‘I feel free in the water,’ says 10-year-old Breanna Sprenger, who, despite having only one arm and no legs, is a competitive swimmer. Via Mother Nature Network
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CC photo #43: The Budapest 2010 lane rope pool
A strange sight in the outskirts of the Budapest 2010 European Aquatics Championships competition area. Wondered for a moment what kind of competition they were up to here :-)
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D’Arcy assured London place if he makes the team
The controversial swimmer Nick D’Arcy says he has been told his bankruptcy last year will not hinder his selection in the team for the London Olympics.
“At this stage it looks like there won’t be any sort of inhibitions, going into trials,” D’Arcy said. “If I do the time and make the team, then I’ll be on the Olympic team. But I’ve got to make the team first; one step at a time.”
“It is some relief, just having that off my shoulders and knowing if I make the team I will be selected based on my performance … but anything can happen at Olympic trials and complacency can be the death of you.”
Read more here on The Sydney Morning Herald
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Canadian swimmers win 8 of first 10 races at U.S. 2012 Missouri Grand Prix
Oh Canada, gold, silver, bronze, 6th and 7th in the women’s 200 free, gold, bronze, 4th and 6th in the men’s 200 free, gold, silver, bronze, 4th and 6th in the women’s 100 breaststroke, (no A final spot in the men’s 100 breaststroke), gold and 4th in the women’s 100 butterfly, 7th in the men’s 100 butterfly, gold and bronze in the women’s 400 IM, gold, silver and 7th in the men’s 400 IM, gold and silver in the women’s 400 free relay, silver and 6th in the men’s 400 free relay. See result lists here, Swimming Canada and watch video
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Tom Daley lip sync video goes viral, proves the world is cruel
There are so many good swimming and diving videos online, some even featuring Tom Daley, but this thing, this thing scores 220,000+ hits in only a couple of days ! :-D
Tom Daley & Team GB — Sexy And I Know It (LMFAO Lip Sync)
(Thanks for the heads-up, Ivan)
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Speedo Fastskin FS II did not reduce drag, say scientists (now)
Researching how toothlike scales on sharks reduce drag by generating vortexes on the front edge of the skin, eddies that essentially would suck the shark forward, Harvard University bioroboticist George Lauder and graduate student Johannes Oeffner at Lauder Lab also looked at shark-skin mimics like the Speedo Fastskin II fabric and silicon rubber “riblets” used on America’s Cup sailing boats in 1987.Although the riblets improved the flexible foil’s swimming speed by 7.2 percent, the Speedo fabric apparently had no effect at all, perhaps because its bumps were small, rounded and very widely spaced compared with both shark denticles and the sharp-edged riblets. (Lauder did note that figure-hugging Fastskin swimming costumes probably enhance the swimmer’s performance in other ways.)
Read more here on the Huffington Post
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UMD Swimming gets more lenient fundraising deadline, might just make it
Maryland athletic department officials have reached a compromise with the swimming and diving teams, giving them more time to raise the $11.57 million or 8 years of operating cost that the university requires in order to spare their program. Now the demand is a series of benchmarks toward the goal, starting with having to raise $1.4 million by April 1 and $2.8 million by June 30, rather than the original total of $11.57 by June 30, with the total amount now having to by raised by December 30, 2013. The fundraising campaign has reached about $1 million by now. Read The Washington Post via SwimmingWorld Magazine.
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Swimming South Africa in money trouble
Who isn’t, you might say, but according to the Sowetan, South African swimming is so cash-strapped that some staff members have already started looking for jobs after being told about the federation’s dire need for funding. Service providers have not been paid for three months, but the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Com.ittee has pledged to help out, to ensure that the swimming federation can prepare thoroughly for the 2012 London Olympics.
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Trickett posts fastest post-retirement 100 free, feels less like a fraud
Libby Trickett managed a time of 54.87 seconds in the heats of the 100 meter freestyle at the New South Wales Championships today, almost a second better than her previous post-retirement best. Via Reuters.
“It was quite bizarre really, I really didn’t expect that time,” the 27-year-old told reporters. “Almost 12 months ago I was going 1.02 in the summer series. Compared to that it’s awesome.
“The fact that I’ve put together a sub-55 swim, that’s competitive,” she added, barely pausing for breath. “And for me, I just feel like less of a fraud.
Image courtesy of Michiel Jelijs, CC BY 2.0