Category Archives: Swimming

Will the Chinese be doping in Barcelona?

Given the recent doping scandals in the world of sport and the furore that surrounded Ye Shiwen at the London Olympics, that’s the question many international reporters will undoubtedly be asking at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, which kick off on Friday July 19 (though the swimming events don’t start until Sunday July 28).

Remember this?
Remember this?

Continue reading Will the Chinese be doping in Barcelona?

Sun may shine in Barcelona, but for how much longer?

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang has been a naughty boy: partying, missing training, and (gasp) even spending time with a girl. Sun wasn’t happy after being fined and went into a sulk, demanding a new coach. He need look no further than the world’s most famous swimmer, Michael Phelps, for a case study. Phelps, too, got tired of a life of training, let his hair down a little and then this happened:

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Weekly Wrap: Michael Phelps & T.I.C.

Phelps loses his balls

Image“T.I.C.  This is China. It’s just a completely different world over here.”

That was Michael Phelps’ assessment after playing golf with Matt Kuchar at Mission Hills golf club in Haikou. He kept he temper remarkably well, despite, hole-after-hole, losing his ball to Chinese fans hellbent on snagging a souvenir. Admittedly, as the video shows, he’s not the straightest hitter, but even when he nails the middle of the fairway, the ball is gone by the time he gets there.

“Someone picked it up and had a pen for me to sign it.”

Continue reading Weekly Wrap: Michael Phelps & T.I.C.