Streamlined News

PHOENIX, Arizona, November 28. WHILE swimmers in the United States were celebrating the Thanksgiving weekend, swimmers were putting up some fast short course meters times in Canada, Europe and Australia.

Let’s start in Europe, where preparations for the European championships are heating up. Most countries held their selection meets over the weekend, and we saw some fast times. In Sweden, Sarah Sjostrom was the big star, winning five events and setting a national record of 1:52.58 in the 200 free, which ranks her second in the world behind Allison Schmitt. She just missed Therese Alshammar’s national record in the 100 free with a time of 52.18, missing the record by .01.That 100 free puts her third in the world behind Britta Steffen and Missy Franklin. Sjostrom also won the 200 IM, 100 fly and 50 free.

Steffen swam her world-leading 100 free at the German nationals last week. After suffering through physical and mental issues for the past year, Steffen is back on track to defend her Olympic titles in the 50 and 100 freestyles. Her 100 time of 52.00 could be challenged as tops in the world, as the Dutch sprinters are set to swim this weekend in the Dutch Open. The rest of the German nationals was largely unimpressive, though many of the top swimmers there did not need to swim fast. Paul Biedermann is still likely to be a force in the middle distance freestyles at the European championships, and expect the Deibler brothers, Markus and Steffen, to win multiple medals at the European championships.

Markus Rogan took a break from training with the Trojan Swim Club to attend the Austrian nationals last weekend. His top swim of the meet was a 1:55.07 in the 200 IM, which makes him eighth in the world and second among Europeans behind Great Britain’s James Goddard. Rogan also swam the 400 IM, and won with a 4:08.28.

Sinead Russell and Tobias Oriwol were the big stars of the Canada Cup, which took place last weekend in Toronto. Russell won six events and Oriwol won five. Both swimmers are on the cusp of international prominence in the backstroke events, with Russell placing eighth in the 100 at the world championships. Brent Hayden, Martha McCabe and Ryan Cochrane, who each won medals at the world championships, did not compete in the Canada Cup this weekend. And a belated congratulations goes out to Cochrane, who was named Canada’s swimmer of the year. His coach, Randy Bennett, was also recently named Canada’s head Olympic swimming coach.

Australian swimming had some big news over the weekend as well. Michael Klim, who is quietly aiming for a comeback in time for next year’s Olympic Trials, stepped up at an age-group meet in Melbourne for a 100 short course meters freestyle time trial. Unofficially, Klim swam a 49.8 in the time trial, because the touchpad did not register his hand touch. But Klim’s coach recorded the time from his stopwatch, which Klim told the media afterward gave him some hope in the months leading up to the Olympic Trials. Klim’s time doesn’t rank in the top 100 globally and isn’t top 10 in Australia, but Klim is optimistic that he can drop the time needed to at least get on the Olympic relay.

Speaking of Australian relays, James Magnussen is looking forward to a possible spot on the 800 freestyle relay, but he says that he won’t do the individual 200 free in London. He told Australian media that the placement of the individual 200 on the Olympic program could have an adverse affect on his 100, which is the 20-year-old’s main goal. He also threw out the gauntlet for his domestic rivals, saying he plans to swim 47.2 at the Trials, a stepping stone on his way to his ultimate goal: Olympic gold and breaking Cesar Cielo’s techsuit world record of 49.64. Magnussen also said he doesn’t plan to compete outside Australia before the Olympic Trials in an attempt to keep up the mystique surrounding him.

One of Magnussen’s 800 free relay teammates in London could be Kenrick Monk, now that the Aussie has been cleared of all charges stemming from his false statements after injuries sustained in a skateboard accident. If you remember, back in September, Monk told police someone had hit him with a car while he was riding a scooter, then changed his statement when contradictory evidence came to light. The police union in Queensland blasted the ruling, saying Swimming Australia played too much of a part in downsizing Monk’s “immature and responsible behavior.” Monk was facing several months of jail time for lying to police and falsifying official statements.

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