How are the swimmers in the 800 and 1500 am to see what lap they are on. I just don't get it.
I just noticed Peter Vanderkaay look at the lap number just like an open-water swimmer sighting buoys/competitors.
I've been in one race where they counted like this: 2006 Worlds at Stanford. The officials counted for the 800 free. Yeah, it really is difficult to see the counter, but it's no big deal because you get the bell with 105 meters left in the race.
edit: did anyone watch Eric Vendt's 1500 prelim? Oh my! 14:50 and it looked pretty controlled. I honestly think he could flirt with a sub 14:40 swim tomorrow.
This morning Laura Jackson broke the American Record in the 50 M FR
the previous record was 24.53 held by Dara Torres
Laura went 24.50, her entry time was 25.14!
She was wearing a Blue Seventy Nero Comp
Gil Stovall's entered the 100 fly with a 52.84
He went 51.86 wearing a Blue Seventy Nero Comp and is seated 3rd behind Phelps and Crocker
Blue Seventy needs some marketing besides ande! It'd be nice if one of the announcers acknowledged the presence of another suit besides hyping the LZR. But fast to get into?!?! I saw a similar clip on one of the first nights of trials coverage where they were purporting to show how "difficult" it was to get into a LZR. The demonstrator took about 5 seconds. Not!
What did Dara go in the 50 free?
I wonder if some of the European or other swimmers not under contract with Speedo will switch to B70? A B70 rep told me Van den Hoogenband was trying it out.
I've been in one race where they counted like this: 2006 Worlds at Stanford. The officials counted for the 800 free. Yeah, it really is difficult to see the counter, but it's no big deal because you get the bell with 105 meters left in the race.
edit: did anyone watch Eric Vendt's 1500 prelim? Oh my! 14:50 and it looked pretty controlled. I honestly think he could flirt with a sub 14:40 swim tomorrow.
Look at you name dropping where you swam the 800 with the new counting method! Good job on competing at worlds. I will have to start testing this new counting structure at some masters meet or at practice one day.
If they come in bigger sizes to fit swimmers with Middle Linebacker bodies, I will promote the heck out of it. I kind of hope that Stovall sneaks in there like he did in the 200 fly. I just don't see Ian Crocker overpowering Phelps tonight.
Random notes from Trials...
---Dara did it! The crowd went wild. She's been getting big cheers here.
---John Naber interviews each athlete after they receive their medals. His first question to Natalie Coughlin was, "So, how does it feel to get beat by a 41-year-old?" There were gasps from the crowd.
---Ryan Lochte walked into our restaurant tonight after finals. The entire place erupted in applause.
---Bob Costas was in the restaurant, too. He's almost as short as I am...
---Speaking of short, the blond woman who is doing the swimmer interviews on NBC has to stand on a box when she's interviewing the swimmers.
---The event has been extremely well-organized. I heard comments to the effect of, "They should just make this the permanent home of the Trials."
---Dara carried her daughter to the stand for the awards ceremony. She put her medal around her daughter's neck. Her daughter promptly took it off and gave it back to her mom!
---They've had former Olympians on hand to present medals. Today we saw Jenny Thompson, David Berkhoff, Donna DeVarona, and Mark Spitz.
