Snippets from the European s/c championships, with not a little help from PPS
Tally Ho! Sweden is looking to win its 50th crown in Euro s/c history today. With 49 gold, 36 silver and 32 bronze medals, Sweden is runner-up to Germany (81-79-68) in the all-time medal table. The Netherlands (72 so far) and Italy (73) could each win their 75th medal, Poland (48 so far) its 50th.
Source of life: The French Swimming Federation, FFN, will hold a 'Night of the Water' on Saturday, March 1, 2008. More than 300 swimming pools all over the country will be open from 20:00 to 24:00 hrs. Laure Manaudou wil se the whole thing in motion, saying: 'It is fantastic to open the swimming pools to the public during the evenings. It is too often simply forgotten how important water is. We must protect this resource.' All proceeds to UNICEF, with which LEN works through its campaign headed Safe Water for Every Child - A Race Against Time.
No Mate Of His Native Hungary: Hunor Mate, 24, is Hungarian no more, at least when it comes to swimming: he's racing for Austria in Debrecen because records he is said to have set in the US were not recognised by the Hungarian federation. Mate, born in Csongrad near Szeged in Hungary now lives, studies and trains at the University of Alabama in the USA. He received an Austrian passport last May and has since set three Austrian national records. He is also the first Austrian two swim the 100 metres breaststroke under one minute. Both his parents are graphic artists, and Hunor is a student the same subject. When the Hungarian Swimming Federation did not recognise his Hungarian 50m and 100m records set in the USA and did not nominate Mate for the national team, he asked the Austrians who were willing to naturalise him. He is now coached in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by Australian Sonya Porter, who also coached German 200m breast Olympic bronze medallist Anne Poleska for a time.
Rogan's winter warmer: Austrian Markus Rogan will auction off for charity the 200m backstroke gold medal he won by setting a European record (1:49.86min) in Debrecen. The auction is being organised by Austrian daily newspaper Kronenzeitung from Friday, December 14 until 23. The money goes to the charity 'A Spark of Warmth' helping poor people in Austria to pay for heating material. You can bid for Rogan's gold medal at www.onetwosold.at. the competition is open to all, even Aaron, Ryan, Arkady and others....
In the family: Evelyn Verraszto's bronze in the 200m medley was her first senior prize at continental level. Just as well she's doing well - there's family honour to uphold: her dad, Zoltan, was world 200m backstroke champion at the 1975 titles in Cali, Colombia, a race that marked the first big defeat of legend Roland Matthes (GDR), who was suffering from an upset stomach. Matthes finished in what was a rare place for him: 4th. In 1973, Matthes took the crown in a world record of 2:01.87 ahead of Verraszto, on 2:05.89, and a young John Naber (USA), on 2:06.91 and racing at the only world championship of his career. In 1978, Verraszto took bronze at world titles behind Jesse Vassallo (USA) and Gary Hurring (NZL). The Hungarian also set the world 400m medley record at Long Beach in 1976 and was 1977 European 200m backstroke champion. Evelyn's brother is David, who is developing into a world-class medley swimmer himself.