Swimmer's Daily

  • One of the Olympics’ most famous underdogs, Eric Moussambani a.k.a. ‘Eric the Eel’, is set to make a splash at the London Games after being named coach for the Equatorial Guinea swim team. Read more here on Reuters.

  • Though men’s megastars Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are at the Indianapolis Grand Prix, no other swimmer got accosted Friday morning quite as thoroughly as Dara Torres, who at 44 is trying to make her sixth Olympic team. She posted the second-fastest qualifying time – 25.35 – seconds in the 50 freestyle, despite misjudging the start and getting out more slowly than any of the final 16 competitors. But, she is realistic, for instance not trying fo the 4×100 freestyle relay, even if six spots are available, for as she says “I can’t swim 100 three times in a row. My body will not do that”. Read the Washington Post and Indystar.

  • A photo taken with my old Nokia, standing in line hoping to get a Jaked J01 ‘supersuit’ for one of our Faroese swimmers at the 2009 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Rome, Italy. First day of trying, on the second attempt we got our hands on a suit but it was the wrong size, and on the third attempt we went really early and got it!

    In line for a Jaked suit at Roma09

    And by the way, this article is, ehm, not totally correct, saying “swimmers waited in line in a 50-meter hall with no ventilation just to get their hands on Speedo’s LZR Racer Suit”. I was there … almost all of us waited for either a Jaked or one of the brand new Arena. There were some waiting for Speedo, but it was minor in comparison with Jaked and Arena, at least the many times when we were there (this hall the way to the pool and dressing rooms, also).

  • At the Indianapolis Grand Prix yesterday evening, Dana Vollmer won the 100 freestyle in 54.21 and 100 butterfly in 57.73, while Nathan Adrian pipped Phelps in the 100 freestyle with a 48.62 to 48.78. Micah Lawrence managed a 2:24.85 and 2nd best in the world this year in the women’s 200 breaststroke, Clark Burckle won the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:10.56, Allison Schmitt the women’s 400 freestyle in 4:06.94 ahead of Katie Hoff in 4:07.00, Tyler Clary the men’s 400 freestyle with a time of 3:49.91, while Michael Phelps won the men’s 100 butterfly in the 52.23, Ryan Lochte managing a lifetime best of 52.32 in the B-final, also winning the 100 freestyle B-final with a time of 49.46. Read a lot more here on SwimmingWorld Magazine.

  • On the 3rd day of Canadian Olympic Trials, six more swimmers earned Olympic nominations and two for a second nomination, Jillian Tyler and Tera Van Beilen with 1:07.18 and 1:07.37 in the women’s 100 breaststroke, Barbara Jardin and Samantha Cherverton with 1:57.34 and 1:57.98 in the women’s 200 freestyle, Brittany MacLean and Amanda Reason for the additional spots in the women’s 4×200 relay, Scott Dickens with a 2:12.69 in the men’s 200 breaststroke, and Ryan Cochrane with a 3:47.07 in the men’s 400 freestyle. Read more here on swimming.ca.

  • Great post here on Cap & Goggles:

    I didn’t have an answer. Still don’t. Not really sure why I’ve even writing this. All I know is that I don’t think I’ve ever felt for a fellow swimmer – a guy I’ve never met – more in my life. And Adam and I both know that a fellow Canadian 200 flyer could really use some support right about now. His name is Stefan Hirniak. Last night at the Canadian Olympic Trials, he missed making the Team over the final 25 meters of the race, fading to finish 4th. The exact same thing happened to him four years ago, at the Trials for Beijing. Both times he was a favorite to make it. Both times it came down to that final 50, heading for home.

  • Ian Thorpe has already resumed full training after crashing out of contention for the London Olympics a fortnight ago, now preparing for next year’s world championships in Barcelona and maybe the Rio Olympics in 2016.

    “I have literally no idea when I’ll be back in competition,” Thorpe said.
    “It will be sometime during this year but I most definitely haven’t made any decision on which competition it will be.
    “The next phase for me is really a pretty significant training block.”

    Read the Sydney Morning Herald and Stock & Land

  • At the Indianapolis Grand Prix today, Michael Phelps qualified third for the finals in the 100 butterfly and seventh in the 100 freestyle, stating according to USA Today, ‘I feel like the old me again’. Ryan Lochte competed in the same events, but didn’t make it to the finals, according to the Washington Post usually buried in heavy training this time of year. They might meet in the 200 IM on Saturday though. Via Indystar

  • When Canadian swimmer Sinead Russell yesterday punched her ticked to the 2012 London Olympics, questions about her swim coach father’s shady past were inevitable, Cecil Russell twice banned from coaching for life for his involvement in illegal steroid and ecstasy rings, and having admitted helping burn and dispose a murder victim. It’s a mess the likes of which Canadian swimming has never seen, but Sinead Russell appears unperturbed, and didn’t flinch at a suggestion her family’s problems have made her path harder than for other swimmers.

    “Not at all. It’s made me tougher,” said the 18-year-old from Burlington. “What I’ve been through, it’s made me more determined to do what I do.”

    Read more here on The Star (a Google cached version is here in case they are still having technical problems)