Thursday's Swim Report - Back In Love With Swimming

Lane 1 - ESPN posts "Gary Hall Jr. will cheer on swimmers at US trials.  Gary Hall Jr. has gone from Olympic competitor to Olympic cheerleader.  The 10-time medalist and recently elected member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame stopped by the CenturyLink Center on Thursday to check the progress of pool construction for the U.S. Swim Trials that start June 25.  His last competition before he announced his retirement came at the 2008 trials in the same building."

Lane 2 - Fox Sports posts (w/ video) "Hansen is back in love with swimming.  Of all of the relationships in Hansen’s life — his longtime girlfriend turned wife, his parents, his friends, his family — swimming may be his biggest. It certainly is the thing he has spent the most time with over the years. The monotony of swim training, miles and miles of back and forth, alone with your thoughts, staring at the black line on the bottom of the pool, requires a certain kind of monogamy. There is no casual relationship on the Olympic level."

Lane 3 - Sporting News posts "Michael Phelps is back, but will new training approach cost him gold?"

Lane 4 - Rolling Stone Magazine posts (w/video)  "Rolling Stones Help Launch Omega Olympic Campaign with 'Start Me Up'.  Classic tune soundtracks the Games' official time-keeper's new ad."

Lane 5 - WaPo has "British swimmer Rebecca Adlington to give up Twitter during Olympics to avoid abuse.  Two-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Rebecca Adlington says she will stay away from Twitter during the London Games because of the nasty comments she has received about her looks.  Adlington says she’s fed up with the “awful” abuse on Twitter and other social networks."

Lane 6 - Andover Townsman posts "Named 2011 All-American, she's aging swimmingly at age 87.  Esther Pelletier was honored last year by U.S. Masters Swimming, the governing body for adult swimming in the United States, as an All-American swimmer in her age group of 85 to 89 years old. She was one of four New Englanders above age 70 to receive the honor last year, and the only one at or above age 85."

Lane 7 - Boston.com posts "More swimsuit drama heading into London Olympics.  Still, mirroring the anarchy that seemingly ruled at the 2008 Beijing Games and the 2009 world championships, swimmers are now shedding suits provided by their sponsors to wear apparel perceived to be faster. Teams are jockeying to make sure their athletes have the best suits available -- no matter who is their official supplier.  This time, the roles are reversed for two of the main manufacturers.  Whereas Speedo's LZR Racer was all the rage at the last Olympics, Arena's Powerskin Carbon-Pro appears to have the edge this time."

Lane 8 - Mercury News posts (w/video) "Olympic gold medalist Dana Vollmer has overcome two heart conditions."