Swimmer's Daily

  • “Strange creatures live in Florida’s spring-fed rivers. Some people call them mermaids and mermen, I call them The River People.”

    The River People from Chris Rish on Vimeo.

  • As athletes have sprinted and soared their way to bronze, silver and gold in London, Morning Edition has celebrated the Olympics with the Poetry Games. With thousands of listeners voting online, Mbali Vilakazi from South Africa won for her poem “Swim Your Own Race“, inspired by fellow South African Natalie du Toit, making history as the first woman amputee to qualify for the Olympics. Read NPR

  • According to Evan Morgenstein, the PMG Sports agent who represents gold-medalist swimmers Tyler Clary and Cullen Jones, the Olympics makes athletes “indentured servants.” Read E Online

    In fact, he tells me, we’re talking “less than $3,100 a month for the best swimmers in the world,” before or even after the Games are over.
    “They’re poor unless they hit gold,” Morgenstein explains. “But even if they do, it’s no guarantee of riches and fame, what with 30-plus gold medalists in the U.S. alone. You need a story, looks and an opportunity to break through.”

  • Every summer, Chen Jinglun Sports School in Hangzhou is flooded with children whose parents hope they’ll join China’s next generation of swimming champions, the city planning even more swimming centers now with the success in London. This video off cncworld.tv probably quite biased countered by for instance this video off 3news.co.nz, where a kid is quoted for saying “compared with the Olympic gold medalists I have a long way to go. They train all the time, non-stop, every day. I only train in the morning and the afternoon”. Or you could go tabloid and see a little girl crying because of her coach stepping on her legs. According to China Daily, Zhejiang Provincial Sports Bureau is going to add bronze statues of Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen to the 4 already standing outside the Hangzhou Stadium, of Lou Yun (gymnast), Luo Xuejuan (swimmer), Wu Xiaoxuan (shooter) and Zheng Xiongying (volleyball player).

    (Video pushed below the break, since it autoplays)

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  • John Unger and Schoep’s friendship started when Unger adopted Schoep from a shelter as a puppy 19 years ago. Time has given them memories, but it has also taken a toll on Schoep’s body. “This joint right here kind of freezes up,” Unger said pointing to Schoep’s hind leg. Arthritis and hip dysplasia have settled into Schoep’s joints. The only comfort now is a routine that keeps Schoep off his feet. Unger takes Schoep out into Lake Superior for a dip as often as they can. Read ABC7 and prepare to get teary-eyed

    ABC-7.com WZVN News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

  • According to comments on his Vimeo page, tuna fisherman Mark Peters said a GoPro Hero 2 camera with a flat lens and dive housing had been used to capture the footage. He added that a “torpedo” housing that he had constructed helped the camera to remain steady underwater. Read The Huffington Post and MercuryNews

    The Blue from Mark Peters on Vimeo.

  • Giggle, this pooch obviously hasn’t listened to Lochte’s message

    A planned four-hour dog swim at the Longview Swim Center was cut short Saturday after one canine had a bit of an accident.
    The Dog Days of Summer Dog Swim began at 10 a.m. at the swim center. About an hour and fifteen minutes later, someone spotted dog feces in the pool, officials said.
    Longview’s Parks and Recreation Manager Seth Pyle said the event, which has occurred annually for more than 6 years, has never dealt with the situation before.

    Read news-journal.com

  • Wow, read NDTV Sports

    The 28-year-old had been laid low by a virus earlier this week but recovered to plunge into the waters of the Serpentine at a sun-soaked Hyde Park and claim victory in 1hr 49min 55.1sec, 3.4sec in front of Germany’s Thomas Lurz.

    Richard Weinberger of Canada took the bronze medal, with world champion Spyridon Gianniotis of Greece finishing just outside the medals in fourth place, ahead of Great Britain’s Daniel Fogg.

    “In the last 300 to 400 metres, I basically went through Hell and came back to life,” said Mellouli.

    “My shoulders were getting so heavy, my legs were getting so tight, and my lungs were burning so much.

    “I caught a virus 48 hours ago and couldn’t be in the water, so to come back and do this is something quite miraculous.”

  • UK Sport set a target of five to seven medals for London and with only three secured and only the men’s 10km to come, the sport now faces a serious cut to its funding going into the next cycle. That will mean many swimmers losing their support ahead of Rio 2016. And there is pressure on Michael Scott, the performance director, to deliver a new coaching structure that can provide more podium places in four years’ time. Read The Telegraph and Yahoo! Sport, where they as a side note mention that Keri-Anne Payne might be done with open water swimming.

    “I will take a little break now,” she said.
    “I am getting married soon so that it is going to take all my focus for the next couple of months.
    “It is not the end of me in the pool but I will definitely take a break from the open water.”