Mel Stewart writes a compelling article for Yahoo Sports about speedsuits and Tyler McGill!

Mel Stewart for Yahoo Sports:

"..."The sport's not about swimming anymore." [>.< ]

Most swimwear manufactures aren't necessarily on the same page.

Quietly, out of the spotlight, they've been grumbling. Most are in favor of the hi-tech suits - and their high price-point, which drives revenue. These dollars drive swimwear contracts, and it's clear these contracts will be cut, or significantly reduced, for athletes just out of the medal hunt.

Will the fallout of the 2010 FINA ban on hi-tech suits result in little or no swimwear endorsement dollars for athletes like Tyler McGill?

[Link]

Others who have voiced the same opinions have been laughed off by a British swim journalist. I think the aftermath alone will illustrate what FINA has done to garment workers, athletes, swimsuit companies and the growth of the sport.

Rumor: Gold Medal Mel fans send him chocolate and coffee! - but I am not jealous!

I heard from a solid gold, reliable source, that Mel Stewart did a huge favor for some Ryan Lochte fans and now he gets gifts from these fans in the form of chocolate and coffee. How cool is that?

I am not that jealous either that his fans send him chocolate but what the heck did he do to be so rewarded?! It's not that I am jealous, I just think it's cool.

Well, maybe I just a little jealous...

Okay, it's true, I am jealous...! The guy has got movie star good looks, he's got a real gold medal whereas mine is brass, and now he has a never ending source of chocolate and coffee. Life just sucks for Mel, does it not? >.<

[Link]

Gold Medal Mel on Peter Marshall!

Mel Stewart profiles Peter Marshall, the TYR swimmer who almost quit swimming only to set three world records at the FINA World Cup: "...“Before the World Cup, I’d been out of the water for two months, surfing in Baja, visiting family and friends back in Georgia. In South Africa, my start of the World Cup, I basically got wet with a team just to get a feel for the water. That was it. While I was there, I had other goals: to see and do everything.”

Marshall went on a cageless shark dive, and then a safari for an entire week.

“In Stockholm,” he told me, “the night before competition, I went walking around the city most of the night looking for an old Viking ship. It was cold and rainy, but we were on a mission.”

He was with friends: 2008 Olympian Kara Lynn Joyce, sprint-free aficionado Kicker Vencill and many others. The way Peter described the Viking Ship hunt, it sounded like everyone was lost in the moment. Competing the next day did not seem to be a very high priority. ..." [Link]

The image comes from Yahoo UK/Eurosport where they covered Peter after setting his first WR: [Link]

Here is a fast profile on Mel Stewart: [Link]

They have that Swimming Hall of Fame museum in Florida but if they were ever to give out doctoral degrees to coaches and/or swimmers for contributions made to swimming that had never been made before, Mel would deserve one for he created an innovative way to do 'fly. Just watch the video and look at his head position.

Below is Mel Stewart defeating Michael Gross in the 200 fly. To me this victory is more significant than Michael Phelps defeating Milord Cavic for Michael Gross was the 'Michael Phelps' of his day.



And this is why I call Michael Gross the Michael Phelps of his day:

Gold Medal Mel talks up the obvious potential of a pro-circuit much like the 'FINA World Cup!'

From Gold Medal Mel.com: "...Coming off of Golden Goggles less than a week ago, I'm left with one nagging topic: US World-Class swimmers want a fall pro-circuit, one like FINA's World Cup. It was talked about a lot, or was the subtext of most conversations. It makes sense. Once an Olympics is over and swimmers face 4 long years before another big show, they wonder what they really have to look forward to...

Interestingly, I've been trading emails with Peter Marshall. Peter didn't make the 2008 US Olympic Swim Team, but this fall at the FINA WORLD CUP he broke two world records in the 50 and 100 short course meters backstroke. Later this week I'll interview him about some related subjects; pro-swimming, a US fall pro-circuit, not retiring because there's more to swimming than making the Olympic Team... Peter, who had planned to retire after this fall, may have changed his mind after his blisteringly fast backstroke swims abroad... I'm sure if Peter continues swimming, his sights will be set on the next Olympics. However, what does it mean to him, to be successful, a world record holder, a world swimming star, beyond the Olympics????..." [Link]

To pay for such a circuit, they should allow people to bet on it like they do with cycling or Keirin racing in Japan!

No stage persona here: This is probably the real Gold Medal Mel!

Gold Medal Mel is in Beijing and in this YouTube you can hear a tinge of anxiety in his voice as he foreshadows that he may be covering topics more serious than usual.

I say this because he mentions that he is spending time with corporate types within the USOC as well as USA Swimming staff. When you start speaking to people at that level, your words have to be measured and your facts have to be solid. I find it refreshing.

This is "Tin Medal Tony's" Swimmer's Network!

And my medal is tinted with a real bronze color too! Watch out Gold Medal Mel!

Below are 19 links to extraordinary swim sites. These are the pages I have bookmarked and read often. There are a couple of sites that I am on the fence about; (Swim Network is one for I am waiting for them to develop a track record before I commit), and there are a bunch of sites I missed since I am tired tonight after competing at SPMA Regionals and I need to recharge for tomorrow. I will get to you! Also, I have race video of SPMA Regionals that I will post soon.

Swim.Net - A landing page for Southern California Aquatics or SCAQ. The largest Swim club in America. It's the club I swim with and a club that has Olympians; plural, and national champions for coaches.

Go Swim - Glenn Mills has made a virtual online swim school. Since most people learn a sport with their bodies rather than the written word, his swim videos are an amazing asset in regards to intellectually learning the art of swimming.

Omega Timing - Results captured and archived really fast. This is the site that those who cover races go to so as to report any results.

FINA - The governing body for all things aquatic. I like the new redesign of their site but I wish they would finish it. Their masters page is lacking but they do keep it current with aquatics related news.

Flowswimming - Delicious and informative; original and groundbreaking. See workouts, interviews and raw workout footage; totally yummy! Mark Savage would call it, "swim porn."

Timed Prelims - Started out as an edgy satire site but has grown into a great site for interviews. They are also very charitable to their local swim community. (I wish they would do another home page redesign for reversed out type on a blue background is hard to read. Still a great site though.)

Merritr - Merrit is quite accomplished as a swimmer, an automotive engineer, and a contributor to She can discussed with ease all about the dark arts of fluid dynamics, passive drag and drag coefficient models and how it relates to a swim suit.

Here is a Google map she made with every freaking kick buck pool on the West Side and surrounding LA area. (She skipped the Valley but that is okay!) Yes, she rules; so go be blown away about our selection of pools. Especially those in the UK! [Link]

Swimming World - You all know why this site is not only an asset but a daily read. I use their swim calculator at least once a week as well. [Link]

WCSN - this site has been very good to us. They let me post their content and all they ask in exchange is that I include a link. Note, they continually post videos to You Tube they have provided more swim content than any other website or media outlet I know off. Check out their innovative website.

Swim Room A swim site dedicated to elite swimmers which leans more towards personality profiles than race content. The site is full of photos, high quality video and wonderfully innocent blogs. On occasion they have linked to me and I am very flattered by that.

Just Add Water - San Francisco swimmers do not fear cold water and it astonishes me. Great info there regarding swimming in the San Francisco Bay. (I wish it was updated more though.)

The 17th Man - Joel Swims in West L.A. and blogs about his workouts and observations therein. If you want to get inside a swimmers head and read what it is like to to live and swim in West L.A., this is the blog.

Canuckswimmer - Scott was one of the first people to leave a comment at my blog. He is the Canuck swimmer and when he has an controversial opinion, it goes global. One subject he wrote about had a USMS message board topic on fire for about 12 or so pages.

Vanderbilt Y Masters - I love reading about open water events in New York and this is a charming blog filled with a New Yorker's; (a Noo Yourka), masters swimming point of view.

Uinnista - Famous people leave comments there and they are usually a week or so ahead of me. A GREAT swim blog with an edgy sense of humor.

Swim News - Craig Lord has been writing some really good stuff lately. He has really found a voice as of late and it is thoughtful.

USA Swimming - Our national governing body for the sport of swimming. I am a bit cross with them right now over the Flowswimming fiasco but the content still is good

Southern Pacific Masters Association - This is my local USMS afiliat. They do a great job of helping clubs put on meets in the Southerm Pacific Masters Zone. I called "Spee-Ma" for short and I get yelled at for doing so.

LMU Woman's Team - One of the pools that SCAQ swims at is LMU. Bonnie Adair, and Clay Evans coach the LMU womens team and hence I support that team and follow their meets.