Swimming Blogs - Chris DeSantis

This week I'm going to tackle a few topics in one post. I'd also like to add that I am wearing the aretyreedo lazerpowerskintripwire x while posting today. I was given a prototype of the suit by the manufacturer and I've already witnessed a 6% reduction in typing drag. Other bloggers are complaining about my access to the suit, while raising suspicions about other enhancements I have made to start posting twice a week. I'm denying all allegations despite my 100% improvement in writing ability.

Speaking of improvements, Eamon Sullivan ruined my entire post into his rapid improvement by dropping the WR in the 50 down to a ridiculous 21.28 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcbyU2iZ_iA). I say ruins because I can no longer say the improvement of Crocker in 2003 and Meagher in 1981 are comparable to Sullivan. He's inching his way into Michelle Smith territory, although he's not quite there yet. And to be clear, I mean Michelle Smith type improvement. No drug accusations here.

If however, you find yourself inclined to debate whether Sullivan, Alain Bernard, Stephanie Rice (The new WR holder in 200, 400 IM) or anybody else who's dropped a lot of time is a doper, you should go to http://www.theraceclub.net/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=1 or http://www.collegeswimming.tv/viewtopic.php?t=3009

There was a pretty fast SCY meet this weekend called NCAA's. In terms of coverage there was some good and some bad. On the good side, kudos to Swimming World for offering a live webcast and some video of the meet. While I struggled to get webcast working on my computer, I enjoyed watching some of the videos after the fact. Hopefully they can keep this kind of coverage going.

On the bad, did anyone try to use the live scoreboard this weekend at www.ncaaswim.com? After I think four mouse clicks I was given the option of loading the scoreboard window by window. So after each heat I would close my window then open a new one. And it crashed repeatedly. Here's hoping that someone at Colorado sees how seamless and user friendly the live timing is www.omegatiming.com and learns something. I know it might be a bit nitpicky but I love great live coverage of a swim meet and I think most fans have become a bit spoiled in that regard. Thats definitely not a bad thing.

Lost in the results a bit was Yale's own Alex Righi, who finished runner up to Cesar Cielo in the 50 and 100. Alex now enters his senior year within shooting distance of the American records in both events and as the favorite after Cielo declared himself a professional following the meet. I saw Righi swim twice this year and I have been meaning to get a post up about the greatest freestyler of his generation, Don Schollander, who also attended Yale. I'm still trying to decide who my personal greatest male swimmer of all time is so I can write a companion piece to the one I did about Ragnhild Hveger earlier this year.

Lastly, I urge you to check out what Mike Gustafson is cooking up over at swimnetwork.com. He's expanded the Swimmers Ear into a tv show called Chlorination. If you find yourself bored with ten minutes to spare, go over and check out an episode.

Later this week: I'll be back with something more focused!