The European short-course championships get underway in Debrecen, Hungary, tomorrow. Some bits and pieces to warm you up, with thanks to the PPS Cosmos team for their fine work counting, collating and checking what's what, where, why and how, etc:
Long and short of it: Russia's Larisa Ilchenko and Great Britain's Cassandra Patten, the 2007 World champion and runner-up in the 10 kilometres open water swimming respectively, will feel like their in the bath at home over the next four days: warm, a wall within easy reach - luxury! Both will race over 400 and 800m and the Russian will also go as short as 200m. Hardly worth getting wet for.
Nystrand Wants To Bag A Brace: not content with breaking the 50m (20.93sec) and 100m (45.83sec) s/c freestyle records in Berlin last month, Stefan Nystrand (SWE) is aiming to bag a brace in Beijing. The 26-year-old coached by Anne Forsel told PPS in Debrecen that he wants two golds this week, and another two in Bejing, over 50 and 100m. After Debrecen, his Beijing build-up will include the Olympic test event in Beijing (January 31-February 5), the 2008 European Long Course Swimming Championships in Eindhoven (March 13-24), the Mare Nostrum Tour in Monte Carlo, Canet and Barcelona in June. We'll be watching.
Kovacs Helps Kids and Aims For Beijing Swansong: Agnes Kovacs (HUN), 2000 Olympic champion over 200m breaststroke and the first swimmer to be made a UNICEF Ambassador, isthinking of calling it a day after one last Olympic campaign in Beijing - but the 26-year-old will not be severing her links with water. Important to her in sport, the element is important to others in life - and Kovacs aims to help: 'I want to help children survive in a world where there is not so much clean water as here,' she told PPS. In October, a meeting with 007 actor Roger Moore to be made an ambassador for UNICEF led to anti-doping testers claiming that she had failed to submit to an anti-doping control test. An inquiry rightly threw the case out. 'Next year I will travel to Ethiopia and find out how I can help', said Kovacs.
The Professional Era Flows: after the FINA world cup series offered fabulous money for swimmers (pity that more did not take up the challenge) LEN has stumped up Euros 35,000 in prize money in Debrecen. The best results in the men's and women's events will be awarded 5,000, second gets 3,000 and third 2,000. Next four home get 1,500 (not sure I understand the logic of that but common sense will doubtless prevail at some point.... An Omega Seamaster goes to the best swim of the day each day - but watch for that daft points system in action again, one that values a time shy of a world record above one that sets a a world record. Not sure common sense will prevail on that one because the problem has been there long enough for LEN - who are to be applauded on the prize front in general - to have done something about it. So far, the European body has fallen short. Time to take another look. The media present in Debrecen will vote for the Newcomer of the Year, men and women each receiving a 1,500 prize.
All eyes on: among most anticipated clashes is that between sprint freestylers Britta Steffen (GER) and Marleen Veldhuis (NED), though, as ever in Europe, all eyes will be on Laure Manaudou (FRA) as she makes her first serious international outing since Melbourne 2007 in March. Then she was still under the guidance of coach Philippe Lucas. Much water and love letters under the bridge. Lucas is gone and so too is boyfriend Luca Marin, teammate and backstroke ace Ben Stasiulis the new beau holding her kit bag.
Most medals: Debrecen will play host to the kind and queen of European short-course swimming. Taking into account all medals (but most of them were won at Euro s/c level), Martina Moravcova (SVK) and Thomas Rupprath (GER) have won 119 international medals between them. Moravcova, who will turn 32 on January 16, 2008, leads the way on 67 since 1994, followed by Rupprath, on 52 since 1996. Just one medal shy of the German short-course specialist is 2000 Olympic 200m medley champion Massimiliano Rosolino (ITA), who started his collection in 1995.
Oldest: Another entry for Moravcova, at 31, while 2000 Olympic 100m butterfly champion Lars Frolander (SWE) takes the men's crown of ages at 33.
One-man teams: Montenegro, the latest and 51st member of LEN, boasts Marina Kuc, 22 and born and residing in Germany - she races over 200m breaststroke; Armenia's flag will be flown by 17-year-old Khachik Plavchyn in the 50 and 100m backstroke.
Medals mania: of evidence were needed of the frequency of this event since Rostock in 1996 (every winter, in fact) - the 1,250th medal will be handed out for the 50m butterfly on Sunday. So far, 1,143 medals have been awarded: 388 gold, 374 silver and 381 bronze. The most successful country is Germany with 217 medals (77-76-64) followed by Sweden (113/47-36-30) and Great Britain (125/33-44-48). GBR is missing most of its key elite team this year.
Mankoc Season: Slovenia's Peter Mankoc is not, without wishing to be rude to a fine swimmer, someone who is likely to challenge for glory in Beijing next summer but in Europe's little pool this year he is aiming to win a record eighth successive title in the 100m individual medley. Now 29, the Ljubljana policeman has won every crown since 2000, including a shared gold with Jani Sievinen (FIN), the former world medley champion and record holder. Good luck to Mankoc.