Champion he may be at swimming, but eight-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps proved like he was like everybody else when he got caught holding a marijuana bong which was published by a British tabloids months ago. It wouldn’t have been such a sensation if Phelps weren’t that big of a sports celebrity. Because of the incident, Phelps lost two advertising deals, one with AT&T, and another with cereal maker Kellogg Co.
But Phelps is back on track now, despite doubts he entertained about his future before. He admitted to reporters in a small press conference in the Olympic Village that he had been skipping practice and thinking about quitting. But he said he woke up one day and saw that he was making a mess of things, and decided to clean up his act. Phelps is now training for the 2012 Olympic games.
The recent introduction by Speedo of the shark-skin mimicking swimsuit has been getting criticism due to the fact they are bending the laws of the swimming community. The world of competitive swimming has always been a lucrative one with swimmers going as far as shaving off all body hair and others in efforts to get the few milliseconds that may signify a win. The introduction of the suit has resulted in a few seconds of speed but many nations who could not afford such expensive swim wear are calling it foul.
Research into such types of clothing that reduces drag in the water has been considered to be the next step in the evolution of the swimming industry when the shark’s skin caught their attention. With barbs that point opposite the direction of the water, they act as mini-wings that dissipates drag and turbulence making swimming less tiresome and minimizing drag.
Water is denser than air thus harder to go through which makes each and every second count when it comes to competition swimming. Live in the pool would never be the same right after these high-tech suits were introduced, just hope everybody can afford them so all could swim a bit faster, for the record that is.
Rising temperatures around the world has renewed interest in the many types of water sports out there. Imagine combining a high-performance kite and a surfboard, get the picture? Surfboarding is categorized as an extreme sport for it combines the complexity of kite flying and surfing all bundled into one heck of a ride. One bright guy figured that surfing was more of the waiting than the surfing itself so they got hold of a kit and used it to propel them through the water. Don’t get it wrong, it is a very difficult sport for wind is kinda’ unpredictable and so is standing on water without proper skill.
The sport was brought about by the almost reinvention of the kit into a sail that was light, powerful yet controllable enough to hold while on the board. With cutting edge materials that are light and tough, they made it happen and the sport took off like a storm allowing acrobatics that seem impossible.
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The Hawaiian Iron man Triathlon was the first long distance triathlon event. The event covered 2.4 miles or 77 laps of swimming, 112 miles of biking and 26.2 miles of running. The concept was born during the the awarding ceremony at the Oahu Perimeter Relay in 1977. It was always debated on who was more fit to join the event, swimmer or runner? In connection with this, Us Navy Commander John Collins cited that a recent article revealed that a cyclist has the highest recorded maximum oxygen uptake and so deemed the cyclists to be more fit than the swimmers. Ultimately, they tried to settle the debate by combining the three long distance competitions.
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UCLA won the Women’s Water Polo NCAA title again. Its fourth consecutive title on Sunday evening. They defeating USC, 6-3, in the championship match. UCLA now has 10 national title in women’s water polo and 101st overall NCAA title. The Bruins scored 33-0 this season, it jumped out to a 3-0 lead in just the first quarter. The Trojans scored a mere 2 of 12 in the competition. First quarter advantage was led by the goals of Mathewson, Gandy and Domanic. The team played strong defense in the quarter. The Bruins continued to lead at 5-1 in the half. Playing hard defense more in the third quarter. No one between teams scored for quite sometime. gandy totaled five goals in the semi and the finals and eventually named the MVP.
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The initiative of Maritime Safety in Queensland was responsible for maritime safety issues to set out new designated zones for the commercial operation of jet skis on the Moorchy River and Noose Rivers. Both areas have been marked with a series of yellow buoys.
Operators will now have exclusion zones because it enshrined a system that had been in place for a number of years. The zones will provide a safe haven for novice Jet Ski riders. Holiday makers now have their own playground and have a blast. It would help clear up “grey areas” around where commercial operators could go, and keep a safe distance between jet skiers and other river users. This would also enhance the safety for all who visit the rivers.
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The two main obstacles to every paddler’s advancement is the shortage of boating buddies as well as the lack of skill development. It certainly is more enjoyable to paddle with others but this is not the only impetus propelling one’s search for a paddling companion. Kayaking and canoeing in groups is a simple matter of safety as well as the best way to improve one’s skills. Every whitewater kayaker knows the disappointment of finding out that the local river is at optimal conditions only to remember there is no one to go with. Regardless of the level at which you canoe or kayak, this list of 5 suggestions will help you not only find new paddling friends it will also help you further hone your skills. Go to Canoe and Kayak Festivals & Expos. Join a Local Canoe and Kayak Club. Join the American Canoe Association and the American Whitewater Association. Try Out Other People’s Canoe and Kayak Gear. Take a Canoe or Kayak Paddling Lesson.
Water polo is a team Water Sport in which each team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. Which kinda like soccer but is done on water. The winner of the game is the team that scores the most goals.
The Basic Skills needed to play Water Polo:
- Swimming - this is a requirement since Water Polo is played in the water. As Field players must swim end to end of a 30-meter pool non-stop many times during a game.
- Ball - Handling Skill - Must have the ability to catch and throw the ball with either your left or right hand and can also catch the ball from any direction.
- Treading Water or “Egg beating” - The most common form of water treading is generally referred to as “egg-beating”, named because the circular movement of the legs resembles the motion of an egg-beater.
- Reflex and Awareness - At higher levels of the sport the pace of play rapidly increases, so that anticipation and mental preparation is important. “Field sense” (i.e. staying aware of the surroundings) is a major advantage in scoring, even if a player lacks the speed of an opponent.
There are a large number of sports that involve water. The following is a List of water sports, divided by category. These categories are based on the relation of the sports to the water. Some of the sports include only one part related to swimming, as for example Triathlon.
In the water
- Swimming includes pool swimming and open water swimming
- Triathlon is usually a combination of swimming, cycling and running
- Modern pentathlon includes epee fencing, pistol shooting, swimming, a show jumping course on horseback, and cross country running
- Rescue swimming is swimming with the goal to rescue other swimmers or the practice thereof
- Surf lifesaving is a competitive sport which evolved from the training activities of lifeguards at surf beaches
- Water basketball is a team sport played in water, similar to water polo.
- Water polo is a team sport played in water.
- Biribol is a team sport played in water similar to volleyball.
- Synchronized swimming is a hybrid of swimming, gymnastics, and ballet.
- Fin swimming is swimming with fins
- Water aerobics is aerobics in the water
- Water gymnastics is gymnastics in the water
- Snorkeling is the practice of swimming at the surface (typically of the sea) being equipped with a mask and a short tube called a snorkel.
- Diving off springboards or off platforms
- Synchronized diving
- A water slide is a slide with water flowing down it
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_water_sports
You do any of the following activities listed below and that means you’re participating in a water sport.
- Canoeing
- Rowing
- Sailing
- Surfing
- Skiing
- Swimming
The most common water sport would probably be swimming. Everyone can do it, and it only depends on the one doing it, how good they are in it.