2013 Rocket Science Sports Catalogue - Swimming

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Tuesday's Swim Report - Attack of the Barracudas in 3D

Lane 1 - The Insider posts "U.S. Olympic Swim Team Finds Nemo in 3D.  Training for the U.S. Olympic swim team is well underway in Knoxville, Tennessee, and although their schedule is full of demanding tasks, it's just as impressive to hear what they won't be doing. The Insider's 13-year-old correspondent Lauren Kaplan got the scoop on what kind of sacrifices these athletes have to make for a shot at being a champion."

Lane 2 - WRCB posts (w/video) "Georgia swimming well-represented at London Olympics.    "Everybody on the team is great, but you always have that Georgia bond," said first-time Olympian Shannon Vreeland. "Once a Bulldog, always a Bulldog."  Jack Bauerle is the tie that binds them.  The top dawg of UGA swimming is the winningest active NCAA coach and a four-time national champion. This year he has five current or former Georgia swimmers heading to the London Olympics on Team USA.  "It's no secret why Jack keeps putting kids on the Olympic team," said three-time Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce, a former Bulldog. "He certainly knows what he's doing over there."

Lane 3 - Sierra Club posts "TRENDSETTER: NATALIE COUGHLIN.  Swimmer Natalie Coughlin, 29, was the most decorated female athlete at both the 2004 Athens and the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In Beijing, she became the first U.S. woman to medal six times during a single Games, giving her a lifetime total of 11. She hopes to add to that number this summer at the 30th Olympiad in London. Besides swimming, Coughlin's passions include food, gardening, and the five chickens she keeps in her backyard in Lafayette, California."

Lane 4 - nine asks (w/gallery) "Why swimmers shave their hair?  If the sight of James Magnussen arriving in England this week did one thing, it wasn't just ignite the hopes of Australians on the eve of the London Olympics. Many of us were left wondering where all that hair came from?"

Lane 5 - reuters posts "Swimsuits that turn athletes into barracudas.  The sharkskin has been retired. The swim bladder, too. For London's Olympic swimmers, the watchword is more "barracuda".  Swimsuit makers have long sought inspiration in the oceans, where evolution spent about 500 million years sculpting bodies shaped to cut through the water with the least drag or studded with features that increase speed. That led some manufacturers earlier this decade to develop full-body, impermeable suits: water could not get in and air could not get out, trapping air inside and increasing buoyancy much as fish's swim bladders do."

Lane 6 - The Independent posts "Sink-or-swim time for Australian athletes.  In the first in a series looking at the main medal contenders for London 2012, Robin Scott-Elliot assesses the Australians, who have their smallest Olympic team for 20 years – but are looking worryingly good in the pool and on the track."

Lane 7 - Tri-City Herald posts (w/video via NBC) "Olympic star Phelps deals with drag in pool,  Recently, the Science 360 website had a story on the basic challenge all swimmers face -- the drag that acts to slow a person's movement through the water. Thrust is the force that pushes a swimmer forward, while drag opposes that movement."

Lane 8 - Smithsonian Magazine posts "The Swimsuit Series, Part 4: A Competitive Swimmer’s Musings.  Artist and author Leanne Shapton trained for the Olympic swimming trials as a teenager. Her newest book, Swimming Studies, which was released this month, is a quiet, weightless and elegant collection of stories about the life of a swimmer who is inescapably drawn to the water even after she is no longer rigorously competing. To continue Threaded’s Swimsuit Series, and with the Summer Olympics around the corner, I’ve excerpted part of her chapter “Bathing” along with some of the book’s images of Shapton’s swimsuits and their accompanying provenances."

Thursday's Swim Report - A Masters Edge

Lane 1 - Deadspin posts "Olympics Field Guide: Peter Hudnut, Water Polo’s Comeback Kid."

Lane 2 - The Australian posts "Looking for an edge, 19 Aussies not suited by Speedo.  MORE than half of Australia's Olympic team requested permission to use suits other than those provided by the official supplier, Speedo, sparking fears of a new swimsuits war. But the fact 30 of the 47 swimmers in the team lodged applications with the Australian Olympic Committee for permission to use "specialised equipment" indicates that at least some of them believe other brands' suits are faster than those supplied by Speedo."

Lane 3 - NBC Miami posts (w/video) "Hallandale Beach Lifeguard Fired For Leaving His Zone To Rescue Drowning Man.  President of the lifeguard contractor used by the City of Hallandale Beach said he's reviewing situation.  Lifeguard Tomas Lopez explains how he saw a man struggling in the water, he raced out to try and help him, and was fired afterward for leaving his zone. Lifeguards Kalok Geng and Zoard Janko and Jeff Ellis, the president of the contractor hired by Hallandale Beach for the lifeguard posts, also discuss the incident."

Lane 4 - LA Times posts "In London Olympics swimming, U.S. faces challenges in relays.  Michael Phelps' withdrawal from 200-meter freestyle boosts American prospects in 400 free relay, in which other nations have been strong. U.S. is projected to win 32 medals in swimming."

Lane 5 - USMS.org posts "USMS Members Represent at Trials.  Several dozen U.S. Masters Swimming members swam in the Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. June 25–July 2. Top athletes, coaches and swimming experts consider the USA Swimming Trials, the fastest swim meet in the world, to be the most stressful meet in a swimmer’s career—much more so than the Olympics themselves."

Lane 6 - Omaha.com posts "The U.S. Masters Swimming Summer Nationals are usually held in August, with anywhere from 600 to 900 swimmers taking part.  Until 2012.  The Summer Nationals take over the CenturyLink Center from Thursday through Sunday. The chance to swim in the pools used for the U.S. Olympic Trials led to both the July 5 start and the spike to 1,250 competitors."

Lane 7 - Masters Swimming Australia posts via youtube "2012 Nationals Promo Video.  Footage taken from the National Championships in Adelaide - April 2012."

Lane 8 - NY Daily News posts "Video of 5-year-old swimming with sharks sparks YouTube outrage.  The Barnes family posted the video on YouTube last month, showing their daughter, Anaia, swimming in shallow waters off the Bahamas. Anaia said snorkeling with sharks was “really fun.”

Wednesday's Swim Report - Red, White and Swim

Lane 1 - Daily Telegraph posts "London Olympic Games bound swimmers Eamon Sullivan and Matt Targett see Moulin Rouge cabaret.  IT'S not the most conventional Olympic preparation but it seemed to suit Eamon Sullivan and Matt Targett - the Aussie swimmers swinging by the Moulin Rouge in Paris yesterday as they head towards London.  And Confidential hears the two sprint hopes attended the show and happily mingled with the ladies afterwards."

Lane 2 - Garmin posts "Garmin Swim Headed to Omaha for the U.S. Masters Swimming Summer Championships.  Thursday July 5th marks the start of the Marriott U.S. Masters Swimming Summer Nationals in Omaha, NE (7/5-7/8) and your chance to check out some of the nations most dedicated and talented swimmers, and the new Garmin Swim. We'll be set up right next to the practice pool and giving swimmers a chance to test out the newest addition to our fitness lineup. You can even stop by and pick-up a complimentary "cheering sign". On it, you can write words of motivation for your favorite swimmer, teammate or loved one. We'll also be handing out our classic argyle "thunder-sticks" to help you or your team cheer on the competing swimmers."

Lane 3 - Slate posts "The World’s Ugliest Photograph of Michael Phelps.  How a batch of terrible photographs went viral—and why that’s good news for photographers everywhere."

Lane 4 - Denver Post has "No world records in Olympic Trials shows cutback on Speedo LZR suits had major effect."

Lane 5 - The West posts "US trials give Dolphins reality check.  Australia's swimmers face a battle to avoid their lowest Olympic medal haul since Atlanta 1996 in London after the powerful US flexed their muscles at their eight-day selection trials.  But Australian head coach Leigh Nugent insists the fact his squad has taken some hits in the world rankings is no reason to panic less than a month out from the Games."

Lane 6 - The Australian posts "Retired swimmer reveals Olympic secret.  An Australian Olympic swimmer has lifted the lid on a 64-year-old secret.  ON the eve of the London Olympic Games, Sydney resident Bruce Bourke has revealed he stole an Olympic flag last time London hosted the games, when Bourke was a teenage swim champion.  A 19-year-old Bourke joined two fellow Australian swimmers for a drink after he finished his events at the 1948 games, News Limited reports.  "I said to the two blokes, 'I'm going to knock that Olympic flag off,'" told News Ltd.  The treasured loot is still in Bourke's possession."

Lane 7 - Independent posts "Food of Champions: How to eat like an Olympian.  Alex Popple, a performance nutritionist at the English Institute of Sport, is working with the British Olympic swimmers as the 2012 Games approach.  He explains: "We try and make their diet match their energy requirements and protein needs. Their diet is generally higher in carbohydrate compared to the average person because they're expending a lot more energy on a daily basis."

Lane 8 - Gay Star News posts "Gay couple suing Virginia swim club for revoking their family membership.  Will Trinkle, Juan Granados and their son told they are not a family under state law."

Happy 4th of July!  On The Flip Side - God Save The Queen by Mini.  "All stand please for the MINI horn section

Fresh from recording all 205 National Anthems to be played at this summer's games, the London Philharmonic Orchestra has teamed up with MINI for one more performance. All stand please for conductor Gareth Newman and the London 2012 Limited Edition MINI's unique tribute to Team GB."

Wednesday's Swim Report - The Underwater Seer

Lane 1 - 3 Wire Sports posts "Janet Evans: no compromise, no limits, all courage.  Janet Evans came out of the water after swimming her preliminary heat in the 400 meters and said, with a big smile, albeit perhaps a little ruefully, “Janet just got 80th with a 4:21!”

Lane 2 - Armani posts via youtube "Bruce Weber for Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Essenza.  ACQUA DI GIO ESSENZA - director's cut. http://www.armanibeauty.com "

Lane 3 - LA Times posts "Not everyone's a winner at U.S. swimming trials.  More than a thousand compete at trials with little chance of going to London, but that doesn't dim the thrill for them.  For every Michael Phelps or Missy Franklin, there are dozens of Shelby Webbers, the swimmers who pack preliminary heats with no chance to make the Olympic team.  Of the roughly 1,850 swimmers entered in the Olympic trials, about 50 will qualify for the U.S. team. Webber was one of 162 swimmers competing Tuesday in the women's 100-meter backstroke, with two Olympic spots available.  She finished 153rd overall, last in one of 17 preliminary heats. She spent barely one minute in the pool, and her trials were over."

Lane 4 - Popsugar posts "One Month to Go Until the London Olympics — Check Out Shirtless Aussie Swimmers! Eamon Sullivan, James Roberts, James Magnussen and Matt Targett."

Lane 5 - WSJ posts "The Truth About Olympic Trials.  The Last-Minute Selection of U.S. Teams Is Brutally Efficient, but Does It Exhaust Athletes? In terms of raw, tear-jerking drama, few events in sports top this week's survival-of-the-fittest U.S. Olympic trials. You win, you travel. You lose, you take up gardening.  This is the way it has long been with the U.S. trials. But with the Olympic field growing more competitive by the hour, there's one nagging question that won't go away: Does the battle for a spot on America's Olympic team take place too close to the beginning of the Games?"

Lane 6 - Time posts (w/video) "Dara Torres: Oldest Olympic Hopeful at Swim Trials.  She's 45 and trying for her sixth Olympic Games. And she admits it isn't easy.  Dara Torres says there is one major difference between training for the Olympics in 2008 and getting prepped to make the U.S. Olympic swim team this year — hormones."

Lane 7 - ellen posts via youtube "Memorable Moment: Underwater Seer.  Ellen met Julian, who had a great invention that nobody knew would turn into one of the most classic Ellen moments of all time! Check out Julian's underwater seer right here."

Lane 8 - Active.com posts "5 iPhone Apps for Swimmers.  o what iPhone apps are out there specifically for swimmers? There are many. But these are a few you should consider to improve your overall swimming experience.."  I'm a fan of Meet Mobile!

Active Network - Meet Mobile app

Active Network Transforms the Swim Meet Experience with the Launch of Meet Mobile at the Fastest Swim Meet in America

Now this is an update with some cool new features - "We just launched the latest version of the Meet Mobile app (including heat sheets, psych sheets, ability to favorite your swimmers/teams and more) and you can experience the new features exclusively for the trials this week.  After July 2^nd, the new functionality will open up to all meets that are run on our HY-TEK Meet Manager 4.0 platform."

Swimmers, Coaches and Fans Now Have Real-time, Customizable Access to Heat and Psych Sheets, and Event Results at Their Fingertips

Meet Mobile is the newest innovation by Active Network (NYSE: ACTV), the leader in cloud-based activity and participation management™ solutions, that transforms the swim meet experience for swimmers, coaches, meet hosts and fans alike. Available for Apple iOS and Android platforms, Meet Mobile supports the smallest swim meets to the largest national qualifying trials in the country, and provides easy, paper-free access to meet programs from all over the world, including heat sheets, psych sheets and real-time results.

Meet Mobile works in conjunction with Active Network’s Hy-Tek Meet Manager 4.0 software and empowers swim clubs and meet hosts to focus on planning and running their meets, while coaches can use the app to keep track of when and where every swimmer needs to be. Additionally, swimmers can use Meet Mobile to check event timelines and heat and lane assignments so they won’t have to chase down meet programs ever again.

Swimming in useful features, Meet Mobile makes it easier than ever to:

    See real-time results and event standings
    View psych sheets and heat sheets
    Check heat and lane assignments by event or individual
    Follow individuals and teams (flag them as favorites to easily find them again)
    Personalize your meet program to highlight sessions and events you care about
    Quickly find the meet or swimmer you are looking for with customizable search functions
    View event start times by session or individual
    Check real-time team scores
    View info easily - no sign-in or log-in necessary

“Swimming continues to grow in popularity across the country and is among the top sports for high school participation,” said Steve Viarengo, associate general manager, Sports at Active Network. “Meet Mobile has the features to be a game-changer in the swim market and what better place to launch it than at the national qualifying swim trials where the entire swim community can see how our technology helps improve the sport they love.”

Meet Mobile is available to download for free on the iTunes App Store and Google Play. Swim clubs and coaches can find more information about Meet Manager 4.0 on the Hy-Tek website. Anyone attending the Aqua Zone Fan Experience in Omaha, Nebraska next week can see Meet Mobile in action at the Active Network booth #12.

 

Dive In and Make a Splash with the New Garmin Swim

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd., the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced Garmin Swim(TM) -- its first training watch designed specifically for swimmers that lets users track stroke type, stroke count, distance, pace, lengths and much more. This stylish thin watch also allows swimmers to track their workouts and drills in real-time. Garmin Swim was announced in preparation for the U.S. Masters Swimming Championships in Omaha, Nebraska July 5-8 where it will be prominently displayed.

"Garmin Swim will quickly replace the log books and journals so many swimmers have come to rely on for tracking their progress," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "At a glance, swimmers will know their time, distance, pace and be able to wear this watch as an everyday timepiece, all without having to worry about charging it."

Garmin Swim is ready to go right out of the box -- swimmers need only to tell it the length of the pool they are swimming in and begin their workout. Its sleek profile allows it to cut right through the water, so it won't cause drag or slow swimmers down. Garmin Swim's battery lasts approximately one year and is easy to replace at home, so swimmers won't have to send it away to stay powered. To see Garmin Swim in action go to: www.garmin.com/swim .

With Garmin Swim on the wrist, swimmers can focus on their technique instead of what lap they are on. Garmin Swim automatically knows the stroke swimmers are using and tracks their lengths, strokes, distance, pace and more. With a few button presses, swimmers can also log drills or start timed sets without constantly monitoring the pool clock. It even calculates swimmers' swolf scores to help gauge efficiency, making it ideal for lap swimmers of all levels. The intuitive interface utilizes 6 buttons, so functions can be accessed quickly and easily.

Slim and attractive enough to be worn as a daily watch, Garmin Swim serves as a personal reminder of swimmers' goals. To help swimmers stay motivated, it displays their weekly accumulated distance under the time of day. Watch features include dual time zones and alarm -- so no more early morning excuses for not getting to the pool.

Upon completion of a workout, swimmers can upload their swim data to Garmin Connect(TM) ( http://connect.garmin.com ), a website for free online analysis. Here swimmers can quickly and easily view their workouts, track their totals, set goals, share workouts and data with coaches, friends and family and participate in an online fitness community of more than 80 million activities around the world. Through the magic of ANT+(TM) wireless technology and the USB stick that comes with the Garmin Swim, swimmers' workout data automatically transfers to their computer when in range. Garmin Connect is Mac(R) and Windows(R) compatible.

Garmin Swim is available now and has a suggested retail price of $149.99. Garmin Swim is the latest solution from Garmin's expanding fitness segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users' lives and promotes healthy and active lifestyles. Whether it's running, cycling, or other athletic pursuits, Garmin fitness devices are becoming essential tools for athletes both amateur and elite. For more about features, pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin's other fitness products and services, go to www.garmin.com/intosports , www.garmin.blogs.com and http://twitter.com/garmin .

Speedo Presents Tyler Clary - HYDRALIGN

Tyler Clary with the Speedo Hyrdalign Racer Goggles & Center Snorkel

The Powerbreather

I guess it's real since it's not April 1st. 
The Powerbreather is a snorkel made from elastic material. It is ring-shaped, sits around the head and is adjustable to different head sizes and so comfortably fits any head size.

With the Powerbreather, air is inhaled through the upper section behind the head which is equipped with a check valve and is fully exhaled through a check valve located in the mouthpiece.

This valve technology makes it possible for the first time to have no stale air left in the snorkel tube after you exhale, unlike all previous snorkels. Only fresh air is ever inhaled. Fatigue effects from snorkel use are thus avoided. Because of the two interacting valves no water gets into the snorkel when descending. Its design and the elastic material ensure that it fits tightly around the head.

As the swimmer can breathe freely without thinking about water getting in or making fitful breathing movements, he can focus on swimming in a relaxed manner. Children can learn various swimming techniques so much more easily. But even older people, professional swimmers and anyone undertaking swimming training can train with the Powerbreather in a much more relaxed and effective way.
http://www.powerbreather.de

Swim App - Meet Mobile From Active.com

I love my iPhone apps.  Got an app for just about everything but the one app that I've spent so much time on of late is Meet Mobile from Active.com "Meet Mobile was built specifically for HY-TEK’s MEET MANAGER 4.0, which was released August 1, 2011. If a meet you are looking for is not available in the Meet Mobile application, please have the meet host contact sales@hy-tekltd.com for information on how to upgrade to the latest version."  So basically any meet from age group to masters can be found. 
Once you download and open the app a list of meets by date are listed.  You then click on the meet you want then look by Team or Event.
Then you select a swimmer then event.  And boom!  Ya got the times.  I've spent several hours looking at various Masters Meets to catch up on old swim mates and how they are swimming.  Can't wait to head to a swim meet to check it out in person.  Check it out on iTunes.