Swimmer's Daily

  • An unusual participant decided to gate-crash a state-level swimming competition in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur on Monday.

    Minutes before the event was about to start, a bull managed to gain entry into the premises and jumped inside the pool, even as the shocked organisers looked on.

    The other contestants, who were practicing in the pool before the race, rushed out in panic. But the bull didn’t seem to mind the fact that it was scaring away others; it was seen having quite a good time in the swimming pool.

    See NDTV

  • The final nail was hammered into the coffin of Coventry’s Olympic-length swimming pool as councillors finally voted to shut it down.

    But hope of retaining a 50m pool somewhere in the city was resurrected after the council agreed to explore the option of building a new 50m pool somewhere else in the city, before the existing pool closes its doors in 2019.

    The decision to close down Coventry Sports and Leisure Centre, in Fairfax Street, was voted through unanimously at full council on Tuesday.

    Huge running costs mean it will be replaced with a new £36million water park and smaller 25m pool in New Union Street.

    Read Coventry Telegraph

  • His decision to come out polarised the gay community, but now Ian Thorpe’s paid interview with Michael Parkinson will be celebrated at the nation’s premier gay and lesbian awards ceremony.

    Thorpe’s interview with Parkinson has been nominated for an award at this year’s Honour Awards, an event which recognises outstanding achievements within and contributions to NSW’s lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community.

    Read The Daily Telegraph

  • USA Swimming CMO Matt Farrell presents on Tough Love Marketing
    [pullquote]Nearly 80% of parents don’t consider continuing in the sport of swimming for their child after swim lessons.[/pullquote]

    How do parents of non-swimmers view the sport of swimming in respect to cost, time commitment, fun, teamwork and developing social skills? Understanding how the world views the sport is key to knowing how to better position and explain the benefits. This presentation was delivered at the 2014 Club President’s Summit in Colorado Springs by USA Swimming Chief Marketing Officer Matt Farrell.

    Courtesy of USA Swimming on YouTube

  • Paul Wilcox, a 50-year-old British expatriate, was killed by a shark during a beach swim in Australia at Byron Bay, the popular tourist destination in Australia, while his wife looked on from the shore.

    The Warwickshire-born former IT worker had gone for a mid-morning swim in gentle clear surf and was not far from the shore at a sheltered inlet called Clarke’s Beach, long regarded as one of the safest spots along the coast.

    Shortly after 10.30am, he was bitten above the right knee by what is believed to have been a 13-foot great white shark. He was dragged to shore where his wife of 24 years, Victoria Wilcox, who watched in horror as rescuers tried in vain to resuscitate him.

    A paddle-boarder, Mark Hickey, who assisted in the rescue, said the shark bit Mr Wilcox and appeared to return for a further attack.

    “I saw what looked like seaweed but it was blood in the water,” said Mr Hickey, a lawyer.

    “I thought it was a dead turtle, but then I could see the shark circling and the object moving. The shark came back to him and had another go. I didn’t know it was a person but when I realised I ran out and waded to the bank and grabbed him and did CPR, but it was too late.”

    Read The Telegraph

  • The area of an Oregon lake where four members of a family drowned last month has been closed to swimming for the rest of the year.

    Washington County sheriff’s deputies put crime-scene tape along that dangerous spot of Henry Hagg Lake on Monday, and temporary signs are being posted by the Parks Department.

    The action comes shortly after Michael Medill of Gaston was given a $5,000 ticket for ignoring orders not to bolt warning signs into posts and trees.

    Medill said residents have been lobbying for signs warning of a sharp drop-off in the lake since 2012 when eight children nearly drowned.

    Sheriff’s Sgt. Bob Ray says the actions taking place Monday were already in the works before Medill took matters into his own hands.

    Read The Seattle Times

  • “Being Frank” is a web series featuring the insights of USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch. As part of Arena’s ongoing dedication to servicing coaches and teams, the series is geared toward helping coaches take their game to the next level — Not by implementing the latest workout, but by taking a look at the business of coaching.

    Courtesy of USA Swimming on YouTube

  • Oldie but goodie, courtesy of Franklin Sinclair on YouTube

  • The Danish Swimming Federation today announced 17 swimmers selected for their ‘Viking’ squad, which is the squad consisting of swimmers already on the national team, and those potentials who are very close to qualifying for major international senior meets.

    More a rebranding of an already existing squad, than a follow-up to the Great Danes project, the 7 male swimmers are still all except Marcus Krøyer Svendsen from the group of 13 young and talented male swimmers, that were selected for the Great Danes project last year.

    The selection procedure for the Viking squad was described (in Danish) in this info letter earlier this year, with accompanying qualification standard times. Swimmers can still qualify for the activities planned, but have to make the standard times before a deadline set for each activity.

    The 17 selected as of now

    • Julie Levisen, Ã…lborg Svømmeklub*
    • Emilie Beckmann, Tune IF/GTI
    • Mie Ø. Nielsen, Ã…lborg Svømmeklub*
    • Maj Howardsen, Sigma Swim Allerød*
    • Louise B. Dalgaard, Ã…lborg Svømmeklub*
    • Julie Kepp Jensen, JGI/A6
    • Rikke Møller Pedersen, STM / Herning Svømmeklub*
    • Jeanette Ottesen, Lyngby Svømmeklub / NTC*
    • Pernille Blume, Sigma Birkerød/NTC*
    • Julie Aglund Lauridsen, Sigma Allerød/NTC*
    • Viktor B. Bromer, Ã…lborg Svømmeklub*
    • Magnus Westermann, Herlev Svømning
    • Frans Johannessen, Esbjerg Svømmeklub
    • Frederik Siem Pedersen, Farum Svømmeklub
    • Marcus Krøyer Svendsen, Svømmeklubben Kvik, Kastrup
    • Daniel Skaaning, STT/VAT-Copenhagen/NTC*
    • Daniel Steen Andersen, Horsens Svømmeklub/NTC (subjectively selected)

    *Berlin 2014 team member

    Missing from the Berlin 2014 squad are US-based Lotte Friis, Mads Glæsner, Anders Lie Nielsen and Anton Ørskov Ipsen, plus Sarah Bro.

    Daniel Steen Andersen is marked as ‘subjectively selected’, most likely because of the injury that prevented him from participating at the Berlin 2014 European Championships.

    Activities planned for ‘The Vikings’ are

    • 7-9 November 2014: North Sea Swim Meet 2014
      (Deadline for qualification 15 October 2014)
    • 5-15 January 2015: Warm Weather Camp
      (Deadline for qualification 1. december 2014)
    • March 2015: International meet, to be determined
      (Deadline not yet set)
    • 29-31 Maj 2015: Bergen Swim Festival
      (Deadline for qualification 1 April 2015 – Danish Open)

    Photo by hans s