How Many Olympians

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:37:01 GMT

Originally posted by Frank Thompson George: Did you know Ron Gora? He swam in the 1952 Olympics and got 8th in the 100 Meter Free. He went to Univ. of Michigan and made a couple of Pan Am teams. He had a National HS records in the 50 and 100 Yard Free in his day. He was one of my first coaches. He used to do stuff like this. He might have known Mike MacLaughlin. He was good friends with Jack Nelson. I new Ron, he and Bumpy Jones were great friends. They used to swim at Camp Chicopee along with Matt Mann jr.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 12:56:37 GMT

In 1957 I had a Dodge Coronet it was a company car, big wings for sure it had no guts and the brakes were real squeelers. But smooth.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 11:57:02 GMT

Originally posted by TheGoodSmith Geochuck, I bought a '57 Dodge Coronet (2 dr. hardtop) 2 years ago. I bought her because she has big ol' fins. John Smith My dad had a 57 Dodge with the "swept back fins" (I think that is what they called them in the commercials). It was a gorgeous car - white with red upholstery. I'm sure it got horrible gas mileage. I remember that the power steering was very loose on this car.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 11:05:32 GMT

Geek, HER name is "Jet". And she is awesome. John Smith

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 09:47:48 GMT

Geochuck, I bought a '57 Dodge Coronet (2 dr. hardtop) 2 years ago. I bought her because she has big ol' fins. I pushed the pedal to the metal on that sucker last year (after I had a complete brake job of course) and she got up to 88mph. The whole damn car started vibrating. I thought she was getting ready to leap into hyperspace or something...... never mind the fact that I could visibly see the gas gauge needle move to the left. Dude, if you were going 140 in a '55 Ford Fairlane that means it probably took you about an eighth of a mile to stop with the 4 drum brakes that car came with. Reminder..... seat belts were an option back then. Dude... remind me not to ride with you anywhere. Rule of life .... you measure a man by the size of his fins. Paul Smith is extremely jealous of my Dodge. This is a good thing. John Smith

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 08:46:24 GMT

In 2003, several of us in the men's 35-39 age group beat 1984 1500 meter Olympic gold medalist Mike O'Brien in the One Hour Swim. His distance was a very respectable 5,010 yards, but was only good for 14th place. That year I did 5,075 yards (9th place). The men's 35-39 winner, Mike Shaffer of Ventura County Masters, did an incredible 5,905 yards - one of the all-time best in any age group.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 08:23:12 GMT

I used my badge to get me out of trouble, I was a Hamilton police man and pleaded with them to just give me a fine. I paid $500 and I am sure that JP and the cops pocketed the money. Wow what memmories it brings back. I won the 100 in the meet I was swimming when the gun went off and they did not call it back nor did they DQ me. After the afternoon of races we went to the Blue Nite bar accross the street from the pool. Some guy named Tom paid for all the beer we could drink but we left very quickley when we found out it was a gay bar. That nite we lost track of my pal Mike and were worried that something happened to him we called the hosp and the cops to see if he was in jail. He showed up later that day he woke up in a tent at the girl guide camp just out of Fort L. He said he kept under the covers until the girls left the tent. That is also the day that Buddy Baarcke, Bill Yorzek and Jack Nelson tried to get me to change my stroke, they did not like the way I bent my arms underwater.

RE: How Many Olympians

Frank Thompson — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 08:16:18 GMT

George: Did you know Ron Gora? He swam in the 1952 Olympics and got 8th in the 100 Meter Free. He went to Univ. of Michigan and made a couple of Pan Am teams. He had a National HS records in the 50 and 100 Yard Free in his day. He was one of my first coaches. He used to do stuff like this. He might have known Mike MacLaughlin. He was good friends with Jack Nelson.

RE: How Many Olympians

FindingMyInnerFish — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 07:19:02 GMT

Heh! From swimmers to speeding cars to ... coffee! Pretty blatant of the server to wring out the cloth into the coffee urn... but I can't imagine that restaurant is the only place where things are a little slippery hygienically. Of course, in this restaurant, the unhygienic act might have been elevated to performance art. ;)

RE: How Many Olympians

aquageek — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 06:02:00 GMT

I always find it troubling when people refer to cars as he or she.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:37:50 GMT

For those of us in Illinois, we usually get a chance to swim with an Olympian. this year he moves up an age bracket.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:36:17 GMT

I can't say I've ever beaten an Olympian. However, I have swam in the same heat when someone has broken a Masters World Record and a U.S. National (SCY) Record. AND, I finished ahead of them in the heat. Of course, those two fine ladies were 20 years or more my senior... BTW, the 200 IM (SCM) and 100 fly (SCY). Matt

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:18:54 GMT

Originally posted by Edward The Head Yeah I can list them all, zero! You couldn't tie an outboard to my ass and get me to beat one. Though we do have a guy on the team who joined a few months ago and I can almost keep up with him and he made the Olympic qualifers. It was nice to be only 10 seconds back in a 200 free. Actually he really pushed me and made me drop 10+ seconds off my time in practice. That is the right answer, what difference does it make who you beat as long as you are in there trying.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:16:40 GMT

Yeah I can list them all, zero! You couldn't tie an outboard to my ass and get me to beat one. Though we do have a guy on the team who joined a few months ago and I can almost keep up with him and he made the Olympic qualifers. It was nice to be only 10 seconds back in a 200 free. Actually he really pushed me and made me drop 10+ seconds off my time in practice.

RE: How Many Olympians

FindingMyInnerFish — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 12:02:16 GMT

My only hope against an Olympic swimmer would be in the 50m free in a long course pool. That would eliminate any chance of being lapped, as the Olympian would be finished, out of the water, and showered by the time I finished. ;) Of course, if that were the case, I hope s/he would return to cheer me on. ;)

RE: How Many Olympians

mattson — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:25:08 GMT

Originally posted by aquageek I can swim faster than my wife who went to many of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic game events. She was also the unofficial whistler of the 1996 Olympics. But can you outwhistle her? (My whistling is weak, maybe you can suggest drills...) Originally posted by geochuck That is the right answer, what difference does it make who you beat as long as you are in there trying.

RE: How Many Olympians

aquageek — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:12:31 GMT

I can swim faster than my wife who went to many of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic game events. She was also the unofficial whistler of the 1996 Olympics.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 11:10:36 GMT

The Georgia State troopers had followed in a chase car. They said they clocked me at 130mph and they could not stay with me. When they stopped me they took me to a little town and a Kangaroo court. The JP there fined me I paid. I was lucky. While I was in the court? 4 of the group had gone to a restuarant accross the street from the little court house, jail bldg to have a coffee. I was very relieved to get out, went to the restuarant sat down and ordered my coffee. The lady behind the counter poured out the coffee and dropped the cup on the counter and spilled it. To my amazement she took a cloth from under the counter wiped it up, then rang the cloth out into the coffee urn. I and my friends left the restaurant and did not drink our coffee.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:35:29 GMT

Originally posted by MichiganHusker I think he's confused between miles per hour and the metric system. It was well over 200kph which is 125mph. My brother bought that car from me, it had the Canadian block in it. He raced it in the stock car races in California. He said it was the fastest car he ever drove.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:33:51 GMT

1955 Ford fairlane 500 speedometer was up to 120mph and the stopper was an inch past that and it was bouncing off the stopper. The cops stopped me with a road block the ticket I got was 130 mph. Pasengers were Mike MacLaughlin U of mMichigan. Peter Fowler Western U, and 3 others. It was fast. May not have been a 140. It was very fast and I left the Olds in the dust. It was in Georgia on the way to Fort Lauderdale.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:27:12 GMT

I think he's confused between miles per hour and the metric system.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 06:45:17 GMT

Originally posted by TheGoodSmith This question reminds me of an old friend of mine who used to own a 1960's VW beetle. When he saw a Vette on the highway he would speed up and pass it. Then he'd log a check mark on his sun visor. Amusing..... John Smith In 1955 I owned a 1955 Ford Fairlane 500 with a 4 barrel carb. It was a beauty, red and white. Every one would try to race me, when I was heading to the hall of fame in Fort Lauderdale a guy in an olds 98 went flying by me while I was driving at 110 mph Either my car was faster or he was afraid to go faster after I caught him I pulled away from him my speedometer was bouncing at 140 mph I left him in the dust.

RE: How Many Olympians

Former Member — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 06:04:34 GMT

This question reminds me of an old friend of mine who used to own a 1960's VW beetle. When he saw a Vette on the highway he would speed up and pass it. Then he'd log a check mark on his sun visor. Amusing..... John Smith

RE: How Many Olympians

Frank Thompson — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 04:56:02 GMT

Wow: George did you try to ditch the cops. I mean the cops stopped you with a roadblock? Now that sounds like what James Brown did many years ago. Except James had a blow out and he was riding on his tire rims. Make I ask what happened? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. You know the punishment, like jail or huge fine. Did you have to back to Georgia for Court? Did they try to take your License? Did they give you a break because you were Canadian? A swimmer? A World Record Holder? Tell us more about this excitement.

RE: How Many Olympians

aquageek — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 03:24:30 GMT

I'm just impressed you geezers can remember back that far.