Namesnik Gallery Updated

Megan Romano - Photo Credit: Peter Bick

I've added the last of my photos from Sunday's finals and a few select shots by Peter Bick to the gallery. You can see more of Peter's fantastic photography at his website.

Summer Vacations....

I think most of us are now officially out of school for the summer (or have kids/clients/neighbors who are out of school) and I've heard some of you have pretty cool plans for the summer. Erin just left for Spain, Brendan went to Argentina, Tim is going to Wolverine Swim Camp, the H's went to Jamaica, and the list goes on. I'd love to hear what everyone has going on this summer.

Aaron Peirsol went to Austria to visit his backstroke buddy Markus Rogan for summer vacation and did a little modeling while there...

Vienna's Life Ball turns attention to young AIDS victims

Trevor Rains and Richie Rich -- the New York designer duo known as Heatherette -- designed the costumes for this year's extravagant fashion show, which will take place on a giant red-ribbon shaped catwalk, half of which will consist of an ice-skating rink, in front of Vienna's City Hall.

Grammy-award winning singer Mya, actor Adam Brody from the TV series "The O.C," French football star Christian Karembeu and his model wife Adriana, Lance Bass and JC Chasez of former boy band N'Sync, porn star Jenna Jameson and New York's number one transsexual Amanda Lepore will be among the celebrities modelling the flamboyant outfits.

Aaron Peirsol


Markus Rogan

I'm hoping my own vacation photos are a little different than Aaron's. Crowns give me headaches.

Some Weekend Links

Speedo Grand Challenge this weekend
Athletes scheduled to swim include Amanda Beard, Jessica Hardy and Tara Kirk. I can't wait to see the Breaststroke results. I think lala is going - maybe she'll post some photos for us.

Jose Meolans to Retire After Beijing Olympics

Win a trip to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing through the Make a Splash Sweepstakes

Tracks suggest dinos could swim

Olympic Trials tickets to go on sale TODAY

OMAHA - Officials of the Omaha Sports Commission, USA Swimming, City of Omaha and Qwest Center Omaha announced today that approximately 9,000 all-session tickets to the 2008 Olympic Team Trials for Swimming, set for June 29 to July 6, will go on sale Thursday, May 24, at 10 a.m.

Tickets will be available at Qwest Center Omaha and the Center's ticket outlets, online at ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 402-422-1212 in Omaha and 402-475-1212 in Lincoln.

Only all-session tickets will be available for purchase. Three price levels have been established -- $475, $375 and $275. An all-session ticket will include seven daytime preliminary sessions and eight evening finals sessions. Officials are working with Visa, a long standing sponsor of the U.S. Olympic Team, and said that tickets for the Olympic Team Trials for Swimming must be purchased using cash or a Visa card. No other credit cards will be accepted for the Trials.

Last one to order their tickets is a rotten egg!

Gallery Update

I've begun adding photos from the weekend to the "Other Swimmers/2007 Namesnik Memorial Gran Prix" gallery. So far I've only made it through Friday's prelims and a few of my favorites are below. Tim took over the camera for a little while and got a lovely shot of Megan Romano. Ryan Lochte may have cut and run early but I got quite a few photos of him in the short time he was there, and I took several of one of my favorite Canadian swimmers Joe Bartoch.


Photo Credit: Timtheswimmer


Photo Credit: Michelle


Photo Credit: Michelle

Final Day of Namesnik has come to an end...

I have to admit that Blair and I skipped prelims last night in favor of Shrek 3. We did make it for finals this morning though and there were a few fun races to watch. It's always great to see Mike swim the mile. Last year he looked like he might throw up on the pool deck when it was over but this year he was obviously improved finishing 2nd to Vendt with Margalis finishing 3rd.

Another race we really enjoyed was the ladies 200 fly. Jemma Lowe from the Welsh team not only set a new pool record but a new Welsh National record in a really gutsy swim out touching Kim Vandenberg and Kaitlin Sandeno who finished 2nd and 3rd respectively.

In other races Peter Vanderkaay took the 100 Free, Chris DeJong the 200 Back and Katie Hoff the 200 Breast. You can find full results at Swimming World Magazine and USA Swimming.

I'm posting a few pics here on the blog for now and will add more to the Gallery when I get home and have a chance to sort through them all. Peter Bick was a rockstar and let me borrow one of his big lenses and even hooked me up to some strobes during today's relay so I got some nice shots. It's been fun hanging out with Blair, Lala, Peter and Tim again and going to the Dairy Barn in Milan (Tim's hometown) yesterday afternoon for a belated Birthday celebration. Tim's family has graciously invited us all over for dinner tonight and then we all head home in the morning. Ann Arbor is such a beautiful town that I almost wish I could stay a few more days and see more of it. There's always next year!


Michael Phelps


Michael Phelps


Katie Hoff


Jemma Lowe


Chris DeJong


Peter Vanderkaay

Evening Prelims are Hell on Earth...

Having now experienced 2.5 days of morning finals I have to give it a thumbs down. Speaking solely from a fan POV, morning finals lack excitement and enthusiasm and it's damn near torture to sit through 4-5 hours of prelims at the end of a long day - I can only imagine what it's like for the swimmers. The big guys seem to be doing a little better than the rest at dropping their times from prelims to finals but for the most part finals have been a good deal slower than prelims and swimmers and crowd alike are moving around like a bunch of people who just woke up. It's going to take more than some loud music to get everyone pumped up and ready to go.

So, aside from that, looking at the positives...the results may show this meet as one ruled by Wolverines but for some of us it's been all about Ryan Lochte's suit and his issues with it. I've never seen a swimmer spend so much time adjusting himself on deck. It's a great looking suit though - a shade of white that seems lit from within and it says Brazil on the butt in blue. The price one pays for fashion.



Another highlight has been the appearance of the littlest Vanderkaay, Dane.



A future Michigan swimmer you think? Certainly the cutest Vanderkaay so far.

For those of you looking for things like results and split times, you can find them at Swimming World and USA Swimming. In all honesty, the only swim that had any excitement was the 400 Medley Relay where Michigan's Allison Schmitt had an amazing final leg to give Wolverines the win over Georgia.

Nike Fall Swimwear Photo Shoot

SwimmingWorldMagazine.com has some video up of the Nike Catalog shoot that took place in Arizona last month. They don't talk to Brendan (???!!!) but he's in the video and they have interviews with Kaitlin Sandeno, Aaron Peirsol, Maritza Correia and Whitney Myers.

They look COLD.

Ann Arbor is gorgeous and we've been having a good time. Kaitlin won the 200 IM and 400 Free this morning and Mike won the same events on the men's side. Vanessa Garcia and Derrick Roe won the 50 frees. I'll get photos up after prelims tonight and post them in the other swimmers gallery.

Some Links for you...

20 Questions with Ben Wildman-Tobriner

10 Did I hear correctly that you are headed for grad school?

Ben: Actually, I am applying to medical school right now so things in life are moving along, and everything is exciting. I'm glad to be moving onto the next level, though. I've had a great time in my career at Stanford.

Reserve your copy of Go Swim Backstroke with Aaron Peirsol. I believe Brendan's DVD is due up next.

Eric Namesnik Memorial Grand Prix Psych Sheets Available

And that's where I'll be this weekend, along with Blair, lala, Timmeh and Peter. Y'all meet us at the Dairy Barn in Milan. Good Times!

Happy Birthday Michelle!

It's that time again and this year our lovely Jessieka has put her imagination to work and come up with the best birthday presents ever for our girl Michelle! Thanks Jessieka!

FCST Site has more photos from Clinic

They only have five photos up as of now, but maybe they'll add more later. I like this one. It looks like it was really hot.


Photo credit: First Colony Swim Team, 2007

Happy 21st Birthday Megan!

Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks to Erin we have some great photos from yesterday's Nike Swim Clinic in Sugar Land, TX. She'll be sending me some videos later.







See more in the Gallery!

Happy Birthday Steph R!

Brendan at FCST Nike Swim Clinic Today

According to the website this clinic is open to everyone. They say "Come Join Us For A World Class Time!"

"Brendan Hansen (current World Record Holder in both 100m & 200m Breaststroke and 3X Olympic Medalist) will visit with our swimmers to give his insight on strokes, drills and the world of swimming. "

Hosted by:

First Colony Swim Team
Colony Grant Lake Pool in First Colony
2475 Robinson Road, Sugar Land, TX 77479

Clinic Times: Clinic 1: 10:00-12:00 pm
Clinic 2: 12:30-2:30 pm

What to Bring: Suit, Goggles, Towels and be ready to have a good time.

Cost: $5 for FCST Swimmers/$10 for non-FCST Swimmers (Payment will be paid the day of the clinic)

For more information you can email Coach Erin Huson at fcstnikeclinic@yahoo.com or call the FCST Hotline at 281-265-1385.

Thanks to Erin for letting me know about this!

Great New Podcast up from USA Swimming

Do you have an imaginary friend now?
Yes.

What is his name?
Aaron Peirsol.

Summer Nationals

Since there seems to be a fair size group of you planning to attend Summer Nationals I think I'll go ahead and add it to the BHO Get Together schedule of events in the sidebar and start a thread with hotel and meet info to help you guys organize (that would be THIS thread). It really can save you a great deal of money to hook up and room together, not to mention it's always so much more fun as a group event than on your own. Unfortunately, it falls during the time I'll be in Italy this summer and I won't be able to attend (I know, how dreadful for me ;) but I've heard from at least 4 of you who are saving your pennies now and I believe Peter will be shooting the meet as it's in his hometown so that's five already.

Ok, important links for you guys:

Indiana Swimming Website - Order tickets here.
Official host hotel info, as well as alternatives.
Official Meet Book from USA Swimming - this has the schedule of events and such.
Volunteer Info - those of you going might want to consider signing up to volunteer.

I can kind of help y'all out initially but it would be great if one of you would like to take control of getting a count of who is going and wants roomies and make hotel reservations, etc. Once I'm gone June 5th, I'm not sure how much help I can be.

Brendan Hansen Online now syndicated!

So what that means is you can add us to your newsreader service, if you use one, and be notified whenever I've got a new post up without hauling your cookies to BHO 10 times a day (although it really makes me feel loved and special when you visit BHO 10 times a day and I'd never tell you to stop xoxox). Just click on the little orange logo up above in the URL field or click on the link in the sidebar where it says "Subscribe to Posts".

And for our first syndicated story how about one about Brendan! Only I don't really have one of those so I'm posting something that is tangentially related to Brendan instead and that is this...

FREQUENT FLYERS SULLIVAN AND RICKARD RACING TO BEJING

Spelling error is theirs although maybe Aussies just spell Beijing differently than we do, I dunno. Anyway, why this is related to Brendan, aside from Rickard being a Breaststroker, is that it talks about Rickard doing the Mare Nostrum series this summer and one of Mare Nostrum's press releases listed Brendan as a participant as well, so maybe we'll get to see an early Rickard/Hansen match up. Having said that, two later press releases made no mention of Brendan so maybe we won't.

20 Question Tuesday...

I think it's about time we started campaigning for a new Brendan one! But in the meantime, the last 2 Tuesdays have had some pretty interesting subjects in Larsen Jensen and Jason Lezak.

From Larsen's we learned that he'll be graduating from USC soon and is moving back to Mission Viejo to train, that he and Grant Hackett are friends and he has a great deal of respect for him, that he's doing an internship with UBS and looking at it as a career after swimming is over. My favorite answer from him...

You are one of the most intense young men I've met in my life - yet every time I see you around kids, I marvel at how you smile and make them feel - where does that come from?

Larsen: I think that you can be very intense in the pool and out of it be personable and approachable. I know what it's like to be a kid seeing your favorite athlete and have that person not give you the time of day - that isn't the athlete I would ever be. If kids are seeking me out like that and asking advice, I will be there for them. I don't care if I've had a bad race or if I'm tired, that's not the kids' problem. Besides, the kids always give me a boost, so I always want to make sure they have a good time, and leave our interaction with a good feeling, because that's something they will remember for a lifetime. And for those of us who have that opportunity to be a role model, it's an honor, and needs to be treated that way.

Jason is asked about training on his own, and the fan mail he receives but seems to warm up most when asked about his beautiful wife...

15 What does your wife think of your job?

Jason: She likes the lifestyle, and I'm able to be home a lot. She's in school, so when she's done with that, we'll get even more time together.

16 I see you having eight kids - two full relays - sound about right?

Jason: Yeah, (laughs) right. We're thinking maybe two, but nothing until she finishes her nursing degree. Seeing so many of my friends having kids in the recent past has made me think about it more, but we have some unfinished things to take care of first.

17 A nurse. Shouldn't every swimmer marry a nurse?

Jason: (Laughs) She's a great teammate. It's so nice to have someone who has your back all the time, and getting over some things from the (2004) Olympics really helped me recover. It's funny because she supports me, and I support her. She took some time to figure out what she wanted to do, whereas I've been swimming for nine years. So it's been a great deal for both of us. I'm very fortunate.

18 You and your wife - do you shop a lot together or cook together?

Jason: The shopping thing, forget it. That's one of the things I hate to do in life. And to be honest, neither of us are good cooks. But we are getting better at it, and one of the things I really enjoy is when she gets home from school late, I'll cook for her.

It's always interesting to hear more about their lives and interests outside of the pool.

Yay it's Monday!

My swimming instructor is polite enough not to ride on my back and whip me with a stick, but in so many other ways this video is uncomfortably familiar...



(Grabbed that link while checking out Uinnista.)

Belated Happy Birthday to Bee!

Gallery Update

Lala has FINALLY (j/k) gone through her photos from Worlds and uploaded her shots of Brendan to the BHO Gallery so we can enjoy them here as well as at Deckchange.com.

Here's one of my favorites...



See the rest in the Worlds Gallery

Spotlight on Aaron Peirsol Online

PHOENIX, Arizona, May 6. IN the final edition of our four-part series on swimming fan sites, SwimmingWorldMagazine.com takes a closer look at Aaron Peirsol Online (APO). In the first part of the series, APO owner/operator Doerte gave us some insight into her background, and in the second part, we looked at Ian Crocker Online. In the third piece of the series, we checked out Brendan Hansen Online.

In the final part, we run the rest of our interview with Doerte:

What do you like the most about running your fan site?
Doerte: It's a way to support the sport and my favourite swimmer, to connect with fans all over the world, talking about what we all share: A love for swimming. I like being in contact with other fans of the sport and of the athletes, to be able to trade information and stories about attended meets or experiences. It's international, and I get a lot of points of view about things. It is very interesting to know what people in different countries are thinking about certain things.

Running a fan site showed me where to find the most reliable sources, where to look for results, where to look for meets (where they are held at and what to do when I want to attend a meet).

Read the rest at Swimming World!

Spotlight on Brendan Hansen Online

PHOENIX, Arizona, May 5. IN the third of our four-part series on swimming fan sites, SwimmingWorldMagazine.com takes a closer look at Brendan Hansen Online (BHO). In the first part of the series, BHO owner/operator Michelle told us a little about herself and talked about opening up the site, and in the second part, we looked at Ian Crocker Online.

Today, we turn the spotlight on BHO. Unfortunately, the subject of the site was unavailable to talk due to a vacation, but he often comments on the site. Additionally, most of his family members sometimes participate in discussions on the site as well.

Here is the rest of the interview we conducted with Michelle:

What do you like the most about running your fan site?
Michelle: The people I've met without question. We have a great community of fans from all over the world and I've met many of them face-to-face and loved every one. Also, meeting Brendan and having the opportunity to spend time with his family who have all been really kind to me. I also get to meet and talk to media people like Jason Marsteller, John Lohn, Peter Bick and Rowdy Gaines. The swimming community as a whole (swimmers, coaches, fans and reporters) tend to be just incredibly positive people.

Read more of my answers at Swimming World!

Spotlight on Ian Crocker Online

PHOENIX, Arizona, May 4. IN the second of a four-part series on swimming fan sites, SwimmingWorldMagazine.com turns the spotlight on Ian Crocker Online (ICO). In the first part of the series, ICO owner/operator Sarah introduced herself and explained how she got involved in the site.

Today, we publish the rest of the interview we had with Sarah.

But first, let's hear from the man himself on what he thinks about the site.

"I think ICO is great," Ian Crocker said. "My parents sometimes find out where I am on any given weekend by going to ICO or sites linked from ICO. I think sites like ICO are really great to help build swimming. Places like SwimRoom, which I am a part of, and ICO as well as the other fan sites really help fans to learn more about the athletes. They really give an insight into the personal side of our lives."

What do you like the most about running your fan site?
Sarah: What I've enjoyed most about the site is really watching it grow. When I started, I thought of it as something that a few of my friends and I could enjoy, but as the months passed I started getting visitors from all over the world. It's amazing to think that (hopefully) in some small way I am helping Ian, and the sport of swimming itself be more recognizable. When I check the site stats and there are visitors from all over the world or when I get e-mails from people from China, Hungary, etc., it makes me realize that it's no longer just something I'm doing for myself for fun.

Read the rest at Swimming World!

Wheee! Nice job Sarah! BHO is up tomorrow y'all. Stay tuned!

Baby I'm a STAR!

Well, ok, maybe not so much a STAR(!) as just one of a few fan site owners featured in a new article at SwimmingWorldMagazine.com. Myself, Sarah (ICO) and Doerte (APO) were all interviewed by Jason Marsteller about the details of our starting and maintaining our fan sites and he will be publishing our answers in a series of articles coming up and potentially talking to the objects of our affection to get their thoughts.

The first installment is HERE.

So, after reading the article, come back here and tell me what you think. Were my answers better than Sarah and Doerte? Tell the truth, they were, weren't they? Did I sound as fabulous as I am in person? And perhaps most importantly, could you tell by my answers that my new haircut is really ?

Amanda Beard to Pose for Playboy

I'm a little conflicted on this one. We keep hearing about how Amanda is back in the pool training and she's getting ready for Beijing, etc. but she's an absolute no-show at competition time. I've suspected she's just been stringing along her sponsors (and consequently her fans) until we finally get an official retirement sometime in 2008. You know, like right before Trials. It seems like Amanda's need for press coverage gets more and more desperate each year and she loses more and more clothing - Maxim, FHM and now Playboy. It takes focus away from the amazing athletes that are still in the pool competing and training. I don't want to see even 2 minutes of coverage taken away from more deserving athletes at trials so that Rowdy can talk about Amanda Beards' modeling career, Playboy cover and retirement. Ok, I guess I'm not so conflicted after all.

SwimRoom.com and stuff

Nike needs to do something like this. I love it. Be sure to check out the video page and Crocker has a great podcast up where he talks a little about his Texas teammates.

Money Already Spent: Lenton Denied Again
Well, THAT's pretty crappy.

Klete Keller Returning to USC

USA vs. Europe? Looks that way.

Brendan is in Argentina with his brother bird hunting (keep a look out Lena) and that's all the news I have for you on him these days. Hope he's having a good time!