Australian Olympic Trials

March 15 - 22

Start List
Results

Qualifying Criteria

One TV Coverage

Heats start at 10am , Finals start at 7pm (Thu, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu) and 6:30pm (Fri, Sat, Sun)
(10am in Adelaide = 11:30pm GMT / 7:30pm EDT , 6:30pm in Adelaide = 8am GMT / 4am EDT)

French Olympic Trials

March 18 - 25

Start List
Results
Live Timing

Heats start at 9:30am (8:30am GMT). Finals start at 6:00pm (5:00pm GMT).

James Magnussen Shakes The 100m Free World Record (With Video and Post Race Comments)

"There's a missile heading to London and it's set to explode in the Olympic pool!"






UPDATE: Here's the extended post race interview from Magnussen.









Here it is. The swim of 2012 so far. A swim that Australian's will watch with joy, and Magnussen's competitor's will look at with dread.

The Missile split 22.68 to his feet and came back in 24.42. His homecoming split virtually matched that of his previous textile best time from Shanghai (24.39). The area where Magnussen has improved is the speed at which he hits the first wall (22.68 compared to 23.10 in Shanghai).

The power that Magnussen generates in his stroke is off the charts. His stroke rate is noticeably slower than his competitors on the first 50m (except James Roberts in lane 3) but he gets to the wall well ahead of them.

Where we stand now is that Magnussen is going out in the same blazing speed that Cesar Cielo did in Shanghai, but is also bringing it home in the same other wordly time that he did at Worlds. There wasn't much doubt before, but the Australian confirmed today that his talent in the 100m Free is unique.

Make no mistake, taking into account the benefit that the techsuits gave this is the greatest 100m Freestyle we've ever seen.

Huge thanks to 101stutube for the video.

Ian Thorpe's 2012 Olympic Dream Is Over

This morning's heats in Adelaide marked the end of the 2012 Olympic dream for Ian Thorpe. He finished 21st in the 100m Free heats with a time of 50.35. Splitting 24.24 and 26.11, his inability to bring his races home strongly enough struck once again.

Thorpe's comeback will now be heavily scrutinised, but the Australian legend should be commended for his bravery in making this competitive comeback. It has also sparked a reinvigorated interest in swimming, both in Australia and the rest of the world, that no other swimmer alive could manage. It's a huge shame that he won't be swimming in London (although I'm sure the BBC will offer him enough incentives to come over as a TV pundit for the competition).

The big question now is 'what's next?'

Thorpe seems to be enjoying his life in Switzerland and mentioned prior to the championships that this comeback was not just for the short term, but that idea may be challenged after not making the Olympic team. It was seeing the Olympic site in London that originally inspired this comeback.

Hopefully this won't be the last time we see Ian Thorpe swim. Watching the first 100m of his 200m Free semi final brought home just how great a middle distance freestyler he was... and hopefully will be again.

I for one want to see these incredible times Milorad Cavic talks about:

@hsuswim @speed_endurance I figured it was just a front,but I heard about some incredible times he was doing in workouts from an insider
— Milorad Cavic (@Milorad_Cavic) March 16, 2012

British Olympic Trials Draft Programme Released

This is the moment that the adrenaline will really start to kick in for the British swimmers. Nothing brings home the fact that a big competition is approaching like scanning through the draft programme.


2012 Olympic Trials Draft Programme

Evaluating Ian Thorpe's Return

Ian Thorpe's first attempt back in the world of competitive swimming is in the books. As the dust settles, let's evaluate how it went.

Positives

- Thorpe was considerably faster in the Tokyo World Cup leg than he was in Singapore and Beijing.
- In Tokyo he was able to hold on much better in the second half of races showing that his 'race fitness' was improving. In theory, the more competitions he does, the better this will become.
- Thorpe, his coach Gennadi Touretski and Australian head coach Leigh Nugent were making all the right noises at each world cup stop, stating that the comeback was still on course.
- His freestyle stroke still looks more suited to the 200m Free, which we are yet to see. At this stage his best bet at Olympic qualification looks to be the 4 x 200m Free relay.
- We've just seen Thorpe at his rustiest and he was still only half a second down on established guys like Alain Bernard in heats. For all we know, Thorpe could have dropped another second in the 100m Free final had he qualified.
- Thorpe still has 4 long months of training ahead of him before Australian Trials.

Negatives

- Thorpe only has 4 short months of training ahead of him before Australian Trials.
- Thorpe still has A LONG way to go. He failed to final in his two best swims, Tokyo's 100m Free and 100m Fly. In the 100m Free he was a full 2 seconds behind the eventual winner Kyle Richardson's time.
- Richardson sums up his problem. There might not be a more difficult relay team to make than the reigning world champion Aussie 4 x 100m Free team.
- He's going to need to work even harder on his starts and turns. 4 months might will not be long enough to catch up on these technical aspects. All he can do now is mitigate his losses in these areas. Nugent believes that he is trying to stay under water too long on his turns.
- One comment that Thorpe made stuck out like a sore thumb - "This week has been challenging, I wish I could have done it with no-one watching - but that's unfortunately not the case." This is the same guy that retired from the sport because of the intense media scrutiny he was under. Hopefully the same demons that haunted him in previous years aren't resurfacing before the comeback has really taken shape.

Thorpedo's Times (best times and splits in bold)

Singapore

100m IM (Heat) - 56.74 (26.14 / 30.60)
100m IM (Final) - 56.33 (25.14 / 31.19)
100m Fly (Heat) - 54.09 (25.27 / 28.82)

Beijing

100m Free (Heat) - 50.21 (24.00 / 26.21)
100m IM (Heat) - 56.70 (26.22 / 30.48)
100m Fly (Heat) -54.35 (25.29 / 29.06)

Tokyo

100m Free (Heat) - 49.45 (24.08 / 25.37)
100m Fly (Heats) - 53.59 (25.11 / 28.48)

Ian Thorpe Down To Race 100m Freestyle In Beijing

After a less than stellar comeback meet in Singapore (and some outrageously ambitious predictions), Ian Thorpe is down to race a more familiar race in Beijing, the 100m Freestyle (entry time 49.41).

His participation is not 100% confirmed as he may still scratch the race, but his entry means he is a step closer than he was in Singapore to racing freestyle again.

Side note : It will be good to see the Water Cube in action again.

UPDATE -  Thorpe finished 15th after the heats of the 100m Freestyle in a time of 50.21. Splits of 24.00 / 26.21.

Cesar Cielo 47.84 100m Freestyle, 47.07 Relay Split (With Video)

Apparently 2011 still has more fast long course swimming to offer. At the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Cesar Cielo posted a smoking 47.84 in the 100m Freestyle. If the time looks familiar it is because Cielo equalled Pieter Van den Hoogenband's previous long standing world record (and former textile best time).

Cielo remains 0.35 seconds shy of James Magnussen's 47.49 relay lead-off leg from Shanghai, but his swim serves as a reminder that he will be a major force in London after a disappointing 4th place at the World Championships.

It seems like Magnussen's way of the racing the event (conserving energy on the first 50 and blowing past the competition on the 2nd 50m) has changed the way Cielo is swimming the race. In Shanghai Cielo went out in 22.63 and came back in 25.38. In Guadalajara he turned in 22.84 and came back in 25.00. It's a smart move from the Brazilian. Magnussen currently enjoys a mental edge over the competition, knowing that he can catch and pass the field. When you can see that you are catching and passing other swimmers it gives you a huge lift, a "second wind" if you like. Think of how many races you see seemingly unsurmountable leads overcome with a stunning last 50m split. If Cielo is able to limit the rate at which the Australian catches him, we're yet to see how it will affect Magnussen's sprint to the wall.

Cielo's relay split of 47.07 further highlights this new race pace. He turned in 22.54 (with the aid of a relay start this probably converts to a 23.0/23.1 from a flat start), before turning on the jets on the second 50m with a split of 24.53. If you watch the video below (starting at 7:25) you can clearly see Cielo increase his stroke rate and leg kick at 45m going into the wall, before going all-out on the second 50m. Reports coming out of Brazil are that Cielo is doing a lot more metres in his training than he did at Auburn. This seems to be paying off with his new found endurance on the second 50m of races.

Sun Yang Posts A Jaw Dropping 3:40.29 at Chinese Nationals

"I believe I can break the 400m world record sooner or later. I believe I can win over Park Tae Hwan in 400m next time when we meet. I believe I can be better and faster in London."

At Chinese Nationals, Sun Yang has become the third fastest man ever in the 400m Freestyle. His time of 3:40.29 missed Paul Biedermann's world record by just 0.22 seconds (and Ian Thorpe's textile best time by 0.21 seconds).

That is an astonishing time. To get so close to the world record at this stage of the season is remarkable. It also reaffirms the fact that there really is no way of knowing just how fast Sun Yang can be in the future. The scariest thing for his competitors is that he doesn't seem to be close to reaching his full potential yet.

There is now just one question mark hanging over Sun Yang's head, and that is whether he can handle the pressures of a major championship final when he has a race on his hands. He didn't fare so well at Worlds when he came up against Park Tae Hwan in the 400 Free final. We won't know the answer to that question until London 2012 rolls around.

Here is what Sun Yang had to say after the race:

"I planned to break the Asian record and I tried my best during the race. But my target for this meet is not to rewrite the record, but to get ready for next year's Olympic Games. This meet is not important at all. My biggest disappointment in Shanghai words was that I lost to Park Tae Hwan of South Korea in the 400m because I lacked experience. I want to prove to myself that I can swim faster than that. I was too eager to show myself that I forgot to keep my own pace, especially as it was the first day of the swimming competition in Shanghai. I've learned a lesson from the defeat in worlds.

The Asian record is a new beginning for me. I believe I can improve myself through the following training. I plan to to train at altitude after this meet, then go to Australia on December for at least eight weeks.

My form remains at a relatively high level. I guess it's because I've been trained for many years under my coach Zhu Zhigen. I have not swum up-and-down in recent years. I want to be as stable as possible.

I believe I can break the 400m world record sooner or later. I believe I can win over Park Tae Hwan in 400m next time when we meet. I believe I can be better and faster in London."

Video clip of the race and the post-race interview

Upcoming Dates in the 2011 Swimming Calendar

It's been a relatively quiet time since the World Championships finished back in late July, but the year still has a lot of offer. Here is a rundown of what swimming fans have to look forward to for the rest of the year.

October

Oct 7 - Nov 13 - World Cup Series (Dubai, Stockholm, Moscow, Berlin, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo) (SCM)
Oct 15 - Oct 22 - Pan American Games (LCM)
Oct 18 - Oct 19 - Michael Phelps swimming at the Moscow World Cup meet (SCM)
Oct 31 - Nov 1 - Trofeo Internazionale di Nuoto "Nico Sapio", Genoa, Italy. Feat: Laure Manaudou & Natalie Coughlin (SCM)

November

Nov 4 - Nov 5 - Ian Thorpe's return to competitive swimming at the Singapore World Cup meet (SCM)
Nov 11- Nov 13 - Minneapolis Grand Prix (LCM)

December

Dec 1 - Dec 3 - US Winter Nationals (LCM)
Dec 8 - Dec 12 - European Short Course Championships (SCM)
Dec 8 - Dec 10 - US Short Course Junior Nationals (SCY)
Dec 16 - Dec 17 - Duel in the Pool (SCM)

Wait... Stanford has TWO 50m pools next to each other?!

This must be photoshopped, right? I mean there is no way that the United Kingdom (pop: 62,000,000) has a grand total of thirty five 50m pools (6 Olympic size), yet Stanford University (15,000 students, 64,000 Palo Alto residents) has two right next to each other....

... don't even get me started on the Music Rehearsal Facility next door.

Swimming at the 2012 Olympic Games - Day 5 Roundtable (Women's)

With the recent announcement of an unchanged Olympic Schedule for London 2012, what better time to go through some of the talking points. I sat down with two esteemed swim bloggers, Braden Keith of The Swimmers Circle(BK) and David Rieder of TheSwimGeek.com (DR) to hack, dig, crawl, and otherwise muddle our way through the Olympic Schedule.
 

Women's 100m Free
Which two Dutch women will earn the individual spots here? Might Coughlin's medal chances be better here than in her signature backstroke?

Braden Keith - I think whoever emerges as the Dutch National Champion will eventually win the Olympic gold, and at this point all signs point towards a battle of the 1990 babies in London: Hometown girl Fran Halsall and Ranomi Kromowidjojo. Kromowidjojo should be out a little bit faster, and I think she's going to carry that lead through the turn and into the final wall. She went a 53.44 last year for the top time in the world, and that was in a March meet after she missed most of the big long course meets following a summer battle with Meningitis. She'll definitely clear the textile WR of 53.30, and could have as low as a 52 in her. Halsall's second, with the UK having to rely on their backstrokers and IM'er to earn gold for the home crowd.

I think Coughlin's chances of winning a medal, if not making the team, are way better here than in the 100 back. The domestic and international backstroke competition has gotten absolutely brutal for her, whereas the freestyle is much more wide open. It should be a diverse final, with a good possibility that 7 or 8 different countries will be represented.

Belarus' Aleksandra Herasimenia is intriguing to me. She had limitless potential prior to a doping suspension back in the mid-2000's, but she's not back at the top of the world rankings. She was the runner-up at Euro's last year, only losing to Halsall. At the Olympics, she'll be able to really focus on two individual races (the 50 and 100 freestyle) without having to worry much about relays or the backstroke (at World Champs, she's a favorite in the 50 back). I think that she sneaks in for the bronze.

Prediction - 1) Kromowidjojo 2) Halsall 3) Herasimenia

Darkhorse: Yi Tang - Last year, the Chinese women had a top-8 swimmer in every Olympic event, except for the two sprint freestyles. I can't believe that's going to last very long, and at only 18, Yi Tang is already the best the country has. In 2010 alone, she won 7 medals at the Asian Games (5 gold), and went 6-for-6 at the Youth Olympic Games. She made her first Olympic appearance in front of her home crowd at 15, and her second could result in some huge fireworks.