tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12503672116053730572024-03-24T07:10:15.268+00:00Speed Endurance Swimming BlogSpeed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.comBlogger469125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-55343657019901463992016-04-11T13:55:00.000+01:002016-04-21T08:47:20.794+01:00Textile Best Times<link href="//spreadsheets.google.com/client/css/4287231938-trix_main.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"></link><br />
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</td><td class="s4">50m Free</td><td class="s5">21.19</td><td class="s5">Florent Manaudou</td><td class="s5">FRA</td><td class="s5">8/2015</td><td class="s6">World Champs</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><div style="height: 16px;">
.</div>
</td><td class="s4">100m Free</td><td class="s5">47.04</td><td class="s5">Cameron McEvoy</td><td class="s5">AUS</td><td class="s5">4/2016</td><td class="s6">Aus Trials</td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4">200m Free</td><td class="s5">1:43.14</td><td class="s5">Yannick Agnel</td><td class="s5">FRA</td><td class="s5">7/2012</td><td class="s6">Olympics</td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4">400m Free</td><td class="s5">3:40.08</td><td class="s5">Ian Thorpe</td><td class="s5">AUS</td><td class="s5">7/2002</td><td class="s6">Commonwealths</td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4">800m Free</td><td class="s5">7:38.57</td><td class="s5">Sun Yang</td><td class="s5">CHN</td><td class="s5">7/2011</td><td class="s6">World Champs</td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>1500m Free</b></td><td class="s5"><b>14:31.02</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Sun Yang</b></td><td class="s5"><b>CHN</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8/2012</b></td><td class="s6"><b>Olympics</b></td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">50m Back</td><td class="s5">24.07</td><td class="s5">Camille Lacourt</td><td class="s5">FRA</td><td class="s5">8/2010</td><td class="s6">Euro Champs</td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">100m Back</td><td class="s5">52.08</td><td class="s5">Matt Grevers</td><td class="s5">USA</td><td class="s5">6/2012</td><td class="s6">US Trials</td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4">200m Back</td><td class="s5">1:52.96</td><td class="s5">Ryan Lochte</td><td class="s5">USA</td><td class="s5">7/2011</td><td class="s6">World Champs</td></tr>
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<b>.</b></div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>50m Brst</b></td><td class="s5"><b>26.42</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Adam Peaty</b></td><td class="s5"><b>GBR</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8/2015</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4"><b>100m Brst</b></td><td class="s5"><b>57.92</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Adam Peaty</b></td><td class="s5"><b>GBR</b></td><td class="s5"><b>4/2015</b></td><td class="s6"><b>British Champs</b></td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>200m Brst</b></td><td class="s5"><b>2:07.01</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Akihiro Yamaguchi </b></td><td class="s5"><b>JAP</b></td><td class="s5"><b>9/2012</b></td><td class="s6"><b>Japan Nationals</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><div style="height: 16px;">
.</div>
</td><td class="s4">50m Fly</td><td class="s5">22.76</td><td class="s5">Cesar Cielo</td><td class="s5">BRA</td><td class="s5">4/2012</td><td class="s6">Maria Lenk</td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">100m Fly</td><td class="s5">50.40</td><td class="s5">Ian Crocker</td><td class="s5">USA</td><td class="s5">7/2005</td><td class="s6">World Champs</td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">200m Fly</td><td class="s5">1:52.09</td><td class="s5">Michael Phelps</td><td class="s5">USA</td><td class="s5">3/2007</td><td class="s6">World Champs</td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4"><b>200m IM</b></td><td class="s5"><b>1:54.00</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Ryan Lochte</b></td><td class="s5"><b>USA</b></td><td class="s5"><b>7/2011</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">400m IM</td><td class="s5">4:05.18</td><td class="s5">Ryan Lochte</td><td class="s5">USA</td><td class="s5">7/2012</td><td class="s6">Olympics</td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">Women</td><td class="s5"></td><td class="s5"></td><td class="s5"></td><td class="s5"></td><td class="s6"></td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">50m Free</td><td class="s5">23.84</td><td class="s5">Cate Campbell</td><td class="s5">AUS</td><td class="s5">4/2016</td><td class="s6">Aus Trials</td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4">100m Free</td><td class="s5">52.33</td><td class="s5">Cate Campbell </td><td class="s5">AUS</td><td class="s5">7/2013</td><td class="s6">World Champs</td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4">200m Free</td><td class="s5">1:53.61</td><td class="s5">Allison Schmitt</td><td class="s5">USA</td><td class="s5">7/2012</td><td class="s6">Olympics</td></tr>
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<b>.</b></div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>400m Free</b></td><td class="s5"><b>3:58.37</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Katie Ledecky</b></td><td class="s5"><b>USA</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8/2014</b></td><td class="s6"><b>Pan Pacs</b></td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>800m Free</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8:06.68</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Katie Ledecky</b></td><td class="s5"><b>USA</b></td><td class="s5"><b>1/2016</b></td><td class="s6"><b>USA Pro Series</b></td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>1500m Free</b></td><td class="s5"><b>15:25.48</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Katie Ledecky</b></td><td class="s5"><b>USA</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8/2015</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><div style="height: 16px;">
.</div>
</td><td class="s4">50m Back</td><td class="s5">27.11</td><td class="s5">Fu Yuanhui</td><td class="s5">CHN</td><td class="s5">8/2015</td><td class="s6">World Champs</td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4">100m Back</td><td class="s5">58.23</td><td class="s5">Emily Seebohm</td><td class="s5">AUS</td><td class="s5">8/2012</td><td class="s6">Olympics</td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><div style="height: 16px;">
.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>200m Back</b></td><td class="s5"><b>2:04.06</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Missy Franklin</b></td><td class="s5"><b>USA</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8/2012</b></td><td class="s6"><b>Olympics</b></td></tr>
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<br />
.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>50m Brst</b></td><td class="s5"><b>29.48</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Ruta Meilutyte</b></td><td class="s5"><b>LTU</b></td><td class="s5"><b>7/2013</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>100m Brst</b></td><td class="s5"><b>1:04.35</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Ruta Meilutyte</b></td><td class="s5"><b>LTU</b></td><td class="s5"><b>7/2013</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><div style="height: 16px;">
<b>.</b></div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>200m Brst</b></td><td class="s5"><b>2:19.11</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Rikke M Pedersen</b></td><td class="s5"><b>DEN</b></td><td class="s5"><b>7/2013</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
<tr><td class="hd"><div style="height: 16px;">
.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>50m Fly</b></td><td class="s5"><b>24.43</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Sarah Sjostrom</b></td><td class="s5"><b>SWE</b></td><td class="s5"><b>7/2014</b></td><td class="s6"><b>Swedish Nats</b></td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>100m Fly</b></td><td class="s5"><b>55.74</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Sarah Sjostrom</b></td><td class="s5"><b>SWE</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8/2015</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
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.</div>
</td><td class="s4">200m Fly</td><td class="s5">2:04.06</td><td class="s5">Jiao Liuyang</td><td class="s5">CHN</td><td class="s5">8//2012</td><td class="s6">Olympics</td></tr>
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<b>.</b></div>
</td><td class="s4"><b>200m IM</b></td><td class="s5"><b>2:06.12</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Katinka Hosszu</b></td><td class="s5"><b>HUN</b></td><td class="s5"><b>8/2015</b></td><td class="s6"><b>World Champs</b></td></tr>
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</td><td class="s4"><b>400m IM</b></td><td class="s5"><b>4:28.43</b></td><td class="s5"><b>Ye Shiwen</b></td><td class="s5"><b>CHN</b></td><td class="s5"><b>7/2012</b></td><td class="s6"><b>Olympics</b></td></tr>
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<b>Bold denotes current World Record</b><br />
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Updated 14 April 2016Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-59941423972807545672014-08-25T22:49:00.003+01:002014-08-25T22:49:53.422+01:00Norwegian record holder solves three Rubik's cubes under water - makes waves in the media<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/2U1vafsb-Pg" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>17 year old Marius Solaat Rødland has been making waves in Norwegian pools over the last couple of years.</b><br />
<br />The young prodigy, who first started swimming at 13, has several national junior record in both butterfly and freestyle to his name and was initially selected to swim for Norway during the European Championships in Berlin.<br />
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A back-injury stopped that from happening, but the young prodigy has started preparing for a new season - and has already made bigger headlines than he has ever done from his swimming-records.<br />
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A video of him solving three Rubik's cubes underwater, without a single breath, is doing the rounds in Norwegian media. The film was shot during mondays session at his club Vestkantsvømmerne, the club famous for being the late Alexander Dale Oens first.<br />
<br />
Both <a href="http://www.tv2.no/2014/08/25/sport/rubiks-kube/svomming/5942382" target="_blank">national broadcaster TV 2</a> and <a href="http://www.bt.no/nyheter/lokalt/Her-loser-17-aringen-tre-Rubiks-kuber-under-vann-3183740.html" target="_blank">major regional newspaper Bergens Tidende </a>has news stories about the video.<br />
<br />
Rødland, who has a personal best of 10,99 at one Rubik's cube, was challenged by canadian coach Bruno Langlois, who had seen similar footage on the web.<br />
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<div class="active">
– Sadly I only brought three cubes. If I had another I would have made that one too. I still had plenty of oxygen to keep going, says Rødland to TV 2.<br /><br />Marius Solaat Rødland represented Norway at the European Junior Long Course Championships earlier this summer, but his performance was halted by the back-injury.</div>
Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-14226002502051392742014-07-06T00:36:00.001+01:002014-07-06T10:21:12.551+01:00When swimming takes your breath away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<b> Sarah Sjöström swam 50 meters without a breath and took the breath away from the swimming world.</b><br />
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Sjöströms 24.43 at the 50 meter butterfly Saturday is a moment that redefines what swimming is.<br />
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It was a moment in time where someone moves the borders for what you thought possible far beyond what you could imagine.<br />
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A moment in time that shows why we love sports in general, and swimming in particular. Amazing performances that take your breath away.<br />
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As Sarah Sjöström managed her first 50 meters without breathing she threw a gauntlet at the previous Swedish and World Record at 25,07. Her personal best by more than a second would be a sensation by itself, the other records makes it hard to comprehend.<br />
<br />
<i>"Its an improvement we normally get at the start of a swimming career. You do not improve your personal best by over a second at this level,"</i> said former Swedish national team coach Hans Chrunak - now working as a pundit at Swedish national broadcaster SVT.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Well, obviously - you do! Sjöströms PB before today? 25.52</b><br />
<br />
Coach Carl Jenner was just as shocked and surprised as anyone else.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>"I don't think people really understand how fast this is. It's like we've moved swimming 10-15 years into the future. I don't think anyone would have guessed that a girl could swim this fast now"</i>, Jenner told Swedish news agency TT.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>But we're not in 2030 - we're in 2014. And Sarah Sjöström is a girl - a woman in fact.</b><br />
<br />
With her performance she has forced us into thinking differently and in a new way about what's possible. By boys, and girls. By coaches and athletes.<br />
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Fact is that when I saw the race footage - even in super slow motion - I thought that this did not look that special. Until the time was flashing towards me: 24,43.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Thats because it's not wizardry or magic. Its entirely possible. </b><br />
<br />
Sarah Sjöström is fast becoming one of the swimming greats. More performances like this would surely put her up there. This year it's her and Katie Ledecky.<br />
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Sjöström has not only forced us in to thinking new and differently - she has to think differently herself.<br />
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Originally she was not intending to swim the 50 fly at the upcoming European Championships in Berlin, because it collides with the 100 freestyle. Nothing is set in stone however, and in her own words - after being asked if she could top this in Berlin:<br />
<br />
<i>"If I were to swim 24.7 at Europeans it would still reach quite far."</i><br />
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<b>Indeed.</b><br />
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<i>This comment is a translation of a <a href="http://simma.nu/no/default.aspx?moduleSubPage=News&post=8973" target="_blank">post at Norwegian Simma.nu</a>.</i><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fDK5bDWdSzk" width="560"></iframe>Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-42922125903550044412014-07-05T18:05:00.001+01:002014-07-05T23:55:19.657+01:00Stunning Sarah Sjostrom Breaks the 50 Butterly World Record<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" scrolling="no" src="http://www.svtplay.se/klipp/2169847?type=embed&external=true" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Sarah Sjostrom just set a world record for the ages. <a href="http://www.svtplay.se/klipp/2169847/nytt-varldsrekord-av-sjostrom?tab=klipp">Watch and enjoy</a> a woman taking the 50 fly to a whole new level. This follows her 23.98 in the 50 free yesterday, becoming the first woman under 24 seconds in textile. You're seeing a swimmer in historically good sprinting form.<br />
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To give the swim some context, last year in Rome, Sjostrom finished 4th in the 50 free World Championships final in 24.45. Today she was even quicker, and swimming fly. She broke the previous world record by 0.64 secs, and the previous textile best by 0.81 secs.<br />
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The world record is also notable as that is now 9 women's events where the global standard has fallen since the suit ban, <a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/textile-best-times.html">over half of the 17 pool events.</a><br />
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If you thought 2014 would be dominated by Katie Ledecky's distance freestyle fireworks, think again.<br />
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In Super slo-mo...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/iVdb7Id2jVM" width="560"></iframe>Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-50635293929054151002014-02-02T23:15:00.000+00:002014-02-02T23:54:00.005+00:00A swimmer-pioneer: Ari-Pekka Liukkonen first openly gay Finnish athlete<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Ari+Pekka+Liukkonen+Swimming+Training+Session+W2YUrQnmk1El.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Ari+Pekka+Liukkonen+Swimming+Training+Session+W2YUrQnmk1El.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Finnish sprint ace Ari-Pekka Liukkonen has created some waves in his native country as he's come out as gay. This makes the 24 year old the first ever active national level athlete, in any sport, to announce their homosexuality.</b></div>
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It shouldn't be news in 2014, but that amazing fact stresses the point that it still has to be. It takes a lot of courage and bravery to break ground in a country obviously still stuck in the 20th century on these matters.</div>
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Liukkonen came public on the matter in an interview with <a href="http://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2014/02/02/liukkonen-antligen-kan-jag-vara-mig-sjalv" target="_blank">finnish national broadcaster YLE</a>, stating that he feels obliged to highlight the matter leading into the Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. </div>
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The Russian "anti-gay"-legislation has been subject to a great deal of debacle leading up to the Games, and the Finnish swimmer wanted to have his say on the matter. He hopes to start a debate in his home country about gay rights leading up to the Games.</div>
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<b><i>"It’s sad that the legislation in Russia restricts the human rights of young people and others. Homosexuals have the same rights as people with brown or blue eyes, as people that are right- or left handed,"</i> said the Olympic Swimmer speaking on the Urheiluviikonloppu-show.</b></div>
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The 24 year old tells a story about denial and oppressed feelings when he first started to realize he was gay. He thought it was just a phase.</div>
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During high school he started to comprehend that it was not something that would pass. </div>
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<i>"Acceptance was hard, but not necessarily horribly hard either. It's been a long process for me,"</i> says Liukkonen.</div>
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He told his sister first, a couple of years ago. A month ago he told his parents, who according to the 24 year old has been supportive after receiving the news.</div>
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<i>"I wanted to tell my parents before I went public. They've shown great support,"</i> he says. </div>
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<i>"Finally I can be myself. But I want to stress that I'll still be the same Ari-Pekka that is going to swim the 50 meters freestyle and one day beat the World Record. I want to win the Olympics in a World Record-time."</i></div>
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Ari-Pekka Liukkonen is the Finnish national record holder with a 22,22 personal best. He came fourth at the European Long Course Championships in 2012 with that time.</div>
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He participated at the London Olympic Games and won a bronze medal with the Finnish relay team in the 4x50 meters mixed freestyle at the 2012 European Short Course Championships.</div>
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<b>Today's revelations might be his biggest achievement yet though.</b></div>
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Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-59671583214448818252014-01-21T16:01:00.000+00:002014-01-21T16:06:38.200+00:00Conor "American Psycho" Dwyer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/speed_endurance">@speed_endurance</a> and that's my happy face 😱🙊<br />
— Conor Dwyer (@conorjdwyer) <a href="https://twitter.com/conorjdwyer/statuses/424906917253632000">January 19, 2014</a></blockquote>
There can never be enough nicknames in the world of swimming, so I offer up Conor "American Psycho" Dwyer.Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-16429909542289514792014-01-08T15:22:00.000+00:002014-01-08T17:59:45.048+00:00Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - The Top 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The third annual Speed Endurance <u>Top 50 Swimmers of the Year</u> list is upon us. There is no set-in-stone criteria, but priority is given to achievements in Barcelona at the World Championships. World records and textile best times also carry a lot of weight. Other outstanding achievements away from Barcelona were acknowledged, but it took an extraordinary feat to better a World Championship medal. Also worth noting, as this is a list of the Top 50 individuals, relay medals did not come into play, however race-changing relay contributions were valued highly.
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<b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/top-50-swimmers-of-2013-50-to-41.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 50 to 41</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/top-swimmers-of-2013-40-to-31.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 40 to 31</a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/top-50-swimmers-of-2013-30-to-21.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 30 to 21</a></b><br />
<a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/top-50-swimmers-of-2013-20-to-11.html"><b>Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 20 to 11</b></a><br />
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This is it. The final installment takes us from number 10 to this year's number 1 swimmer of 2013.<br />
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<b>10. Chad le Clos - 2013 Highlight:</b> Emerged as the undisputed best male fly swimmer in the world. Two decisive victories in the 100 and 200 fly gave the South African his first world titles. Le Clos then backed up his Barcelona performance by twice lowering the short course world record in the 200 fly and taking home $305,000 in prize money as the Top Male on the World Cup tour.<br />
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<b>9. Rikke Moller Pedersen - 2013 Highlight: </b>Her superb world record of 2:19.11 in the 200 breast semi-final in Barcelona. Although Yulia Efimova was able to get past the Dane in the final of the event, Moller Pedersen's world record still stands. The 200 breaststroke event has turned on its head since Rebecca Soni's domination at London 2012 with Pedersen leading the revolution.<br />
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<a href="http://media4.bcn2013.com/media/asset_publics/resources/000/001/135/original_rgb/Mireia_Belmonte__as.com.v1369130114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media4.bcn2013.com/media/asset_publics/resources/000/001/135/original_rgb/Mireia_Belmonte__as.com.v1369130114.jpg" height="161" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>8. Mireia Belmonte - 2013 Highlight: </b>Belmonte is the highest ranked non-world champion on this year's list. She makes it this high thanks to the overall strength of her 2013. She set three short course world records, picked up two silvers (200 fly, 400 IM) and a bronze (200 IM) in Barcelona and ended the year with 6 Top 20 ranked long course times, which was only bettered by her Hungarian rival who appears a little higher up this list.<br />
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<b>7. Cate Campbell - 2013 Highlight:</b> Leading off the Australian 4x100 freestyle relay in a new textile best time of 52.33 on day one at worlds before following that up with gold in the 100 free individual event in 52.34 and silver in the 50 free in 24.14. Campbell's 52.09 relay split in the medley relay also turned a bronze into a silver for Australia. Watch out in 2014, Britta Steffen's world record of 52.07 which once seemed light years away from the current crop of sprinters, suddenly seems within reach for the Australian freestyler.<br />
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<b>6. Sun Yang - 2013 Highlight:</b> The Chinese distance star is our top ranked male for 2013. It shows how much further ahead of the rest of the world he is when he can have an off-year by his high time standards and still win the 400, 800 and 1500 free world titles comfortably. His most impressive swim in Barcelona was arguably his 1:43.16 split in the 4x200 free relay which was 1.8 seconds faster than any other split and took China from 5th up to 3rd. Frustratingly it also showed us what kind of competition he could have given Yannick Agnel in the 200 individual event.<br />
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<b>5. Missy Franklin - 2013 Highlight: </b>There were no world records or textile best times for Franklin in 2013, but she secured three world titles (200 free, 100 back, 200 back) and had two stand-out relay performances in the 4x100 medley (58.39 backstroke split) and 4x200 freestyle (1:54.27 final leg, moving USA from 2nd to 1st in the process). Having a 6-time gold medalist at number 5 goes to show just how strong a year 2013 was for women in the pool.<br />
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<b>4. Katinka Hosszu - 2013 Highlight:</b> The Iron Lady of swimming was able to combine her incredibly tough schedule of racing with success on the biggest stage with victories at the World Championships in the 200 and 400 IM, as well as bronze in the 200 fly. While her performances in Barcelona were impressive, Hosszu then put together a magnificent short course season setting an incredible 6 new world records as well picking up the Top Female award (and $365,500 in prize money) from the world cup tour.<br />
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<a href="http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Yuliya+Efimova+Swimming+15th+FINA+World+Championships+4mG3su_5VTDl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Yuliya+Efimova+Swimming+15th+FINA+World+Championships+4mG3su_5VTDl.jpg" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
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<b>3. Yuliya Efimova - 2013 Highlight: </b>The Russian breaststroke ace proved that she saves her best for the races that matter the most. Efimova went into the 50 and 200 breaststroke finals in Barcelona as the underdog to a world record setter in the semi-final. On both occasions she got to the wall first in times that shook the new world records, but ultimately didn't topple them. She also finished the year in great form setting two short course world records to go alongside the 50 breast world record she set in the Barcelona heats (that ultimately lasted less than a day).<br />
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<b>2. Ruta Meilutyte - 2013 Highlight: </b>It was incredibly difficult to split Efimova and Meilutyte and ultimately it came down to how much long course world records were valued. Meilutyte finished the year with world record times of 29.48 and 1:04.35 in the 50 and 100 breaststroke, gold in the 100 breast, silver in the 50 breast in Barcelona as well as a new short course mark of 1:02.36 in the 100 breast. In Meilutyte's young career she has shown a tendency to have her best swims in semi-finals which is something she will need to work on when she next locks horns with Efimova, but remains a well deserving number 2 in this list. She also possesses one of the best starts in swimming.<br />
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<b>1. Katie Ledecky - 2013 Highlight:</b> The runaway winner in this year's list goes to the young American distance phenomenon. Ledecky put on a freestyle display for the ages in Barcelona breaking the 800 and 1500 freestyle world records en route to golds in both events. She also broke the iconic 4 minute barrier to win the 400 freestyle title. Lotte Friis put up a brave fight in both the 800 and 1500 races, but Ledecky couldn't be stopped. The truly terrifying part for her competitors is that you get the impression that she has only just scratched the surface of her potential and is still just 16 years old. They will be lining up against her for the foreseeable future. Ledecky's 1:56.32 opening relay leg in the 4x200 free points to a Sun Yang-esque freestyle range and should she decide to shift her focus to the shorter distance as she gets older, who knows how much lower she can take her best time to.<br />
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Final tally for Ledecky in 2013: 2 LC world records, 3 individual world titles, 4 Top 10 ranked times. Total distance freestyle domination.<br />
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<b><u>The Top 50</u></b><br />
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50. Chase Kalisz<br />
49. Jimmy Feigen<br />
48. Melani Costa<br />
47. Laszlo Cseh<br />
46. Belinda Hocking<br />
45. Pawel Korzeniowski<br />
44. Radoslaw Kawecki<br />
43. Emily Seebohm<br />
42. Connor Dwyer<br />
41. Fabien Gilot<br />
40. Jessica Hardy<br />
39. Aya Terakawa<br />
38. Federica Pellegrini<br />
37. Thiago Pereira<br />
36. Ryan Cochrane<br />
35. Zhao Jing<br />
34. Dana Vollmer<br />
33. Vladimir Morozov<br />
32. Camille Lacourt<br />
31. Nathan Adrian<br />
30. Danila Izotov<br />
29. Yannick Agnel<br />
28. Fu Yuanhui<br />
27. Lauren Boyle<br />
26. Liu Zige<br />
25. James Magnussen<br />
24. Daiya Seto<br />
23. Jeanette Ottesen<br />
22. Alicia Coutts<br />
21. Kosuke Hagino<br />
20. Matt Grevers<br />
19. Daniel Gyurta<br />
18. Lotte Friis<br />
17. Sarah Sjostrom<br />
16. Cameron van der Burgh<br />
15. Christian Sprenger<br />
14. Jeremy Stravius<br />
13. Cesar Cielo<br />
12. Ranomi Kromowidjojo<br />
11. Ryan Lochte<br />
10. Chad le Clos<br />
9. Rikke Moller Pedersen<br />
8. Mireia Belmonte<br />
7. Cate Campbell<br />
6. Sun Yang<br />
5. Missy Franklin<br />
4. Katinka Hosszu<br />
3. Yuliya Efimova<br />
2. Ruta Meilutyte<br />
1. Katie Ledecky</div>
Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-33443992715829758572014-01-06T19:28:00.001+00:002014-01-06T19:32:35.671+00:00Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 20 to 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The third annual <u>Speed Endurance Top 50 Swimmers of the Year</u> list is upon us. There is no set-in-stone criteria, but priority is given to achievements in Barcelona at the World Championships. World records and textile best times also carry a lot of weight. </b><b>Other outstanding achievements away from Barcelona were acknowledged, but it took an extraordinary feat to better a World Championship medal. Also worth noting, as this is a list of the Top 50 individuals, relay medals did not come into play, however race-changing relay contributions were valued highly.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/top-50-swimmers-of-2013-50-to-41.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 50 to 41</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/top-swimmers-of-2013-40-to-31.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 40 to 31</a></b><br />
<a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/top-50-swimmers-of-2013-30-to-21.html"><b>Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 30 to 21</b></a><br />
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<b>20. Matt Grevers - 2013 Highlight:</b> Winning the 100 backstroke in Barcelona as the only man sub-53 seconds. Grevers backed up his Olympic gold with his first individual world title. He also led-off the ill-fated medley relay team in 53.02. Although his times were down on 2012, he still showed that he is the man to beat when it comes to the 100m backstroke.<br />
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<b>19. Daniel Gyurta - 2013 Highlight:</b> Three-peating as world 200 breaststroke champion in 2:07.23, the second fastest time of all-time. Nobody other than Gyurta has stood at the top of the men's 200 breast podium at a world championships since 2007. The Hungarian also shook the short course world record to its core with his 2:00.72 effort at European SC, just 0.05 shy of his own 2009 mark. Very few other swimmers had as much dominance in one event as Gyurta did in 2013.<br />
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<b>18. Lotte Friis - 2013 Highlight: </b>Crushing the previous 1500 freestyle world record with her time of 15:38.88. Unfortunately for Friis, Katie Ledecky crushed it by a little more leaving the Dane to settle for silver in the race of the year. Friis bravely took on Ledecky in both the 800 and 1500 free leading both races until the latter parts. If there was a prize for gutsiest racer of the year, Friis would be my pick.<br />
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<b>17. Sarah Sjostrom - 2013 Highlight: </b>Getting back on the top of the 100 butterfly world podium, 4 years after her breakthrough in Rome. Sjostrom's victory in 56.53 was exceptional and the showdown between Sjostrom and Vollmer when they next meet will be electric. The Swede also shone in the 100 free final with silver in 52.89 as well as finishing the year with Top 10 ranked swims in 5 separate events.</div>
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<b>16. Cameron van der Burgh - 2013 Highlight:</b> Setting a new textile best time in the 50 breaststroke in a time of 26.77, just 0.1 seconds off his own world record. Although Van der Burgh missed out on the 100 breast world title, his speed was better than ever in 2013. Fortunately we should get to see a tapered rematch with the next swimmer on our list in 2014.<br />
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<b>15. Christian Sprenger - 2013 Highlight:</b> An excellent year for the Australian breaststroker winning gold in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 58.79, bettering last year's silver in London. He also finished just 0.01 behind van der Burgh's new textile best time in the 50 breaststroke final as well as an excellent 58.47 medley relay split to take the Australian's from 4th to 1st.<br />
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<b>14. Jeremy Stravius - 2013 Highlight:</b> Stravius is our highest ranked male not to win an individual gold medal. He makes it to such a lofty rank due to two excellent relay contributions. Taking over in 4th position after 300m in the 4x100 free relay, his 47.59 final leg took the Frenchman past Jimmy Feigen, Danila Izotov and James Roberts to give victory to the French quartet. He also put in a sterling effort in the victorious medley relay with his split of 51.33, the fastest of the field, from a backstroke specialist. Stravius ended the year with 6 Top 20 ranked LC swims, showing off his tremendous versatility<br />
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<b>13. Cesar Cielo - 2013 Highlight:</b> Cielo stepped up to the blocks in two events and left with two golds and a textile best time in the 50 free of 21.32. His 50 free final was another example of a big-time performance from the Brazilian in a major final. In a final that included all the big hitters, he won by a significant gap of 0.15 seconds. After skipping the event in Barcelona, the swimming world now awaits to see what type of form Cielo comes back to in the 100 freestyle.<br />
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<b>12. Ranomi Kromowidjojo - 2013 Highlight:</b> Difficult to pick a highlight between the 50 free world title and her new short course world record of 23.24 in the 50 free on home soil. Kromowidjojo did lose out to Cate Campbell and Sarah Sjostrom in the 100 free final but proved that when it comes to the shorter distance she still reigns supreme.<br />
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<b>11. Ryan Lochte - 2013 Highlight:</b> In a year that saw Lochte make moves to becoming more of a mainstream star which ended early with a freak accident, he was still able to pick up two individual golds in Barcelona. His victories in the 200 backstroke and 200 IM were won by some margin and he ended the year with Top 10 times in 5 different events. His 1:44.98 relay split was solid in the 4x200 free relay, but was overshadowed by Sun Yang's 1:43.16. Lochte was just announced as the FINA Male Swimmer of the Year, I have him as the No.3 ranked Male in 2013.</div>
Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-78833904911985480302014-01-03T22:28:00.000+00:002014-01-04T18:40:23.227+00:00Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 30 to 21<br />
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<b>The third annual <u>Speed Endurance Top 50 Swimmers of the Year</u> list is upon us. There is no set-in-stone criteria, but priority is given to achievements in Barcelona at the World Championships. World records and textile best times also carry a lot of weight. </b><b>Other outstanding achievements away from Barcelona were acknowledged, but it took an extraordinary feat to better a World Championship medal. Also worth noting, as this is a list of the Top 50 individuals, relay medals did not come into play, however race-changing relay contributions were valued highly.</b><br />
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<b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/top-50-swimmers-of-2013-50-to-41.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 50 to 41</a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/top-swimmers-of-2013-40-to-31.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 40 to 31</a></b></div>
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<b>30. Danila Izotov - 2013 Highlight: </b>Some might argue it was his bronze medal winning 200 free individual effort, but Izotov makes the list this high for leading off the Russian 4x200 free team in 1:45.14, faster than his 200 free final time and ahead of both Yannick Agnel and Conor Dwyer, the two men who beat him in the individual final.</div>
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<b>29. Yannick Agnel - 2013 Highlight: </b>Last year's No.1 slips down the list despite his victory in the 200 freestyle in Barcelona. His win in 1:44.20 was emphatic, but he wasn't close to his best in two other relay appearances at Worlds. French victory overshadowed the fact that Agnel could only muster a 48.76 lead-off which put the French nearly a second down on the rest of the field. Watch out for Les Bleus when Agnel is back to his electrifying best.</div>
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<b>28. Fu Yuanhui - 2013 Highlight: </b>The Chinese backstroke emerging star makes the list for her new textile best time of 27.22 in the 50 backstroke. She took silver in Barcelona in 27.39, as well as 5th in the 100 backstroke. Look for the 17 year old to push on in 2014 at the Asian Games.</div>
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<b>27. Lauren Boyle - 2013 Highlight:</b> After winning gold at World SC in 2012, the Kiwi took the next step in a long course pool with a trio of bronze medals in Barcelona. By taking third in the 400, 800 and 1500 freestyles she became the first New Zealand swimmer to win three world medals since Danyon Loader in 1994. Not a bad achievement given that the entire country has only won 8 world medals in total.</div>
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<b>26. Liu Zige - 2013 Highlight:</b> The 2008 Olympic champion won her first world title in the 200 butterfly with a time of 2:04.59. She led at 100m before being caught by Mireia Belmonte at 150m, but unlike previous years where her pacing let her down, she found enough down the final length to get past the Spaniard.</div>
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<b>25. James Magnussen - 2013 Highlight:</b> Magnussen put a tumultuous 2012 behind him by retaining his 100m freestyle world title in 47.71. He had been 47.53 earlier in the year which topped the year-end rankings. His relay performances in Barcelona were solid, but not spectacular and Australia will need more from him if they want to get back on the top of the podium.</div>
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<b>24. Daiya Seto - 2013 Highlight:</b> Winning the 400 IM title in Barcelona with his 4:08.69 effort. In the process he beat the pre-race favourite, Kosuke Hagino who blew up on the final 50m. Seto is now the reigning world champion both short course and long course at 19 years of age.</div>
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<b>23. Jeanette Ottesen - 2013 Highlight:</b> The second textile best time setter ranked in the twenties, this time in the 50 butterfly. The Dane's 25.24 victory at Worlds was just 0.17 shy of the 2009 world record and gave her a victory margin of 0.18 seconds, the most amongst the 50s at Barcelona. She also finished fourth in the 100 fly and 5th in the 50 free.</div>
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<b>22. Alicia Coutts - 2013 Highlight: </b>Coutts won two individual silvers in the 100 fly and 200 IM as well as three further relay silvers in Barcelona..She ranked in the world top 20 in 6 events and proved once again how effective she can be during the major championships. 4 years ago she had her international breakthrough at Commonwealths and Pan Pacs and will be a major force at both again this year.</div>
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<b>21. Kosuke Hagino</b><b> - 2013 Highlight:</b> Showing great versatility to win silvers in both the 200 IM and 400 free at Worlds. Although he wasn't able to finish the job after leading at 350m of the 400 IM, he did finish the year at the top of the world ranks with 4:07.61. He ranked in the world top 10 in 6 events, the 100, 200 back, 200, 400 free and 200, 400 IM making the final in all events at Barcelona. The rising star of Japanese swimming is primed for a big 2014.</div>
Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-275709664474236392014-01-02T14:16:00.002+00:002014-01-03T17:26:13.537+00:00Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 40 to 31<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The third annual <u>Speed Endurance Top 50 Swimmers of the Year</u> list is upon us. There is no set-in-stone criteria, but priority is given to achievements in Barcelona at the World Championships. World records and textile best times also carry a lot of weight. </b><b>Other outstanding achievements away from Barcelona were acknowledged, but it took an extraordinary feat to better a World Championship medal. Also worth noting, as this is a list of the Top 50 individuals, relay medals did not come into play, however race-changing relay contributions were valued highly.</b><br />
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<b><a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/top-50-swimmers-of-2013-50-to-41.html">Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 50 to 41</a></b><br />
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<b><br /></b><b>40. Jessica Hardy - 2013 Highlight: </b>A tremendous return to form in the breaststroke for Hardy culminated in double bronze in the 50 and 100 in Barcelona. In a bumper year of great women's breaststroke performances, Hardy held her own.<br />
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<b>39. Aya Terakawa</b><b> - 2013 Highlight: </b>The queen of consistency once again delivered with bronze in the 50 and 100 backstroke in Barcelona and an impressive 58.70 opening medley relay split. A fitting end to a great career.<br />
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<b>38. Federica Pellegrini - 2013 Highlight: </b>Just running out of pool in the 200 freestyle final to take silver in 1:55.14 behind Missy Franklin. Her 29.07 final split was the quickest of the entire field by some distance. The next 200 free showdown between Franklin, Pellegrini and a rejuvenated pair of Schmitt and Muffat will be must-watch stuff.<br />
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<b>37. Thiago Pereira</b><b> - 2013 Highlight: </b>Winning his first two World Championship medals with bronze in the 200 and 400 medley. He missed out on silver in the 200, and a few places higher on this list, by just 0.01 seconds.<br />
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<b>36. Ryan Cochrane - 2013 Highlight: </b>Leading Sun Yang at the 1400m mark of the 1500 freestyle final in Barcelona before settling for silver in 14:42.38. Cochrane also picked up a bronze in the 800 free final and<br />
missed out on bronze in the 400 freestyle final by 0.17 seconds.<br />
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<b>35. Zhao Jing - 2013 Highlight: </b>The first world champion from Barcelona on the list took the 50 backstroke in 27.29. She finished 0.10 seconds clear of compatriot Fu Yuanhui in a Chinese dominated event. The 100 back world champion from Shanghai in 59.05 disappointed over the longer distance in 2013 with a strongest effort of 1:00.28.<br />
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<b>34. Dana Vollmer - 2013 Highlight: </b>Vollmer had a down year after her stunning 2012. Despite this the American was still able to win bronze in the 100 butterfly in 57.24. Vollmer's place on the list though is down to her medley relay split of 56.31 which was comfortably the fastest of the field and put the USA in complete control of the race.<br />
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<b>33. Vladimir Morozov - 2013 Highlight: </b>Winning world silver in the 50 freestyle in 21.47. Morozov split a jaw dropping 21.98 in the first 50m of the 100 free final, but paid for his exertions on the way home finishing in 5th. His disappointed of missing out on a medal in the 100 will have been tempered by his stellar final year at NCAAs, dominance at the World University Games and prize money from the World Cup tour totalling $183k.<br />
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<b>32. Camille Lacourt - 2013 Highlight: </b>The second world champion from Barcelona on the list took the 50 backstroke final in 24.42. He also led-off the 4 x 100 medley relay in 53.23, faster than his individual final for the gold winning French team (albeit thanks to a USA DQ).<br />
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<b>31. Nathan Adrian - 2013 Highlight: </b>From an individual standpoint the Olympic 100 free champion didn't have the best 2013. He took bronze in the 100 free in 47.84 and fourth in the 50 free final. What won't be so obvious at first glance was Adrian's contributions for the USA relay teams. He touched the wall first when leading off the USA 4x100 free relay ahead of James Magnussen, although the team had to settle for silver, but it was his 46.69 relay split from the DQ'd USA medley relay that was the most special. The split was the fastest ever in textile, beating Pieter van den Hoogenband's 46.70 from 2003 and Yannick Agnel's 46.74 in London.Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-76515245474330320252013-12-31T18:20:00.002+00:002014-01-02T14:17:22.227+00:00Top 50 Swimmers of 2013 - 50 to 41<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The third annual <u>Speed Endurance Top 50 Swimmers of the Year</u> list is upon us. There is no set-in-stone criteria, but priority is given to achievements in Barcelona at the World Championships. World records and textile best times also carry a lot of weight. </b><b>Other outstanding achievements away from Barcelona were acknowledged, but it took an extraordinary feat to better a World Championship medal. Also worth noting, as this is a list of the Top 50 individuals, relay medals did not come into play, however race-changing relay contributions were valued highly.</b><br />
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<b>50. Chase Kalisz: </b><b>2013 Highlight: </b>A fast finishing 400 IM in Barcelona to win silver in 4:09.22 and announce his arrival on the international scene.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>49. Jimmy Feigen: </b><b>2013 Highlight: </b>Winning a surprise silver in a loaded 100 free final 0.02 seconds ahead of compatriot Nathan Adrian. Would have been higher up the list but a poor (by his standard) anchor leg helped France win the 4x100 free relay over the US.<br />
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<b>48. Melani Costa - 2013 Highlight: </b>While Katie Ledecky was chasing the world record in the 400 free, the race for second in Barcelona was comfortably Costa's with nobody getting within a second of her in the last 200m.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>47. Laszlo Cseh - 2013 Highlight:</b> Silver in the 100 fly gave him his ninth World Championship medal 10 years after his first.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>46. Belinda Hocking - 2013 Highlight: </b>The Australian put her 2012 disappointment behind her to repeat as World silver medallist in the 200 backstroke<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>45. Pawel Korzeniowski - 2013 Highlight:</b> 1:55.01 in the 200 fly to take silver in Barcelona. Led Chad le Clos with 50m to go.<br />
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<a href="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Radoslaw+Kawecki+British+Gas+Swimming+Championships+dwPKzsmliYil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Radoslaw+Kawecki+British+Gas+Swimming+Championships+dwPKzsmliYil.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b><b>44. Radoslaw Kawecki - 2013 Highlight: </b>A new European record in the 200 backstroke on his way to silver, pushing Ryan Lochte all the way.<br />
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<b><br /></b><b>43. Emily Seebohm - 2013 Highlight: </b>Not able to recreate her 58.23 fireworks in the 100 back from London, but her 59.06 effort in the final was good enough for silver in Barcelona. Hopefully the next few years will see some more classic 100 backstroke battles between Seebohm and Missy Franklin.<br />
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<b>42. Connor Dwyer - 2013 Highlight: </b>A blazing 26.59 closing split in the 200 freestyle final at Worlds to move from 5th at 150m, up to silver at the touch. This marked the first major individual long course medal for the talented American.<br />
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<a href="http://www.la-croix.com/var/bayard/storage/images/lacroix/actualite/sport/fabien-gilot-l-homme-de-constance-du-sprint-tricolore-2013-07-29-992283/34850443-1-fre-FR/Fabien-Gilot-l-homme-de-constance-du-sprint-tricolore_article_popin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://www.la-croix.com/var/bayard/storage/images/lacroix/actualite/sport/fabien-gilot-l-homme-de-constance-du-sprint-tricolore-2013-07-29-992283/34850443-1-fre-FR/Fabien-Gilot-l-homme-de-constance-du-sprint-tricolore_article_popin.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><b>41. Fabien Gilot - 2013 Highlight: </b>A stunning 46.90 third leg of the victorious French 4x100 freestyle relay team. Gilot took over in 4th, and put Jeremy Stravius in the water first. His relay split was half a second faster than all others in the race.<br />
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<br />
<b>On the bubble: </b>David Plummer, Florent Manaudou, Arkady Vyatchanin, Eugene Godsoe, Marco Koch, Tyler Clary, Camille Muffat, Elizabeth Beisel, Fran Halsall, Konrad Czerniak, Connor Jaeger, Michael McBroom, Ying Lu, Wu Peng, Gregorio Paltrinieri, Fred Bousquet, Felipe Lima, Ye Shiwen, Hilary Caldwell, Giulio Zorzi, Matti Mattsson, George Bovell, Steffen Deibler, Jiao Liuyang, Elizabeth Pelton, Michael JamiesonSpeed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-39538667050919189852013-07-29T22:29:00.001+01:002013-07-29T22:29:35.287+01:00Enjoy Ruta Meilutyte's World Record 100 Breaststroke With Lithuanian Commentary<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/AMZr6dJxev0?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
Stunning start. Stunning swim.Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-34999061458050704612013-07-28T17:58:00.001+01:002013-07-28T21:15:14.989+01:00Watch 2013 World Swimming Championships Live<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<a href="http://cricfree.tv/euro-sports.php">Live video from the 2013 Barcelona World Swimming Championships can be found here.</a><br />
<br />
Results can be found<a href="http://www.omegatiming.com/Competition?id=00010D0201FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF&day=1"> here.</a><br />
<br />
Live Timing can be found <a href="http://www.omegatiming.com/index_home.htm#livetiming/livetiming-events.htm">here.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.pullbuoy.co.uk/world-championships/barcelona-2013/uk-tv-coverage-of-world-swimming-championships">UK TV coverage schedule</a>Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-48544009193111734972013-07-04T23:56:00.000+01:002013-07-05T09:14:39.849+01:00Swedish swim stars form new company set out to lift swimming<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PARTNERS: Sarah Sjöström, Lars Frölander and Stefan Nystrand are teaming up - to help young swimmers improve.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Lars Frölander, Stefan Nystrand and Sarah Sjöström are some of Swedens biggest swimming names in the nation's history. Now they've formed a company aiming to help the Scandinavian nations aspiring swimmers to a higher level.</b><br />
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Champions Crew Swimming, a stock noted company planned to start up this fall, are targeting young swimmers who wants to take their swimming to a higher level, writes Swedish newspaper <a href="http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/article17072356.ab" target="_blank">Aftonbladet</a>.<br />
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"<i>We will try to stimulate and motivate Swedish age-swimming to get even better."</i> <br />
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Speaking at the Swedish National Championships in Halmstad, Lars Frölander, who originally intended his career after swimming to be separated from the sport he's excelled in and made a living from for the last 20 years, explained why the swim stars have joined together.<br />
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<i>"The main idea of the project is to use the experience we as elite swimmers have gained throughout the years. We are quite strong brands, profiles and idols for young swimmers so I believe we could have a great influence in their motivation to get better",</i> Frölander said.<br />
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The 39 year old retired after the Olympics last year, but has returned to the pool for the ongoing Swedish championships, only to see his 12 year winning streak in the 50 meter butterfly broken. Karlskrona (and Texas A&M)-swimmer Henrik Lindau beat the living legend.<br />
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That should not interfere too much with the six time Olympian and 2000 olympic 100 butterfly champion's standing in Swedish swimming.<br />
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The business idea is a website set up with a variety of different training methods and targets for swimmers to report and aspire to. Swimmers will have their own profile, and the different targets will have different levels - so that there are always things to reach and do better. Profiles will be more or less open, meaning that users will be able to measure themselves against opponents and see how their own development is going. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.trelleborgsallehanda.se/archive/00228/KB200610104060844AR_228461a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://www.trelleborgsallehanda.se/archive/00228/KB200610104060844AR_228461a.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SILVER MEDALISTS: During the World Short Course<br />
Championships in Shanghai (2006), Nystrand (far right) and<br />
Frölander next to him teamed up to form part of the silver<br />
winning 4x100 meters freestyle team together with Jonas<br />
Tilly (left) and Marcus Pihl.</td></tr>
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There has been a debate in Sweden if local talent is training enough, particularly as the nation has a tendency of being a force in the sprint-events, but less so in the middle-distance and long distance events.<br />
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<i>"It's not about training harder, but smarter. To improve in different skills. Sometimes I think we focus on the wrong things,"</i> says Frölander.<br />
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When the young swimmers reach different targets they will be able to buy performance medals marking their achievement. This is intended to be the company's main income. If the company makes money, some of it is intended to go back into the clubs.<br />
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<i>"Some of the money from buying such a medal will go to the clubs, and the rest into the company for further development, where we are also looking to help our best swimmers in the race against the world's elite,"</i> says Lars Frölander.<br />
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And if anybody wonders about the 39-year olds stature in Sweden, just listen to the newly-crowned swedish champion Lindau after beating the retired old man by 0.07 of a second.<br />
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"<i>This is huge for me. Lars has always been an idol for me, ever since I started swimming. I've always thought that sometime I have to beat him. And now I have. It feels great</i>" said the 23-year old gunning for Rio.<br />
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PS: Nordic countries Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland are all having their countries national long course championships this weekend.<br />
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<b>Norway: <a href="http://stevne.medley.no/" target="_blank">Results and live-streaming</a></b><br />
<b>Sweden: <a href="http://www.masterskapssidan.se/2013/sm-50-m-3-7-juli-14575143" target="_blank">Results</a></b><br />
<b>Denmark: <a href="http://livetiming.dk/index.php?cid=1457" target="_blank">Results</a></b><br />
<b>Finland: <a href="http://livetiming.dk/index.php?cid=1447" target="_blank">Results </a></b><br />
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<br />Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-73302164980941341122013-05-05T10:43:00.002+01:002013-05-05T10:43:40.446+01:00Watch Jordan Harrison's 1500 free in 80 seconds<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s5d69rq0Kck?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-73775039638776602072013-05-01T17:47:00.000+01:002013-05-01T17:53:22.353+01:00Watch Full Races From Australian Nationals<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ltWMcIKL48g?list=UU1Oc0SrTsSFzRCpUpIriLUQ" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<br />
Full list of races <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/101stutube?feature=">here</a>Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-8386519980037313942013-05-01T17:38:00.001+01:002013-05-01T17:38:51.069+01:00Watch Steffen Deibler's 51.19 swim in the 100 butterfly from German Nationals<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qdgjfSED9HQ?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>
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World leading swim (51.19) from Deibler and a time that would have won Olympic gold last year (although Phelps did swim 50.86 in the semi-final). The 100 fly will be wide open this year in Barcelona with Deibler going up against the likes of Chad le Clos and Evgeny Korotyshkin. It should be a tremendous race, but the event will have Phelps' shadow looming over it until one of the men take the event back under 51 seconds.<br />
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More highlights from German Nationals can be found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSwimvoice?feature=watch">here</a>.Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-89227749085982173292013-04-25T17:02:00.000+01:002013-04-25T17:02:08.683+01:002013 EnergyAustralia Swimming Championship<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>The Australian World Championship trials get under way tomorrow (April 26) in Adelaide, South Australia.</b><br />
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Amid a backdrop of wholesale changes in Swimming Australia, the <a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/this-aussie-stilnox-story-just-wont-quit.html">never-ending Stilnox saga</a> and <a href="http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-sport/i-almost-quit-swimming-alicia-coutts-20130424-2iewd.html">news that Alicia Coutts considered quitting the sport following alleged bullying from Matt Targett</a>; Australia's finest will reconvene in Adelaide to determine the make-up of the next national team.<br />
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<a href="http://www.clubsonline.com.au/uploads/swimresults/National/2013OPEN/">Results</a><br />
<a href="https://assets.imgstg.com/assets/console/document/documents/heats%20time%20line6.pdf">Start Times</a><br />
<a href="https://assets.imgstg.com/assets/console/document/documents/2013%20FINA%20World%20Champs%20Selection%20Criteria%20-%20Athlete%20-%20FINAL%20200912.pdf">World Champs Selection Policy</a><br />
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Rather than focusing on the negative stories swirling around, let's take a look at some of the exciting talent coming through the ranks in Australia.<br />
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<b><u>Names to watch out for this week</u></b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W1NmNr8K3wY?rel=0" width="640"></iframe>
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<b>Jordan Harrison</b> - A distance freestyle star in the making under the tutelage of Dennis Cotterell. Just 17 years old and has already been a world class 3:48 in the 400 free this year.<br />
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<b>Kyle Chalmers</b> - Not an immediate threat to the naughty national teamers, but the 14 year old's 50.86 time in the 100 free made the swimming world sit up and take notice.<br />
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<b>Remy Fairweather</b> - The 16 year old is right in contention for a spot on the team having been 8:29 and 4:08 this time last year in the 800 and 400 free. She is an intriguing prospect behind the favourites Kylie Palmer and Bronte Barratt in the 400, while the 800 could be wide open.<br />
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<b>Alexander Graham</b> - 17 year old who has been 49.11 (100 free) and 1:47.70 (200 free) already this year. A relay spot looks like a very real possibility in the 4x200 free. Versatile swimmer will also swim the 100 back and 100 fly.<br />
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<b>Ami Matsuo</b> - Remarkably the 16 year old has been at an elite level for 2 years after clocking 55.26 as a 14 year old. In 2013 she has been 25.57 (50 free), 54.76 (100 free) and 1:58.22 (200 free). Women's freestyle strength in Australia is among the deepest in the world, but this could be the year that Matsuo breaks through into the national team.<br />
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<b>Shayna Jack</b> - The 14 year old was a star of the recent Australia Age Championships with her times of 25.41 (50 free) and 55.36 (100 free).<br />
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<b>Cameron McEvoy</b> - He swam the heats of the 4x100 free relay in London last year and is still a month away from turning 19. He's still plenty young enough to make major leaps forward in the sprint freestyle events where his best times from last year were an impressive 22.26 (50 free) and 48.58 (100 free).<br />
<br />
<b>Jenna Strauch</b> - 16 year old with a chance of making the team in both the 100 and 200 breast. Her times of 1:08.90 and 2:27.55 this year rank her 5th amongst Australians in the 100 breast and 3rd in the 200 breast. She will need to find a second in the 100 and two seconds in the 200 to make the cut for Barcelona, but that's not outside the realms of possibility for a 16 year old.<br />
<br />
<b>Mack Horton</b> - 17 year old goes into the competition ranked fastest in the 1500 freestyle. Will need to drop his time of 15:04 from the Australian Age Championships down to a 14:58 to make the team.<br />
<br />
<br />Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-42343574717142581412013-04-23T21:41:00.000+01:002013-04-23T21:50:22.575+01:00This Aussie Stilnox Story Just Won't Quit<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCviJTX0577KaiaiLbhGFLeBMU2NyQUNfH8VksNFGc7VZe-vhDmh1MLGJnKf6t6B7VfxZZ2Itc8ma8nTQXjC4TPJLU2avr06rhiGwHXg7B6I6SjUXx1AVQx3whWo0ox2TLYzbuSBQWBOt/s1600/MagnussenStilnox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCviJTX0577KaiaiLbhGFLeBMU2NyQUNfH8VksNFGc7VZe-vhDmh1MLGJnKf6t6B7VfxZZ2Itc8ma8nTQXjC4TPJLU2avr06rhiGwHXg7B6I6SjUXx1AVQx3whWo0ox2TLYzbuSBQWBOt/s1600/MagnussenStilnox.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.swimmersdaily.com/2013/04/23/stilnox-video-has-australias-olympic-athletes-on-edge/">h/t Swimmers Daily</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<a href="http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sport/relay-team-allegedly-took-stilnox-on-flight-home-from-london/story-fndukor0-1226623889593">When it rains, it pours for the Aussie 4 x 100 Freestyle relay team</a><br />
<br />
<b><u>Checklist of Shame</u></b><br />
<br />
- Let down all of Australia in the relay final<br />
- Busted for having a Stilnox pill party<br />
- Woke up team mates in the middle of the night<br />
- Bullied younger swimmer on the team<br />
- Peer intimidation, hazing<br />
- Binge drinking<br />
- Shameful televised press conference admitting their mistakes<br />
- Fined<br />
- Suspended sentences<br />
<br />
Now there appears to be video evidence from the flight home from London showing the fellas taking Stilnox. Brutal.Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-82073489486004881582013-04-23T08:30:00.000+01:002013-04-23T12:06:39.729+01:00«Iron Lady» Katinka Hosszu: "I can still get tougher"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cdGoeGnmDWUEeq6R0G3ZMYH6yfuTzqa6Ei135Z4s22fFpFC2BpGDsWP5IbuuPDWGk3coKI970YTu7x8oPS1VUcnPNqGD3ybmZw9IqZT6C1tpRgYDiemIiTOrBCWImpuv9iPYygJpsno/s1600/hosszu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9cdGoeGnmDWUEeq6R0G3ZMYH6yfuTzqa6Ei135Z4s22fFpFC2BpGDsWP5IbuuPDWGk3coKI970YTu7x8oPS1VUcnPNqGD3ybmZw9IqZT6C1tpRgYDiemIiTOrBCWImpuv9iPYygJpsno/s640/hosszu.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MACHINE: Katinka Hosszu was dubbed "the machine" in Bergen following her hectic <br />
schedule at the Alexander Dale Oen Memorial. (Photo: Kjell Eirik Irgens Henanger, BSF)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Katinka Hosszu dived in the water an astonishing total of 36 times during the Bergen Swim Festival - Alexander Dale Oen memorial.</b><br />
<br />
She was entered in 15 events, made the final in all of them, and with the 50 meter dashes being arranged as skins the races really added up for the girl dubbed swimming's «Iron Lady». For the skins she only miscalculated in the first heat of the 50 meters butterfly, otherwise she made the final event for those too.<br />
<br />
She wasn't taking it easy either setting a total of seven meet records along the way.<br />
<br />
The Hungarian swim ace is well known for her toughness in terms of swimming a lot of races. She did the Swim Festival in Norway jetlagged the weekend after racing the Grand Prix-meets in Mesa, USA. There she swam nine events, and eight finals.<br />
<br />
Her nickname seems to be well deserved, but she does deliver a warning to those who think shes pushing herself to the limit.<br />
<br />
"I felt pretty good about being called the Iron Lady when I first heard it", admits Katinka Hosszu in the interview I did with her for Norwegian TV 2.<br />
<br />
"But I feel like I still could be tougher. Sometimes I start to feel like I'm really tired and I don't really want to do it or push it any more. I have it in me to be tougher."<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://www.tv2.no/play/sport/ovrig/svoemmingens-iron-lady-etter-bergen-swim-festival-713303.html" target="_blank">You can watch the full interview here.</a></b></span><br />
<br />
If you want further proof that this girl is special, here's a treat:<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN85T1KYvjTp8KroRzh2mGmqOsxmO9jWDJI3ZiJehxKjJcQ_nyEnVLivQFe9zsIYo2-guI7N-M_Py7krj6teihXhEJk2oP2EYhZIfXvHyNl7HNQ8M5j5PIq9iFQ3zYmiSwCk9HcOx6BQ0/s1600/sanderhosszu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN85T1KYvjTp8KroRzh2mGmqOsxmO9jWDJI3ZiJehxKjJcQ_nyEnVLivQFe9zsIYo2-guI7N-M_Py7krj6teihXhEJk2oP2EYhZIfXvHyNl7HNQ8M5j5PIq9iFQ3zYmiSwCk9HcOx6BQ0/s320/sanderhosszu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speed Endurance-writer Sander Englund Smørdal <br />
interviews Katinka Hosszu for TV 2 following the meet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
She won best performance of the short course meet following her 2.07,47 in the 200 IM. That was her 30th(!) race of the weekend and just minutes after a 400 freestyle (which was one of the few events she controlled an easy victory in 4.22,19).<br />
<br />
That is a world class time in any circumstances, and in Sentralbadet with a shallow end its just plain out impressive, even though her PB is in the 2.04s.<br />
<br />
<br />
"To do a 2.07 right now, and after a few events, is pretty good", says the humble 23 year old.<br />
<br />
The intensive racing schedule has a two-sided effect. In Bergen she walked away with a total price money payout of 37.500 Norwegian kroner (around 6.500$ or 4200£), in addition its a great workout.<br />
<br />
"Its all together [price money and training], I guess. It's really good for training and I like doing it during season cause when I go to a big championship meet I feel it is really easy to just swim one event. Its definitely a good preparation for a bigger meet, and I like to do it a lot. I like to race, and its really fun to do it" says Hosszu.<br />
<br />
Hosszu was not happy with the 2012-Olympics, changed coaches and moved back to Hungary.<br />
<br />
So far that seems to be a successful move with great success on the World Cup Circuit and in the World Short Course Championships. The 23 year old is optimistic going into the final months of preparation, but will not set a specific target - in public.<br />
<br />
"I don't really like to talk about my goals in public, but I definitely have goal times in my mind. What I want to reach and if I reach those times I will probably be on the podium" predicts Hosszu.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b><a href="http://www.tv2.no/play/sport/ovrig/svoemmingens-iron-lady-etter-bergen-swim-festival-713303.html" target="_blank">You can watch the full interview here.</a></b></span><br />
<br />
Furthermore she discusses the Bergen Swim Festival, her relationship with Alexander Dale Oen and her general happiness with her own performance.Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-82309656177865149212013-04-22T23:17:00.003+01:002013-04-23T00:38:22.409+01:00Swim stars promise to return to Bergen Swim Festival<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.simma.nu/images/onsite/bestemannspallen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.simma.nu/images/onsite/bestemannspallen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winners of the best performance awards at Bergen Swim Festival: Rikke Møller Pedersen (DEN), Daniel Gyurta (HUN), Katinka Hosszu (HUN), Cameron van der Burgh (RSA), Michael Jamieson (GBR), Jeanette Ottesen (DEN). <br />
(Photo: Kjell Eirik Irgens Henanger, BSF)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The Bergen Swim Festival was particularly star studded this year, due to it being the Alexander Dale Oen memorial.</b><br />
<br />
A short course meet in late april is not ideal, but the swim stars were unanimous: They want to come back to Bergen.<br />
<br />
Whether or not they were influenced by the emphatic crowd in the old pool that facilitates the BSF is hard to say, but most of the stars expressed a desire to return the next time the competition is arranged - even if by then it will not be a memorial meet.<br />
<br />
The meet, established in 2007, will make the highly anticipated transition into a long course meet during the next year or so, as the City of Bergen (approx. 250.000 inhabitants) gets its first long course pool.<br />
<br />
"Its not ideal with a short course meet now, as it is long course season basically" said Katinka Hosszu who used the meet as an intense training session swimming all 15 events - prelims and finals.<br />
<br />
"When they get the long course pool here, this will be an ideal preparation for the upcoming summer-championship," said frequent guest Cameron van der Burgh swimming his fourth Bergen Swim Festival. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdL3G85od8L9U-9jB9lK7OKzY9GN9d8ztsjYPqcJR4jYiiPBNCnbAnisWTFGPYekJFvUH-furrEv-tuCwltdQKzpy_o73gOtlGUTgSykFHlrxJ8tgfDmQjOS3lEDT5ag8G0V_kM05y28k/s1600/alex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdL3G85od8L9U-9jB9lK7OKzY9GN9d8ztsjYPqcJR4jYiiPBNCnbAnisWTFGPYekJFvUH-furrEv-tuCwltdQKzpy_o73gOtlGUTgSykFHlrxJ8tgfDmQjOS3lEDT5ag8G0V_kM05y28k/s320/alex.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Kjell Eirik Irgens Henanger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Alexander Dale Oen will probably be close to the action although the meet will no longer bear his name. Whispers about the pool bearing Norways first, and only, long course world champions name are getting stronger.<br />
<br />
This year, as it normally is at BSF, the mens 100 meters breaststroke was the main attraction. Cameron van der Burgh won in a meet record of 57,82, ahead of Daniel Gyurta.<br />
<br />
"It was a tough and emotional race for me, but its nice to get a chance to honor Alexander by racing guys like Daniel Gyurta and Michael Jamieson. Not so much competing with them, but racing together in Alex's spirit", said van der Burgh immideately after the race.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.tv2.no/play/sport/ovrig/cameron-van-der-burgh-etter-seieren-jeg-blir-tatt-i-mot-som-en-nordmann-713301.html" target="_blank">See Norwegian TV 2s interview with him directly after the final here. </a></b><br />
<br />
<br />
One of the things that makes the meet attractive is the Festival's festive setting for the finals session. With the pool being brought to complete darkness a smoke, and light show is put on while an announcer presents the swimmers. At the same time the public goes mad. This is what attracts the swimmers.<br />
<br />
"Stefan Nystrand once said to me that noone else makes meets like these ones" said international liaison Jan Allers.<br />
<br />
He confirmed that most international competitors had signaled a desire to return to the meet.<br />
<br />
"Its not often you get to feel like a boxer preparing for a swim. It makes it a bit more exciting", said van der Burgh.<br />
<br />
The meet organizers have lofty ambitions for the meet as they enter into the brand new national arena. <br />
<br />
"We want to put Bergen on the international swimming map. In the long term we want it to be the biggest swim meet in Europe" said head of the organizing comittee Gjert Dahl.<br />
<br />
A total of 19 meet records were set during the three days of competition. In addition Estonian backstroker Ralf Tribuntsov set three national records. One in the 50 backstroke (24,33) and two on the double distance (52,33 and 51,97).Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-12629112379273280572013-04-19T19:12:00.004+01:002013-04-20T10:53:14.823+01:00Katinka Hosszu kicks off Bergen Swim Festival with two meet records<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xFwP3zLL3u5bJoRj6ffKiOYtZ4in1Yn1wk3oe_oL0JvB1YDwRMuUyFIgRZ_u7sFsODz_s_MfVCz1EzedPRuhFxSnMGj5zzHK6oPR8R3jZC0izKq1oHsP6nI59xlbWhACoJJtMWc-MGM/s1600/hosszu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xFwP3zLL3u5bJoRj6ffKiOYtZ4in1Yn1wk3oe_oL0JvB1YDwRMuUyFIgRZ_u7sFsODz_s_MfVCz1EzedPRuhFxSnMGj5zzHK6oPR8R3jZC0izKq1oHsP6nI59xlbWhACoJJtMWc-MGM/s640/hosszu.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Katinka Hosszu at Bergen Swim Festival. Photo: Kjell Erik Irgens Henanger</i><br />
<br />
<b>Katinka Hosszu impressed the audience setting two meet records during day one of the Bergen Swim Festival - Alexander Dale Oen memorial in Bergen, Norway. The competition is being swum in short course metres.</b><br />
<br />
Despite it being prelims, and the fact she led both events by a country mile, the Hungarian swim princess went at it with all guns blazing setting a meet record in the 100 meters breaststroke (1:08.98) and the 200 meter freestyle (1:55.35).<br />
<br />
She also qualified first for the 50 meters freestyle and the 100 meters backstroke finals, while she was second in the sprint butterfly behind Jeanette Ottesen. Hosszu is going to swim all 15 events this meet, and you would forgive her if she did not go all-out in all races.<br />
<br />
Undoubtedly the danish breaststroke ace Rikke Møller Pedersen will give Hosszu more of a fight in the breaststroke final tomorrow. Pedersen's 1:10 Friday effort did not look too hard on her.....<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQG841AeSqqmnrFmN30LFb7OSc4qInAeWO8QbSw8DlKbUxX4kF4lEH4oa-p9QsoL5UmBMKDDNr7M843g5-sleP54-fqTPK92T-xVqttFGSVNg1hZwTWmM3Jh-i7JmZoY7cd8-rvvH-h4M/s1600/alex.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQG841AeSqqmnrFmN30LFb7OSc4qInAeWO8QbSw8DlKbUxX4kF4lEH4oa-p9QsoL5UmBMKDDNr7M843g5-sleP54-fqTPK92T-xVqttFGSVNg1hZwTWmM3Jh-i7JmZoY7cd8-rvvH-h4M/s320/alex.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexander Dale Oen Memorial. <br />
Photo: Kjell Erik Irgens Henanger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In other races the favourites all qualified for the mens 100 meters breaststroke-event which will be the highlight of the meet in terms of quality across the field. Martti Ajland (EST) with the best time in the first session 1.00,77, narrowly edging Cameron van der Burgh. Also in that field: Daniel Gyurta, Michael Jamieson and Andrew Willis.<br />
<br />
"I think I can do a 57 in the final", says van der Burgh who left the South-African Championships to participate in the memorial meet.<br />
<br />
The best Norwegian finished tenth in the prelims, an event in which Norway is suffering in after losing Alexander Dale Oen, and Aleksander Hetland going into retirement.<br />
<br />
The meet features some swimmers, like Hosszu and the breaststrokers, which really shows Norwegian swimmers where the international level is. It's quite a stretch for some.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>See all results and livetiming at <a href="http://livetiming.no/">livetiming.no.</a></b><br />
<br />
The meet continues at 8 AM GMT Saturday with finals commencing at 4 PM GMT.<br />
<br />
Several media reports leading up to the meet has been focusing on the swim stars, and the breaststrokers in particular, and their relationships with Alexander Dale Oen.<br />
<br />
TV 2 made a story from when Cameron van der Burgh <a href="http://www.tv2.no/sport/ovrig/olmester-cameron-van-der-burgh-besoekte-kameraten-dale-oens-grav-4030391.html" target="_blank">visited Dale Oens grave. </a><br />
<br />
They also made a clip from when van der Burgh, Daniel Gyurta and Michael Jamieson <a href="http://www.tv2.no/sport/ovrig/svoemmestjernene-minnes-dale-oen-han-var-kjent-for-sin-vennlighet-4030628.html" target="_blank">visited their studio.</a><br />
<br />Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-78755947664776575712013-04-16T15:20:00.000+01:002013-04-16T15:20:30.306+01:00Green Pool Not A Good Look For South African Swimming<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://zwemza.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/pe-green-pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://zwemza.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/pe-green-pool.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Patrick's day was weeks ago...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
What a joke. Swimming SA just cancelled day 2 of World Champ Trials bc of a green pool.<br />
— Ryk Neethling (@RykNeethling) <a href="https://twitter.com/RykNeethling/status/324093338804432897">April 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The pool for World Champ Trials is so dirty swimmers who prepared for 9+ months can't see the wall or bottom of the pool<br />
— Ryk Neethling (@RykNeethling) <a href="https://twitter.com/RykNeethling/status/324094860493717504">April 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
This comes after a day in which this happened...<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Olympic gold medallist Darian Townsend has told me that due to <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23SwimmingSA">#SwimmingSA</a>'s financial woes he's unlikely to represent his country again.<br />
— Jean Smyth (@JeanSmyth) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeanSmyth/status/324012007915397120">April 16, 2013</a></blockquote>
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<br />
South African swimming came out of London 2012 smelling of roses off the back of golds from Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos, but less than a year later it is struggling through a severe financial crisis that is forcing their athletes to <a href="http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/World/34001.asp">pay for their own flights to the World Championships in Barcelona. </a><br />
<br />
<br />Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-38291148424032044682013-03-07T11:00:00.000+00:002013-03-07T11:00:26.224+00:00British Gas International Swimming Meet 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaq2n2JPlK-OxeZIEJiHt9zM1_et-3gVaieVHDEmf1AN8VE-1HHSaO3_vnTP3YxzKDljwU4PBO0mK91hxd54F5IUPVzIcYwG7W1h-pdTJXB3JfT7L0e-Q4SrFxWE0bZGU2qbtsgzpjaRt/s1600/eventlogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMaq2n2JPlK-OxeZIEJiHt9zM1_et-3gVaieVHDEmf1AN8VE-1HHSaO3_vnTP3YxzKDljwU4PBO0mK91hxd54F5IUPVzIcYwG7W1h-pdTJXB3JfT7L0e-Q4SrFxWE0bZGU2qbtsgzpjaRt/s640/eventlogo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>The post-Adlington era of British Swimming begins today with the British Gas International Swimming Meet 2013. </b><br />
<br />
The four day competition sees a number of international stars competing alongside the best of Britain. Those who have made the journey to Leeds include <b>Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Natalie Coughlin, Anthony Ervin, Femke Heemskerk, Jeanette Ottesen, Sharon Van Rouwendaal, Joeri Verlinden</b> and <b>Sebastian Verschuren. Ruta Meilutyte</b> will also make the slightly shorter journey from her base in Plymouth.<br />
<br />
In a welcome move, British Swimming will be offering <a href="http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/swimming/live-streaming/">Live Streaming</a> throughout the competition.<br />
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Live Results <a href="http://www.swimmingresults.org.uk/swimming/results/2013/bsmar13/index.php">here</a><br />
Schedule <a href="http://www.swimming.org/britishswimming/swimming/schedule/">here</a><br />
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Twitter Hashtag: #BGIM13Speed Endurancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14365062789141117207noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250367211605373057.post-6219052849152143522013-02-21T22:50:00.003+00:002013-02-21T22:50:57.478+00:00"A fish rots from the head" - What the Aussies are saying facing Olympic scandal<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.theage.com.au/2013/02/21/4051802/art-SWIMMER3-620x349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://images.theage.com.au/2013/02/21/4051802/art-SWIMMER3-620x349.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IN HOT WATER: The Australian mens 4x100 freestyle relay team is set to tell their story on friday.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>The Australian fallout post the Olympic reviews is the gift that keeps on giving, if you like a good melodrama.</b><br />
<br />
As <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/explosive-new-claims-of-olympic-swimteam-torment-20130222-2euyt.html" target="_blank">Jade Neilsen more or less names and shames</a> James Magnussen, Jason Roberts and Cameron McEvoy from the team-building-event gone horribly wrong in Manchester, the mens 4x100 freestyle team looks set to tell <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/team-set-to-tell-all-20130221-2eubq.html" target="_blank">their story on Australian TV. </a><br />
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Exactly what they will say, and what they hope to achieve is hard to estimate. However - I'm expecting a tearful sorry.<br />
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Meanwhile a lot of opinions has been voiced in this matter down under.<br />
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Wednesday Speed Endurance argued the <a href="http://speedendurance.blogspot.no/2013/02/olympic-public-dirty-laundry-beneficial.html" target="_blank">public wash-up will be a gain for the sport in Australia.</a><br />
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That opinion is shared by Lisa Forrest, a 1980 Olympian who in the <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/tough-talk-is-tonic-to-create-a-team-of-serious-swimmers-20130220-2ermx.html" target="_blank">Sydney Morning Herald</a> tells the tale of when Bill Sweetenham in no way sweet-talked the athletes before the games. This was four years after the shambles that was the 1976 Olympics.<br />
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She claims tough talk is the tonic to create a team of serious swimmers. Sweetenhams speech left her in tears but also galvanized her.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn.fairfaxregional.com.au/silverstone-feed-data/ee758e7c-adb1-40a5-b37f-e9d0ab625c7d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://cdn.fairfaxregional.com.au/silverstone-feed-data/ee758e7c-adb1-40a5-b37f-e9d0ab625c7d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Forrest at the 1980s Olympics.</td></tr>
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<i>"</i><i> On the sporting battlefield (or in the pool) of today, if you can't win
for Australia then all you've got to do is lose well. Silver medals can
be celebrated; bad sportsmanship cannot. [....] The road to recovery after the London Olympics is the same one we took
after Montreal. Swimmers need to be serious and tough, as Bill
Sweetenham said. If that isn't a job you feel up for, then try another
sport."</i></blockquote>
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<br />
<a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/swim-report-missing-two-words-grow-up/story-fnh4jt62-1226581010697" target="_blank">Anthony Sharwood of the Herald Sun</a> makes no one wonder how he feels about the teams mental strength. He claims the Bluestone Review lacks two words: Grow up. Between the lines you also get the feeling he is saying: Grow a pair.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<ul>
<li><i>Mollycoddled swimmers are on social media for the fan love but the poor darlings can’t handle a bit of gentle trolling.</i></li>
<li><i>Mollycoddled
swimmers all want individual coaches, individual sponsorships,
individual “brands”, individual wealth and fame while still young enough
to live at home, to the point that they have no idea what teamwork
means.</i></li>
<li><i>Mollycoddled swimmers who aren’t as good as other swimmers don’t deal with their status well.</i></li>
<li><i>Mollycoddled swimmers who are better than other swimmers don’t like to hang with the slow ones and sometimes bully them.</i></li>
<li><i>Mollycoddled
swimmers complained they had no private refuge in the magnificent, new
athletes’ village constructed entirely for their use</i>. <br /><i>And so on...</i></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
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James Magnussens success-coach, Brant Best, has come out in defence of his adept and claims the elite squad of Australia is not in fact <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/elite-squad-not-pampered-brats-20130220-2erpo.html" target="_blank">"pampered brats".</a><br />
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Maybe so, but they were in dire need of leadership and guidance, something the reports conclude they were not. Leadership is not only sanctioning, it's preventing. The Morning Heralds Chief sports columnist Richard Hinds writes:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wherediditallgorightblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/david_brent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="193" src="http://wherediditallgorightblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/david_brent.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Brent from hit TV-show "The Office" is not what <br />
you would normally call a a good leader.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>"IT DOES not seem long ago that Australian swimmers were beacons of
athletic supremacy and models of wholesome virtue. [...] Now, after the release of two reports on Tuesday, a far less
flattering image of Australian swimming has emerged. That of an Olympic
team deeply confused and divided. Young swimmers distracted by
troublemakers, daunted by unrealistic expectations, depressed by
failure, belittled by a star system and led by befuddled coaches and
officials whose management skills make David Brent look like Donald
Trump."</i> <br />
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Great leadership also means assembling a great team with supplementing skills. In wednesdays post I critizised the fact that Magnussen was not taken down to earth, and the fact that the swimmers seemed ill-prepared for bad results. Now it seems they were not prepared for anything on the mental side of things at all.<br />
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The lack of a sports psychologist among the team is being voiced by <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/monk-reinforces-toxic-claims-20130219-2epm5.html" target="_blank">Kenrick Monk, but maybe more heavily by veteran Libby Trickett.</a> <br />
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The before mentioned Lisa Forrest in an interview with<a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/more-sport/lisa-forrest-slams-australian-swim-team-preparations-for-london-olympics/story-e6frfglf-1226582270909" target="_blank"> the Herald Sun</a> also criticize the lack off competition leading up to the Games, claiming that this was a bad choice - on the mental side of things.<br />
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But now we are digressing into the sporting side of things. A very few is actually voicing that point of view. It's all the things that happened outside of the pool that led to the poor results. That seems to be the widespread opinion.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/100129/a_201106genallan4-15m50hl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/100129/a_201106genallan4-15m50hl.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alan Thompson, former Australian head coach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Stathi Paxinos, a sports journalist, has a really interesting take on the lack of team spirit in the YouTube-video embedded under. He claims that even with big, big names like Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett etc. the feeling of a team was more present before. <br />
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As the new breed of Australian swimmers, undoubtedly good swimmers but as a whole maybe not the standard of the era before them, came through there was a shift in culture. The senior swimmers expected to lead the team was not able to, and neither were the coaches replacing names like Don Talbot and Alan Thompson.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='480' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qSjcAwElmAo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><i>Video via <a href="http://www.swimmersdaily.com/" target="_blank">Swimmer's Daily.</a></i><br />
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This, he argues, is a combined effort between weak leadership from coaches and staff, but also due to the difference in characters.<br />
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That is probably as close to the reasons we are going to get, but fridays Australian relay revelation is going to be an interesting one. Who will they bring with them as they plunge into the deep end?<br />
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Nicole Jeffery writes f<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/opinion/from-the-top-no-one-is-unscathed/story-fnd2ikbn-1226581484599" target="_blank">or the Australian</a> that "A fish rots from the head." Swimming Australia needs their best swimmers performing. Their best swimmers need good leaders to perform.<br />
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<b>And perhaps a good old wake up call.</b><br />
<br />Sander Englund Smørdalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254377962736044644noreply@blogger.com0