Swimmer's Daily

  • Read The Roar

    I don’t think I’m showing my age too much, but surely you remember when swimming was Australia’s ‘it’ sport.

    I’m not just talking about our fascination every four years when the pool becomes our Olympic river of gold – or silver or bronze – but a time when everyone seemed to talk about speedos, splits and strokes, and the chase of the elusive red (or sometimes yellow) world record line.

    Who remembers watching Daryl and Ossie on Hey Hey It’s Saturday, only to be interrupted by a live cross to the Aquatic Centre to watch the 1,500m final at the national titles? Honest, it did happen.

    We would be glued to the box to watch each of the 30 laps Kieren Perkins would swim, each butterfly stroke of Susie O’Neill and breaststroke of Sam Riley.

    It was just what we did.

    australia swimming photoPhoto by blackplastic

  • See digg

    A teenage Michael Phelps talks about his goal of winning Olympic gold medals like you talk about just finishing a 5K.

  • Dane Jackson drops the 60ft La Tomata waterfall in central Veracruz, Mexico.

  • See The Reporter

    When Debbie Koenig was 4, she watched her younger sister crawl and fall in a pool. She could swim, so she jumped in and pulled her out.

    Her sister choked and threw up on her, and Debbie says she knew, even then, that teaching swimming and water safety would be a lifelong mission.

    Today, the Napa native and Green Valley resident owns and operates Debbie’s Swim School, specializing in students, young children to senior adults, who harbor a fear of water.

    She and her staff also offer private lessons and teach advanced stroke mechanics and aqua aerobics, but her mission is to prevent drownings and help people achieve their swimming goals.

  • See piritaopen.blogspot.com

  • Press release from FINA

    FINA OPEN WATER SWIMMING GRAND PRIX 2014

    A total 36 swimmers (14 women and 22 men) from 16 countries took the plunge in the third leg of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix 2014, organised in Cancun (MEX) on March 29.

    Powerful Angela Maurer from Germany took out the women’s race in 3h25m26s3. It is the first podium for Maurer in the Grand Prix circuit this year, who won by the slimmest of margins ahead of Anna Olasz from Hungary (3h25m27s2). Local swimmer Melissa Villasenor created a sensation, making her Grand Prix podium debut with the bronze in a time of 3h31m22s6. Argentina’s Pilar Geijo finished at the podium’s door in 3h31m48s2.

    The men’s race was won by Dutch Weertman Ferry in 3h04m06s3. Ferry bested veteran Simone Ercoli of Italy, second in 3h04m07s8 and compatriot Marcel Schouten, third in 3h05m14s6. These podium appearances are a nice boost for the three medallists, who have been regular competitors in the FINA Grand Prix circuit for several years.

    (more…)

  • At the end of the Danish Open 2014 in Bellahøj tonight, the Danish swimming federation announced the 15 swimmers qualified for the LEN 2014 European Swimming Championships in Berlin.

    In another press release national coach Nick Juba commented: “I think that the trials have been efficient and successful, but also fairly predictable. Our ‘big hitters’ have raced unrested and have done as much as they have needed to do. They have still swam pretty fast, but will no doubt swim much faster when they need to.”

    • Rikke Møller Pedersen, Herning/NTC
    • Lotte Friis, Sigma Swim Allerød/USA
    • Jeanette Ottesen, Lyngby/NTC
    • Pernille Blume, Sigma Swim Birkerød/NTC
    • Mie Ø. Nielsen, Aalborg
    • Louise Dalgaard, Aalborg
    • Julie Levisen, Aalborg
    • Sarah Bro, Lyngby/NTC
    • Julie Aglund Lauridsen, Sigma Swim Allerød/NTC
    • Maj Howardsen, Sigma Swim Allerød
    • Daniel Steen Andersen, Horsens/NTC
    • Mads Glæsner, Sigma Swim Allerød/USA
    • Anton Ø. Ipsen, Sigma Swim Birkerød
    • Viktor B. Bromer, Aalborg
    • Daniel Skaaning, STT/VAT CPH/NTC

    The official squad will be announced next weekend, as Anders Lie Nielsen has been granted dispensation to try to qualify at a swim meet in USA.

  • At the 2014 Danish Open in Bellahøj tonight, Danish swimming prodigy Mie Ø. Nielsen shattered her own 28.51 Nordic record twice with first a prelim time of 28.28 in the 50 meter backstroke, and then a winning time of 27.96 in the final.

    Post by Mie Østergaard Nielsen.

  • At the 2014 Danish Open in Bellahøj tonight, Rikke Møller Pedersen gave her own 200 breaststroke world record a good go with a winning time of 2:19.94, the world record 2:19.11 and the competition back in 2:28.90 and less.

    To celebrate this, she indulged herself in a pair of winegums

    Post by Rikke Møller Pedersen.