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FROM www.athleticsweekly.com: Former world champion Ato Boldon posted on his twitter page a list of 10 sage pieces of advice for his fellow professional track and field athletes. For posterity’s sake, Boldon was happy for AW to compile all 10 points here. “I put these out, not because I followed them all perfectly, not to preach, but because I didn’t in some cases,” said Boldon. “I had my time, maximize yours.”
READ BOLDON's 10 THINGS RETIRED ATHLETES KNOW THAT ACTIVE ONES DON'T HERE!
In the aftermath of Fran Crippen's tragic death during an open water competition in Dubai, Steve Munatones, founder and president of Open Water Source, has lead the charge to ensure the safety of open water athletes anywhere and everywhere they compete around the globe.
Steve's a friend, always keeping me up-to-date on open water news and its evolution into one of the fastest growing sports in the world. On his way back from Geneva, he sent me this link, detailing what occurred at the OPEN WATER SAFETY CONFERENCE IN SAN FRANCISCO:
Steve's a social media / social networking guru in the open water world. Friend and follow Steve and you'll know everything about this incredible sport.
What is one of real estate’s rare luxuries? How about your own golf course? Or maybe your own helipad? Or, better yet, your own indoor swimming pool. Ah, now we’re talking. Even the rich and famous would admit that having an indoor pool is one of life’s luxurious amenities. Here are 10 homes that feature fabulous indoor swimming pools. Some have celebrity lineage, some are quite ornate, while others are simply well-appointed spaces to swim some precious laps. Take a look here at www.zillow.com.
I think all swimmers would like a luxury pool once they become home owners. I'd like to have a straight line, a one lane, 25 meter lap pool set at a toasty-warm 82 degrees 365 days a year. My workouts are between 2000-2500 meters, and mostly warmup. I swim to relieve stress.
What kind of pool would you like?
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FROM blog.pennlive.com, Coach Bowman gives advice to swimming's newest star, an athlete with real potential to be the next Michael Phelps.
Q: What will be David Nolan’s biggest adjustment next year as he transitions from high school swimming to competing for Stanford University?
A: His biggest challenge will be to continue what he’s been doing and continue what has gotten him to this point. He can’t worry about what everyone else is saying and concern himself with everyone else’s predictions. He just has to concentrate on his strokes and keep getting a little better everyday.
GMM: There is nothing more inspiring than witnessing a new talent emerge. David Nolan, the high school star from Pennsylvania, has been showing promise for some time, but when he swam a jaw-dropping 1:41.3 200 yard individual medley (the decathlon of swimming races) the swimming world reeled with excitement.
This isn't hype! Nolan is the real deal, a swimmer who can potentially assume the Phelps mantle. Nolan's 1:41 200 yard individual medley is nearly three seconds faster than what Phelps swam at the same age in high school.
Nolan's future appears to be a long run on the world stage. He can make the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, star at the 2016 Olympic Games, and rack-up even more Olympic gold at the 2020 Olympic Games.
(pic: DAVID NOLAN)
Here's what got everyone so excited, video of that famous 200 yard individual medley. Interestingly, many people thought the video was a hoax. It's not!
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Joe Posnanski, Sports Illustrated contributor and sports columnist for the Kansas City Star, is an old friend. I mean really old, going to back to my early teens, when I was just cracking into swimming's world-rankings.
Joe's a big-shot now, a player! He covers sports' A-list stars, but, more accurately, he covers sports' best stories. Joe's got a style. When you read a Joe piece, it's as identifiable as his fingerprint. His words flow with ease. Reading him is like drinking your favorite drink. It goes down nice and easy, quietly and personally satisfying. Joe's style? It's nothing new, or super-secret. Joe just captures the heart and soul of his subject, the athlete, and then filters out their narrative in a way that anyone can understand and appreciate that person's journey. In sum, Joe always makes you feel like your right there with him, in the moment, experiencing every emotional beat.
Sometimes Joe covers Olympic subjects, and recently he sat down with Rulon Gardner, Greco-Roman wrestling gold medalist from the 2000 Games in Sydney. Rulon--known for upsetting Russian Wrestling icon, Aleksandr Karelin--is now more famously known for his starring role on NBC's The Bigger Loser.
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via www.usatoday.com: USA TODAY teams up with a Dutch company to forecast the Olympic medal count by country. Team USA ranks 1st, China 2nd, and Russia 3rd. Only three Olympians were mentioned in the report, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps, who are each ranked number one in the world in three different swimming events, and track and field sprint star Usain Bolt.
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via www.nytimes.com: "Nikolai Andrianov, the record-setting Russian gymnast who had won more Olympic medals than any other male athlete before the swimmer Michael Phelps passed him, died Monday in Vladimir,Russia. He was 58."
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According to U.K. paper, The Independent, mobile phones may be banned at the London Olympics for security reasons. That's perfectly understandable given the state of the world and the need to protect the athletes, however, it has an upside for the IOC (International Olympic Committee). They can protect their corporate partners from guerilla marketers.
Guerilla Marketing: unconventional promotions relying on time, energy and creativity, often employed by small brands/companies.
In the Olympic world, a guerilla marketer might try to use an association with an athlete to gain visibility for a product (or service) during the 16 days of Olympic competition without paying to officially be among the IOC corporate partners.
I understand the need to protect the IOC's corporate partners, and I support them in their efforts. Without revenue, the Olympics wouldn't exist. However, I don't know how this is going to work in London. Social media is pervasive. Social networking is the norm. It's like breathing. Your cellphone is now an extension of your body. You text, capture photos and share.
Will this work for the IOC in 2012? Will it protect their corporate partners? Is it realistic going forward, at the 2014, 2016, 2018 or 2020 Olympic Games? Let me know what you think.
via en.rian.ru: A delegation from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) arrived in Russia's Black Sea resort city of Sochi on Monday to inspect the country's preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.
(NOTE: No image of Jean-Claude is complete unless he's wearing a Rolex. Jean-Claude is the 1st Olympian to become a true corporate-star pitch-man after winning Olympic gold.)
According to the report, Jean-Claude Killy (3-time Olympic Champion) headed up the 5th visit to Sochi by the IOC Coordination Committee.
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Red Giant Software blogged about Gold Medal Media's latest production (with SwimOutlet.com and Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte) after I sent them a big "thank you" for their support. Read @ www.redgiantsoftware.com.
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Want to go the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony in London? Be ready to pony-up more than $3,000. What about watching track and field's blue ribbon event, the 100m dash? That's more of a bargain, priced just north of $1,000.
(2008 Olympic tickets)
Lodging's important. You don't want to be battling traffic in and out of London. That could eat up several hours a day. You can rent a 3-bedroom house on the south back of the Thames for about $15,000 a week, or a tiny Greenwich flat (800 square feet) for $3,500.
The cost is high, in my opinion, but expected. A vacation to London at anytime can be painful to your pocketbook.
8.8 million Olympic tickets will hit the market (with two million more for the Paralympic games). Tickets are first come, first serve. Apparently you filled-out an application for the tickets between March 15th and April 26th, and then receive them at a later date. (You can register for tickets @ tickets.london2012.com/member/registration.)
QUESTION: Are the Olympic ticket prices too high or about what you'd expect?
I'm always taken-aback by ticket prices to sporting events. However, I should add, I'm the type to complain about paying $9 for a movie ticket (while sneaking in my $2 grocery store bought snicker's bar).
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3-time Olympic Medalist: 2004 gold medalist on the men's 4x200 freestyle relay, 2008 gold medalist on the men's 4x200 freestyle relay, 2008 bronze medalist in the 200 freestyle
Nickname: PVK
PVK's website: www.petervanderkaay.com
PVK Olympic manager for sponsorships/corporate partnerships: www.arluckpromotions.com/athlete-management/detail/peter-vanderkaay/
PVK trains under Coach Gregg Troy in Gainesville, Florida. Coach Troy has been named the 2012 Olympic Head Coach for Men's Swimming
PVK's latest GOLD MEDAL MINUTE INTERVIEW:
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1. Monique Gladding, 2. Sophie Casson, 3. Stephanie Millward, 4. Brooke Graddon, 5. Stacey Tadd, 6. Lisa Gibson, 7. Robyn Nicholls, 8. Katie Dawkins, 9. Rachel Lefley, 10. Amy Smith, 11. Tonia Couch, 12. Georgia Davies.
via www.swimming.org: The 12 women - six swimmers, three divers, two water polo players and a synchronised swimmer – revealed all for award-winning sports photographer Andy Hooper with the image printed in the Daily Mail today (4th March).
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