U.S. Olympic Trial tickets on sale

The Omaha Masters have a very good program and a great coach (Todd Samland). Information can be found at www.omahamastersswim.com . There also used to be a Masters program (and probably still is) at the University of Nebraska Omaha. Check out USMS places to swim for more details. www.usms.org/placswim/placswimform.php?LMSCID=29

I am the President (for life) of the Omaha Masters Swim Club. I will move up on my list of things to do finding a pool for Masters to swim in while they are here in Omaha for the Trials next year. I will keep you all posted and will try to have some ideas before Convention. Look my at at Convention because I hope to have lots more information to share with you then. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Omaha or Nebraska in general. I know that our fearless leader (Rob) would like to think he can answer all but he has been gone for so long that he probably will not even recognize Omaha. I would guess that the hotels that are within walking distance of the Qwest Center were booked solid months ago.

Don't think you will find any rooms at the hotels within walking distance of the Qwest. I am sure participating athletes and administrators took all long ago.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about Omaha or Nebraska in general. I know that our fearless leader (Rob) would like to think he can answer all but he has been gone for so long that he probably will not even recognize Omaha.Thanks Erin!!!!!! And what do you mean I’ve been gone so long!?!?:cane: By the way does the Pony Express still have a station downtown?

Published Friday, September 21, 2007 Mini-ticket packages on sale for swimming BY RICHARD EGAN OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER Ticket sales for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha are expected to get a boost with the release of mini-session packages. "We've just gone on sale with mini packages after quite a bit of feedback from people who were thinking we're sold out, and that's not the case," said Harold Cliff, the chief operating officer for the June 29-to-July 6 event at Qwest Center Omaha. Approximately 5,000 full-session packages have been sold, Cliff said. About 11,000 seats will be available for each session. Once installed, the temporary swimming pool will cover the first 10 rows usually used for Qwest Center events. "Until we released the mini-packages, the only tickets that were available were full-session," Cliff said. "Early sales have been really strong, and the full-session packages will still be available." There are three mini-packages available: • Sunday-Monday, four sessions (morning and night each day), $84 and $112 per seat. • Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, six sessions, $126 and $168. • Friday-Saturday-Sunday, five sessions (no Sunday morning session), $105 and $140. Cliff didn't have any numbers on how the mini-packages were selling. "The intent," he said, "is to give local people who aren't into seeing that much swimming — eight days worth — a chance to come out and enjoy what's really going to be a great event." Cliff said single-session ticket sales are not planned. "We're hoping not to have to," he said. "We'll see how well the mini-session sales go, and then make that determination later on, much closer to the event." Cliff stressed that with preliminary heats beginning in the morning and the top eight swimmers in each day's event advancing to the finals at night, there is no "best day" to attend. "It makes a great Christmas present," Cliff said. "There's not a bad seat in the house." Cliff said he expects crowds to include far more out-of-towners than locals. "There will be at least 1,000 athletes," Cliff said. "We estimate that 3½ people will accompany each individual, including family and followers. There are 18,000 hotel rooms set aside for bookings, and that's a very large number of people for a city this size." The 2004 Olympic Trials in Long Beach, Calif., held in a parking lot near the Pacific Ocean with seating for 10,000 per session, sold a total of 110,000 tickets. The week will feature 26 events, but no relays. Generally the four fastest swimmers in a particular event will make up an Olympic relay team. Adding to the pressure facing participants, each country can enter only two swimmers per event in the Olympics. That means a third-place finish, which usually means a trip to the medals stand, won't cut it. Cliff said the sessions will be identical to the Olympic program, including the atmosphere. He declined to detail the plans. "That's a secret, but I can tell you: People will want to come back," he said. Cliff recently returned from a trip to the Myrtha pool manufacturing headquarters north of Milan, Italy. "We were checking out the newest technology for things like setting it up," he said, "and it was a good trip." ---

The below message is from Erin Sullivan of Omaha, for those going to the Olympic Trials (as spectators): Hi All, I have been looking in Omaha for workout time for Masters swimmers during the week of the Olympic Trials. I need some feedback from you. I have found a pool that currently has lanes available from 5:30 am 8:00 am. I thought I would shoot for a 1 hour workout although we could go for 1 ½ hours. I can reserve 5 lanes from 6am 7am (someone already took one of them). We could have all 6 lanes for the first 30 minutes if we start at 5:30am. Also, how many days? I can reserve for 8 days (Sunday June 29th through Sunday, July 6th). How many folks do you think would show up? How much do you think I should charge? If I charge $5/hour I would have to be guaranteed that 15 swimmers show up so I do not lose any money. Also, do you think there should be a coach on deck each morning with a pre-determined workout (this definitely makes the most sense to me) like we have at convention? I am going to continue to check on other options and will let you know. Just wanted some feedback regarding how much interest you really think there is. Thanks, Erin Sullivan