Speed Endurance Swimming Blog

Top 51 Swimmers of 2011 - 10 to 1

2012-01-04T23:14:00.002Z

Top 51 Swimmer of 2011 - 51 to 42
Top 51 Swimmer of 2011 - 41 to 32
Top 51 Swimmer of 2011 - 31 to 22
Top 51 Swimmer of 2011 - 21 to 11

The wait is over, here are the Top 10 Swimmers of 2011

10. Rebecca Adlington – 2011 Highlight – Victory in the 800m Free in Shanghai in a time of 8:17.51.

Winning another global title in the 800m Free was a great way for Adlington to regain her self-belief going into 2012, and she did it in style. After tracking Lotte Friis for the entire race, she put on the burners in the last 50m with a split of 28.91. She also made a step forward in the 400m with a time of 4:02.84 at British Nationals. While she wasn’t able to reproduce that time in the 400 final, she still swam well enough to win the silver medal. Adlington still needs to find a second to get down to Pellegrini’s winning time from Shanghai in the 400 Free, but all signs are pointing in the right direction ahead of a home Olympics.

9. Dana Vollmer – 2011 Highlight – New textile best time in the 100m Fly semi in Shanghai (56.47)

Vollmer's 56.47 was one of swimming's most unexpected performances of 2011. It was not that she was unfancied to win the 100m Fly, but to swim the 5th fastest time ever and give a seemingly untouchable world record a scare certainly did come as a shock. Vollmer dropped a clue back in April when she swam 57.5 untapered. The American also had a great year as part of a dominant USA 4 x 100 Medley team that shook the LC world record and broke the record SC. She also had a strong anchor leg in the 4 x 100 Free relay and would have won gold for the USA, had she not come up against Femke Heemskerk on top form.

8. Federica Pellegrini – 2011 Highlight – Utter dominance in the second half of the women’s 400m Free final (4:01.97)

In the Shanghai 400m Free final, Pellegrini swam a tactically perfect race. By keeping pace with the field until 200m (turned 5th in 2:02.30) and then unleashing an incredible 1:59.67 last 200m split she nullified all her opponents weapons and played to all of her strengths. The performance was so good, that if she swims the exact same race this summer you couldn't see anyone getting past her. She then backed up her 400 win with a victory in the 200m Free with another tactical masterclass. This time she didn't panic when Femke Heemskerk went out in world record pace, instead she put in her burst between 100m and 150m. The Italian is going to have company in the form of Missy Franklin in the 200m Free and may struggle to win the double in London, but 2011 was a masterclass in middle distance Freestyle from Pellegrini.

7. Rebecca Soni – 2011 Highlight – Clear victory in the 100m Breast at Worlds (1:05.05), just missing the textile best time she set in the semi final (1:04.91)

After Soni's incredible 2010, her two victories in Shanghai were fully expected. That doesn't take anything away from the swims though. Her semi final and final efforts in the 100m Breast were the 3rd and 6th fastest swims in history respecively. Her 200m Breast was the 11th fastest swim in history, albeit slightly down on her time from 2010. Like Vollmer, she also gets a bump for being part of the US 4 x 100 Medley team. A word of warning though, Soni was slower in both finals than the semis. With Hardy and Efimova seemingly closing the gap on Soni, she will need to be at her best when it matters in London.

6. Alexander Dale Oen – 2011 Highlight – His emotion charged win in the 100m Breast final in Shanghai (58.71)

Dale Oen's 100m Breast win was arguably swimming’s highlight of the year. After the tragic events in his native Norway, this was the definitive example of swimming for your country. Dale Oen had been in fine form just before Worlds with a unshaved sub-60 second effort, but getting within 0.13 seconds of the world record was truly stunning. How charged up was Dale Oen for the final? He split 27.20 at 50m, faster than his effort in the 50m and would have missed a medal in the 50m Breast by just 0.01. He may not have had the multiple medals of some of the other swimmers behind him on the list, but his one moment was enough to vault him this high up on the list. Clear favourite for this event in London, it might take a WR to beat him.

5. Michael Phelps – 2011 Highlight – Setting a new personal best in the 200 IM, just 0.16 shy of Lochte.

It speaks volumes about the quality of swimming this year that Phelps, who won four golds, two silvers and a bronze in Shanghai, only makes it to 5 on this list. He won his two Fly events with ease, played his part in two relay victories and finished behind only Ryan Lochte in the 200m Free and 200m IM. However, given the standards that we expect from the man, this year felt like at best a return to form, most likely a transition year, and at worst a down year. The highlight of his year came in a non-winning swim in the 200m IM, clearly Lochte was in better shape than Phelps, but MP was still able to push himself on to a new best time in the event. That swim spoke of two things, his focus on speed is helping his 200 events and that his competitive nature will ensure that he will be much improved in 2012. For anyone that believes Lochte is a lock in the 200 Free and 200 IM next year, watch out.

4. James Magnussen – 2011 Highlight – Shocking the world with his incredible 47.49 relay lead off in the 4 x 100m Free, dominating Michael Phelps and Alain Bernard in the process.

Like Dale Oen, Magnussen doesn't have the quantity of success as others below him on the list, but each time he swam the 100m Free in Shanghai, he was electric. He also single handedly changed the way people look at race pace in swimming's blue-ribbon event. During his textile best time of 47.49 he went out in 23.10 (compared to Cesar Cielo's 22.6 in the 100m Free final), Magnussen was then a man possessed on the way home splitting 24.39. The swim seemed to inspire his relay colleagues to raise their performance as they won gold from the French and the Americans. After the relay lead-off, he became the hot favourite for the 100m Free, and he did not disappoint winning by 0.32 seconds. While he wasn't able to catch Nathan Adrian in the 4 x 100m Medley relay, he came a lot closer than anyone could have expected with a 47.00 leg. Hot favourite for gold next year, although he does now have a target on his back and others will try to come up with a game plan to counter his second half surge.

3. Missy Franklin – 2011 Highlight – The 200m Back final in Shanghai, while she just missed the world record, it was a swim that announced to the world that she was a superstar.

Missy Franklin was a revelation in 2011. After a promising 2010, Franklin improved as many 15/16 year olds do, with the only difference being that Missy Franklin was already a world class swimmer before the huge improvements. The end results were as follows: a short course world record in the 200m Back, getting to within 0.29 of the long course world record, leading the world rankings in the 200m Free by half a second, being 0.13 seconds away from the world no.1 in the 100 Back despite not racing the event in Shanghai, 7th in the world in the 100m Free, . The list could go on and on including her impressive early and late year form. What are the odds that next year this number 3 place turns into number 1?

2. Ryan Lochte – 2011 Highlight – Setting the first long course WR since the suit ban in the 200m IM, holding off Phelps in the process.

On accomplishments alone, Lochte has the right to feel aggrieved at not being number one. He went undefeated in Shanghai. He won the 200m Free comfortably, the event most stacked with talent and stars on the men's side, he broke the first post-suits long course world record in the 200m IM, beating Michael Phelps in the process. He wasn't challenged in the 200m Back or the 400 IM and posted the fastest split in the 4 x 200m Free relay. Lochte is a star and will receive a lot of hype in the lead-up to the Olympics, however, he may have two potential stumbling blocks as he aims for Phelps-like adoration from general public in London. He needs to find a way to get on to the 100m relays and he needs to hold off an improving Phelps. After picking 49 swimmers, the decision for number 1 and 2 was by far the most difficult.

1. Sun Yang – 2011 Highlight – The last 50m of his record breaking 1500m Free. One of the most remarkable finishes to a race the sport has ever seen.

Sun Yang is your number 1 swimmer of 2011 for one reason, history. He did not win the golds that Lochte did, but Sun Yang had two historic swims during 2011. The first was his 1500m Free in Shanghai. Having been 2-3 seconds down on world record pace throughout the race, he started to increase his speed at 1400m, what happened between 1450m and 1500m will not be easily forgotten. Finishing in 25.94 with what looked like a jet engine on his back, he cleared Grant Hackett's 10 year old world record. That closing split was faster than Lochte, Phelps and any other man in the 200m Free final.

The second swim came in September when he rattled Paul Biedermann's 3:40.07 400m Free world record (and Ian Thorpe's 3:40.08 textile record) with a 3:40.29 effort. The 400m Free world record is one of the most emotive in the sport and for Sun Yang to get so close in a pair of jammers is incredible. There is an argument to be made that the 400 was a better swim even than his 1500 WR. Add in the fact that Sun Yang broke 1:45 in the 200m Free (there are reports he is capable of 48-low in the 100m Free) and you have a spectacular year.

The only black mark against Sun Yang was his 400m Free silver in Shanghai which he blamed on a lack of experience, something that he will be desperate to put right in London. Two world records are under threat, and if he adds the 200m Free to his schedule, we are going to be in store for some great racing in just over 200 days time.

Top 51 Swimmers of 2011 - 21 to 11

2011-12-31T20:02:00.062Z

As another year of great swimming comes to a close, here is a rundown of the Top 51 Swimmers of 2011. There is no set criteria, but clearly the World Championships in Shanghai carried a big weight in the decision making process. That being said, outstanding achievements away from Shanghai were still acknowledged.

Thanks for reading Speed Endurance this year. Next year should be something a bit special!

Here is the rundown from 21 to 11.

21. Zhao Jing – 2011 Highlight – Winning one of the most exciting races at Worlds, the 100m Back, in 59.05

Zhao Jing produced her best swim of the year at exactly the right time. She added the world title to her Asian Games gold from 2010 and has topped the world rankings in each of the last two years. She beat Zueva by the slimmest of margins, but goes into 2012 with a great couple of years behind her. The world now waits to see the impact Missy Franklin will have on the event.

20. Daniel Gyurta – 2011 Highlight – Making up a deficit of half a second on the last 50m to win the 200m Breast in Shanghai (2:08.41)

Gyurta once again was under the radar for most of the year before producing the goods when it mattered the most. Trailing Kosuke Kitajima at 150m, he used his trademark strong finish to win gold. He ended the year with a textile best time and 3rd fastest swim in history in the short course 200m Breast (2:02.37) at Euro SC. He couldn’t produce the same time a week later when he raced Brendan Hansen at Duel in the Pool, but that doesn’t change how strong a year Gyurta had.

19. Jiao Liuyang – 2011 Highlight – Hanging on to win the 200m Fly in Shanghai in a time of 2:05.55, with a winning margin of just 0.04

Jiao Liuyang was involved in the two best 200m Fly races of 2011. At Chinese Nationals she finished second in an incredible time of 2:04.44, just 0.04 behind Liu Zige. However, Jiao Liuyang turned the tables on her team mate in Shanghai winning the world title with Liu Zige back in 3rd. As we enter the Olympic year, the Chinese-British battle for the 200m Fly title should be great. After a dominant 2010 and a world title in 2011, the favourite at this stage has to be Jiao Liuyang.

18. Therese Alshammar – Winning gold in the 50m Free in Shanghai (24.14)

The Swedish sprint queen became the oldest woman to win an individual world title this year and did it in style. Her time of 24.14 was the 14th fastest in the history of the event and missed Inge de Bruijn’s textile best time by just 0.01. She appeared to be an absolute lock to win the 50m Fly as well but ended up with silver in Shanghai. In June she swam the 4th fastest time ever in the event and broke her own textile best time. She also finished the year with 6 of the world’s top 8 times in the 50m Fly.

16= Camille Lacourt – 2011 Highlight – Winning gold alongside team mate Jeremy Stravius in the 100m Back.

Lacourt did not have a great competition in Shanghai, despite winning gold in the 100m Back and silver in the 50m Back. He was down on his times from French Nationals in March which still top the world rankings (24.36 and 52.44). Despite the shared gold, Lacourt remains a considerable margin ahead of the rest of the world in the 100m Back. A real shame France missed the 4 x 100 medley relay final to give Lacourt another chance at putting down a quick time in Shanghai.

16= Jeremy Stravius – 2011 Highlight - Winning gold alongside team mate Camille Lacourt in the 100m Back.

Stravius was a model of consistency in Shanghai, matching his semi final time in the final exactly. He also came through for the French freestyle relays in a big way. His splits of 47.78 and 1:45.40 contributed hugely to the France winning two silvers in those races. A strong candidate for breakthrough swimmer of 2011.

15. Park Tae-Hwan – 2011 Highlight – Winning a loaded 400m Free final in Shanghai (3:42.04)

Park Tae-Hwan chose a good time to come up with his fastest 400m Free of 2011. Facing the heavily favoured Sun Yang, he led from the gun and controlled the entire race. The victory gave Park his second world title in the 400m Free to go alongside his Olympic victory from 2008. He just missed out on a medal in the 200m Free (0.04 behind Paul Biedermann) and reached the semi final of the 100m Free. He was slightly down on his stellar times from 2010 and will likely need to be able to break the world record in London if he wants to beat Sun Yang.

14. Elizabeth Beisel – 2011 Highlight – Blowing away the field in the 400m IM final in a new textile best time of 4:31.78.

Beisel has single handedly raised the bar in the 400m IM with her textile best time. She now owns the 10th fastest swim of all time in the event and broke Katie Hoff’s textile record by over a second. Strong on all strokes, she has a world class backstroke that can either catch or break the field. There is no shortage of talent in the 400m IM, but Beisel stands above them all right now.

13. Lotte Friis – 2011 Highlight – Missing the short course world record in the 800m Free by just 0.24 seconds. Her time was 8:04.77.

In 2011 Friis confirmed her status as the second best distance Freestyler in the world. She led the 800m Free in Shanghai for 750m, before seeing Rebecca Adlington go past her. She then followed that up with victory in the 1500m Free. She also finished 5th in the 400m Free final. Her short course season was spectacular with a 3:58.02 400m Free to go alongside her 8:04.77. Her continued improvement and strong finish to the year will make all British swimming fans nervous. Friis is a very real threat to spoil the British party.

12. Cesar Cielo – 2011 Highlight – Dominating the 50m Free final in Shanghai, winning in 21.52.

What a year for Cielo. After all the trials and tribulations pre-Shanghai, it was to his credit that he was able to produce the goods. He returned home with gold in the 50m Free and 50m Fly and a 4th place finish in the 100m Free (missing bronze by 0.01). If the 100m Free final was a disappointment, he made up for it at the Pan American Games with a 47.84 effort. He has some work to do to catch James Magnussen, but he appears to be the guy best placed to do it.

11. Ye Shiwen – 2011 Highlight – Her stunning last 50m to win the 200 IM on home soil (2:08.90).

Ye Shiwen is still only 15 years old, but has proven to be a big time swimmer in major competitions so far. Her victory in the 200m IM was sensational. Turning fifth at 150m, she was the only swimmer in the field to break 30 seconds on the way home with a 29.42 split. To beat a field including Ariana Kukors, Alicia Coutts, Steph Rice, Katinka Hosszu, Hannah Miley and Caitlin Leverenz is no mean feat. She finished fifth in the 400m IM final, but has since moved up to second in the world rankings with a 4:33.66 effort in October. If she is close at the final turn of either the 200m IM or 400m IM in London, you would have to favour her for the win.

Top 51 Swimmers of 2011 - 31 to 22

2011-12-31T13:29:00.002Z

As another year of great swimming comes to a close, here is a rundown of the Top 50 Swimmers of 2011. There is no set criteria, but clearly the World Championships in Shanghai carried a big weight in the decision making process. That being said, outstanding achievements away from Shanghai were still acknowledged.

Here is the rundown from 31 to 22.

31. Natalie Coughlin – 2011 Highlight – Leading off the US 4 x 100 Medley relay at Duel in the Pool in an American record 55.97, setting up the US team to break the world record.

Coughlin’s year was highlighted more by her contribution to a historically good US women’s medley relay (both long course and short course) than her individual exploits. Things were almost different when she came close to winning the 100m Back final finishing 0.10 shy of gold. Having led the entire race, she eventually had to settle for bronze. A solid lead-off for the US silver medal freestyle relay gave Coughlin the role of team player in 2011.

30. Yulia Efimova – 2011 Highlight – Reaching new heights in the 200m Breast, taking silver in 2:22.22.

Efimova emerged in 2011 as possibly the only swimmer that can challenge Rebecca Soni in the 200m Breast. Efimova split 1.2 seconds faster than Soni on the second 100m of the final and continues to learn how to swim the event after focusing for years on the 100m. The speed is still there, as evidenced by her silver in the 50m Breast and 4th place in the 100m Breast (missing a medal by 0.04).

29. Ryosuke Irie – 2011 Highlight – Winning silver in the 200m Back in Shanghai (1:54.08).

There is no more consistent swimmer than Ryosuke Irie. He owns an incredible 6 of the fastest 7 swims this year in the 200m Back. Unfortunately he has to race a certain Ryan Lochte, but swimming his fastest time of the year in the world final was a step forward. He also owns 8 of the top 14 times in the 100m Back and picked up a bronze in Shanghai.

28. Sarah Sjöström – 2011 Highlight – Setting the new textile best time in the 100m Free in a time of 53.05.

Sjöström put behind her trio of 4th placed finishes in Shanghai (50m Fly, 100m Fly and 200m Free) to end the year with a bang. Her time of 53.05 in the 100m Free this month puts her well clear of the rest of the world this year and into the driving seat ahead of next year’s Olympics. No longer just a 100m Fly specialist, Sjöström is emerging as an extremely versatile swimmer who can do some damage in a number of events.

27. Ranomi Kromowidjojo – 2011 Highlight – Silver medal in the 50m Free at Worlds (24.27).

Another strong year for Kromowidjojo, although she saw a slight drop off from her dominant 2010. She would have hoped for more than a bronze in the 100m Free, but was able to play a key role in the 4 x 100m Free relay with the second fastest split for the Dutch team. She also had a strong end to the year both long course (3rd fastest time in the 50m Free in December) and short course (world leading time in the 100m Free at Duel in the Pool).

26. Femke Heemskerk – 2011 Highlight – A stunning 52.46 relay split to lead the Dutch 4 x 100 Free team to victory.

Make no mistake, Heemskerk won the 4 x 100 Free relay for the Dutch. She took over 0.3 seconds behind Dana Vollmer and just blew the American out of the water. Things didn’t go quite according to plan in her individual events with a 4th and 7th place in the 100m Free and 200m Free respectively. Those results don’t tell the whole story though; in the 200m Free semi final she posted an eye opening 1:55.54 (faster than Federica Pellegrini’s winning time). Heemskerk was quick all year long and even posted a 1:00.03 in the 100m Back in March.

25. Alicia Coutts – 2011 Highlight – Finishing 2nd in the 200m IM in Shanghai in 2:09.00, the 2nd fastest textile time and 7th all-time.

Coutts was Shanghai’s hard luck loser, she returned home with two silver medals and missed out on two golds by a combined 0.17 seconds. Just a fraction of a second quicker in both races would have vaulted her into the top 10 of this list. Both her 100m Fly and 200m IM ranked Coutts amongst the all-time top 10 performers. She also finished 6th in the 100m Free final.

24. Anastasia Zueva– 2011 Highlight – Missing gold in the 100m Back final by 0.01 seconds.

Tough to call missing gold by one hundredth of a second a highlight, but it was Zueva’s best swim of the year. Zueva is one of the few swimmers in the world who can break 60 seconds in the 100 Back with regularity and has 3 of the top 10 swims this year. Her gold in the 50m Back in a time of 27.79 was a nice bonus.

22= Aleksandra Herasimenia – 2011 Highlight – Causing the shock of the World Championships by claiming a joint gold in the 100m Free final with Jeanette Ottesen.

Swimming from lane 8 in the 100m Free final, Herasimenia caught everyone except Ottesen (swimming in lane 6) off guard. Taking down a loaded field including Kromowidjojo, Halsall, Heemskerk, Coutts, Vollmer and Coughlin is enough to get you to the lofty heights of 21st place on this list. She also finished 5th in the 50m Free final and was part of an unofficial world record as a member of the European 4 x 100m Free at Duel in the Pool.

22= Jeanette Ottesen - – 2011 Highlight – Causing the shock of the World Championships by claiming a joint gold in the 100m Free final with Aleksandra Herasimenia.

See above. Ottesen also finished 6th in the 50m Free and was part of the same unofficial world record as a member of the European 4 x 100m Free at Duel in the Pool. Had a strong SC season winning the 50m Fly and 100m Fly at Euro SC as well as helping the Danish team to the 4 x 50m Medley title.

Top 51 Swimmers of 2011 - 41 to 32

2011-12-30T21:01:00.004Z

41. Brendan Hansen – 2011 Highlight – Beating world champion Daniel Gyurta at the Duel in the Pool.

Hansen makes the list not so much for his performances, which still put him in the world top 10, but for the fact that of all the comebacks during the last two years, his has been by far the most successful. To be under 2:10 in the 200m Breast at this stage of Hansen’s return is scary. Hansen v Kitajima v Gyurta should be a classic, Tomita, von Lehm and Shanteau will all try to crash the party.

40. Camille Muffat – 2011 Highlight – Missing out on two silver medals in Shanghai by a combined 0.10 seconds.

This selection may raise a few eyebrows, especially considering that Kylie Palmer who finished ahead of Muffat in the 200 Free in Shanghai missed out on the Top 50. Muffat’s inclusion was based on her impressive last 12 months. The Nice trained swimmer is a model of consistency in middle distance Freestyle. In the last year she has registered 7 of the top 25 performances in the 200m Free and 6 in the 400 Free (including 3 of the top 7). Her 4:03.23 400 Free effort at French nationals puts her in elite company with Federica Pellegrini and Rebecca Adlington.

39. Paul Biedermann – 2011 Highlight – Silencing some of his critics by taking two bronze medals in Shanghai in two of the deepest events on the men’s side.

Biedermann, like Muffat, came back from Shanghai with two bronze medals, but when you consider the swimmers he beat on his way to those medals, his place in the Top 50 should become clearer: Park Tae-Hwan, Yannick Agnel, Nikita Lobintsev, Ous Mellouli, Peter Vanderkaay, Ryan Cochrane. It is also worth remembering that Michael Phelps beat Biedermann by just 0.09 in the 200m Free. His time of 1:44.88 moved him ahead of Pieter van den Hoogenband to ~~4th~~ 5th on the all-time textile ranking list.

38. Takeshi Matsuda – 2011 Highlight – Leading the 200m Fly at 150m on his way to silver and the sixth fastest textile time time recorded (1:54.01).

It would take a brave man to bet against Michael Phelps in his pet event next year in London, however, there is no doubt that Matsuda has closed the gap on the Baltimore bullet. He was a strong final 50m away from the world title this year and closed the year in fine form with a stunning 1:49.50 200m Fly at the Tokyo World Cup leg. At this stage it would be a huge surprise to not see Matsuda on the podium in London next year.

37. Jessica Hardy – 2011 Highlight – Crushing team-mate and rival Rebecca Soni in the 100m Breast at the Duel in the Pool.

2011 was certainly a good year for Hardy. In April it was decided that she would be eligible for the London Olympics, she then won the 50m Breast in Shanghai in dominating fashion. She finishes the year ranked second in the 100m Breast long course and wasn’t far away from the world short course record at the Duel. Hardy is starting to look like the only legitimate challenger to Soni in the 100m Breast next year.

36. Kosuke Kitajima – 2011 Highlight – Winning silver in the 200m Breast in Shanghai (2:08.63).

A strange year for the Japanese star. The silver medal was impressive, but not up to Kitajima’s usual high standards. His failure to medal in the 100m Breast final was a shock and he has a long way to go to catch up with Alexander Dale-Oen. That being said he swum 59.44 at Japanese Nationals, one of three sub-60 seconds efforts in 2011, to go alongside two sub 2:09 200m Breast efforts. His old coach believes he has developed some technical flaws and you can be sure he will do everything in his power to iron those out before he goes for his third double gold in succession in London.

35. Fabio Scozzoli – 2011 Highlight – Making his breakthrough onto the world scene with his silver medal winning performance in the 100m Breast in Shanghai.

Scozzoli was one of the surprise performers of this year’s world championships. After winning silver in the 100m Breast in a time of 59.42, he followed up with another silver in the 50m Breast (27.17). Like the rest of the world he will need to find something extra to challenge Dale-Oen, but he has speed to burn and real potential to take some major scalps next year.

34. Konrad Czerniak – 2011 Highlight – Finishing behind Michael Phelps to win silver in the 100m Fly in Shanghai (51.15)

Czerniak is a name to remember (~~how to spell~~) as we move into 2012. He improved his 100m Fly time in Shanghai by a huge amount and finished the year with a flourish at the European Short Course Champs. His times of 20.88 in the 50m Free and 49.62 in the 100m Fly lead the world rankings. A former European Junior champion, this year Czerniak established himself as one of Europe’s premier sprinters.

33. Belinda Hocking – 2011 Highlight – Finishing second in the 200m Back in Shanghai. The only swimmer that was able to stay close to Missy Franklin.

If there was no Missy Franklin, we would be talking a lot more about Belinda Hocking. Her time of 2:06.06 was the 7th fastest time ever (3rd in textile behind two of Franklin’s efforts). Hocking was consistently fast all year with 5 of the top 25 times in the world, and showed her class in the 100m Back with a 6th placed finish in Shanghai in an impressive 59.53.

32. Ellen Gandy – 2011 Highlight – Finishing a finger nail away from gold in the 200m Fly at Worlds (2:05.59).

Gandy had a consistently strong lead up to Worlds and was able to banish some demons after under-performing in previous major championships. The wall came just too quickly for her in the final of the 200m Fly as she closed in on the fast fading Jiao Liuyang. Gandy was 0.04 seconds away from being a lot higher on this list. She also added a 5th placed finish in the 100m Fly (57.55).

Top 51 Swimmers of 2011 - 51 to 42

2011-12-29T15:34:00.004Z

51. Miriea Belmonte Garcia – 2011 Highlight – Getting the better of Lotte Friis over 800m Free in December, where her time of 8:22.78 moved her to 3rd in the world rankings.

The breakthrough in the 800 puts her at the head of the chase for Friis and Rebecca Adlington. Belmonte also continued her dominance of the short course pool with European titles in the 400m Free, 200m Fly, 200m IM and 400m IM. Had an outstanding year, marred only by her failure to medal in Shanghai.

50. Brent Hayden – 2011 Highlight – Winning silver behind James Magnussen in the 100m Free in Shanghai (47.95).

It is hard to know what to make of Hayden’s year, having pre-qualified for Worlds he showed his true hand only once during 2011. He is the only man to have been sub-48 seconds in both 2010 and 2011, and that consistency makes him a dangerous player in an unpredictable race like the 100m Free.

49. Yannick Agnel – 2011 Highlight – His 3:43.85 in the 400m Free at French Nationals.

The swim back in March showed what might have been in Shanghai had he not fallen ill during a vital part of his training cycle. Despite the illness the young Frenchman was still able to break the 1:45 barrier in the 200m Free in Shanghai, which sets up a fascinating 2012 for Agnel.

48. Tyler Clary – 2011 Highlight – It should be his silver medal in the 400m IM in Shanghai, but I’m going with his reported 1:54.7 200m Back LC, unrested during a training session.

After the breakthrough year he had in 2010, a silver and bronze from Shanghai represents a good, but not great, last 12 months for Clary. Clary has the misfortune of having the sport's two biggest stars ahead of him in the majority of his races. He and Laszlo Cseh could have some interesting conversations...

47. Leisel Jones – 2011 Highlight – Her silver medal in the 100m Breast at Worlds (1:06.25)

Losing to Soni by over a second, the re-emergence of Jessica Hardy, and the loss of her textile best time pushes Jones down this list. A move to Michael Bohl in Brisbane might just be the catalyst to push Jones back to her best.

46. Cameron van der Burgh – 2011 Highlight – Setting a new textile best time in the semi final of the 50m Breast at Worlds (26.90).

He would have been higher up in the rankings had he been able to win the final. His bronze in the 100m Breast gets him on the list ahead of 50m winner Felipe Silva. Van der Burgh can no longer be considered just a speedster after Commonwealth gold in 2010 and bronze medals from the last two World Championships. The South African will be in the mix for medals in London.

45. Naoya Tomita – 2011 Highlight – His 2:08.25 200m Breast textile best time from Japanese Nationals.

Unfortunately he was nowhere near his best in Shanghai, going out in the semi finals. Still, his one stunning time during 2011 was enough to make it into the top 50. If he can get it right next year, he could cause a huge upset.

44. Ryan Cochrane – 2011 Highlight – Silver behind Sun Yang in the 1500m Free in Shanghai after staying in touch for 750m.

Cochrane has shown a level of consistency over the last 3 years, to the extent that you can’t see him being out of the medals at next year’s Olympics.

43. Hannah Miley – 2011 Highlight – Reaching new heights with her silver medal in the 400m IM in Shanghai.

The stars seem to be aligning for Miley ahead of a home Olympic Games, however the 400m IM is stacked with contenders including the likes of Beisel, Rice, Ye Shiwen, Hosszu, Leverenz, Belmonte etc.

42. Liu Zige – 2011 Highlight – Setting a new textile best time in the 200m Fly (2:04.40) in an epic race with her compatriot Jiao Liuyang (2:04.44) at Chinese Nationals.

Unfortunately, consistency was once again her downfall as she was only able to manage a bronze medal on home soil at Worlds. 2011 proved once again that Liu Zige is capable of jaw dropping times, but can be hit or miss during major championship finals.

Honourable mentions who just missed the top 50: Kylie Palmer (very difficult to choose between Palmer, Hayden and Belmonte), Kanako Watanabe, Felipe Silva, Jemma Lowe, Stephanie Rice, Ariana Kukors, Caitlin Leverenz, Nathan Adrian, Luca Dotto, Aya Terakawa, Fabien Gilot

Duel In The Pool 2011 - Women's Predictions

2011-12-16T16:38:00.012Z

This year’s Duel in the Pool takes place December 16-17 at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta.

The European roster has been strengthened since 2009’s version of this event by allowing more countries to participate this time around, although it is a long way away from a full-strength European team. Among the notable absentees on the women's side: Rebecca Adlington, Federica Pellegrini, Sarah Sjostrom, Therese Alshammar, Camille Muffat, Mireia Belmonte, Britta Steffen, Anastasia Zueva, Hannah Miley, Femke Heemskerk.

US Team: Amanda Beard, Elizabeth Beisel, Elaine Breeden, Natalie Coughlin, Missy Franklin, Katy Freeman, Jessica Hardy, Kathleen Hersey, Katie Hoff, Dagny Knutson, Kaitlin Leverenz, Elizabeth Pelton, Julia Smit, Rebecca Soni, Ashley Steenvorden, Chloe Sutton, Dana Vollmer, Amanda Weir, Kate Ziegler.

European Team: Lotte Friis, Fran Halsall, Anna Martina Granstroem, Aliaksandra Herasimenia, Katinka Hosszu, Zsuzsanna Jakabos, Anja Klinar, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Rikke Molle Pedersen, Grainne Murphy, Moniek Nijhuis, Jeanette Ottesen, Elizabeth Simmonds, Gemma Spofforth, Marleen Veldhuis, Evelin Verraszto, Sharon van Rouwendaal, Barbora Zavadova, Daryna Zevina.

Prediction Time

50m Free - Kromowidjojo, Halsall, Veldhuis vs Hardy, Weir, Coughlin

Having a Dutch contingent on the team is going to give the Europeans a huge boost in the sprint events. This has the potential to be a clean sweep, although Hardy has a habit of getting in the top 3 in the sprints.

Prediction - 1. Kromowidjojo, 2. Halsall, 3. Hardy

100m Free - Kromowidjojo, Ottesen, Herasimenia vs Coughlin, Weir, Franklin

You could make an argument for Halsall to swim this event, but it's hard to not pick the reigning world champions in both long and short course. This is an event Coughlin excels in, with Missy Franklin also posting blazing times this year. This should be an intriguing contest, but it is hard to look past last year's world champion who was so dominant in the event.

Prediction - 1. Kromowidjojo, 2. Franklin, 3. Ottesen

200m Free - Hosszu, Verraszto, van Rouwendaal vs. Vollmer, Hoff, Franklin

The Europeans could have done with having Sarah Sjostrom or Femke Heemskerk on the team, especially on the 200m Free... saying that, it may still not have been enough to win. US clean sweep.

Prediction - 1. Franklin, 2. Hoff, 3. Vollmer

400m Free - Friis, Verraszto, Murphy vs. Sutton, Ziegler, Steenvoorden

This should be a fantastic battle between World SC Champ Katie Hoff and the in-form Lotte Friis. Chloe Sutton could be a factor too, and she is usually very strong in-season, but she is a stronger LC swimmer. Hoff's quality turns should be just enough to get past Friis.

Prediction - 1. Hoff, 2. Friis, 3. Sutton

800m Free - Friis, Murphy, Verraszto vs. Sutton, Ziegler, Steenvoorden

You can't look past Friis in the 800 after her textile best time at Euro SC. The rest of the field does not lack quality with several 2012 medal contenders in the mix.

Prediction - 1. Friis, 2. Ziegler, 3. Sutton

100 Back - Simmonds, Spofforth, Zevina vs. Coughlin, Pelton, Franklin

Daryna Zevina is a name that might not so well known outside of her native Ukraine, but the youngster has well and truly broken onto the senior scene after her recent Euro SC golds. She will get a big wake-up call though when she goes up against a stacked US line-up.Lizzie Simmonds turns will also put her in contention.

Prediction - 1. Coughlin, 2. Franklin, 3. Zevina

200m Back - Simmonds, Zevina, van Rouwendaal vs. Beisel, Pelton, Franklin

The world record could be under serious threat in Georgia. Missy Franklin set the current mark in Berlin's October World Cup leg where Lizzie Simmonds was pulled along to a top time that day and history could certainly repeat itself. Look for Zevina to build on her Euro SC win as she battles against Beisel and Pelton for bronze.

Prediction - 1. Franklin, 2. Simmonds, 3. Zevina

10m Breast - Pedersen, Nijuis vs. Hardy, Soni, Beard

Soni against Hardy should be a fun race to watch with Hardy seemingly closing the gap to Soni with every swim. Rikke Molle Pedersen should have just enough to keep the US from gaining a clean sweep.

Prediction - 1. Soni, 2. Hardy, 3. Pedersen

200m Breast - Pedersen, Nijuhuis vs. Soni, Beard, Freeman

She may face a fight in the 100 Breast, but the 200 should be a procession for Rebecca Soni. Pedersen and Beard will be juking it out for silver. It is a shame there's no Anastasia Zueva after her promising 200 swim in Shanghai.

Prediction - 1. Soni, 2. Pedersen, 3. Beard

100m Fly - Halsall, Ottesen, Veldhuis vs Vollmer, Donahue, Hersey

No Therese Alshammar probably hands the win to the US, although Dana Vollmer will have a fight on her hands. One of the stand-out performers from Shanghai, Vollmer will have a target on her back all the way to London. Ottesen comes to the meet in top form after her strong showing at Euro SC.

Prediction - 1. Vollmer, 2. Ottesen, 3. Halsall

200m Fly - Hosszu, Jakabos, Granstroem vs. Hersey, Breeden, Donahue

Katinka Hosszu is dominating this event on the US college scene and should be able to transfer that form from yards to metres.Jakabos and Hersey should have a good battle for the other podium spots.

Prediction - 1. Hosszu, 2. Jakabos, 3. Hersey

200m IM - Hosszu, Verraszto, Jakabos vs. Smit, Hoff, Leverenz

Julia Smit is a short course specialist and the world record holder in this event but faces stiff competition in this race. I'm picking Smit to win, but I have a feeling that Katie Hoff could cause an upset and win the whole thing (if she swims). One of the harder events to predict.

Prediction - 1. Smit, 2. Hosszu, 3. Leverenz

400m IM - Hosszu, Jakabos, Zavadova vs. Smit, Beisel, Leverenz

Elizabeth Beisel would be the hot favourite for this race if she was rested, but Florida based swimmers are notoriously slow in-season. Hosszu and Leverenz will be previewing their future battle at next year's NCAAs.

Prediction - 1. Hosszu, 2. Leverenz, 3. Beisel

4 x 100m Free - Halsall, Kromowidjojo, Ottesen, Herasimenia vs. Coughlin, Hardy, Vollmer, Franklin

This is going to be a barnstormner. This European team could be one the best relay teams ever put together, and still might not win this race. The European team has the current world short course champion, this year's long course world champions and one of the favourites for Olympic gold next year.

Prediction - 1. Europe, 2. USA

4 x 100m Medley - Zevina, Pedersen, Ottesen, Kromowidjojo vs. Coughlin, Soni, Vollmer, Franklin

This relay will likely come down to Rebecca Soni. The second she could gain on Pedersen should be plenty to overcome any (unlikely) European gains on the other legs. By the time the Olympics are over, this US relay team could boast the individual gold medalists from each 100m event.

Prediction - 1. USA, 2. Europe

Points - EUR 58, USA 73 (The US strength in the Breaststroke and Backstroke should make this a relatively comfortable win for the US)

Duel in the Pool 2011 - Men’s Predictions

2011-12-11T03:28:00.002Z

This year’s Duel in the Pool takes place December 16-17 at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center, Atlanta.

The European roster has been strengthened since 2009’s version of this event by allowing more countries to participate this time around, although it is a long way away from a full-strength European team. Among the notable absentees on the men’s side: Lacourt, Bousquet, Gilot, Bernard, Stravius, Biedermann, Agnel, Dale Oen, Donets, Dotto, Fesikov, Lobintsev, Scozzoli, Tancock, Goddard, Wildeboer.
The US are bringing a close to full strength team, however they will have to compete with some important pieces missing. No Michael Phelps, no Nathan Adrian, no Chad LaTourette.

Rosters

Europe - Bernek, Biczo, Brown, Cseh, Czerniak, Glaesner, Gyurta, Heersbrandt, Joensen, Jukic, Kawecki, Kis, Korzeniowski, Loughran, Meichtry, Morozov, Renwick, Rogan, Takacs, Titenis, Verraszto, vom Lehn – 22 swimmers

USA – Alexandrov, Berens, Brunelli, Clary, Dwyer, Gangloff, Grevers, Feigen, Hansen, Klueh, Lochte, McGill, McLean, Tarwater, Thoman, Shanteau, Vanderkaay, Weber-Gale – 18 swimmers

Prediction time. Assuming the format remains the same, swimmers can compete in four individual swims. Point scoring is as follows: Relay – 7 points to winner, nothing for second place. Individual events, 1st – 5 points, 2nd – 3 points, 3rd – 1 point.

Predictions (Race line-ups haven’t been announced yet)

50m Free – Czerniak, Brown, Takacs vs. Feigen, Brunelli, Weber-Gale
No Nathan Adrian hurts the US team here, but Feigen is not a bad replacement. Despite this, Czerniak goes in as favourite after his Euro SC performance. Morozov, who has been faster in SCY this year than Feigen, might also get a swim here.
Prediction – 1. Czerniak, 2. Feigen, 3. Brown

100m Free – Brown, Takacs, Morozov vs. Feigen, Weber-Gale, Grevers
This event highlights what the event could have been with a full strength European team (no Russians, no French). Vlad Morozov has been in great form in US college swimming and could cause an upset in this one if given the individual swim.
Prediction – 1. Morozov, 2. Feigen 3. Grevers

200m Free - Meichtry, Korzeniowski, Renwick vs. Berens, Dwyer, Lochte
Europe will miss Biedermann, Agnel and the Russians in this race. Meichtry and Korzeniowski have an advantage of having just raced at Euro SC, but that might not be enough against a top US line-up. If Lochte swims this event it will be USA’s best chance for a sweep.
Prediction – 1. Lochte, 2. Berens, 3. Dwyer

400m Free – Joensen, Glaesner, Korzeniowski vs. Vanderkaay, McLean, Klueh
Vanderkaay is the class of the field in this event, but his in-season form since the move to Florida has been poor. Glaesner has had an excellent Euro SC and comes to Georgia in fine form.
Prediction. 1. Glaesner, 2. McLean, 3. Korzeniowski

800m Free – Joensen, Glaesner, Kis vs. Vanderkaay, Klueh, McLean
Kis won bronze in Shanghai in this event, but had a very poor 1500 at Euro SC. This should be an excellent head-to-head between Glaesner and Joensen. One of the better chances for Europe to score big points on the men’s side.
Prediction – 1. Glaesner, 2. Joensen, 3. Klueh

100m Back – Kawecki, Bernek, Loughran vs. Thoman, Grevers, Clary
No Lacourt, Wildeboer or Donets hurts Europe and with Thoman and Grevers, the US can take advantage.
Prediction – 1. Thoman, 2. Grevers, 3. Kawecki

200m Back – Kawecki, Bernek, Rogan vs. Lochte, Grevers, Thoman
This race (and the contest as a whole) depends on the form of Ryan Lochte. He will need to be in decent shape to deny an in-form Kawecki.
Prediction – 1. Lochte, 2. Kawecki, 3. Grevers

100m Breast - Gyurta, vom Lehn, Titenis vs. Hansen, Alexandrov, Gangloff
If Brendan Hansen returns to international competition with a win, expect NBC to start up the hype machine. Just don’t expect them to mention the missing Alex Dale-Oen, Fabio Scozzoli or Damir Dugonjic.
Prediction – 1. Hansen, 2. Gangloff, 3. Titenis

200m Breast - Gyurta, vom Lehn, Titenis vs. Hansen, Shanteau, Alexandrov
This race will give swim fans an intriguing rematch of the 2004 Olympic final where a 15 year old Gyurta won silver ahead of Hansen, who took bronze. Both swimmers will be in the mix again, with Germany’s vom Lehn and USA’s Shanteau also having a say in the matter.
Prediction – 1. Gyurta, 2. vom Lehn, 3. Hansen

100m Fly - Czerniak, Heersbrandt, Biczo vs. McGill, Tarwater, Berens
This event sees the Shanghai rematch of Czerniak (silver) and McGill (bronze). McGill swam well on the World Cup circuit, but Czerniak is coming off an impressive Euro SC win. Heersbrandt made a recent breakthrough with his bronze in the same race.
Prediction – 1. Czerniak, 2. McGill, 3. Heersbrandt

200m Fly – Biczo, Cseh, Korzeniowski vs. Clary, Tarwater, McGill
Cseh is fresh from his win at Euro SC and should have enough to hold off Tyler Clary. The US could have done with Thomas Shields or Bobby Bollier in this event, Michael Phelps might have helped too.
Prediction – 1. Cseh, 2. Clary, 3. Korzeniowski

200m IM – Cseh, Rogan, Jukic vs. Clary, Lochte, Dwyer
This is a contender for race of the meet. A rested Lochte would be streets ahead, but he isn’t and faces Cseh and Rogan who had a great tussle at Euro SC.
Prediction – 1. Lochte, 2. Cseh, 3. Dwyer

400m IM – Cseh, Verraszto, Rogan vs. Lochte, Clary, Dwyer
If the swimmer’s above all race this event it is arguably stacked with the most talent on the men’s side. It is by no means a lock that Lochte will swim, but tactically it makes sense for the US to try and minimise the danger that Cseh poses.
Prediction – 1. Lochte, 2. Cseh, 3. Clary

4 x 100m Free – Brown, Takacs, Morozov, Czerniak vs. Feigen, Lochte, Grevers, Berens
Czerniak gives the European team a fighting chance, but surely the US won’t let the Europeans beat them on their own turf.
Prediction – 1. USA, 2. Europe

4 x 100m Medley – Kawecki, Titenis, Czerniak, Morozov vs. Thoman, Hansen, McGill, Feigen
The US looks too strong on paper, the win should be secured after 200m.
Prediction – 1. USA, 2. Europe

Points - EUR 56, USA 75 (After the individual events I have the scores at EUR 56, USA 61. The relays are going to be crucial)

Women's predictions on their way shortly.

Textile Best Times

2011-12-04T10:01:00.001Z


.	Men
.	50m Free	21.36	Fred Bousquet	FRA	8/2010	Euro Champs
.	100m Free	47.49	James Magnussen	AUS	7/2011	World Champs
.	200m Free	1:43.86	Michael Phelps	USA	3/2007	World Champs
.	400m Free	3:40.08	Ian Thorpe	AUS	7/2002	Commonwealths
.	800m Free	7:38.57	Sun Yang	CHN	7/2011	World Champs
.	1500m Free	14:34.14	Sun Yang	CHN	7/2011	World Champs
.	50m Back	24.07	Camille Lacourt	FRA	8/2010	Euro Champs
.	100m Back	52.11	Camille Lacourt	FRA	8/2010	Euro Champs
.	200m Back	1:52.96	Ryan Lochte	USA	7/2011	World Champs
.	50m Brst	26.90	Cameron VD Burgh	RSA	7/2011	World Champs
.	100m Brst	58.71	Alexander Dale Oen	NOR	7/2011	World Champs
.	200m Brst	2:08.25	Naoya Tomita	JAP	4/2011	Japan Champs
.	50m Fly	22.96	Roland Schoeman	SA	7/2005	World Champs
.	100m Fly	50.40	Ian Crocker	USA	7/2005	World Champs
.	200m Fly	1:52.09	Michael Phelps	USA	3/2007	World Champs
.	200m IM	1:54.00	Ryan Lochte	USA	7/2011	World Champs
.	400m IM	4:06.22	Michael Phelps	USA	4/2007	World Champs
.
.	Women


.	50m Free	24.13	Inge de Bruijn	NET	9/2000	Olympics
.	100m Free	53.05	Sarah Sjostrom	SWE	12/2011	Dutch Open
.	200m Free	1:54.97	Sara Isakovic	SLO	8/2008	Olympics
.	400m Free	4:01.97	Federica Pellegrini	ITA	7/2011	World Champs
.	800m Free	8:16.22	Janet Evans	USA	8/1989	Pan Pacs
.	1500m Free	15:42.54	Kate Ziegler	USA	6/2007	TYR Meet
.	50m Back	27.45	Gao Chang	CHN	11/2010	Asian Games
.	100m Back	58.94	Zhao Jing	CHN	11/2010	Asian Games
.	200m Back	2:05.10	Melissa Franklin	USA	7/2011	World Champs
.	50m Brst	30.03	Jessica Hardy	USA	8/2010	Pan Pacs
.	100m Brst	1:04.91	Rebecca Soni	USA	7/2011	World Champs
.	200m Brst	2:20.50	Leisel Jones	AUS	2/2006	AUS Com Trials
.	50m Fly	25.37	Therese Alshammar	SW	6/2011	Sette Colli
.	100m Fly	56.47	Dana Vollmer	USA	7/2011	World Champs
.	200m Fly	2:04.40	Liu Zige	CHN	4//2011	China Champs
.	200m IM	2:08.90	Ye Shiwen	CHN	7/2011	World Champs
.	400m IM	4:31.78	Elizabeth Beisel	USA	7/2011	World Champs

Updated 5 December 2011

Evaluating Ian Thorpe's Return

2011-11-14T08:02:00.053Z

Ian Thorpe's first attempt back in the world of competitive swimming is in the books. As the dust settles, let's evaluate how it went.

Positives

- Thorpe was considerably faster in the Tokyo World Cup leg than he was in Singapore and Beijing.
- In Tokyo he was able to hold on much better in the second half of races showing that his 'race fitness' was improving. In theory, the more competitions he does, the better this will become.
- Thorpe, his coach Gennadi Touretski and Australian head coach Leigh Nugent were making all the right noises at each world cup stop, stating that the comeback was still on course.
- His freestyle stroke still looks more suited to the 200m Free, which we are yet to see. At this stage his best bet at Olympic qualification looks to be the 4 x 200m Free relay.
- We've just seen Thorpe at his rustiest and he was still only half a second down on established guys like Alain Bernard in heats. For all we know, Thorpe could have dropped another second in the 100m Free final had he qualified.
- Thorpe still has 4 long months of training ahead of him before Australian Trials.

Negatives

- Thorpe only has 4 short months of training ahead of him before Australian Trials.
- Thorpe still has A LONG way to go. He failed to final in his two best swims, Tokyo's 100m Free and 100m Fly. In the 100m Free he was a full 2 seconds behind the eventual winner Kyle Richardson's time.
- Richardson sums up his problem. There might not be a more difficult relay team to make than the reigning world champion Aussie 4 x 100m Free team.
- He's going to need to work even harder on his starts and turns. 4 months ~~might~~ will not be long enough to catch up on these technical aspects. All he can do now is mitigate his losses in these areas. Nugent believes that he is trying to stay under water too long on his turns.
- One comment that Thorpe made stuck out like a sore thumb - "This week has been challenging, I wish I could have done it with no-one watching - but that's unfortunately not the case." This is the same guy that retired from the sport because of the intense media scrutiny he was under. Hopefully the same demons that haunted him in previous years aren't resurfacing before the comeback has really taken shape.

Thorpedo's Times (best times and splits in bold)

Singapore

100m IM (Heat) - 56.74 (26.14 / 30.60)
100m IM (Final) - 56.33 (25.14 / 31.19)
100m Fly (Heat) - 54.09 (25.27 / 28.82)

Beijing

100m Free (Heat) - 50.21 (24.00 / 26.21)
100m IM (Heat) - 56.70 (26.22 / 30.48)
100m Fly (Heat) -54.35 (25.29 / 29.06)

Tokyo

100m Free (Heat) - 49.45 (24.08 / 25.37)
100m Fly (Heats) - 53.59 (25.11 / 28.48)

Ian Thorpe Down To Race 100m Freestyle In Beijing

2011-11-07T08:02:00.002Z

After a less than stellar comeback meet in Singapore (and some outrageously ambitious predictions), Ian Thorpe is down to race a more familiar race in Beijing, the 100m Freestyle (entry time 49.41).

His participation is not 100% confirmed as he may still scratch the race, but his entry means he is a step closer than he was in Singapore to racing freestyle again.

Side note : It will be good to see the Water Cube in action again.

UPDATE - Thorpe finished 15th after the heats of the 100m Freestyle in a time of 50.21. Splits of 24.00 / 26.21.

Ian Thorpe's Return Imminent: 5 Things to Watch & Predictions

2011-10-31T08:04:00.001Z

Australian legend Ian Thorpe will return to the competition pool on Friday for the first time since 2006. Choosing to swim the 100m Fly and 100m IM, Thorpe will give us just 25 tantalising metres to judge his Freestyle in Singapore.

5 Things to Watch Out For

1) New Freestyle technique - Watch out for a new technique with higher elbows and increased hip rotation.
2) Butterfly speed - Geoff Huegill is nervous about racing Thorpe in the 100 Fly, highlighting Gennadi Touretski's love of training his swimmers with an emphasis on butterfly. For more, read David Rieder's article.
3) Physique - Thorpe has never had a typical swimmers physique and always had a big frame, not that you could ever see it in his black suit. In Singapore we will see what kind of physical shape Thorpe is in.
4) Technical aspects - Potentially the X Factor that will determine if his comeback will be a success. The world has moved on since 2006 on starts, turns and underwaters. Thorpe will need to catch up quickly to be competitive on the biggest stage.
5) Mentality - Thorpe fell out of love with swimming but has recently spoke of his love for the sport returning. Touretski wants him swimming with freedom in Singapore, so look for Thorpe to be enjoying racing again.

Predictions

100m Fly - 51.95
100m IM - 53.50

Heats starts at 9am Singapore time (1am London time). Finals begin at 5:30pm Singapore time (9:30am London time).

Live Video Here or Here

Start Lists & Results

British Stars Get Their Season Underway

2011-10-18T19:04:00.000+01:00

A group of top British swimmers got their Olympic seasons underway in a low-key manner at last weekend's Lincoln Vulcans Open Meet (long course metres). Despite being in heavy training, Elizabeth Simmonds and Fran Halsall managed to put together a world class duel in the 100m Backstroke.

Notable performances

Elizabeth Simmonds - 100m Back - 1:00.70 (split 29.61)
Francesca Halsall - 100m Back - 1:01.15 (split 29.76)
Francesca Halsall - 50m Free - 25.13
Francesca Halsall - 100m Fly - 59.63
Liam Tancock - 100m Breast - 1:04.18 (split 30.25)
Rebecca Adlington - 200m IM - 2:18.70
Rebecca Adlington - 200m Back - 2:15.71
Jo Jackson - 100m Free - 56.51

Full results

Cesar Cielo 47.84 100m Freestyle, 47.07 Relay Split (With Video)

2011-10-17T08:25:00.002+01:00

Apparently 2011 still has more fast long course swimming to offer. At the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Cesar Cielo posted a smoking 47.84 in the 100m Freestyle. If the time looks familiar it is because Cielo equalled Pieter Van den Hoogenband's previous long standing world record (and former textile best time).

Cielo remains 0.35 seconds shy of James Magnussen's 47.49 relay lead-off leg from Shanghai, but his swim serves as a reminder that he will be a major force in London after a disappointing 4th place at the World Championships.

It seems like Magnussen's way of the racing the event (conserving energy on the first 50 and blowing past the competition on the 2nd 50m) has changed the way Cielo is swimming the race. In Shanghai Cielo went out in 22.63 and came back in 25.38. In Guadalajara he turned in 22.84 and came back in 25.00. It's a smart move from the Brazilian. Magnussen currently enjoys a mental edge over the competition, knowing that he can catch and pass the field. When you can see that you are catching and passing other swimmers it gives you a huge lift, a "second wind" if you like. Think of how many races you see seemingly unsurmountable leads overcome with a stunning last 50m split. If Cielo is able to limit the rate at which the Australian catches him, we're yet to see how it will affect Magnussen's sprint to the wall.

Cielo's relay split of 47.07 further highlights this new race pace. He turned in 22.54 (with the aid of a relay start this probably converts to a 23.0/23.1 from a flat start), before turning on the jets on the second 50m with a split of 24.53. If you watch the video below (starting at 7:25) you can clearly see Cielo increase his stroke rate and leg kick at 45m going into the wall, before going all-out on the second 50m. Reports coming out of Brazil are that Cielo is doing a lot more metres in his training than he did at Auburn. This seems to be paying off with his new found endurance on the second 50m of races.

British Olympic Trials Ticketing Update

2011-10-15T13:05:00.000+01:00

From British Swimming:

British Swimming has appointed leading ticket agency Ticketmaster as its new ticket vendor for the British Gas Swimming Championships 2012 (Selection Trials) and arranged new dates for people to buy tickets.

Preregistered customers can now buy tickets for the event from 10am on Tuesday 1 November. This is the start of an exclusive three day purchasing period for the 3-10 March competition that closes 10am on Friday 4 November. Tickets will then go on general release.

Following issues experienced with online and phone ticketing systems last week, British Swimming concluded that its original vendor was unable to provide the level of service required for this event.

Customers who have already purchased tickets for the event can be assured these tickets remain valid and will be delivered on time.

There are still tickets available for all sessions, no sessions have sold out and pre-registered customers will still have the first opportunity to purchase tickets.

Preregistered customers will be sent a unique passcode and link to the Ticketmaster website to purchase tickets and will also have the chance to buy over the phone, again quoting their passcode.

This Week In Swimming

2011-10-15T12:36:00.001+01:00

FINA Swimming World Cup - Stockholm - Oct 15-16

Results & Start Lists

Live Video

Pan American Games - Guadalajara, Mexico - Oct 15-21

Results & Start Lists

British National County Team Championships - Ponds Forge, Sheffield - Oct 16

Division 1 - Results & Start Lists
Division 2 - Results & Start Lists

Lincoln Vulcan Open Meet - Ponds Forge, Sheffield - Oct 15

Start Lists
Results

International Swimming Festival - Aachen - Oct 14-16

Start Lists
Results

Olympic Trials Ticket Website Crashes

2011-10-04T08:09:00.000+01:00

The demand for British Swimming Olympic Trials tickets has caused TheTicketSellers website to go down.

Frustratingly you could select your seats, but when it came to going to the Checkout page the website timed out. The site should be back up later on today to try all over again. As always there are winners and losers:

Winners - Nobody

Losers - British Swimming, British Gas, The Ticket Sellers, Everybody else

Is Pieter Van den Hoogenband Insane or Brilliant?

2011-09-29T23:39:00.002+01:00

Craig Lord at Swimnews has published Pieter Van den Hoogenband's 10-point plan, which the Dutch former superstar believes will revolutionise the sport of swimming. Check out the list below and then give your opinion in the comments section below... there are some shocking, interesting and downright outrageous suggestions.

The List

1. Abolish the existing world records set in high-tech suits.

2. Remove the 800m and 1500m events from the pool swimming programme to avoid losing the audience's attention.

3. Get rid of the 50m Fly, Back and Breast events from the World Championships to bring it in line with the Olympics.

4. Give swimmers more power in the upper echelons of FINA. He cites the opportunity Alex Popov has to influence FINA, which still falls short of the power former track and field athletes Seb Coe and Sergey Bubka wield.

5. Change the timing system to three decimal points to avoid ties for gold medals (such as the Men's 100m Back and Women's 100m Free in Shanghai).

6. Cut down medal presentations to just medal plus anthem to keep the flow of the finals session moving in the right direction.

7. Let every nation have it's own colour swim cap to make it easier for the audience to tell which swimmer is which, as well as keeping (and improving) the sliding door entry of finalists that we saw in Shanghai.

8. Improve the advertising that we see from major swim brands. He describes the Phelps and Lochte Speedo ad as childish compared to the slick Puma adverts that Usain Bolt appears in.

9. Have swimmers express themselves post-race in a better way, as well as listening to them on technical improvements that can be made (he cites Aaron Peirsol's suggestion to improve the backstroke starting block).

10. Introduce a more rigid, universal calendar where Olympic qualification takes place in the same week around the world to avoid discrepancies in the world rankings, as well as removing the World Cup Series and instead having a Diamond League-esque series of competitions immediately after the World Championships.

Sun Yang Can Swim 48-Low For 100m Freestyle

2011-09-26T09:08:00.000+01:00

According to Sun Yang's part-time coach Dennis Cotterell, the Chinese star can swim 48 seconds low for the 100m Freestyle. If that is the case, and Cotterall doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would misstate these kind of facts, the fall-out is intriguing.

• Firstly, he would become the new Chinese (and Asian record holder) for the 100m Freestyle. The current Chinese national record stands at 48.73, held by Chen Zuo's 2009 effort. The Asian record of 48.49 is held by Japan's Takuro Fujii.

• He would make the Chinese 4 x 100 Freestyle team into potential finalists, although they are still a good few pieces away from challenging for the medals.

• This kind of 100m speed makes Sun Yang not just a contender for a 200m Free medal in London, it sets him up as one of the favourites for gold. Cotterell believes he can break 1:44 in the 200m Free, a feat acheived by only 3 men (Paul Biedermann, Michael Phelps & Danila Izotov) and by only Phelps in a textile suit (1:43.86 in 2007).

The closest anyone has come to breaking 1:44 since the ban of tech suits was Ryan Lochte's gold medal winning effort in Shanghai of 1:44.42. Cotterell backs up his claim by pointing out that Sun Yang's 25.95 homecoming split in the 1500 final at Worlds was faster than both Lochte and Phelps' final 50m in the 200m Free final. For Sun Yang it is simply a case of harnessing his speed and trusting himself to go out fast. The type of confidence breaking a 10 year-old world record gives you...

• The Olympic schedule is friendly for a 200-400-1500m Free treble next year. It would see Sun Yang swimming the following:

Day One - 400m Free heats and final

Day Two - 200m Free heats and semis on (with the possibility of a 4 x 100m Freestyle relay if China qualifies)

Day Three - 200m Free final

Day Four - 4 x 200m Free heats and final

Day Five - Rest

Day Six - Rest

Day Seven - 1500m Free heats

Day Eight - 1500m Free final

Geoff Huegill Opens Up About Drug Use And Partying While Retired

2011-09-24T18:20:00.001+01:00

Below is an extract from Geoff Huegill's new book Be Your Best. It shines a light on the oft-overlooked struggle that elite athletes face when they go from being one of the best in the world in their chosen sport, to being just another person trying to make a living.

"I made the final in Athens on talent alone, and people were justifiably upset with me. I just didn't know where to go at the time. I carried a fear of failure that prevented me from giving my all. It had been too hard to refocus after Sydney, and I was only going through the motions in the lead-up to Athens.

Competitive swimming was still in my blood, but I was clearly losing motivation and was completely unable to make the transition to a productive life outside the pool.

Pretty soon after Athens everything seemed to fall apart, and that next year, 2005, would be a total waste of time.

If I was going to stay in swimming and move from Queensland, the only two coaches I wanted to work with were Grant Stoelwinder and Jim Fowlie, but neither of them was available . . . this added to my uncertainty, but I decided to come down to Sydney anyway.

In Sydney, there was a lot of partying going on and swimming wasn’t my main priority. I’d train for two or three weeks, often with the guys at Sydney University, then I’d have a month off. I couldn’t go on like that. The writing was on the wall and I finally called it quits . . . I was 26.

I was still doing some sponsorship activities, but I almost started to see myself becoming a glorified promotional model. There wasn’t much substance to some of the publicity gigs I was asked to do . . . just a logo, a photographer and a smile. As long as my name was still being mentioned there was the possibility of an income, but with every new Games there’s a new crop of star athletes.

I was living pretty fast and needed the income, but at the same time I couldn’t help thinking there’s got to be a better way than just turning up and smiling for the camera. I always tried to be professional, but I felt some of this work completely lacked soul.

It didn’t take long for me to hit rock bottom.

By 2005, my party life had given me a drinking problem, financial worries, and I was experiencing depression. I also started having suicidal thoughts.

If I wasn’t catching up on a lifetime of sleep in 2005, I was either drunk or off my face, partying away what little money I had left. I had no direction or goal in life. I was ruining the reputation I had worked for in the pool and was letting down my friends and the few remaining sponsors I had.

I started to resent swimming: it had taken over my life, demanded all these sacrifices and left me with nothing. I hated myself and there were times when I thought I should just take the easy way out.

I thought I might be able to improve things by travelling overseas, so I formed a plan: I would compete in the Commonwealth Games trials in March 2006, and if I didn’t qualify I’d go overseas in April.

I left Australia and travelled up through Asia, spending some time with Mum’s family in Thailand. I eventually made my way over to Europe . . . travelling as a member of a swimming team had been highly regimented. Unlike touring as a representative footballer or cricketer, there’s a total ban on alcohol and you rarely tasted the local food or saw the sights.

I wanted to go back to some of these places and enjoy what they really had to offer, including the food, which is one of the joys of travel.

I love how food brings people together and I sure had a knack for over-indulging. I was already becoming overweight and starting to get comments from punters in the street as well as from the media when they spotted me.

At 188cm and approaching 130kg, I wasn’t hard to spot. I was eating and drinking to mask my depression, but it was just a joke to some people . . . I travelled widely and had a good time, at least for as long as the money lasted.

I enjoyed being away, but I can’t say it made me feel more at home in the world. When I came home after less than a year in early 2007, I still wasn’t in a good place. I remained trapped because I was so ineffective in my life outside the pool.

The usual cycles kicked in again . . . plenty of alcohol and party drugs. I was arriving home from clubbing at 4am, the hour I used to be getting up and training.

I now had debt collectors to deal with. I’d eat out for most lunches and dinners, and was grazing constantly throughout the day. My weight was a burden. I’d returned home 45kg heavier than my 90kg swimming weight, with a waist measurement of 111cm.

I’d beat myself up because I wasn’t achieving anything, then I’d write myself off to try to block those depressive thoughts, then I’d have to deal with the consequences of writing myself off spending money I didn’t have, behaving badly, letting people down and burning bridges with friends. I was in a downward spiral and powerless to do anything about it.

When it comes to putting on the swimmers and goggles and racing someone from one end of the pool to the other, I’m your man . . . I’ve been one of the best in the world.

How could I be so good in one area of my life and yet be in shambles in the rest? I struggled with relationships, self-image, and trying to produce an income. I struggled to put a simple structure together to let me function in the real world, and I spent a lot of time beating myself up, trying to comfort myself in unhealthy ways.

The years of serious swimming had hardwired me to a complete system, structured to provide immediate feedback to my every action and performance. Virtually everything I did was evaluated.

My good performances were rewarded and praised. When I fell short, I was met with encouragement and suggestions for improvement . . . everything was calibrated and catered for, like living in a bubble.

But that’s not true of life in the real world, which is full of uncertainty and promises nothing. I was struggling with the transition. I was lost. I also began experiencing grief I’d suppressed about my dad. My training regime had always enabled me to set grief aside, but now I had nothing to hold it at bay. I had no idea how to manage myself at 12, and I wasn’t much better in my mid-20s. I discovered a lot of painful memories, and now I was getting to experience them as vividly as if they had happened yesterday.

I was also blaming everyone else for the poor choices I had made and for all the painful circumstances that were beyond anyone’s control. I thought the world owed me something, including a living, in return for all the sacrifices I’d made. I even blamed the world for my dad dying, leaving me to grow up in a family that wasn’t my own. I carried a huge chip on my shoulder. It may not have been the model of a traditional family, but I had their support, my coach, the squad and the wider community. Self-pity blinded me to that."

Sun Yang Posts A Jaw Dropping 3:40.29 at Chinese Nationals

2011-09-24T16:12:00.000+01:00

"I believe I can break the 400m world record sooner or later. I believe I can win over Park Tae Hwan in 400m next time when we meet. I believe I can be better and faster in London."

At Chinese Nationals, Sun Yang has become the third fastest man ever in the 400m Freestyle. His time of 3:40.29 missed Paul Biedermann's world record by just 0.22 seconds (and Ian Thorpe's textile best time by 0.21 seconds).

That is an astonishing time. To get so close to the world record at this stage of the season is remarkable. It also reaffirms the fact that there really is no way of knowing just how fast Sun Yang can be in the future. The scariest thing for his competitors is that he doesn't seem to be close to reaching his full potential yet.

There is now just one question mark hanging over Sun Yang's head, and that is whether he can handle the pressures of a major championship final when he has a race on his hands. He didn't fare so well at Worlds when he came up against Park Tae Hwan in the 400 Free final. We won't know the answer to that question until London 2012 rolls around.

Here is what Sun Yang had to say after the race:

"I planned to break the Asian record and I tried my best during the race. But my target for this meet is not to rewrite the record, but to get ready for next year's Olympic Games. This meet is not important at all. My biggest disappointment in Shanghai words was that I lost to Park Tae Hwan of South Korea in the 400m because I lacked experience. I want to prove to myself that I can swim faster than that. I was too eager to show myself that I forgot to keep my own pace, especially as it was the first day of the swimming competition in Shanghai. I've learned a lesson from the defeat in worlds.

The Asian record is a new beginning for me. I believe I can improve myself through the following training. I plan to to train at altitude after this meet, then go to Australia on December for at least eight weeks.

My form remains at a relatively high level. I guess it's because I've been trained for many years under my coach Zhu Zhigen. I have not swum up-and-down in recent years. I want to be as stable as possible.

I believe I can break the 400m world record sooner or later. I believe I can win over Park Tae Hwan in 400m next time when we meet. I believe I can be better and faster in London."

Video clip of the race and the post-race interview

Janet Evans Comeback Update Part II

2011-09-21T20:37:00.000+01:00

Janet Evans Comeback Update: Presented by ~~Dodge~~ Speed Endurance Swimming Blog

Here are 3 new Janet Evans videos for those keeping track of her return to the sport. They kind of get you thinking.. What will constitute a successful return for Evans? Qualifying for the US Olympic trials? Making the 800 Free final at trials? Making the US Olympic Team?

The Comeback

Weight Training

Diet

USA's Clark Burckle Is A Real Storyteller

2011-09-19T17:36:00.001+01:00

I could be mistaken, but I'm 99% sure that the guy in the video below is USA National team member Clark Burckle. His story telling is electric.

Power Lines Fall on Crashed Vehicle, Driver Trapped: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

Is it him? Burckle attends the University of Arizona, the video was from Fox Phoenix... the "reality hits you hard bro" line... just way too much of a coincedence.

You be the judge (he's the guy sitting behind Mike Alexandrov's left shoulder in the video below).

Upcoming Dates in the 2011 Swimming Calendar

2011-09-19T09:00:00.002+01:00

It's been a relatively quiet time since the World Championships finished back in late July, but the year still has a lot of offer. Here is a rundown of what swimming fans have to look forward to for the rest of the year.

October

Oct 7 - Nov 13 - World Cup Series (Dubai, Stockholm, Moscow, Berlin, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo) (SCM)
Oct 15 - Oct 22 - Pan American Games (LCM)
Oct 18 - Oct 19 - Michael Phelps swimming at the Moscow World Cup meet (SCM)
Oct 31 - Nov 1 - Trofeo Internazionale di Nuoto "Nico Sapio", Genoa, Italy. Feat: Laure Manaudou & Natalie Coughlin (SCM)

November

Nov 4 - Nov 5 - Ian Thorpe's return to competitive swimming at the Singapore World Cup meet (SCM)
Nov 11- Nov 13 - Minneapolis Grand Prix (LCM)

December

Dec 1 - Dec 3 - US Winter Nationals (LCM)
Dec 8 - Dec 12 - European Short Course Championships (SCM)
Dec 8 - Dec 10 - US Short Course Junior Nationals (SCY)
Dec 16 - Dec 17 - Duel in the Pool (SCM)

Filippo Magnini Gets Beaten By A Dolphin... Lets Down Swimmers Everywhere

2011-09-08T22:32:00.001+01:00

It's been a pretty quiet few weeks for Filippo Magnini since Shanghai. He's just had the usual "getting caught hooking up with Federica Pellegrini, relationship destroying, friendship destroying love triangle tabloid feeding frenzy" couple of weeks.

Today Magnini had a chance to redeem himself as he represented all of mankind in a race against two dolphins. When I heard about the race, my first thought was that it was clearly unfair. I mean sure, dolphins have talent, but from what I've seen they are lazy... they don't put the work in, they splash about during training just doing flips all day long, plus they are all about "garbage yardage". Swimming has moved on, its all about cross training now... just no way Magnini loses this race.

Well, Magnini lost

Not only did he lose, he got lapped. Good job Filippo, way to represent swimmers all over the world.

PS. Is it just me, or does Ryan Lochte not lose this race?

Qualifying Times Announced for British Olympic Trials

2011-09-05T14:35:00.000+01:00

Next year's British Olympic Trials represent the best chance for 99% of the British public to see inside the London Aquatics Centre in 2012. With Olympic Swimming tickets being worth more than their weight in gold, the trials offer a great chance to get a taste of the Olympic experience either as a swimmer or spectator. If you intend on swimming at the trials though, it will not be an easy task. The Open qualifying times for most events require you to be in the top 30 in last year's British rankings.

As an Olympic test event, the trials will also be open to foreign swimmers. They will not be able to compete in the main finals, but instead will have their own finals at the end of each evening session.

Qualifying Times
Event Schedule
Ticket Information