New SCAQ Masthead and this week Chris Beach is featured!

Chris is the other "Michael Jordon" on our team; He swims a low :21 for the 50-free.

The photo, once again, was taken by Mark Savage. In fact I understand that a photo that Aaron Peirsol is using on one of his sites was taken by Mark in the studio somewhere.

Here is one of Mark's photography sites: [Link]

No "off-meets" for Aaron Peirsol or Jason Lezak either- Every meet demands a win and win they did!

There are no "off-meets" for these two. From Swimming World:

"...In a head-to-head battle between a pair of Olympians, the veteran Jason Lezak challenged the American record in the men's 50 free with a triumph over Nathan Adrian. Lezak, swimming for Rose Bowl Aquatics, won in 21.90. The American record is held by Garrett Weber-Gale with a 21.47 from the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.

[Link]

Texas Senior Circuit: "...Longhorn's Aaron Peirsol crushed the field in the men's 200 back with a swift time of 1:56.38. [about 2-seconds off his personal best - Tony] Mustang Matt Thompson placed a distant second in 2:01.52 with Timothy Johnson taking third in 2:04.52.

[Link]

I grabbed the photo to the right of Jason Lezak at his website. (Yes, I did alter he photo.)

Can anybody tell me what suit he is wearing? It is kind of snazzy!

Get a kickboard and a permanent marker: Brendan Hansen and Aaron Pierisol will be signing autographs!

Jeffrey W. sent this to me:

"...Olympic Gold Medalists’ and Michael Phelps’ relay teammates, Aaron Piersol and Brendan Hansen will be available to speak with the public and sign autographs. I’m reaching out to the surrounding swim community to let them know. ..."

They will be at Lindberg Nutrition on March 14th. The address:

Lindberg Nutrition
3804 Sepulveda Blvd.
Torrance, CA
90505

Send pictures and I will post them to the blog!

Quick thoughts

Thoughts on the 50 free prelim:

1) Cielo looks straight down the whole way
2) Nystrand has a "tomahawk/windmill" stroke as do many others.
3) Tobriner has his arms go into the water at a angle.
4) Schoeman has a very symmetrical stroke. His body is very rigid. (Rotates little?)

Thoughts on the 200 breast:

1) Rebecca Soni has a short glide phase and at least "two or three hearts."
2) Jones should have won but SOni was stronger - Jones looked fatigued all throughout - even on the blocks

Thoughts on the 200 back:

1) Lochte's Dad cried. :-]
2) Perisol did it again! He kicks on his belly during the turn! - NOT OK
3) Lochte does not kick on his belly

Thoughts on the Women's 200 back:

1) Manaudou lost weight, looks pale. Could be the LZR making her look thinner!

Thoughts on the 200 IM

1) Cseh is the most underrated swimmer in these Olympics
2) Phelps is making this looks so easy. Is it easy?

Women's 100 Free thoughts

1) Francesca Halsall has a beautiful body!
2) Britta Steffen STORMED it in the last 10 meters. Where everybody was fading she got stronger.
3) Natalie Coughlin is STRONG!

Jason Lezak - "Most valuable player" on the United States Olympic Swim Team!

From the New York Times: “...I think it had a lot to do with why we did so good,” Walters said Tuesday night after the Americans broke an Olympic record in the relay preliminaries, delivering Lane 4 to Phelps and Company for Wednesday’s final. “That really was the race of the century.”

It was as if the American men’s upset victory over France — and Lezak’s blistering anchor leg of the freestyle relay that made sure it happened — started an outbreak of endorphins on the United States team.

“We gained a lot of momentum,” Natalie Coughlin said after winning her second consecutive gold medal in the women’s 100 backstroke. “It was probably the most amazing swim I’ve ever seen. It got a lot of us pumped up for the rest of the meet.”

Matt Grevers, who placed second behind his teammate Aaron Peirsol in the 100 backstroke, said, “The way Lezak finished that race, it really moved me. ...” [Link]