Jaz Carlin spnaks Rebecca Adlington and Jo Jackson in the 400-free and 200-free!

In today's swim universe you are only as good as your last swim and 19-year-old, Jaz Carlin, proved she is very, very good. She is also beautiful which doesn't hurt either. If she keeps this winning thing going, she will earn not just Olympic gold but real gold; the kind you can spend

From The Telegraph:

On Sunday she beat Jackson and double Olympic champion Adlington in the 400m freestyle in a time just 0.22 sec off her personal best, set during the era of the performance-enhancing suits. The fact the swimmers are in hard training further underlined the quality of her performance.

Hours later Carlin returned to the Wales National Pool to take the lead just before the final turn which she never relinquished to finish in 1 min 59.40 sec.

The Swansea-based Carlin is coached by Bud McAllister, who guided Janet Evans to three Olympic titles in 1988, the American revealing on Sunday his charge's tenacity had seen her likened to a "pitbull".

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Wow, two words really impressed me in that paragraph: Janet Evans!

There are no "off meets" now for there are fewer sponsored athletes now. If you don't consistently win an athletes pay rate will either drop or their contract won't be renewed.

Swimmers are now rock bands: They don't make money off the "album" anymore; (read as suit companies), they have to go touring; (read as racing all over the world), and build their own constituencies. More fans means bigger contracts and a fan base to direct market to. Swimmers need to embrace their fans and allow them to throw money at them.

Jaz Carlin is so on my radar.