Streamlined News: Two Athletes Change Countries; South African Swimmers Send Mandela Birthday Greeting

PHOENIX, Arizona, July 18. TWO aquatic sports athletes have been granted sport nationality changes just 10 days before the start of the Olympic Games. Aniko Pelle, formerly a Hungarian national, will compete with the Italian water polo team in London, and Alexandr Tarabrin will now compete for Kazakhstan after years of swimming for Russia. Tarabrin will swim the 100 and 200 backstrokes at the Olympics.

Former South African President Nelson Mandela turns 94 years old today, and the South African Olympic swim team took some time out to send a message to Mandela from their training camp in Monaco. “Happy B-day Madiba” is what the 16 swimmers spelled out for Mandela today. Madiba is Mandela's original South African clan name.

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