Swimmer's Daily

  • Thumbs up from Alex in BudapestThe Norwegian Swimming Federation has this message to us all here on Facebook, that I’ve tried to translate as best as possible below. Strong people, the Norwegians.

    Today it is one year since we got the sad and incomprehensible message from Flagstaff that Alexander Dale Oen was dead. We hope that everyone will remember him today by using the day for something extra positive. Spread happiness in your surroundings, thank someone who deserves it and have faith in that everything is possible! Just like Alex did :)

  • A glimpse of the work that sport scientist and analysts do behind the main scene.

    Also: Ice baths :-)

  • Texas Ex and three-time Olympic gold medalist Ian Crocker (2001-04) discusses his life after competitive swimming which includes marriage, music, old cars and the extended Texas swimming family.

  • Read The Sydney Morning Herald

    A freak training injury involving a truck tyre has left Australia’s leading women’s freestyle swimmer Mel Schlanger off her usual pace at the national titles in Adelaide.

    After finishing fourth in the 100m women’s final at last year’s London Olympics after having led the 4x100m relay team to a gold medal, Schlanger could only manage sixth fastest in this morning’s heats. […]

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  • Read Sydney Morning Herald

    Barry Kime knew he had something special when Chelsea Gubecka joined his Sunshine Coast swim squad just after her eighth birthday.

    Gubecka, who is now 14, is set to become the youngest member of the Australian swim team at this year’s world championships after, in her first senior national titles, she won the 1500 metres freestyle final on Sunday night by almost 30 seconds.

    Kime said it had been easy to spot the potential of Gubecka, who had started learn-to-swim classes at five months old.

    “I got her in and said ‘wow look at this kid, what a rocket’ and within 12 months [she] was on the Queensland swim team for schools,” Kime said.

    “Right from day one, her ability to listen and to adapt [had been strong] and she’s always willing to try her best all the time. Some kids at a young age can’t concentrate for more than five seconds but she’s one of those kids where every word you said she’d just lock onto it and adapt to whatever changes you want to make.”

  • Brian and Nick discover their outer beauty

  • Too much talk, we wanna see Te Haumi dance! :-)

  • The world swimming championships in Barcelona, Spain are the next focus for the Kenya national swimming team after their record-breaking exploits at the Cana zone 3 and 4 swimming championships. The team won 80 medals and took both the boys’ and girls’ team titles in Lusaka, Zambia. The team improved from 5th in 2012 to edge out such greats as South Africa and Zimbabwe.

  • Read Herald Sun

    Qualifying for an Australian swim team at 18 is the dream that Alexander Graham is contemplating turning down.

    The talented Melbourne teenager celebrated his 18th birthday on Sunday night with a fifth place finish in the 200m freestyle final in 1:47.23, fast enough to secure a position on his first senior national team.

    But Graham may yet do the unthinkable and reject the trip to Barcelona. Graham is still eligible for age group racing and with his coach Gene Jackson they are contemplating skipping the July world titles to instead compete at the junior world championships in August.

    See also The Sydney Morning Herald

    The team selection criteria does not allow a swimmer to compete in both, so while Graham’s instinct is to compete in Barcelona, he would be willing to sacrifice the experience for the juniors, where he would have a much larger program, if that was the best course for his development.

    “We’re weighing it up because [we’re] seeing what will be better for my development, going to juniors or going to seniors and getting the experience,” Graham said.

    “… I’m kind of leaning towards going to Barcelona, just because I think it will be good to get the experience in the senior team and racing those open guys.”