Funny commercial here promoting the not-so-funny Australian food paste thingy called Vegemite. Tried it while staying in Shetland back in 1988, still remember the taste.
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Cost of Thorpe’s comeback worth every cent, says Perkins
Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Kieren Perkins dismisses those criticising the support Ian Thorpe has received in his comeback, saying “You couldn’t buy the publicity, the television coverage, the front and back-page articles that Ian’s return has generated, all these guys whingeing about the money … I think as long as Swimming Australia was using the money appropriately and transparently, there simply isni’t a problem.” Another interesting note in the article here on the Australian:
At 38, he has no grey whiskers to stroke while he muses over how things were better in his day. But the reality is that things really were better in his day.
There was more money in the sport, thanks in no small way to Telstra’s massive sponsorship, swimmers were among Australia’s highest-profile athletes – not just Thorpe and Perkins but also Grant Hackett, Michael Klim, Susie O’Neill, Samantha Riley, Hayley Lewis, Leisel Jones … the list goes on – and even their coaches became household names. And television ratings just kept going through the roof.
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CC photo #74: Chinese fans at Roma 2009
The Chinese team well equipped with gongs and banners on the final night of the Rome 2009 World Aquatics Championships.
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Video: The Berlin 1936 Olympic 200 breaststroke final
Wow, AMAZING footage here courtesy of the International Swimming Hall of Fame: “The 1936 Olympic final of the 200 meter breaststroke showcased three distinct styles of swimming the stroke at the time. American, John Higgins demonstrated the butterfly arm pull with the frog kick. Hamuro and Koike of Japan, and Sietas of Germany all used the traditional head-up breaststroke. Ito of Japan used a full arm pull with underwater recovery. After the war, the breaststroke used by Higgins was the preferred style. It wasn’t until after the 1952 Olympic Games that butterfly became a distinct stroke.”
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Is Thorpe foxing or genuinely nervous ?
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Thorpe looked surprised to see a throng of media awaiting his arrival in Adelaide, and quotes him for saying he is nervous. But The Daily Telegraph has this interesting article speculating that it might be all part of a plan, too keep expectation as low as possible, to minimize pressure.
Training in Switzerland was not just a way of avoiding media attention, it was the perfect hideout from spies trying to catch of glimpse of how hard he was training and what times he was posting.
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Missy Franklin wins Colorado Sportswoman of the Year
At the 38th annual Sportswomen of Colorado Awards on March 11, Missy Franklin won big one. Read Denver Post
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Phelps puts his $1.4 million Baltimore apartment up for sale
Real Estalker reports that Michael Phelps’ waterfront condominium in Baltimore is for sale, a 4-floor 4,080 square feet townhouse in a semi-separate enclave of a large residential apartment complex called The Crescent at Fells Point in Baltimore harbor, complete with 2-car ground floor garage, 3 bedrooms and 3 full and 2 half bathrooms, whereof 1 of the bedrooms is a “luxe master suite with spa bath”. Asking price shows as by request only on the agent’s website, but listed between a pair of properties priced at $1,075,000 and $1,475,000 respectively. Via Curbed
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Magnussen aims for around 47.2 in the 100 freestyle at Australian Trials
It is hard to imagine the fastest swimmer in the world ever flying under the radar, but world 100 meter freestyle champion James Magnussen believes the hype surrounding Ian Thorpe’s comeback will allow him to thrive at the Australian Olympic trials in Adelaide starting Thursday. While aiming for a time better than the 47.49 from the 4×100 relay in Shanghai.
“I think anything better than the time at the world champs last year would be pretty imposing … anywhere down to around 47.2 is pretty realistic and would send out pretty strong warning signs to the rest of the world,” Magnussen said.
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London calling
Nice shot by Eamon Sullivan here on Instagram, with comment “It begins”
