Swimmer's Daily

  • In the women’s 100 freestyle semifinal, Jeanette Ottesen’s 55.64 didn’t quite make the Olympic qualification time (yet), but is on the team anyhow because of having made it in Shanghai, and then now the lesser ‘stability time’ of 55.39 (FINA A + 1.5%) that Danes want the already qualified to swim at the Danish Trials, in order to prove good form. In the men’s 400 freestyle, our guy Pál Joensen pipped Mads Glæsner with a 3:46.86 to Glæsner’s 3:46.93, a new Faroese record and both under the Olympic qualification time of 3:48.92. Lotte Friis also qualified with a 4:06.85 in the women’s 400 freestyle, well under the FINA A standard and Danish Olympic qualification time of 4:09.35.

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    (Pál getting a massage after the 400, Jákup Jacobsen took this picture)

    And by the way, it has been confirmed by the Danish Swimming Federation, that despite of Rikke Møller having pulled out of the Danish Trials now because of a stress fractured rib, and therefore not being able to prove good form now at the Trials, she is on the Olympic team because of good results at the recent British Trials.

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    (Mads, Pál and Frans on the podium in Bellahøj. Photo: Jón Bjarnason)

    Besides this, our Faroese young gun Magnus Jákupsson won a silver in the men’s 50 backstroke, with a new Faroese senior and junior record of 26.64, his old being 26.76 from the European Junior Championships in Belgrade last summer. And Frans Johannesen, both parents from the Faroese Islands but living in Denmark, managed a 3:56.76 and 3rd in the men’s 400 freestyle. It is a good day to be Faroese :-)

    All results from today’s final can be found here.

  • Pál Joensen (FAR) and Mads Glæsner (DEN) having a chat at the Rijeka 2008 European Short Course Championships venue. They have had many a tight tussle, the last one today, both officially qualifying for the London Olympics in the Danish Trials with a time of 3:46.84 and 3:46.93, respectively.

    Pál and Mads at the Rijeka 2008 SC Europeans

  • The video quality is a bit dark and cloudy, but still extremely much better than nothing at all. Also, the commentators are really good, if you understand Danish ;-)

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  • Nothing special this morning at the Danish Trials, in the men’s 100 freestyle they had favorites Daniel Skaaning and Jakob Andkjær qualifying alongside guest swimmers Andrey Grechin (RUS), Aschwin Wildeboer (ESP) and Olaf Wildeboer (NED), in the women’s 100 freestyle Jeanette Ottesen, Pernille Blume and young gun Mie Ø. Nielsen, in the men’s 100 breaststroke Chris Christensen and Morten Klarskov, the women’s 100 breaststroke as excepted not the recently injured Rikke Møller Pedersen, in the men’s 400 freestyle Anders Lie, Pál Joensen and Mads Glæsner, in the women’s 400 freestyle Lotte Friis alongside Grainne Murphy (IRL) and Cecilie W. Johannesen (NOR), in the men’s 200 IM Chris Christensen and Morten Klarskov alongside Erik Persson (SWE), and in the women’s 200 IM Kathrine Holm Sørensen.

    I’ve prepared www.swimmersdaily.com/live for tonight’s finals, starting at 17:30 local time, 16:30 UTC (there is a clock showing UTC-time on the live-page). As announced also broadcasted online by DR, hopefully so that people also outside Denmark can watch.

  • The gray whales in San Ignacio Lagoon frequently approach small tourist boats, seeking the human interaction. While they could easily avoid the people, whose small boats are not allowed to closely approach whales, they actually seem to enjoy making contact. That woman is a bit too excited, but nice video anyhoo. See oneworldoneocean.org

  • Starting Thursday 22 and ending on Sunday 25, all Danish and Faroese Olympic qualified and hopefuls will compete at the Danish Trials 2012 in Copenhagen, trying to either make the qualification time for the London 2012 Olympics, or the European Championships in Debrechen, or if they have already done so, a lesser ‘stability time’ to demonstrate good form. The Danish Trials are also the Danish qualification meet for the European Junior Championships in Antwerpen this summer.

    Options to follow the event online look very promising, with the Danish Swimming Federation providing both live timing in real-time using IC Control technology, and live streaming in collaboration with the national TV and radio broadcaster DR.

    Other interesting links:

    Heats start at 10:00 local time (09:00 UTC) and finals at 17:30 (16:30 UTC), Monday – Saturday, and then at 10:00 (08:00 UTC) and 17:00 (15:00 UTC) on Sunday because of change in schedule and Daylight Saving Time change.

    The Danish qualification system is pretty complex, but I’ll try to explain the most important parts here after the break (as far as I understand the rules), and keep you posted with the actual selections announced in Danish media.

    The picture is of the two Faroese swimmers at this meet, Pál Joensen and Magnus Jákupsson, taken by Jákup Jacobsen a few days ago. There is also a third guy with Faroese parents, Frans Johannesen, but with Danish sports nationality. (more…)

  • Having already set a world’s best and French record in the women’s 200 freestyle yesterday, Camille Muffat today improved upon it with a 1:54.87 today. Silver and second Olympic berth went to Coralie Balmy in 1:58.42, with Charlotte Bonnet (1:58.55), Ophelie-Cyrielle Etienne (1:59.15 first in line for the 4×200 relay spots. In the (non-Olympic) 50 backstroke, Laure Manaudou clocked a French record of 28:13. Read more here on SwimNews.com.

  • Comeback champ Geoff Huegill up until tonight to qualify for the Olympics, but missed out with a 52.50 and 5th in the 100 butterfly, Christopher Wright and Jayden Hadler qualifying in 51.67 and 52.09 respectively. James Magnussen blasted the 50 free with a world top ranking time of 21.74 in the 50 free, Eamon Sullivan also qualifying for the individual with a 21.92. Belinda Hocking qualified in the women’s 200 backstroke with a time of 2:06.68, and Meagan Nay also with a time of 2:07.83. And Kylie Palmer and Jessica Ashwood qualified in the 800 freestyle, in 8:26.60 and 8:27.97 respectively. Read more here on SwimmingWorld Magazine.

  • Fun memories from the Rome 2009 World Aquatics Championships. Birita wanted one of those brand new Jaked supersuits, so we arrived at about 8 in the morning only to find out when the shop opened at 10 that they didn’t have size 20 nor 22. The day before we had been too far back in line to have any chance of getting a suit, so the next day we woke at 6 and went almost straight to the pool by taxi, in order to be first in line. It worked.

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    By the way, I’m the guy with the computer, killing time by writing this piece on my Faroese site. There is something wrong with the times I mention, changing from stand opening at 10 to stand opening at 09. Must have been the heat. Here is a video from when the stand opened …