Swimmer's Daily

  • The Danish Swimming Federation today specifies in a new press release, that Mads Glæsner will not only lose his 400 meter freestyle bronze medal from the Istanbul 2012 World Championships (25m), but also his 1500 meter freestyle gold medal. This means that the world championship honor goes to Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri, the silver medal to Faroe Island’s Pál Joensen, and the bronze medal to Poland’s Mateusz Sawrymowicz.

    DSC07753

    See also the official press release from FINA:

    On December 14, 2012 the swimmer Mads Glaesner (DEN) was tested positive to the substance Levmetamfetamine (Class S.6.b Specified Stimulants) following a doping control test conducted with the occasion of the 11th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) held in Istanbul (TUR).

    (more…)

  • Read The West Morland Gazette

    Ages and abilities ranged from those taking part for the first time to Swansea swimmer Tom Allen, who won today’s elite men’s race to cheers from the packed crowd.

    After storming to victory in a time of 17 minutes and 11 seconds, he told the Gazette: “I’m pleased with my time.

    “Over all I’m pleased with the swim. I’ve been out of form for a while so it’s nice. […]

    American Christine Jennings, currently ranked fifth in the world, won the elite women’s race this morning, saying the water was “very choppy and cold”.

    Organisers said the water temperature was 15.4 Celcius when the first swimmers set off.

  • Top-three placed swimmers of the open water swim across the firth Skálafjørður in the Faroe Islands, today Sunday 16, 2013. They are standing in a festival tent, which makes it all a bit circusy.

    Cup winners at Skálafjarðarsvimjingin 2013

  • The Danish Swimming Federation announced today that FINA has handed Mads Glæsner a 3-month ban for doping at the Istanbul 2012 World Swimming Championships (25m). I will try to explain the situation briefly here in the following, but read the official press release if you can, or wait for the press release from FINA.

    The substance in question is Levmetamfetamine, which Glæsner tested positive for after the 400 meter freestyle finale, where he was third. He will loose that bronze medal, but apparently not the gold medal in the 1500 meter freestyle two days later, since that test came out negative.

    Pál and Mads at the Rijeka 2008 SC Europeans

    Glæsner explains that the positive test was because of him accidentally using a US version of the Vicks Vapor Inhaler, which in contrast to the Danish version contains Levmetamfetamine. The Danish Swimming Federation explains that the amount of Levmetamfetamine measured in the doping test was miniscule.

    The quarantine period started on March 19th, which almost certainly means that Glæsner will miss out on the Barcelona 2013 World Swimming Championships. The Danish Federation gave exemption to a few swimmers to make the Barcelona 2013 cut also after the Danish Trials on 26-29 March 2013, which means that Glæsner could maybe make the cut when his ban is lifted on June 19; but it seems a bit far fetched.

    Press release from the Danish Swimming Federation (in Danish) …

    Dopingdom til svømmeren Mads Glæsner

    Svømmeren Mads Glæsner er af Fina (det internationale svømmeforbund) blevet testet positiv for brug af et forbudt stof under VM på kortbane i december 2012. Fina idømmer Mads Glæsner tre måneders karantæne samt fratagelse af VM-bronzemedaljen i 400 m fri.

    (more…)

  • Last minute instructions before the 2012 Seaman’s Day swim across Klaksvík harbor, back in 2012. Cold sea water makes people speculative. Tomorrow we will swim across the local firth here at Toftir, ‘we’ as in I will be taking photos :-)

    Instructions before the 2012 Seaman's Day swim

  • Read for instance BBC

    Harrison Okene, 29, was on board the tug boat Jascon-4 when it capsized in heavy swells.

    It sank to the seabed, upside down, but Mr Harrison was trapped in an air pocket and able to breathe. […]

    “I was there in the water in total darkness just thinking it’s the end. I kept thinking the water was going to fill up the room but it did not,” he said.

    “I was so hungry but mostly so, so thirsty. The salt water took the skin off my tongue.”

    “I could perceive the dead bodies of my crew were nearby. I could smell them. The fish came in and began eating the bodies. I could hear the sound.”

    But after 60 hours, Mr Harrison heard the sound of knocking.

  • We walked past this car daily while at the FINA 2010 World Swimming Championships (25m) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I wondered if it was because the owner hadn’t had time to wash if after some kind of ‘haboob‘ dust storm, but apparently it could be just as well be because someone had to flee in a hurry.

    A very dusty car in Dubai

  • Chloe McCardel had to abandon her swim from Cuba to Florida after she was stung by a jellyfish. She chats to Sunrise about her plans moving forward.

    See also CNN, where they also talk to Diana Nyad about the challenge

  • Search crews return to the Little Miami River for a second day after a swimmer goes under water near Mariemont.

    Second day searched ended without result

    It is thought that 19-year-old Otis Andrews was pulled under by an undertow