On March 11, 2012, 17-year-old open water junior worlds qualified Barbara Benke from Brazil was tested positive to the substance Isometheptene (Class S.6 Stimulants), and therefore imposed a sanction of 4 month’s ineligibility starting on that day. And on March 25, 2012, 19-year-old 2009 Youth Asian Games champion Litvina Yuliya from Kazakhstan was tested positive to the substance Methylhexaneamine (Class S.6 Stimulants), and imposed a sanction of 6 month’s ineligibility. See FINA here and here
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Ian Crocker: There’s no miracles in swimming
Ian Crocker shares the life lessons he’s learned through the sport of swimming at a Mutual of Omaha BREAKout! Swim Clinic. Ian shares how his college coach, Kris Kubik, reminded him before his Olympic race that there’s no miracles in swimming. What you put in the sport is what you get out of it. Hits home here with me – the other sensation in Faroese sports was when our soccer team won a match against Austria back in 1990 (the year when Pรกl was born). People were at first reluctant to call Pรกl’s feat bigger than that, but that was just a miracle in a game, while this now is hard work in a sport! :-)
Olympian Ian Crocker: There's No Miracles In Swimming -
CC photo #125: Us and Alexander at the Stockholm 2010 World Cup
Not the best of photos, but a really fond memory from the FINA 2010 World Cup leg in Stockholm. The Faroese swim team together with Alexander Dale Oen.
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Dale Oen won’t get a statesman’s funeral, so his municipality says “we’ll pay”
There has been talk about Alexander Dale Oen getting a statesman’s funeral, as did ski jumper Birger Ruud (1911 – 1998) and marathon runner Grete Waitz (1953 – 2011). But then yesterday the Norwegian government decided not to do this, and then the municipality of รygarden confirmed that they would like to help as a final gesture to their local hero. The funeral will be from the small church of Blomvรฅg in รygarden, with seating for only 300 people so they’ll have to make other arrangements also. Date not set yet, see BergensAvisen.
Image of Blomvรฅg Kirke courtesy of Bohuslen / Wikimedia Commons -
Australian Olympic Opening Ceremony uniforms unveiled
To coincide with the excitement of Fashion Week in Sydney, the Australian Olympic athletes have unveiled their highly-anticipated Opening Ceremony uniforms for the London Games.
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Correction, the penguin-thieves were not Aussies but Welsh
My mistake, I thought they were Australians, given that it happened in Australia and that Australians also manage to do strange things (or were they Welsh too?). Via WalesOnline
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Search for a Speedo Star with Keri-anne Payne
In an aim to inspire the UK to swim, Cancer Research UK and Speedo UK have launched a national ‘Search for a Speedo Star’ competition which will give everyday people the opportunity to become an athletic superstar; raising money for Cancer Research UK in the process. Via the17thman
Search for a Speedo Star with Keri-anne Payne -
Winter swimmers in Copenhagen
Around 20,000 Danes swim in the sea during the winter, and swim even when the water is frozen over and dry. Warning, almost NSFW outside of Scandinavia and France.
Winter swimmers in Copenhagen -
Rebecca Adlington launches British Gas Free Swims for Britain campaign
Mansfield star Rebecca Adlington recently launched the British Gas ‘Free Swims for Britain’ programme, which is giving away swimming sessions to those who sign up online to back our swimmers, as they prepare for the biggest competition of their careers. One young swimmer comments in the video, “It was fantastic, yeah, I think it is better than meeting the Queen!” :-)
Rebecca Adlington Launches British Gas Free Swims for Britain Programme


