the17thman

Friday's Swim Report: Swimmer get better than he was before. Better... stronger... faster.

Lane 1 - KMOX posts "St. Louis Ready for Olympic Swimming Trials Bid.  St. Louis Sports Commission president Frank Viverito explained to Swimming World Magazine, the unique plan to turn the Edward Jones Dome into a temporary natatorium. Earlier this month that idea prompted concern that the floor in the dome may not be strong enough to hold two Olympic sized swimming pools. Engineers have confirmed to KMOX that is no longer a concern."

Lane 2 - The Herald Sun posts (w/video) "Bigger James Magnussen aims for realistic targets in wake of Olympics.  JAMES Magnussen has grown up since London, physically and mentally.  The reigning world 100m freestyle champion experienced a 3cm growth spurt during his six-week break after the London Olympics to now stand at 197cm."

Lane 3 - The Australian posts "Swimmer on learning curve finds it's horses for courses.  TEACHERS come in all guises; they can even come with four legs, as Emily Seebohm has discovered.  So their focus since the Games has been on teaching Seebohm how to relax under pressure.  Help has come from an unexpected quarter, in the shape of a 16-hand, blond-maned stock-horse named Platinum."

Lane 4 - Perth Now posts "Golden girl Stephanie Rice focuses on life out of the pool.  Moving to Sydney, starting a business, a breakfast TV gig and going to the gym whenever she feels like it.  Not to mention the new 6am rise-and-shine time which is far more respectable than the 4am alarm that woke her up every day for the past decade.  At 24, Rice is enjoying being normal again."

Lane 5 - National Real Estate Investor posts "USC To Expand Aquatic Center through $12.5M Project.  he University of Southern California has plans in place to renovate and expand its Uytengsu Aquatic Center. Commercial builder, Bernards has been tapped as the general contractor for the $12.5 million project, which should complete by April 2014."

Lane 6 - Today Tonight posts via youtube "Today Tonight - Michael Bohl to coach swim team.  Brisbane's Michael Bohl has been named as Australia's coach for the women's swim team and he has his eyes set on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."

Lane 7 - Eve and Candace posts via youtube "Eve and Candace on: Reezy's Big Move. Eve and Candace discuss some interesting details revealed in Ryan's interview with SwimSwam.com at the Mesa Grand Prix."

Lane 8 - Same Same posts "Rookies welcome for water polo.  Melbourne Surge Water Polo Club is welcoming new members to its team as they get set to participate in the Antwerp World Outgames in a few months.  “We’re always looking to include people in the community around Surge,” says the team’s media liaison Simon Canard. “The fitness, fun and training is just an added benefit!”  Melbourne Surge Water Polo Club is for all those interested in training and playing water polo with an inclusive, fun loving and active team."

Thursday's Swim Report - Speedo Up, Swim Up and Dive In

Lane 1 - The Futon Critic posts "Michael Phelps Tests His Game and Faces Surprise "Gold Medal Showdown" on Season Finale of Golf Channel's "The Haney Project," Monday, April 29.  Bruce Jenner, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Eruzione and Seth Westcott will also appear in said finale."

Lane 2 - PR Newsire posts "History Is Made: American Honey® Hosts First-ever Times Square Kickball Game With Gold Medal Swimmer Ryan Lochte And Pro Football Star Donovan McNabb.  Celebrity Kickball Game Celebrates Launch of American Honey's Bar-sity Athletics Social Sports Program; Charity Donation Made to Boston-area Red Cross."

Lane 3 -  BG Swimming posts via youtube "Michael Jamieson: "Sign Up to SwimBritain".  Fancy having Olympic silver medalist, Michael Jamieson, on your SwimBritain team? Sign-up today at www.swimbritain.co.uk"

Lane 4 - Windy City Times posts "Smelts mark 25 years in the pool.  Paul Mittleman has been swimming for the predominantly gay Chicago Smelts for 24 of the team's 25 years—longer than some of his teammates have even been alive.   "Swimming is still fun and still a great workout. Plus, I have made lots of friends and gotten to know quite a number of people through the Smelts."  The Smelts this year feature 133 members on the co-ed club, with 64 percent male swimmers."

Lane 5 - Outsports posts "Gay High School Swim Captain Makes A Splash Standing Up For Rights."

Lane 6 - The Age posts (w/video) "Celebrity Splash is almost here...Which brings us to Celebrity Splash, which premieres on Channel Seven this week.  It's no secret the main reason most of the audience will be tuning in is to see belly flops and Speedo wedgies, but there is potential for something to go seriously wrong.  In the US where the series is on air at present, three contestants have been injured (a ruptured eardrum, bruised ribs and bruised kidneys) but are still diving."

Lane 7 - Redstone Rocket posts "Olympic gold medalist encourages swimming lessons.  Cullen Jones nearly drowned as a child but grew up to become one of the world’s fastest swimmers.  The U.S. Olympic gold medalist visited Huntsville on Thursday to springboard the community swimming lessons at Alabama A&M University’s Wellness Center.  “It’s a lifesaving skill,” Jones, 29, said."

Lane 8 - The Sydney Morning Herald posts "Sprenger calls on Hackett.  London Olympic silver medallist Christian Sprenger has called for former champion Grant Hackett to return to the Australian swim team as a mentor, to help fill the leadership gap and develop a new team captain.  The Australian team has not had a captain since Hackett retired in 2008 and Sprenger, now one of the veterans of the team, said he did not believe there was anyone currently capable of stepping up to the role."

Tuesday's Swim Report - The Apprentice Get's Wet! Can Dawn Sock-it To Steph?

Lane 1 - Sports Grid posts "It’s The Offseason, So Ndamukong Suh Is Saving Lives.  Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is prone to exposing quarterbacks to potential danger.  But back to Anderson: he was practicing his dives last week when a bout of acute not-in-shapeness swallowed him whole. Unable to pull himself up on the poolside ladder, Anderson kept falling back into the water “again and again.” Then our heroes, Ndamukong Suh and former Olympic diver Greg Louganis, got to work."

Lane 2 - The Australian posts " Celebrity Apprentice stars face off.  A FEISTY mix of the old and the 'who' are set to face the starter's gun in a new series of Celebrity Apprentice, which launches head long into its first charity challenge this week.  Tough-talking track star John Steffensen, outspoken Olympic legend Dawn Fraser and boxing champion Jeff Fenech are set to add muscle to the Channel 9 reality hit, heavily stacked with the network's tie-in talent.   New Today reporter Stephanie Rice, The Voice diva Prinnie Stevens and Big Brother runner-up Layla Subritzky will join Dancing With The Stars export Kym Johnson, as well as PR supremos Roxy Jacenko and Prue MacSween in rounding out the female contenders, while actor Rob Mills, TV host Peter Everett and comic Peter Berner will compete alongside ageing rocker Brian Mannix and former AFL hall-of-famer Dermott Brereton."

Lane 3 - ESPN posts "Li Zhesi banned 2 years for doping.   Swimming's governing body says former world record-holder Li Zhesi of China is serving a two-year doping ban after testing positive for EPO.  FINA says Li and her coach, who was not identified, have been banned for doping violations by the China Swimming Federation. Dates of the suspension were not published.  Li's positive test for the banned blood-booster in a March 2012 out-of-competition test was revealed weeks before the London Olympics opened last July."

Lane 4 - Pink News posts "Gay Games 2018 bid kicks off.  he bid to host the 2018 Gay Games in London began with a reception in Westminster last night.  Swim coach and London 2018 bid chairperson Alex Davis recalled the low numbers of openly gay athletes who participated in the Olympics, and said that the games would “change and shape the attitudes towards LGBT people” in countries where sexuality and gender are still matters for criminal law."

Friday's Swim Report - Vous souhaite à tous de bonnes fêtes de fin d'année!

Lane 1 - Washington Blade posts "Wetskins water polo team stay busy.  Washington is home to the longest continuously operating LGBT water polo team in the United States.  Founded in 1985, the Washington Wetskins have represented the D.C. area in numerous national and international competitions."

Lane 2 - Arena Nation posts via youtube "Voeux 2013 d'Arena.  Arena vous souhaite à tous de bonnes fêtes de fin d'année!"

Lane 3 - NewsOne posts "From Almost Drowning To Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, Cullen Jones Is Most-Inspiring Story Winner."

Lane 4 - Swagger posts "Sexiest Sports Moments of 2012.  17. Chloe Sutton: Swimming.    She didn't medal. She didn't win. She didn't place in any race in London.  But Chloe Sutton was still a sexy moment this year for one reason: being the sexiest US swimmer at the US Olympic trials this summer. She headed to London but failed to win anything.   That's OK, we still love her."

Lane 5 - Charlotte Observer posts "Berens back home – as visitor.   Ricky Berens depends on his body to make a living.  But the reality of professional swimming, especially post Olympics, means Berens still turns to a less-than-ideal college standby to refuel.  “I’m a professional swimmer, but I put that in quotations because we get by on Ramen noodles and hot dogs,” he said, referring to the lack of riches for all but a few swimming stars."

Lane 6 - Long Beach Post "Swimmer Jessica Hardy Brings Long Beach Another Gold.  Jessica Hardy, not far off from her Olympic gold medals this past summer, has scored yet another gold for Long Beach's aquatics cred with the U.S. women team's 400 meter freestyle at the 2012 FINA Swimming World Championships, held in Instanbul this past weekend."

Lane 7 - BG Swimming posts via youtube "Ask Duncan - Episode 2.  In the second episode of Ask Duncan, British Gas Swimming's social community put their questions to Olympic gold medalist and British Gas ambassador, Duncan Goodhew."

Lane 8 - The Imperial Republican posts "Olympian visits Wallin in hospital.  Makenna Wallin, 15, of Imperial received a surprise visitor during her first week in Children’s Hospital Colorado for treatment of AML, or Acute Myeloid Leukemia.  Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin popped in on Makenna and 11 other children, making jokes, talking about musicians like Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber, and encouraging them on their path to healing."

Monday's Swim Report - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Swim-mas

Lane 1 - News.com posts "Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham given all-clear following scans after hitting head on pool deck.  Olympic gold medallist Matthew Mitcham says he'll heed a rudimentary lesson after hitting his head on a pool deck at the Australian diving championships.  The 2008 Beijing 10m platform champion was taken to hospital for precautionary scans after banging his head when he fell while rushing to join fellow finallists for the 3m springboard event at Brisbane's Chandler Aquatic Centre on Thursday.  He was later released when the scans came back clear."

Lane 2 - The Aqualillies posts via youtube "Aqualillies Holiday 2012.  Preparing for our holiday show at the Roosevelt Hotel."

Lane 3 - Khaleej Times posts "The rainbow nation’s new hero.In a freewheeling chat with Khaleej Times, South African Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh reflected on his gold and world record in London, slammed the ‘powerful countries’ for harassing a Chinese teen sensation and put Phelps ahead of Bolt on his list of greatest Olympians ever."

Lane 4 - USA Today posts "Ryan Lochte gave away medals to Turkish children, wore these shoes.  That's because Lochte handed out some of his medals from the meet to Turkish children. It's a gesture he's made before at non-Olympic meets, but always feels generous nonetheless.  Lochte explained the inspiration for the gifts.  "I remember when as a kid I looked up to an Olympian superstar," he told reporters. "I won't mention his name [but] I asked for an autograph and he said 'no'."  Lochte also continued another tradition at short-course worlds: wearing fancy shoes on the medal stand. This time, a pair of psychedelic bears and monkey slippers made the cut. The latter pair are especially.  "Ho, I think I have about, a total of 130 pairs of shoes," Lochte told The New York Times before the Olympics. "So you can say I like shoes."

Lane 5 - Sport24 posts "Chad puts dad before Team SA.  South African swimming sensation Chad le Clos left the world short course championships in Istanbul on Sunday with two medals after he opted out of defending his 200m butterfly crown.  However, sensationally, according to the Beeld website, Le Clos failed to turn up for the heats on Sunday morning after deciding to attend the BBC’s Sports Personality Awards in London.  Le Clos' dad, Bert, was nominated for the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year award for the emotional speech he gave following Chad’s gold medal win in London." 

Lane 6 - SNST Patton post via youtube "Richard Hortness at Gift of Sport for KidSport Vancouver.  Richard Hortness, two time Canadian Olympic swim team member shares a personal story of what KidSport means to him. Richard was the keynote speaker at Gift of Sport, a fundraiser for KidSport Vancouver, held at VanDusen gardens Dec 11, 2012. Visit the event website at www.agiftofsport.com."

Lane 7 - Mail Online posts (w/video) "Lauren Pope and Tom Daley leave Will.i.am's launch party hand-in-hand.  He's an Olympic swimmer and she's an Essex reality star, but it seems that Lauren Pope and Tom Daley have forged an unlikely friendship.  The pair were seen leaving will.i.am's party together and they were hand-in-hand as they made their way to a car.  Lauren, 30, and Tom,18, were seen drinking and dancing with a group of friends as David Guetta performed a DJ set at the foto.sosho launch party at One Marylebone."

Lane 8 - The Independent posts "Inside Lines: Olympic Stadium in bid to host Gay Games of 2018.  After the triumph of London 2012, another global event may be heading the way of Stratford's Queen Elizabeth (née Olympic) Park. The World Athletics Championships are booked for 2017 – assuming the revamped stadium is ready – but the following year could see London host the Gay Games, the world's largest sporting event for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender athletes."