Swimmer's Daily

  • No, these are not The Faroese Mafia, but our up-and-coming swimming stars. From left to right Magnus Jákupsson, Faroese born and raised who moved to Denmark in August 2011, but who still competes for our islands. Frans Johannesen, son of a Faroese couple who moved to Denmark when he was a kid, therefore raised in Denmark and competing for them. And Pál Joensen, born and raised and still training here. Between the three of them, they have qualified for the A-final in every event at the Danish Open 2012 they’ve participated in, only Magnus was disqualified in the 200 IM (bad boy!). The real Faroese Mafia is best kept a secret.

    (Mafia member René Thomsen took this picture)

  • This is what the DR live stream sounded and looked like. As I’ve mentioned, a bit cloudy, but with excellent sound and commentary. Oh and yes, our guy won, Pál Joensen 1:48.98 and a new Faroese record, Mads Glæsner 2nd in 1:49.05, Daniel Skaaning 3rd in 1:49.85 and Anders Lie 4th in 1:49.86. Tomorrow they get to swim the 4×200 freestyle, to try for 7:15.65 and Olympic qualification.

    And here is René Thomsen’s much better quality video from the pool deck

  • Two world class performances at the Bellahøj Svømmestadion, yesterday evening. Pál Joensen first in 3:46.84 and a new Faroese record, Mads Glæsner second in 3:46.93. Brilliant.

    Courtesy of René Thomsen / paljoensen.com

  • In the women’s 100 meter freestyle, world champion Jeanette Ottesen confirmed her Olympic qualification with a time of 53.90, followed by also qualifying Pernille Blume in 54.06. In the 800 freestyle, Lotte Friis cruised to a time of 8:28.52 and confirmed qualification, with Grainne Murphy (IRL) clocking 8:29.55 and 2nd also under the FINA A standard of 8:33.84.

    (Blume interviewed by Danish sport’s excellent video channel onsport.dk)

    And in the men’s 200 freestyle, 2 guys went under the time of 1:49.82 demanded by the Danish Swimming Federation to qualify for a hopefully Olympic qualifying men’s 4×200 relay tomorrow, and two were very close, Pál Joensen winning in 1:48.98, Mads Glæsner 2nd in 1:49.05, Daniel Skaaning 3rd in 1:49.82 and Anders Lie 4th in 1:49.86.

    A new Faroese record for Pál, the old one was 1:50.04 from the Danish Championships in 2009, now it is up to the Danish heads to decide, whether they will go for a 4×200 time trial tomorrow, to try to make the Olympic qualification time of 7:15.65. The FINA A standard for qualifying as an individual was 1:47.82, so no Danish selections for that.

    All results from today’s finals can be seen here on livetiming.dk

  • On the last day of Australian Trials, Campbell sisters Cate and Bronte touched first and second in the women’s 50 freestyle final, 24.44 and 24.61 respectively, to become the first siblings in 40 years to qualify on the same Australian Olympic team. In the men’s 1500 freestyle, no Aussie qualified, which I totally didn’t expect. All in all, Australia selected 21 men and 23 women for the Games, 22 of them debutants. Read more here on SwimmingWorld Magazine.

  • At the French Nationals today, Alain Bernard had to settle for 48.97 and 5th in the men’s 100 freestyle, defending Olympic champion from Beijing 2008. Yannick Agnel and Fabien Gilot took the individual Olympic qualification spots in 48:02 and 48.38, while Clement Lefert (48.64), Amaury Leveaux (48.69), Gregory Mallet (48.97) and Bernard are probable relay swimmers. In the men’s 200 breaststroke, Hugues Duboscq missed out on his 4th Olympic appearance, read more here on SwimmingWorld Magazine.

  • “Operation Eamon Sullivan”, that’s about right ! :-)

  • In the women’s 100 freestyle semifinal, Jeanette Ottesen’s 55.64 didn’t quite make the Olympic qualification time (yet), but is on the team anyhow because of having made it in Shanghai, and then now the lesser ‘stability time’ of 55.39 (FINA A + 1.5%) that Danes want the already qualified to swim at the Danish Trials, in order to prove good form. In the men’s 400 freestyle, our guy Pál Joensen pipped Mads Glæsner with a 3:46.86 to Glæsner’s 3:46.93, a new Faroese record and both under the Olympic qualification time of 3:48.92. Lotte Friis also qualified with a 4:06.85 in the women’s 400 freestyle, well under the FINA A standard and Danish Olympic qualification time of 4:09.35.

    DSC_4615

    (Pál getting a massage after the 400, Jákup Jacobsen took this picture)

    And by the way, it has been confirmed by the Danish Swimming Federation, that despite of Rikke Møller having pulled out of the Danish Trials now because of a stress fractured rib, and therefore not being able to prove good form now at the Trials, she is on the Olympic team because of good results at the recent British Trials.

    DSC00663

    (Mads, Pál and Frans on the podium in Bellahøj. Photo: Jón Bjarnason)

    Besides this, our Faroese young gun Magnus Jákupsson won a silver in the men’s 50 backstroke, with a new Faroese senior and junior record of 26.64, his old being 26.76 from the European Junior Championships in Belgrade last summer. And Frans Johannesen, both parents from the Faroese Islands but living in Denmark, managed a 3:56.76 and 3rd in the men’s 400 freestyle. It is a good day to be Faroese :-)

    All results from today’s final can be found here.

  • Pál Joensen (FAR) and Mads Glæsner (DEN) having a chat at the Rijeka 2008 European Short Course Championships venue. They have had many a tight tussle, the last one today, both officially qualifying for the London Olympics in the Danish Trials with a time of 3:46.84 and 3:46.93, respectively.

    Pál and Mads at the Rijeka 2008 SC Europeans