Frederick Bousquet come from behind victory in the 4x50 SCM Free at European Championships!

Amazing finish - You would almost think they never had a chance!

Maly, our French friend took the time to upload this to her channel at You Tube. [Link]

Frederick Bousquet reveals how he trains in a interview with 'Gala.fr'

UPDATE: Maly has sent us a much nicer translation and it is posted in the comments section! Thank you Maly!

He also reveals a lot of personal details from his religion, what his tattoos represent, Laure Manadou, and he is well aware that he will need a career post swimming.

When asked if he has suffered a lot to be so "beautiful" - He answers yes, and blames it all on swimming. Nice!

1. He trains 6-hours-a-day and he loves it and has been doing it since 14-years old.

2. In the water from 8:00 AM - 9:15 AM working on technique

4. 10:00 AM he is either running with 30-pounds worth of weight in his hands or biking

5. 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM lifting weights

6. 5:00 PM - 6:15 more swimming

7. Works on his abs for one hour

Link to Gala.fr: [Link]

Federica Pellegrini is tracking almost as high as Angelina Jolie in Google searches in Italy!

Since the 2009 FINA World Championships, Federica Pellegrini, is tracking almost as high as Angelina Jolie in Google searches in most Italian regions. In some cities, such as Naples, she is tracking equal or higher. Jennifer Aniston can't touch either of them. [Google trends is my source]

The First photo is Federica Pellegrini at the Venice Film Festival with her friend Luca Marin.

Photo source: M&C.com: [Link]

In the next photo and to the left is the current Italian President, Silvio Berlusconi, making an ass of himself overly "eyeballing" Federica Pellegrini as he greeted her at a gathering of "young supporters in Rome." The guy is actually well liked in Italy despite scandal and a challenged economy.

I swear, I think 80% of politics is making up a good story.

From Metro.co.uk:

Silvio Berlusconi just can't help himself, can he? Most politicians mired in a sex scandal might keep a low profile and not give the enemy any further ammunition. But not the Italian prime minister, who is never far away from trouble when it comes to women.

[Link]

These two photos presented certainly demonstrate how much power and prestige swimming has in the Italian universe. The French and the Australians are treated in this fashion as well. I suggest American pros spend more time racing where they are appreciated and learning the languages where they are admired as well.

Imagine, Jason Lezak, trash talking Alain Bernard, Amauary Leveaux, Frederick Bousquet, and Fabien Gilot in French and challenging them to a pay-for-view meet with all the strokes on neutral ground at the Montreal Olympic Pool in French Canada? The French would be all over it like an Italian President on a "party goer!"

I could dip my keyboard in poison and be Lezak's writer; of course Maly would have to help me translate and obviously I would not mean any of it...

I kid you not. This is the stuff American swimming needs.

There are no "off-meets" for Dara Torres! - Every meet counts!

I was scolded in a comments section a few posts back for criticizing Ryan Lochte, and Katie Hoff for doing mediocre at the 2009 Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix.

I praised Frederick Bousquet for his victory in the 100-free and for knowing full well that a victory over Phelps would add tremendous value to his both his name and swimsuit.

I was told, it was an off-meet and that it did not matter. I was told to look how they both do when they swim a big meet like World Championships or Nationals. That opinion is valid and morally correct but it is not a correct business decision.

Dara Torres swam no "off-meets" to test her butterfly or new technique: She came to a meet that was "off every body's radar" and consequently Dara captured the American record in the 50-meter 'fly.

If both Hoff and Lochte had Dara Torres' business savvy, they should have come prepared to sweep all of their events and while Lochte would have looked like the "giant killer" to the clueless media for beating Phelps, Hoff would have had a satisfying return post Beijing.

Fred Bousquet understood the gravity of beating Phelps and I have a feeling he is now bigger than both Amuary Leveaux and Alain Bernard in France at this time.

In tomorrow's sport page Torres will have garnered lots of ink and/or electrons on our computer screens and her sponsors are going to be stoked! She may even be on national TV and I bet she gets a bonus. Hoff and Lochte will have to wait.

Fan video of the mens 100-free final at the Charlotte Ultraswim!

It has no sound but great footage of an enthusiastic Bousquet in his red Jaked suit. You could just feel that he knew he was going to win.

Universal Sports coverage of the 2009 Charlotte UltraSwim here: [Link]

Bousquet gracious in victory speaks about the strategy he used be defeat Michael Phelps in the 100-meter free!

Michael Phelps is quoted as well and not only does Bousquet talk about his admiration for Phelps, he discuses his point of view about the Jaked possibly being banned tomorrow by FINA. From APF:

"...I don't like swimming 100s in season," Bousquet said. "The fact he was in the race and in the lane next to me helped me get my head into it and get motivated.

"I would like to get him down to the 50. I don't want to stay around too long in the 100. With the years coming, I don't think I will beat him too many more times in the 100."

Bousquet cited Phelps's stroke switches as a reason to feel he will not long be able to beat the American.

"To go 49.0 and change strokes a couple of times during the race, that's very impressive," Bousquet said. ..."

[Link]

As for our suits: My prediction for tomorrow is bleak. I suspect the Jaked and the blueseventy will be banned. TYR may be bloodied too.

Possible scenarios: TYR will be extraordinarily upset if the Tracer Rise and/or the Titan are banned. If they are, I am sure TYR will be quite polite and gracious in public; (because they are a classy company), but privately they will escalate the lawsuit against USA Swimming and Speedo and insist upon keeping their trial date with no intention of settling out of court.

The trial date is slated to start in the Spring of 2010 which will be lousy timing for Speedo and USA Swimming since it could bleed into 2012. (the Microsoft anti-trust trial took 2-years.)

I suspect other suit companies if unable to design a winning suit or forced to use a Speedo patent will jump on board that TYR lawsuit making it a class action suit.

Does FINA, USA Swimming, or Australian Swimming want that?

So, does FINA go partisan, "old school suits only" or "split the baby."

Your guess is more educated and better than mine!

DOMINATION! Frederick Bousquet - HUMILIATION! Michael Phelps swims in lane-one in the third-of-11 heats!

Clarification: I want to make it clear that Phelps has had a pretty good meet so far. He is experimenting and taking chances but the 50-free did not work out. All the other events, including the 2nd place finish to Aaron Piersol still denote that Phelps is still the best.

Frederick Bousquet flies to Charlotte at near last minute, swims jet lagged, yet dominates the 50-free against a very impressive field swimming a 21.33. (Cullen Jones placed second in a 21.96 as you probably already know.) It's a 1/2-second-or-so off his WR but still impressive considering how rushed he was to get to the states.

However, the French are doing something right and the Americans are not. Ironically enough Frederick trained at Auburn - Why are American sprinters not as fast? Could it be the suits? I think that is a fair question.

Here is what AP had to say about Phelps in the 50-free: "CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A sprinter, he's not. ..."

Phelps was assigned to lane one in the third of 11 heats — surely the first time in years he's gone that early — and lived down to expectations by touching in 23.24 seconds, far off Frederick Bousquet's world record of 20.94...."

Please Read: [Link]

Photo above: Compiègne - Meeting national - Novembre 2008. - Frédérick Bousquet (Cercle des Nageurs de Marseille), - Photo Nicolas Götz: www.sport-phot.com

AP newswire: Cullen Jones will swim the 4x100 relay final with Michael Phelps!

Also, a Freudian slip on the part of the French?: "... The French believe they can ruin Phelps' hopes of going eight-for-eight in a country where eight is considered a lucky number. They've certainly got reason to be confident, putting up the best time of the year until a backup American squad broke the world record in the preliminaries on Sunday night.

The French also went under the old mark — just 13-hundredths off the U.S. time of 3:12.23 — and that was with Bernard and their other top 100 man, Fabien Gilot, resting up in preparation to join Amaury Leveaux and Frederick Bousquet in the final.

"We want to be the best," Bernard said. "It will be one of the toughest races for Michael to win. [That's the Freudian slip because he all ready is the favorite in their minds.] The world record will be in danger." [Link]