Swimmer's Daily

  • See press release here on fina.org

    The 15th FINA World Championships, held in Barcelona (ESP), from July 19 – August 4, 2013 were the most watched ever in the FINA history, reaching a cumulative TV audience of almost 4.5 billion viewers worldwide.

    According to an independent report made by the company Kantar Media, specialised in media and TV monitoring, the Championships reached a total of 4.487 billion TV viewers, distributed over six categories of programmes: Live, Sports Magazine, Highlights, News, Repeat and Delayed. This is a significant improvement from the previous edition of the FINA World Championships, in 2011 in Shanghai (CHN), where a total of nearly 3.7 billion TV viewers had followed the competition.

    Moreover, for Barcelona 2013, there was a total of 5,156 hours of dedicated coverage (against 4,448 hours in 2011) and the competition was broadcast in 185 territories.

    “These impressive figures definitively improve the value and prestige of our main event, the FINA World Championships. FINA and Aquatics are definitively top players in the very competitive sport business market. These results are due to our superb Stars and their outstanding performances, and to the great support received by our 203 National Member Federations around the world”, said the FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione.

    Impressive camera array at BCN2013

  • They must be pissed he drove a Porsche. Or not ?

  • As seen here, subtitles now courtesy of Herning 2013

  • Read Ria Novosti

    The administration of a Siberian city has banned a traditional swimming race featuring blow-up sex dolls following a complaint from Orthodox Church activists, Gazeta.ru reported Wednesday.

    The event, titled Bubblе Baba Challenge, has been held in Novosibirsk since 2008, and is also held in other Russian regions. According to the organizers, its aim is to show that sex dolls are only fit to be used as a flotation device.

    (Thanks, Thomas!)

  • China’s Lu Ying and Jiao Liuyang congratulating each other for winning gold and silver in the women’s 50 meter butterfly at the FINA 2012 World Swimming Championships (25m) in Istanbul, Turkey. Also in picture, Poland’s Anna Dowgiert. See the result list here.

    Lu Ying and Jiao Liuyang 1-2 at Istanbul 2012

  • Read The New Zealand Herald

    Thousands of Auckland children are becoming more confident in the water, thanks to a city-wide project teaching them how to swim.

    The Greater Auckland Aquatic Action Plan has had up to 60,000 children from around the region taking up swimming lessons in the past two years.

    Up to 200 primary schools are involved and children work towards being able to swim at least 200m – the standard distance considered for being able to survive.

    A related video

  • “He became a national hero after winning three Olympic gold medals, but Australian swimmer Murray Rose remained an enigma until his death last year.

    Australian Story presents a two-part special on Murray Rose screening Monday November 11 and Monday November 18 at 8pm on ABC1.”

    http://youtu.be/j0e3lu4UEtk

  • “Check out this sneak peek of “Swim Fingers” airing Tuesday November 12th as part of Daily Planet’s “Race To..” Week starting Monday November 11th, 7ET only on Discovery Canada.”

    http://youtu.be/Ke0D4aFt4IA

  • The tiger cubs at the National Zoo undergo a swim test.

    See also AP