The Chinese team well equipped with gongs and banners on the final night of the Rome 2009 World Aquatics Championships.
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Video: The Berlin 1936 Olympic 200 breaststroke final
Wow, AMAZING footage here courtesy of the International Swimming Hall of Fame: “The 1936 Olympic final of the 200 meter breaststroke showcased three distinct styles of swimming the stroke at the time. American, John Higgins demonstrated the butterfly arm pull with the frog kick. Hamuro and Koike of Japan, and Sietas of Germany all used the traditional head-up breaststroke. Ito of Japan used a full arm pull with underwater recovery. After the war, the breaststroke used by Higgins was the preferred style. It wasn’t until after the 1952 Olympic Games that butterfly became a distinct stroke.”
1936 Olympic 200 breaststroke
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Is Thorpe foxing or genuinely nervous ?
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Thorpe looked surprised to see a throng of media awaiting his arrival in Adelaide, and quotes him for saying he is nervous. But The Daily Telegraph has this interesting article speculating that it might be all part of a plan, too keep expectation as low as possible, to minimize pressure.
Training in Switzerland was not just a way of avoiding media attention, it was the perfect hideout from spies trying to catch of glimpse of how hard he was training and what times he was posting.
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Missy Franklin wins Colorado Sportswoman of the Year
At the 38th annual Sportswomen of Colorado Awards on March 11, Missy Franklin won big one. Read Denver Post
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Phelps puts his $1.4 million Baltimore apartment up for sale
Real Estalker reports that Michael Phelps’ waterfront condominium in Baltimore is for sale, a 4-floor 4,080 square feet townhouse in a semi-separate enclave of a large residential apartment complex called The Crescent at Fells Point in Baltimore harbor, complete with 2-car ground floor garage, 3 bedrooms and 3 full and 2 half bathrooms, whereof 1 of the bedrooms is a “luxe master suite with spa bath”. Asking price shows as by request only on the agent’s website, but listed between a pair of properties priced at $1,075,000 and $1,475,000 respectively. Via Curbed
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Magnussen aims for around 47.2 in the 100 freestyle at Australian Trials
It is hard to imagine the fastest swimmer in the world ever flying under the radar, but world 100 meter freestyle champion James Magnussen believes the hype surrounding Ian Thorpe’s comeback will allow him to thrive at the Australian Olympic trials in Adelaide starting Thursday. While aiming for a time better than the 47.49 from the 4×100 relay in Shanghai.
“I think anything better than the time at the world champs last year would be pretty imposing … anywhere down to around 47.2 is pretty realistic and would send out pretty strong warning signs to the rest of the world,” Magnussen said.
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London calling
Nice shot by Eamon Sullivan here on Instagram, with comment “It begins”
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Infant Swim Safety program teaches more than just swimming
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the leading cause of death for infants and young children between the ages of one and four. Infant Swimming Resource is one program that makes sure children from six months to six years of age know what to do, should they find themselves in danger while in the water. Via ABC News 4
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Gemma Spofforth unimpressed by ‘awful’ London Aquatics Centre lights
British Olympic swimmer Gemma Spofforth says the lights in the London Olympic Aquatics Centre are ‘awful’ and make it difficult to swim backstroke. “We think it’s the lights. We figured out they’re misplaced a little bit; they go in a V so when you try and follow the lines (of the parallel roof panels) you follow the lights.” The problem first came to light at last week’s British Gas Swimming Championships when Lizzie Simmonds was visibly circling the lane in her lane in the semi-final of the 100m backstroke. Or as SwimNews put it, even on the ropes
Read more here on Metro