the17thman

Thursday's Swim Report: Get Out Of The Way Of The Jeah Tsunami!

Lane 1 - New Straits Times posts "Sun shining again after coaching clouds clear.  China's double Olympic gold medallist Sun Yang has mended fences with his coach and laid down a marker ahead of this year's World Championships by winning the 400m freestyle at the National Swimming Championships, local media reported."

Lane 2 - CNN posts via youtube "Ryan Lochte goes for reality TV gold.  Anderson Cooper has a preview of Ryan Lochte's upcoming E! reality TV show."

Lane 3 - NYDN posts "Lance Armstrong withdraws from Masters swim meet after objections raised.  Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France champion who admitted to his doping past earlier this year, has also found himself unwelcome at triathlon and running events in the months since his suspension went into effect.   Armstrong pulled out after swimming officials notified his management team that international anti-doping rules prohibited Armstrong from participating in the Masters South Central Zone Swimming Championships in Austin, Texas.  Rob Butcher, executive director of U.S. Masters Swimming, which oversees the event, said his group was a member of U.S. Aquatic Sports, which is recognized by the International Swimming Federation (known as FINA) – a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code. All signatories to the WADA code must recognize bans imposed by other signatories, like USADA."

Lane 4 - Daily Mail posts "She's a telly flop! Kendra Wilkinson is kicked off Splash after refusing to dive.  But Kendra Wilkinson was the true telly flop on Tuesday night's edition of Splash after she refused to dive.  The Playboy Playmate couldn't face leaping off the board with partner Rory Bushfield on the ABC show, a decision she said would haunt her for the rest of her life."  The Malibu Times posts "Greg Louganis takes the plunge on ‘Splash’.  Famed Malibu Olympian makes waves in reality TV."  ESPN posts "Brandi Chastain talks 'Splash,' staying fit.  Growing up in San Jose, Calif., you'd think that Brandi Chastain would have been really good at swimming.  But that wasn't the case."

Lane 5 - The Australian posts "Grow up and just swim: Olympic great Kieren Perkins.  AUSTRALIA'S male swimmers must focus on their sport and not being "celebrity show ponies".  That's the view of former champion Kieren Perkins in the wake of the damning Bluestone Review into Australia's Olympic swimming team."

Lane 6 - Yonhap News posts "Swimmer Park Tae-hwan feels his career is not finished.  At the ripe age of 23, South Korean swimming star Park Tae-hwan has already heard the whispers that his career may be done. Park has won two world titles, four Olympic medals and 14 Asian Games medals, and doubters have said that he can't possibly do much more down the road."

Lane 7 - DNA posts "Meet Linden Wolbert, the swimmer who's become 'real-life mermaid'.  The Los Angeles model, who was already a keen free diver- able to descend to 115ft, has claimed that things have become smooth since donning the tail.  Swimmer Linden Wolbert has become a fulltime professional mermaid after shelling out 10,000 pounds to make a functional 6ft tail."

Lane 8 - KTLA news posts (w/video) "Missing Olympic Diving Champion Sammy Lee Found Safe.  Two-time Olympic gold medalist Samuel “Sammy” Lee was found safe on Tuesday after a daylong search.  Sheriff’s deputies located Lee in Pico Rivera just after 9 p.m. Tuesday.  The 92-year-old, who suffers from dementia and heart problems, had been missing since Monday."

TLC's My Crazy Obsession: Merman Eric aka The Mertailor

The Daily Mail posts "Meet Eric, 22, who lives life as a MERMAN swimming underwater in Florida's springs wearing a latex tail - despite wide-eyed stares from the local fishermen." Youtube "The Mertailor has taken mermaids to the next level since 2005. Making one dream come true after the next. Specializing in custom created mermaid tails, Eric's master pieces can be found all over the world."

Read more at Towleroad and Buzzfeed

Wednesday's Swim Report - Mea Cupla, Mea Swimmer!

A little mea cupla from me and the Daily Swim Report.  When I post links to stories about swimming I try to use trusted news organizations and allow the reader to make up his or her own opinions on the story.  Sometimes these news organizations may stretch the truth or fudge the facts.  As one really bad former US President once said "One man's tabloid is another man's bible"* or something like that.  As always use your judgement and form your own opinions when reading any news source.  From time to time when someone notifies me of a particular news story that may or may not be true I will either pull the item or update it with current info.  Today was one of those days.  And with that...

Lane 1 - The Sydney Morning Herald posts "A Current Affair report on Olympic medalist is flawed: ACMA.  Tabloid television program A Current Affair has been found by the broadcasting watchdog to have breached accuracy, privacy and complaints-handling codes in its report on Olympic gold medallist Neil Brooks.  In a 19-minute segment aired in March of last year, reporter Amanda Paterson – a former colleague and friend of Brooks – confronted him on camera and called him "a disgrace to Australia."  Meanwhile The Herald Sun posts "Nine broke rules in program on Neil Brooks.  The code says licensees don't have to respond to complaints that are the subject of legal proceedings and Brooks had issued a concerns notice under the defamation act."  The Telegraph post (w/video) part of the ACA piece "Neil Brooks on ACA.  A Current Affair investigates former Olympic gold medalist Neil Brooks."

Lane 2 - Gay Star News posts "Meet the gay man obsessed with being a mermaid.  A 22-year-old gay man from Florida who's entire life is based around mermaids is the subject of a new TLC documentary.   A gay man in Florida does not just love mermaids - it’s his life.  Eric Ducharme, 22, is the subject of the latest TLC documentary ‘My Crazy Obsession’."

Lane 3 - WWSB posts "Sarasota Sharks Masters team looks to dominate in nationals. As the YMCA and the Selby Aquatic Center prepare for the gargantuan task of hosting the Pan-American Masters Championships in June, the Sarasota Sharks Masters swim team has some things to take care of before then.  The Masters team heads to Fort Lauderdale next week for the YMCA National Championships -- a meet they have won 7 straight times."

Lane 4 - Billings Gazette posts "Olympic swimmer, gold medalist encourages Laurel students to find passion. Looking out at the faces more than 600 teenagers at Laurel High School, three-time Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines told the students that, no so long ago, he was just like them.  He had personal struggles. He had doubts and didn't know what he wanted out of life.  And he faced rejection.  "The reason I started swimming is because I failed in five other sports," Gaines said."

Lane 5 - The Hollywood Reporter posts "Ryan Lochte: I Want to Be the Next Kim Kardashian.  Inside the swimmer's plan to go from Olympic champion to reality TV star: "When I walk down the street, people recognize me, and that never happened before," he tells THR. "Now's my chance."

Lane 6 - WFMY 2 posts (w/video) "Cullen Jones, Joey Cheek Help Kickoff Short Course National Championship.  Some Olympic Gold medalists spent time Greensboro on Tuesday talking to teenagers before they begin their youth swimming competition.  Joey Cheek and Cullen Jones spoke to the more than 1,500 registered YMCA swimmers on Tuesday to help kick off the YMCA Short Course National Championships that's going to be held Wednesday, April 3 through Saturday, April 6 at the Greensboro Aquatic Center.  Cullen Jones has been determined to break the stereotype that black people cannot swim since almost drowning at a Pennsylvania water park at the age of five. He is the first African-American to break a world record as well as win a gold medal at the World University Games when he was a student at North Carolina State University."

Lane 7 - Guyism posts "New Busch beer, Kräftig, praises the Speedo.  Kräftig may be brewed in St. Louis, but its inspiration is 100% German."

Lane 8 - Bradenton Herald posts "Swimmers get out of the 'concrete box' and head to open water.  Most Saturday mornings, a group of avid swimmers ditch the pool for an open-swim get-together on Siesta Key Beach. Once in the gulf past the blue lifeguard station, they swim between two buoys, making two to three round-trips of about a mile each.  Throughout the United States, hundreds of open-water swim competitions are held every year.  In Sarasota, the annual Tropical Splash Open Water Swim is held each October. The 2013 Pan American Masters Championship is coming up in June and part of the event is a 3K and 1K open-water race off Siesta Key Beach."

Thursday's Swim Report: More Then One Night for One Swim

Lane 1 - The Age posts "Former swimming chief rails at 'character assassination'.  Swimming was hailed by the Australian Sports Commission as a well-run, accountable and progressive sport, says a former Swimming Australia director who is infuriated by the ASC's threat to slash $2million from its funding if it does not measure up to new guidelines.  "I'm damned if I'm going to sit back and cop this character assassination," said Lawrie Cox, who was on the SA board for six years until late last year and chaired its audit and finance committees."

Lane 2 - Hanson Media Group posts "SWIMMING CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE NUGENT’S FONT OF KNOWLEDGE SAYS ASCTA BOSS.  President of the Australian Swimming Coaches and Teachers Association (ASCTA) Ron McKeon today described outgoing National Head Swimming Coach Leigh Nugent as “a man of great integrity with a font of knowledge who swimming cannot afford to lose” as Australia plans its Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games campaigns in 2014, 2016 and beyond."

Lane 3 - Daily Mail posts "Anything Lochte can do! Now Michael Phelps is followed by a camera crew as he shows off his swimmer's body in Miami.  Not bad for a retiree: Michael Phelps insists he will not be returning for the 2016 Olympics but he is in good shape, he showed off his swimmer's body as he filmed a segment  in Miami on Wednesday."

Lane 4 - Las Vegas Sun posts "Strip Scribbles: Mermaid Hannah Fraser to perform in ‘One Night for Drop’ at Bellagio.  Cirque du Soleil’s incredible one-night-only show “One Night for One Drop” at Bellagio on Friday is to be filmed for a 90-minute worldwide special to be broadcast for just seven days starting next Monday.  Vegas DeLuxe has already reported that many celebrities including Britney Spears, Pamela Anderson, Criss Angel and Olympic gold medalists including Michael Phelps will be attending."

Lane 5 - Courier Mail posts "Bohl's a scratching from coaching race.  LEADING swimming coach Michael Bohl has ruled himself out of the running as Australia's next head coach.  Bohl said yesterday he wanted to concentrate his efforts on the pool deck rather than in front of a computer."

Lane 6 - Inside The Games posts "Swimming Australia turns to hockey for new chief executive.  Swimming Australia's new chief executive is set to be Mark Anderson, replacing Kevin Neil, who resigned last November following the poor performance at London 2012.  Anderson, the chief executive of Hockey Australia, is still finalising the details of his contract and an official announcement is due next week."

Lane 7 - Connect Tri States posts (w/video) " You can be on a swim team at any age
by Kristen Aguirre.  "Two out of my four kids swim, they love it," Kimber said. "One of the things that my son said to me is, 'Mommy i can wait until I beat you.' It's just a lot of fun and a great way to compete and play together as a family."  While Kimber's kids practice she's right next to them in the other lane. She's part of Sheridan's Masters Swimming Program."

Lane 8 - Fox59 posts (w/video) "Swim championships helping sport, economy in Indy. Champions are crowned in Indianapolis.  That’s the message John Dedman of the Indiana Sports Corporation wants the world to hear and Thursday’s start of the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships at the IU Natatorium at IUPUI’s downtown Indianapolis campus plays a part in that."

pool+mermaids=wow!!! Miami Mermaids as Mermaid Vampires

Welcome into the pool!

We are a unique trio of Miami based mermaidsooops and one merman too!

We have a very cool suitcase to travel anywhere in the world.

Miami isn’t the only place that needs mermaids ya know!!!

We specialize in making your party or eventFun! Unforgettable! Sensational!and of course ... a SPLASH!

http://miamimermaids.net

DISCLAIMER:  None needed.  Just a cool Facebook friend has this mermaid thing going on and well I like mermaids/merman.  Figured I'd give them a shout out.  Go Mermaids!