"Hear me for my cause and be silent that you may hear! Believe me in mine honor and have respect to mine honor that you may believe!" - Brutus, William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar
Olympic Swimming Legend Gary Hall, Sr. talks with Ryan Lochte about training, racing and his chances in the London Games. Young swimmers, pay close attention to the part about the importance of racing especially during the toughest parts of your training programs.
2011 witnessed what I like to call the renaissance of technical swimming. Some may argue that this rebirth started a year ago in 2010--when the high-tech full bodysuits were officially banned from competitions. However, to use the metaphor of the phoenix, 2010 was the death of the fully grown bird and its rebirth as an infant. 2011, on the other hand, was the phoenix's first flight; it's baby steps to reclaim its former glory. With all that has transpired last year, no other metaphor could be so apt. That said, here is my top five epic and memorable swimming moments of 2011.
5. Brendan Hansen wins the 100 and 200 breaststroke in the US Nationals
When Brendan Hansen announced his comeback to swimming, he did not receive that same fan-craze or media-frenzy that Ian Thorpe got when he announced his. However, being a highly decorated swimmer and former World and Olympic Record Holder, USA swimming was more than pleased with the idea that one of the most dominant breaststrokers who ever lived will be attempting to gain more Olympic glory. Especially when USA's breaststrokers have not quite been able to pick up the slack Hansen left when he quietly retired back in 2008.
Some have doubted his endeavor as impossible borderline hopeless but after USA's Nationals, Hansen showed the world that his current swimming prowess matches his mental focus in possibly making the US National team. With impressive wins in the 100 and 200 meter breaststroke and with times near his best, the last surviving member of the original Texas Trio stable is still a force to be reckoned with.
"Hello, boys! I'm back!"
Brendan Hansen Wins the 100 meter Breaststroke
"And I'm here to stay! London 2012, baby!"
Brendan Hansen Wins the 200 meter Breaststroke
4. The Australian 4x100 meter freestyle relay gold medal performance
The 4x100 meter freestyle relay is regarded as one of the glamor events in swimming. There is little room for error so much so that a moment's hesitation could mean the podium for a team fast enough to make it to the final heat. While the winners are somewhat predetermined because of the very nature of the sport, miracles and surprise finishes tend to happen. Amazingly, miracle and surprise finishes have been a stipend in the 4x100 free these past three years. That said, it is easy to expect that the Shanghai World Championships would have one coming. The only question is which team would deliver it. Personally, I never expected the Australians to do it.
Coming in the event, all eyes were of course on the Americans. Boasting a team composed of three of the four world record holders (Michael Phelps, Garret Webber-Gale and Jason Lezak) as well as the gold medalist in the 100 free in the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships (Nathan Adrian), the Americans had it won on paper. However, the Australians proved to be the ones fast enough to dethrone the defending champions. Led by the blistering 47.49 split of youngster James Magnussen (that was actually the fastest 100 free in a textile suit, by the way!) as well as the strong anchor leg of veteran swimmer and former 100 free record holder Eamon Sullivan, the Aussies blew away the competition and swam atop the podium. What is more exceptional is that Matt Targett, Matt Abood and Eamon Sullivan all swam 48 seconds mid to low to aptly complement the exceptional 47.49 of Magnusson.
And the Americans? They settled for third after a neck and neck race with arch-rival France. The French got their revenge for always finishing second to the Americans, I guess.
"Eat Our Wakes, Mates!"
Team Australia Dominates and Decimates!
3. Aussie youngster James Magnussen blitzes to the 100 freestyle gold
After his superb starting leg in the 4x100 meter freestyle, the pressure was on for James, "The Missile" Magnussen. With a field that is packed with veteran freestylers the likes of record holder and defending champion Brazilian Cesar Cielo, Canadian Brent Hayden and Frenchmen Alain Bernard and Fabian Gilot as well as American sprint-sensation Nathan Adrian, Magnussen had his work cut out for him. A relative unknown in the international scene, Magnussen was the only swimmer under 48 seconds after the semi-finals, earning him the top seed. If the rookie felt the pressure, he surely did not show it; while he did not leave the field behind off the blocks, he methodically caught up with the leaders in the closing lap to become the first Australian 100 meters freestyle world champion.
I cannot wait to see how Magnussen will fare in the London this August. I am going out on a limb and say that there is a high probability that the 100 meter freestyle event in London will be Ground Zero caused by the Aussie Missile.
"The Missile has superseded the The Thorpedo!"
James Magnussen Wins the 100 meter freestyle, the first Aussie to do so
2. Ryan Lochte sets the first post-high-tech body suit long course world record...defeats Michael Phelps twice!
After Ryan Lochte shocked the world by getting near his 200 IM world record in 2010 during the Pan Pacific Championships, experts agreed that it was only a matter of time until Lochte becomes the first man to set a world record post-high tech body suit era. Almost a year later, at the World Championships in Shanghai, Lochte did not disappoint. Even with a motivated and semi-Olympic fit Michael Phelps racing against him, Lochte out-dueled the Greatest Swimmer of All Time in one of Phelps' signature events in world record fashion. As if to prove a point, Lochte again out-swam Phelps in the 200 meter freestyle.
What is amazing about Lochte's feats of beating Phelps is that he used Phelps' strengths to dethrone him in the world's stage! In the 200 IM, what spelled Phelps' demise was Lochte's powerful breaststroke leg. Historically, the backstroker Lochte always caught up with the butterflier Phelps in the second lap (the backstroke) and would begin to fade come breaststroke. This time around, Lochte distanced himself considerably from Phelps in the breaststroke, giving him enough of a cushion in the freestyle to challenge and defeat the world record line. In the 200 freestyle, Lochte employed a much more powerful underwater dolphin kick at all three turns, preventing Phelps from chasing him down in the final lap.
With London merely eight months away, I cannot wait for the Phelps-Lochte duel Part III. As Phelps continues to train harder with rejuvenated motivation and focus, Lochte will surely have a lot on his plate come the London Games. After all, their rivalry is as great as their friendship.
"Jeah! Got you, Michael!"
Ryan Lochte defeats Michael Phelps and breaks his 200 IM World Record
"Reezy out-swims The Baltimore Bullet"
Ryan Lochte wins the 200 meters freestyle...defeats Michael Phelps again!
1. Sun Yang breaks Grant Hackett's ten year old record in the 1500 freestyle!
The greatest swimming moment in the international stage would be fall of Australian swimming legend Grant Hackett's world record in the 1500 meter freestyle. Set in 2001 at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Hackett's record in the longest and most grueling event in swimming was the only record left unscathed even after the advent of high-tech swimming suits. Dubbed by Olympic Champions Ous Melluoli as an "epic" record, Hackett's 14:34 seemed unbeatable. That is until Chinese swimmer Sun Yang came to the picture.
After flirting with the record in 2010, everyone in the swimming world, including Hackett himself knew that the epic 1500 freestyle record would soon tumble. In front of a home crowd, Sun Yang shifted to a higher gear during the last 25 meters of the race to dramatically and emphatically break the ten-year old record of the Australian swimming legend.
Judging by how strong Sun Yang finished the final lap, there is no doubt in my mind that he could have gone 14:33 high had he shifted to overdrive earlier. Judging by how he was "straddling" the world record line in the final 8 meters, I am sure that he could have not only broken but smashed the mile record. However, even if he broke it by 1 second or 1 hundredth of a second, the fact that he broke the longest active world record which survived the high-tech bodysuit era is legendary enough.
"The Hometown Hero bags the Gold in the Mile!"
Sun Yang wins the 1500 Free and cements his place in swimming history
2011 was truly a memorable year in the international swimming scene. I expect 2012--the London Olympic Games being the most important meet of the year--to be more memorable filled with epic swims, dramatic chase downs, surprising finishes and tumbling world records.
