Swimmer's Daily

  • French swimmer Yannick Agnel has been struck down by a lung infection, forcing him to change his event schedule at the World Championships this summer. “Antibiotics, a big week in bed and we’re back six weeks back, ” stated the coach Fabrice Pellerin according to L’Équipe. The plan now is to race in the 200 free and 4×200 free, but not the 400 free and likely neither the 4×100 free, even though he in the 400 free is ranked 2nd in the world this year. Via speedendurance.blogspot.com

  • Great video here by ArenaNatation, where César Cielo amongst other things reveals that the most important medal in his collection is not the 50 freestyle Olympic gold medal from Beijing 2008, but rather the 100 freestyle bronze medal.

  • Alberto Pinto Silva, coach to Olympic 50m free champion Cesar Cielo in Brazil, has described as foolish the fact that his country has no Omega OSB11 ramp starting blocks of the kind that will be used this summer in Shanghai and next summer in London when his charge defends the World and Olympic titles respectively. Read more here on SwimNews.com.

    Omega OSB11 start blocks of Tórshavn installed this week. Photo: Helena Dam

    They are testing some kind of Brazilian version, that Pinto says has a different gradient. “The angle of the ramp (track-start platform at the back of the block) is different. It seems like foolishness, but we are talking about the world record holder.”

    I must say that it is amazing, that a huge country like Brazil doesn’t have a single OSB11 starting block, compared to my home country of Faroe Islands with a population of 50.000 people now having them installed in two of our three 25 meter pools. Yes, they cost a bit of money, but you need them, if you are to practice perfect starts!

  • While talking to the Associated Press today, Michael Phelps declared that he will retire from competitive swimming after his participation in the 2012 London Olympic Games. While expressing his concerns after retirement, the 25-year-old Phelps declared that he will put more effort into his foundation and will try to increase the level of sports countrywide and worldwide. In addition, Phelps uttered that he can do anything but he will not become a swimming coach. He justified his decision by saying that coaching is a very difficult task and it requires a lot of tolerance.

    “I see what I put my coach (Bob Bowman) through, and if there was a kid that I was teaching that did the same stuff, I’m not sure how I would react. Now I see why he has gray hair. I’ve put him through so much stress over the last 11, 12 years”

    Read more here on blogs.bettor.com, via Gold Medal Mel

  • Great column here on thisislondon.co.uk by Liam Tancock, where he reveals that he has been taking ballet lessons, and that British swimming training camps involve a FIFA tournament on PlayStation.

    This might come as a surprise but I’ve been taking ballet classes with my training group.

    I’ve had four – and it’s not like we’re wearing frilly tutus or trying to be dancers and perfect the moves. It’s about thinking outside of the box, trying to keep ahead of our rivals by learning from other disciplines.

    – Oh no it doesn’t, and oh yes you were … and I hope that someone’s got the pictures to proove it ! ;-)

  • European and Commonwealth champion Francesca Halsall putting a group of kids through their paces at the Manchester Aquatics Centre. And shock, horror, she reveals that she doesn’t keep a log book (!)

  • The Navy SEALs and USA Swimming have joined efforts to bring a new program to USA Swimming clubs and LSCs: the SEAL Fitness Challenge. It will take place in the spring and fall in various LSCs around the country. USA Swimming members can participate individually or with their club, but must be 13 year of age or older.

    Each SEAL Fitness Challenge participant will complete the following:

    • 500-yard swim (10 minutes rest)
    • Maximum number of push-ups in 2 minutes (2 minutes rest)
    • Maximum number of curl-ups in 2 minutes (2 minutes rest)
    • Maximum number of pull-ups in 2 minutes (10 minutes rest)
    • 1.5 mile run

    All athletes’ scores will be calculated against Navy SEAL standards and posted to usaswimming.org to compare with age group swimmers nationwide.

    Results as of 4/28/2011.

  • A study of 1500 British children aged six to 15 reveals a generation turning its back on sport. One in six cannot swim, one in ten had not learned to ride a bicycle, and almost a quarter had never run 400 metros. British children are more than twice as likely to spend their free time watching television (79%) than playing sport (34%), and also to choose internet or video games over sports. 33% did not own a bike, compared with 77% who owned a games console. And what is really sad, is that 15% had never played sport with their parents. Read more here on dailymail.co.uk.

  • Fourteen-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Michael Phelps is gearing up for the World Championships in Shanghai this summer, obviously an important meet and also a critical gauge of his form on the way to what would be his fourth Olympic Summer Games next year. He plans to race in four individual events and three relays in China. Read more here on sports.espn.go.com.

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