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ORKA – Aldan ReyÃ° by HeiÃ°rik Ã¡ Heygum

Feb 20, 2012

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by

rokur

in Faroe Islands, Safety

A Faroese music video handpicked by Vimeo Staff to be one of “the videos we really, really love”. The grey people here are the mythical “huldufÃ³lk” (‘hidden people’), who according to Faroese folklore live in big rocks and mounds around the islands. “Orka” is the band’s name, song title “Aldan ReyÃ°” translates to ‘the red wave’. Director HeiÃ°rik Ã¡ Heygum made that tribute to his swimming granny that I posted here in August. Don’t count on the ‘hidden people’ to save you if you drown.

ORKA – Aldan ReyÃ° (Director: HeiÃ°rik Ã¡ Heygum) from Heidrik Ã¡ Heygum on Vimeo.
Misty Swim: Greg Burgess demonstrating the backstroke

Feb 20, 2012

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by

rokur

in History, Technique

Wow, great shot here on the United States Marine Corps Official (Flickr) Page, CC BY-NC 2.0. Major Greg Burgess won a silver medal in the 200 IM at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics, joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1997 and has among other things served two tours of duty in Iraq.

Here is a Morning Swim Show from back in 2010, where Peter Busch interviews Greg Burgess
CC photo #51: Monterotondo ‘Stadio del Nuoto’ ready for Roma 2009

Feb 19, 2012

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by

rokur

in CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, Competition, Swimming Pools

The Monterotondo municipal pool in Monterotondo was one of the four additional Roma 2009 World Championships 50 meter training facilities, and the only one indoor. I remember it as a long bus ride, but really nice because we got a break from the sun :-)
Swimming to the Light

Feb 18, 2012

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by

rokur

in Safety

Every kid can swim but for Hugo water is still very dangerous. Absolutely beautiful video here.
Daytona’s Ryan Lochte to give Gatorade Duel start command

Feb 18, 2012

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by

rokur

in Fun, Gossip

It will be up to Ryan Lochte to say “Drivers, start your engines” as Grand Marshal for the first Gatorade Duel this Thursday at Daytona International Speedway. Read for instance PaddockTalk, The Daytona Beach News-Journal and www.speedwaymedia.com

This Nascar Prayer from Nashville, but still :-)
CC photo #50: Czech supporters at Rijeka 2008

Feb 18, 2012

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by

rokur

in CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, Competition

Fancy headwear at the Rijeka 2008 European Short Course championships.
Who elbowed Alicia Coutts in the Shanghai 2011 call room?

Feb 18, 2012

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by

rokur

in Competition, Gossip

Wild story here on SwimNews.com (source Courier Mail), on how Australia’s Alicia Coutts was elbowed in the head and spat at by a European opponent on the way to her blocks for the 100m freestyle final at the Shanghai 2011 World Championships.

“I’d never had anyone try to psych me out before. It must be a sprint freestyle thing,” Coutts tells the CM. “I was sitting in the marshalling room next to a particular swimmer and she elbowed me in the head . . . then she continuously kept elbowing me. She just spat in front of me while I was walking â€¦ it was disgusting. People just playing mind games. It can’t be a fair race, I would never do that to someone. She obviously thought I was a threat, she felt she needed to put me off.”

Here is a video from that event – as mentioned on Speed Endurance Swimming Blog, Alicia Coutts doesn’t look too happy.

Suspects are these Europeans in that final: gold medalist Jeanette Ottesen (DEN); gold medalist Aliaksandra Herasimenia (BLR), bronze medalist Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED), 4th placed Francesca Halsall (GBR), and 5th placed Femke Heemskerk (NED).

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Was Watson trying to drown or save his honeymoon bride?

Feb 18, 2012

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by

rokur

in Open Water, Safety

Gabe Watson is charged with first-degree murder, prosecutors saying he drowned his wife on their honeymoon to collect a life insurance payout, and defense maintaining that Tina, in her first open water dive, panicked and died accidentally. He served 18 months in Australia for manslaughter. Read The Huffington Post.

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Seth Casteel’s amazing photos of diving dogs

Feb 18, 2012

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by

rokur

in Fun, Nature

California-based photographer Seth Casteel devised a series of ball games to get dogs playing in the pool, like holding a ball under water and releasing it in his “bobbing for apples strategy”, to get them to dunk their faces it trying to get the ball. “The timing of this is the most challenging part,” he says. Read more here on The Star

â€œThereâ€™s no aggression towards me. And in the photos where thereâ€™s more than one dog, thereâ€™s no aggression between the dogs. Itâ€™s really just a wild instinct to retrieve that sinking toy.â€