Author: swimScoop

Michael Phelps receives six Golden Goggle nominations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Michael Phelps has received a leading six nominations for the Golden Goggle awards, including male athlete of the year.

Phelps received three individual nods and three for relays in the nominations announced Friday.

Olympian Ryan Lochte and Ariana Kukors received four nominations each.

Phelps, Lochte and Aaron Peirsol were nominated for male athlete of the year. They combined to win 11 gold medals at the world championships in Rome. All three broke individual world records at the world meet.

Kukors, Rebecca Soni and Dana Vollmer were nominated for female athlete of the year.

The awards will be presented Nov. 22 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Davies considering quitting pool

David Davies could quit the pool before the 2012 London Olympics to concentrate on the 10k open water.

The Welsh swimmer says the 2010 Commonwealth Games may be the final major championships he competes in his favored 1500m freestyle pool event.

He admits: “The Commonwealths in Delhi could be my last major finals in the pool if I don’t perform the way I want.

“If I can’t see myself performing in the pool at London 2012, it makes sense to drop it and focus on open water.”

Davies failed to win a World Championship medal in his specialist 1500m freestyle event this year for the first time since making his debut in 2005.

The 24-year-old was catapulted onto the world stage by clinching Olympic bronze at the 2004 Athens Games when he broke the European record.

But the 2006 Commonwealth champion failed to win a podium place at either the 2008 Olympics in Beijing or at this year’s World Championship in Rome.

Davies, though, is impressing in the 10k open water event which is new to the Olympic schedule.

The long-distance specialist won Olympic silver behind Maarten van der Weijden in the 2008 Games in just his third open water test.

Now Barry swimmer Davies concedes his long-term swimming future could be outside rather than indoors.

“There’s a massive opportunity for me at London 2012,” said Davies.

“I’d love to go for both events and love to win two golds in different events but it is all about performance and getting the best result possible – and that could be just the case of performing in the open water.

“I was third in Athens, second in Beijing and I want to be number one in London.

“After the dust settled on my silver medal in Beijing and allow the result to sink in, I realised my silver medal was a fantastic achievement as I was inexperienced.

“I was very proud of what I did and thrilled for the guy who won, who had an amazing story coming back from cancer and who almost died five years ago but came back to win Olympic gold.

“After Beijing I needed to rest mentally and physically. I went back to the drawing board with my coach and things needed to be addressed.

“I’ve done the same thing for too many years. I’ve dropped off the pace in the 1500m and I desperately want to get back up there.

“I wasn’t strong enough, I wasn’t fast enough and I’m not athletic enough. I’ve gone to the gym and tried to up my speed work.

“I’ve dropped four seconds off my 400m personal best and eight seconds off my 800m personal best but couldn’t back up my endurance in the 1500m at the World Championships.

“But everything I do is not geared for the 2009 World Championships, it’s for London 2012.”

Davies competed in four disciplines at the Worlds in Rome, qualifying for three finals as well as competing for Great Britain’s 4x200m relay team in their heat as they successfully reached the final.

Chinese swimmers expect harvest at the National Games without swim suit war

JINAN, East China, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) — Led by Olympic champion Liu Zige and world champion Zhang Lin, a record of 525 swimmers expect to make a big splash without the swim suit war at the 11th Chinese National Games to kick off on Oct. 16.

During the swimming competition which starts from Oct. 17, the swimmers from 24 provincial teams, Hong Kong, and the Chinese Army will compete in 32 events.

Four years ago, three Asian records and eight national marks were smashed in Nanjing, South China.

Chinese swimmers collected one gold three silver two bronze medals at the Beijing Olympic Games and scored 4-2-4 with world records at the Rome World Championships in August this year.

Zhang Lin, Olympic men’s 400 deters freestyle silver medalist and 800m free champion in Rome, will compete in six events, including 100, 200, 400 and 1500 free and two free relays.

“It will be a great challenge to my endurance. I hope to improve myself,” said the 22-year-old from Beijing.

As a triple winner of the last National Games four years ago, Zhang will set a showdown against butterfly swimmer Wu Peng of Zhejiang province.

Zhang said: “I don’t care about the titles, but I do want to swim my best. I’ve found many weakness since I won the 800m world champion two months ago.”

Wu, who grabbed four titles last time and will show up in the 200m butterfly, 200m backstroke, 400m individual medley and relays.

“I plan to break my own national record in the 200 butterfly,” said the silver medalist in 2007 Melbourne worlds.

Liu Zige, underdog winner of the women’s 200m butterfly at the Olympic Games, will concentrate on her trade mark events of 200 and100 butterfly.

“Butterfly is the only stroke I feel comfortable,” Liu smiled.

Newly-crowned world champions Zhao Jing in the women’s back will try to defend her reputation in both 100 and 200.

While other winning relay team members in Rome, including Jiao Liuyang, Liu Jing, Li Zhesi, Zhu Qianwei, Tang Yi also expect to improve their personal best.

Jiao, runner-up to Liu in the 200m butterfly at Beijing Olympic Games, finished third in the 100m in Rome, said: “I’ll swim 100 and200 butterfly and 50m free. I really like 200 butterfly,”

Aware of the high-tech suit war, the organizers announced only five brands can be used at the Games as three international brands, including all styles of Speedo, Blueseventy and Nike and two national brands, Yingfa and Few.

Yuan Haoran, director of the swimming section of the Chinese Swimming Association, said: “We hope our swimmers can achieve more good results, breaking more world records without the help of high-tech swim suits.”