Swimming to set up 'open category' for transgender athletes

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Swimming intends to set up an 'open category' to allow transgender athletes to compete in a separate class at the elite level, Husain Al-Musallam, president of governing body FINA, announced on Sunday. 

The policy will, however, exclude many transgender athletes from women's elite swimming. 

"I do not want any athlete to be told they cannot compete at the highest level," Al-Musallam told an extraordinary congress of his organization. 

"I will set up a working group to set up an open category at our meets. We will be the first federation to do that." 

He was speaking after FINA unveiled a policy on inclusivity which was then approved by the members. 

Brent Nowicki, FINA's CEO, said the organization was determined to maintain separate men's and women's competition. 

He added that FINA "recognizes that certain individuals may not be able to compete in the category that best aligns with their legal gender alignment or gender identity." 

Under the rules, he said, male competition would be open to all.

But "male-to-female transgender athletes and intersex athletes can only compete as female athletes in FINA competition, or set a world record, if they can prove they have not experienced any element of male puberty." 

In the debate that followed, Dr Christer Magnusson, a Swedish member of FINA's medical committee, was among those who complained that the implication was that boys aged as young as 10 would have to decide to start transitioning. 

Last year, the International Olympic Committee announced guidelines but asked federations to produce their own 'sport-specific' rule. 

FINA set up three expert committees, one medical, one legal and one of athletes, to look at the issue. 

The medical committee found that men who transitioned to woman retained advantages. 

"Some of the advantages males acquire in puberty are structural and are not lost with hormone suppression," said Dr Sandra Hunter of the Marquette University in Milwaukee. 

"These include larger lungs and hearts, longer bones, bigger feet and hands." 

The legal experts concluded that the policy of excluding most transgender swimmers would be legal. 

They were "necessary and proportionate to achieve a legitimate objective," said London-based barrister James Drake. 

For the swimmers, Cate Campbell, an Australian four-time Olympic gold medalist said: "My role is to stand here today and tell trans people we want you to be part of the broader swimming community ... but also to stand here and say... 'listen to the science'." 

In the United States, swimming has moved to the center of the debate over transgender women competing against natal women, as Lia Thomas has become the face of the issue. 

Thomas, a freestyle specialist, competed for the University of Pennsylvania, men's team from 2017-19. 

After transitioning and undergoing required hormone therapy, she raced on the women's team this season. 

Thomas became the first known transgender athlete to win an elite US collegiate title when she edged Olympic medley silver medalist Emma Weyant in the 500m freestyle in Atlanta in March. 

Agence France-Presse

Michael Phelps lauds Hungarian Milak after breaking swimming record

MANILA, Philippines — Swimming legend Michael Phelps congratulated Hungarian swimmer Kristof Milak after the latter broke a world record Phelps held for 18 years.

Taking to Instagram,Phelps praised the 19-year-old Milak.

"My hat's off to him," Phelps wrote.

Milak clocked in 1:50.73 in the 200m Butterfly during the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea on Wednesday.

He was 0.78 faster than Phelps' 2009 record.

Phelps first held the 200m Butterfly record in 2001. He retired in 2016 after a long and decorated swimming career.

source: philstar.com

Olympic gold medalist Schooling set for next phase at Asian Games

JAKARTA, Indonesia — The hardest lap for any swimmer is usually the one coming home.

That's when they have to try their hardest, giving it everything they have to get to the finish.

Singapore's Olympic gold medalist Joseph Schooling is about to discover what that means when he's not in the competition pool.

After spending the last nine years in relative anonymity in the United States, the 23-year-old Schooling is getting ready for the second half of his sporting career back in southeast Asia, knowing he probably won't be able to walk down the street or go for dinner without being noticed.

"It's everywhere but it shows that they support you and they're excited to see you, and so you can't complain," Schooling said. "You can never brush aside your fans. You've always got to reciprocate so I'm completely fine with it."

Schooling is competing at the Asian Games this week, where he has entered in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly, three relays and the 50 freestyle. He will bid to defend his title in the 100 butterfly on Wednesday.

Despite leaving Singapore in his teens to chase his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal, the island-state has always been in Schooling's heart. But so too has Texas, where he has been studying at University and training under the watchful eye of Eddie Reese.

Schooling will complete his economics degree later this year before returning to Singapore, but will take back two permanent reminders of his time in the US that changed his life.

One is the tattoo on his left shoulder of the University of Texas mascot, the Longhorn, with the words "come and take it" underneath. The other, inked after he won Rio, is the Olympic rings on his right bicep.

The Longhorns won the NCAA national title four years in a row while Schooling was on the team and he credits his time there for helping him win the ultimate prize when he beat American great Michael Phelps for the Olympic title in the 100 fly.

"It's great, it's a different atmosphere, great teammates," Schooling said. "I feel like it's the perfect environment for high performance."

Schooling wants to keep swimming through to the 2024 Olympics in Paris and, although he hasn't made a final decision on his training plans, he has spent the past few months practicing with Singapore's new high-performance unit and likes what he sees.

Australia's Stephan Widmer, who helped Libby Lenton and Leisel Jones win Olympic titles, has been appointed performance director at the institute while Gary Tan is the national head coach and Sonya Porter, who has extensive experience coaching in the US, is the technical director.

Schooling's biggest challenge could be how to deal with his celebrity status but after he held off Phelps on the biggest final lap of his life to date, he's confident he can manage.
"It takes some getting used to but at the end of the day if you focus on what you're doing and you don't care about outside distractions it's ok," he said. "I like being in that position and I don't see it as a burden at all."

source: philstar.com

Lacuna second to fall in Rio; places 46th in 400m freestyle

MANILA, Philippines – Jessie Lacuna is the second Filipino athlete to fall in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after finishing 6th in heat 2 and 46th overall in the 400m freestyle competition, Sunday morning.

Lacuna, one of the 50 swimmers to dispute the eight slots for the next phase, clocked 4:01:70, the second worst in heat 2. His finished 46th overall.

The 23-year-old swimmer from Ateneo de Manila University raced in a heat of seven swimmers.

His personal best in the 400m freestyle  is 3:59.75.

Venezuelan Cristian Quintero registered the quickest time in the same heat, but he wound up finishing 33rd in the final ranking.

American Dwyer Conor logged the best time of 3:43.42.

Lacuna, who currently holds the record 2015 SEA Games record of 2:00.9 in the 200m butterfly, is the second casualty the Philippine contingent suffered in the Games.

The Bulacan native also competed in the 2012 Olympics in London, where he ranked 36th in heat 2. He was the youngest athlete in that year's Philippine contingent.

Earlier, Ian Lariba bowed out of contention in the hands of naturalized Congo paddler and frequent training mate, Han Xing in the women's table tennis singles.

The Philippine crew is now down to 11 athletes.

Charly Suarez is next to see action. He will take on Great Britain's Joe Cordina in the men's lightweight boxing which begins Sunday, 5 a.m.

source: philstar.com

China celebrates first swimming golds and a world record

(CNN) -- China had cause for a double celebration on Saturday after winning their first ever swimming gold medal as well as setting a new world record in the women's 400m medley.

Sun Yang sealed a place in China's Olympic history with an impressive swim in the 400m freestyle final that was only 0.07 seconds off the world record to take gold.

Defending Olympic champion Park Ta-Hwan was leading at the final turn, but the 20-year-old Sun surged past his South Korean rival in the final length to seal a place in Chinese Olympic history.

"The feeling is very nice, it's beautiful. It's a big dream come true for me," said Sun.

"Because it's the Olympic Games, I felt a little bit nervous at the start, and then at the end, I felt that I could get a medal."

Twenty minutes after Yang won China's maiden gold medal, 16-year-old Ye Shiwen triumphed in the women's 400m medley, as well as breaking the world record set in Beijing four years ago.

Ye rounded off a sparkling day in the pool for China as she claimed the title with a breathtaking final lap of 28.93 seconds.

"I thought at the 200 meters that the race was lost, but then I realized I was in the top two or three and I was confident I could win on the last leg," said Ye.

"I dreamed of winning the gold medal, but I never ever expected to break a world record, I'm overwhelmed."

source: CNN

Lochte Takes Gold in Medley; Phelps Is 4th

LONDON — For nearly a decade Ryan Lochte chased Michael Phelps in the pool, picking up bronzes to Phelps’s golds. But all the while, Lochte has been closing the gap, second by precious second.

Lochte took away one of Phelps’s world records, then his world championships.

On Saturday night, he raced past him on the stage Phelps has dominated since 2004.

Lochte crushed Phelps and the rest of the field to win the 400-meter individual medley at the London Aquatics Centre, finishing in 4 minutes 5.18 seconds. Thiago Pereira of Brazil was second in 4:08.86, edging Kosuke Hagino of Japan, who won the bronze.

Phelps — trailing most of the race and caught by Pereira and Hagino in the freestyle, one of his strongest strokes — finished fourth, more than four seconds behind Lochte.

After the race, while Lochte lounged in the pool accepting congratulations from other swimmers, Phelps was the first one out of the water. He slowly walked across the pool deck, never glancing at Lochte. But Lochte said he later offered his congratulations in the locker room and thanked him for keeping the medal in American hands.

“I kind of made Phelps sound like a jerk, and I think he was just massively disappointed,” Lochte said.

Lochte’s victory over Phelps was his first in four head-to-head races at the Olympics dating to 2004, and gave him a leg up at last in their decade-long rivalry. Lochte was 10 seconds behind Phelps in the 400 I.M. at the 2004 Olympic trials, but had cut that deficit in half by the time he won a bronze behind Phelps in Beijing.

This year Lochte beat Phelps by 0.83 second at the trials, and his victory Saturday night seemed to signal that the torch-passing complete.

Phelps was trying to become the first man to win gold in the same swimming event in three consecutive Olympics, but he is not out of chances. He is also the two-time defending champion in the 200 individual medley — a race in which he will again face Lochte — as well as the 100 butterfly and the 200 fly.

His defeat was his first in an Olympic final since 2004, a run of 12 straight gold medals that has made him the most decorated Olympic swimmer.

The showdown between Phelps, the world-record holder in the event since 2002, and Lochte, his colorful heir apparent on the United States team, was the first marquee matchup of the London Games, but it almost did not happen. Phelps qualified eighth in 4:13.33, coming from behind on the final lap to touch out Laszlo Cseh of Hungary, a two-time medalist in the event, in their preliminary heat. Lochte, meanwhile, coasted noticeably in the final meters of his event, finishing in 4:12.35 but allowing Chad Le Clos of South Africa to surge past him.

Cseh, the silver medalist four years ago and the bronze medalist in 2004, wound up ninth, which meant he would not be able to contend for a third consecutive podium finish.

“I would not have thought this would have been the result,” Cseh said.

The preliminary times meant Phelps and Lochte, instead of staring at one another across a lane rope, were on opposite sides of the pool in the final, with Lochte in Lane 3 and Phelps in Lane 8. There would be no staredown, no “cat and mouse game,” as Phelps once described their temptation in their many duels. More important, Phelps would have a harder time tracking all of his rivals from his position far to their right.

“The only thing that matters is getting a spot,” Phelps said after the morning session.

source: nytimes.com

China claims first gold, Phelps and Lochte do battle

London (CNN) -- China claimed the first Olympic gold of the London 2012 Games Saturday, with a victory for 23-year-old Siling Yi in the women's 10-meter air rifle shooting.

Meanwhile, rival American swimmers Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte are set to go head-to-head in a battle that will be a highlight of the first official day of the Games.

And Albanian weightlifter Hysen Pulaku became the first athlete to be sanctioned for failing an anti-doping test at the London Games.

Pulaku, 20, tested positive on Monday for the steroid stanozolol, the International Olympic Committee said, and has been excluded from the competition.

Queen Elizabeth II, who officially declared the Games open late Friday, made an appearance at the Aquatics Center Saturday to watch the action.

Phelps and Lochte are competing in the men's 400-meter individual medley -- a race that combines four different swimming strokes -- after both made it through the heats to the final, Phelps only by a whisker.

The 27-year-old Phelps, who already has 14 gold medals from previous Games, is looking to add to his pot of Olympic gold.

Lochte, thought of as the biggest threat to Phelps, is hoping to live up to the hype.

The highly anticipated match-up has had many choosing sides.

Presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney said he was leaning towards Phelps.

"I think it's more likely to be Phelps but I don't know," Romney said Friday during the opening ceremony.

Legendary swimmer Mark Spitz, winner of seven medals at the 1972 Olympics, said he thinks Phelps' experience will help him in the grueling 400-meter individual medley.

"I put my money on Michael," Spitz said. "It's going to be a good race. Any time they are swimming together it is going to be a great rivalry. A great competition."

But the Phelps-Lochte race is not the only highly anticipated swimming showdown Saturday.

The hosts will get to cheer for their own when Hannah Miley competes in the women's 400-meter individual medley. Miley, who has been called one of Britain's best swimmers, could be challenged by American Elizabeth Beisel and Hungarian Katinka Hosszu.

Team USA's Dana Vollmer set a new Games best of 56.25 seconds in the heats of the women's 100-meter butterfly.

Britain's hopes are high for a medal in Saturday's 250-kilometer cycling road race, in which newly-crowned Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins is expected to aid fellow Briton Mark Cavendish's quest for Olympic gold.

Rowing, another sport in which Britain hopes to excel, also got under way Saturday morning on the lake in Eton Dorney, to the west of London.

Women's basketball begins

Beijing bronze medal winner Russia squared off against Canada Saturday as women's basketball got under way. Later in the day, Team USA plays Croatia.

All teams may be trying to keep the U.S. women from winning their fourth straight gold medal. In fact, at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the 2004 Games in Athens and in Sydney in 2000, the gold medal match-up pitted Australia versus the United States.

Australia, led by 6-foot-5 Lauren Jackson, starts play late Saturday against Team GB.

Women footballers get the ball, men take a break

Women's football comes to the fore Saturday as the men take a break, with Team GB taking on Cameroon fresh from the host nation's rousing 1-0 victory over New Zealand.

Some 25,000 fans showed up to Wednesday's match against New Zealand, the biggest attendance for a women's international match in Britain.

Current FIFA Women's World Cup holder Japan kicked off against Sweden Saturday, with both teams coming off Wednesday victories. Team USA plays Colombia, after surviving a scare against France Wednesday.

source: CNN

Olympics: Phelps seals another London berth

OMAHA - Michael Phelps booked himself into another event at the London Olympics when he won the 200 meters butterfly final at the U.S. swimming trials on Thursday (Friday, PHL time).

The greatest Olympian of all time remained on course to emulate his incredible eight-gold haul from Beijing four years ago with another powerful display in America's midwest.

Showing no sign of fatigue or weariness despite his grueling schedule, the 26-year-old powered away from his rivals over the final two laps to win in one minute 53.65 seconds, more than two seconds outside his world record but still the fastest time in the world this year.

"It's not a good enough time to win a gold medal, but I think I'm okay with it," said Phelps.

"Today was the best my stroke has felt throughout the whole meet. So, in all I'm pleased, but I think I need to go faster if I want to win that at the Olympics."

Phelps's Baltimore club teammate Allison Schmitt, who is rapidly emerging as a star in her own right, clinched her second individual swim in the English capital when she won the women's 200m freestyle final ahead of teenage sensation Missy Franklin.

Schmitt followed up her impressive victory in the 400m freestyle on Monday (Tuesday, PHL time) when she led all the way to win the 200m in 1:54.40, the quickest time recorded since synthetic bodysuits were banned at the end of 2009.

Franklin, who won the 100m backstroke final on Wednesday (Thursday, PHL time), finished second in 1:56.79 to seal her second individual swim and her third overall with the top six finishers all securing places in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Caitlin Leverenz won the women's 200m individual medley to earn her second swim in London after finishing runner-up in the 400m medley. Ariana Kukors, the world record holder, flashed home over the last length to grab second spot.

Favorite event

Phelps has now qualified for London in five events and barring any slip-ups, he will swim the exact eight-event program he contested at each of the last two Olympics, winning six golds and two bronze medals in Athens then eight golds in Beijing.

But of all his events, the 200m butterfly is his favorite and the one he has dominated the most. It was the only event he qualified for at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he was just 15 and it was the event where he set his first world record and won his first world title.

He won the event at five world championships, has held the world record for more than a decade and won the gold medal at the past two Olympics.

"This is my fourth Olympics Games in this event, so it's special to me, special to my family, special to my mom," Phelps said.

"I have a couple of weeks to perfect some things that I'm going to need if I want to end with a good one."

Tyler Clary, who had finished third behind Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the 400m medley, qualified for his first Olympics when he finished second.

Lochte qualified equal fifth fastest in the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle but later withdrew from the final because he is already swimming the 200m medley and 200m backstroke semis on Friday night.

Lochte could still swim in the 4x100m freestyle relay in London if his time in the semis is not bettered by at least five other swimmers.

"We made a plan going into this meet that I was just going to do semi-finals of 100m free and whatever happens, happens," he said.

Lochte's withdrawal provided a lifeline for Jason Lezak to swim the final. The 36-year-old, whose stunning anchor leg swim in Beijing set the platform for Phelps's record eighth gold medal, was a reserve for the final after qualifying ninth overall. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com

Swimmers' Itch

MANILA, Philippines — Swimmers' itch is an itchy rash caused by certain parasites that normally live on waterfowl and freshwater snails.

On warm, sunny days — especially in calm freshwater lakes or ponds — these parasites can be released into the water. During your swim, these parasites might burrow into your skin, where they cause the swimmers' itch rash. But, humans aren't suitable hosts for these parasites, so the parasites soon die.

Although uncomfortable, swimmers' itch is usually short-lived. The rash of swimmers' itch, , typically clears up on its own within a few days.

Symptoms

Swimmers' itch is characterized by:

Itching that may begin in just an hour or two, or as long as two days after swimming.

A red, raised rash.

Swimmers' itch usually affects only exposed skin — skin not covered by swimsuits, wet suits, or waders. The rash may appear up to 48 hours after swimming in infested water, but you may also experience itching without ever developing a rash. If you're exposed to the same parasites again, the rash might become more severe.

When to see a doctor

Talk to your doctor if you have a rash after swimming that lasts more than one week. If you notice pus at the rash site, consult your doctor. You might be referred to a doctor who specializes in skin conditions (dermatologist).

The cause of swimmers' itch is an allergic reaction to parasites that migrate from snails to ducks, geese, gulls, swans, muskrats, and beavers. The parasites then return to water through infected feces and eggs.

Swimmers' itch isn't contagious from person to person. You don't need to worry about "catching" swimmers' itch from someone who has the itchy rash.

Prevention

To reduce the risk of swimmers' itch:

Choose swimming spots carefully. Avoid swimming in areas where swimmers' itch is a known problem or signs warn of possible contamination. Also avoid swimming or wading in marshy areas where snails are commonly found.

Avoid the shoreline, if possible. If you're a strong swimmer, head to deeper water for your swim because you may be more likely to develop swimmers' itch if you spend a lot of time in shallow water.

Rinse after swimming. Rinse exposed skin with fresh water immediately after leaving the water, then vigorously dry your skin with a towel. Launder your swimsuits often. You might even alternate between different swimsuits.

Skip the bread crumbs. Don't feed birds on docks or near swimming areas.

Take care of your pool. If you have a pool, keep it well maintained and chlorinated.

source: mb.com.ph

'Shattered' Thorpe vows to swim on

ADELAIDE — Ian Thorpe vowed to press on with his comeback despite his dream of swimming in the 200 metres freestyle at the London Olympics turning into a nightmare at Australia’s selection trials.

Five-time Olympic gold medallist Thorpe said he was “utterly gutted” after missing out on the 200m final at the trials Friday and with it forfeiting the chance to swim in the event he once dominated in London.

Thorpe’s hopes of competing at July’s Olympics now ride on the 100m freestyle, with the heats at the trials starting on Sunday.

Even if he cannot finish in the top two, he still has a chance of racing in the sprint relay in London by finishing in the top-six.

Thorpe, who launched his comeback after five years out of the sport, took some time to console himself after his 200m heartbreak before facing the media to express his profound disappointment with his performance.

He trailed in 12th fastest in the semifinals and his time of one minute 49.91 seconds was almost six seconds slower than his 2001 world record of 1:44.06 for the event. Thorpe broke the 200m world record six times in his stellar career.

But Thorpe said he would continue his comeback, starting with his daunting challenge in the 100m where he will be up against world champion James Magnussen, former world record holder Eamon Sullivan and the cream of Australia’s top sprinters.

“I intend to. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve been doing. I’ve enjoyed training again, I’ve enjoyed pushing myself in the pool and I’ll keep on swimming until I feel I cannot get any more out of myself,” Thorpe said after Friday’s setback.

“After tonight it would be a lot easier not to, but I have another race and I think I have another couple of preparations in me as well.

“I won’t keep training unless I think I can do that (return to elite level). That’s the thing that has motivated me and it is the only thing that will motivate me in the future.”

Thorpe must first overcome his bitter disappointment to set himself up for a shot at the top six in the hotly-contested 100m freestyle.

“You never know. Of the two races, this will be the tougher one to qualify for. That’s the way that it is,” he said.

“It’s not going to be easy, this whole thing was never going to be easy.”

Asked if his comeback had been worth the considerable effort, Thorpe said: “After feeling like that, the first thing is that it would have been a lot easier to have not even tried.

“I think it’s better to attempt something and fail than it is to not even attempt it, so I’m glad that I’ve been prepared to put myself on the line there.”

Australia head coach Leigh Nugent said Thorpe was an “enigma” and he felt for him.

“I feel for Ian. High performance has all sorts of risks to it. You’ve got to go with it and as he said it’s like a fairytale or a nightmare and last night Ian expressed it was a bit of a nightmare for him,” Nugent said at the pool on Saturday.

“Ian brings everything. He brought so much exposure, criticism, accolades, everything to Australian swimming.

“The guy is an enigma here and he’s like no one else in how people respond. The pool was packed last night and I haven’t seen that with anyone else here.”

source: japantoday.com