’t announce the death until days later after officials were questioned by The Virginian-Pilot and NBC News. Navy officials initially described the incident as a training mishap during a routine exercise. But numerous sources told NBC News and The Pilot that the death had been caused by an instructor going too far.

    The medical examiner’s report agreed: “It is our opinion that the actions, and inactions, of the instructors and other individuals involved were excessive and directly contributed to the death, and the manner of death is best classified as homicide.”

    Read The Virginian-Pilot

  • At last week’s Olympic swimming trials, spectators got to see the very best American swimmers compete to attend the 2016 Olympics. What they may not have known is that behind the scenes were creatures not often see poolside: Dogs. USA Swimming welcomed 30 therapy dogs at the Olympic swimming trials in Omaha, Nebraska, to help swimmers cope with stress and anxiety associated with competing. The therapy dogs appear to have been a resounding success, with at least one competitor claiming that the friendly pups improved her performance in the water.

    Read Bustle