Taken with my GoPro this morning. Barcelona scenery or medal podium, hmmm … :-)
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Full House
With Bartal Hestoy setting a new Faroese record in the 400 IM this morning, we have now all three universality swimmers setting Faroese records, and Pál Joensen qualifying for two finals. That is a full house! :-)
Mission accomplished, the party has begun. If Pál should win a medal, it will be a ball.
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Home Gharavi helping out Yuliya Efimova at BCN2013
Here is an interview with Dr. Dr. Homayun Gharavi, team physician and sports conditioning expert and a good pal of Faroese swimming, whom I happened to meet now at the 15th FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. He has been helping out Russia’s Yuliya Efimova this week, who we all know became world champion in the 200 breaststroke and set a new 50 breaststroke world record in the prelims. So we talk about that! :-)
Interviewing Home Gharavi at BCN2013
You can read more about Home here on gaasm.org. Check out also his unique and highly effective 4D Pro ReAction trainer. This is also a demo of my super simple GoPro Hero 2 / Zoom H2 interviewing gear setup.
(Me and Home at his hotel. I’m the sweaty one, from walking across Montjuïc)
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CC photo #580: Second final for Pál at BCN2013
Faroe Islands’ Pál Joensen managed a time of 14:57.76 and fifth in the men’s 1500 meter freestyle this morning at the 15th World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. Final tomorrow!
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CC photo #579: James Magnussen flexing after winning gold at BCN2013
Impressive, James Magnussen after winning gold in the men’s 100 meter freestyle at the 15th FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. See the result list here.
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So, what happened to Pál Joensen?
A promising 7:50.81 and 6th in the prelims, and then 7:52.57 and 7th in the final. If you understand Swedish then you are in luck, because he explained to SVT right after the race. Problem simply that he decided to not follow the charge the first few laps, and then realized after a few hundred meters that there was no point trying to catch them. Technique was good though; he told SVT that he might to compromise a bit on that in the 1500, and go for more speed instead.
Life is good though in the Faroe camp. We’re happy that he got into the final at all, after this year with him moving away from home, to Denmark and changing coach twice. Our other three (universality) athletes have all made best times and the two girls Faroese national records. I’m coming down with a cold or something, but other that that, all is swell.
(Pál Joensen and Jordan Harrison after the 800 final)
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I’m with Jeff, Asia is winning the cheering battle
Read SwimmingWorld, (my comment:) Asia is winning also the swimmer’s entry competition and medal presentations, while USA and Australia seem either bored or stressed-out.
You will think I am overreacting, and that the Americans are behind their swimmers 100 percent. Behind the scenes, you may be right. But in the public eye, it could be better. The Japanese were the loudest team — vocally, at least — tonight, saluting their swimmers before, during and after races. The swimmers appreciated it so much they would wave back after exiting the pool. The Chinese had a set of metal percussion instruments that probably could be heard underwater, and while that might not have been the ingredient that propelled them to such a successful night, it was very helpful.
(Japan’s Aya Terakawa, maybe the most photo-friendly swimmer of BCN2013)