Swimmer's Daily

  • In this episode of the Propulsion Swimming podcast we talk through the Sun Yang Doping Scandal that has currently hit swimming. Find out why he has made the news recently along with us debating whether FINA is doing enough to stop Doping in Swimming!!

  • This week’s Throwback Thursday video features the first triumph after 36 years of the Australian Swimming team in the men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay in front of their home crowd at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney (AUS). Leading by 0.15 seconds at the final relay exchange, Ian Thorpe was passed by U.S. swimmer Gary Hall, Jr. at the 350 meters mark, but eventually recovered and touched the wall first with an anchor of 48.30 to deliver the Aussie foursome of Michael Klim (48.18), Chris Fydler (48.48), and Ashley Callus (48.74) a gold-medal time in 3:13.67 – Enjoy watching!

  • Who remembers the King of Somersaults Steve Lobue at the Men’s High Diving Final of the 2017 FINA World Championships in Budapest? The American star executed 5 somersaults and claimed the Gold Medal with an accumulated total of 397.15 points. Today, he remains the only athlete capable of executing jaw-dropping quintuple somersaults.

  • Portland branch aquatics coordinator Nicole teaches us an important skill for all young swimmers: always ask before going into water!

  • After over 7 weeks of lockdown restrictions, and adventures limited to our doorsteps, we have found ourselves yearning for wild spaces & human connection. If you’re also in need of a little wilderness & inspiration, we hope you’ll enjoy our new film.

    Hydrotherapy is a short film by Friction Collective. It’s a story of adaptation, strength & re-wilding set in the raw and beautiful landscapes of Snowdonia National park. Laura has not only overcome a life changing illness through wild swimming, but has also found a greater connection to the natural world. This has ignited her mission to make a stand for the natural environment, and protect wild waters and wild spaces across the UK.

    While restrictions on open water swimming have been lifted in some parts of the UK, this activity still comes with significant risks. With very few lifeguards on duty at the moment and cold water temperatures, now is not the time to risk your safety, or risk putting any additional strains on emergency services. We really hope that you feel inspired to start planning some wild swimming adventures, but for now, we urge you to hold off from participating in any form of open water swimming. Further information is available from the RNLI & Outdoor Swimmer.

  • Local officials have reopened a number of beaches on the west of France, banning any “static presence — seated or lying down”, including picnicking.

    Walkers, swimmers, individual watersports practitioners and anglers are welcome, provided they respect the social-distancing rule of one metre (3.3 feet) between individuals, said a tweet from the Loire-Atlantique department.

    Other beaches remain off-limits, however, including Deauville in Normandy, a favourite with Parisians, for whom it is a 2.5-hour train ride away.

    “If we say we will open the beaches, everyone will descend on them and it will be a terrible crowd,” Deauville mayor Philippe Augier told the France 3 broadcaster.

    Read Yahoo! News

  • As summer approaches, community pools remain closed under public health orders to combat the spread of coronavirus.

    Matt Lane is the CEO of Streamline Brands, an Englewood-based swim school company with nine locations in the Denver metro area and 250 locations nationwide.

    He understands why community pools are closed, but argues his business, offering swim lessons, is an essential public service.

    “What this is all about is saving lives,” said Lane. “It really is one of the first skills that they have to learn on their own away from parents.”

    On average, two children under the age of 14 drown each day in the United States according to the latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    “In the interest of public safety, and saving kids’ lives from the epidemic of drowning, the best thing for us to do is open our doors,” said Lane.

    See CBS Denver

  • While the movement of the Games presents myriad challenges for athletes, including training for another year, it’s the lack of events now that is causing immediate financial strain.

    In women’s rugby, tournaments scheduled in Hong Kong, Canada and Paris presented opportunities for bonuses for finishing in the top four.

    “Depending on how well you do, each tournament you can win a couple thousand dollars,” U.S. co-captain Abby Gustaitis, 29, said. “It’s a significant amount of money for us. You can earn your whole monthly stipend in one tournament.”

    Swimming offers similar opportunities with its TYR Pro Swim Series, which held two events this year before USA Swimming canceled stops in Mission Viejo, Calif., and Indianapolis because of the coronavirus.

    Winners receive $1,500, second-place finishers $1,000 and third-place finishers $500, said Madisyn Cox, the 2017 world bronze medalist in the 200 individual medley.

    “You can go out of there with nothing, or I think I’ve made up to $4,500,” said Cox, 24, who is planning to defer medical school because of the postponement.

    Read USA Today

  • At least five experienced surfers have drowned after going out in stormy weather off the coast of The Hague, Dutch authorities have said.

    The group of men, aged between 22 and 38, were among 10 surfers and swimmers who took to the water in Scheveningen on Monday evening in heavy weather that generated a thick layer of seafoam and hampered rescue efforts.

    Three of the bodies were not found until Tuesday morning and police remain unclear if more would be discovered after the coast guard picked up more surfboards than victims. The fifth body was spotted but had not been recovered by Tuesday afternoon.

    Rescuers could be seen searching through the foam, which was waist-deep on the beach.

    Read The Guardian