Swimmer's Daily

  • Swimmer Pang Sheng Jun describes the desperation he felt after his worst defeat and how it changed his life.

  • If you can’t make it to the pool then you are in for a treat. This is complete dryland routine from warm up to warm down. The 25 minutes are broken into 3 target workouts as follows:

    0:17 – Focus on legs
    10:17 – Focus on core
    16:17 – Focus on arms and shoulders

    By the end of it, you’re going to be well on your way to improving your athleticism in the pool, burning calories, and carving a well-proportioned body.

    If you like the layout of this workout, you have my invitation to check out more content on The Apollo Athletic.

  • This week’s guest fills my Instagram feed with so much daily inspiration her passion for wild swimming, writing, and photography shines through her work as a self-employed editor. Sara Barnes is based in the beautiful and rural Lake District where she finds an endless source of inspiration. I find out why wild swimming in remote places has really stolen her heart. Sara is such an interesting and engaging woman and we had so much to talk about.

  • Swimmer Amanda Lim describes how she overcame her worst defeat in the 100m freestyle at the National Age Group Championships.

  • Authorities are searching for a missing swimmer who was last seen Sunday afternoon at Huguenot Park.

  • Since graduating from Harvard, Schuyler Bailar has become a transgender rights activist; he tells Lesley Stahl “transitioning saved my life.”

  • Amazon Prime Video and Swimming Australia today announced an exclusive, two-year live broadcast streaming deal, to distribute the Australian Swimming championship events globally on Prime Video at no additional cost to Prime members. Live streaming highlights will include the 2021 Australian Swimming Trials in the lead up to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, and the qualifying events for the 2022 FINA World Swimming Championships and the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

    Australia is renowned for producing world-class competitive swimmers, and swimming is one of the country’s most popular sports with more than five million people participating each year. This partnership will ensure that Australians and a global audience won’t miss any of the action as Australia’s elite swimmers compete in qualifying for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo later this year, and other global sporting events in 2022.

  • GB tops the medal chart, Italy claims the Team Trophy

    Team GB was really a team here in Budapest, by adding two more relay titles – clinched 7 in 9 events – they finished atop in the medal charts with 11 golds. Italy earned the most medals, 27, and also claimed the Team Trophy – in the closing day their female stars brought three more golds, including Simona Quadarella’s win in the 400m free as she completed the long-distance treble once more after Glasgow 2018. Russia’s Ilya Borodin was crowned in the 400m IM becoming the first champion outside of Hungary since 2002. Finland did great and took a gold and a silver in the dash events, Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo achieved the 50m free50m fly combo while Hungary’s Kristof Milak did his first senior 100-200m fly double at the Europeans.

    • Celebrating Gold Medal LIUKKONEN Ari-Pekka FIN 50m Freestyle Men Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal GREAT BRITAIN GREENBANK Luke PEATY Adam GUY James SCOTT Duncan 4x100m Medley Men Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal KROMOWIDJOJO Ranomi NED Silver Medal HENIQUE Melanie FRA Bronze Medal BECKMANN Emilie DEN 50m Butterfly Women Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal LIUKKONEN Ari-Pekka FIN Silver Medal PROUD Benjamin GBR Bronze Medal GKOLOMEEV Kristian GRE 50m Freestyle Men Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal PILATO Benedetta ITA Silver Medal HULKKO Ida FIN Bronze Medal EFIMOVA Yuliya RUS 50m Breaststroke Women Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal MILAK Kristof HUN Silver Medal MILADINOV Josif BUL Bronze Medal GUY James GBR 100m Butterfly Men Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal PANZIERA Margherita ITA Silver Medal WILD Cassie GBR Bronze Medal BURIAN Katalin HUN 200m Backstroke Women Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal BORODIN Ilya RUS Silver Medal RAZZETTI Alberto ITA Bronze Medal LITCHFIELD Max GBR 400m Individual Medley Men Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal GREAT BRITAIN GREENBANK Luke PEATY Adam GUY James SCOTT Duncan Silver Medal RUSSIA KOLESNIKOV Kliment PRIGODA Kirill VEKOVISHCHEV Mikhail MINAKOV Andrei Bronze Medal ITALY CECCON Thomas MARTINENGHI Nicolo’ BURDISSO Federico MIRESSI Alessandro 4x100m Medley Men Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal GREAT BRITAIN  DAWSON Kathleen RENSHAW Molly STEPHENS Laura Kathleen HOPKIN Anna Silver Medal RUSSIA KAMENEVA Maria EFIMOVA Yuliya CHIMROVA Svetlana SURKOVA Arina Bronze Medal ITALY PANZIERA Margherita CASTIGLIONI Arianna DI LIDDO Elena PELLEGRINI Federica 4x100m Medley Women Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • LIUKKONEN Ari-Pekka FIN 50 Freestyle Men Finals Gold Medal Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • GBR GREAT BRITAIN DAWSON Kathleen RENSHAW Molly STEPHENS Laura HOPKIN Anna 4 x 100 m Medley Women Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • PILATO Benedetta ITA Italy WOMEN – 50M BREASTSTROKE – FINAL Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • MILAK Kristof HUN Hungary Celebrate GUY James GBR Great Britain Celebrate EVENT 137 – MEN – 100M BUTTERFLY – FINAL Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Gold Medal QUADARELLA Simona ITA Silver Medal EGOROVA Anna RUS Bronze Medal KAPAS Boglarka HUN 400m Freestyle Women Final Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
    • Best Team Team Italy ITA RAZZETTI Alberto, PILATO Benedetta, BARELLI Paolo, BUTINI Cesare Swimming Budapest – Hungary 23/5/2021 Duna Arena XXXV LEN European Aquatic Championships Photo Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

    The three dash finals went to three different nations. The women’s events brought the expected results as Ranomi Kromowidjojo won the fly race (after the 50m free) – though it was only the third occasion in 12 editions (since 1999, when this event made its debut) when not a Swedish hit the wall first.

    In the breaststroke Benedetta Pilato validated her golden ticket: after cracking the WR in the semis, the young Italian pulled off a fine win the final, she was 0.05sec off her Saturday pace but she still swam inside Lilly King’s 2017 mark. Here the hunt for the minor spoils was pretty tight, three hit the wall in 0.04sec, Finland’s Ida Hulkko had the luckiest touch, ahead of titleholder Yuliya Efimova.

    By then the Finns were flying high as Ari-Pekka Liukkonen stunned the field in the 50m free to touch in first, 0.08sec ahead of title-holder Ben Proud of Great Britain. Liukkonen had a bronze from 2014, now he earned his biggest success and a first title for Finland since Jere Hard stood on the top of the podium in Berlin 2002 (in the 50m fly).

    Next came Hungary’s wonder kid Kristof Milak who has been ruling the 200m fly since 2018 but now he gained some speed for the 100m too and made his first double at a major senior championship and also set a new CR. In fact, Milak made his international breakthrough in this pool at the 2017 Worlds by earning a silver in the 100m – now he won gold and has serious plans for Tokyo in this event too.

    Italy’s Margherita Panziera may have been lucky to clinch a silver in the reswum of the 100m back final (finished 4th in the first) – but in the 200m she left no doubt and retained her title with a convincing performance.

    The men’s 400m IM saw the longest ‘national’ winning streak in the new millennium thanks two Hungarian greats Laszlo Cseh (2004-2012) and David Verraszto (2014-18) who had claimed gold in the past 8 editions – earlier only the East German women had such stronghold in a couple of events (10 straight titles in the 100m free, 8 on other four). Now this came to an end: though Verraszto qualified first from the morning heats, he was unable to increase his speed in the evening. He had been already the oldest ever to win this event in Glasgow, now at the age of 33 he couldn’t keep on with upcoming Russian, 18 years old Ilya Borodin and Italy’s new face Alberto Razzetti. What’s more, Britain’s Max Litchfield also passed him, leaving the Hungarians without a medal in this event for the first time since 1999.

    In the last individual final Simona Quadarella completed the 400-800-1500 treble – something which always happened at the last three editions. In London 2016 Boglarka Kapas won all three (now she finished third), three years ago Quadarella did it and now she could repeat the feat once more. In Glasgow this was her hardest race, her winning margin was 0.22sec, now it was more comfortable as she gained 1.39sec on Russia’s Anna Egorova.

    The traditional ending of the swimming competition, the two medley relays brought identical results: Great Britain won both, the Russians came runnersup and Italy bagged the bronze medals. The Brits set CRs in both events, the men won by 0.91sec, the women by 2.24sec, leaving little excitements. And leaving no rooms for the others – no nations had been so dominant in the relays as the Brits were here in Budapest. They claimed 7 titles in 9 events, only the Russian men could grab golds, in the men’s free relays (where GB was runner-up).

    So the relays contributed a great deal to the Brits’ triumphant march as they top the medal charts with 11 titles, ahead of the Russians who got 9. Italy and Hungary won 5 apiece but the Italians had a lot more from silver and bronze, claimed a total of 27 medals (though only their female swimmers could come first) and finished atop in the Team Trophy once more after 2016 (Russia clinched it in 2018).

    Britain’s Adam Peaty made the 4×4 by being part of Britain’s medley relay – won 4 golds for the fourth time in as many editions, and in as many events he entered. No one has ever had such a winning edge at the Europeans: 16 entries, 16 titles. And counting.

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

  • LEN President Paolo Barelli met State President of Hungary Janos Ader in the Duna Arena, during the evening session on the penultimate day at the European Aquatics Championships in Budapest. President Barelli thanked the support of Hungary to stage LEN’s top event which proved to be an outstanding success.

    “It’s always great to stage our top events in a country where leaders are huge supporters of sports” President Barelli said. “President Janos Ader, just like Prime Minister Viktor Orban is a great friend of aquatics, it was a pleasure to meet him once again and on behalf of the LEN Family I thanked him Hungary’s never-ceasing support of European Aquatics.”

    Hungary is a record-holder in organising LEN’s top events, the European Aquatics Championships have returned here for the 6th time (1926, 1958, 2006, 2010, 2012, 2021) and the stand-alone European Water Polo Championships were also held here three times (2001, 2014, 2020) already, besides several other LEN meets.

    “I told Mr Ader that LEN was really grateful for the enormous support these championships received from Hungary as the organisers created the largest bubble the sporting world has seen during this pandemic period with almost 4,000 participants inside” the LEN President added. “It was a huge opportunity for the best European aquatic athletes to compete again on the highest level, in a world-class racing environment and also in the utmost safety. With one more day to go, I think we can state that our event is an outstanding success and a firm proof that sport shall always prevail, even in the most extraordinary times.”

    The European Championships have been broadcasted by 38 right-holders and the free live streaming offered by LEN and EBU has been followed by hundreds of thousands of swimming fans worldwide.

    “This event demonstrated once more the power and quality of European Aquatics” Mr Barelli said. “Even in this demanding period, our athletes, coaches, officials and national federations showed that talent, work-ethic, dedication and commitment always bring the desired results. We’ve witnessed fantastic races, great individual and team efforts – it was European Aquatics at its best. LEN is tremendously grateful for everyone who’s made it possible to enjoy another memorable edition of the European Aquatics Championships.”

    The championships are to conclude Sunday evening with a flag-handover ceremony – the LEN flag will be passed to the representative of the next organiser, Rome 2022.

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of MTI/Tamas Kovacs