• British Swimming writes here that a 46-strong GBR Swimming team including Michael Jamieson and Fran Halsall will head to the Flanders Speedo Cup in Antwerp this weekend, as continuation of their preparation phase for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the European Championships in Berlin this summer. They will be joined by ‘an identified group of talented, young swimmers looking to build on their experience on the international circuit’, head coach Bill Furniss stating that: The Flanders Speedo Cup is the first competition of the year and provides a great opportunity for our athletes to compete against some of the top swimmers in Europe.

    flanders-speedo-cup-2014

    This coincides with the Danish swimming federation sending their 12-man strong team of Great Danes to the same event, as a first real step to harden these specially selected young guns. Danish national coach Nick Juba commenting: “”I have no special expectations for this early season weekend meet, but I do want everyone to race hard in every single race they swim, whether it is a morning heat or an evening final. Antwerp will be the kicking-off point for the 2014 racing side of the Great Danes and obviously we will be looking at the events closely. Next Saturday and Sunday we have a testing weekend in Odense,” and “Our Great Danes must focus upon winning races or achieving the highest possible position and result in all of their races. There will be an emphasis upon race positions rather than early season times. I am optimistic that this group is already in decent shape. Six of them have been training in Pretoria – at the Danish Sun Camp – and they will be looking to race fast and strong in Flanders.”

    See the startlist here on zwemfed.be

  • “Olympic athlete, Melani Costa (SPAIN) shares her swim tips to help you reach your fitness goals. ”

  • Via SwimmingWorld

    “Natalie Coughlin—12-time Olympic Medalist, 20-time World Medalist and World Record Holder—brings you five of her favorite TRX exercises for an on-the-go workout that can be performed in a hotel room or anywhere. Use this video to help you stick to your 2014 fitness resolutions, even while traveling.”

    http://youtu.be/OrwalbtbipU

  • “Just a little bit of our fun in Puerto Rico this year for christmas training. Hope you enjoy it!”

    http://youtu.be/28NG0Ol56i8

  • scott-millerRead for instance The Age

    Olympic swimmer Scott Miller has avoided jail over two charges of possessing of methamphetamine, with a magistrate telling him that police would be watching him “like a hawk” while he served a suspended sentence.

    Miller, 38, a silver and bronze medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, was caught with the drug – commonly known as ice – twice within the space of two months last year.

    In June, police found 1.04 grams of the drug when they pulled Miller over in a hire car at Mascot in Sydney’s south.

    Olympic swimmer Scott Miller leaves the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney with his girlfriend after he was sentenced to two one-year suspended sentences for drug possession.

    He also had thousands of dollars in cash, which his legal team said was the proceeds of an escort agency he was running.

    One month later, while on bail, he was caught again, this time at Potts Point with 7.76 grams of ice, and more than $16,000 in cash, along with scales, a ledger and several mobile phones and SIM cards.

  • Swimming Christmas CUP (SCC) has become an institution in the swimming world, since it is organised for 21 years now by NEP swimming team. The SCC is a three day event, with hundreds participants and over 35 teams from all over Greece and Cyprus.”

  • giant-barred-frog“The Giant Barred frog is the breastroke champion of the animal kingdom.”

    Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

    http://youtu.be/QvNP8YAzA90

  • michael-phelps-suitsSee USA Today

    Michael Phelps loves the legal drama Suits, USA’s top-rated original drama. He has tweeted about being a fan and has called the show one of his favorites. Now the Olympic swimmer is making an appearance on its midseason return, March 6 (Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT).

     

    In the scene, after Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) failed to sign Phelps as a client, the lawyer’s girlfriend and new colleague Dana “Scottie” Scott (Abigail Spencer) is determined to land the star athlete for the firm. They’re at a restaurant when Phelps walks in. Spencer serves up some saucy dialogue and Phelps plays it cool.

    http://youtu.be/Y2uT3pyqsSk

    Huffington Post writes “This isn’t the first time that Phelps has guest starred as himself on a television series. Check out the clip below when Phelps made a cameo on HBO’s “Entourage.””

  • See wptv.com

    A pod of dolphins stole the show Sunday at a surfing competition in Ventura County, California.

    Spectators cheered as the dolphins rode the waves along with surfers at the 2014 Rincon Classic.

    Even surfers stopped to watch as about a dozen mammals cut through the waves.

    See also kvue.com