Rice’s golden moment in Beijing Olympic swimming
August 10, 2008
Australian Olympic swim team member in Beijing, Stephanie Rice has won Australia’s first gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Her win came in the women’s 400m individual medley. She topped this off by winning in a new world record time of 4.29.45. The previous world record was 4:31.12 held by Katie Hoff.
Her likely opponent for the gold medal Katie Hoff of the USA was never close to Rice and it was Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe who pushed the Australian.
Coventry in the lead after 200m was 3.83 ahead of the world record split with Rice close behind. As the race moved into the breaststroke phase Rice took the lead and was 2.66 ahead of world record pace at 250m. As Rice went into the freestyle she was 1.40 ahead of world record pace, 0.74 with 50m to go and then she broke the world record to win the 400m individual medley ahead of Coventry and Hoff third.
It was a great win for the Australian glamour girl of swimming. Congratulations to Stephanie. Coventry’s time was 4:29.89 also inside of the old world record with Hoff swimming 4:31.71 which was slower than her world record.
Should the swimmers go back to wearing budgey smugglers?
August 6, 2008
The Beijing Olympic swimming program hits the water in just three days. Many are expecting this Olympics to see the most ever world records for one Olympic meet. Why? Because of the Speedo LZR suit. Since its introduction in February 2008 there have been 29 long course world records.
There has been a lot of talk about the merits of such a suit. Should it be banned from swimming? Australian Beijing Olympic swim team member Grant Hackett does not think so. He thinks the suit is just part of the evolution of the sport. He said noone said to ban Michael Jordan’s Air Nike’s or Lance Armstrong’s better bike.
Australian swim team coach Alan Thompson also thinks there is no problem with the Speedo LZR suit. He said there has always been advancement with swimsuits in the sport. Thompson said he hopes that the swimsuit does not take away the spotlight from the athletes and their performances in the water.
With a super suit like the Speedo LZR suit I have no problem with the swimmers wearing them so long as everyone has access to them.
Do you think the swimmers should be wearing the new swimsuits? Or should they return to the days of the speedo briefs or budgey smugglers as some people call them in Australia?
At the end of the day it still takes years of hard work and dedication to reach the top. Just putting on a Speedo LZR suit will not make you an Olympic champion.
Hackett to be tested in Olympic 1500m swim in Beijing
July 9, 2008
Grant Hackett won’t have it all his own way in Beijing Olympic 1500m event. Who remembers the 2000 Sydney Olympics when Kieren Perkins was trying to win his third straight 1500m gold medal? On that occasion Hackett was just too good.
On the final day of swimming at the US Olympic trials Peter Vanderkaay served notice to Australia’s king of the 1500m Grant Hackett, after the fastest swim of the year. Vanderkaay stopped the clock at 14min 45.50sec.
The time was the fourth fastest in history and took 7.02 seconds from his personal best. Hackett now knows that he has to look over his shoulder or he could see his dream of winning three consecutive 1500m Olympic Gold medals will get torpedoed in the pool at the China Olympics.
At the last world championships Hackett was out of form following his comeback from injury and put in a dissapointing result in the 1500m where he placed seventh. This ended his 10 year domination of the event.
Hackett was back to near his best for the Australian swim team Olympic trials in March and will be one of the favorites going into Beijing.
Australians will be watching with interest to see if he can pull off a win on 17 August to claim his third Olympic 1500m gold.
Australian swim team has last hit out before China Olympics
July 7, 2008
The Australian Beijing Olympic swimming team has had their final hit out before the August Olympics. The team competed in a grand prix carnival at Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
The event was conducted following the same night heats and morning finals format that will be used in Beijing.
The highlight on the final day of action was Brisbane teenager Cate Campbell posting the fifth fastest 50m freestyle swim in history.
There is some concern over Eamon Sullivan as he was not able to swim at top speed in the 50m race. He appeared to injure himself at the start and he just slowly swum the lap before getting treatment after the race.
Now that the US trials are almost completed it will be interesting to compare results and try to guess who is going to win the medals in Beijing.
Here is the full Australian Swim team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics:
2008 Australian Olympic Swim Team for Beijing
| Firstname | Lastname | Age | Club | State |
| Angie | Bainbridge | 18 | Hunter | NSW |
| Bronte | Barratt | 18 | Albany Creek | QLD |
| Grant | Brits | 20 | SOPAC Swim Club | NSW |
| Leith | Brodie | 21 | Albany Creek | QLD |
| Ashley | Callus | 29 | Redlands | QLD |
| Cate | Campbell | 15 | Indooroopilly | QLD |
| Alicia | Coutts | 20 | Redlands | QLD |
| Lara | Davenport | 24 | Kingscliffe | NSW |
| Ashley | Delaney | 21 | Nunawading | VIC |
| Sophie | Edington | 24 | Kingscliffe | NSW |
| Nicholas | Ffrost | 21 | Southport Olympic | QLD |
| Sally | Foster | 22 | Central Aquatic | WA |
| Felicity | Galvez | 23 | SOPAC Swim Club | NSW |
| Grant | Hackett | 27 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Samantha | Hamill | 17 | Quad Park | QLD |
| Belinda | Hocking | 17 | Albury | NSW |
| Leisel | Jones | 22 | CA Tritons | VIC |
| Andrew | Lauterstein | 20 | Southport Olympic | QLD |
| Linda | MacKenzie | 24 | Mackay | QLD |
| Alice | Mills | 21 | Chandler | QLD |
| Kenrick | Monk | 19 | SOPAC Swim Club | NSW |
| Patrick | Murphy | 24 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Meagen | Nay | 19 | St Peters Western | QLD |
| Travis | Nederpelt | 24 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Kirk | Palmer | 21 | Barker Aquatic | NSW |
| Kylie | Palmer | 18 | Albany Creek | QLD |
| Adam | Pine | 32 | Ginninderra | NSW |
| Shayne | Reese | 25 | CA Tritons | VIC |
| Stephanie | Rice | 19 | St Peters Western | QLD |
| Brenton | Rickard | 24 | Brothers | QLD |
| Jessicah | Schipper | 21 | Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton | QLD |
| Melanie | Schlanger | 21 | Commercial | QLD |
| Emily | Seebohm | 15 | Brothers | QLd |
| Christian | Sprenger | 22 | Commercial | QLD |
| Nicholas | Sprenger | 22 | St Peters Western | QLD |
| Craig | Stevens | 27 | SLC Aquadot | NSW |
| Hayden | Stoeckel | 23 | Norwood | SA |
| Eamon | Sullivan | 22 | West Coast | WA |
| Matthew | Targett | 22 | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Lisbeth | Trickett | 23 | Commercial | QLD |
| Tarnee | White | 26 | Chandler | QLD |
| Head Coach * | |||
| Alan | Thompson | ||
| Section Managers | |||
| David | Wilson | Section Manager | |
| Lynn | Fowlie | Assistant Section Manager | |
| Bruce | Steed | Assistant Section Manager | |
| Team Coaches * | |||
| Michael | Bohl | St Peters Western | NSW |
| Matt | Brown | Brothers | QLD |
| Ian | Pope | Melbourne Vicentre | VIC |
| Vince | Raleigh | Australian Institute of Sport | |
| Shannon | Rollason | Australian Institute of Sport | |
| Greg | Salter | Kingscliffe | NSW |
| Grant | Stoelwinder | West Coast | WA |
| Rohan | Taylor | CA Triton | VIC |
| Stephan | Widmer | Commercial | QLD |
| Ken | Wood | Redcliffe Leagues Lawnton | QLD |
Two more US swimmers earn Beijing Olympic spots
July 1, 2008
On day 2 Katie Hoff won her second event at the US Olympic team swimming trials. To follow on from her 400 medley win on day 1 Hoff added the 400m freestyle. Hoff’s winning time was 4:02.32. Second place went to Kate Ziegler, 4:03.92.
Brendan Hansen added himself to the US Olympic team with a winning time of 59.93 in the men’s 100m breaststroke final. Second place went to Mark Gangloff, 1:00.42. Hansen competed at the Athens Olympics where he won gold as part of the US medley relay, silver in the 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 200m breaststroke. Hansen is also the current world champion in the 100m
The women’s 100m butterfly final was won by Christine Magnuson in a time of 58.11. Second place went to Elaine Breeden, 58.21. With the win Magnuson has earned her first US Olympic team spot.
At the Australian Olympic team swimming trials Libby Trickett recorded a time of 56.81 to win the 100m butterfly finals. Magnuson has some time to make up to catch the Australian.
How would you like to travel to Beijing with USA Swimming?
June 30, 2008
Can you imagine the ultimate travel experience for the hard core swimming fan? It would have to be a trip to the Beijing Olympics to cheer on your swimmers. On top of that you would want to be hosted by an actual Olympic gold medalist.
If money is no object you can travel to Beijing with USA Swimming. You can have Misty Hyman and Josh Davis as your hosts as you enjoy the first class hospitality put on by USA Swimming. Misty won gold in the 200m butterfly event at the Sydney Olympics. Josh won three gold medals at the Atlanta Olympics and two silvers at Sydney.
If this sounds like something that appeals to you go ahead and contact USA Swimming to find out more about the full-service packages that they have on offer. Part of the package includes “A” level tickets (preferred sponsor seating) in the USA Swimming seating block. You can’t beat that!
The accommodation that has been selected is for a room at the Great Wall Sheraton. I can tell you that you will enjoy your stay at this five star hotel. I have been there many times myself.
There are three packages to choose from. 11-nights, 6-nights and 5-nights. Prices start at $16,000 and to get the ultimate swimming Olympic games package you pay $36,000.
What to find out more? Check out the usaswimming.org website.
Phelps and Hoff open US Olympic swim trials with world records
June 30, 2008
Michael Phelps has broken his own world record in the 400m individual medley on the opening day of the US Olympic swim trials being held in Omaha Nebraska. His time of 4:05.25 took nearly a second off his time set at the 2007 World Championships. Second placed Ryan Lochte completed the eight laps in 4:06.08 which also bettered the previous record of 4:06.22.
Katie Hoff broke the 400 IM world record set by Australia’s Stephanie Rice at the Australian swim team Olympic trials earlier this year. Her time of 4:31.12 shaved off 34-hundredths of a second from the record. Elizabeth Beisel took second place with the third fastest time in the world for 2008. She has only been bettered by two world record setting swims.
The other swimmer to book themselves a ticket to the Beijing Olympics was Larsen Jensen. He won a hotly contested 400-metre freestyle event. Jensen set a new American record and edged out the former holder, Peter Vanderkaay.
The first place finishers in each of the finals have automatically qualified for Beijing. The second-place finishers are most likely to be added later in the week however it is not guaranteed.
Next up will the finals for the women’s 100m butterfly, men’s 100m breaststroke and women’s 400m freestyle.
USA Olympic team trials for swimming starts today
June 29, 2008
The 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming begins Sunday in Omaha, Nebraska. The swimmers just get this one chance to claim a spot on the US Olympic swim team for the Beijing Olympics to be held in China in August.
All eyes will be on Micheal Phelps as he sets out to break Mark Spitz’s seven gold records at a single Olympics.
The biggest stars in USA Swimming will be competing for a spot on the 2008 US Olympic Team. The top two swimmers in each event, along with the top six swimmers in the 100m and 200m free, will book their tickets to Beijing, China.
Just how many world records are broken remains to be seen. Since the introduction of the new swimming suits the records have been tumbling.
The meet concludes on Sunday July 6. Here is the schedule of events for the US Olympic swimming team trials.
First step for Phelps in quest to beat Spitz record
June 19, 2008
At the Athens Olympics Michael Phelps went close to matching Mark Spitz’ amazing record of seven gold medals in the swimming pool at the Munich Olympics. Phelps had to settle for six golds. He secured eight medals overall. This equaled the record set by Russian gymnast Alexander Dityatin in 1980 for the most medals at one games.
With the Beijing Olympics fast approaching Phelps has decided to enter nine events at the US Olympic swimming trials which begin on June 29. The meet will take place in a temporary swimming pool inside the Qwest Centre in Omaha, Nebraska.
In what comes as bad news for Australia’s Grant Hackett, one of the events Phelps has entered is the 400m freestyle. Hackett is hoping to win this event at the Olympics for the first time after fellow Australian, Ian Thorpe had claimed the past two Olympic gold medals in this event.
Phelps will be hoping to go one better than what Spitz did in Munich. First he will need to place in the top two at the US Olympic swim trials and go under the A qualifying times.
D’Arcy’s Olympic Dream Officially Becomes Nightmare
June 17, 2008
Nick D’Arcy’s final hope of going to the Beijing Olympics has been taken away. On Monday The Australian swimmer had his final avenue of appeal rejected by a three-man Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) panel.
The CAS panel was made up of David Grace QC, Allan Sullivan QC, and Malcolm Holmes QC and sat for five hours to consider the case. In the end they dismissed D’Arcy’s appeal against a decision made last week by the Australian Olympic Committee executive board.
The ruling brings to an end the Olympic saga that started when Nick D’Arcy who in the early hours of March 30 was out celebrating his inclusion in the Australian Olympic swimming team allegedly assaulted former swimmer Simon Cowley in a Sydney bar incident.
For D’Arcy the chance to swim at the China Olympics is definitely over. He now has to go through the legal process as he tries to clear his name in relation to the alleged assault.
D’Arcy’s lawyer, Jack Leitner will be representing him in court on June 17 at the second hearing in his criminal case. D’Arcy is charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to Cowley. This is an offence that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years’ jail.
