ASA and British Swimming

ASA and British Swimming

To Me

Today at 7:24 PM

Your British Gas Swimfit Companion April 2014 From falling behind to fin-tastic Trying to keep up with your swim buddy during your training sessions can be difficult and often frustrating, particularly for those who find they have a weaker leg kick than most. Using a pair of fins can help you to build leg strength and get that extra edge Fins are great for taking you from falling behind to fin-tastic, but they are also greatly beneficial in a number of other ways! Click here to find out how to get the most out of your fins Have you seen...? Swimming Times Swimming Jobs Swimfit Training Zone Training Videos Featured Articles Hydration 'How-to': Sports drinks vs H20 There are so many different sports drinks on the market today, each one offering something new, something different, something more beneficial than the last. The big question is are there any benefits to using these kinds of drinks over good, old-fashioned H2O? Click here for your essential hydration dos and donts Sign up for SwimBritain! SwimBritian is back! And bigger then ever in 2014! Be a part of the nation's biggest swimming initiative and get signed up today! With nationwide team relay events throughout September it's the British Gas swimming campaign to improve Britain's health and fitness. SwimBritain can also be entered as a family for a fun, exciting way to spend quality time together! For more information click here

FINA Newsletter 7/2014

FINA Newsletter 7/2014

FINA Newsletter

To Me

Today at 6:01 PM

	Newsletter #7 // April 9th 2014
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	This newsletter provides you with background information and news on FINA's activities and upcoming events.
	Hosszu: "I always learn something new, even after 20 years of swimming!"
	Hungary's Katinka Hosszu is attending the SportAccord Convention in Belek, Turkey this week. The current 200m and 400m IM World champion is on-hand both in and out the pool as she is to take part in a practice session with kids from the local swimming clubs today and the first-ever "Youth Club" discussion panel on Thursday April 10, together with other outstanding young athletes. Always flashing a smile, the 24-year-old is creating the buzz at the FINA stand in the Susesi Convention Centre. The Iron Lady of swimming takes a moment to reflect on her career, goals and aspirations for the sport she loves so much. Winner of the 2012 and 2013 FINA World Cups, what is your training secret to swim so many events? I train eight to nine hours a day, five in the morning and three to four in the afternoon. It's a lot of work but it's also my passion: I love to swim. Do you train differently for the World Cup than for other championships? In which way? Given that my specialty is IM, I have to train all strokes and that's also why I've been competing in all the different strokes during the World Cup. Of course, for the World Championships and the Olympics I will only prepare for 200m IM and the 400m IM. What makes the FINA World Cup attractive to athletes? The prize money, the environment at the event - a place with the top athletes - and a great overall vibe. What are your goals leading up to the Rio Games? During the last Olympic Games I came in fourth which is the worst position. This time around I am hoping to get to the podium and I am therefore training with that in mind. There is the Maria Lenk Trophy in Sao Paulo, Brazil which is coming up and will be a good place to see where I'm at in terms of times, followed by the Singapore Swim Stars challenge in September and maybe others leading up to the FINA Swimming World Cup and FINA short-course Swimming World Championships in Doha. How would you describe your swimming career in a few words? Swimming is a passion. I love how it feels like being in the water, feeling the strokes as I swim. There's always something to work on, to improve and I find it really fun. Year in and year out, I always learn something new: even after 20 years of swimming!
	full article on fina.org
	World League: Montenegro and Italy head-to-head for last Super Final spot
	The last round of the men's preliminary European tournament of the FINA Water Polo World League 2014 will be held on April 15 with the remaining three games. Keeping its World League title defense in sight, Group A leader Serbia will meet Russia in Kragujevac (SRB). Reigning World champion Hungary, currently atop Group B, will face 2012 Olympic champion Croatia in Pecs (HUN). In Group C last encounter, Germany will play Montenegro in Krefeld (GER). Montenegro, whose squad totals 12 points so far, is head-to-head with Italy for the last Super Final spot. The Italians defeated Slovakia in a tight 14-13 on April 1, earning a total 15 points. The men's Intercontinental Tournament, which brings together the teams of Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Africa and USA, will take place in Shanghai (CHN) from May 27-June 1, 2014. The best eight teams from the preliminary phase will clash in Dubai (UAE) at the FINA Men's Water Polo World League Super Final, organised from June 16-21.
	all results and rankings on fina.org
	10km World Cup: Action-packed races and close finishes mark season debut   In the spotlight It was game on from the get go as the world's top marathon swimmers battled it out in the first two stops of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup 2014, held in Viedma (ARG, February 1) and Cancun (MEX, April 5). Among men, Thomas Lurz (GER) started his World Cup title defense campaign by claiming his first win of the season in Cancun, while 22-year-old Thomas Allen (GBR) celebrated his first trip to the podium in the opening leg in Viedma. The women's races in Viedma and Cancun featured high-level competition with reigning World champion Poliana Okimoto (BRA) bagging a gold and silver. 2012 Olympic bronze medal winner Martina Grimaldi (ITA) touched first in Cancun. Lurz and Okimoto are the most-decorated swimmers in the FINA 10km circuit with a total 21 and 16 victories, respectively. Setubal (POR) will stage the third stop of the World Cup on June 28, 2014. all results and rankings on fina.org
	MORE FROM FINA.ORG > FINA Homepage > News & Press Releases > FINA TV
	THIS EMAIL WAS SENT FROM THE FINA COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
	Fédération Internationale de Natation (FINA) The Fédération Internationale de Natation, FINA (founded in 1908) is the governing body for aquatics worldwide. Its five disciplines - Swimming, Open Water Swimming, Diving, Water Polo and Synchronised Swimming - are all included in the Olympic programme. FINA organises World Championships, World Swimming Championships in 25m-pool and World Masters Championships every two years. FINA counts 204 affiliated National Federations on the five continents and has its headquarters in Lausanne (SUI).
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	FINA Office // Avenue de l'Avant-Poste 4 - 1005 Lausanne // Tel. (+41 21) 310 47 10 // Fax (+41 21) 312 66 10

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Dela British Swimming

Join us tomorrow for the British Champs 2014 LIVE

British Swimming

To Me

Today at 2:58 PM

----- Forwarded Message -----

Join us from tomorrow for the British Gas Swimming Champs 2014 Live Stream Live Scoreboard TV and Radio Live stream and scoreboard page - no sign up required Sit back and enjoy ALL heats and finals from Tollcross between 10-15 April on your PC, laptop or tablet. Our free to access live page will have video stream, live scoreboard, Twitter feed, Facebook widget, athlete video interviews, daily polls, start lists & results, and more. The action starts tomorrow morning at 9.00am with the Women's 400m IM heats. See you there :) Click here to head over to the live page Find out who secures qualification time Keep up to date with who has put themselves at the front of the line for nomination to their national teams for this summer's Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. Our qualifiers page will be updated daily with who has made the qualification standards for Scotland, England and Wales. You can also find schedule, ones to watch, stats and more on our Champs mini site. Click for times and Scots athletes already meeting time Get in the Champs zone with our swimmer video interviews Get yourself in the mood for the Champs ahead of the action with our exclusive interviews with Commonwealth champions Fran Halsall and Liam Tancock. Also hear the views of British champions Georgia Davies and Ben Proud as well as City of Sheffield coach Russ Barber. View them at the base of the live page here Need to get in contact? If you have any questions about events British Swimming runs then contact the Events team by clicking here. To find out more about our athletes and events visit the British Swimming website here.

Dave Durden, SWIM-COACH, LA APEL ....

20 Question Tuesday: Dave Durden

4/8/2014

By Bob Schaller//Correspondent

Following titles in 2011 and 2012, Cal was on a role. While Coach Dave Durden said 2013 was a “learning experience,” finishing second in the country is something a lot of schools would celebrate. Well, that lofty bar Durden has set was cleared again with Cal winning this year’s NCAAs at Austin last month, and he explains what he means, what he’s like with a putter in mini-golf, and what he hopes for in the future in this week’s 20 Question Tuesday.

1. Are the titles, piling up as they are at this point, still all different?
Dave: Yes, they are all unique just because of the personalities you have, and kind of seeing a 365 day scope of it, and four-year scope of it, seeing guys who started as freshmen and then finish as seniors. It will always be different because of that element.

2. Does one feel better, as though a team attained more than maybe you thought it would, or does every team title feel special?
Dave: There are different challenges – but one doesn’t feel better than the other, all have unique aspects that make it, the journey, memorable.

3. So was last year’s runner-up spot something that motivated this year’s team?
Dave: Well, you know, in that regard, with that kind of thought process we benefitted from sitting second in 2013. Not swimming well in 2013 – I think that was in our mind. It may not have been in other people’s minds, but it was in our mind. We felt like, as a collective group, we underperformed, so this year we wanted to perform well – whether that meant a title or not, we wanted to perform well. So doing our best was a goal more than anything.

4. You hear and see these comments about how great a job you have done, but you seem to force a smile – how do you deal with all that talk?
Dave: I don’t know how to answer that other than to say thank you. I always feel bad answering that because I know how hard our guys work at that, how hard our staff works, (Assistant coach) Yuri (Suguiyama), (Strength and Conditioning coach) Joel Smith, everyone on the staff, and how hard we all work for that. It’s not me. I do feel very much a part of that, and I am down there with them just plugging away at it. But anything like that, I answer on behalf of a lot of people who make that happen, and I am always at a loss to articulate effectively just what we did because so many important people had significant roles in that – and I am humbled to be a part of it.

5. Your wife Catherine is a proud supporter, what does that do for you?
Dave: I mean, it’s an understatement to say I can’t do it without my wife supporting every aspect of that in the month of December or into January when I am away in Colorado Springs for 13 days, in the months of September, October or November traveling and all that is done from a recruiting perspective, or in the month of February where we are training and doing the business of being prepared for NCAAs. She’s also always in the stands, leading the cheers and the parent section, and so she’s a direct support in that aspect.

6. So all titles are different, but this third one in four years, what does it mean?
Dave: This title. I think, is just a good realization that as a coach I am still striving to be better than what I currently am. I don’t necessarily rely on the kind of mantra where you think, “Oh well, we’ve done this before, we can just do it again.” To me it’s more like, “Man I have to make sure everything is as close to right as possible, and put our swimmers in the best position to swim at their best.”

7. So it’s part science but an iterative process as well?
Dave: it’s all probability: It’s like, “I am not 100 percent certain you are going to swim fast as an athlete, but I will just stack the odds in your favor.” When you do things right to swim at your peak, the more we put those odds in your favor, the more we can move that needle to where there is an 80 percent or 90 or 95 percent chance that you will swim at your best. That’s our goal, to move that needle to 100 percent.

8. A tradition forming so rapidly, how nice is that?
Name: Yes, I think there’s a benefit to that in a lot of ways because they want to be successful, they want to be good. But you have to temper that a bit because it can be a little too much on their shoulders and they need to have some relaxation in there and they have to have fun and enjoy it. But them wanting to be really good and to be really good is very helpful.

9. These team titles don’t come unless teammates are picking each other up, right?
Dave: You can’t be focused only on your success and not looking out for your teammates’ success. You need that positive environment, and those ideals and attitudes, to be part of the culture. We try and foster that environment of becoming our best not just individually but as a team.

10. How much does it help to have such bright students as your athletes at a place like Cal?
Dave: I think more than anything the fact that they are smart makes them perceptive of what is going on. We wouldn’t be where we are without this group in 2014 without the experiences the guys went through in 2013 and 2012, and what our seniors went through as freshmen to win that title in 2011. It took pieces from all of those years to construct and develop and direct this team. What’s really important is that they understood heading into (the 2014 championship) what went on better in 2012, because they experienced what they did in 2013. They experienced this past year because of what they went through in 2013. They just learned a lot. A lot of that because they are perceptive and they want to be successful, and want to learn from mistakes. It didn’t take much from me in directing that, which also says a lot about this group.

11. How encouraging is it for USA Swimming to see such great coaches in the U.S., especially this new wave of younger coaches, as the distinguished group of older coaches starts to retire?
Dave: I think it’s great, and important to note it doesn’t stop at the collegiate level either. There are really good coaches at the club level, some of the best coaches in the world. And our program benefits from that great coaching because when these guys come in polished and ready to impact at a very, very high level, we are able to compete immediately. Whether its Ryan Murphy from Sergio (Lopez Miro at Bolles School), Jacob Pebley from Rick Gunther’s program in Oregon (Corvallis Aquatics), or Josh Prenot and what he got at Santa Maria with Coach Mike Ashmore, these guys are ready to come in and be impactful as 18 year olds.

12. That’s a shift, isn’t it?
Dave: It’s really perceived at NCAAs as being a meet dominated by 21- or 22-year-olds, but these guys are impacting it now at 20 or younger, even someone like Ryan at 18. And that says a lot about our club coaches and how they are preparing their student-athletes.

13. And aren’t other teams stepping up?
Dave: Absolutely and that’s exciting to see. I look at what (Coach) Braden (Holloway) has done at North Carolina State, just an awesome year. You know when you see these coaches around the country, at both the club and college level, doing such a great job with these athletes that you better have your game in order to be ready to coach these swimmers, because the club coaches are already helping them get better and better and they are sending them to us ready to compete. It’s good from the perspective of USA Swimming because we have to work every day just to compete with all of these great programs. Man, it gets (laughs) my heart racing just talking about it!

14. Back to the praise thing, your family life helps keep you grounded doesn’t it?
Dave: It does, and I want to be sure I am clear that I am very thankful for the nice comments we have gotten and continue to get. You think about the alternative to that (laughs) and you prefer it the way it is now! But anytime I hear those things and allow myself to think about it, I kind of go home and am so humbled and blessed by the fact that I am a husband, Dad, and I get to take my kids out to play or swim, or play putt-putt golf, or hang out. In the office, yes, I am working toward developing these student-athletes and helping them to all their goals, but when it’s time to transition home, I am very happy to be a good Dad and husband.

15. Be honest, I know you like golf, are you a terror in mini-golf and does it translate to the actual links?
Dave: I wish it did because I can tear it up on the putt-putt golf course! But no, it (laughs) does not spill over at all, and my golf game is, as I always say, a game in progress.

16. I talked to Stanford coach Greg Meehan last week and it was pretty touching to hear how he regards you, and he was telling me about the text he sent you after they finished second at NCAAs, what does seeing him perform like that mean to you?
Dave: Greg has a lot of humility and I know that having been here and working in this environment – maybe not working for me, but working in this environment of truly great coaches with the great men’s water polo coach Kirk Everist and (women’s water polo) coach Richard Corso, basketball coach Mike Montgomery, who just retired after coaching at Cal and Stanford, Teri McKeever – of successful people and having the opportunity to have conversations with them, whether it is about swimming or coaching 18 to 22 years old, is something from which we all benefit. I learn from that, and Greg certainly did as well, but I don’t think how amazing he is, is exclusive to working with me because Greg is just such a smart, bright guy. So it wasn’t a matter of if, but when he would have success there, and that started within six months at the conference level, and now at NCAAs.

17. That pro team is special and does that impact the college team, just in terms of guys like Nathan Adrian and Anthony Ervin being around?
Dave: Yes, it is. What makes it easier is… I have told this story a couple of times, but I’d like to share it again here: Last summer at World Championship Trials, Anthony Ervin had the 100 on the first day, and the 50 on the last day, so there were three days in between of doing nothing but getting ready for the 50. On one of those in between days, he had come in early and swam when not a lot of people were there. One of my jobs with the post-grads is to manage their time and rest. So I gave Anthony the keys to the van and said, “Go relax.” He took three or four steps and said, “No, I want to watch Jacob (Pebley) swim the 200 backstroke.” Here is 31-year-old Anthony Ervin, and he wants to support one of our 19-year-olds. He doesn’t train with Jacob, and has no real connection other than them both being Cal Bears. But Anthony wanted to see Jacob be successful. Having people like that, that’s what’s cool.

18. What has coaching USA Swimming’s international teams done for you?
Dave: It’s had a huge impact on my development, having access to great athletes, great coaches and great people, both on the U.S. staff and conversations with international coaches. I really enjoy conversations with Romain Barnier, who has his group in Marseilles, France. I have known Romy now for 14 years, and it’s always good to catch up with coaches. At 2010 Pan Pacs, being on the staff with David Marsh was very special for me, just being able to continually learn from him was very impactful. He helped me see the importance of keeping a good balance and not just looking at it as a 365-day program 12 months a year, but as a four-year cycle. I’ve also learned from these conversations that you have to take a break, to be a good father and husband and friend, but also to be a good coach, because it can be kind of consuming.

19. One of the reasons NCAAs is so exciting is seeing the best swimmers from around the world compete for these universities, and even though it’s short course, in a way it’s sort of a prelude to the World and Olympic events, isn’t it?
Dave: I think it’s phenomenal to look at the men and women who can compete in this highly competitive three-day event, and then watch as they translate that to a World level or Olympics – there is a level of comfort in knowing you can step up in this environment and do well. The personal or individual pressure you might feel at Worlds or Olympics is a bit different from the pressure of NCAAs where you know you have to do it for these 17 other guys or 30 teammates from schools. And there is a different pressure that comes in representing your country of course. But I think the NCAAs definitely help with that – it’s an important part of the development.

20. So you go from Auburn to Maryland to Cal and win all of these titles and find a home with your family on the west coast – what do you think about all this?
Dave: I think you sit back and realize, “I am living a blessed life.” You feel so in control of this journey, but you’re not. You have great people around you at Cal, and great people along the way who truly care for you, helping direct you, and that is what makes this really special. I got an email from Troy Tucker, who was the associate AD at Maryland that hired me, a guy who really took a chance on me at age 29 being a head coach, and said he was happy for me and he knew when he hired me that I’d have success. That he’d follow it up after the (2014 NCAA) championship was really special. I heard from Margaret Crocker (whose husband was long-time, well-respected and adored Auburn Assistant coach Ralph Crocker who passed away at age 52), and to hear from her meant the world. She said, “I’m following your career, and Ralph would be so proud.” That’s what makes it special. And it’s great to get these emails after the championships, but it’s even more awesome to know that people who helped you at certain times in your life still care enough about you to take pride in what you are doing now – because they are all very much a part of it. 
================

Brenton Ford Effortless Swimming

[Effortless Swimming] And then it got ugly...

Brenton Ford

To Me

Today at 3:18 AM

----- Forwarded Message -----

A member of an online forum I'm a part of recently posted this:

 

"I seem to be getting faster in the pool by just
swimming (3 to 4 days a week). No drills, no
fancy equipment, just more time in the pool."

 

He's damn right. You can't beat consistency. 

 

Swimming is one of those sports where you lose feel quickly.
One week out of the water takes two weeks to get back. 

 

I got married last month and spent 3 weeks out of the pool.

No gym, no running…nothing!

Things got ugly when I competed on the weekend without
touching the water for so long.

 

You need to be in the water at least three times a week - there's
no way around it.

 

So where do drills fit into your program?

 

I see them as having two purposes.

 

1. The best way to learn a stroke for swimmers starting
   with little experience. This is why the Mastering Freestyle
   program continues to get such great results for
   swimmers new to the sport.
    
2.  'Sharpening The Saw' - When a swimmer is training
   consistently and they're swim fit, often their stroke needs
   refinement in one or two areas.
   
   Specific drills can help them make the technique changes
   they need to move to the next phase in their swimming.
   
   The Effortless Freestyle program was developed for this
   reason. To help swimmers in the top 20% of their field
   move to the top 5%.

When you're consistent with your swimming the refinement of
your stroke comes much easier, and that's where drills come
into play.

Technique is just one piece of puzzle as you'll see next week.

Until then,

Brenton Ford
Effortless Swimming

 

 

 

IOC Conference : Antalia, 9-10 April 2014

IOC Executive Board meetings in Antalya, Turkey – 9 - 10 April 2014 Information for the Media The IOC Executive Board (EB) will meet in Antalya, Turkey on 9 and 10 April, at the same time as the SportAccord Convention. During the two days, the EB will meet with the Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) and the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations (AIOWF). It will hear reports on the IOC’s latest activities and receive updates on preparations for the forthcoming Olympic Games: Rio de Janeiro 2016, PyeongChang 2018,Tokyo 2020 and the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.  Click here for the programme of the IOC EB meetings. The SportAccord Convention will be handling the media logistics for all events as follows: Venue: SUSESI Convention Centre Iskele Mevkii 07450 Belek Antalya Telephone: +90 242 710 2400 www.susesihotel.com Media facilities: The Press Working Room will be set up at the Susesi Convention Centre. Accreditation and accommodation: Media representatives wishing to cover the events should register here. Please note that the media accreditation that you apply for via SportAccord will also grant you access to the IOC press briefing and IOC President’s press conference. For registration assistance and accommodation, please contact SportAccord: Email: info@sportaccordconvention.com   Phone number: +41 21 601 7587 Conference call on 10 April: Media representatives who will not be in Antalya will be able to listen LIVE to the IOC President's press conference at 6 p.m. local time on Thursday 10 April. The number and access code will be as follows: Number to dial:  +41 (0) 58 810 70 00 (Switzerland)  For a full list of phone numbers in your country, please click here Access code:  5860347 followed by the # sign    A playback of the IOC President’s press conference on 10 April will be available one hour after the event has ended, and will be available for a period of 48 hours.The number and access code will be as follows: Number to dial: +41 (0)91 612 4330    (Europe) +44 (0)207 108 6233  (UK) +1 631 982 4566    (USA) Access code: 17644 followed by the # sign The replay will be active from 7 p.m. (CET) on Thursday 10 April until 7 p.m. (CET) on Saturday 12 April. IOC contacts: Emmanuelle Moreau, IOC Head of Media Relations Mobile number: +41 79 637 3017 Andrew Mitchell, IOC Media Relations Manager Mobile number: +41 79 666 4591 Rachel Rominger, IOC Media Relations Coordinator Mobile number: +41 79 136 7169 E-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org   SportAccord Convention contacts: Jay Stuart, Head of Media Relations Mobile number: +44 774 780 50 75 E-mail:  jay.stuart@sportaccordconvention.com ### About the SportAccord Convention Every year, the SportAccord Convention brings together representatives from more than 100 international sports federations and organisations affiliated to SportAccord (General Association of International Sports Federations), ASOIF (Association of Summer Olympic International Federations) and AIOWF (Association of the International Olympic Winter Sports Federations), together with sponsors, bidding and host cities, architects, sports lawyers, broadcasters, Games Organising Committees, rights-holders and other specialists to discuss the key issues facing the sports industry. Owned by SportAccord, ASOIF and AIOWF, the SportAccord Convention encompasses the annual Congress and General Assembly of each association, while offering the sports community a powerful opportunity to come together in an exclusive and authoritative networking environment to build relationships, exchange knowledge and develop ideas ### For more information, please contact the IOC Media Relations Team: Tel: +41 21 621 6000 e-mail: pressoffice@olympic.org, or visit our web site at www.olympic.org. VideosYouTube: www.youtube.com/iocmedia PhotosFor an extensive selection of photos available shortly after each event, please follow us on Flickr. To request archive photos and footage, please contact our Images team at: images@olympic.org. Social mediaFor up-to-the-minute information on the IOC and regular updates, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.