Food for the aquatic mind, the latest SwimNews Magazine is now available. Get your copy here.
Joanne Malar leads off this issue with her useful advice on healthy pre-workout meals. Follow her recommendations and you'll be doing yourself a big favour. Joanne, one of the swiftest medley women in the world back in the 90s and world short-course champion over 400m in 1995, broke her arm recently, but fortunately it didn't interfere with her writing this article. Get well soon.
Australian coach John Rodgers was lured to Toronto last fall, when he ran into difficulties at his Albany Creek program in Brisbane. Rodgers is an experienced coach who developed many top Australian swimmers during the past three decades. The University of Toronto High Performance Centre has been established around him - read how it came about and how things are going.
Julia Wilkinson writes about battling the butterflies. As an experienced international-class swimmer, Julia tells of her battle with pre-race nerves and talks with teammate Ryan Cochrane about his pre-race preparation. Julia is now based in Victoria, BC, after graduating from Texas A & M this spring.
Vladimir Morozov is a Siberian-born 18-year-old and now the fastest-ever high school sprinter from California. Russ Ewald tells his remarkable story.
The annual Mare Nostrum circuit in southern Europe has grown in popularity each year. Some top Canadians were there, including Brent Hayden (winner of several 100 and 200 freestyle events). But the most outstanding swimmer was Rebecca Soni (USA) with near-record swims in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Craig Lord reports on the three-meet series.
Cecil Colwin writes that in this post-enhanced-suit period, going back to the fundamentals of efficient swimming is always in order. He offers a few hints on stroke refinements by natural means.
Charlie Francis was a track coach, and his death at age 61 shocked everyone. Karin Helmstaedt was a Canadian international swimmer during the period he coached. She writes on Francis' impact on Canadian sport and the shocking record run by Ben Johnson at the Seoul Olympics, followed by his disqualification. Francis would be reviled in Canada, banned from coaching, while the IOC was showering awards on East Germany, whose drug-soaked athletes dominated the Olympics for over 20 years.
Karin Helmstaedt was honoured in late May with induction into the University of Toronto Sport Hall of Fame. Congratulations.
Nikki Dryden, always a passionate defender of women's role in sports leadership, writes about how, despite all the talk of gender equity, the reality is far from ideal. Our own sport of swimming could be singled out as the worst offender with 22 members on the FINA Bureau, 8 additional honorary members, and the CEO, and only one woman out of 31, or 1%, in a leadership position. A lot of work remains to be done.
Ten years ago, Shauna Nolden was appointed to the Sydney Olympic swimming coaching staff. This was a scandal, one of many during that period (2000-2004), which eventually led to a major shake-up in Canadian swimming in the fall of 2004. Nikki Dryden writes on the damage done by this sad episode and how it became a backward step in the development of women coaches.
TAG times include results from the July 2-4 weekend.
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