By John Lohn<\/p>\n
CRANBURY, New Jersey, February 8. IT’S a good time to be a fan of the sport. Starting this weekend, the college scene moves into the postseason with several conference-championship events. Consequently, some lightning-quick short-course times should be produced. More, the World Championships are only a little more than a month away in Melbourne. Here are some random thoughts.<\/p>\n
**Some recent message-board postings have taken a shot at Rhi Jeffrey and her decision to leave the University of Southern California and return to her home state of Florida to prepare for a run at a 2008 Olympic Team berth. Here’s the problem with those message boards: Too many people hide behind an alias and fire abuse.<\/p>\n
Jeffrey left USC because she felt she needed a different atmosphere in order to qualify for her second Olympic Games. Remember, she was a relay medalist in Athens. Rhi has never been one to hide her feelings on various subjects and, like what she has to say or not, she deserves immense credit for her honesty and decision to not hide behind a fake name. No one but Jeffrey can determine what is right for her. If she’s comfortable with her decision to leave California and return to Florida, then there should be no argument.<\/p>\n
There is no debating that Jeffrey is a supreme talent, a freestyle ace who has competed on the biggest stage in sports and no doubt could help the United States once again in international waters. Instead of digging at her, why not support Rhi in her pursuits. After all, she’s represented this nation before and could again bring much to the table for the Red, White and Blue.<\/p>\n
**The 21.64 that Alexander Popov uncorked in 2000 for a world record in the 50 freestyle is certainly one of the most eye-popping standards in the sport. But, is its shelf life running out? Call it a gut feeling, but look for American Cullen Jones to make a serious run at the mark at next month’s World Championships while winning gold.<\/p>\n
Sure, Jones is still a relative newcomer to the international scene, but the way he performed at last summer’s Pan Pacific Championships suggests he’s capable of attacking the Popov record. At Pan Pacs, Jones blazed 21.84 for the gold medal. Considering his continued and rapid improvement, a 21-mid clocking might not be far away.<\/p>\n
**Keep an eye on Australia’s Leisel Jones and the United States’ Brendan Hansen in the 50-meter breaststroke races at the World Champs. While Jones and Hansen are the heavy favorites for gold in the 100 and 200 distances, they could both take the one-lap sprint and claim breaststroke sweeps. It will be difficult, particularly with sprint specialists out there, but these two have redefined the breast events and should be counted among the favorites in the 50 distance as well.<\/p>\n
**Now that he has announced that he’ll be leaving longtime coach Denis Cotterell after the World Champs, it will be interesting to see how Grant Hackett prepares for Beijing. History has shown that athletes sometimes struggle after switching coaches, especially one that has been part of the mix for a lengthy period of time. Whether Hackett’s move to Ian Pope proves to be successful could be determined at the next Olympiad.<\/p>\n
**This weekend features the annual collegiate clash between Stanford and California. As always, fast times are expected and we should get a pretty good idea of where these squads stand with the NCAA Championships a little more than a month away. Be sure to check in with SwimmingWorldMagazine.com for coverage of the meet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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