ISHOF - now is the time.

ISHOF - now is the time.  A promotional video created by USA Water Polo in 1996 to promote the addition of women's water polo onto the Olympic Program.

Sunday's Swim Report - A Bit Of A Swimmer's Comeback and SHARKS!

Lane 1 - The Telegraph posts "Caribbean swimming holiday: the day I beat Becky Adlington.  Teresa Machan heads to the Caribbean to improve her swim technique with Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington."

Lane 2 - Daily Telegraph posts (w/video) "Swimmer Kenrick Monk's new career as a rower with Olympic ambition.  Up until two weeks ago Kenrick Monk had never been in a boat before. Today, the dual Olympic swimmer is aiming to qualify for his third Games - this time as a rower."

Lane 3 - Boxscore posts "Hungarian Water Polo legend Dezső Gyarmati passes away.   The final day of the Men's Junior U20 World Championships in Szombathely, Hungary was overshadowed by the death of Hungarian waterpolo legend Dezső Gyarmati who passed away today at the age of 85. He won three Olympic gold medals during his active career and is considered one of the greatest water polo player of all time."

Lane 4 - Boston Herald posts "Shark sighting prompts Cape Cod swimming ban.  State officials told the Cape Cod Times (http://bit.ly/16UcLOn ) that divers spotted the 16-foot-long shark about a quarter-mile off shore Saturday and warned surfers when it moved to about 100 yards from the beach. Someone also called the National Park Service to report the shark."

Tuesday's Swim Report - Maybe All Swimmers Should Get Back In The Pool

Lane 1 - Team USA posts "Conor Dwyer: At Home In Baltimore.  A good summer run is about to become a great one for Olympic medalist swimmer Conor Dwyer.  First, his beloved Chicago Blackhawks won another Stanley Cup. Dwyer, a native of suburban Chicago, lived and died with the Blackhawks during their turbulent playoff run.  Then Dwyer threw down personal bests at USA Swimming’s 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships and World Championships Trials last month in Indianapolis, punching his ticket for the 15th FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain in style."

Lane 2 - Indy Aquatic Masters posts "IAM Head Coach Introduction - Mel Goldstein."

Lane 3 - 9 News posts "Thorpe describes battle with depression.  Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe hates depression.  Thorpe described his own struggle with depression in a bid to help other sufferers, saying in his case it came on slowly and remained unnoticed for many years."

Lane 4 - Nevada Appeal posts "Michael Phelps jokes about getting back in the pool.   Heard on the course - Michael Phelps on the NBC broadcast crew… “Maybe I should get back in the pool after how bad I did today. It is a lot easier to swim than golf. The biggest thing about golf that I want to do is I want to be able to compete. I have friends who are scratch golfers, and I’m a very competitive person. It is not fun going out there and getting absolutely tortured every single hole. So, this is something that will take a lot of time and a lot of work, and it is something that I am looking forward to doing.”

Lane 5 - FINA posts "BCN2013: Tibor Benedek (HUN) Headcoach of Hungarian Waterpolo team."

Lane 6 - The Gympie Times posts "Elmslie’s bold move with new coach for titles.   OLYMPIC gold medallist Brittany Elmslie's drastic decision to switch coaches a month out from the world championships could prove a masterstroke, as the teen star looks to replace a turbulent time with fast pool times.  Fellow Coast speed export Melanie Schlanger - Elmslie's 4x100m freestyle gold medal-winning teammate from the London Olympics - says the 19-year-old will benefit greatly by joining respected Brisbane-based mentor Michael Bohl."

Saturday's Swim Report - I ♥ Swimming, You ♥ Swimming, We All ♥ Swimming!

Lane 1 - HuffPo has "The Ice Caps Are Melting, Teach Your Kids to Swim.  The percentage of children who have not been taught to swim is dangerously high. Unfortunately, 70 percent of African-American, 60 percent of Latino and 40 percent of Caucasian children have not been taught swimming. It is imperative that we change these numbers. Formal swimming lessons, according to a study reported in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine (2009), reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children ages 1 to 4."

Lane 2 - Toyota posts "Team Toyota Health and Fitness: Sarah Haskins' Swimming Tip.    Check out pro triathlete Sarah Haskins' secret to a faster swim stroke. Follow her journey @sarahhaskinstri #TeamToyota"

Lane 3 - The Age posts "Rice makes clean break.  ''I'm 24 going on 45,'' Rice says, laughing about her new status as she prepares to host a live screening of Tuesday night's episode. It's a special fund-raiser for Youth off the Streets and some of the young people involved in the program will appear in the episode.  On her stoush with Fraser, Rice says she was ''disappointed'' and that the swimming champions had agreed to ''move past the situation'', especially because lots of kids were looking to them."

Lane 4 - Mercury News posts "Olympic swimming champ now devoted to teaching water safety.  Born and raised in Hawaii, Hercules' Bill Woolsey learned to swim at an early age and went on to an accomplished swimming career at the University of Indiana and two Olympic relay medals, in 1952 and 1956. He now is working with the Hawaii Swim Club, which he swam for back in the late 1940s and early 1950s, on creating a water-safety program for elementary school-age children in his native state."

Lane 5 - Team USA posts "Tony Azevedo Ready For First Father’s Day As Dad.  Tony Azevedo joked that he doesn’t need (or want) a mug for Father’s Day telling him he’s the world’s best dad.  Nor does he need (or want) a new tie.  He just got the best gift of all: his first child, son, Cruz, who was born May 20 in Croatia, where Tony has been playing professional water polo."

Lane 6 - Cincinnati.com posts "Swim League begins its 50th year.  It was in the summer of 1963 when eight swim clubs in Northern Kentucky formed the Northern Kentucky Swim League and on Thursday night two of the original members – Beechwood Swim Club and Bluegrass Swim Club – met to open the 50th Anniversary of the NKSL.  The league has produced numerous standout collegiate swimmers and coaches, including: Olympic swimmer Nate Dusing; Olympic diver Becky Ruehl; four-time NCAA champion Cory Chitwood; current USA National Team Director for USA Swimming Frank Busch and Brent Rutemiller, who is CEO of Swimming World Magazine."

Lane 7 - Scottish Swimming posts "We LOVE SWIMMING.  Those kids benefitted from our Top Up programme! Scottish Swimming are delighted that the Scottish Government will continue to support the National Top Up Swimming Programme with a further investment of £500,000 over a two year period.  This investment builds on the Government's previous investment of £1.2 million which saw a 6-8% improvement in the number of children able to swim."

Lane 8 - NYDN posts "Honey Boo Boo's mom June Shannon hits the beach: Celebrity beach bodies we NEVER wanted to see…Cue the (not so) "Forever Young" jokes! Rod Stewart was caught running around Miami Beach in a speedo on Aug. 7, 2012."

Friday's Swim Report: Swimming Is Worth It, At Any Cost!

Lane 1 - Sun Sentinel posts "The Swimming Hall of Fame is nice — at right cost.  Yes, the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale is a nice attraction for the city, and has been since 1965.  And yes, it has been showing its age for a few years. It lacks the buzz to attract people.  But no, that doesn't mean the city should get into any kind of bidding war to keep the facility here. Particularly since the bidding could involve Fort Lauderdale tax dollars against private investment millions in California. That's not a battle Fort Lauderdale should even attempt to win."

Lane 2 - Japan Times posts "Kitajima claims victory in 100-meter breaststroke at Japan Open.  Former two-time double gold medal Olympic champion Kosuke Kitajima powered to victory in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke on the first day of action Friday at the Japan Open."

Lane 3 - Sports Illustrated posts "Breaststroke changes a possibility; more notebook.  As rules stand now, swimmers are permitted one dolphin kick at the start of each breaststroke race and coming off the wall of each turn. However, swimmers tend to fudge the rule by sneaking in an extra, or at least a pseudo-dolphin kick when they can in order to gain an advantage. Now, a proposal presented to FINA, the sport's international governing body, would permit unlimited dolphin kicks to the 15-meter mark after each turn, making the stroke easier for some swimmers, in theory."

Lane 4 - The Wave posts "Learn To Swim, Olympians Say.  With May being National Water Safety month, the Swim Strong Foundation hosted its first summer water event in the Rockaways on May 18th at Far Rockaway High School.  Representing the Make a Splash Foundation were two US Olympians. Mel Stewart won three Olympic medals – two gold and one bronze – in Barcelona in 1992. Lenny Krayzelburg is a four-time Olympic gold medalist from the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 games."

Lane 5 - Fox 26 Houston posts (w/video) "Drowning Prevention. Friday night a five year old boy downed. Tragedy struck again on Sunday. This time it was a three year old boy who scaled a fence and drowned in an apartment complex pool. So far nine kids in the Houston area have drowned this year, 74 drowned in Texas last year.  So Thursday the YMCA is kicking off it's "Water Wise" program.. it's an effort to prevent kids from drowning by teaching swimming and water safety to kids and their parents. It's an outreach effort. There's no need to go to a Y, they will go into less affluent apartment complexes to teach the basics."

Lane 6 - Philly Burbs posts "The thrill of water polo.  The sport’s lack of popularity in America doesn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the high school athletes who play it.  If you ask most high school students what sports they play, the most common answers might be football, soccer, basketball, track and field or swimming.  Though if you asked me, I’d tell you I play water polo."

Tuesday's Swim Report: Moms, The Best Swim Coach Of All.

Lane 1 - New Now Next posts "Olympic Swimmer, Texas A&M Student Amini Fonua Comes Out.  We’ve got ourselves another champion athlete who happens to be gay: This time it’s Amini Fonua, an Olympic swimmer who represented Tonga at the 2012 London Games.  While it’s theoretically easier to come out in a solo sport like swimming, it’s no picnic being openly gay at a conservative school like Texas A&M, where Fonua is a senior communications major."

Lane 2 - PR Newswire posts "The USA Swimming Foundation, in partnership with Phillips 66, will kick off its fifth-annual Make a Splash Tour presented by Phillips 66 in New York City on May 16 – 18. The national tour will include a series of press events, visit to the Empire State Building to light the skyline blue, water safety information sessions and free swimming lessons at local partner pools throughout New York City.  The events will feature appearances by these USA Swimming Foundation ambassadors: 2012 Olympic gold medalist Cullen Jones , swimming legend and Olympic gold medalist Rowdy Gaines, and National Team swimmers Lia Neal , Josh Schneider and Jimmy Feigen , among others."

Lane 3 - Huffington Post has "Mother's Day.  Wendy Boglioli.  Olympic Gold & Bronze Medalist, Healthy Aging Advocate, Lifelong Athlete.  As an Olympic swimmer, I learned young the value of mentors and coaches. Of all the individuals who have offered me their invaluable insight and guidance, my first mentor was my mother. She was not only my first coach but also my earliest advocate and supporter."

Lane 4 - First Coast News posts (w/video) " Olympian travels to paradise with a purpose.  Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin travelled to the Bahamas to participate in a project for MakeAHero.org, working and swimming with paraplegics while preparing herself for her next step, college."

Lane 5 - The Australian posts "Recovery key to Cate Campbell's hopes.  IF Cate Campbell is to turn world No 1 rankings in the 50m and 100m freestyle into world titles in Barcelona in July-August, she believes she will have to improve her recovery during competition.  Campbell put together the best series of sprint races ever seen by a woman in a textile swimsuit at last week's national trials in Adelaide."

Lane 6 - Purdue Sports posts "Boudia Set for First Competitions Since Medaling at Olympics.  Three active Purdue divers are also scheduled to compete at Trials meet in Tallahassee."

Lane 7 - Wales Online posts "Swansea launch new plans to find Tom Daley.  Producing the next British diving sensation and establishing the first official water polo club in Swansea for 20 years are the prospects under new water-based plans for the city."

Lane 8 - MSN Now posts (w/video) "Sore loser water polo player turns handshake line into dunk tank.  The scene threatened to turn into a bare-chested, Speedo-wearing slap fight, but the sides were quickly guided to opposite ends of the pool. It was a chump move, but at least we know that the dunked player didn't have his phone in his pocket."

Friday's Swim Report: Swimmer get better than he was before. Better... stronger... faster.

Lane 1 - KMOX posts "St. Louis Ready for Olympic Swimming Trials Bid.  St. Louis Sports Commission president Frank Viverito explained to Swimming World Magazine, the unique plan to turn the Edward Jones Dome into a temporary natatorium. Earlier this month that idea prompted concern that the floor in the dome may not be strong enough to hold two Olympic sized swimming pools. Engineers have confirmed to KMOX that is no longer a concern."

Lane 2 - The Herald Sun posts (w/video) "Bigger James Magnussen aims for realistic targets in wake of Olympics.  JAMES Magnussen has grown up since London, physically and mentally.  The reigning world 100m freestyle champion experienced a 3cm growth spurt during his six-week break after the London Olympics to now stand at 197cm."

Lane 3 - The Australian posts "Swimmer on learning curve finds it's horses for courses.  TEACHERS come in all guises; they can even come with four legs, as Emily Seebohm has discovered.  So their focus since the Games has been on teaching Seebohm how to relax under pressure.  Help has come from an unexpected quarter, in the shape of a 16-hand, blond-maned stock-horse named Platinum."

Lane 4 - Perth Now posts "Golden girl Stephanie Rice focuses on life out of the pool.  Moving to Sydney, starting a business, a breakfast TV gig and going to the gym whenever she feels like it.  Not to mention the new 6am rise-and-shine time which is far more respectable than the 4am alarm that woke her up every day for the past decade.  At 24, Rice is enjoying being normal again."

Lane 5 - National Real Estate Investor posts "USC To Expand Aquatic Center through $12.5M Project.  he University of Southern California has plans in place to renovate and expand its Uytengsu Aquatic Center. Commercial builder, Bernards has been tapped as the general contractor for the $12.5 million project, which should complete by April 2014."

Lane 6 - Today Tonight posts via youtube "Today Tonight - Michael Bohl to coach swim team.  Brisbane's Michael Bohl has been named as Australia's coach for the women's swim team and he has his eyes set on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."

Lane 7 - Eve and Candace posts via youtube "Eve and Candace on: Reezy's Big Move. Eve and Candace discuss some interesting details revealed in Ryan's interview with SwimSwam.com at the Mesa Grand Prix."

Lane 8 - Same Same posts "Rookies welcome for water polo.  Melbourne Surge Water Polo Club is welcoming new members to its team as they get set to participate in the Antwerp World Outgames in a few months.  “We’re always looking to include people in the community around Surge,” says the team’s media liaison Simon Canard. “The fitness, fun and training is just an added benefit!”  Melbourne Surge Water Polo Club is for all those interested in training and playing water polo with an inclusive, fun loving and active team."

Thursday's Swim Report: Life Outside The Pool

Lane 1 - The Lying Liars that Lie posts (w/video) "@MichaelPhelps Talks Life Outside The Pool With Brian!  World-renowned Olympic Medalist swimmer Michael Phelps joined Brian today on Kilmeade & Friends!  Phelps explained to Brian how he got into swimming and what he is up to now that he is officially retired from the sport."

Lane 2 - Velo Press posts via youtube "Swim Speed Workouts: Out of Water or Over Water Recovery Drill.  Sheila Taormina's books reveal the fastest way to swim. Learn more at SwimSpeedSecrets.com.  In her books Swim Speed Secrets and Swim Speed Workouts, 4-time Olympian, gold medalist, and triathlon world champion Sheila Taormina reveals the swim technique used by the world's fastest swimmers."

Lane 3 - News Chief posts "Comedian Anderson still hurting from diving mishap.  Comedian Louie Anderson says he's been in pain all week from a recent diving mishap during a taping of the ABC celebrity diving show "Splash." Anderson, who weighs more than 400 pounds, was trying to do a flip from the 5-meter board when he slammed into the water, landing on his face and chest."

Lane 4 - Global Post has "Park Tae-hwan-team.  South Korean Olympic swimming star Park Tae-hwan said Thursday that he hopes to turn a new chapter in his career now that he's found a new home.  Park joined the Incheon City Hall team in a signing ceremony held at the municipal government complex. The 23-year-old will receive an annual salary paid by the city, though financial details were not disclosed."

Lane 5 - NBC29 posts (w/video) "Olympic Gold Medalist Delivers Gifts at UVA Children's Hospital.  Patients at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital got a little surprise Tuesday afternoon.  An Olympic gold medalist handed out the gifts, hoping to brighten their day in the name of a special foundation.  Olympic gold medal swimmer Matt McLean delivered Jessie's JoyJars, jars filled with 15-20 age appropriate toys, to sick children at the hospital.  He distributed the gifts from a wagon overflowing with names."

Lane 6 - Contra Costa Times posts "Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin visits Richmond Tibetan center.  Coughlin, a 30-year-old Bay Area native, gave an inspirational talk to about 25 parents and children at the Tibetan Association of Northern California's (TANC) community center in Richmond on Wednesday night.  Accompanied by her husband, swimming coach Ethan Hall, Coughlin emphasized themes of perseverance, practice and education.  The visit came about after several months of emails and other inquiries from staff at the center, who hoped to hear from one of the most celebrated athletes in Bay Area history."

Lane 7 - Swim Mac posts via youtube "Tyler McGill and Coach Kevin Happ. Olympian Tyler McGill was in town this week and made time to visit with our North Dolphin Division. Here Tyler and Coach Kevin Happ demo a freestyle drill."

Lane 8 - Oxford Mail posts "Making a splash with waterpolo.   IMAGINE a cross between handball and basketball played in a swimming pool, and players are not allowed to stop swimming – that is waterpolo.  Originally developed in England in the late 19th century as a sort of aquatic rugby, it was played casually in lakes and rivers.  The men’s game has been in every Olympic Games since 1900, but it was 100 years before the women’s game was included."

Sunday's Swim Report: Let's Hear It For The Swim Ladies & James

Lane 1 - Herald Sun posts "Busy Stephanie Rice finds new pad a parking nightmare.  The Olympic swimmer moved into a new pad in an upscale Bondi unit block at the weekend but managed to alienate her neighbours even before she put her key in the front door by parking across three of the residents' parking spaces. Whoops.  Then early on Saturday morning, Mark Bouris's son, the charming and impeccably mannered Dane Bouris, who appears on Apprentice as an adviser, was spotted leaving The Darling hotel at The Star, where Rice stayed while shooting the show."

Lane 2 - The Telegraph posts "Swimmer James Magnussen helped by mind guru at NRL's Bulldogs. JAMES Magnussen has been secretly working with Des Hasler and the mind guru who helped turned the Bulldogs into a premiership force."

Lane 3 - neon tommy posts "Let Us Now Praise USC Women.  REBECCA SONI.  Soni, class of '09, is a six-time Olympic Gold Medalist in swimming, including two gold medals and one silver medal at the 2012 Games in London. Swimming World Magazine named her World Swimmer of the Year in 2010 and 2011."

Lane 4 - Canadian University Press posts "Savannah King on her sports community.  Savannah King, a two-time Olympian and CIS Female Swimmer of the Year talks about the role of gender in the sport of swimming. Of the UBC team, King said, “We don’t actually think of it as a girls’ and guys’ team.” King said she appreciates the inclusive team mentality, noting, “It’s nice to be thought of as equals like that.”

Lane 5 - USC Athletics posts via youtube "USC Women's Water Polo vs Arizona State."

Lane 6 - The Canberra Times posts "No medals for experts behind sportswomen list.  As you might have heard, Australia's 100 greatest female sportswomen were announced a couple of weeks ago at Parliament House. But then someone pointed out that Leisel Jones didn't make the list. OK, I might be a week late, but now I have to enter the fray. I'm not saying that she should knock Dawn Fraser off the top spot; I'm not even demanding that she go in the top 25.  The thing is, swimming is something at which Aussies have always excelled. We've had dozens of swimmers with far better international records than our best-ever badminton player. (For the record, that person isn't on the list either.) A few outstanding swimmers are missing, going as far back as Mina Wiley (one of our first female Olympic medallists, beaten only by Fanny Durack- yes, of course she makes the list - in Stockholm 1912)."

ISHOF - Enter the Water Dragon

ten minute trailer from 90 minute feature film released in China in 1959