Lotte Friis sets a new WR in the 1500 SCM - Last 45-Second Fan Video

Look at her catch and look at her kick; she is a strong swimmer.

Photo from AFP at Handelsblatt: [Link]

Aschwin Wildeboer of Spain: World Record 100 back during the 4x100 medley relay!

Maly from France hooks us up with this wonderful Eurosport video of, Aschwin Wildeboer, of Spain swimming a leading off the 4x100 relay with a 52.38 in the 100 back for a new World Record.

Maly sends us Alain Bernard's World Record in the 100 Free!

Maly so hooks us up! Uploading stuff to You Tube is not very fun yet she has been so generous with her time in doing so that I can't thank her enough. :-)

ALain Bernard 21:50 WR in the 50LCM Free

Edging out Stefan Nystrand, Alain Bernard and his technically proficient freestyle; (hands lower than the elbows during his turnover phase), now owns a world record that no Frenchman has ever held before. Very nicely done, France!

Here is a link to a higher-rez version: [Link]

New World Record for Alain Bernard in the 100 LCM freestyle: 47.60!

Update 1:33 PM: If you go to "You Tube" and type in " &fmt=18 " after the URL and then reload the page, the video will have much more clarity.

Update: 47.50 in the finals according to an anonymous comment who also included a "You Tube" link. Thank you SO MUCH, anonymous.



Note there is not a straight arm freestyle here. Also note that he is looking up rather than looking down. Watch his head as he swims into the wall.

France has given us both Laure Manaudou and Alain Bernard. They are obviously doing something right over there. New 100 LCM Freestyle world record set at the European Championships at Eindhoven.

UPDATE: Rick Beerendonk out of Amsterdam I believe has an amazing stroke analysis at his site that includes speed, frequency, stroke length, and more. go to his site and check it out: [Link]

Whoops, There goes another world record!

Man, I am eating my words over the Speedo Lazr. There is our Patron saint, Natalie Coughlin looking prety streamlined.

Check out this quote from Swimming World: "... Coughlin took the swim out in 28.77, before bringing it back in 30.44. Her front half proved the difference as second-place finisher Coventry touched in 59.61 with splits of 29.42 and 30.19. ..." [Link]

I woke up to a "Swim Alert" from Lane 9 News that Dara Torres beat Therese Alshammar and set an American record

Though Torres placed second to Marleen Veldhuis, Dara Torres now owns the American record in the 50 SCM. I think it is a pretty significant swim especially since she also beat Therese Alshammar. I was hoping You Tube would have a fan video but nothing has been posted yet. I now think there is a very good chance that Dara Torres will medal in the LCM version of this event in Beijing if she qualifies next year at trials. Lane News [Link]

From WCSN: "...

Marleen Veldhuis blazed the splash-and-dash event with a time of 23.58 to pip Sweden's Therese Alshammar's global standard of 23.59, set way back in March 2000. The mark also jumped Veldhuis well ahead of Libby Lenton's season-best time of 23.77, set at the Aussie championships in August.

Additionally, the United States' Dara Torres rocketed past the previous American record of 24.21 set by Kara Lynn Joyce in March 2004. Torres posted a blistering time of 23.82 to become the first sub-24 American in the event.

Alshammar (24.05) and teammate Anna-Karin Kammerling (24.32) took third and fourth, respectively ..." [Link]

Mark just sent me this to illustrate the gravity of Ziegler's swim

The men's world record in the 1500m free circa September 4, 1972 was 15:52.58. It was set on that day by, Mike Burton. Kate Ziegler topped it by nearly 10 seconds.
Ziegler Was on the Mark Before Meet Washington Post
Ziegler Riding High After World-Record Swim SwimmingWorldMagazine.com
Ziegler Breaks Long-Standing Distance Record Arlington Catholic Herald

Here it is: Kate Ziegler's 1500m world record.

Note the two-beat kick and how effective her pull is.

Kate Ziegler's split times for her 1500m world record

Lane 9 News has more on Kate Ziegler's amazing swim: [Link]
Sports Illustrated on Kate Ziegler's world record: [Link]
Timed Finals 'Who can Stop Kate Ziegler': [Link]

1. Ziegler, Kate 18 Previous Record: 15:53.05 - New World Record 15:42.54

29.23 1:00.49 - (31.26)
1:32.09 (31.60) - 2:03.46 (31.37)
2:35.17 (31.71) - 3:06.74 (31.57)
3:38.34 (31.60) - 4:09.87 (31.53)
4:41.41 (31.54) - 5:13.01 (31.60)
5:44.80 (31.79) - 6:16.48 (31.68)
6:48.07 (31.59) - 7:19.63 (31.56)
7:51.06 (31.43) - 8:22.57 (31.51)
8:53.91 (31.34) - 9:25.42 (31.51)
9:57.07 (31.65) - 10:28.74 (31.67)
11:00.19 (31.45) - 11:31.70 (31.51)
12:03.42 (31.72) - 12:35.17 (31.75)
13:06.55 (31.38) - 13:38.54 (31.99)
14:10.13 (31.59) - 14:41.85 (31.72)
15:13.27 (31.42) - 15:42.54 (29.27)