the17thman

Sunday's Swim Report - It's Summertime Swimming Day!

Lane 1 - The Australian posts "Summer time, and the swimming is easy.  COAST to coast yesterday, the nation took the day off to swim and feast -- whether with seafood, turkey or a barbecue -- and as always, charities made sure that no one had to miss out.  In Perth, hundreds of families flocked to the calm, protected waters of Mettam's Pool on the city's northern beaches for a Christmas morning swim."

Lane 2 - BBC has "Weymouth's Christmas Day swim attracts hundreds.  Hundreds of swimmers have taken part in Dorset's annual Christmas Day swim across Weymouth Harbour.  About 5,000 spectators saw 247 people swim in the charity event, which is organised by Weymouth and Portland Lions Club.  This is the 64th year the 73m (239ft) long swim, from Old Rooms Inn to the Royal Dorset Yacht Club, has been held.  Two pub landlords started the event in 1947 and last year it attracted 240 swimmers."

Lane 3 - NZ Herald posts "Training camp gets hearts racing.  Some New Zealand swimmers will go to any lengths for success at next year's London Olympics.  In the case of top breaststroker Glenn Snyders, that's been around 3700 lengths of a 50m pool over the past three weeks - the most he has ever achieved in any single block of training."

Lane 4 - The Sydney Morning Herald posts "The deep end. Dementia has changed Julie Power's mother, but in the swimming pool she returns to the woman she used to be.  My mother cuts through the water without a splash. She manages about 200 metres of evenly paced freestyle before she stops and grins at me while I pant behind her. Even in her demented state, a 75-year-old, she can outswim her daughter. It pleases her to see me straggle."

Lane 5 - Sun Sentinel posts "Manatees check in to South Florida for the winter.  Along with tourists, traffic and crowds, winter has brought a swarm of manatees to South Florida.  An aerial survey this week found 213 in Broward County, most clustered in water warmed by discharges from the Florida Power & Light plant west of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport."

Lane 6  - The Daily Progress posts "Hair's mission is to teach kids how to swim.  Gordon Hair has made it his mission to “waterproof” Central Virginia by teaching 50,000 children to swim. Through his nonprofit organization, the Ben Hair — Just Swim for Life Foundation, Hair has begun to set up sustainable programs to teach low-income children to swim."

Lane 7 - Why Not!  Mystic River company posts "2010 Boston Speedo Run" via Youtube

Lane 8 - The Australian posts "Sharks put fear into swimmers.  SHARKS forced Perth swimmers out of the water twice yesterday and seven times over the weekend.  A shark spotted from a privately owned helicopter about 200m off Scarborough led surf lifesavers to close the beach between 11am and noon yesterday, while further north the popular beach of Mullaloo was also closed for an hour when the chopper run by Surf Life Saving WA spotted a 2.5m shark about 400m off the coast. Hammerheads and a tiger shark were among the species spotted."

Sunday's Swim Report - More Ho Ho Ho Speedo Running

Lane 1 - TampaBay.com posts "Second-annual Santa Speedo Run draws 130 participants.  The chance to raise money for charity brought a lot of people out to Clymer Park on Saturday afternoon for the second annual Santa Speedo Run. The sun and nearly 80-degree weather helped, too.  The run, the biggest so far with 130 participants, raised more than $30,000 for kids affected by HIV or AIDS."  The Capital posts "Santa sans pants: Speedo, bikini-clad joggers run in event.  There were absolutely no thongs allowed, but few other rules in effect regarding wardrobe for Saturday's Santa Speedo Run.  So, wearing only pair of red, skin-tight boxer briefs trimmed with white fur and a pair of suspenders, Jon Rovendro fit right in on Main Street in downtown Annapolis.  They were there to take a 1-mile jog around downtown, including a turn around City Dock, for the charity event to raise money and collect toys for Toys for Tots."

Lane 2 - Fox Sports posts "Lochte ready for his own Olympic glory.  Which is why in December, in the meat of the NFL season, I am in Atlanta. I am here to watch the most interesting man in the swimming world. At least he is to me. This disclaimer is necessary because I am not talking about Michael Phelps, the most accomplished man in swimming, the biggest name and quite possibly still the greatest swimmer going at the moment.  But Phelps is not in Atlanta. There are theories as to why he has been a little reclusive on the pre-2012 London Olympic slate, but really, there's just one reason. And his name is Ryan Lochte. And he is why I am in Atlanta in the middle of football season."

Lane 3 - Fox Sports posts "Ian Thorpe struggles into 10th placing in the 200m freestyle at the Italian Winter Open.  Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe endured a second disappointing outing on his return to long course swimming after a six-year absence when he was 10th in the 200m freestyle at the Italian Winter Open."  Sydney Morning Herald posts "London still in Thorpe's sights - don't write him off, says patient Nugent.  IAN THORPE'S comeback is not on life-support, nor are his London Olympic aspirations in tatters, according to the national head coach, Leigh Nugent, who said such suggestions were ''ill-informed''."

Lane 4 - Delco News Network posts "Sports Flashback: Remembering Delco Olympian Carl Robie.  With the recent passing of Olympic gold medalist Carl Robie, I thought it would be appropriate if I ran an article I wrote about Robie back in 2007. The following is that column as it appeared in Town Talk on June 27, 2007.  Besides winning a silver and gold medal at the Olympics, Carl was a holder of five world records and 22 national championships. Two of those world records came in separate races on the same day in August of 1962. He also captured a total of nine AAU titles, two NCAA championships and a Pan American gold medal.  Carl Robie was truly one of the greatest Olympians our county has ever produced."

Lane 5 - Only in Berkeley!  Berkeleyside posts "A “funeral” for a much-loved Berkeley swimming pool.  Berkeley’s Warm Pool at the Old Gym on the Berkeley High campus filled with swimmers Wednesday night for probably the last time ever, as scores of pool loyalists gathered for a mock funeral. The Old Gym is being shuttered and is slated to be demolished in 2012. Above is a video shot last night, which includes some images taken of the pool in use on other days. It is by L.A. Wood. Robert Collier, Co-Chair of the Berkeley Pools Campaign, filed the report.  Hanging over the Warm Pool debate is a wild card — a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, in which Warm Pool swimmer Terry Cochrell is seeking an injunction to keep the pool open and operating until a replacement pool is provided. A ruling is expected later today."

Lane 6 - The Bay Citizen has "Swimmers to Protest America's Cup by Occupying the Bay.  Members of the Dolphin Club object to plans for big boats and a giant floating TV screen.  As they have been doing since 1877, members of the Dolphin Swimming and Boating Club plunged into the water. About a dozen swimmers, clad only in regular swimwear — no wet suits — did laps from their beachside clubhouse to the other side of the cove and back.Now some of the club’s 1,200 members believe the city needs an attitude adjustment — and they intend to do exactly that by disrupting plans for the coming America’s Cup yacht races in 2012 and 2013.  Specifically, the swimmers object to a proposal to transform this tranquil cove into party central for the races, complete with a floating giant TV screen. The plan has received preliminary approval.  Evoking recent citizen uprisings on Wall Street and elsewhere, the Dolphins have named their protest Occupy the Bay."

Lane 7 - Huff Post has "Babies Swimming Underwater (PHOTOS) Forget attachment parenting. At London Baby Swim, parents are letting go in a big way. They're teaching babies, as young as six weeks old, to somersault, float and even dive underwater.  Terrifying? Maybe. But, founder and instructor Phil Shaw tells nervous parents that babyhood is a perfect time to get comfortable in the water."

Lane 8 - NINE posts "Multiple shark sightings close to shore in Western Australia's southwest have forced the closure of some beaches.  Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) says Bunbury and Dalyellup beaches were closed on Sunday morning after eight sharks were sighted between 30m and 50m offshore in the area."

Thursday's Swim Report - Some Outrage With The News

Lane 1 - WaPo has "Wenatchee, Wash., freshman who drowned had been teased for initially sitting out of pool.  A Wenatchee freshman who drowned in the high school pool missed the swimming assessment in the first week of class while sitting on the bleachers and was kidded when he said he didn’t know how to swim, according to a police report.  Antonio Reyes had entered the pool Nov. 17 with other students in his physical education class and was last seen treading water. Students in the next class found him at the bottom of the pool.  ccording to the report, two students also recalled that Reyes and three other boys who did not swim the day of the assessments were teased, and that Reyes was ridiculed when he said he did not know how to swim.  The report found that Reyes might have been underwater for more than 40 minutes before being discovered by an incoming class at the deep end of the pool. Foul play is not suspected."

Lane 2 - Guardian Media posts "Bovell III, Thorpe clash in Italy.  T&T’s three-time Olympian and Athens Greece, bronze medal winner George Bovell III will go head-to-head with Australian Ian “Torpedo” Thorpe at the Italian Open Long Course National Championship."

Lane 3 - Gazettes of Long Beach has "2012 Speedo Championship Swims Through Long Beach.  The 2012 Speedo Champions Series is a grouping of 18 swim meets conducted across the country. Sponsored by Speedo USA, the American branch of the Australian-based worldwide leader in the field of competition swimwear, the Long Beach meet is the first of the batch for the year. Other West Coast meets in the series will be in Washington, Oregon and Northern California. The balance of the meets will be in locations as far afield as Buffalo, Orlando, Wisconsin and Texas."

Lane 4 - Universal Sports posts "Photo of the Week: Santas don Speedos, go berserk in Boston."

Lane 5 - Florida Today posts "Brevard senior athletes good as gold.  Several Brevard County athletes might recall the tune but they do ignore the title, 18 of them having won gold medals at the 2011 Florida International Senior Games and State Championships on Dec. 3-11 in Lakeland.."

Lane 6 - BBC posts "London 2012 funds pond swimming lessons in Bangladesh.  Children in Bangladesh are being taught to swim as part of a programme run by the London 2012 Olympics organization."

Lane 7 - From Gizmodo "How to Film a Great White Shark with Your iPhone."

Lane 8 - Jezebel posts "Woman Still Doesn’t Understand Why Her ‘White Only’ Swimming Pool is Racist.  An Ohio landlord who posted a "White Only" sign outside her property's swimming pool is requesting that the state reconsider its ruling. She totally wasn't being racist, you see, since she did it because she was worried that if nonwhites were allowed in the pool, their strange black people hair products would make the water "cloudy." See? Not racist at all!"

Wednesday's Swim Report - 2 Headed Shark Attack!

Lane 1 - The Age has "Magnussen eyes 50m freestyle at Games.  ames Magnussen has emerged as a genuine chance of swimming the 50 metres freestyle at the London Olympics following his shock win over Australian record holder Ashley Callus last night."

Lane 2 - Bed-Stuy Patch posts "Olympic Gold Medalist Cullen Jones Freestyles a Few Lessons at the Bed-Stuy YMCA.  Sprint swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones visited the Bed-Stuy Piranhas to impart a few lessons."

Lane 3 - Daily Telegraph posts "Swimmer Stephanie Rice signs for Six Degrees Management entertainment specialist Titus Day with TV career goal.  SWIMMING'S glamour girl has given a big indication of what she has planned post-swimming by signing with the same high-profile management stable that includes Guy Sebastian, Sophie Monk and Ruby Rose.  Stephanie Rice, who until recently managed herself, has signed with entertainment specialist Titus Day, whose 6 Degrees Management also once helped guide the careers of Lara Bingle and Matthew Newton."

Lane 4 - WaPo has "London 2012: Ed Moses wants to make U.S. swim team, recapture glory of 2000 Games.  Back in the glory days, when he was the nation’s top breast stroker and a world-record holder, Ed Moses didn’t aspire to anything less than record times and first place. Now, 11 years removed from the Olympic gold and silver medals he won at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, in the 10th month of a return to the sport after five years of no swimming whatsoever, Moses measures his progress by entirely different standards."

Lane 5 - More Than The Games posts "Adlington backs Big Splash scheme to unearth world class talent.  DOUBLE Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington is adamant the 1,000 Big Splash pools have a vital role to play in unearthing the next crop of world-class British international talent.  Adlington is lending her support to British Swimming's Big Splash campaign alongside principal partner British Gas ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games."

Lane 6 - Dread Central has "2-Headed Shark Attack Trailer Rears Both of its Ugly Heads.  From the studio that brought you the Mega Shark movies, Mega Piranha, and 2012: Moby Dick comes The Asylum’s latest foray into monstrous sea life. Bear witness to Carmen Electra, Brooke Hogan, Charlie O’Connell, and a slew of nearly bare bodies as they fall prey to its twin jaws of toothy terror in the trailer for 2-Headed Shark Attack.  When a Semester at Sea ship is sunk by a mutated two-headed shark, the survivors escape to a deserted atoll. But when it starts flooding, the coeds are no longer safe from the double jaws of the monster."  Woah…that is one star studded cast.

Lane 7 - Project Q Atlanta posts "Tuesday: Hunks of Atlanta Santa Speedo Run.  With more than 250 people dressed in their holiday best – a Speedo – for the 3rd Annual Atlanta Santa Speedo Run on Saturday, you know there were hunks. Lots of them."  Meanwhile Q100 posts "Q100's Bert Makes Atlanta's Speedo Run.  ATLANTA's cold snap this weekend wasn't enough to stop CUMULUS Top 40 WWWQ (Q100) morning man BERT WEISS and other ATLANTA "Speedo Run" participants from stripping down to their too-skimpy swimsuits or underwear and running 1.5 miles to raise money for "BERT'S BIG ADVENTURE," WEISS' charity to help send children with chronic or terminal illnesses on trips to DISNEY WORLD."

Lane 8 - The Ledger posts "International, State Games Close; Voisard Leads Polk With 5 Records.  Polk County residents made significant contributions to the 20th Florida International Senior Games and State Championships held here Dec. 3-11.  Polk County residents not only won gold medals, but were part of record-breaking performances.  Swimmer Brian Voisard of Winter Haven set five age group records to lead the way for Polk.  Voisard broke the men's age 60-64 records in the 200 and 500 freestyles, 100 and 200 backstrokes and in the 200 individual medley."

Tuesday's Swim Report - The Ghost of Tech Swim Suit Past

Lane 1 - The Australian posts "Built for comfort, and for speed.  EVEN with a pink tulle skirt, ruffled collar or floral embellishments, the black and grey polyurethane of the Speedo LZR race swimsuit remains distinctive.  Famous for carrying Michael Phelps to victory eight times at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the LZR is taking on new forms since being banned from competition by racing body FINA.  The Upcycle installation now showing at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum is one of a series of projects by design students exploring new fashion possibilities for Speedo's excess LZR (pronounced "laser") stock.  The eight pieces on display become the latest additions to the museum's vast archive on the Speedo brand, tracing the story of a company that cemented itself in the national psyche by dressing life savers, sponsoring the Australian Institute of Sport and, at one point, even visiting schools to show how a lump of coal could be turned into nylon swimwear."

Lane 2 - PhysOrg posts "Analysis shows now-banned technical swimsuits led to top swim performances in 2009.  Superstar swimmers and certain comic book superheroes have something unusual in common--when they wear special suits, they gain phenomenal abilities. A first-of-its-kind study from Northwestern Medicine highlights how now-banned technical swimsuits artificially enhanced athlete performance in 2009."

Lane 3 - BevNet posts "C2O Pure Coconut Water Recruits 11-Time Medalist Swimmer Natalie Coughlin.  C2O Pure Coconut Water LLC has recruited 11-time medalist swimmer Natalie Coughlin as their spokesperson for the brand through 2011. The relationship was started when C2O learned of Natalie Coughlin’s belief in the naturally hydrating properties of coconut water to supplement her training for competitive swimming."

Lane 4 - Omaha.com posts "Welcome change of course for Sutton.  Chloe Sutton was still doing a mix of pool and open-water swims late in 2010 when she decided to concentrate on one and abandon the other.  It took care of itself, actually.  Open-water swimming means braving unpredictable waves and water temperatures, dodging the occasional marine creatures and dealing with the flying elbows and kicks of competitors unrestrained by any sort of lane markings."

Lane 5 - The Toronto Observer posts "Speedo-clad Santa’s brave chill to warm hearts at Sick Kids Hospital.  Pairing skimpy red swimsuits with Santa hats, brave participants jingled bells and wished shoppers a “Merry Christmas” as they ran through the streets of Yorkville in the Seventh annual Santa Speedo Run."  Chicago Pride has "Santas in Speedos raise funds for Vital Bridges.  Some 50 Speedo-clad runners braved the freezing temperatures and stripped down to raise nearly $3,000 for Vital Bridges during the Santa Speedo Run in Andersonville on Saturday, Dec. 10."

Lane 6 - Herald Sun posts "Michael Klim dips out on technicality.  QUEENSLAND swimming rules have robbed Michael Klim of vital race practice and his first chance to compete against world champion James Magnussen.  On the comeback trail at 34 after several years in retirement, Klim clocked an impressive 50.44sec heat swim in the 100m freestyle at the Queensland titles, the seventh-fastest time and good enough to qualify for last night's final.  But Queensland rules limiting the number of interstate or international finalists to three meant Klim was ineligible for the final at Chandler Aquatic Centre."

Lane 7 - Daily Mail has "Shark that smiles for the cameras: Meet the fearsome creature that eats polar bears and can live until 200.  A daredevil photographer went to extraordinary lengths to photograph these rarely seen sharks, which look like they have been etched from stone.  These incredible Greenland sharks can survive for more than 200 years at depths of up to 600 metres under Arctic ice.  Bigger than the notorious great white, they grow to 23-feet long and are so fearsome they have even been known to eat polar bears."

Lane 8 - News-Press posts "Commissioners end exclusive discussions with swim center group.  City of Palms Park, former spring training home of the Boston Red Sox, will not be turned into an aquatic center any time soon.  The Board of Lee County Commissioners voted 5-0 in favor of discontinuing exclusive discussions with the National Swimming Center Corporation in light of an independent economic feasibility study and persistent questions about the non-profit corporation’s ability to put $20 million toward the conversion of the baseball stadium into an Olympic-caliber aquatic center."  NO POOL FOR YOU!

Sunday's Swim Report - Santa In A Speedo and More Ho Ho Ho's!

Lane 1 - Boston.com posts "Santa Speedo Run 2011 pictures.  Hundreds gathered in Boston for the 12th annual Santa Speedo Run on Saturday, Dec. 10. Runners, running enthusiasts, and fans of the quirky tradition took part in the roughly one-mile race down Boylston Street and Newbury Street. Proceeds benefit the Play Ball Foundation."

Lane 2 - Chicago Pride posts "Santa Speedo Run Andersonville. Over 50 participants braved the freezing temperatures and shed their running clothes in favor of red Speedos to run one mile through Andersonville in the first annual Santa Speedo Run."

Lane 3 - Times Union of Albany has "Santa Speedo Sprint.  Runners clad in holiday beach attire braved the cold Saturday for the 6th Annual Santa Speedo Sprint to benefit the Albany Damien Center in Albany. Brian Woods was the winner for the second year in a row. Brad Lachut of Ice Is Nice provided ice sculptures as part of Winter WonderLARK."

Lane 4 - Youtube "Boston Santa Speedo Run 2011"

Lane 5 - Toronto Sun has "Speedo runners hit the road.  Peter Buzek loves it when he can put his exhibitionist fetish to a good cause.  The 60-year old was one of 50 people who stripped down on Saturday for the chilly Toronto Santa Speedo Run in Yorkville to raise money for the Hospital for Sick Children."

Lane 6 - Youtube "Boston Santa Speedo Run 2011"

Lane 7 - Of course don't forget to check out the official SSRun Gallery at ssrunners.org.

Lane 8 - Youtube "Santa Speedo Run 2011"

Friday's Swim Report - Breatking The Rules

Lane 1 - NTD has (w/video) "Chinese Swimmer Wu Peng Eyeing "Final Olympics".  On Monday, Chinese swimmer Wu Peng declared that next year's London Olympics will be his last time competing. 24-year-old Wu's first Olympics were the 2004 Athens Games, where he made the finals.  He followed that performance with a joint 4th place in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Now Wu is intensifying his training schedule to prepare for London 2012, and he's eager to go out strong with a medal victory."

Lane 2 - The Australian posts "Magnussen tipped to be faster than Thorpe.  WORLD 100m freestyle champion James Magnussen is capable of swimming faster than Ian Thorpe over 200m freestyle, according to one of Australia's leading coaches, Michael Bohl.  Magnussen will make his open debut over the longer distance at the Queensland championships on Sunday night, where he is likely to face Bohl's world 400m freestyle champion Park Tae-Hwan and find out immediately whether he is already world-class over the distance."

Lane 3 - SF Gate reports "Reflect Sports Announces Olympic Icon and Mom Janet Evans as Official Spokesperson for Reflect H2OTM Sulfate Free Swim Hair Care Line.  Reflect Sports, a leading producer and global distributor of custom quality products for women with active lifestyles, has signed four-time Olympic gold medalist and motivational speaker Janet Evans to be the official Spokesperson for Reflect H2OTM, the premier salon quality sulfate free swim hair care line."

Lane 4 - Chicago Pride posts "Santa Speedo Run comes to Andersonville, Saturday.  This Saturday, Dec. 10, over 30 Speedo-clad Santa's are expected to participate in the first annual Andersonville Santa Speedo Run to benefit Vital Bridges, an organization that assists people throughout Chicago impacted by HIV and AIDS."

Lane 5 - Active.com posts "Break the Rules to Swim Fast.  When most adults take on the task of learning how to swim, the main focus is on "perfect form." Coaches and instructors do swim drills as the majority of the workout, assuming swimming fitness and endurance will be a by-product of drills. This may be true, but only up to a point."

Lane 6 - Bloomberg posts "NYC Triathlon Adds Open-Water Swim Requirement After Deaths in 2011 Event.  New York City Triathlon officials are requiring all 2012 entrants to commit to completing an open- water swim of at least a half mile within 18 months of the event after two competitors died in this year’s race."

Lane 7 - BBC posts "Disabled young swimmer Alice Tai to carry Olympic torch.  A 12-year-old swimmer from Hampshire born with club feet has been selected to be one of the torchbearers for the London 2012 Olympics."

Lane 8 - Wired.com posts "U.S. Swim Team Gets High-Tech Swimwear.  rag is every swimmer’s worst enemy, one that yields only grudgingly to strength, conditioning and determination. Speedo is giving top-tier swimmers a new weapon in that age-old fight, one it claims pushes the frontiers of swimwear."

Monday's Swim Report - Puppiefied Edition

Lane 1 - MSNBC reports "Michael Phelps adopts Bow to Wow puppy.  Olympic great Michael Phelps joined TODAY last week…The 14-time gold medalist walked out Penelope, a beautiful Catahoula mix who was up for adoption.  We're happy to tell you that Michael decided to adopt the pup after the show."

Lane 2 - Swimming.org/British Gas Swimfit posts "Swim your way to a great start to 2012.  Start 2012 with at least 30 minutes of swimming once a week to reveal a fitter, healthier and happier you!  Very close to the top of most people’s New Year resolution list is to be more active and make a real effort to get fit.  Make it happen this year with our help.  Impress everyone with your commitment this New Year by signing up for a personal challenge such as the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief with Swimathon."

Lane 3 - Reuters has "Swimming-China's Wu targets Phelps again in London.  China's Wu Peng, the man who ended nearly a decade of domination by Michael Phelps in the 200 metres butterfly, said a change in his training regime and a strong season had given him the confidence to aim for a medal at next year's London Olympics."

Lane 4 - CBS Marketwatch posts "12th Annual SSRun Dashes through Back Bay in Boston on December 10th to Raise Money for Charity.  If you are in Boston's Back Bay at 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 10th, you might be lucky enough to catch the holiday charity event of the season: the twelfth annual SSRun, a daring dash through Boston's busiest shopping district by 500 caring men and women wearing only a Speedo-style swimsuit and Santa hats, all to raise money for charity. The SSRun, commonly referred to as the Santa Speedo Run, is an event organized by the non-profit organization, SSRunners, whose mission is to raise money for other Boston-based charities that benefit children. The proceeds from this year's SSRun event will benefit Play Ball! Foundation, funders of sports opportunities for Boston middle school students."

Lane 5 - EW.com posts "Syfy's 'Jersey Shore Shark Attack' cast revealed! 'Sopranos,' 'Goodfellas' vets on board -- EXCLUSIVE."  Umm..the plot being "Jersey Shore Shark Attack unfolds during the July Fourth weekend at – where else? — the Jersey Shore, where rare swarms of sharks are converging due to illegal underwater drilling. Now the angry sharks are on a rampage, devouring residents, and leaving it up to the locals to try and save the day."

Lane 6 - Universal Sports posts "Franklin, Lochte named FINA's 2011 Athletes of the Year. FINA named American swimmers Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte as two of its nine 2011 Athletes of the Year. Athletes were chosen in each of the five aquatic disciplines - swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and open water swimming - after collecting the votes from FINA's 202 National Member Federations, and media and aquatic experts."

Lane 7 - Hillshire Times posts "Eamon Sullivan stars at Waves.  OLYMPIC swimming superstar Eamon Sullivan entertained about 200 people at the Waves Fitness and Aquatic Centre, Baulkham Hills on Sunday.  Despite the temperamental weather children, played games and learned essential life skills with Sullivan."

Lane 8 - Sun Sentinel posts "Swim team in default on contract with Fort Lauderdale.  The director of the city's contracted swim team says the program at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatics Complex has grown into one of the 10 largest in the country, but that success hasn't stopped it from falling $130,000 behind in payments due the city.  While concerned about the contract's being in default, city staff said it still thought it was in the city's best interest to continue the relationship with Fort Lauderdale Aquatics."

Friday's Swim Report - 8 Things You Need To Know Before Swimming Today

I'm sick of trying to remember the days of the week.  Think the Whatever-day's Swim Report needs a new title.  Maybe I can steal from Business Insider and just type "8 Things You Need To Know Before Swimming Today" or something like that...

Lane 1 - The Long Beach Gazettes has "ON THE WATER: Swim Team Meets At Plaza Pool.  The Belmont Plaza Olympic Pool finally reopened after a long period of down time after the summer, and the swim-meet schedule kicked right off. The first senior swimming event of the season is on for this weekend, as the Long Beach Grunions again play host to the 2011 SPMS Short Course Meters Championships. Masters swimming is the part of the sport in which adults compete in an other-than-collegiate setting. According to the website, the Long Beach Grunions, the local team that is hosting the meet under the auspices of the SPMS, provide “a supportive swim environment with helpful coaches” and “different levels of workouts for swimmers of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced.”  The Grunions also calls itself “a totally cool, really fun, high energy swim team and social club for gays, lesbians and their friends.” Not at all limited in its membership to gay and lesbian swimmers, the team is open and welcoming to everyone, offering not only a structure for swimming instruction and swimming competition, but an opportunity for social contact among all the members."

Lane 2 - AllMediaNY posts "2011 Santa Streak in Astoria to Benefit New York Cares.  More than 100 participants are expected to run 1-mile in their underwear, Speedo, or other costumes themed as a Santa Claus or Mrs. Claus. The event is organized by the blog “Why Leave Astoria,” run by Ran Craycraft, who plans to donate coats and clothes to New York Cares, an organization that distributes items to needy New Yorkers."

Lane 3 - Metro posts "London Baby Swim is Nirvana for underwater youngsters.  Never mind armbands – these water babies can handle themselves in the deep end. Looking like the cover of Nirvana’s seminal 1991 album, the infant swimmers took to the water at an event in a specially adapted pool.  The infants also have an ‘amphibian reflex’, an involuntary movement of limbs that helps them learn a swimming technique."

Lane 4 - In some sad news Philly.com post the obituary of "Carl J. Robie III, 66, Olympic swimming champion.  Carl J. Robie III, the Drexel Hill swimmer who rebounded from disappointment in 1964 to capture an Olympic gold medal at the Mexico City Games four years later, died Tuesday of cancer at his home in Sarasota, Fla.  A freshman all-American at Michigan, Mr. Robie was a heavy favorite to win gold entering the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo. But after qualifying first in the 400-meter individual medley, he finished fourth in the final.  Then, though he had held the world record in his signature event, the 200 butterfly, for the three previous years, he finished second to American teammate Kevin Berry.  In Mexico City's thin air, he qualified for the 200 butterfly final with only the fifth-fastest time. But this time, in the final, he triumphed in a time of 2 minutes, 8.7 seconds.  Mr. Robie said he had been ill the night before that race. "I watched [teammate] Don McKenzie drink a quart of tequila the night before, then go out and win the 100-meter butterfly," he said. "He never tasted the water."

Lane 5 - ESPN has "For swimmers, it's not all about the suits.  At the 2009 swimming world championships in Rome, the suits overshadowed the athletes who inhabited them.  Those second skins that incorporated buoyant polyurethane -- simply referred to as "rubber suits" by the swimmers -- could take a half-hour or more to wriggle into, a worthwhile endeavor because they slashed precious seconds from personal bests. World records tumbled. Many in the sport protested, while some contended that technology should be allowed to progress unimpeded.  The Speedo Fastskin3 -- debuted around the world Wednesday and billed as a "system" that integrates the design of suit, goggles and cap -- is the latest attempt at achieving that balance.  The woven suit still requires considerable effort to tug on but is made of permeable material that compresses key parts of a swimmer's body to streamline it. Minus the option of full body coverage, now limited by FINA rules, Speedo designers turned their attention to reducing the drag caused by accessories.  The new goggles are said to be more hydro-dynamic and permit peripheral vision, an innovation especially valued by backstrokers, who often have trouble gauging where their competition is because they're facing the sky or the ceiling and are screened by splashing. It will come into play underwater, too."

Lane 6 - BBC asks "Should Adlington, Lochte & rivals be wearing swimming 'super-suits'? Since the 18-month 'super-suit' period between 2008 and 2009 when nearly 300 global records were set, only US swimmers Ryan Lochte and Missy Franklin have managed to achieve new world record times.  However, the launch of Speedo's new FastSkin3 creation suggests the race to find even the smallest possible competitive edge for the London Olympics is well under way."

Lane 7 - "SwimOutlet.com is proud to announce that we have teamed up with Swimming World Magazine to Sponsor their “Race Day: The SwimOutlet.com WarmDown Show”. Everyday after the races tune into the WarmDown show with Tiffany Elias, Misty Hyman and Jeff Commings to get recaps, interviews and analysis of the days events."  LINK

Lane 8 - In some brief news from Atlanta:  ESPN posts "Dana Torres 2nd in 50-meter freestyle.  Dara Torres climbed to the second step on the podium.  It's been a while.  With her surgically repaired left knee aching a bit, Torres was second in the 50-meter freestyle Thursday night at the U.S. Winter Nationals, her highest finish since the Beijing Olympics.  Still, this was a good step -- especially since Torres tweaked her knee last weekend while working on starts. She received a cortisone shot Monday and was still a little tentative off the blocks during the morning preliminaries."  Meanwhile the Kitsap Sun posts "Adrian wins sixth straight 50 free title.  Bremerton's Nathan Adrian won his sixth straight national title in the 50-meter freestyle Thursday at the U.S. Winter Nationals.  Adrian held off South Africa's Roland Schoeman to finish with the fifth fastest time in the world this year in 21.85 seconds. Schoeman touched the wall in 22.19 and France's Fred Bousquet was third in 22.37." And finally RTE Sport posts "Irish swimmers continue to struggle.  Barry Murphy and Fiona Doyle turned in poor performances in the 50 metres Freestyle events on the opening day of the US Winter National Swimming Championship in Atlanta."

Tuesday's Swim Report - The 2nd Greatest Split In Swimming

Lane 1 - Following up on the greatest split in swimming Ricky Berens tweets  "Why does this type of thing always happen to me? Yes that's the back…" (w/picture)

Lane 2 - TYR Sport posts "TYR Hurricane Freak of Nature™ Wetsuit Available Now; 100% 40 Cell Nano SCS Neoprene Redefines What’s Possible.  TYR is excited to announce the availability of triathlon’s new premiere wetsuit: the TYR Hurricane Freak of Nature™.  Freak” customers will also be eligible to win a slot in the Ironman U.S. Championship. To enter the contest, Freak of Nature owners must first register their wetsuit at tyr.com/limitswillfall, where they will be prompted to write a caption for a photo.  Captions will be judged on originality, humor, and the spirit of triathlon."

Lane 3 - Asphalt Green's 2011 Online Auction has "Private lesson with Olympian Glenn Mills.  Improve your swimming skills through an hour private lesson with Olympian Glenn Mills.  Mutual availability. The lesson will take place in Asphalt Green's pool, uptown only. Estimated Value Priceless."

Lane 4 - NPR posts "Got Arthritis? Exercise Can Help.  If you suffer the pain and stiffness of arthritis, you may not be enthusiastic about exercising. But arthritis specialists say that's exactly what you need to do.  Three years ago, federal health officials recommended that people with arthritis exercise moderately every day for about 20 minutes. But that's not what's happening.  A recent study at Northwestern University looked at activity among 1,000 adults, between 49 and 84 years old, who had osteoarthritis of the knee. Ninety percent of the people were not exercising, according to lead scientist Dorothy Dunlop."

Lane 5 - Boston.com posts "Strip down for charity with the SS Run. You’re running along Boylston Street, one of the busiest roads in one of the most fashionable parts of the city. All of a sudden, you feel a cool breeze -- a very cool breeze -- on your legs. You look down and realize the only thing covering your body is a bright red Speedo and a little bit of tinsel. Your ears perk up, as you hear shouts from the crowd of people lining the sidewalk and cheering you on.  Is this a dream or is it a nightmare? At Boston’s annual SS Run on Dec. 10, it'll be a reality.  More commonly known as the Santa Speedo Run, the SS Run has become a Boston tradition since the first event in 2000. Runners from all over New England come together to have a drink, shed their running clothes in favor of red Speedos, sports bras, and bikini bottoms, and run one mile down Boylston Street on a (hopefully not too) frigid December Saturday."

Lane 6 - Omaha.com posts "Pool prep for U.S. Swim trials.  Now with the return of the trials set for June 2012, plans are in the works to once again turn the CenturyLink Center into one of the world's largest and best swimming venues.  Representatives of Myrtha Pools, the Italian company that will make and install the 50-meter pool in the arena, and USA Swimming were in Omaha on Friday checking out the facility and discussing their plans.  The competition pool and a warm-up pool to be built in the CenturyLink's convention center will be pretty much identical to those that were installed in 2008, said Trevor Tiffany, head of Myrtha's North American operations.  The pools, each holding a million gallons with 50,000 individual parts, will be built in Castiglione, Italy, and shipped 5,000 miles to Omaha. They will take up to 12 days to install, beginning on May 23, 2012.  Between the trials, a Mutual of Omaha-sponsored meet June 8-10 and the U.S. Masters national championships that follow the trials on July 5-8, the competition pool will occupy the CenturyLink arena for about seven weeks."

Lane 7 - Swim Utopia posts (w/video) "Swimming - Public Service Announcement.  The pain endured by swimmers day after day has been ignored long enough. It is time to do something about it.  Please join Sarah McLachlan in our campaign to raise awareness for the plight of the swimmer."

Lane 8 - Club Wolverine posts via youtube "The Running Man - Club Wolverine Dryland…

Fast-twitch dryland by Mark Hill with commentary by Mike Bottom."  It's hypnotic and disturbing at the same time.