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Swimmers, starting off their weekend with a splash, braved cold winter waters Saturday morning to raise money and awareness for the city’s aquatic program.
“It’s not even freezing but, trust me, when you jump in over your head, it will take your breath away,†said Terri Webster Schrandt, the City of Sacramento’s recreation supervisor.
Video autoplays, therefore moved below the break
“700 swimming enthusiasts braved icy waters to compete in an ice swimming competition ahead of Harbin’s annual Ice Festival.”
See wptv.com
Early morning practice may not be what college students want to do over winter break. But it sure beats what their friends and families are doing back home.
“It’s a high of 12 and a low of -12, 100% chance of snow, they’re supposed to get 2 feet it’s wild,” said Christina Hurley, a swimmer on the University of Pennsylvania swim team.
“I called home last night and my wife and son are shoveling a foot of snow off our driveway. I’m much happier to be down here, our whole team is too,” said head coach Mike Schnur.
“These heroic women show what spirit, courage, and perseverance can achieve. May their bravery inspire us in 2014 and beyond.”
http://youtu.be/ZyB7bzYRoqY
Image courtesy of Fortune Live Media, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
See fina.org
The 2014 FINA Swimming World Cup calendar is now official, including two stops in Arabia in late August, one in Hong Kong late December, two in Europe early October, and three in the Far East late October / early November.
Berlin is out, Germany according to SwimmingWorld without a World Cup stop for the first time ever in the history of the series, and Europe is thus down to only two stops, compared to the usual three.
The calendar according to FINA
* dates to be confirmed
** place to be confirmed
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Swimming star Jazz Carlin has revealed the backroom support she receives in Wales persuaded her to stay in Swansea.
The Swansea pool lost its Intensive Training Centres (ITC) status at the end of last year from British Swimming.
Carlin watched former training partners Jemma Lowe and Georgia Davies relocate to Bath and Loughborough respectively.
But the double Commonwealth Games medallist decided to stay in Wales with coach Bud McAllister after enjoying a rejuvenated 2013.
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
See open letter and petition on change.org, plus articles on SwimmingWorld and SwimVortex
On behalf of the swimming community worldwide, we are calling on FINA to recognize all victims during this dark period in Olympic history and to lobby the International Olympic Committee to take similar action.
When Nelson Mandela passed away of late, his story reminded us all of the need to acknowledge the past and then leave it in the past so that reconciliation and healing can take place and a new beginning made. Without acknowledgement, swimming cannot move on.
We therefore ask the following:
 That FINA acknowledge that the aquatic records were tainted during the DDR era.
That FINA acknowledge that there were victims on both sides of the podium.
That FINA place an asterisk next to all DDR era swimmers, explaining that they were unknowingly doped.
That FINA acknowledge a second tier of new medal standings (consisting of those not recognized) alongside the existing standings of DDR victims.
That FINA not ask for DDR swimmers to return their medals.
That FINA award duplicate medals to those athletes who have a new standing.
That FINA remove from its list of Pin winners all GDR officials, including the convicted Dr Lothar Kipke, a former Medical Commission delegate who was found guilty of harm to minors in the German doping trials of the late 1990s.
Dozens took the polar bear plunge at Steers Beach in Northport in support of the Northport Food Pantry. The annual New Year’s Day fundraiser is sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 410 and the Northport Fire Department Smoke Eaters.
The Connellsville Polar Bears celebrated their 10th year of taking a dip in the frigid Youghiogheny River. The annual event on New Year’s Day raises money for the Connellsville Area Community Ministries food bank.
