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August 21, 2008 9:29:20 PM CDT

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Stories related to: swimming

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Stories 1 - 20 of 35

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  • August 2008

    • Spitz Starts Life as Second-Greatest

      Wall Street Journal  |  13 hours, 51 minutes ago

      Spitz Starts Life as Second-Greatest

      (Newser) - Outspoken and prickly in the best of times, Mark Spitz is slowly adjusting to being the second -greatest Olympian of all time, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mustering a little grace for the occasion, Spitz says he's relieved at the downgrade. "He's got the burden of inspiring the youth as they go forward," Spitz says. "That is a relief." More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • world record  • USA Swimming  • Olympians  • Mark Spitz

    • Public Recreation Suffers as China Pays Olympic Bills

      NPR  |  Aug 19, 08 4:23 PM CDT

      Public Recreation Suffers as China Pays Olympic Bills

      (Newser) - While elite athletes reap the benefits of Beijing’s lavish Olympic spending, Chinese citizens complain that public recreation programs are suffering, reports NPR. The government has directed $430 million to public sports facilities since 2000, but that’s only half its annual budget for training athletes. “Government resources aren't nearly enough to meet people's exercise needs,” said one official. More »

      Tags

      China  • 2008 Beijing Olympics  • exercise  • swimming  • recreation

    • 'Supermom' Torres Won't Rule Out 2012 Games

      Philadelphia Inquirer  |  Aug 18, 08 1:25 PM CDT

      'Supermom' Torres Won't Rule Out 2012 Games

      (Newser) - Though Dara Torres says she’s looking forward to hanging with her 2-year-old, the US swimmer’s three silver medals in Beijing have some asking if she’ll aim to compete in the 2012 Olympics—when she’ll be 45. "I don't know," Torres told the Philadelphia Inquirer . “Right now I want to just … spend some time with my daughter.” More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • motherhood  • working mothers  • Dara Torres  • silver

    • How Phelps Saved the Games

      ESPN  |  Aug 18, 08 7:43 AM CDT

      How Phelps Saved the Games

      (Newser) - If the Chinese invented organized sports 6,000 years ago, writes Pat Forde on ESPN.com, then how appropriate that Michael Phelps came to Beijing to prove he was “the apotheosis of the athlete.” And America knows it. In a year when the Olympics had become “passe,” tens of millions of enthusiastic Americans rooted for Phelps in a way not seen since the Miracle on Ice. He “single-handedly saved the Olympics,” Forde writes. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • gold medal  • world record  • USA Swimming  • Mark Spitz

    • Phelps' Quest Perfectly American

      USA Today  |  Aug 17, 08 4:01 PM CDT

      Phelps' Quest Perfectly American

      (Newser) - Michael Phelps’ quest for eight gold medals was a perfect sports story for America: we like our athletes to either dominate or come from behind at the last minute, and Phelps delivered on both counts. He was both “the juggernaut and the ninth-inning home run with two outs and two strikes,” writes Mike Lopresti in USA Today —and that made him “the most compelling figure to slice through water since Jaws.” More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • United States  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • USA Swimming

    • Phelps Ties Spitz With 7 Golds

      Associated Press  |  Aug 15, 08 9:41 PM CDT

      Phelps Ties Spitz With 7 Golds

      (AP) - Michael Phelps beat Milorad Cavic of Serbia by the thinnest of margins to win the 100-meter butterfly yesterday, tying Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals at a single Olympics. Phelps, seemingly destined for second at the finish, somehow touched the wall first, a scant .01 seconds ahead of Cavic. The Serb's coach filed a protest, but the judges ruled that the cameras didn't lie: Phelps won. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • gold medal  • world record

    • Phelps' Winning Personality Separates Him From Spitz

      New York Times  |  Aug 14, 08 7:02 AM CDT

      Phelps' Winning Personality Separates Him From Spitz

      (Newser) - Michael Phelps has passed Mark Spitz's record number of career gold medals, and is dead set on eclipsing the seven golds Spitz won in Munich in 1972. But apart from their metal preferences the two men are very different people, observes the New York Times . The detached Spitz matched his talent with cockiness that annoyed teammates and was accused of mind games—while Phelps is sociable and popular. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • gold medal  • Olympic athletes  • Mark Spitz

    • The Greatest Athlete of His Generation?

      NBC  |  Aug 13, 08 9:29 AM CDT

      The Greatest Athlete of His Generation?

      (Newser) - With his 10th and 11th gold medals making him the most decorated Olympian in history, Michael Phelps is also arguably the greatest American athlete of his generation, writes Alan Abrahamson of NBC. And despite the Olympic hype, he’s underappreciated. That's because his sport is not, say, golf, but swimming, which surfaces only every four years. And he makes it look easy. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • USA Swimming

    • Are Swimmers or Technology Swamping Speed Records?

      New York Times  |  Aug 12, 08 6:34 AM CDT

      Are Swimmers or Technology Swamping Speed Records?

      (Newser) - Swimming world records are going under so fast at this Olympics that some officials are questioning what's going on, the New York Times writes. Ten records have fallen in Beijing so far—four in the space of 80 minutes yesterday—causing controversy over concerns that advances in swimsuit and pool technology might deserve as much credit as the athletes. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • world record  • USA Swimming  • Speedo LZR Racer

    • Phelps Nails 3rd Gold, New Record

      Baltimore Sun  |  Aug 12, 08 2:58 AM CDT

      Phelps Nails 3rd Gold, New Record

      (Newser) - Michael Phelps racked a third gold medal today, this one in the 200-meter freestyle, and obliterated another world record in the process. His time of 1:42.96 seconds shaved nearly a full second off his previous best, reports the Baltimore Sun . The gold, his ninth overall, ties him with Mark Spitz and three others as the winningest Olympians. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • gold medal  • world record

    • Phelps Seeks Redemption for '04 Athens Loss

      Baltimore Sun  |  Aug 11, 08 4:59 PM CDT

      Phelps Seeks Redemption for '04 Athens Loss

      (Newser) - Michael Phelps is gunning for a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, but the one that would mean the most is in the 200-meter freestyle, his hometown Baltimore Sun reports. He insisted on competing in the event at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and it was the only individual event he lost. "I wanted to be in that race," says Phelps, who finished third behind Australia's Ian Thorpe. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps

    • US Freestyle Team Grabs Gold by a Fingertip

      ESPN  |  Aug 11, 08 3:23 AM CDT

      US Freestyle Team Grabs Gold by a Fingertip

      (Newser) - Jason Lezak pulled ahead in the final moments of the 400-meter freestyle relay to win a gold for the US men’s swimming team and push Michael Phelps one step closer to a record eight golds, ESPN reports. Lezak, 32, swam the fastest leg in history—46.06 seconds—finishing a mere .08 seconds before the second-place French as the US team set a new world record of 3:08.24. More »

      Tags

      France  • United States  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • gold medal

    • Phelps Off to Quick Start with Record Swim

      Washington Post  |  Aug 9, 08 8:00 AM CDT

      Phelps Off to Quick Start with Record Swim

      (Newser) - Michael Phelps has set a new Olympic record before the race for medals has even begun, the Washington Post reports. The American swam the 400-meter individual medley preliminary in 4 minutes, 7.82 seconds. “I'm happy to get the first-race jitters sort of out," the swimmer said. "The first race is probably one of the most important ones, to get it out of your system." More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • record

    • 10 Buzz-Worthy Olympians

      BBC  |  Aug 7, 08 11:49 AM CDT

      10 Buzz-Worthy Olympians

      (Newser) - Competing in 20 Olympic events and going for a record eight gold medals, American swimming phenom Michael Phelps is first off the block in the BBC's list of 10 to watch in Beijing. Here are some of the others: Natalie du Toit: This South African swimmer and Paralympic gold-medalist will make a splash as the first female amputee to compete at the Summer Games. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • athlete  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • track and field  • Usain Bolt

    • Phelps: Growing Into All Those Golds

      Baltimore Sun  |  Aug 3, 08 3:01 PM CDT

      Phelps: Growing Into All Those Golds

      (Newser) - At 23, Michael Phelps is poised to win the most gold medals ever by an individual at the Beijing Games, and earn some $5 million in endorsement deals for companies such as Visa and Speedo. Yet Phelps’ journey—from an 8-year-old throwing a temper tantrum after his first swimming loss to arguably the best swimmer of all time—has been a slow maturation, reports the Baltimore Sun . More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • Michael Phelps  • USA Swimming  • record

  • July 2008

    • US Swimmer 'Tests Positive for Banned Substance'

      Associated Press  |  Jul 24, 08 5:10 AM CDT

      US Swimmer 'Tests Positive for Banned Substance'

      (Newser) - American swimmer Jessica Hardy's Olympics may already be over. The 50-meter breaststroke world record holder has tested positive for a banned stimulant, insiders told the AP. Hardy has the right to pursue appeals, but if they fail she could face a 2-year ban and Team USA will suffer a major blow to its Olympic hopes. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • USA Swimming  • doping  • sports doping

    • Swimmer Dies During NYC Triathlon

      New York Daily News  |  Jul 21, 08 4:19 AM CDT

      Swimmer Dies During NYC Triathlon

      (Newser) - An Argentinian man died after experiencing difficulties midway through the swim portion of the New York Triathlon yesterday, the Daily News reports. He was pulled out of the water after fellow swimmers noticed him struggling, and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Initial reports indicate that cardiac arrest was the cause of death. An autopsy is expected today. More »

      Tags

      New York City  • death  • swimming  • heat  • cardiac arrest  • triathlon

    • Olympic Swimmer Has Cancer

      Associated Press  |  Jul 11, 08 4:11 PM CDT

      Olympic Swimmer Has Cancer

      (Newser) - US Olympic swimmer Eric Shanteau has testicular cancer, he tells the AP, but will put off surgery to compete in next month's Beijing Games. Shanteau, 24, unexpectedly locked in the 200-meter breaststroke July 3—just days after he was given the diagnosis. "I made the team, so I had a hard decision," he said. "But, by no means am I being stupid about this." More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • cancer  • surgery  • swimming  • recovery  • Lance Armstrong  • testicular cancer

    • New Swimsuits Unfair; Stick to Birthday Suits

      Bloomberg  |  Jul 8, 08 8:08 AM CDT

      New Swimsuits Unfair; Stick to Birthday Suits

      (Newser) - No sporting record lasts forever, but these days, writes Bloomberg columnist Scott Soshnick, athletes are demolishing them with almost ridiculous frequency. At the US Olympic swimming trials this year, no fewer than nine records were broken or equaled—a function less of talent than of technology. Perhaps it's time to return to the old Olympic tradition of competing nude, which would level the playing field—not to mention boost ratings. More »

      Tags

      2008 Beijing Olympics  • swimming  • nudity  • athletics  • Speedo LZR Racer  • swimsuit

    • Why Is 'Supermom' Getting the Bonds Treatment?

      Kansas City Star  |  Jul 6, 08 7:29 AM CDT

      Why Is 'Supermom' Getting the Bonds Treatment?

      (Newser) - Some are calling five-time Olympic swimmer Dara Torres "Supermom," but Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star thinks that "Wonder Woman" might be more appropriate. Everyone's wondering how a 41-year-old new mother could come back from retirement and surgery to take first place at her fifth qualifiers. Blame the gathering cloud of skepticism on Brian McNamee. More »

      Tags

      steroids  • Roger Clemens  • swimming  • Brian McNamee  • asthma  • comeback  • Olympic trials  • Dara Torres

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