Russia: The Russian men's relay team, hard at work in the Ozero Krugloye sports centre pool near Moscow, looked up to find a familiar face out of place on the pool deck yesterday: Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was on tour to say hello to world-class athletes preparing for battle and confirm a commitment of four billion roubles for upgrading the centre and funding programmes. The pool will host the Russian national team as it prepares for the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai. Putin visited two swim pools, one long-, one short-course, and the diving pit and a “dry room" for swimmers and divers.
USA: In the wake of the Paris Open at which Michael Phelps had comfortable wins in the 200m 'fly and medley but found himself off the pace in the 100m and 200m freestyle, Coach Bob Bowman, mentor to Michael Phelps, talks to L'Equipe about the difficulties of long-haul on a journey that has already surpassed all others in the race pool. Bowman says: "It's true that he is not often beaten. He knows what he has to do now and he is going to come back strong. But you have to understand that it's not easy for him, not only after what he lived through in Beijing (eight gold medals) but also for the past ten years. He worked very hard to get there. These past two years, he's lived on the investment ... Everyone expects him to win everywhere - but it's hard for him to be at peak form all the time. I'm sure that the closer we get to London [2012], the closer he will get to best form." Phelps and Bowman are spending the week at work in Vichy.
Suited for the Future: In an interview with Gazetta dello Sport, Brazilian sprint emperor Cesar Cielo, back at his base in Auburn and fresh from a 21.55sec blast that made him the first man without a shiny suit to gets past Alex Popov's 2000 world record over 50m free, confirms his backing for the FINA Congress decision on suits last July. The Olympic champion said: "If you are fast, you will be so in all conditions. But I agree with the decision to return to the old suits [textile]: competition is now more honest, we are all equal." Read more on Cielo's trajectory here and here.
France: a decision on any disciplinary action to be taken against French sprinters by their federation after several swimmers skipped national camp to celebrate the birth of Manon, the daughter of Laure Manaudou and Fred Bousquet, is due to be taken later this week. In the meantime, the French team of 32 bound for the European Championships in Budapest in August, including those facing a penalty, have gathered at the INSEP training and testing centre for bonding and orientation.
