The most decorated athlete in Olympic history is among those calling foul over a proposal to cut 8 varsity sports at the University of Maryland, including men’s and women’s swimming and diving. Read wusa9.com
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WADA threatens to declare Britain non-compliant with global anti-doping code
The World Anti-Doping Agency says Britain could be declared non-compliant rules this weekend if it keeps its lifetime Olympic ban for drug violators. Read The Washington Post.
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Russian swim star to try out Vágur
This is surreal to me, but Russian swim star Anastasia Aksenova will arrive at the airport here on the Faroe Islands this Monday evening, to try out practice at Suðuroyar Svimjifelag in Vágur. Yup, the club of Jón Bjarnason where Pál Joensen trains. Aksenova is the Russian 100 meter freestyle record holder (53.20), and won a silver medal in the 50 freestyle at the Russian short course championships this October (25.38, 25.19 in the semi). And an Olympian too, from Beijing 2008. If it works out well, she would like to train here with Jón as coach until the London 2012 Olympics. I’m pinching myself all over here. Via Suðurrás.fo
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Le Clos the best I’ve seen, says South Africa’s top swimming coach
South Africas Top swimming coach, Graham Hill, says teenager Chad Le Clos is the best talent he has worked with, and has tipped the teenager for a medal at next year’s Olympic Games in London.
“I’ve seen many swimmers in my time, but he’s certainly the best I’ve come across”
“He’s got all the tools – speed, endurance and everything else one needs. He is a complete swimmer.”
And then he’s also “My brother, my player, the Phelps slayer” :-)
Read Sport24
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Orca attack victim at Seaworld says risk “acceptable”
SeaWorld trainer who Ken Peters escaped being drowned by a killer whale during a public performance in California in 2006, testified on Tuesday that he still works with the whales and considers the risk “acceptable”. “I could get killed in a car accident today, but I still get in a car,” he said during the federal hearing following the 2010 drowning of trainer Dawn Brancheau, by a different killer whale at Sea World Orlando. Problem seems to be “error in judgment” of whether or not the whales are agitated, before entering the water with them. Read more on Reuters.com
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Maryland Swimming in dire straits, let’s help out !
A call to arms here on GoSwim.tv:
There is an epidemic in swimming right now, and Maryland is latest in a long line of schools dropping swimming from their programs.
This is also a notice to all college coaches, your programs are NOT safe. In my humble opinion, you’re not just a coach anymore, it’s time to rally your alumni prior to this being done to you. While the efforts and outcries and the momentum building to save the program are great, view this as a precursor for your own programs and start your outreach program before this hits you.
In the meantime… remember, this is about the swimmers, the athletes, the kids.
Visit SaveUMDSwimming.org for more information. Help can be for instance to sign the petition, and to show up in force as spectators at their meets. See also Facebook
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Swim legend Mark Spitz backs the Big Splash mile
Fun fact in this video, Mark Spitz’s swimming career started with him doing well in a swim across a pool, mostly because he was called last because of his name starting with an “S”, and therefore was cold. Big Splash via the BBC
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Klim to swim this weekend
It will be a world away from the chaos created by Ian Thorpe’s return to the competitive pool in Singapore earlier this month, but another former champion, Michael Klim, will make his comeback from retirement in a low-key swim meeting at Nunawading. Read The Age.
Picture courtesy of Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games, cc by-nc 2.0
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The Swim Watch Battle: FINIS Swimsense vs Swimovate Pool-Mate Pro
A must-read here on DC Rainmaker: A triathlete testing both the FINIS Swimsense and the Swimovate Pool-Mate Pro for 3 months, on occasions wearing both at once. He finds both to be very accurate, ending up identical in terms of distance/laps even after 3,000 yards. But he cannot test stroke identification, due to his triathlete-like lack of form stroke skills. Now, this is where a guy like me could help out, hint hint, nudge nudge.
A) If you want a very slim watch that records the basics and you don’t have to worry about charging, then the Swimovate Pool-Mate Pro is best for you. It has a very clean/slim design that ultimately allows you to get your core swim data (distance/time/pace).
B) If you want a device that has more analytics capability, and can give you more data and functionality then the FINIS Swimsense watch is really the one for you. The watch offers more for the data driven person, with more compatibility and expansion options.
