Oh my, Yannick Agnel is on fire – The morning after breaking Paul Biedermann’s 2009 world record in the 400 freestyle, Agnel takes down the European short course 800 meter freestyle record, with a blazing 7:29.17 in the prelims, second fastest ever in textile after Grant Hackett’s 7:25.28 from 2001, Agnel of course qualifying for the final. The ‘real’ world record stands at 7:23.42, which was Grant Hackett in Melbourne 2008. Read SwimNews and see the result list.
Update 2: Video below replaced with a YouTube version
Update: In case the videos below are geoblocked, it might work to try the direct link: http://video.eurosport.fr/natation/championnats-de-france/2012/le-record-du-monde-de-yannick-agnel_vid254572/video.shtml
Courtesy of Eurosport
The interview, afterwards (in French, of course)
French swimmer Yannick Agnel at the FINA / Arena 2012 Swimming World Cup leg in Berlin, Germany, after having won the men’s 200 freestyle in 1:42.10. See result list here. Today he broke the men’s 400 freestyle world record :-)
At the French National Championships today, Yannick Agnel blazed the men’s 400 short course meters freestyle in a new world record of 3:32.25, eclipsing Paul Biederman’s 3:32.77 from the Berlin 2009 World Cup meet back in the supersuited days. Amazing, read Speed Endurance and see full result list here
Former National Coach of Denmark Paulus Wildeboer has decided to resign also his job as head coach of the National Training Center in Copenhagen, to leave for Australia and a contract with Swimming Queensland and Australian Swimming until late 2016. The Danish Swimming Federation has been struggling with finding a replacement for him as national coach, and now they need to find a head of the NTC also, before February 2013. See the official press release here on svoem.org (in Danish)
Paulus’ decision comes as no surprise to those of us who follow Danish swimming closely, as there has been tension between him and several leading Danish club coaches for almost the entire duration of his stay in Denmark. He has been named as Danish coach of the year at least one time (I think twice), and no-one can argue that he has very good results to show for his work in Copenhagen; but still there was for instance this former Swedish national head now Danish club coach Thomas Jansson publicly calling for his resignation, after Wildeboer had blasted them for being soft on the swimmers (all sources in Danish, sorry).
Also, with Jeanette Ottesen taking time off for a bout of Dancing With The Stars and Lotte Friis deciding to train in France, there might not have been enough talent left in the Bellahøj pool, to keep Wildeboer interested. This is total guesswork from me, feel free to cut me down in the comments.
Wow, and he does ‘the proper start’ also. Via Speed Endurance
“I’ve dreamed of the Olympics my entire life. It’s been something that was worth fighting for, a dream that was worth having.” Read and watch wblr.com
Sweden’s Petra Granlund after winning the women’s 200 meter butterfly at the 2008 European Short Course Swimming Championships in Rijeka, Croatia. French swimmer Aurore Mongel seen in profile on lane 3. See result list here.
Doesn’t really matter that the medals are made of tin, that you are officially ‘over the hill’ and that the times are not worth mentioning – When you are standing on the podium and screaming like a madman, it just feels right! :-)
