Two separate athletes, three separate countries!

The top photo is of the man, Milorad Cavic, who placed fractions-of-a-second behind Michael Phelps in the 100m fly thus winning the silver medal and nearly denying Michael Phelps his eight gold medals. Though born and raised in the same California city as Disneyland, Milorad Cavic represented Serbia!

Below that photo is, Henry Cejudo, who after winning a gold medal match in wrestling, ran to his coach, grabbed the American flag, and while fighting back tears ran across the ring. Henry's is an Parents are undocumented immigrants* living in the United States. [Link]

[...]

*If are you born in the United States despite the legal origin of your parents, under the American Constitution, you are considered an American citizen. Ooops, again! (Thanks AI)

World Champion, Larisa Ilchenko, takes gold in the women's 10-kilometer marathon swim

What a rush that must be swimming towards the elevated bulkhead and knowing that gold is imminent. Wish I could have seen it! [Link]

Ooops: Forgot the brits, (shame on me), who placed second and third: "... Keri-Anne Payne of Great Britain, with a time of 1:59:29.2. In bronze position was Payne's teammate, Cassandra Patten, finishing at 1:59:31.9. ..."

Great Britain is coming out of nowhere lately in open water events!!!

New Scientist on why world records fell in Beijing! - It's the pool stupid!

From New Scientist: "... Records have been tumbling in other sports too, but none at this rate. What's going on? Have the swimmers found some new technique to propel them more efficiently through the water? Are they training more intensively? Or is it down to sheer competitiveness? The answer is more prosaic.

The Beijing pool is 3 metres deep, a metre deeper than standard competitive pools. The extra depth helps dissipate the turbulence caused by the swimmer's movement, causing less resistance. In other words, they are being helped by the architecture. ..." [Link]

Too simple: Blame it on lane lines, goggles, caps, nutrition, technique, blah, blah, blah, or more accurately, science and natural selection!

More info on the 1936 Berlin Olympic Pool - It's filled and thriving!

I went to Flickr.com to find out more about the Berlin Olympic Pool and lo and behold it has been filled. This Flickr shot was taken on June 12, 2008. I found others with the pool completely packed and people doing "nerdy" dives so the pool is now being used. Photo taken from DanaMc's photostream.

Here is link to the original image: [Link]

More Masters Swimming articles in the news!

From the Washington post: "...Research continues to demonstrate the benefits of exercise, no matter your age. But the Tatum brothers, who for nearly 90 years have swum, skied, bowled, played football and worked in the yard, have never needed convincing. ..." [Link]

This is a great article about two masters swimmers with amazing stories and accomplishments. There is even a video included within the article.

In fact, the story was so good that even NPR covered them as well. Here is the audio link: [Link]

Article sent to us by "lane4 [at] SMC."

This photo took a year worth of planning and testing to pull off! - I bet it wins a Pulitzer Prize!

Snippet from Sports illustrated interview: "... Heinz Kluetmeier: Jeff [Kavanaugh] put all the stuff underwater and I'd be on the computer directing. We have now developed a system where you can get the image from underwater to the computer. You can look at live usage. We moved along with the technology and it's exciting and fun to go from Nikon to Apple. It is a techie's delight and photographer's dream. Jeff probably spent 40 minutes underwater just to move the camera less than an inch -- he probably used up a whole tank of oxygen adjusting the camera. I wanted to be able to see the full body length, plus the touchpad, plus also be able to start the picture before they hit the water. Then after all that work and all that sweat, things can go wrong. We got lucky. We are shooting eight frames a second. You can miss the touch with a hundred frames a second with a high-def camera. We got lucky because as Michael hit the wall, we got the picture. ..." [Link]

Berlin, fill the pool! - You need more divers and swimmers!

Another European pool of sublime quality left to the sands of time. My gosh, what an asset! What a waste!

Here is an Alta Vista Babelfish translation: Eine andere europäische Lache der erhabenen Qualität verließ zu den Sanden der Zeit. Mein Mann, ein was für Anlagegut! Ein was für Abfall!

'Sports Illustrated' cover of guess who?

Well, we all knew this "Mark Spitz" pose was coming and "Sports Illustrated" got it first.

From the New York Post: "... This one being the first [photo] of him with all eight medals, we hope that our cover will stick in everyone's mind," SI's managing editor Terry McDonell said yesterday.

Phelps' pose is reminiscent of the well-known 1972 photograph of Spitz with his seven gold medals draped across his chest.

Phelps, who also beats Spitz, 5-3, on the number of SI covers on which he's featured, posed in front of a bright-red Chinese screen.

Spitz's famous photo - which never appeared in a magazine but was shot for a poster - netted him $1 million. ..." [Link]

The article is a bit trashy focusing most on how much money he will make rather than what he accomplished.

Also, the amount of medals he has is incomprehensible. He has won more gold medals than many nations put together.

'New York Times' - Masters Swimmers are getting FASTER!

But we all knew that, didn't we? Dara Torres has really put the spotlight on our sport.

See that 60-year-old looking guy to the right? Well he is not 60-years-old; He's 75-years-old and he is a masters swimmer named Stanley Shechter out of New York. Recently he swam a 100 free SCY in a 1:12.57. Keep in mind that the average life expectancy for a male born today is something like 76-years-old but Stanley apparently is going to last a heck of a lot longer than that.

Snippet from the New York Times: "...Chief among the reasons that Masters swimmers are becoming faster, say coaches, researchers and swimmers themselves, are improved stroke mechanics and new training methods emphasizing intensity over distance. This is good news both for those who like to race, and for those taking to the water for fitness at any age.

As people age, they lose muscle mass and cardiovascular capacity, which declines at a rate of 1 to 1.5 percent annually. But for those who exercise regularly, the rate of decline is slower, researchers say.

“Before, it was thought that athletes peak at 25,” said Scott Trappe, the director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Ball State University. “But now this whole paradigm is getting shifted. People are paying attention to their own fitness and nutrition.” ..." [Link]

I know I have said this quote a least two or three dozen times now from Mike Freshly but this article inspires me to say it again: "Show me a runner who is 70-years old and he looks like 90! Show me a swimmer who is 70-years-old and he likes like he is 50." The above photo illustrates that nicely.

Chris B. sent us this article and it was very appreciated.

Steve Munatones is on the line from '10kswim.com' and he has links for us...

Here is his email from Beijing:

Tony,

NBC Open Water Coverage: [Link]

Chloe Sutton [Link]

More Chloe Sutton [Link]

Please feel free to provide this information to your community. I need to get the word out, [...] that I am pretty sure most people have no idea that Chloe and Mark’s Olympic 10K Marathon Swim will be covered live online at www.NBCOlympics.com. I will answer people’s questions live during the race.

Lezak, Lezak, LEZAK!

They keep pimping Phelps "50.something" but underplay that Lezak again held off one of the fastest swimmers in the world.

Freestyle technique: Torres versus Trickett!

Dara Torres freestyle pull crosses well over her mid-line. That surprised me and it has got to hurt her shoulders. If you watched the underwater slo-mo of Trickett and Torres side by side, Trickett has less wobble and a spectacular looking stroke.

Britta Steffen timed her touched perfectly!

Was it luck or skill? Great 50 free. Best women's free I have ever seen!

A sloppy finish turns gold into silver and silver into gold for Michael Phelps!

Here is a link to a frame-by-frame set of the Phelps out-touching Cavic at Sports Illustrated. Note that Cavic lifts his head high like before reaching the wall thus retracting his shoulders and hands in the opposite direction while Phelps lunges. I would like to say that I realized all this when watching it last night but Clay was coaching Santa Monica this morning and pointed it out; The video and these photographs concur. [Link]

Clay Evans, founder of 'Southern California Aquatics' (SCAQ) explains SCAQ and its coaches and programs.

About Southern California Aquatics (SCAQ): SCAQ has three coaches who have swum in the Olympics and many more that have come close by qualifying for Olympic Trials. One of our USC coaches even swam in THIS year's Olympic Trials! So, when you are wondering what Olympians do in workouts, you are experiencing it at SCAQ. (Okay, watered down of course).

Let me do some more bragging about our staff: Coach Erik Hochstein set a World Record for the 40-45 age group in the 100 Freestyle and came within tenths in the 200 and the 50. Current Olympian Amanda Beard (three-time Olympian/two-time Gold Medalist) swam in two SCAQ workouts in the last year as did the current 200 backstroke world record holder and two-time Olympian Margaret Hoelzer. Last summer, Michael Phelps swam in one of our workouts, but I will have to admit he got his own lane and did his own thing. What a treat that was. We still have some of our fast SCAQ advanced swimmers bragging that they beat him. Of course he was warming up while they were sprinting all out, but still...

The best thing about SCAQ is 60% of all swimmers are beginners and they have workouts [and clinics for the first-timer including lessons. The first ever swim workout with a coach was with SCAQ. If you are ever in LA SCAQ welcomes drop in visitors. If you live in LA then think about signing up. Check out SCAQ at SWIM.net or call the office at (310) 390-5700 [Link]

Upcoming clinic and events:

SCAQ OCEAN CLINIC: swimming through the California Surf. Come learn all the tricks to swimming in the ocean: getting in and out of surf, sighting, and swimming better, safer and faster! You must call the office to register.

TRIATHLETES hopefully will be inspired by the Olympics and start swimming with their local masters team and all the great coaches across the USA. It is not good enough to just buy books, tapes and take a two day clinic by “drive-by” coaches. Get in with a group of experienced swimmers where you battle for pool space.

Where do you think all the college swimmers workout? Masters! So, if you have no swimming background, you need heavy pool time: working hard and watching that clock. Two major triathlons are a month away, so get swimming! You think the Olympians would be doing one or two swims a week and mostly drills? A two minute improvement in your swim can mean dozens of places...

SCAQ NOVEMBER TRIP TO BEIJING AND THE OLYMPIC POOL – Clay Evans has been investigating a swimming adventure over Thanksgiving to Beijing (Nov 17 – 24). He has contacted the Chinese Embassy and would like to know who would be interested in a week of swimming, coaching by Clay and exploring Beijing including an excursion to the Great Wall. Costs -if we could get 20 people- is estimated at $3,500 and would include air, buses, pool rental and hotel (not food and entertainment). This will be a small group so get on the list now, email Clay@SWIM.net. First come first serve. Put Beijing in your subject line. drills?

[Above is a photo the Santa Monica College pool, a SCAQ affiliated pool that I swam in this morning. -- T.A.]

50m free: Caesar Cielo looked down the whole way!

The 50m free: I am not so sure I agree with the technique point of looking straight down during a sprint but it sure worked tonight in the 50 meter free for Caesar Cielo. Since Tobriner couldn't win, I am glad it was Cielo.

Hail Caesar! Go Brazil!

Welcome to Mount Olympus, Michael!

I swear he only won by a fingernail, BUT, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. Great race, great finish, great swimmer.

Mark Spitz article circa 1972: [Link]
Johnny Weissmuller Wikipedia article: [Link]
Duke Kahanamoku Wikipedia article: [Link]

USMS long course national championships are underway in Mt. Hood Oregon.

Here is a link to real time results: [Link]

"Are they dirty" by Scaq Swimmer John Q.

My informal SCAQ; (workout attendees), poll finds that about half of the swimmers I ask think the current batch of world records are because most swimmers are "dirty" and the other half "clean".

As someone who swam his first age-group meet in 1962 or '63 I can point to a series of "tipping points" in the advancement/evolution in swimming training, technique and technology. There is a great piece of footage from the 1964 Games in the film Tokyo Olympiad where Dawn Fraiser; (first woman under a minute for the 100 free), is shown doing an open turn at the 50 and immediately lifting her head and taking a breath; no one thought about streamlining in 1964.

The US Trials in '64 were held in the Astoria Queens NY public pool that was not an official 50 meter pool but a large, mostly shallow pool with bulkheads set up for the competition (built in 1936 and still in use today) . There were no non-turbulence lane lines. 5,000 yards in a day was considered a long workout. Between 1964 and '68 a number of major changes occurred:

1) overdistance training was adopted and the daily regimen often meant five hours in the pool

2) Counsilman challenged a new generation of coaches to actually examine and re-examine technique, a movement that continues to challenge conventional thinking and apply scientific rigor to the process, leading, for example, to the radical notion that a swimmer can swim faster underwater and starting with David Berkoff in the late '80's evolving to Natalie Coughlin et al in the '00's;

3) weight training was introduced and became standard in the 70's

4) pool technology and new sources of funding saw an unprecedented building boom starting in the 80's of true olympic size training facilities, often indoor

5) rules changes on turns (backstroke) and hand and kicking rules relaxed in breaststroke and the list goes on. Consider also that in 1984 when Dara Torres was first an Olympian, she did not have a nutritionist, two full-time stretchers and two private coaches for both her swimming and dry land training, not to mention the financial resources to enable her to do all that.

So a few may be "dirty" but most are beneficiaries in the continuing evolution of the sport that in 1968 thought the Belmont Plaza pool, site of Olympic Trials that year, was state of the art but today cannot qualify to host a national or meaningful regional competition; too shallow, lanes too narrow, no separate warm-up pool etc.

The 'New York Times': How The USA won the 4 x 100 relay!

Note Roland Schoeman's catch! - Very disimilar to Stefan Nystrand

I am seeing two schools of catching water here: the classic textbook technique of Roland Schoeman versus the sheer brutality of Stefan Nystrand's "tomahawk chop."

The 50m free will be very exciting since all of the swimmers in the final have unique ways of sprinting.

Glenn Mills gave me permission to post the Roland Schoeman trailer. I will be reviewing the DVD as soon as I get it.

There has to be a "Michael Phelps" in there somewhere!

This New York Times article was sent to me this morning by a gentleman that swims with SCAQ. It's regarding a Chinese swimmer, Liu Zige, who came out of nowhere on the international scene and totally ripped up the field in the 200meter butterfly by taking gold and violating the world record by more than a second. Then to make it more mysterious, Jiao Liuyang comes in second swimming under world record time as well.

Okay, so now the accusations: "...Not rational" was one of them, "...I’d never heard of either of them," BUT, the New York Times is offering a viable reason. Snippet from the article: "... more likely explanation for Liu’s success, however, is that she is an exceedingly successful product of Project 119, the government training program that uses limitless resources and relentless training to increase the country’s precious medal intake.

Started in 2002, the program’s name alludes to the additional number of gold medals China hoped to win if it focused on sports in which it traditionally lagged. Swimming was one of those sports. ..." [Link]

Okay, with a Chinese population of 1.3-kajillion, there has to be a Michael Phelps in there somewhere. Heck, the place is a petri-dish of natural selection talent from Yao Ming, Zhang Ziyi (Memoirs of a Geisha actress) to chess player Zhang Zhong. There is a lot of talent there.

Ryan Lochte reported a suit failure after his 200 meter backstroke WR

My Way reports: Lochte got Peirsol back despite a problem with his LZR Racer. "My suit came undone after the first 50," Lochte said. "I was just trying to control my legs." [Link]

Manaudou sings her swan song!

The phrase "swan song" is a reference to a false belief that a particular species of swan, Cygnus olor, is mute it's entire life till the time of it's death whereas it blurts a final, beautiful "swan song."

In my opinion Laure Manaudou has summarily given up and is singing her swan song and it sounds just like Ian Thorpe's did in 2005.

From ABC in Australia: "..."I don't know exactly what I am going to do (after the Olympics) but I am going to take a long break and think about something else," said Manaudou, who has endured a torrid year both in and out of the pool."For how long, I don't know. It could be one month, six months, a year. But I am definitely going to think about something else and spend more time with my family and friends, especially Esther (Baron, a swimmer who didn't qualify for the Games), who is not here.

She added: "I really want to see all those who are close to me and weren't able to be here with me."

Manaudou, who admitted she gave up in the 400m freestyle final, has seen her private life become a staple of French gossip columns. ..." [Link]

From the San Diego Union Tribune: The French compare her to Marie Jose Perec, the track star who won two golds at the 1996 Olympics and then crumbled under the pressure to repeat in 2000. She arrived in Sydney, freaked out and got on the first plane home. “Mademoiselle La Chicken,” one Australian paper called her.

At least Manaudou stayed in Beijing to accept her fate, but she questioned that wisdom in the aftermath of the 100 backstroke last night.

“I wonder whether it's worth the effort to continue,” said Manaudou, who has the 200 backstroke left. “I do not even want to swim any more. I don't know . . . It's just difficult to keep finishing seventh or eighth. We'll see.”

In the meantime, she is enjoying her relative anonymity in Beijing, where few people outside the pool recognize her or know her story, where Internet pornography is blocked by Chinese authorities.

“It's great,” Manaudou said, “to be invisible.” [Link]

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!

Ian Crocker shows up wearing jammers and nearly fails to qualify!

From Yahoo News: "... If he's going to beat Phelps, he'd sure better pick up the pace. For the preliminaries Thursday night, Crocker inexplicably came out wearing a jammer — a suit that goes only from the waist to just above the knees — and put up the 13th-fastest time, coming perilously close to missing out on the semifinals.

"He wanted to try it," said his coach, Eddie Reese. "It's a physical and psychological disadvantage." ..." [Link]

Does Ian Crocker have self-destructive tendencies or something? That was scary!

"We Spartans are descended from Hercules himself!" :-P

The "dark arts" of touching the wall by the from the Wall Street Journal: "... Mr. Lezak also demonstrated the importance of an invisible and little-known skill: touching the wall. ...

"C'mon, Katie, get to it!" shouted Mr. [Lenny] Krayzelburg, standing and pumping his fist as Ms. Hoff bore down on the wall. When she touched it, Mr. Krayzelburg shouted, "Yeah!"..."

But her touch fell seven one-hundredths of a second short of that of the U.K.'s Rebecca Adlington. Underwater replays determined that Ms. Hoff touched the wall with her wrist bent, rather than extended. "That's the difference between winning a gold medal and not winning it," said Mr. Krayzelburg, shaking his head.

"It was hard to know at first if I was first or second," said Ms. Hoff after the race.

Swim races are decided when a finisher touches an electronically sensored wall -- an action that is nearly impossible for observers to see amid furiously splashing water. For fans, that can be akin to watching a night baseball game for eight innings, only to have the lights go dim for the ninth.

Mark Schubert, head coach of the U.S. Olympic swim team, instructs his swimmers to time their final strokes in much the way that long jumpers time their final strides before leaping. Swimmers should spot the wall about five or six strokes away and adjust accordingly, he says.

"The last stroke should be full and strong with the fingers extended," says Mr. Schubert. ..." [Link]

I thought Katie Hoff and Kate Ziegler were going to be unstoppable!

Well, that shows me! Though Hoff's bronze and silver are impressive; (despite that "don't break a nail" touch at the wall" in the 400m), both swam about 1.5% slower than their personal bests in the 800, an event I thought they both would own. What happened?

From the L.A. Times: "...Katie Hoff, and Kate Ziegler to a lesser extent, found out the long hard way on Thursday night, both failing to qualify for the final of the 800-meter freestyle. Hoff looked utterly spent in her final race at the Olympics, wearily pulling herself out of the pool after the third heat of the event at the Water Cube.

Hoff may not have been last to touch -- having been third in her heat -- but she was last to clamber out after a startling 8-minute, 27.78-second performance. Her winning time at the U.S. Olympic trials a little more than a month ago in Omaha was 8:20.81. ..."

The under 22:00 club! - When the 50 free goes off, you will see nothing but steam coming out of the pool!

Lane 9 News has a recap of today's 50 free prelims. The times are mind boggling and have reach a new standard for all those competing. That standard is under 22:00. [Link]

I am going to make a technique prediction: What rotation in the freestyle stroke was to the 90's, the catch will be redefined in these Olympics. All of us will be catching water in many different styles. Look at Nystrand, Sullivan, Leveaux, Tobriner, Jones, Bernard, Cielo, Weber Gale, all with different styles of catching water.

Science explains the Michael Phelps "victory dance!"

"...Chimps do it. Gorillas do it. Michael Phelps does it too. ..." [And so do the blind, and so do the disabled!]

From the L.A. Times: "...This display of human pride and exuberance -- witnessed by millions when swimmer Phelps and teammates won the men's 400-meter freestyle relay for the U.S. on Sunday -- closely resembles the dominance displays of chimps and monkeys, which also feature outstretched arms and exaggerated postures, researchers said.

The animal world is filled with inflated displays of superiority, noted Daniel M.T. Fessler, a UCLA anthropologist not involved in the research. ..." [Link]

Visa congratulates Michael Phelps - Includes "This is Spaaaaarta" reaction to the 4x100 realy win!

Emotional bell curve: Libby Trickett knows just how Kara Lynn Joyce felt when she was added to the US Olympic Team!

I didn't know that Libby failed to qualify till after Pang was DQed. It was one of those races where I assumed Steffen and Trickett were a "gimme." She is the world record holder, you would figure at the very least she would pull a lane 7 or lane 2 assignemnt, instead she lost and ultimately she was overwhelmed.
This same circumstance happened to her in Athens as well. Then, minutes later it was announce that Pang was DQed.

From The Australian: Trickett swam a poor 54.10sec to finish fourth in her semi, a time which left her hopes of qualiying for the final hanging by a thread.

In the next semi-final minutes later, the first five swimmers to touch the wall under Trickett's time, leaving her ninth fastest and out of the final.

But then, in what Australian head coach Alan Thompson described as "some intervention from above"..." [Link]

Rowdy Gaines states that swimmers swim faster on their side when underwater - Not True, Rowdy!

Imagine you have a square cube of water and you want to make it smaller or more compressed. To do so would take astronomical amounts of weight to complete that task. The water at the bottom of the ocean is compressed but not really that much. The water would be as thick as pancake syrup if it was easy to compress but water is not that much "thicker" at the bottom of the ocean.

With that in mind, when you are surrounded by water, you are surrounded by dense atoms that have no "secret shortcut" to swim through. When I do a flip turn I swim on my side because it's fun and I can look down the line to see where I am on the food chain of a race.

When you are swimming on your side when doing freestyle, you do go faster since both air and water are involved.

[Reference: Link]

Thoughts on Pellegrini's world record swim!

I love watching great swimmers in slow motion and Pellegrini is a great swimmer.

1) She wore two suits
2) A long stroke, nice catch
3) She looks up when she swims
4) Straight-up-and-down flipturn - left leg is lower than her right on the push-off
5) Dolphin kicks
6) Takes her first freestyle pull with her left arm underwater and makes a 360 degree rotation with it as her first pull above the water and breathes on the second pull
7) Loving that Tattoo (Enough about my problems)
8) Looks at her opponent at the finish instead of streamlined.

I am seeing athletes wear two caps and this is the second one I saw wearing two suits. Does wearing pairs of suits and caps create buoyancy?

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]

A "sudden death" swim-off we didn't get to see! - Just two girls only fighting for a chance!

From the site, Bleacher Report: "... In the second semifinal race, which was highlighted by Coughlin winning, Kitagawa and Verraszto both finished with a time of 2:12.18.

Normally not a huge deal in swimming, if two swimmers tie for third, then two bronze medals are awarded. If the two swimmers are out of medal contention, then it's recorded as a tie.

However, this time the two swimmers were fighting for the final spot in Wednesday's final.

Therefore 35 minutes after the second semifinal the two swimmers had a swim-off. They were the only two swimmers in the pool, winner moves to the finals, loser goes home (back to the Olympic Village).

Both women looking to move on, both from entirely different backgrounds, and yet both a part of Olympic history. The excitement of having two swimmers compete in a swim-off in which they finished with exactly the same time not even an hour before, but Verraszto held a slight advantage: Rest! [Link]

Go to the site and read the article. They put a lot of effort into it.

More nude photos of Manaudou leaked - The timing is obviously to strategically hurt her!

"... now her ex-boyfriend has been accused of posting naked photos and a video of her on the Internet. [Duh!]

The former champion cannot find solace in the water or on land. After two disappointing defeats in two days, Manaudou says, "I'm asking myself if it's worth continuing. I don't even have the desire to swim anymore."

It is difficult enough to rebound after finishing last. The scandalous photo incident is a further additional burden and demotivating factor for the young Olympian during this important period in her swimming career. ..." [Link]

The guy who leaked these photos should be jailed.

Tearful Manaudou ponders future BBC Sport
Pellegrini sets world record in 400IM Los Angeles Times
Manaudou considering quitting International Herald Tribune

Speedo wants to sell us 10,000 - 15,000 LZRs before Christmas!

A particular "Bebop-Hipster-Marketing Assassin," (I can't tell you who because I forgot to ask.), sent me this link early this morning. It's Interview over at CNBC with the CEO of Warnaco. They have a video there too:

Darren: The U.S. Open maybe five or six years ago, Serena Williams comes out in a Puma catsuit. They put it out and it only sells 50. Yeah it was a fashion statement and yeah it got the buzz, but it only sold 50. You guys are taking pre-orders for the Speedo LZR Racer right now. It's going to come out in October.

Gromek: Hopefully early September.

Darren: OK, how many of them do you expect to sell?

Gromek: I would be disappointed if we didn't go through 10 or 15,000 pre-Christmas. [Tony: That's could be as high as five-to-eight-million-dollars.]

--•--
Warnaco not only owns Speedo which accounts for 15% of it's business, Calvin Klien is also Warnaco's B**** which accounts for 65% of it's business.

I will admit Speedo makes a damn fine product and I am going to close my mouth right now and not say anything nasty about the LZR and nor will I say anything good.

Clay Evan's and Erik Hockstein on Katie Hoff being out-touched in the 400-meter free.

Clay Evans: "... Katie Hoff gave away the 400 free with horrible beginner's finish/ touch. She looped down and up touching with almost a completely flat hand like she did not want to break a nail. Meanwhile the Brit lunged forward plunging in a direct STRAIGHT line to the electronic pad making up at least one foot. It was plain as day in the under water shot. I was dumbfounded at that error.

Erik Hockstein: "... This Katie Hoff finish will be replayed by American coaches for the next decade - yes, even a world-class swimmer can lose a 400 Free on a finish. This type of finish is actually more common than expected - I have seen this quite often at the elite level in the last few years.

--•--
My take: I am seeing people breathing off the walls, looking at each other under water, and people looking up as they glide into the wall for their touch. Is it hubris or coaching issues?

Here is an article from the Baltimore Sun regarding the 400 meter free: [Link]

Illegal turns: I saw three swimmers in the 100 back kick while on their stomachs to the wall during their turn!

I thought you couldn't I checked the FINA rules and you cannot do any forward movement type of work with your legs or arms when making your backstroke turn. If you have a TIVO or a DVR, please review. I have done so 5 times. I saw three swimmers kick into the wall on their stomachs. Is that It is NOT legal? Perisol was one of them. He took two kicks and a dolphin. Seriously!

FINA rule:

SW 6.4: During the turn the shoulders may be turned over the vertical to the breast after which a continuous single arm pull or a continuous simultaneous double arm pull may be used to initiate the turn. Once the body has left the position on the back, any kick or arm pull must be part of the continuous turning action. The swimmer must have returned to the position on the back upon leaving the wall. When executing the turn there must be a touch of the wall with some part of the swimmer’s body. [link]

Rowdy Gaines did not bring this up last night! What sucks is that I just accused the gold medalist of breaking the rules and I can't post a video illustrating it!!! Anybody want to come over to my house and see for themselves on my DVR? ;-)

The New York Times regarding last night's swims:

Less than 10 minutes later, Peirsol threw himself backward in Lane 2, touched the wall on the turn in second place and then took control for good.

His reward for holding off the younger set for another Olympiad was a world record of 52.54 seconds, a significant improvement on the mark he set most recently at the qualifying trials this summer.

Matt Grevers, Peirsol’s towering, 6-foot-8 teammate, took the silver medal in 53.11 seconds: quite an achievement for a man who had had no intention of swimming the 100 backstroke in Beijing when this Olympic season began.

“Hands down the best backstroker ever,” Grevers said of Peirsol, who is just 25 but already in his third Olympics.

“He is a great guy; he gave me some private lessons during our training camp,” Grevers said. “I don’t have the shoulder strength that he does, so I can’t pull the amount of water he does.” [Link]

Rada Owen in a 'McDonalds' commercial

Rada Owen; Screenwriter, Olympian, NCAA champ, featured swimmer in the David Marsh swim video: Swimming Faster: Freestyle. She also holds a management position at SCAQ and now a billion people or so have seen her in this McDonalds commercial.

She is the pretty one with the nice smile and GREAT dive!

Life sucks for her, huh?

Remember the "morning finals scandal" when the Australians and the Europeans were throwing tantrums about them?

Moving forward, maybe all Olympic swim finals should be held in the morning if the men's 4x100 relay is any indication.

"THIS IS SPAAAAAARTA!"

They ought to give Jason Lezak two gold medals, a sword and shield for that effort! What a hero! From Associated Press: "... When his veteran teammate touched the wall, Phelps let out a scream of triumph, punching his arms in the air as teammates Garrett Weber-Gale and Cullen Jones joined him in the celebrations.

"Unbelievable! Jason finished that race way better than we could have even asked for," Phelps said. "For that last 50, I was thinking 'this is going to be one close race'.

"The last 10 to 15 metres were incredible. I lost my voice, and I was definitely pretty emotional after that."

Trailing at the final turn, Lezak relentlessy pursued Bernard, but it wasn't until the final 10 meters that the American was able to pull level and, finally, edge ahead as he touched with an astonishing split of 46.06sec. ..." [Splits at Swimming World]

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]

Cullen Jones should swim in the relay final, period!

Watching the profile on Cullen Jones and one of his first experiences in a pool was sinking to the bottom with a pint of water in his lungs. He was unconscious, lifeguards administered CPR, and now he one of the fastest swimmers that ever lived.

Whoa! I bet there is an Olympic gold mine worth of swimmers in the inner city. USA Swimming has got to tap that mine.

WR in the 4x100 relay prelim! Was that epic or what?! - "Give them nothing - take from them everything" --Lionidas in the Movie 300!

Dara Torres receiving electronic muscle stimulation?

During the Dara Torres profile I noticed she had Frankenstein-like electrodes attached to her quads and her muscles were twitching at what seemed like 100s-of-times-a-minute via the electronic stimulation. It was during the warm up part of her stretch routine while all of her "yoga ninjas" were walking on her quads, rolling their feet over her shoulders and doing all sorts of "dark arts" stretching stuff to her.

I wish I could afford all that. It would probably add 10-years to your life too. More stretches here [Link]

I wonder what the scientific validity of electronic muscle stimulation is. Does it make her muscles bigger or just warm her up.?

Why these Olympics have been so good for China, the Athletes, and the Olympic ideal!

The Olympic ideal has just received an investment equal to a defense budget of the third largest country on earth thus giving it's mission statement sublime credibility.

Estimates are that China has spent 40-billion-dollars on these Olympics. Now contrast that to the Chinese defense budget which is estimated at 44.7-billion-dollars. (The United States spent 481-billion-dollars on our defense budget.)

Obviously the Chinese felt that the 2008 Beijing Olympics are so important to their nation's image and morale that it was equal in importance to their ability to defend themselves.

Imagine if the United States spent 1/3-of-a-trillion dollars on a summer Olympics? The figure is so large that it is absurd and incomprehensible. Athens and London have and will spend perhaps 10% of what the Chinese paid. Obviously China wants to demonstrate they have arrived on the world stage and want to be considered credible, reliable and innovative. I suspect my feelings are shared by many now. The Chinese are also humble about it by outsourcing this endeavor to western firms.

The experience these 2008 athletes will have will be perhaps never be surpassed. For instance, If Michael Phelps blasts 8-golds, these Olympics will be the IOC's finest 16 days in the history of the movement. i.e. The great achievement of any Olympic athlete, the most medals garnered by an Olympian and the biggest, "swankiest," Olympics ever.

As for human rights, pollution and political rights: I know nothing about political science but perhaps these are the growing pains that a totalitarian society goes through as it makes its transitional to a democracy?

I am not happy about their environmental and human rights havoc but I am not happy about the United States environmental and human rights havoc as of late either.

Edited to fix grammar and add the last sentence: [8/18/09]

USA defense budge reference: US Dept. of Defense [Link]
China defense budget reference: Info-Wars: [Link]

Mark Spitz's on Speedsuits

On Friday's; I swim with Dean, he is a writer for Reuters. Dean is witty, charming, a snappy dresser and has a commonwealth accent I can never place. He has a good breaststroke too but he won't race. I may try and rope him into a relay.

Recently he did a very thorough interview with Mark Spitz for 'Reuters' and he is letting me post it.

Snippet from Dean's MySpace page:

DEAN: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE SPEEDO LZR BODYSUIT THAT'S BREAKING ALL THESE WORLD RECORDS?

Mark Spitz: I had long hair, I didn't wear goggles, I had a little suit that was nylon that wasn't even clingy and yet I broke world records. If you really thought that that swimsuit really made you faster then I'm buying Tiger Woods' golf clubs because I think I can be competitive.

The reality is, it's not the swimsuit that's taking the swimmer across the pool fast, it's the guy in the swimsuit stroking that suit fast. What they don't tell you is that you need to go about 6 miles per hour to break the actual drag co-efficient and that means you have to swim a 50 freestyle. Those are the only people that can actually swim fast enough to get anything out of that suit. Any thing more than that in distance, the suit starts to become smaller. If you look at Michael Phelps when he swam the 400 individual medley, he basically wore a suit from his waist to his knees. So he's not wearing that full-length bodysuit in some of those events because of the drag factor.

So it's a marketing tool. At about $700 a copy -- and they basically give them away and they only last for about 2 hours and I think you rip about one out of every 4 you're trying to get on -- it's not something that I think an age group swimmer's parents are going to be too happy about buying ... It's a psych. If everybody was wearing those suits, I'd want one too ... It's all psychological at that point. ..."

(And I just made a promise this morning I would leave the subject of speedsuits alone too. Sigh! Note that the above is Mark Spitz's opinion so don't shoot the messenger.)

Bob Bowman describes each of Michael Phelps Strokes

Snippet from ESPN: "... Breaststroke: This is the closest thing Phelps has to a chink in his individual medley armor. It's the only stroke he's not capable of dominating, but he's hardly bad at it.

"It's so much better in every way," Bowman said. "What we worked on is coordinating his arms and his kick, and activating his core muscles in every way."

The breaststroke is all about timing and rhythm, keeping the pull and kick working in synch. And Phelps' dry-land weight training, which he'd never done prior to last year, has enhanced his core strength. ..." [Link]

16 screws and two plates later, Emily Silver will be swimming in these Olympics!!!

Emily Silver will be swimming in these Olympics!!! From SeattlePi.com: "... BEIJING Forty-eight hours before the first official race, the U.S. swim team kicked off its Olympic meet with an impromptu event Thursday night.

Emily Silver versus the clock.

Coming back from surgery after breaking her right hand during the U.S. trials, the Bainbridge Island resident did her own time trial at the end of a training session to show the coaches she was fit enough to swim on a relay team.

The stands at the massive Water Cube were largely empty, but more than two dozen of Silver's teammates lined the pool to cheer her on, including Kara Lynn Joyce, who stood to claim Silver's spot on the 400-meter freestyle relay if she didn't recover in time.

Silver was told by the coaching staff that she needed to swim down and back in no more than 55 seconds to keep her relay spot. She was timed with a hand-held clock at 54.8. ..." [Link]

'Coca-Cola' creates Beijing Olympic Stadium or "Bird Nest" commercial!

Homage to the Beijing Olympic stadium. Originally found at Not.cot who found it at Shape and Color.

"Do you have hot water in America?"

Cultural differences and misunderstandings about mustaches in Beijing. From the Telegraph: "... It was a chance to mix and meet Michael and Ian Croker; great rivals for the 100m butterfly title. Both were sporting moustaches but admitted they would be shaved off before competition.

One of the Chinese journalists could not understand why they grew them and then shaved them off. Ian sounding serious said they were a fashion status and didn't she like them. He then realized she was taking him seriously so quickly admitted he would not race with it and that swimmers were pretty lazy people (meaning they didn't shave). She misunderstood him and he quickly butted in "no, no, we are clean people and we do wash" which drew a laugh. ..." [Link]

Here is to Michael Phelps and his COPS episode mustache.

Asia is getting amped-up on Swimming and 'Swimming World Magazine' will now have issues in Korean!

Asia is the "new Australia" for swimming pop-culture. With the rise of Park, Kitajima and a bunch of other swimmers whose names I can't spell, they all are truly electrifying the continent. I promise you that Amanda Beard and Michael Phelps will be doing commercials all over Asia real soon which will be amazing for our sport in so many ways.

So, seeing around corners which Swimming World has been known to do, Korea is about to be introduced to Swimming World magazine.

Kara Lynn Joyce describes the emotional transition from devasted to euphoric!

Kara Lynn Joyce is one of the swimmers replacing Jessica Hardy. She placed third in the 100 free behind Dara Torres and Hardy and here she describes what it felt like to not make the team and then in a flash, be included. From the MLive.com: "... She was going to Beijing.

"...I just started crying on the plane,'' Joyce said, laughing at herself. "He just gave me the best news of my life. I think people on the plane thought I was really weird or something tragic had happened, but I couldn't pull it together.

"All my bags and luggage went to Atlanta, and I flew to Palo Alto in the morning. I was living in the same clothes for two days, but I didn't care. I would live in those clothes all summer if I had to.' ...'

Here is a video of her in Go Swim Freestyle with Kara Lynn Joyce. Also, I recommend this Go Swim DVD!

Shout out to Tara Kirk: I support your continued ligitigation against USA Swimming!

Clay Evans wrote me an email today asking, "Why is the blog so grumpy lately?" He also spent a full paragraph defending Amanda Beard and telling me to lighten up, but enough about his problems. ;-)

Here is an article from Lane 9 News regarding the "kangaroo arbitration hearing" that Tara Kirk suffered through so as to get herself rightfully placed on the Olympic team after Jessica Hardy tested positive for a banned substance. This whole mess HAS made me grumpy.

If Tara Kirk does possess an email which she suggested clearly states USA swimming knew about the Jessica Hardy's positive test before the FINA deadline to declare a team, then Tara Kirk should litigate with USA Swimming and get her congressman involved as well.

Here is a link to the Lane 9 News article: [Link]

'Reuters' Ken Wills "test dives" the Speedo LZR

Ken Wills was an age group swimmer in his youth and he got to try the LZR on and swim different strokes: "... I did seem to slide through the water further and faster on the dive -- or was I being influenced by the upbeat 30-minute background presentation by Speedo officials?

Particularly on the butterfly and breast strokes the sensation was, well, buoyant.

But that wasn't really what I was feeling, insisted Jason Rance, worldwide head of Speedo International's Sports Aqualab.

"In terms of buoyancy, we tested it to make sure there is no buoyancy advantage," he said. "The suit's stabilizer helps keep the body position right so you feel you're riding higher in the water." [Link]

- • -
My opinion is that if you feel more buoyant and are riding higher on the water, then you are more buoyant. I think the public relations people don't like that word buoyant even though it is demonstrable that they are. They don't like it because FINA doesn't like it nor want it as an option.

Did you know that if you wear a sppedsuit at the Alcatraz Sharkfest, they put you in the wetsuit division?

Image comes from Science Daily with an article attached about the suit design: [Link]

Five "alternative" ways to watch the Olympics

This blog has a list of sites which may or may not post videos of the Beijing Olympics. From New TeeVee: "... The IOC is aware of this problem and is trying to address it by posting authorized videos on YouTube. Too bad these clips won’t be accessible to folks in the United States. So where will U.S. Olympians go? Hard to say, to be honest. There’s a plethora of options out there, ranging from Chinese P2P services to torrent sites. However, previous sports events, ranging from the recent Euro Cup soccer contest to your regular NBA game, can give us a first idea of what kind of pirate platforms might get the Beijing bump. ..." [Link]

Image above: Creative Commons license. Thanks to Mattias Pettersson at Wikipedia Commons

I question her motives and her perception of taste!

Amanda Beard poses nude again just in time to grab all the attention away from Katie Hoff, Kate Ziegler, Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, Kara Lyn Joyce, etc. etc. etc. and become the de facto showgirl for women's swimming.

The Powerade nudity I posted earlier rules for it's all about celebrating the human body in motion. This PSA for PETA has Amanda Beard posing sexy and nude and though it is an anti-fur ad, it apparently is all about Amanda Beard, her nationality and her sexuality.

I was just starting to like her again too. She worked incredibly hard to make the Olympic team which illustrated an incredible work ethic when you compare her times from a year ago. She did a PSA for shark protection awareness and now this silly PSA for a political organization with a spotty record of their own in regards to animals rights abuse. PETA has even been known to use physical intimidation and battery against those that wear or write about fur. [Link] -- (Though this linked site is hyperbolic, it links to source references.)

Another pop-culture, attention-grab by the "Paris Hilton" of Swimming. If you want to read her; what I believe to be a faked quote regarding fur, it's here in the L.A. Times: [Link]

"Bird nest" stadium review with photo gallery!

I think the reviewer opinions here are pompous, but then again so are mine. For instance The reviewer slams the 1936 Olympic stadium as a symbol of fascism which in my opinion the stadium was more an art deco structure rather than a political statement.

If the Chinese Olympic Stadium or the "Bird nest" is a political statement it would probably be that of "globalization is good" since every venue structure they have was outsourced to western firms whereas most countries who host an Olympics use their own designers and architects.

What makes a country great are it's ideas and contributions. All these ideas were outsourced hence the "globaliztion" theme.

Snipet from the New York Times: "...During sports events, it glows with energy: the hue of its translucent skin shifts from game to game with the colors of the teams. Inside, the steep pitch of the seats creates the impression that the 70,000 spectators are coiled tightly around the field. It’s a masterly way to choreograph the focused hysteria of a soccer match.

But in Beijing, the architects were clearly striving for something more heroic. The centerpiece of a vast Olympic park in the northern reaches of Beijing, the stadium is raised on a mound of earth to give it a more monumental presence. Its matrix of crisscrossing columns and beams was conceived as a gargantuan work of public sculpture.

Viewed from a distance, the contrast between its bent steel columns and its bulging elliptical form gives the stadium a surreal, moody appearance, as if it were straining to contain the forces that are pushing and pulling it this way and that. Philosophically, it suggests the tensions just beneath the surface of a society in constant turmoil. ..." [Link]

LOL - Wow! that shows me!!! What do I know about architecture? (Also, you may have to login for this article.)

British athletes pose for Olympic 'Powerade" ads!

From the Mail Online: " The images will be used as part of an advertising campaign for Powerade, the official sports drink of the Beijing Games...." [Link]

Read the article to see who these athletes are.

Bad ventillation in the Water Cube?

The Australian press is using words like "smog on the water" but I think it's humidity and poor ventilation within the Water Cube. It's a vast structure and has to many intricate shapes to allow for easy ventilation. (It was an Australian architect that designed it too.) Here is what the The Sydney Morning Herald said:

While they were gobsmacked by the striking architecture of the venue, they were also left bewildered by a dense haze that hovered over the pool.

Australian head coach Alan Thompson said while many of his team had spent some time taking pictures of the bubble-clad stadium from the outside, the misty conditions inside had been noticed.

"I am trying to find an answer to that question … I did notice the haze," Thompson said. ..." [Link]

Also mentioned in the article is that Michael Phelps isn't talking to the media - he's focused, he's channeling Spitz, he's under lock-down and amping up for his close-up with history!

I found the photo above at the Beijiner: [Link]

Thorpe sues France! - (France as a defendent is easier to spell than the French paper and the journalist that he is actually suing.)

Gosh it's late, and Wendy from www.off-the-deep-end.blogspot.com sent me this link well before anybody had it this morning. Unfortunately, I had to watch this "scoop" mold into yesterday's fish-wrap because my stupid life got in the way.

Thorpe is still pissed-off about French paper named L'Equipe and a writer therein accusing him of an irregular doping test. Thorpe is suing for defamation and more!

Snippet from RTE: "... Thorpe's lawyer Tony O'Reilly had informed the New South Wales Supreme Court of this on Monday and said that the proceedings would include a claim for infringement of privacy, the statement said.

The court proceedings were adjourned until September 22, when it was expected that preparations would be made for a hearing some time next year, the statement said, adding that no further comment would be made...." [Link]

He is suing in an Australian court - How is that going to work?

Beijing "Water cube" or Munich Olympic Pool? - It's glass versus plastic and why is that ironic?

I prefer glass over polychloride, plastic, bubbles. The bubbles are probably made from the same material that our imported Batman action figures are. Contrast this to the tempered glass at the Munich Olympic pool which lets in an amazing amount of light and tone. The Munich glass structure is more organic and suggests transparency rather than a Made by Mattel aesthetic that you see in the Beijing Water Cube.

As far as I am concerned, the western architect of the the "water cube" should have his artistic license revoked. I know I am in a minority here but in 15-years I will have the last laugh. :-P

Now, the architect of the Munich Olympic pool should be given a 1st class plane ticket to Mount Olympus and given a Speedo LZR by Zeus himself that was blessed by Athena and shrouded in olive wreaths and gold! Now there is a pool!

'Tin-Medal-Tony' scores two more tins but this time they are painted silver rather than bronze!

Tastefully painted in silver and garnished in white plastic, this medal can be yours but you got to be fast enough, and you got to win it at a SPMA Regional meet. Remember, if you don't swim, you can't win.

The next SPMA regional meet is in December at short-course-meters championships. Though an authentic, gold-painted, tin, medal still eludes me, I'll be there to try again and you should too because the swim is always better than the win.

50 lcm free: 28.91
200 lcm free: 2:34.16
100 lcm free: 1:06.62 (5th place)

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.

Is 40 the new 30 for Olympians? - Duh!

From Reuters: "... Americans Richard Johnson, archery, is 52, Libby Callahan, shooting, is 56, and British horseman Nick Skelton is 50.

French cyclist Jeannie Longo is competing in her eighth Games at the age of 49 and it is the second Olympics for Israeli marathon runner Haile Satayin whose passport says he is 53.

Dr. Michael Joyner, an anesthesiologist at the U.S. Mayo Clinic who studies the effects of ageing on athletes, said normal "physiological" ageing starts at 30 but athletes can delay this until their late 30s or 40s with prolonged, intense training.

He said lab data showed that for physiological factors associated with endurance sports the decline is about 10 percent per decade starting at 30 but this can be halved with continued hard training, especially if it remained intense.

"If you look at top performers in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, the volume of training (hours per day) is sometimes down, but they keep the intensity high. They usually also do things to prevent age-associated declines in muscle mass," he said. ..." ...

"All things being equal the person who can put forth a maximum effort and at the same time relax has a real edge. A lot of it is learning how to compete in a relaxed way when the pressure is on," he told Reuters. [Link]

This says to me that after 30, you can slow down one's degrading endurance issues by 50%. Therefore, at age 76-years old, which is the average life expectancy, you would have the oxygen saturation ability of an average 53-year-old. That seems accurate to me.

Oh, and then there is this "chick" named Dar Torres... ;-)

'Speedo' will potentially supply over one-million dollars worth of "LZRs" to the athletes that request them at the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games!

From the Times in South Africa: "... Asked to comment, Speedo International was optimistic that all swimmers would be fitted. “Fina’s guidelines clearly state that suits must be available to all athletes,” the company said in an e-mail.

“In line with these regulations Speedo is endeavouring to make the Speedo LZR Racer available to all at the Games and, indeed, we have committed to supplying over 3000 suits to athletes at the Olympics which we believe clearly demonstrates our commitment to the sport.” [Link]

At $550-a-suit that could be as high as 1.5 million bucks if the athletes all choose full body suits. I mean, wouldn't you?

I saw two 'Nero blueseventy' suit failures today and now what I believe to be the fastest suit in the world, the 'Speedo LZR'

Bob Strand set a world record for his age group in a Nero blueseventy at the SPMA Regional Long Course Championships hosted by Conejo Simi Aquatics at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA. I don't remember his time for I was more interested in what he thought of the suit. Of course he was stoked. Results will be posted soon.

However, I saw two Nero blueseventy suits rip today in the exact same spot, a two inch tear along the seams in the upper thigh area by the gluteus maximus region

By the way, Bob Strand's suit did not fail. I learned today that if you are going to race in a Nero, be sure it is wet; less chance of tearing.

Now, as for the fastest suit in the world: I saw Erik Hockstein set a world record today in the 4x100 LCM free while wearing a Speedo LZR. It was during the opening swim of a relay in a time of 52.20. (Yes, that is blazing fast and it was fun to see.) He later swam in a Nero in the 100 free in a time 52.86.

Now I have to be fair. I did not see a TYR Tracer Light today. I was going to purchase one and wear it but scheduling factors did not permit me to make the 50 mile drive to go buy one. Also, I can't find one online yet. So I am qualifying my experience with speedsuits here. The fastest suit I have ever seen in person is the Speedo LZR. It's faster than Nike Hydra, the Nero blueseventy, former Speedo suits, former TYR speedsuits, Former Arena suits and Diana.

It is a remarkable suit but watching someone put it one on is actually stressful. Especially the zipping up part. It's like setting a mousetrap; you are afraid it will go very wrong and nail your fingers when you go to place it down on the floor.

I am seriously still looking at a TYR Tracer Light or Rise though due to the fact that the LZR has a short shelf life and the Tracer may be the only game in town in terms of quality. Now when I buy a TYR Tracer Light and if it by chance rips or tears, you will hear about it and then we all will be back to square one as to which "dope" is best.

SPMA LCM Regionals being held today and tomorrow - I did a personal best in the 100 LCM free

SPMA Regional Long Course Championships hosted by Conejo Simi Aquatics at Cal Lutheran University are being held today and tomorrow.

In the 100 meter free I put down my personal best as my seed time, a 1:08.23 but I and pulled a Dara Torres and stormed it swimming a 1:06.62.

And speaking of storming it, blogger Joel, the 17th man did a 2:31.67 for the 200 LCM fly and he has never swam long course as a masters swimmer. (SICK! TIME) I am hoping I can somewhat match that time in the 200m free tomorrow.

Jessica Hardy has removed her name from the US Olympic team

Associated Press: "...The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency announced Hardy's decision Friday, saying she did so "in the best interests of the team. ..." [Link]

Now that she has removed herself from the team and will not appeal her removal, what happens to the alternates? This whole episode has been a definitive fiasco in planning by both US Swimming and the US Olympic committee.

A deal must have been struck. I am NOT saying that Hardy is dirty; that is for WADA and USADA to judge, I just have a strong suspicion that a lot of people really want this to episode to go away and to do so quickly. Now, Jessica Hardy has provided an out.

After reading this from Bloomberg, this sort of smells like the deal to me: "...Hardy didn't contest the laboratory findings and was granted additional time by an American Arbitration Association panel to investigate possible causes of her positive test. While she received a two-year ban from competition, Hardy will be permitted to come back to the AAA panel to present evidence which could reduce her period of ineligibility, USADA said. ..." [Link]

Janet Evans is writing for Yahoo Sports! - You should have told me! >.<

Janet Evans on Dara Torres and the 50 free in Beijing: "... The 50 free could be anyone’s race in Beijing. Australian Lisbeth Trickett (nee Lenton) was the first woman to break 24 seconds with a 23.97 at her country’s long-course championships in March. Dutch sprinter Marleen Veldhuis, who posted a time of 24.09 in March, could be a strong contender in this race as well. And we can’t count out veteran Therese Alshammar of Sweden, whose 2007 posting of 24.13 is the third-fastest time – behind Trickett and Veldhuis – in the history of this event.

With her performances from Omaha and the confidence she has gained in the past few days, Torres’ time from Sunday puts her squarely in the race with the three fastest women in the world – all of whom will be competing in Beijing. Although I do not consider her the favorite to win this race, we can never count out Torres and her incredible will to win, especially because this race could represent the first and only individual gold medal of her Olympic career. ..." [Link]

I love that last sentence! It's both informative and a quasi double entendre. Janet, just get back in the water! I want to see you spank, Manaudou, Ziegler and Hoff in the 1500 in London 2012.

(The girls finally get to swim the 1500 in London, right?)

Swanky hotel pool meets Andy Warhol

Wendy sent us this photo because she knows I like art and swimming. I just wish they would have put the stairs somewhere else so you can lap swim. Here is a link to Wendy's blog, Off the deep end: [Link] and here is a link to the review of the hotel in Men Style: [Link]

Daniel at cruzatte.com is following the Jessica Hardy positive test very closely

Daniel is following the Jessica Hardy positive drug test and fallout very closely. Here is a link to cruzatte.com which has several articles regarding Hardy, AdvoCare, her appeal and more. [Link]