Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Rage-Virus infection at the Santa Fernanda indoor pool! - CDC has subjects quarantined!

Apparently a lifeguard saw a swimmer begin to twitch and then violently seize in lane one. When the lifeguard responded, the swimmer attacked him with extraordinarily rage. The lifeguard was wounded in the attack and swat teams were called to contain the area, to aggressively sedate the victims, and allow the CDC to quarantine the subjects.

Here is a short Discovery Channel video on how to prepare yourself if the R-Virus strikes your community:

'blueseventy' cuts a deal with 'DC Comics' - Tech suits are now for heroes only!


Superhero suit to change face of swimming

blueseventy has received a supreme court ruling today declaring that the swimming governing body's rule regarding suits has no legal grounds, and that their suits may now be worn by swimmers competing on the world stage.

The ruling coincides with the new release of three new cutting edge designs from the New Zealand based swimming brand.

The DC, “Design Confidential”, range of swimskins have been announced with claims of incredible super powers, much like the suits names: The Hulk, The Super Suit, and the Spidery Suit.

The Hulk Suit, is designed to offer chemical assistance to the swimmer, through the power of anger. The suit uses nano technology to improve performance, triggered by hormones in the body produced when the person becomes angry, drastically increasing the power of the swimmer.

The Super Suit is developed with a small cap on the back, which acts as a wing like structure creating lift in the water and allowing the swimmer to "fly”.

The Spider Suit uses a weave of web like tendrils around the body, vastly improving the explosive power of an athlete, enabling the swimmer to leap effortlessly off the blocks almost 10m into the pool.

blueseventy's director of genetic research, April Hoodwink, commented, “Already estimations indicate that the new law, and resulting suits, would see the old 2009 world records become obsolete within days.”

Suit Wars: Craig Lord meets Tony Austin - sort of based on a true story

'Universal Sports' and 'Swim Network' have reported that Michael Phelps will not swim in the 'Columbus Grand Prix.'

Phelps swam very well in the Long Beach Grand Prix but this will mark his second absence from the USA Swimming Grand Prix series. I hope we are not seeing an "Ian Thorpe" retirement "sequel" in the making? It's unlikely but missing two races he promised to attend is definitely a "red flag."

Ian Thorpe retired at the age of 24 presumably due to burn-out issues after achieving everything he could with the body he had. Michael Phelps, also 24-years, may have some similarities to Ian Thorpe:
From Wikipedia:

Thorpe returned to competition at the New South Wales Championships in December 2005. He raced in the 200 m and stated his intention to retire after the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Thorpe announced that due to a desire to concentrate on the 100 m freestyle, he had dropped his pet event, the 400 m. [...] In February, Thorpe qualified for the 2006 Commonwealth Games by winning the 100 m and 200 m freestyle in times of 49.24 s and 1 min 46.42 s respectively. He expressed disappointment with his performances; he speculated that he may have misjudged his new training schedule and anticipated further improvement.

Soon after, Thorpe announced his withdrawal from the Commonwealth Games due to a bout of bronchitis, which had stopped him from training. Thorpe's illness was later diagnosed as a strain of glandular fever, and after a further delay caused by a broken hand, he moved to the United States in July to work with Dave Salo. Further disruption followed when the Australian switched coaches, citing excessive and ongoing media attention. Thorpe's stay was constantly surrounded by rumours that he was suffering from ill discipline; this fueled speculation that his international career was on the decline.

Upon his return to Australia, Thorpe withdrew from the selection trials for the 2007 World Championships and announced his retirement on 21 November 2006. Thorpe said that he had been contemplating retirement for some time, but was afraid of the future because swimming had given him a "safety blanket". Thorpe stated that he retired despite reaching higher levels of fitness, noting "As I got fit, physically fit, my mind also got fit". He said a clear mind allowed him to reach his decision. He was close to tears when thanking the Australian public, but declared that his retirement was a "joyous" occasion of celebration. [...]

[Link]


From Universal Sports:

Phelps had been entered in six events: 100m breaststroke [...]

The Columbus Grand Prix, a new meet on the USA Swimming schedule, can be seen live on Universal Sports TV and UniversalSports.com at 6 p.m. ET, Thursday-Saturday.


[Link]

Photo credit: Creative Commons: Originally posted to Flickr as Michael Phelps wins 8th gold medal by Bryan Allison. Thank you Bryan!

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

'Arena' sent me a note stating they want to congratulate NCAA Swimmers!

I am going to post it in it's entirety because it's a nice letter - Arena also makes it clear that they are stoked that their brand was worn by 48% of those that won medals.

From Arena:
Carlsbad, Calif., -March 30, 2010 – Arena, one of the world’s leading swimwear brands, would like to congratulate the University of California (Cal) Men’s swim program for its superb finish at the NCAA swim championships. Anchored by its performances in the relay events, the 100 butterfly, breastroke and freestyle, the Cal Bears finished second overall in the most completive events of the year.

Cal dominated the five relays spread over the three days and had three individual winners, ranking first in terms of gold medals.
"We were so happy to spend another day doing what we love to do," said Dave Durden, head coach of Cal swimming and Diving Team , who was named the 2010 NCAA Men's Swimming and Diving Championships Coach of the Meet. "We couldn't be happier with how the guys represented the program, their families and the University of California."

“Cal and Auburn are two of the premier swim programs in the United States, and each University serves as a training center for many of the world’s elite swimmers,” said Bryan Smeltzer, vice president of marketing, Arena USA. “We are very proud of the association with Auburn and Cal, and look forward to future success wearing Arena swimwear.”
The 2010 NCAA men’s finals were, overall, a great event for Arena to celebrate its coming back to the US market. On top of Cal Berkeley and Auburn, for which Arena is the official sponsor, two more teams among the first six in the general ranking wore Powerskin R-EVO racing suits, meaning a 48% of the total medals won by swimmers wearing Arena.

Arena, which returned to the United States in December, 2009, has an exclusive relationship with Auburn’s men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams and Cal’s Men’s swim team.

Arena is distributed in the United States by Arena USA, based in Carlsbad, California.

Since 1973, Arena creates and markets waterwear products for competitive swimmers and swim-fans and it is recognised as one of the premium brands for high quality swimwear and equipment. Over the last 36 years, the Company has developed a strong expertise in developing best in class products with particular focus on the Pool segment, while also gradually expanding into the Leisure/Beach segment.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Age group swimmers, NCAA swimmers & European swimmers: I am doing some research and I need your help!

Prior to the “suit wars” in early 2008 when tech suits were summarily endorsed by athletes, coaches and the national governing bodies, were you an early adopter of this new technology?

If you were an early adopter of tech suits, which suit did you purchase first and what was the number one reason that inspired you select that brand over all others?

Why am I asking this question? There is a saying in advertising and marketing that goes like this: "You sell the sizzle and not the steak" and I want to know what you bought into: "sizzle" or "steak."

When tech suits came out there was a lot of "sizzle" being sold. You saw Michael Phelps on a "movie set" from "Lost in Space" along with editorial that included both "NASA" and "ultrasonic welding" to help paint a technological future.

On the flip-side, or a company who was selling the "steak" rather than the "sizzle" was, blueseventy, who talked about neoprene and compression.

Other examples of selling the "steak" could be all the WRs or endorsements the suit had. If you were an early adopter, which did you buy into, the "sizzle" or the "steak?"

There is nothing wrong with buying into the "sizzle", I do it all the time when I buy a book because of its cover. I do so because I want to believe and sometimes a "paper moon" or a good "fairytale" can truly inspire a person. That is why my first tech suit was a NIKE Hydra; which wasn't very good compared to the others, but I still haven't been able to top a personal best I set in it in the 50-LCM Free with it.

Placebo effect, baby!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

How is this for confidence: "I feel like I'm the favorite - If I run my race, I'll come out victorious. The only person who can beat me is me"

NCAA championships: Josh Schneider of the University of Cincinnati also had this to say at Cincinnati.com:

"Some bloggers don't even have me finishing in the top three (in the 50 free)," he said. "But it's in my hands. I just need to get my mind right and get into a zone. There's more pressure this time. That's going to be the biggest task to overcome."

[Link]

I am amazed at how seriously both journalists and bloggers are taken. Having a blog is like being handed a "pretend bullhorn" and everybody thinks your voice is somehow louder than his or hers. It really isn't that way.

I spoke with, Lawrence Hilton, the attorney representing TYR in the, Erik Vendt, lawsuit.

I spoke with, Lawrence Hilton, the attorney representing TYR in USA Swimming/Speedo lawsuit and the breech of contract lawsuit against, Erik Vendt.

Reports that the lawsuit has reached its conclusion are inaccurate. He is what he had to say:
"... TYR's dispute with Erik Vendt has always been about Mr. Vendt's demand to be paid for wearing a competitor's suit. TYR has always been willing to drop its claims against Mr. Vendt, and has made several offers--both before and after the lawsuit was filed--to settle on that basis. Mr. Vendt has declined to accept TYR's offers and continues to demand to be paid for wearing a competitive product. Judge Selna's ruling does not address or affect Mr. Vendt's monetary demand. TYR continues to believe in the merits of its position on that issue. ..."
Hence, the case moves forward with TYR defending the idea that they should not have to pay an athlete who wears a direct competitor swimsuit while under contract.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

A marketing exec at a suit company spoke to me about the Erik Vendt lawsuit!

[UPDATE: The executive I spoke to did not work for TYR but rather a rival company.]

This person said that the lawsuit, "TYR versus Erik Vendt," and now the possibility of Erik Vendt suing TYR has frightened the executive so much that his company may change their sponsorship business model.

What this person suggested is that athletes may be hired for a particular swim meet or sponsored for just a few weeks thereby allowing to company to invest less capital and pick proven swimmers.

Remember the mass "exodus" from both TYR and Speedo over to both Arena and Jaked during World Championships? That particular scene was also floating around in this executive's mind.

Now the sponsored athlete "pool" may diminish further. Banning suits has caused more harm than the good it was supposed to restore.

[UPDATE: The grammar and spelling on this post was terrible. In fact, all my posts today had issues. I have rushed too much and I have to stop. Also, I accidentally deleted a comment that encouraged me to do a better job. ]

Cesar Cielo in and out of the water as seen around 'YouTube'


For a clean water campaign...


...captured at a photo shoot...


...and finally for UNICEF.

Lawsuit Brief: Over 32 Swim Coaches accused of Molesting Their Young Swimmers!

I don't know if these allegations are true, but I am bewildered as to why USA Swimming is not coming out and either denying these allegations or stating some sort of defense. It also befuddles me that they don't immediately come out with a simple any "one-on-one" policy insisting that parents have to be more involved than just dropping off their kids at the pool. In other words a parent or two has to be at the workout, meetings, trips, et cetera...

This would remove suspicion, it would protect both coaches and kids and provide the branding needed to instill a sense of confidence that dealing with a USA Swimming affiliated club would be a healthy and fun experience.

At this point a policy is needed NOW! The TV press is circling.


From
InjuryBoard.com:

The lawsuit, filed by San Jose attorney B. Robert Allard, accuses at least 32 Swim USA coaches at swim clubs across the United States of abusing their young swimmers since 1993. Allard specifically represents a 15-year-old San Jose girl who was repeatedly abused by King over a ten-month period. Furthermore, the suit specifies that the list of the 32 accused coaches is not “all-inclusive” and seeks unspecified damages against King, San Jose Aquatics, Pacific Swimming (the West Coast branch of USA Swimming), and USA Swimming. Allard is asking all swimmers that have been abused by their swim coaches to contact him. He also asked that individuals with information about abuse to come forward with the information.

[Link]

Sunday, March 21, 2010

0:44.77 takes the prize at the Connecticut State Open in the 100 Free - (Final Heat 4/4)





Have a good evening, I am going to bed but I leave you with some great fan videos with a marvelous POV from the upper deck. I added the 200-free at the last minute. Let me knows who wins, ok?

Most Photos from the Santa Clarita Meet!







Jamie in the 50-breaststroke on top swam a 32-and-change. It was the first time he swam in a pool in over six-months. His 100-time was 1:11ish.

Below that is Trevor and I jumping off the blocks for the 50-fly. I am going back to the track start. I can react much faster. With the flat start, falling forward and pushing off is just too slow. Also, he dropped me on the second lap.

At the start of the backstroke race, Ahelee, looks like she is being levitated out of the water by a UFO.

Below Ahelee is Rob of the RobAquatics blog. His start technique reminds me of how Matt Biondi started his races: lots air and lots of arc.

Photos by Mark Savage. You can see his celebrity stuff and head shots here: [Link]

New SCAQ Masthead Graphic

I change out the SCAQ Blog masthead every time I run across a really fun photo. This week Trevor flies off the blocks at the Santa Clarita Short Course Yards Meet.

Above is the original source photo.

Photo was taken by Mark Savage.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

So, today is the vernal equinox and I cellebrated the event at a swim meet!

I got four ribbons, set one personal best, and I even got sunburn at the Santa Clarita Short Course Yards Swim Meet. Obviously the meet was held in Santa Clarita which is a couple miles east of Six Flags Magic Mountain.

So, how cool is that on the first day of spring?

I am thoroughly enjoying the forward thinking of the USMS in regards to tech suits and short course yards. The USMS is a governing body that will definitely grow whereas the stuffy ones won't. Here is to shiny suits reflecting warm vernal equinox light.

Join us, its way better than FaceBook and you meet real people too.

Above is Dan Leonard; (famous in the attorney universe here in L.A.), trying to "beast" the 500-free.

BTW, The 500 free is a harsh mistress!

Friday, March 19, 2010

Deena Deardurff Schmidt: 1972 Olympic Gold Medalists in the 4x100 relay endorses lawsuit against USA Swimming!

Associated Press is running a story regarding the 15-year-old, Jane Doe, versus USA Swimming, Pacific Swimming and San Jose Aquatics.

From AP:
The amended suit, filed Thursday, alleges more than 30 coaches nationwide have engaged in sexual misconduct. It includes allegations by Deardurff Schmidt that she was molested by her coach. He is not named in the suit.

[Link]

Olympic Gold medalist alledges sexual abuse in Lawsuit Filed by, Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard Law Firm, naming 'USA Swimming!'


Above is a screen-shot of the complaint filed against USA Swimming in regards to USA Swimming, Pacific Swimming and San Jose Aquatics (Santa Clara County Superior Court, Case #109CV149813)

This snippet from the complaint press release only scratches the surface:

Olympic gold medal winner Deena Deardurff Schmidt [4x00 Gold in the 1972 Olympics - Tony] claims that starting at age 11 and continuing for four years, she was repeatedly molested by her former swimming coach, now in the Hall of Fame. Deardurff-Schmidt claims that she reported this abuse to US Swimming management on two occasions and both times no action was taken. The complaint alleges that King and other coaches are part of a culture in youth swimming throughout the nation that ignores the swimmers' cries for help.

[Link]

Then the complaint gets more lurid and more pathetic. Personally, I couldn't finish it.

This is the second lawsuit filed against USA Swimming in just 2-years. Both lawsuits are way serious: An antitrust claim and now a myriad of allegations regarding child abuse.

In no way can I take responsibility for this story growing as big as it deserves. There is one brave person who can though, a swim coach who has sacrificed a lot of his time, effort and is courageous enough to face a gauntlet of lawyers if the time comes. His name will come out.

Two major media networks are going to be covering this mess and I suspect if USA Swimming does not take the high road immediately, such as implementing a Boy Scouts of America policy in regards to preventing child abuse and/or false allegations, the Senate of these United States will. Think about it; it is an election year.

It is not a stretch to think that the Senate will bypass the USOC and get involved in a very serious way, I kid you not. A lot of Senators are up for reelection this year including California Senator Barbara Boxer who represents the state where the victims reside.

More on Geoff Huegill: His post race quotes are filled with emotion!

People need to believe and what better belief is there than believing you can do something impossible and then actually doing it!

From the Daily Telegraph:

"Without a doubt it's better than making my first ever team," Huegill said. "The emotions I feel today are definitely on par to when I stood up on the blocks here at the Sydney Olympics. It's just been a dream come true." --Geoff Huegill

[Link]

More quotes from the swimmer are included in the article and each and every one describes what it is like to go from "hero-to-zero-to-hero!"

We all this on a Friday.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Giant "McDonald's Shamrock Shake" spills into Chicago River: This is not funny and it is not cute


Would you want to swim in an open water race there even if dye was vinegar based? I am not likin' it at all and I am sure neither are the fish.

From Polkadot - There is a movie of the event as well: [Link]

Geoff Huegill - defies age, defies skeptics and qualifies for the Commonwealth Games!


Talk about character, hard work, and redemption; its official: Geoff Huegill is going to the Commonwealth Games.

From the AGE

THE biggest loser last night became the biggest winner, when Geoff Huegill, 45 kilograms lighter than he used to be, won selection on his first Australian team since the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Huegill, who got back into the sport 16 months ago, won the 50-metre butterfly to qualify for the Australian team, 13 years after he made his first national team.

[Link]
Please go read the article for details.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

FINALLY FOUND! - "Sippy" Woodhead swimming in the 200-meter free at the 1984 Olympic Games!



The "Holy Grail" of the SCAQ blog is a photo of Gwen Stefani swimming fly in high school - so far not produced. The "Ark of the Covenant" of the SCAQ blog is a film of Cynthia "Sippy" Woodhead swimming in the 200-free at the 1984 Olympic games - FOUND!

Love her loping stroke and turns.

Thank you Mark for hooking me up with this video.

P.S. Note the suit attire. Not much has changed from 1984-2010 save for that women get better suits.

1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games: Tracy Caulkins wins gold in the 400 IM - Second place came in 9-seconds later!



Imagine racing the world for your country in the 400 IM finals at the Olympic Games, turning around at the 100-meter mark and seeing the rest of the world chasing you nearly 3-or-4 body lengths behind. I bet the "adrenaline blast" from that must have made her even stronger.

Tracy Caulkins was one of the greatest swimmers ever!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Original "G" - Geoff Huegill (24.02) at the Telstra Commonwealth Games Trials!

I have been following Geoff Huegill for a few years now. When he was ridiculed and degraded in the press for being overweight. I felt he needed help not ridicule:

When the Australian press ran a photo of an overweight, Geoff Huegill with this tacky headline: "From a six pack to six beers and a pizza!" I was astonished that they would treat one of their own Olympians that way: [Link]

I followed up the Google newswire periodically looking for any more mention of him and a year later there he was again as a news worthy story: Geoff courageously jumped back in the pool lost about 40-pounds. He set new goals to make it to the Commonwealth Games which in his event, the butterfly, has the same gravitas as Dara Torres coming back for the 50-free. [Link]

Then about 6-months later he lost all the weight he had put on; 66-pounds worth, and he looked great and was placing well in all the races he swam: [Link]

Now in March 2010 Geoff's goal was finally going to be realized, the right to swim as a Commonwealth athlete and he MADE IT! errr, is leading in the qualifying. MAKES IT with a 23.46.

These are the stories that make me want to blog: [Wo]man versus self, versus others, so as to be the definition of great! Stuff like this pushes humanity to the next level albeit art, technology, or sport.

Dara Torres filled up pools with that plot line and so did, Julie Moss, who put the Ironman on the map. As for me, Geoff Huegill, has now put the butterfly into my repertoire! Do I have the courage to do another 200-fly? Not yet!

From AAP:

Geoff Huegill (24.02) earlier revealed he had unintentionally dropped some weight courtesy of a bout of food poisoning last weekend.

But that didn't stop him from producing a strong first swim in his bid to earn a place at Delhi as he finished fastest in qualifying for the 50m butterfly.

[Link]

Monday, March 15, 2010

At the 2012 London Olympic Games a cloud of bubbles will erupt with "gusts of digital data!"





A cloud of bubbles reflecting moments of the Olympics acting as the ultimate observation deck.

From Raise The Cloud:

The CLOUD proposes an entirely new form of observation deck, connecting visitors to both the whole of London and the whole of the world, immersing them in euphoric gusts of weather and digital data. Each individual footstep on the ascent to the CLOUD participates in a vast collective energy-harvesting effort. Everyone around the world can contribute to the Cloud - whether by visiting or by sponsoring an LED, helping to keep the London lamp aflame.

[Link]

From the YouTube Description:

Olympic & Expo structures with their mute mass, their ponderous monumentality, [Lovin' that word -Tony] and their conspicuous expenditure on immovable objects are outmoded. Our proposal is as light as air itself a tribute to a digital age of bits and atoms beyond the antiquity of steel and glass a structure which reveals the connected networks of a common humanity fueling the Olympics, their 2012 host city, and the world itself.

The Cloud proposes a new form of monument a new form of collective expression and experience, and an updated symbol of our dawning age.

It proposes an entirely new form of observation deck, high above the Olympics one from which one can not only see the whole of London, but the whole of the world, immersed in the euphoric gusts of weather and world data. It offers Londons highest park and an immersion within both our great clouded skies and the cosmos of our dataworlds as well as a live information system transmitting data and imagery from around the city and the world. It presents the perfect Olympic symbol a million unbounded particles contributing briefly towards a vast, beautiful, constantly-fluctuating whole. London, with its diversity, internationalism and tolerance, unites countries; the Cloud unites all people.

[Link]

Friday, March 12, 2010

Frank DeFord highlights the fight against the NCAA who make a fortune at the expense of amateur athletes!

USA Swimming take note. I understand you receive $30-million dollars-plus from the powers that be when the average pro-swimmer is making less than a waitress at Sushi Roku in Pasadena.

Frank DeFord is the William Shakespeare of sports writing. His observations, articulations and points of view are amazingly clear and poignant. He covers a lawsuit filed against the NCAA which mirrors that of the TYR lawsuit against USA Swimming.

Background on the story: Ed O'Bannon was basketball player for UCLA. His likeness was featured in video games and all sorts of promotional endeavors. Since O'Bannon was an "amateur athlete", he was not entitled to any of the profits the NCAA made off of his likeness. He is suing the NCAA and now the NCAA has to admit how much money they made licensing these "amateur athletes" without having to pay them a dime.

Sharecropper comes to mind in that the "plantation owner", or NCAA in this case, owns the sport and the player has to do the work and hopefully build a portfolio of stats and subsequently bring that "harvest" to the pro leagues. If the athlete gets gets passed over, or injured then there is no return on his investment as an "amateur."

Here is where it gets obvious: The definition of a "amateur athlete" in sports is now obsolete since this country, among others, allows professional athletes to compete in the Olympics. Where or what venue insists on amateur athletes besides the Olympics? Answer, It's called college and they make "mad, phat, bank" off that rule and O'Bannon is arguing that this is a monopoly or antitrust violation. If players want to play, they got to work for free.

Frank De Ford at NPR articulates it better:

The names of a number of other former college athletes, some whom played as far back as the 1960s, will be revealed Wednesday, giving more substance to the charge that the NCAA has, for decades, withheld from athletes hundreds of millions, perhaps even billions, of dollars that it made by merchandising those athletes — not only in video games, but in DVDs, apparel, memorabilia and other profit realms.

But as Jon King, the lead lawyer for the players, says, "the case has much broader implications."

That is to say, while the train is leaving the station on the side track of video games, the end of the journey may well be the express end of amateurism — that vestige from the 19th century, which is almost unique to sport, postulating that athletes should happily work for free while everybody else in the game gets well compensated.

The NCAA, which is a nonprofit entity, must now open its books — the first time they've seen public scrutiny. That's just the start.


[Link]

Save your sympathy for her opponents!



Fully awesome and unique. From Applied Arts:

Dixon’s powerful spot, embedded below, shows her doing a swim in backward motion, listing her impressive medal achievements along the way. It ends with her rising from the water onto the starting blocks, standing on ... [You have to go to the link to see the punchline!]

[Link]

Jessica Hardy & Fran Crippen swim with 'SurfAid' Founder Dave Jenkins this weekend in Malibu!

From the Surf 4 Humanity Foundation:
Swim 4 Humanity is a fundraising event benefiting SurfAid International. Hosted in eight cities on the west and east coasts from March to May 2010, monies raised will go towards SurfAid's humanitarian programs.

Prior to the event, participating teams and individuals get sponsored by friends and family for a 30-minute swim at one of the swimming pool venues. Competitive freestyle swims will be held each day, and fun team relay races will take place in the afternoon.

Awards and prizes are presented to participants based on their fundraising totals. Top fundraisers, top fundraising teams, relay race winners, and top competitive freestyle swimmers recieve premium prizes. This year's top fundraiser will receive a surf trip to Indonesia including round-trip airfare, courtesy of World Surfaris and Joyo's Camp!
The top 3 fundraisers will recieve:

1. Round trip Indo surf trip courtesy World Surfaris and Joyo's Camp
2. Fire Wire surfboard
3. Jay Alders twin fin board by 9:fish

All fundraisers will accumulate prizes as they pass higher donation levels:

$5000 - Go Pro digital camera
$4000 - Sector Nine skateboard
$3000 - Dragon sunglasses
$2000 - Fox backpack
$1000 - Reef shoes/sandals
$500 - SurfAid Towel

[Link]

I wish I knew about this sooner.

French Sprinter Alert: Frederick Bousquet just swam a 50-free in Nancy, France, in a time of 21.95

Guillaume D., a trustworthy source in France, just sent me this:

"... Just for info 21.95, Fred bousquet in the Nancy international meet in France; 3rd best time in history in a jammer or a brief. ... See ya!"
Results: [Link]

Photo Credit: Bruce Weber, Natation.

FUBIZ: 'Surfrider Foundation' continues their clean water and plastics campaign!


A slew of the new Surfrider clean ocean posters can be seen here at Fubiz: [Link]

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Ryan Lochte: Swimmer, Model, Skateboarder!



Athletes featured as models in a Wall Street Journal profile video. Ryan Lochte is featured and now I like him more since he admitted to be skateboard addict, a habit I have never been able to break.

César Cielo Video Link - Cielo swims an 18.47 ifor a 50-free SCY

YouTube description: "...The first leg of the 200 Freestyle Relay at D1 Swimming Nationals 2008 swum by Cesar Cielo was done in an 18.47! He was an 8.88 to the feet in the first twenty five and when he finished it was the fastest 50 yard Freestyle in the World...."

Though the video is on You Tube, embedding the video in a blog has been disabled. You can see the video by clicking here: [Link]

Thanks to Mark Savage for the sending us the video.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Interview with César Cielo - 'Arena' Athlete and the world's fastest freestyler!




Arena has quite a stable of athletes but my favorite is César Cielo. Born in Brazil, trained and educated at Auburn University, César, "... is the most successful Brazilian swimmer in history, having obtained two Olympic medals, two [FINA] World Aquatics Championships gold medals and breaking a world record within a one-year span. --Wikipedia" He is currently the world record holder in both 50 and 100 free and his gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in the 50-meter free is Brazil's only Olympic gold medal in swimming to date. I want to thank both César Cielo and Arena for granting me an interview.

Q: How often do you train and how many meters or yards do you put in each week?
I work out 6 days a week, from Monday till Saturday with an average of 35km a week.
Q: What percentage of your workouts are distance related, what percentage are conducted at a 90% effort or higher?
Most of the main sets are fast, so from 85% or above, I would say something around 30% of my training is related to race speed.
Q: What is your warm-up?
It varies, it depends on how I'm feeling. It could be a 200 easy to a 1500 kicking, sculling...
Q: What percentage of your workout is out of the pool? i.e. Weights, surfing running or other?
Three-times a week I work out in the weight room, mainly for weight lifting but also some plyometric training. Bike rides sometimes but usually that is optional.
I'm not good at the plyometric work and [I like] really high intensity sets in the water, like holding some a certain time for the whole set.

I love the 15m pool we have here at Auburn, I have a good start so its pretty fun to see how fast you get just diving in and breaking out. Also the power rack work, swimming with weights is one of my specialties.
Q: Favorite venue: Short-course-meters, long-course-meters, or the good fashion American way: Short-course-yards?
Short course yards is so much fun, because its so fast but I will choose the long-course-meters, because it is the Olympic pool.
Q: How do you mentally prepare for a race? When you approach the blocks you seem to be a bundle of energy, what is going through your mind?
I tell my self: "You are going to win!!!" several times, but behind the blocks it is a big blank, I'm completely out of my mind during this period.
Q: What is the most amazing pool you have swam in?
The WaterCube in Beijing was amazing, but the greatest memory I have is from Rome, the [FINA] World Championships were really special to me and my family.
Q: Will you swim the 200-free or perhaps do butterfly?
I don't think so, it hurts way too much!!! I wouldn't say never, but it's not on my plans to race the 200 right now. I'm focused on my 50 speed and if I start to train for the 200 I think I will lose some of this speed but butterfly may be a option for the future.
[Tony] Awesome!

Q: What are your current goals?
Listen to the Brazilian anthem every meet I go to.

Here is a link to César Cielo's website. It has video, photos and more. It's a must view: [Link]

Here is a link to the Arena site and their stable of swimmers: [Link]

For an explanation of what "plyometric training," here is a link: [Link]

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Disney's Oceans just makes you want to go open water swimming, huh? Can't wait for Alcatraz in June!

From Movieweb:

Nearly three-quarters of the earth's surface is covered by oceans. [blueseventy premise] French co-directors Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud have set out to capture the full expanse of these waters that have played such a crucial and constant role in the history and sustenance of man. The deep and abundant oceans are places of great mysteries and dangers that this film will dare to explore.

[Link]

Monday, March 08, 2010

'Inhabitat' - "Maldives To Fight Rising Sea Levels With Floating Islands"

I was going to post this last Friday but I got stuck in the comments section of this blog educating a specific individual on the fine art of journalistic ethics and values. :-P

I post this now only for the fun factor. From Inhabitat.com:

While exact design details of these new floating islands are still unavailable, we do know that Dutch Docklands knows a thing or two about creating water developments using methods and procedures that reduce impact on underwater life and minimize changes to coastal morphology. We also know that architect Koen Olthuis is a force to be reckoned with, so we can’t wait to see these creative designs come to fruition.

At the signing ceremony, Mahmood Razi, Chairman of the Privatisation Committee said the Maldives plans to seek the assistance of Dutch Docklands to develop floating housing units in the Maldives in the future.

[Link]

I want one with a volcano and a rocket ship that shoots out of the spout. Oh, and I need a white pussycat and lots of allergy medication.

Saturday, March 06, 2010

Contolled anger directed in a rational way drives Michael Phelps to swim better and faster: There is a lesson here!

Michael Phelps is a proverbial, "Zen roshi," when it comes to channeling anger or disappointment in a productive way. Not only is it his best "weapon," it's a "tool" he should share with society. (A possible second act here after swimming?)

When Thorpe, Cavic or somebody else says something along the lines of: "Phelps sucks! He can't do it, I will buy him a real swim suit!" Michael Phelps simply excuses himself form the table, grabs a pair of scissors and politely cuts all of the negative or ad hominen quotes out the paper and tapes in his gym locker as a reminder what he has to prove it and how glorious it will be to triumph in a constructive way.

No athlete is better at doing this than Michael Phelps; he should share

From Swimming World:

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland, March 7. SUPERSTAR Michael Phelps was on point at the Maryland State Championships held in Annapolis, as he clipped his American record in the men's 200-yard fly. [...]

[Go to the article to see his time.]

[Link]

BTW, nice suit, Michael!

Friday, March 05, 2010

Craig Lord denies filing any article regarding the TYR lawsuit with the 'Times' or the 'Times Online' - Here is evidence to the contrary!


Craig Lord said in the comments section of a previous article:

Neither The Times nor The Times Online have touched this story. Nor have I been asked to file that story, nor have I offered it. It is an American story that holds no interest in Britain, nor indeed in Europe. Stop fibbing and repeating falsehoods Mr Austin

Link to Original Article - Please see comments section: [Link]

My response was a bit shrill but 100% accurate:

"They covered it Craig, in fact your name is on the byline, jackass!

In fact here is what you actually wrote for the TIMES Online"

"... The sound of empty cash registers rang out from rival manufacturers. Nike released its swimmers. Adidas stuck to its guns but had only one big success, Germany’s Britta Steffen winning the 50m and 100m freestyle. TYR, which spent three years and several million dollars developing its Tracer Rise suit, filed an antitrust lawsuit in California in May, accusing Speedo, USA Swimming and its national team head coach Mark Schubert (who said in support of the LZR that swimmers had a “black-and-white decision: the money or the medal”) of conspiring to block competition. ..."

I am going to make this comment into a post since you accused me of being a liar.

[TIMES Online article link]

This is a "Compete.com" stat graph comaring site numbers between this blog and SwimNews.com


In the comments section of this post: [Link] - I made a link to a graph that some users cannot see unless they register. Here is the actual graph. I post it here for a reference as to how my, "little blog," as Craig Lord called it is actually doing stat wise.

Craig Lord submits rebuttal to my affidavit post!

To read, Craig Lord's, rebuttal to my affidavit posts, read the comments section of this article: [Link]

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Ryan Lochte setting a WR in the 100 IM Short Course Meters!



Sheer power and technique - what an inspired race

Universal Sports: Coughlin returns to the pool; Sutton wins in Austin

Local girl Chloe Sutton storms it. From Universal Sports. When I first saw the times, I thought these are really slow but then I remembered this is LCM not an SCY environment. The times in the 50-free were pretty fast.

Women's 400 free

Mission Viejo's Chloe Sutton kept on marching towards the $20,000 overall Grand Prix prize with another gold medal, this time in the women's middle distance. Sutton checked in with a 4:07.41 for the win. Sutton went out fast, posting a 59.92 at the 100, and did not look back as she raced to victory. FAST's Katie Hoff earned second-place honors in 4:10.57, while Fort Lauderdale's Lauren Driscoll, 16, grabbed third overall in 4:13.66.

[Link]

Read to see how Natalie Coughlin did. She has only been in the pool or training for, let's see, what time is it now?

From journalist to advocate? - Declaration of Craig Lord in the TYR versus Speedo, USA Swimming and Mark Schubert lawsuit.

Here is the link to an affidavit that swim journalist, Craig Lord, gave to the attorneys defending USA Swimming and Mark Schubert in the TYR vs. USAS and Mark Schubert lawsuit.

There is nothing scandalous in this document; (save for that stupid comment about short course meters), and the rest has already been mentioned at the Swim News website several times over. To his credit he never used the word "shiny suits" therein..

However!

When you are a journalist, it is a requirement to become amoral. One cannot take sides. You cannot offer support, you cannot be an advocate, and it is your responsibility to be nothing but a trusted observer. Like it or not, that is the "Cardinal Rule" for a journalist. Journalist and photojournalists in Haiti, Chile, Iraq, or Afghanistan must document tragedy or success and never take part no matter what the circumstances or face getting fired for being partisan.

In my opinion he became a partisan.

Here is Craig Lord's declaration:

[Link]

Craig Lord disparages Short Course Meters Swimmers as not "...top-level athletes! "


Craig Lord has a dog in the fight! - He files an affidavit in the TYR lawsuit without being subpoenaed!

Obtaining court records is not complicated but you have to have both the right case number and document number.* Luckily I had both. On December 29, 2009, an affidavit was filed by Craig Lord for both USA Swimming and Mark Schubert. Lord was not court ordered to do so or subpoenaed and ultimately it was submitted on his own volition. This is something unusual for journalist to do. (Read that as taking sides.)

I will upload this document tonight for all to see but I have to share this gem which disparages athletes who compete in short course meters!

In Craig Lord's words on page 8-0f-12:

"... Long course world records are, in my opinion, the more significant statistic, because based on my experience long-course events attract the very top-level athletes. ..."
FINA is going to love that quote especially since Michael Phelps endorsed the FINA World Cup Series with his presence.

There you have it, in Craig Lord's universe the following swimmers who hold world records in SCM racing are essentially "B-List swimmers."

Women SCM World Record Holders:

Marleen Veldhuis
Libby Trickett
Federica Pellegrini
Joanne Jackson
Alessia Filippi
Jessica Hardy
Rebecca Soni
Therese Alshammar

Male SCM World Record Holders:

Roland Schoeman
Paul Biedermann
Amaury Leveaux
Grant Hackett
László Cseh
Peter Marshall
Cameron van der Burgh

Pictured above is A-List athlete, Rebecca Soni, doing a groovy start dive but then again I am openly biased.


[*The Case Number 8:08-cv-00529-JVS-MLG. It is titled Document 89-3.]

British Swimming may be following the USMS lead on tech suits!

I have no link yet but this from a reader in the UK.

'British Swimming has published the following announcement :

In addition to complying with FINA General Rule 5, the swimwear in these competitions must comply with By-Laws 8.2 and 8.3 concerning the style and material used. 'This does not prevent the use of a zip or other fastening as this is not mentioned in these provisions. British Records may be achieved.

However, if a World or European Record is to be claimed, then the swimwear must meet the requirements of the issuing authority. This is separate from the General Rules and By-Laws and is subject to change at any time.'

I spoke to a lady - I think her name was Anne Davies - at The British Swimming Org, who confirmed this to be the case. Also she said can be found on the British Swimming web site. I havn't actually looked for it yet but it must be there.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

TYR lawsuit is not over and may still be moving forward!

The TYR lawsuit is still in motion. A self-important article written in the first person by a "noted" journalist on his blog stating otherwise is completely and totally erroneous.

Here comes the minutes from an in-chambers meeting with Judge V. Selna and the lawyers at large in the case.

Case No. SACV 08-00529-JVS (MLGx) Date March 3, 2010

(IN CHAMBERS)

Order Granting in Part and Denying in Part Defendant Speedo USA’s Motion for Summary Judgment , or in the alternative, for Summary Adjudication of Claims (Fld 12-29-10) and Defendant United States Swimming and Mark Schubert’s Motion for Summary Judgment (Fld 1-20-10)


[Pages and pages omitted for brevity]


IV. CONCLUSION

For the foregoing reasons, the motions for summary judgment are GRANTED in part and DENIED in part. Speedo is entitled to summary judgment with respect to TYR’s Fourth and Sixth Claims, and USA Swimming and Schubert are entitled to summary judgment on TYR’s Sixth Claim. Speedo, USA Swimming, and Schubert are entitled to summary adjudication on the remaining claims to the extent they rely on a coercion theory of antitrust liability.

As noted above, the Court concludes that the Defendants failed to carry their initial Celotex burden with respect to TYR’s theory of antitrust liability for disparagement. However, the case law imposes a high burden before speech in the marketplace becomes actionable antitrust conduct. Such statements “must have a significant and enduring adverse impact on competition itself in the relevant markets to rise to the level of an antitrust violation.” Harcourt Brace, 108 F.3d at 1052. In fact, the Ninth Circuit “insist[s] on a preliminary showing of significant and more-than-temporary harmful effects on competition (and not merely upon a competitor or customer).” Id. at 1151 (internal quotation marks omitted).

The Court believes that the issue of the requisite preliminary showing should be tested before the matter proceeds to trial. To that end, the Court is willing to entertain a further summary judgment motion, even if that requires a slightly collapsed motions schedule24 or a brief delay in the trial. The Court schedules a telephonic status conference for March 8, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. to discuss the issue.

A link to come later!

Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Michael Phelp in 'Men's Fitness'

Michale Phelps dishes some training tips in Mens Fitness magazine; we know most of them but this one stood out:

Tip Number 5:
Stay focused on your goals and confident in your ability. "In Beijing, when my goggles filled with water, I didn't panic," Phelps says. "I went back to all of my training. I knew how many strokes it takes me to get up and down the pool, so I started counting my strokes. I didn't reach the time I was aiming for, but I did win the race.

[Link]

Surfrider Project: Rise Above Plastic!



Originally spotted at NotCot who linked to Ypsilon2

Here is a link to the Rise Above Plastics site: [Link]

Monday, March 01, 2010

TYR Lawsuit versus Speedo USA Swimming and Mark Schubert appears over!

What a "U-Turn" from the original preliminary ruling at the start of this case where all of the accused were practically shamed!

From Swimming World:

SANTA ANA, California, March 1. WHILE the court case brought by TYR against Speedo, USA Swimming and Mark Schubert was to have been heard beginning next month, Judge James V. Selna tentatively decided to make his ruling a month early.

In a tentative ruling acquired by Swimming World heading into a hearing this afternoon, Judge Selna intends on ruling completely in favor of Speedo, USA Swimming and Schubert with summary judgments against TYR. A summary judgment means that a determination has been made by a judge that the case does not have merit to even reach a full trial.
[Link]


I am astonished at the power corporations such as Speedo can wield. It is now official: a corporation can summarily sponsor a National Governing Body (NGB) that is set up and recognized by the United States government, sponsor the national team coach who is legally allowed to pimp the corporations products, all the while using the non-profit NGB as it's marketing arm and United States flag as it's icon.

Don't they have a definition for that? Banana Republic comes to mind. With corporations now free to buy NGBs, donate as much as they want to political campaigns, it has become apparent that corporations are now super citizens.