Swimmer's Daily

  • No surprises, as boxer Nicholas ‘The Axeman’ Walters and swimming star Alia Atkinson, were last night added to the hallowed corridors of Jamaican sporting heritage, after coming out on top at the 54th RJR Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus last night.

    The pair, who a day earlier had received special Gleaner Honour Awards for their competitive representation in their respective disciplines, entered the grandiose ballroom as the overwhelming favourites and duly left a few hours later, clutching the island’s top sporting accolade, ending a run of 40 years since a track and field athlete didn’t win either of the top awards.

    Kaliese Spencer, the 400m hurdling standout, fresh from what has been one of the most dominating seasons by an athlete, along with history-maker O’Dayne Richards, ensured that the ‘oval office’ had its say, after being named as runners-up for the national sportswoman and sportsman of the year awards respectively.

    Female boxer Alicia Ashley’s receiving of the Chairman’s Award delivered the knockout on what was a big night for the sport – clearly on the up, with legendary sprinter Donald Quarrie being this year’s recipient for the Sagicor Iconic Award.

    Atkinson is only the third swimmer to win the sportswoman of the year award after Frances Noble (1968) and Belinda Phillip (1974).

    Read The Gleaner

  • Jennifer Lawrence is reportedly set to star in “The Dive,” the James Cameron-produced freediving drama that revolves around a husband and wife team, their record-breaking dives, and the tragedy that ended it all.

    Lawrence, who once again teams with director Francis Lawrence (“Hunger Games), will star as Audrey Mestre, a French marine biologist and freediver. A scuba diving enthusiast, Mestre became interested in the sport of free-diving (which involves diving to the greatest depths on a single breath of air) in the mid-90’s; training under, and later marrying, the legendary freediver Francisco “Pipín” Ferreras. In November 2002, while attempting to break the world record dive of 531 feet set earlier by her husband, Mestre encountered an issue with a lift balloon. Pulled from the water nine minutes later, efforts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful. She was 28.

    Two books have since emerged in the wake of the tragedy – one by dive co-organizer Carlos Serra called “The Last Attempt” (which faults Ferreras with Mestre’s death) and another by Ferreras himself called “The Dive: A Story of Love and Obsession” which details Mestre’s life. While it’s unclear which story the film will adapt, as WeGotThisCovered.com mentions, the fact that James Cameron shot Ferreras’ record-breaking tribute dive to Mestre in 2003 favors the latter.

    You can watch the ESPN documentary “No Limits” on Mestre, Ferreras, and the tragic dive below. Shooting on “The Dive” is expected to start later this year.

    Read MNN

    Photo by Gage Skidmore

  • MrLiftHog was flying his camera-equipped RC plane one afternoon when he became disoriented by the glare of the sun and accidentally crashed his plane into the waters below. The plane was supposed to capture some aerial imagery, but it ended up seeing beautiful sights as an underwater camera.

    See PetaPixel

  • A Los Angeles County Fire Department lifeguard died during a swimming exercise Thursday morning, the first on-duty department death in recent memory.

    Brian K. Kutil, 42, began struggling during the lifeguards’ annual 500-meter swim recertification exercise at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach and was pulled from the water about 7 a.m., said Lifeguard Section Chief Chris Linkletter.

    About 25 lifeguards were swimming with Kutil and they unsuccessfully tried to revive him outside of the pool, Linkletter said. Kutil was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

    “He was a 20-year veteran, an oustanding lifeguard,” Linkletter said. “He’s going to be sorely missed.”

    See LA Times

  • Courtesy of Swedish YouTube user Nils Bremer. For science!

    Via Laughing Squid

  • Australian trick shot specialists, How Ridiculous, have completed what they are calling the world’s first ever underwater hole-in-one.

    The par-one course was set up with a bucket on the ocean floor 2.5 metres down.

    Brett Stanford hit the successful shot while his friends recorded the whole thing on their underwater cameras.

    See The Telegraph

  • Collin Craig came to WKU last Fall to not only go to class as a student, but to also compete at a high level in the swimming pool.

    Just like his mom and dad, Collin is a swimmer, but he’s no longer a student at WKU. The accusations he’s making against his former teammates could bring heavy consequences.

    The WKU swim team is known for winning conference titles, but it’s accusations out of the pool that have Bowling Green Police currently investigating.

    “Allegations were that they was some abuse from swim team members at WKU. We really don’t know what the truth is at this point in time,” said Bowling Green Police Public Information Officer Ronnie Ward.

    According to police,18 year old freshman and former WKU swimmer Collin Craig sent them an email one week ago. In the letter, he accuses members of the team of assaulting and forcing him to drink alcohol on several occasions.

    See WBKO

  • People in India never thought we were good at swimming. However, in a matter of months after Sandeep Sejwal won an unprecedented bronze for India at the 2014 Asian Games, Indian open water swimmer Bhakti Sharma has set a world record in the Antarctic ocean.

    Bhakti swam 1.4 miles in 52 minutes in one degree temperature in the Antarctic Ocean!

    With this feat, Bhakti has now bettered the earlier record of British open water swimmer Lewis Pugh and American swimmer Lynne Cox, a release said.

    Bhakti, 25, is now the youngest in the world and the first Asian girl to have achieved this feat.

    Read India Times

    http://youtu.be/PX7YiWNQU64

  • A love for water can start early. José, Caitlyn, Natalie, Nicolai, Isabela, and Mina are all off to an excellent start. Swimming teaches confidence, it’s a sport and activity for life. Regardless of your age—the water will always welcome you.

    http://youtu.be/d_u49kvsYyE