Ukrainian Paralympic Swim Team Ranked Number One in the European Championships
Holding the top position since the very start of the Berlin 2011 International Paralympic Committee Swimming European Championships, the Ukrainian national team became a winner with an overall result of 105 awards total, including 41 gold, 37 silver, and 27 bronze medals. Followed by the UK with 27 gold medals and the cumulative score of 83 awards, the Ukrainian team has become a confident leader of the competition.
The Ukrainian team broke 18 records in Women’s and Men’s 50m Freestyle, Men’s 50m Butterfly, Women’s 100m and 200m Freestyle, Women’s and Men’s 100m Breaststroke, Men’s 200m Individual Medley, Women’s 4x50m Medley and Freestyle Relay 20pt, and Women’s 50m Backstroke. The Ukrainian Yevheniy Bohodayko is the top competitor in the Championships with eight gold and two silver medals.
Lasting between July 3rd and July 10th, 2011, The Berlin 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming European Championships became the biggest ever event in the history of such Championships, hosting 433 athletes from 36 competing countries. Read more
43 Year Old Olympic Champion Qualifies for 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials only 16 Months after Major Surgery
In her first competitive swim meet since the 2009 world championships, 43 year old Dara Torres qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials. She took this enormous step in yet another Olympic comeback attempt by earning a time of 25.9 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle preliminaries at the Missouri Grand Prix.
Torres’ two year layoff from competitive swimming included a reconstructive knee surgery 16 months ago that initially left her unable to climb stairs or play with her four year old daughter.
Dara Torres tells Fitness Nutrition that she credits the supplement company’s Gold Medal Aminos product for helping her body recover from surgery far ahead of schedule. She consistently takes the 100% free form amino acid supplement as a way to improve her muscle endurance, develop lean muscle, and recover from her daily training.
Torres says, “I take my Fitness Nutrition Gold Medal Aminos everyday and can definitely tell my body is able to recover from the aches, pains, and wear and tear from my surgical rehab and Olympic training regimen.”
In the fall of 2011, on national television, Torres announced she had decided to train for a return to the Summer Olympics. When the London Olympics come around in 2012, she will be 45 years old. Torres is a 12 time Olympic medalist and 5 time Olympian. She already owns the record as the oldest Olympic swimming medalist in history after winning 3 silver medals at 41 years old during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. During those races, as in the Missouri Grand Prix, Torres raced against swimmers half her age or more.
Torres adds, “I call Fitness Nutrition Gold Medal Aminos my ‘miracle powder’, it is the only supplement I take.” All Fitness Nutrition products, like Gold Medal Aminos, are certified to have no banned substances by an independent quality assurance organization.
“When I take any Fitness Nutrition supplement, I know what I am putting in my body is safe, clean, and effective,” says Torres.
30th Anniversary Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
Random Lottery To Open December 1, 2009
The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will celebrate its 30th year as one of the premier triathlons in the world on Sunday, May 2, 2010. For 30 years, this legendary race has attracted professional and amateur athletes from around the world with its challenging course including the infamous swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, the hilly bike ride and grueling run through San Francisco. The world’s leading sports, entertainment and media company IMG Worldwide once again promises a stellar race ideal for athletes and spectators alike.
“The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is my favorite race,” said Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Three-Time Winner and Professional Triathlete Andy Potts. “IMG puts on a first class race that attracts top athletes from around the world and takes place on a truly unique course only made possible in a great city like San Francisco. I look forward to participating in the 30th Annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon and being a part of its ongoing history.”
Similar to the world-renowned Kona Ironman race, the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is one of the hardest triathlons to get into and one of only a few triathlons to be nationally televised. Interested participants can qualify to participate by placing in one of the Escape TO Alcatraz Triathlon Series races: Triathlon de Gerardmer France, September 5, 2009; The Triathlon at Pacific Grove, September 11-13, 2009; Jarden Westchester Triathlon, September 29, 2009; San Diego Triathlon, March 20-21, 2010; and GateWay to the Bay, April 10-11, 2010, or by entering the random lottery beginning on December 1, 2009. Due to the race’s extreme popularity, the lottery fills up quickly, with thousands of hopeful participants attempting to secure one of the few coveted spots. Additionally, top men and women from the previous Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon automatically qualify for the race.
“From the London Triathlon – the world’s largest, to the brand new Abu Dhabi International Triathlon, The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is one of nearly a dozen renowned triathlons owned and produced by IMG,” said IMG’s Senior Vice President James Leitz. “IMG is dedicated to the sport of Triathlon and developing world class experiences for athletes around the world.”
Featuring a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, an 18-mile bike and an 8-mile run through San Francisco, this race is considered one of the most difficult triathlons in the world. More than 2,000 amateur and professional athletes from dozens of countries will attempt to conquer the icy cold swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, the hilly bike ride and grueling run through San Francisco for the 30th Annual Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
The 30th Anniversary Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon will take place on Sunday, May 2, 2010, at 8 a.m., in San Francisco. The public is invited to watch the race and attend the free two-day Fitness Festival & Expo Saturday and Sunday. (Please note, the date has changed from May 30, to May 2, 2010, due to a Doyle Drive construction project and Memorial Day Weekend traffic congestion.) The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is owned and produced by IMG Worldwide with race direction provided, in part, by Premier Event Management.
www.escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com
Source: IMG Worldwide
Woman with Down Syndrome to swim Boston Harbor
Competitive Swimmer Karen Gaffney to Complete 8-Mile Swim Next Week; Media Invited to ‘Ride Along’
WHO: Karen Gaffney, an accomplished swimmer/athlete and the first person with Down syndrome to complete a relay swim across the English Channel, completed a 9-mile swim across Lake Tahoe, and multiple competitions across San Francisco Bay.
WHAT: In a unique and never-been-done-before fashion, Ms. Gaffney will challenge herself to an 8-mile swim across Boston Harbor to raise awareness of Down syndrome and undoubtedly prove that the genetic diagnosis does not equate to a lack of abilities — rather — a show of amazing ability. Gaffney will follow the route of the ‘Boston Light Swim,’ a local tradition in the region since 1907. In addition, she will be an honored guest at the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) Buddy Walk and Family Picnic being held the Sunday following her swim.
WHERE: Boats chartered for the media will launch at 8:30 a.m. from the Boston Harbor Yacht Club (1805 Columbia Road, South Boston) towards Little Brewster Island where Gaffney will start her swim. Boats will follow Gaffney throughout her swim past George’s Island and Rainsford Island, under the Long Island Bridge, around Thompson’s Island and completing at the L Street Bathhouse (Curley Community Center; M Street entrance, 1663 Columbia Road) in South Boston approximately 4-5 hours after start. Those interested in cheering on the swimmer can gather on the beach of the L Street Bathhouse around 1:30 p.m.
WHEN: Thursday, October 8, 2009; Boats must depart on time (due to tide/currents) and seating must be immediately reserved. Gaffney will also participate in the 13th Annual MDSC Buddy Walk on Sunday, October 11.
WHY: Gaffney is undertaking this effort to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month (October) — so decreed by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick last year — and to prove that those with Down syndrome can accomplish their dreams. Now 31 years of age, Gaffney has successfully mastered a string of ‘firsts,’ completing 16 swims across San Francisco Bay – including the popular “Escape from Alcatraz” relay triathlon. In September 2007, she successfully navigated a nine-mile swim across Lake Tahoe and became the focus of a DVD documentary, Crossing Tahoe: A Swimmer’s Dream. Gaffney opted to swim Boston this year to also raise funds for the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress and its support programs leveraged by thousands of families across the Commonwealth.
**To support Team Gaffney, visit http://mdsc.kintera.org/gaffney.
Source: Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress
3,000 Athletes Race in 9th Annual Nautica New York City Triathlon
New York Woman Takes Lead for First Time
More than 3,000 athletes took the plunge into the Hudson River along Manhattan’s West Side in Riverside Park at the 9th Annual Nautica New York City Triathlon on Sunday, July 26, 2009.
The only Olympic-distance triathlon in New York City, the event hosted athletes from 45 states and 18 countries and offered $30,000 in prize money. The course consists of a 1,500-meter swim in the Hudson River, a 40-kilometer bike ride along the Henry Hudson parkway, and a 10K run in Central Park.
In its inaugural year, 683 people signed up for the NYC Triathlon; in November of 2008, registration was closed in 22 minutes.
This year, the Nautica New York City Triathlon hosted the USA Triathlon’s Accenture ParaTriathlon National Championship with nearly 100 athletes. This race is their only qualifying event for the World Championships. To qualify, they must finish in less than 4 hours.
“This triathlon began as part of New York City’s 2012 Olympic bid effort and has grown beyond our wildest imaginations,” said John Korff, the race’s organizer. “The sport of triathlon continues to be America’s fastest-growing spectator sport and every year, we regret that we have to turn people away.”
The Tri also featured the second annual IAMS 5-Mile Doggy Dash, with nearly 20 dogs and their humans vying to be the first to cross the finish line in Central Park to win the coveted red fire hydrant.
Below are the results for the top finishers.
TOP MEN:
1. Greg Bennett, 37, formerly North Sydney Australia, now Boulder, CO–1:45:50 (4th consecutive win)
2. Andy Potts, 32, Boulder, CO–1:46:27
3. Matty Reid, 33, Boulder, CO–1:47:43
TOP WOMEN:
1. Rebeccah Wassner, 33, New York, NY–1:58:25
2. Becky Lavelle, 34, Los Gatos, CA–2:00:17
3. Margaret Shapiro, 32, Herndon, VA–2:03:21
The winners of the IAMS 5-Mile Doggy Dash were:
1. Nathan Kucera and Beowulf, New Haven, CT
2. Bryan Scherich and Blue, Durham, NC
3. Kurt Skalamera and Bean, New York, NY
Official New York City Triathlon sponsors include Nautica, FOX 5 New York, Toyota, Accenture, Janus, jetBlue Airways, The Vitamin Shoppe, Muscle Milk, SNY, RCN, United Healthcare, POM Wonderful, Minute Rice, Xterra Wetsuits, IAMS, Reebok Sports Club/NY, Power Crunch, Jamaica Tourist Board, Edge Infused, Athletes for a Fit Planet, TYR, SpongeTech, Sistem, The Capital Grille, Huggies, and the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon Series.
Source: Nautica(R) New York City Triathlon