At last it went, after both Phelps and Kitajima had tried twice, and others before that, Phelps tonight became first male swimmer ever to win the same individual event at three Olympic Games. Gold to Phelps and the US in the men’s 200 IM, 1:54.27 ahead of Ryan Lochte in 1:54.90 and Laszlo Cseh (HUN) in 1:56.22, Lochte having tried to manage both 200 back and 200 IM, winning bronze with a time of 1:53.94 in the men’s 200 backstroke behind Tyler Clary (USA) in a new Olympic Record of 1:53.41, and Ryosuke Irie of Japan in 1:53.78. Rebecca Soni set a new World Record in the women’s 200 breaststroke, clocking 2:19.59 ahead of Satomi Suzuki (JPN) in 2:20.72 and Iulia Efimova (RUS) in 2:20.92. Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands won gold in the women’s 100 freestyle, setting a new Olympic Record of 53.00 ahead of Aliaksandra Herasimenia (BLR) in 53.38 and Yi Tang (CHN) in 53.44. Phelps also went 50.86 and quickest in the men’s 100 butterfly semifinal, Elizabeth Beisel 2:06.18 and quickest in the women’s 200 backstroke, and Cielo and Jones 21.54 and quickest in the men’s 50 freestyle, James “The Missile” Magnussen here missing out in 22.00 and 11th.
-
-
London 2012 day 6 prelims: Adlington and Friis ready for the 800 duel
On this 6th day of the Olympic swimming competition, ‘only’ 6 men went under 22 seconds in the men’s 50 freestyle: Bovell, Cielo, Fratus, Ervin, Schoeman and Jones. Rebecca Adlington (GBR) and Lotte Friis (DEN) seem to be heading for yet another tight duel in the women’s 800 freestyle, Katie Ledecky (USA) also in play. In the men’s 100 butterfly prelims, Chad Le Clos led the field in 51.54 ahead of Michael Phelps in 51.72 and Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) in 51.84. And in the women’s 200 backstroke, it seems to be a US affair, Franklin quickest in 2:07.54 and Beisel 2nd in 2:07.82.
-
Chinese divers have got nothing on this imperial cormorant
A team of researchers from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the National Research Council of Argentina recently fitted a South American sea bird called an imperial cormorant with a small camera, then watched stunned as it became “superbird” – diving 150 feet underwater in 40 seconds, feeding on the ocean floor for 80 seconds where it eventually caught a snakelike fish, before returning to the surface 40 seconds later. See Daily Distruption
This should be an Olympic event. In related news, cormorants are awful at steady shot.
-
“Shocked NBC viewers watch as Olympic water polo player’s breast is exposed”
“It may have arguably been the first time in this summer’s Olympics a tape delay would have been useful. On Wednesday NBC’s underwater camera captured a women’s water polo player briefly exposing another player’s breast to shocked reaction from viewers watching live at home.” Read MailOnline
Oh my god, it almost turned into a Danish beach !! :-D
(NSFW, don’t watch this if you cannot handle a brief flash of distance sideboob)
-
Brave freediver spears and lands huge tuna amid circling sharks
“For veteran freedivers, spearing a giant yellowfin tuna is an ultimate goal, but one rarely fulfilled because the fish are so swift and elusive. But Wendell Ko, 51, recently bagged an 188-pound yellowfin, on a single breath, off Kona, Hawaii. And he accomplished this feat while surrounded by circling sharks.” Read The GrindTV Blog.
-
China says West being ‘petty’ over Ye doping allegations
The controversy over the dual Olympic gold performances by Chinese swimming sensation Ye Shiwen has been decried by China as a case of Western pettiness. Read and watch CNN.
-
Dwyer and Berens celebrate gold with a 4,610-calorie McDonald’s meal
Well, I guess it is better than a retirement smoke ;-)
Dwyer ordered a Quarter Pounder, two six-piece chicken nuggets, french fries and a McFlurry ice cream sundae. Berens, according to his Twitter photo, went even bigger: Two Quarter Pounders, a Big Mac, a six-piece nugget order, two french fries and a McFlurry.
Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Finally!!!! The end of season celebration dinner! mcdonalds!! Yes all for me! say.ly/dDN3SJg
— Ricky Berens (@RickyBerens) July 31, 2012
-
Seebohm blames social media fixation for failing to win gold in the 100 back
A world’s first, when Aussie swimmer Emily Seebohm failed to take gold in the Olympic 100 backstroke, Monday, she gave an excuse few had expected. Read The Sydney Morning Herald via Digital Trends
“I guess when you swim that fast in the heat, then people put pressure and more pressure on you, saying, ‘Oh, you’re going to get the gold.’” Seebohm told Australian reporters after her loss. “Maybe I just started believing that and just thought I’d already won by the time I had swum and I hadn’t even swum yet.
“I don’t know, I just felt like I didn’t really get off (social media) and get into my own mind.”
-
63-year-old man busted for feeding gator with his hand
Wow, read News-Press via boingboing
Wallace Weatherholt, 63, was leading a tour of Florida’s Everglades when he allegedly reached over the side of his boat to feed a fish to an alligator. The 9-foot alligator bit off Weatherholt’s hand at the wrist. Weatherholt was subsequently charged with a misdemeanor for unlawful feeding of a gator.
