The Nordic countries are seeing great development in long distance swimming, with swimmers like Lotte Friis, Mads Glæsner and Pál Joensen taking international medals, and others coming up through the ranks. For instance yesterday in Norway, 15-year-old Henrik Christiansen improved upon his best 1500 meter effort with 50 seconds, going from 16:55.73 and a 18th spot on the Norwegian short course championships start list, to 16:04.35 and a bronze medal in the overall competition. Unfortunately this was during prelim heats, so we don’t see him here in the final video. Via www.simma.nu/no
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Kayaker gets to meet a basking shark
We have those here in the Faroes, and stories to tell like when two of my friends swam in the ocean at Leynar, with a third on land suddenly seeing two huge basking sharks playing pretty close to them. They never saw the sharks themselves, which was probably just as well. Via liveleak.com.
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Muffat and Agnel blaze the 200 free
France’s Camille Muffat won the Championnats de France 200 freestyle moments ago, in 1:55.95 which is the 3rd fastest time ever in a textile suit. And in the following race, also French Yannick Agnel set a national record in the same event, with a time of 1:45.47, 14th best time in the World at all.
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Berlin will host the 2014 European Championships
The German Swimming Federation and the City of Berlin will host the 32nd European Championships in Swimming, Diving, Synchronized Swimming and Open Water Swimming as announced this week-end after a LEN Bureau meeting in Luxembourg. Venue will probably be the Velodrom, to accommodate more spectators than in the nearby Europasportpark swimming and diving center. Sources: swimsportnews.de and LEN Press Release.
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There you are, the Arena Baywatch commercial
I saw this one at the 2009 Rome World Championships, and afterwards tried for quite a long time to find it online. Funny.
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Dekker wins 50 free and 100 butterfly back-to-back
Netherland’s Inge Dekker clocked 24.87 for a dominant victory in the 50 freestyle at Championnats de France, ahead of Angéla Tavernier on 25.91 and 15-year-old Béryl Gastaldello on 25.99, before still breathless clocking 58.70 to win the 100 butterfly ahead of Aurore Mongel on 59.33 and Diane Bui Duyet on 59.43. See results here and here. Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen missed the final but managed a 58.93 second-best time overall in the B final. Read SwimNews.com.
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Friis wins 1500, Rouault 800
Denmark’s 800m World champion Lotte Friis set a second best time in the World this year at the Championnats de France today, winning the 1500 freestyle in 16:06.74, ahead of Chile’s Kristel Kobrich in 16:16.73 and French Aurélie Muller in 16:27.77. In the men’s 800 freestyle, France’s Sébastien Rouault won comfortably with a time of 7:54.95, ahead of Sébastien Fraysse in 8:02.35 and teenager Damien Joly in 8:03.01. Denmark’s Mads Glæsner was 4th in 8:03.69. Results here and here, read also SwimNews.com.
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Gilot and Meynard 1-2 in the 100 freestyle
In a tight tussle at the Championnats de France today, Fabien Gilot came up on top with a 48.34, followed by William Meynard in 48.57, Yannick Agnel in 48.59, Alain Bernard in 48.71, Jérémy Stravius in 48.82, Amaury Leveaux in 49.49, Frédérick Bousquet in 49.59 and Romain Magula in 49.72. See results and read SwimNews.com.
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The Race Club on sustaining speed with a strong kick
Gary Hall Senior explains the law of inertia here, which is the tendency of an object in motion to remain in motion, or an object at rest to remain at rest, which is one of the reasons that we need a strong kick. Great drills too. Via www.theraceclub.net.