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."