USA: The Michael Phelps factor has long been the subject of debate in the US when assessing the popularity of a sport that has grown in the States over the years of the most successful swimming career of all-time. The Columbia Daily Tribune is the latest journal to put the theme into print in an article that asks: "One of the sporting world's biggest attractions is returning to local waters for this weekend's Missouri Grand Prix - will the fans come back, too? It notes that Phelps' absence in 2009 contributed to a steep drop in attendance in Columbia and elsewhere: the Missouri Grand Prix drew around 1,000 spectators, down from 2,500 in 2008. Now a rebound is forecast as Phelps heads for the meet this weekend. The 14-times winner of Olympic gold swam at the Southern California Grand Prix in Long Beach last month and spectator figures more than doubled (and that with the super star in textile jammers). Of course, Phelps is not the only draw. The meet this weekend coming will also feature Olympic champions Ryan Lochte, Kosuke Kitajima, Oussama Mellouli and a host of other top-flight names such as Eric Shanteau, Garrett Weber-Gale and Chloe Sutton.
France: Yannick Agnel is a young, tall, lanky and talented Frenchman on the up, a man who toughed it out in textile for most of his 2008-2009 efforts, and in 2010 can be expected to make a breakthrough in senior waters. In Nîmes at the weekend he clocked 1:47.69 over 200m free and won the 100m in a 49.60, a time noted by L'Equipe in comparison to Olympic champ Alain Bernard's 49.58 comeback-to-textile and 2010 swim last week in Luxembourg. Another French sprinter, Amaury Leveaux made his competitive debut for 2010 at Bordeaux at the weekend, clocking 23.11 over 50m freestyle, ust shy of 2sec slower than his Roma09 effort in one of the poly booster suits banned since January 1. Leveaux is, of course, far from peak, steeped as he is in hard winter training with new coach Fred Vergnoux in Paris. That much was apparent from a 1:56 finish in the 200m free. The Paris group leaves France next week from a month-long training camp in Tenerife. At the Bordeaux meet, Ben Stasiulis clocked 26.42 and 55.80 over 50m and 100m back; Kris Gilchrist, Paris-trained Brit took the 100 and 200m breast in 1:02.44 and 2:15.06, while Camelia Potec, France-based Romanian and 2004 Olympic 200m free champion ahead of Federica Pellegrini (ITA) claimed a freestyle sweep over 200, 400 and 800m in 2:02.03, 4:13.10 and 8:40.23. At Nimes Camille Muffat claimed a free double in 2:00.67 and 4:12.66 over 200m and 400m.
Russia: At a local short-course sprint meet, Evgeny Korotyshkin clocked 24.27 over 50m 'fly and former world 200m breaststroke record holder Dimitri Komornikov won the 50m of his specialist stroke in 29.58.
Australia: Libby Trickett, a few weeks into retirement and a week past suggesting that she could make a comeback in time for the London 2012 Olympic Games, has urged Swimming Australia Ltd to fill the post of head coach, after Alan Thompson stepped down, within the next week, such is the urgency required by the Dolphins at a time of downturn. She told The Sunday Mail Down Under: "It's crucial Swimming Australia fills that position in the next few weeks and brings back the stability that's been lacking after all the debacles of the last 12 months. To reach our potential in 2012 we need stability and strong leadership." Trickett's comments backed Queensland coach Ken Wood's call for acting head coach Leigh Nugent to be given the job proper under a contract that would stand until 2016. "The new coach will have to make some hard decisions and he needs to know he won't be shafted,'' Wood said using terms that only an Aussie might get away with. "He needs to feel confident in the job and it needs to be locked in until 2016. I feel that Leigh is the guy who can do it for us.'" In the past two years, the paper notes, Swimming Australia has lost Thompson, former chief executive Glenn Tasker, media director Ian Hanson and event manager Lynne Bates, but to mention a few.
Taiwan: Wu Ching-chi, minister of education, has announced that 300 swimming pools will be built at as many schools across Taiwan in "the next few years". The proclaimed objective is to ensure that all children in the country can swim. Bravo. A life skill that saves lives.
