Q and A with Brendan Hansen!

I figure here at BHO, if nowhere else, he is a man who needs no introduction. If you need clarification, check the bio/stats page. And for all you trick-or-treaters here's a little eye candy from myself and Peter Bick, who is on his way to the Galapagos Islands, btw. Click on the image below to get the larger wallpaper sized version.




1. How's the training going right now and what are your short and long term goals?

Training so far the season has been great. I have been healthy physically and with the nice little break after Nationals this summer I have come back refreshed and ready to go. Right now my short term goals are to race as much as I can and swim in more meets than I have in the past leading up to the summer. In the past I have always been in great workout shape but when it came to racing it took a few races to get back into the groove and I don't want that. Long term goals have to be the Olympic Trials and Olympics. Yeah Baby, it's about time it's Olympic year. Anyone else tired of talking about '04? I am ready to make some new memories.

2. Approaching Olympic Trials this time you are in quite a different position than 4 years ago. Not only the World Record holder in both events for 3 years running but also an obvious favorite to win. Does that change your game plan as you approach Omaha? What kind of competition schedule are you planning for this year? World Cup/Grand Prix meets? What about SC Nationals next month?

My game plan never changes when I go into a meet and I think that's one of the reasons I have stayed so consistent over the years. I just work really hard in training and go into a meet convinced that I will swim fast because no one does the kind of training that my team and I do. My schedule this year will be filled with more meets including Grand Prix in Long Beach and Missouri. I will do the Texas Invite in December because there is nothing better than swimming fast in that pool, then close out the season with the American Short Course Championships which is in the middle of March and then fine tune things for the big summer.

3. You had some challenges with illness in Melbourne and poor air quality in Indianapolis but still a very successful season. How do you feel about the year overall? Did you come out of it feeling frustrated that things didn't go more easily for you or reassured that you can compete well in challenging circumstances? Or something else entirely?

To be honest I don't really look back on this year that often. In the big scheme of things I didn't really care for it. It was tough getting sick in Melbourne and Nationals wasn't that much fun either. I just figure if I concentrate at all on the past then I am not giving 100% towards the future and that's been my main concern ever since I left Athens.

4. We haven't heard from you in so long - please catch us up on how life is treating you in Austin. How are you spending your free time these days? What was the best non-work related thing you did this summer?

Yes, I know. I apologize but the last thing i want to do when I leave the pool is anything related to swimming. One of the reasons I am still in the sport today is because I can keep that separation. Austin has been so good to me over the past 7 years which I can't believe by the way. I still own a house south of town and yes I still mow my lawn, pull weeds, fix sinks, lights, etc. All the joys of owning a home.

One of my new hobbies that i picked up in March is archery. I have really enjoyed it. There is a local Archery Shop in Austin called Archery Country that if I am not at home or the pool thats where I will be. It's a great stress reliever and allows me to be outdoors more.

The best thing I did this summer had to be vacation with the fam. Obviously, over the past couple of years it's gotten harder and harder to get the whole family together partly because of me being in Texas. So it was nice for us to relax, maybe rent a pontoon boat and putz around the lake with a cooler of appropriate "Lake Beverages".

5. Halloween season is just around the corner. Do you stay home and give out candy or make Chappy and Dale do that while you go out and party? What is your costume going to be this year? Do you decorate? Carve pumpkins? Dress your dogs up?

We used to carve pumkins but we always did it too early before Halloween so they looked bad once Halloween night came around. I usually stay home and I am not going to lie, I give out the best candy. I am that house all the kids talk about. I will probably have 30 to 40 trick or treaters that night. It's fun but as far as dressing up the dogs, yeah right I can barely keep a collar on 'em.

I have to agree with Brendan - It's time to make some new Olympic memories.

What's Your Halloween Candy Personality?

So tomorrow is the big day, and if you're anything like myself you've already been dipping heavily into the Halloween candy and are questioning if you still have enough or should you go buy more...decisions, decisions...

According to the Washington Post I'm a Generous Soul, my mom was happy-go-lucky and my son is a truly demented sicko. Sounds about right to me. ;)

Go see what your Halloween candy personality is.

PS - Brendan's Q and A goes up tomorrow!

Q and A with Jason Lezak

Jason Lezak grew up in Irvine, California and started swimming with Novaquatics when he was just 5, but he also competed in a lot of other sports and was apparently a pretty good soccer, baseball, water polo and basketball player. At 10 he was forced to choose between a baseball event and swimming at the Junior Olympics and swimming won out. He was forced to choose again in high school and after dropping basketball his times improved enough to earn him All-American honors and a scholarship to UCSB. In the years following college he established himself as a top sprinter winning 7 US Championships, numerous World Cup events and World Championship medals, and making 2 Olympic teams winning 2 gold, a silver and bronze medal. He was part of the WR setting 4x100 Medley Relay team in Athens, along with Brendan of course, and also holds the American Record in the 100 meter free (LC).



1. Where are you training these days and how is it going?

I'm training in Irvine most of the time, but I also train at Rose Bowl where my team is that sponsors me. Training is going really well and I'm looking forward to the upcoming year.

2. You had an amazing anchor leg in the 4x100 free in Melbourne. Do you think swimming the fastest relay leg, as well as swimming faster than every other swimmer in the pool, save Magnini, should put to rest all the talk of your age?

I hope so but I still hear talk of it. I have seen other people have success at an older age and as long as I understand what I can and can't do with my body in training there is no reason I can't still swim fast. It is difficult at times because I want to work harder but my recovery takes longer so sometimes I need to back off.

3. You had a really controversial DQ in Paris this summer. Were you ever given an explanation? How do you feel about swimming going to video review for officials like it's used in other sports? How do you refocus after something like that and move forward?

The explanation that was given to me after I wrote a long protest was that according to the starter, "I am 100% sure of movement". That's it and nothing else. They told me before the protest I was wasting my money and I wouldn't win the protest. I think having instant replay would be great in situations like this because there are very few times when they would actually have to use it (Unlike in the NFL where it seems like the games take forever because coaches are always challenging). It took me a couple weeks to calm down after that happened but fortunately it wasn't the Olympics or Olympic trials. I just needed to put my focus on next year where it really matters.

4. What activities do you enjoy when you aren't training? Have any hobbies?

I used to love to play basketball but the last thing I need is to roll an ankle so over the last several years I've been strictly an observer. I split season tickets with my cousin to the Lakers. Besides that I would have to say just relaxing and enjoying some TV with my wife.

Getty Images

I can't get over how young Brendan looks in that photo. That Medley Relay race was so exciting and perhaps the most memorable for me from Athens. It was great seeing the guys come out and just dominate the race from start to finish. If we're fortunate we'll see it happen again in Beijing with the same 4 guys. How great will that be? Read more about Jason at his official website and wish him luck this season and at Trials.

Breaststroke officials apparently liberated from actually officiating!

Wow. I occasionally check out the Collegeswimming.com website, because you know, I'm not just in it for the pretty pictures, I like to read and stuff too. So anyway, they have a thread about Greek Breaststroke Champion Romanos Alyfantis and I have to say, this video just FLOORS me. Mrs. H, you'll want to take a drink and sit down before watching...



The shocking part isn't that he is dolphin kicking on every single stroke but that not a single official called it and he won! And the absurdity doesn't stop there. A Slovenian swimmer (Emil Tahirovic) and his coach point it out to the officials and get no where, so the Slovenian goes and swims the same illegal stroke in another event, breaking the Slovenian record in the 50 Breaststroke (later having it annulled) just to make a point. Now UNESCO is awarding the Slovenian the Fair Play award for his efforts to expose cheating. Craig Lord at SwimNews has more about it here and here.

So who is most at fault here? The Greek swimmer? His coach? Or the officials who are supposed to be protecting the integrity of the competition and the athletes participating? Throw those officials in swim JAIL!

ETA: John Lohn has something up at Swimming World now as well. Read it here...

Q and A with Joanna Fargus

Joanna "Jo" Fargus was born in Hong Kong, raised in Australia, competed for Great Britain at the Sydney Olympic Games and educated at the University of Southern California. She's since made the switch over to the Aussie National team and won gold for them at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

She's a 200 backstroke specialist, a six-time All-American and former co-captain of her USC team and a former teammate and roommate of one of our favorites here at BHO, Kaitlin Sandeno. Some might think she's kinda gorgeous too.

Enjoy!


One of my photos from Speedo Grand Challenge last year

1. What are your goals going into this season? Is training in an Olympic year much different that training any other year?

Going into this season, my main goal is to swim at the Olympic Games and represent my country to the best of my ability. But obviously I have to make the team first, so our training right now is geared towards racing fast at our Trials in March. I think if you ask any athlete, I think they'll tell you that their training is different in an Olympic year, mainly because of the added pressure we place upon ourselves. The content of the training we do probably isn't very different to other years, but there is a special pride attached with the Olympics that makes us push that extra bit each day. My aim is to go into the Olympics knowing that I have done everything in my power to achieve my best possible result. I think that is the definition of success.

2. How is training different for you in Australia under Coach Cotterell than it was under Mark Schubert at USC and the ever controversial Bill Sweetenham in Great Britain? How is your training going?

Well, I am now training with Stephan Widmer up in Brisbane. I moved to his squad right before our World Championship trials in November 2006. Training with Stephan is amazing, but initially I was shocked at how different it was to my previous programs. I loved my time at USC and wouldn't trade my experience there for anything. Mark taught me so much about myself as an athlete and a person, and I am very thankful for the opportunity to swim at one of the best programs in the US with an amazing group of people. I also trained under head coach Bill Sweetenham in Great Britain, but the main difference Australia has to offer in comparison with the UK is its overwhelming culture of sport. The support system down under is highly conducive to success, and training with Denis Cotterell was a great factor in my achievements at last years Commonwealth Games. Denis is not only a great coach but he is a wonderful person. He truly cares about his athletes and I can't thank him enough for what he did for me as a swimmer. After a while, however, I felt as though I needed a change in my life, so I moved to Brisbane to train alongside Libby Lenton and Leisel Jones. I love the work we do with Stephan, it's so different to anything I have ever experienced in a program before. He challenges us every day, takes us out of our comfort zones and the program is very race oriented. The first 3 months in his squad were a huge shock to my system, but now I'm seeing the positive effects it's having, which is extremely exciting in the lead up to next year.

3. You suffered a very serious ankle injury back in 2002 and struggled a bit after that. What advice can you give other young swimmers experiencing similar difficulties? What got you through the low times?

Breaking my ankle was one of the hardest experiences of my swimming career. It happened just as I was maturing as an athlete and as I was rapidly improving. I struggled for a long time, more mentally than physically. It took me about 18 months to get full strength back in my leg, but it took me a lot longer to regain the confidence I had previously. If I could give advice, it would be to just to stick it out. Keep pushing yourself, get a good support system around you and just try to take it one day at a time. It's very frustrating being injured, and as the stubborn person that I am, I wanted to be better immediately. But being mad at myself wasn't going to help things, so I decided to just focus on small goals I wanted to achieve and do everything I could to reach them. I was training under Mark Schubert when I injured myself, and I consider him a great influence on my recovery. When most people were assuming I would retire or were writing me off, he had the utmost faith in me and celebrated every little step I made on the long road back to my best. Also my friends and family were so supportive of me, and I don't think I could have stuck in this sport without them to keep me level headed throughout all the hard times.

4. You're stranded alone on a tropical island with nothing but a tiki hut and a cache of rum...which 3 swimmers would you invite to join you? Which ones are good for a fun island vacation?

A cache of rum!!! Sounds like a party to me.
Well firstly I would invite Kaitlin Sandeno. We were freshmen together at USC and have stayed great friends throughout the years. I don't get to see her very much, mainly at international meets but I love her to bits and you can always count on her to cheer you up when you're down or to get the party started!!! Secondly I would invite Mel Schlanger. She is my training buddy and an awesome girl. We are so alike, it's quite scary, and she is always there to cheer me up if I'm having a bad day or bring me down if I'm wound up. Thirdly, I would invite Ryk Neethling. (I don't think a reason is required here, but 3 girls on a tropical island would definitely need some eye candy!)

5. What's the best thing to eat Nutella with?

Well, being the Nutella addict that I am, I would have to say that it is without a doubt the best food ever created. No question. It is good on fingers, toast, crackers, bananas, pancakes, french toast... the list is endless. I don't think there is anything it wouldn't go with. But the best thing to eat Nutella with is a big spoon straight from the jar.

News Limited picture - Jo at the Australian Swimmer of the Year Awards

Honestly, what is with all the Ryk Neethling love? Give me Markus Rogan and zero competition with that cache of rum and let the good times roll!

In all seriousness, Jo sounds like a really level headed athlete who has perservered and I'm sure we'll see great things from her in Beijing. Best of luck!

Q and A with Milorad "Mike" Cavic

Although Milorad (Mike) Cavic competes for the Serbian National team he's a home grown Southern California boy who swam for Novaquatics growing up and graduated from Cal Berkeley (with previous Q&A participant Duje Draganja). Still young at only 23, he's already had a great deal of International experience swimming at both the Sydney and Athens Olympic games and on numerous World Championship teams. He's a former World Record Holder in the 100 meter short course butterfly and silver medalist in the 50 free at the 2003 European SC Championships. Currently training at the Race Club with Gary Hall, Jr. and numerous former Cal Bear teammates, he will almost certainly be representing Serbia in Beijing next summer and looking for a spot on the podium and some Olympic hardware.

You know, I hate to use "best" or "favorite" when talking about any of the Q&A's we've been blessed to have here at BHO, but I will say that this one is definitely a Top 5 contender (If I dared rank them, which I would never do).


Photo courtesy of Milorad "Mike" Cavic

1. This will be your third Olympic season. Can you describe for us what your first Olympic experience as a young and impressionable teenager was like? What advice would you give swimmers coming into their first Games? How do you handle all the distractions and excitement and stay focused on racing?

My first Olympic experience was a scary one. I was 16 years old and was competing for what was then the Yugoslav Olympic team, and I didn't know what to expect. I knew I wasn't capable of making a final, but I figured I had plenty of time ahead of me, and that I needed to use the opportunity to feel the atmosphere, breathe it in, and get ready to experience the power of the scene. Well, long story short, I didn't do very well but what I came away with was one of the greatest things in my life - I felt like I overcame a great obstacle and that was myself. I felt I had the ability to race against anyone in the world and even though they might be better than me, I wasn't going to let their image or abilities intimidate me from swimming my own race!

My advice to an Olympic rookie is this - Although there are a lot of distractions at the Olympics, if you're seriously thinking you have a real shot at doing something great, turn your head away from those distracting things. There will be time for fun after the swimming is over, and you should have plenty of time to do anything you want considering swimming is the first week of the games. When you're at the pool, imagine the stands being full of people and try to feel the energy shooting down at you from all sides, because it's how it will really be. It's an incredible feeling, so you might as well let it fuel you in your race!

2. You train with an amazing group of swimmers at the Race Club. How competitive does the pool environment get? Does it ever feel like UC Berkeley - South Campus with all the Bears down there?

Its a real privilege to swim with the Race Club, we've got a lot of fast people, and a lot of cool guys to work with. Its pretty safe to say its competitive down here, but its that way with a lot of sprinters who think they're pretty good. I like to talk a bit of trash to raise the stakes and energy before a lactate swim, but its always all in fun, everyone understands that. I honestly don't have the feeling that I'm still at Cal because its a completely different environment (always warm here whereas in Berkeley its usually cold 7-8 months of the year)... but having Mike Bottom, Duje Draganja, and Nathan Adrian around is real nice during Cal Football days.

3. What is it that keeps getting you up and into the pool every morning?

After almost retiring from the sport last year, I had a lot of time to think about my goals in life and what I wanted to do, and I realized that I was still very capable in swimming and that I really wanted to be on that medal podium at the Olympics in Beijing. Now that I'm done with school its much easier training and recovering than in the past, but I really feel deeply that I'm going to be better than ever. It doesn't hurt that I have a great coach who tries to keep the whole training experience interesting, so going to workout isn't such a drag!

4. What do you love to do when you aren't swimming?

When I'm not swimming, my favorite pastimes are eating and sleeping! But for health reasons and reasons of trying to keep a life, I'm not able to do that all the time, so I like to watch movies, play xbox 360 with the guys, and go spear-fishing as much as possible. Whenever we play games we're always playing against each other so we're always in competition even outside the pool, its great! Gary Hall Jr. is not as bad as one would think!

5. You aren't just a pretty face but a very well educated one as well. What was the last book you read and how was it?

Thanks for the compliment :) The last book I read was not too long ago, and I want you to know it doesn't reflect my thoughts or beliefs, but I read a book on starvation/fasting called "Gladovanje" by a russian author. It was in Serbian I should add... basically I'm fascinated by the medical implications of healing through fasting. Its pretty controversial, but really interesting... It'd take me a few paragraphs to explain some thoughts behind it, but I'll just save you the energy of having to read it. :)

Photo courtesy of Bottomline Aquatics

So now I not only have to buy the book, but learn Serbian as well. GREAT! I love that photo of him spear-fishing so much I can't even tell you. Next week, Jo Fargus and Jason Lezak! We MIGHT even get some answers from Brendan before too long. Stay tuned...

Q and A with Tara Kirk

I can't possibly list all of her accolades so I'll do my best just to quickly summarize. Tara Kirk possesses an accomplished NCAA career in which she is the only woman in history to have won the NCAA 100 yard Breaststroke Championship all 4 years and was named 2004 NCAA Swimmer of the Year. She holds American records in all breaststroke distances both short course meters and yards, three National titles and is the only woman to have gone sub-58 in the 100 yard distance. She has a 2004 Olympic Silver medal in the 4x100 Medley Relay and countless World/International Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the 50, 100, and 200 Breaststroke distances, both short course and long course. In addition to her numerous athletic accomplishments, she is one half of the first sister duo to qualify for the US Olympic Swim Team (Athens 2004 with sister Dana) and she holds a Masters degree from Stanford in Anthropological Sciences where her master's thesis was entitled "Reflections: Using Avian Influenza to Investigate the Pandemic of 1918". Pretty freaking impressive.


AP Photo - Tara accepting the 2003-2004 Honda-Broderick Cup

1. How do you feel with where your training is overall right now? Are you still tweaking your stroke/training program or do you know what needs to be done and it's just a matter of implementing now?

I think that I am still working on maintaining my stroke, especially when I get stressed out. I know I have a pretty good stroke but sometimes I slip into my old habits. I have to be constantly vigilant to prevent that from happening. As for training, I think that I'm coming around on that. The fall was rough but after making the realization of "If I keep training like this, I'm not going to make the team" things have been going A LOT better.

2. Ok, the question I'm asking all Breaststrokers...How have you adapted to the new dolphin kick and what were your feelings regarding the rule change? Overdue or unnecessary?

I'm still working on getting as much from the dolphin kick as possible. If everyone is going to do it then I am going to try and do it the best. As to whether I like the rule change or not - I'd rather have the dolphin kick legal for everyone to do than have one or two people cheating and getting away with it. It would have been better if the officials could just call it but if they weren't calling it then the only option was to make it legal.

3. Are we all going to die from bird flu?

No, I don't think that we are all going to die from bird flu. But I wouldn't totally discount it either. Over recorded history, influenza has proven itself to be both ever changing and deadly. The best way to prevent disaster is to invest in a better health care system, that way regardless of what comes our way, we are ready to respond.

4. Your sister Dana is both your National team and Stanford teammate, as well as a great cheerleader for you. Is she your secret weapon at a big meet?

No, Dana isn't my secret weapon at a big meet. She is my very obvious weapon (chocolate is my secret weapon). Usually, I swim great when she's there cheering for me. However, I get stressed out when she is swimming because I want her to do well so badly.

5. Give us the wedding scoop! When is it going to happen? What kind of dress? Church or outdoor? Who is the lucky guy?

The lucky guy, Greg, is currently a grad student at Stanford. We met while we were both undergrads and living in the same campus run house (kind of like a frat house but run by the university with 25 guys and 25 girls living there and an awesome chef to cook us food). As we say at Stanford, it was dormcest. Greg and I are tentatively thinking of a wedding date in August 2009 at a resort in Washington where they do weddings a lot. I just don't want to be stressed out by the event so I wanted a place where they would take care of almost everything. I haven't looked at dresses yet but I am eliminating anything puffy. I am to stocky already to have anything that makes me look any wider.

Photo courtesy of lala - Tara and Brendan kick it at Duel in the Pool

The women's breaststroke events at Trials will be insanely competitive, dare I even compare the women's breaststroke field to the men's backstroke field? Tara's 2007 World Silver medal in the 100 Breast certainly demonstrates her ability and I know we all wish her the best of luck. Be sure to check out her Blog over at WCSN.

Q and A with Felicia Lee

Felicia Lee is one of our up-and-coming National Junior Team members who will be competing in her first Olympic Trials next summer. Training under Paul Yetter at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club she's already won two National titles in the 100 fly and just finished up a very successful summer winning her first international gold at Junior Pan Pacs and traveling with the US team to Japan for their new Grand Prix event. Sports Illustrated has already recognized Felicia in their "Faces in the Crowd" section and has predicted her to be a future Olympic star. I'm not going to argue with them.



1. Going into this year which are you most excited about - your first Olympic Trials or your 16th birthday?

Haha, that's pretty tough. I would have to say I'm more excited about my first Olympic Trials since that only comes around once every four years and the opportunity to race in one of the fastest meets ever is definitely exciting. But then again I'm pretty stoked about my 16th birthday because I can have a sweet sixteen party and finally being able to drive.

2. You are probably what some would call a long shot for a spot on the 2008 Olympic team but you've often been called a precocious swimmer and you have quite a precocious coach as well. What is your attitude going into your first Olympic Trials and what goals have you set for yourself?

Going into trials, I'm just going to have fun, be confident, and swim the best that I can. Basically I want to treat trials like any other national meet. As for goals, again, I just want to swim to the best of my ability and see what happens from there.

3. You had a great summer of firsts representing the United States on your first Junior National Team and winning your first international medal in the 100 fly at Junior Pan Pacs. You also swam a new personal best of 59.46 in the 100 fly at the Japanese Grand Prix. Was this your breakout year or will everyone be looking at 2008 as the year Felicia Lee took the pool by storm?

The past year has definitely been great for me. Representing the US was an awesome experience and I hope I can do more of that in the future. As far as the breakout year, I feel that this year was a learning experience for me and I know I can improve on certain things with my stroke. So after some adjustments, I'm hoping next year will be my breakout year.

4. Much like Brendan, you don't have to look far to find inspirational training mates. How does being in the pool with swimmers such as Katie Hoff and Courtney Kalisz effect the way you train?

Being in the same pool and training with Katie and Courtney definitely affect the way I train. Having the best swimmers in the country training with you creates this competitive atmosphere in practice, and I love it. Katie and Courtney, as well as the other members of our training group, are there pushing me and motivating me to swim faster every single practice.

5. The latest trend is to ask for the top 5 hottest male/female swimmers, but I'm more interested in hearing some other superlatives.

Nicest?

Elizabeth Beisel and Katie Hoff

Funniest?

Hands down, it's gotta be Allison Schmitt.

Smartest?

Tara Kirk

Most likely to win 8 gold medals in Beijing?

Probably Michael Phelps.

ok, ok....Hottest?

Haha, Ryan Lochte.

Felicia also asked me to give a special shout out to our own Timtheswimmer. He's famous like that y'all.

Tara Kirk up next week!

Q and A with Megan Jendrick

Megan Jendrick is a two time Olympic Gold Medalist and ten time US National Champion. As one of our top Breaststrokers, she's going to be fighting some stiff competition to make the US Olympic team, but her 2007 World Silver medal proves that she's got more than enough talent to do that and more.


Photo credit: Nathan Jendrick

1. You had an amazing first Olympics, winning two gold medals in Sydney and then JUST missed making your second Olympic team in 2004. Now you have another shot at it. What have you learned about yourself since 2004 that will help you in 2008?

I think the biggest thing I took away from 2004 Trials was that my confidence level has to be 100% on. To be entirely honest, going into Long Beach, I wasn't sure that the training I had received in the couple of prior years was what I needed to make that team. It wasn't a comfortable situation I came out of; I was training by myself and the atmosphere wasn't one that just urged high-level swimming. In 2000 if someone asked me about making the Olympic team I said, "Yes, I'm going to make the team." In 2004 it was, "I hope so." Now, going into 2008, it's back to "Yes, I'm going to make the team." I think you'll find just about every athlete at our level who does great things has that same attitude, and I think it's necessary.

2. You were dealing with several stress fractures back in 2006. Have you fully recovered from them now? How is your training going?

I have actually been dealing with multiple stress fractures since very early 2005. They hurt all the time (one in my knee, two in my opposite fibula) and aside from affecting my training in the pool, they pretty much rendered my lower body useless when it came to dry land training. For quite awhile I couldn't even walk long distances without pain.

The longest break I've had since coming back to swimming was just over two weeks, and my doctors say I need 6-8 weeks off at the least, assuming I haven't made them worse, to let them heal. Obviously, that isn't going to happen, but for the most part the only one that still bothers me is in my knee. When it's really flared up, pushing off the wall is extremely painful, but most of the time it's ok. My trainer has had to do some major revamping to my weight routines since I can't do squats or leg pressing movements, but luckily he's very good and has found a way to have me get all of the work I need in with movements I can do.

3. A question I've been asking all the breaststrokers - How do you feel with the new dolphin kick on the pull-out? What was your feeling about the rule change - Overdue or unnecessary?

I could actually answer that both ways. At first I was against it merely for the fact that it just doesn't seem right to have a dolphin kick in breaststroke. In that sense, I feel it's unnecessary because breaststroke had so many beautiful components on its own without it. But in the way of it being overdue, I think they had to add it to make it fair. The athletes who were doing it when it wasn't legal were cheating those who were swimming fairly, and they weren't getting disqualified for it. So, to make it a level playing field, it was one way to do it. It was either that or really step up the officiating of the rule, which may have just caused a lot of problems, I don't know. But, just like morning finals, it's one of those things we can complain about now but that won't change anything, so we adapt and everyone has the same requirements.

4. FINA has pretty much said that underwater cameras in officiating is inevitable but that they won't have it in place for Beijing despite already testing them last season. How do you feel about the addition of underwater cameras?

I would love to see underwater cameras in officiating. We already know of one major butterfly race that would have seen a different gold medalist, and there are some breaststrokers too who do several dolphin kicks during their actual race but don't get disqualified for it. I think it could do a lot of good. As for there being a delay, I'm not sure why it would be hard to implement. There are already dozens of cameras on the bottom of the pool and so many ways to watch them, but I'm sure they have their reasons, one of which may be differentiating what is considered "Natural movement" of the legs after the kick. Whenever they do get put to use though, I say it's for the better.

5. Are there any other athletes you've met during your career that made you feel a little starstruck?

Just two. Leading into the Sydney Olympics, I was on several occasions in newspapers and on television, called the "Muhammad Ali of swimming" because of the things I said. Ali would say what he was going to do, and then go and do it. I feel I did the same leading into Sydney and at the Games themselves. Well, then I saw him in person, and I was so much in awe that I couldn't even introduce myself! Then, awhile back, Jack O'Callahan (1980 US Olympic hockey team) was doing a presentation, and even though I've been asked for my autograph thousands and thousands of times, I was too nervous to ask him for his!

You can read more about Megan on her website or go over to Swimroom.com and check out her blog.

Ian Crocker's SwimRoom.com Blog Ranked Top Five by Sports Illustrated

Read this over at Swimming World...

Lang Whitaker of Sports Illustrated's web site, SI.com named Ian Crocker's blog on SwimRoom.com his fifth-ranked athlete blog on the web, as reported here.

Whitaker wrote the following about Crocker's blog:

...This US swimmer knows how to write and makes everything he posts worth reading...

Whitaker also ranks Rod Benson (basketball), Curt Schilling (baseball), Gilbert Arenas (basketball) and Moritz Volz (soccer).

Nice! Although Jason kindly abbreviated the full quote about Crocker...

Ian Crocker: This US swimmer knows how to write and makes everything he posts worth reading...even if he's posting about swimming.

Now, was that last part really necessary?

Q and A with Joe Bartoch

Joe Bartoch is possibly the hottest Canadian to ever come out of London, Ontario. Heck, I'll take it a step further, Joe Bartoch may be the hottest Canadian EVER. So, I must ask, where is his SwimStars blog? Why hasn't he made the Timed Prelims "Who's Hot" list? (An obviously flawed polling method is being employed. Come on...Aaron Peirsol? ;)

Joe is a member of Canada's Senior National Team and is a favorite to make their 2008 Olympic team next summer...his first. While at UNLV he set new school and conference records in the 100 free and 100 fly and as a Senior was the Mountain West Conference Swimmer of the Year and a three time All American. He led the UNLV Rebels to back-to-back league Championships in 2005 and 2006 and swam on 13 conference championship relays. He was known by his teammates as both a comedian and a leader. While finishing up at UNLV he was also making his mark on the Canadian National and International scenes by winning the 50 free and the 100 fly at the Ann Arbor Grand Prix and achieving a new personal best and provincial record at the Pan Pacific Trials (53.13). Now a graduate he is training full time and has just finished up a busy summer winning a Gold medal in the 100 fly at the Canadian Swimming Championships, finishing 2nd in the 100 fly at the Bell Grand Prix and traveling overseas to compete in the Pan Am and World University Games.

Joe Bartoch's time HAS COME! Spread the word.



1. When was the first time you thought to yourself "I can make it to the Olympics" and how does going into the Olympic season as the number one Canadian flyer help/hinder you if at all?

The first time I thought that I could make it to the Olympics - would have to come from the 2004 trials. I was like .8 off the relay time standard and came second after Mike "Tank" Mintenko. It really opened my eyes because I had no expectations for that meet but had a huge drop so I knew that I was going to commit for the 2008 trials. I knew Mike was not going to stick around that long so I felt if I waited it out my turn would come. Coming into this year I am not the "overall" fastest anymore. Daryl Rudolf had a breakthrough summer dropping more then a second to claim the fame. This takes pressure off me now as it's hard to be the number one guy (it's harder to defend a championship than it is to fight for one). So now I have something to strive for again. This summer I was just on my bests [in the 100 fly] but had some best times in other events...so I am looking forward to training this year as I know what I have to work on.

2. Can you take us through a typical training day for you?

A typical training day starts at 4:30 with breakfast then in the water from 5:30-7:30...then it's back home for another breakfast. I sleep during the day unless I have stuff to do. Usually, I wake up again at 2, eat lunch then head to the pool for a 3:30 to 5:30 afternoon workout, then it's home to eat dinner. Then there are my weight training days and dry land training days scattered throughout the week. The key for me is LOTS OF SLEEP!

3. Now that you've graduated from UNLV how do you spend your time when not training? Do you coach? Have hobbies?

I spend a lot of time in bed, hahaha. I graduated from UNLV with a PE degree and a minor in coaching. I have volunteered to work with the University of Western Ontario's swim team that is amalgamated with my club team the London Aquatic Club. So I am getting my foot in the door for my life after swimming. I am really excited and can't wait to be a coach! As for hobbies...still working on that. I hang out here and there with friends but spend a lot of time with family. I am working on getting involved in the "Big Brother/Big Sister" organization.

4. Unlike many other sports, swimmers seem to come from swimming families. Is that the case with you as well? Were either of your parents swimmers? Your siblings? How did you get involved in the sport and how old were you? I've read about Team Bartoch shirts in the stands - how important is that support to you at a big meet?

Yes, I definitely came from a swimming family. I have three older sisters that all swam before me. We grew up with a backyard pool and spent a lot of time at the beach. My parents were definitely not swimmers, but were both pretty good athletes growing up. I started with the London Aquatic Club when I was 4, I was a nationally ranked breaststroker WAY back in the day for my age group believe it or not. Anyway, one of my sisters still swims masters but the others have long forgotten the swimming ways but have put their kids into the sport. Swimming has always brought my family together which is awesome. Team Bartoch started back in 2004 during trials. My mom made shirts for all my family and extended family and it's just continued on and has become a symbol of our togetherness as a family. It extends far beyond swimming now. It's hard to have my family there. I put a lot more pressure on myself to perform. I want to make my family proud.

5. You have at least 2 tattoos. Can you tell us about them? When you got them and for what reason?

I got "polska" when I was 17 with my sister..she got one and I got one (she got a sunflower, not polska hahaha). I am half Polish, Bartoch is from the Polish side. I was raised to have a lot of pride and so I am really proud of my heritage especially of my grandparents that were forced labour during the war. So I grew up to respect my name and show it off with pride. The one on my back is Japanese. It means "Swimming"...my coach at UNLV (Kunio Kono) is from Japan. We clicked so well it was sort of in honor of him. HE tells everyone it is "Kunio Kono". hahaha

6. What was your favorite halloween costume you have worn..and how old were you?

I can't really remember my costumes, hahaha. This year I am dressing up as a boxer with these muai thai kick boxing shorts I got in Thailand and one of my Team Bartoch robes.

You can see more of Joe in the Gallery.

Q and A with Duje Draganja

Yves Herman/Reuters/Corbis

As a kid growing up in Croatia Duje Draganja missed a year of school due to civil war in the former Yugoslavia and trained in a pool that had bullet holes in it. Now at 24 he's a Croatian National hero and International medalist many times over, including a 2004 Olympic silver medal in the 50 meter free and a Gold at 2006 SC Worlds in the same event. At the age of 17, after an accomplished swimming career in Europe that included seven gold medals at the European Junior Championships, he was recruited by Mike Bottom for Berkeley and went on to be an All American and set an NCAA record in the 100 yard free. He won 10 Pac-10 swimming titles and 8 NCAA National championships before graduating in 2005 and is now training down in Florida at The Race Club with Gary Hall, Jr. and several of his former Berkeley teammates.

It was rumored earlier this year that Duje would be switching his nationality to Qatar and competing for them in Beijing so I took the opportunity to ask him about that, and a few other things...

1. How is your training going? Are you still training with Mike Bottom?
Are you excited about the possibilities going into this Olympic season and
how is it different from any other season, if at all? Can you clarify if
you'll be swimming for Qatar or Croatia in Beijing?

It is going well. I am training with Mike Bottom (who is now head coach of Croatian swimming team) down in the Florida Keys at Race Club. We have an interesting team and it is a lot of fun so far. Next season will be different just because it will be a season full of events. There are 2 European championships (long course and short course), as well as Worlds and Olympic games. I am swimming for Croatia, never left the national team although a lot of journalists tend to write differently and in sensationalistic manner and that is why I choose not to talk to them a lot because they will always have their version of the truth.

2. I read two articles saying you'd had surgery over the summer just
before the Paris Open where you won the 100 fly. One said back surgery
and the other said shoulder surgery. Which was it and how have you been
recovering?

I did not win 100 fly in Paris. I did not even swim that event. I had shoulder surgery this winter, in January, because I tore two ligaments in my shoulder when I slipped on ice and landed on my shoulder. I have been doing 3 months of rehab after a surgery. Daily I would spend 6 hours in therapy as well as 2 hours at the pool and I think that is what got me back in the game.

(I read the article wrong - it was the prelims of the 50 fly he won. I shouldn't be allowed internet access after I've had more than one margarita! - Michelle)

3. This will be your third Olympic games and you're still very young for a
sprinter. Many of the guys on the blocks next to you are now in their
30's. Do you think you'll stay in the sport that long or do you have
other plans for yourself?

I don't know what will I do when next year ends. I will prepare for Europeans that are being held in Croatia in December 2008 and then I will see how things will go with my endorsements as well as my motivation. I have been in top 20 since I was 17 so I always felt younger than everybody and it actually motivates me a little bit more.

4. How difficult has it been to live away from your family? Have they had
many opportunities to see you swim?

My parents have followed me all around the world so they have seen me win most of my medals. However it has been hard to study and live in USA for last 7 years because of them and my sisters who are younger and I feel I missed an important part of their lives.

5. What is your favorite meal back home and what is your favorite meal in
the states?

For some reason I enjoy bagels in the US the most as well as those visits to In N Out burger. Croatian cuisine is extremely rich because throughout the history we had had many different influences (Italian, Austrian, Hungarian and Turkish) so different parts of the country have different traditions in preparing meals. I love our fish as well as some wild animals that are prepared in the hunters style of cuisine.

Many thanks to Duje!

I just want to remind you guys that even though this is a really slow time for swimming news, it's in fact a very busy time for these swimmers who are all intensely preparing for the season and exhausted so it's amazing that they are doing this for us.

New video and article!

The new multi-media issue of Swimming World Magazine is now available online and features a video interview with Brendan and Buzz Hansen as well as one with Peter Bick and much more. You'll need to have premium access to view them which means purchasing a subscription if you don't already have one.

Something that is accessible to all though is a new article about Texas Swimmer and National Champion, David Walters, written by our own SARAH!

Here's a snippet...

SwimmingWorldMagazine.com Spotlight: David Walters -- October 2, 2007

By Sarah Galbavy

WEST ISLIP, New York, October 1. SPRINTS are often a game of chance and timing, and the 100 free at the last ConocoPhillips National Championships in Indianapolis was no different. With a heavy-hitting lineup of Nick Brunelli, Ryk Neethling, Roland Schoeman, Peter Vanderkaay, Neil Walker, Garrett Weber-Gale and Ben Wildman-Tobriner in the field, there were quite a few contenders for first place. It was obvious that it would be a tight race for the win. But, the man who clinched it had the majority of the crowd asking, "Who?"

snip

SWM: Speaking of preparation, you swim at the University of Texas, with some pretty impressive teammates. What is that training environment like?

DW: Well, you've got 10 junkyard bulldogs that get into two lanes. So, on a regular day you can have Ian Crocker, Brendan Hansen and Eric Shanteau in your lane, and you want to lead the lane because that's when you do your best and work out. Everyone's constantly fighting in work out. I think it's really paying off.

Go read the whole thing! Great job Sarah...can't wait to read more from you.