Warning, this post has absolutely nothing to do with swimming, but everything with where I and my brother Bartal come from. You might have heard about the sweater in the Danish award winning TV series ‘Forbrydelsen’ (‘The Killing’), it is Faroese from Guðrun & Guðrun, while the knitwear in this video is designed by Jóhanna av Steinum (and friends).
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Ian Thorpe has left it a year too late, says Denis Cotterell
Leave it to legendary coach Denis Cotterell of Grant Hackett and Sun Yang to say what many have thought, that Ian Thorpe is too late with his comeback. Via The Australian.
“”He’s trying to pack into a year what in reality is a two-year assignment. No matter how good you are … he’s been out of swimming for nearly six years and that’s a long lay off. You can stay fit and healthy but that’s a lot different from having a competitive edge at the top level of the game.”
(Ian Thorpe is trying to be realistic too, it is more the media that has gone mad)
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CONI president Petrucci (now) praises Pellegrini
You might remember the story about Italy’s olympic committee president, Gianni Petrucci, mocking Federica Pellegrini for declining to be flag bearer at the London 2012 opening ceremony because of competition the day after, calling her immature and saying “to carry the flag is not the Way of the Cross”. Well, they’ve made up since then, with Petrucci now praising her as ‘one of Italian sport’s monuments’. Read AGI.it.
“We recently met and hugged at an award ceremony at the Aniene club. She is one of Italian sport’s monuments and the whole country expects great results from her. I will always support her.”
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Oussama Mellouli talks to Tunisia Live about the revolution
Interview with Tunesian world champion Oussama Mellouli about the Jasmine revolution about a year ago. In English.
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Mellouli named best athlete of Arab Games, earns $140,000
According to gulfnews.com, Tunisian swimmer Oussama Mellouli was named the Super Star and Best Athlete of the 12th Arab Games Thursday, winning a cash prize of $75,000. Mellouli won the title in style, having claimed 13 gold medals in the different swimming races during the Games, and being one of the main reason that Tunesia overtook hosts Qatar for second place in medal standings. He qualified for the London Olympic Games, and won an additional $65,000 for winning the 13 gold medals, bringing his total purse to $140,000. How’s that for a guy that earlier this month almost pulled out of the Games because of a popped rib head.
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Workers face charges for allowing dirty pool to stay open with a body at bottom
Two former state workers will face criminal charges after they allowed a dirty swimming pool to stay open while the body of a woman lay at the bottom. We’ve heard about the story before, the water in the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Pool in Fall River, Massachusetts, was so murky, that Marie Joseph’s body lay there for two after she drowned. Read more on MailOnline
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FINA suspends Flavio Bomio
As reported yesterday, Flavio A. Bomio is in jail on child sexual molestation charges, whereof he’s partially admitted sexual relationships with two underage boys. Now FINA suspends him with immediate effect, as stated in this press release:Lausanne (SUI), December 22, 2011 – Following information received from the Swiss Swimming Federation and articles in the media, the FINA Executive decides to suspend Mr. Flavio Bomio from his position of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee Honorary Secretary with immediate effect.
FINA supports the Swiss Swimming Federation and equally strongly condemns sexual abuse of minors.
Update: According to SwimNews, LEN has now also suspended Bomio from his role as Chairman of LEN’s technical open water group.
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All I want for Christmas …
Funny, Swim Nut Zeke via simma.nu/no
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Dave Salo the ‘breaststroke whisperer’
Interesting article here on The New York Times, about USC Trojan head Dave Salo, coach of top breaststrokers Kosuke Kitajima, Eric Shanteau, Michael Alexandrov, Rebecca Soni and Jessica Hardy. Renowned for his somewhat controversial low-milage, high-quality, technique-driven training regimen.
The breaststrokers who train under Salo catch the water on their pulls in the same place, but that’s where the similarities end. Hardy, who also is expected to contend for an Olympic medal in the 50 freestyle next year in London, has a core of steel to complement her Gumby-like leg flexibility.
Her strengths are not to be confused with those of Soni, who has neither an extraordinary pull nor an extraordinary kick, but her timing when she puts the two together is exquisite. Kitajima has a powerful kick, but his technique is what makes him hard to beat. His body position is so efficient, he skims the surface like a water bug. Shanteau has a powerful kick that compensates for a weaker upper body.