Sporty Saturday Spotlight 10-31-09

Happy Halloween!! Hope everyone is eating and enjoying a ton of yummy candy.

This Saturday the sporty spotlight shines bright on eighteen-year-old college swimmer, Elizabeth Longo. Today, Elizabeth dishes on determination, lessons, and how she balances school and swimming. Check out her interview and gorgeous pic below.

Name: Elizabeth Longo

Age: 18

Sport(s): Swimming

Hometown: Bartlett, Tennessee

High School/Middle School/College: University of Memphis

What’s your fave sport? Swimming

How many years have you been playing your fave sport? 3 competitive

What is your fave sporty moment or memory?

Qualifying for the county swim meet.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned from playing your sport?

Determination

What lessons have you learned about work ethic from your sport?

Rule 1: If you are not bleeding, nothing is broken, and you’re not dying, get back in the pool. (The 12 Golden Rules of Swimming) The same applies to school and work.

What have you learned about teamwork?

A relay team is only as fast as it’s slowest swimmer

How do you balance school and sports?

School comes first and training fits in around classes. I also get up and going while most people are still sleeping. I tend to get more done before noon than some people do all day.

List some awards or accolades you’ve received.

18^th in Shelby County High Schools for the 100-yard backstroke for the 2008-2009 season

What is your biggest goal?

I want to break the world record for a woman to swim the English Channel (the current record is 8 hours and 45 minutes) before I turn 21. Right now, I plan to make my attempt when I’m 20.

Who’s your fave athlete, both male and female?

Male- Apolo Anton Ohno

Female- Natalie Couglin

What’s the girliest thing you like to do? (Pretty Tough signature question)

Shopping for cute clothes (Is there anything better?) and gossiping about guys with my friends.

Thanks, Elizabeth! Good luck with the world record. Sounds exciting! J

Do you or do you know someone who wants to be spotlighted? Send an email to kerimikulski(at)gmail(dot)com.

Time to trick or treat with my little Nemo…  :)

Enjoy!

Natalie Coughlin rocks the Rumba

Olympic gold medalist Natalie Coughlin keeps on rolling at Dancing with the Stars. This week, she and partner Alec put together a steamy Rumba en route to a total score of 26. In addition to being a fan favorite, she’s become one of Carrie Ann Inaba’s picks as well.

Here’s Natalie’s segment from this week’s show for those who missed it:

Throughout the season, Natalie will be sharing her DWTS experience through her Twitter (@nataliecoughlin) and Facebook pages so be sure to follow along and VOTE for Natalie all season long.

Natalie and Alec’s official voting number is 1-800-VOTE4-13 or 1-800-868-3413. You may also vote online at www.abc.com starting from the opening of each episode on the East Coast and until 12:00 Noon, ET the following day.

Swimmer Natalie Coughlin among new “Dancing with the Stars” cast

Natalie Coughlin can do the backstroke and the breastroke in world record time, but can she do the paso doble or tango?

Coughlin, who has made a big splash in the Olympics, will attempt to excel in the ballroom during the upcoming season of ABC’s “DWTS.” She was among the 16 celebrities named to the “Dancing with the Stars” cast, as announced Monday morning. She’ll compete against former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay, pop singer Donny Osmond, and former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin.

Other hopefuls include singers Mya, Macy Gray and Aaron Carter; actors Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazar and Ashley Hamilton (son of George); models Joanna Krupa and Kathy Ireland; reality stars Kelly Osbourne and Mark Dacascos (”the Chairman” on Food Network’s “Iron Chef America”); mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell; and professional snowboarder Louie Vito.

The contestants were announced on Monday’s “Good Morning America” by “Dancing” host Tom Bergeron, who also unveiled a new competitive twist.

“In the middle of our season, over three weeks, we’re going to have double eliminations,” said Bergeron. “We’ll lose about half of our cast within that period. It will be a ballroom bloodbath.”

Coughlin  represented the United States at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympics. In 2008, she became the first American female athlete to win six medals in one Olympics.

After taking a break from swimming competition after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Coughlin will be extending that break with time logged on the dance floor. She appears to be in good company on “Dancing” as three Olympians have won the reality show’s coveted title. Speed-skater Apolo Anton Ohno captured the prize in Season 4, while figure skate Kristi Yamaguchi prevailed in Season 6 and gymnast Shawn Johnson won the disco-ball trophy in Season 8.

The ninth season of the hit ABC show premieres Sept. 21 with a three night event.

Update: Natalie will be paired with Alec Mazo on this season of DWTS.

Dara Torres does it again

Dara Torres continues to defy age and expectations when it comes to her performance in the pool.

In a world record time trial attempt in the women’s 50 fly, Torres raced to a 25.50. The performance gave her a third-straight progression of the American record, lowering her time of 25.72 set in College Station, Texas in May. Earlier that day, she broke Jenny Thompson’s 2003 record of 26.00 with a 25.84 during prelims.

Torres missed the world record of 25.33 set by Marleen Veldhuis of The Netherlands in April of this year. But, her 25.50 moved her into third all time. She stands behind Velduis and Sweden’s Therese Alshammar (25.46), while moving in front of Sweden’s Anna-Karin Kammerling (25.57).

The 42-year-old swimmer and 28-time U.S. championship winner also won her 16th national title in the 50-free swim, finishing the competition in 24.43 seconds, and beating two other female swimmers half her age. That gives her a spot on the world championship team, which will compete in Rome later this month. Torres blew many 20-something swimmers out of the water in last year’s Beijing Olympics.

Despite the fact Torres has a body many of us could only dream about having, it’s starting to give her a run for her money. She had surgeries on her right shoulder, left thumb and left knee, and she’ll have another knee surgery later this year. Torres has a packed schedule, which includes spending as much time as possible with her three-year-old daughter, Tessa, as well as various speaking engagements and sponsor commitments.

“The adrenaline is kicking in, so I don’t think about the knee that much,” Torres said. “I just try to push it out of my head. Age is just a number, right? Everything I do is for Tessa. She enjoys coming out and watching me swim.”

Swimmer Erin Popovich named USOC Paralympian of the Year

From The Denver Post:

Fort Collins swimmer Erin Popovich was named Paralympian of the Year for 2008 by the U.S. Olympic Committee Jan. 22. At her third Paralympic Games in Beijing, Popovich collected four gold medals and two silver, bringing her career total to 14 gold and five silver.

“It’s a huge honor,” Popovich said. “Beijing was amazing. To be able to compete in the ‘Water Cube’ was an experience in itself. To be picked out of all the great accomplishments the U.S. delegation had in the Paralympics is very exciting for me.”

Popovich, a Colorado State graduate, also was the 2004 USOC Paralympian of the Year. In 2005, she was named the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year, and she won an ESPY award for best female athlete with a disability. She returned to training in the pool this week and has applied to several medical schools around the country, hoping to remain in Colorado.

“I love Colorado,” Popovich said. “If I were allowed to stay here, it would be wonderful.”

In other USOC awards announced Jan. 22, swimmer Michael Phelps was named sportsman of the year, swimmer Natalie Coughlin and gymnast Nastia Liukin were co-winners of the sportswoman award and the men’s volleyball team was named team of the year.

Phelps won a record eight gold medals in Beijing. Coughlin set five American records, one an Olympic record. Liukin won the women’s all-around gold medal and four others. The men’s volleyball team did not lose a match.

Weekend Wrap-up

December 8, 2008 – Here’s a quick update on some of what happened over the weekend in women’s sports.

Tennis:
Serena Williams withdraws from Australia’s Hopman Cup with hamstring injury

Soccer:
UNC soccer team wins Women’s College Cup adding to dynasty

The U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team captured the 2008 FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup with a 2-1 victory against Korea DPR.

Golf:
Michelle Wie earns LPGA card as Lewis wins Q-School

Hoops:
Connecticut remains atop AP poll. North Carolina is second followed by Stanford, Texas A&M, OU and Texas.

TCU shocks California and ends school-record winning streak

No. 8 Notre Dame stays perfect, knocks off No. 20 Purdue 62-51

No. 9 Texas knocks Ole Miss from unbeaten ranks

The #1 girls high school team in the country is upset

Volleyball:
Penn State sweeps Yale, advances to regional semis

Swimming:
Dagny Knutson breaks American Record at 2008 USA Swimming Short Course Nats
Mary DeScenza wins twice at USA Swimming Short Course Nationals

Worth reading:
Michael Wilbon on the end of the Houston Comets

Swimmers and stars come together at Golden Goggle Awards

November 19, 2008 -  If you’ve been wondering where your favorite swimmers have been hiding since Beijing, most of them were at the New York Hilton on Monday night for USA Swimming’s fifth annual Golden Goggle Awards (clever name, huh?).

Olympic champions Natalie Coughlin and Michael Phelps were the big winners at the event, which was hosted by Bob Costas and celebrated the accomplishments of the totally awesome 2008 Olympic Swim Team.

Coughlin won top honors on the women’s side, taking home the Female Athlete of the Year trophy. Coughlin earned six medals at the Olympics – one gold, two silver, and three bronze, becoming the first woman in any sport, to win six medals in one Olympiad. In 2008, Coughlin broke the 100m back world record three times and set a total of 11 American records.

“This was a great year,” Coughlin said. “This year was really special with so many records being broken and I’m really glad to have been a part of it.”

Phelps’ record-setting performance in Beijing earned him three Golden Goggle Awards at USA Swimming’s annual banquet including Male Athlete of the Year and Male Performance of the Year.

Women’s swimmer Rebecca Soni was honored with two Golden Goggle awards, the Breakout Performer of the Year Award and the Female Performance of the Year Award for her stellar performance in the 200m breast at the Olympics in 2008. The USC senior took home a total of three Olympic medals in Beijing, a gold in the 200m breast and silvers in the 100m breast and 400m medley relay. Soni broke the world record in the 200m breast, and defeated heavy favorite Leisel Jones of Australia to win her first gold.

Dara Torres, 41, who won three silver medals at the Beijing Olympics, said at the New York banquet  that if she can stay healthy, she hopes to race at the world championships next summer.

Among the celebrity guests in attendance tonight were Donald Trump, Tiki Barber, David Blaine, Ana Ortiz (”Ugly Betty’), Heather Matarazzo, as well as Olympic legends Summer Sanders, Pablo Morales, Gary Hall Jr., Lenny Krayzelburg, Jenny Thompson, and Rowdy Gaines.

In other swim news, the AP reports that Katie Hoff is now training with Michael Phelps’s coach, Golden Goggle winner Bob Bowman, who has returned to the North Baltimore Aquatic Club after four years at the University of Michagan:

Swimmer Katie Hoff has changed coaches after a disappointing Olympics in which the six-time world champion failed to win a gold medal in a half dozen events.

Engines of Change

September 24, 2008 – One of the things we love about athletes is that many of them work as hard for their charities and communities as they do for their respective sports.

When a group of elite level athletes started their events in China last month, they did so with at least two goals. The first, of course, was to exert maximum effort and, with luck, come home with a medal. And the second was to make a good showing for the charities they support.

Toyota calls these athletes Engines of Change and they developed a program last year to support them while promoting healthy living and a commitment to community. The Engines of Change program, a nod to Toyota’s hybrid technology, is designed to interact with various athletic communities, namely triathlon, swimming and cycling by educating and engaging participants, supporters and spectators in the program through a wide range of online and offline activities, including an interactive, on-site display of Toyota’s hybrid vehicles (that last part was from their press release in case you couldn’t tell).

Toyota’s support for athletes comes in several forms. First, there’s a bit of financial support that’s intended to help the athletes focus more on training and less on personal financial concerns. Second, there’s a bit of financial support directed toward the charities and community activities in which each athlete is involved. And third, the company supports their sports, through events and sponsorships, as they train in the U.S.

Among the current Engines of Change are swimmers Dara Torres and Tara Kirk and triathlete Sara Haskins. Dara Torres’ donates money to the Eating Disorders Alliance; Sarah Haskins’ supports Jenny’s Light, a foundation for postpartum illnesses and swimmer Tara donated money to the Bremerton Foundation in support of her high school.

These athletes are interested in doing well at competitions while doing good at home. We’re impressed by their hard work and dedication, and we wish them luck in each magnificent endeavor.

To see what other charities athletes support, check out Random Acts of Kindness

Passion for Fashion: Maria Sharapova and Dara Torres in the news

September 8, 2008 -After winning three silver medals in Beijing, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres has mastered another challenge: walking the runway at New York Fashion Week. Torres went for fashion gold on Sunday, when she modeled two looks in Charles Nolan’s newest collection. Nolan’s show is always fun, thanks in part to his use of “real” people on the runway. This season’s show included a holistic healer, a grandmother, a ferry boat captain, and a 12-time Olympic medalist.

The 41-year-old Torres modeled two looks for the presentation of Nolan’s spring collection at the designer’s Chelsea studio. Her first look, an old-style swimsuit featuring a blue-and-white striped tank top and navy swim shorts, which she modeled carrying her two year old daughter, showed off her chiseled legs. Her second look, a dancing dress made of black jersey and silk taffeta, reflected ageless sophistication.

Wonder what’s more nerve-wracking? Walking the runway or swimming at the Olympics?

In other news, Cole Haan announced that  three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova will be the face of a new sportswear clothing line debuting in the spring of 2009.

The new line, called Cole Haan Sporting, will include men’s and women’s footwear and accessories. Items will include flats, boat shoes, duffel bags and tennis racquet bags and will for between $115 and $550.

Sharapova, 21, will collaborate on the fall 2009 season, the company said. The former world number one has a longstanding passion for fashion and is considered a style icon. So it seems fitting that Cole Haan Sporting (a subsidiary of Nike) will embody sport style with a collection inspired by nautical, court, track, and golf.

“Cole Haan Sporting proves that fashion and technology can work together to change the way women think about and wear sport-inspired product,” said Sharapova. “I look forward to working with Cole Haan to bring new innovations to this leading fashion brand with such a rich history.”

Can’t wait to see some of the pieces in the collection. What do you think of the partnership?

Gold Medal Makeover

Female athletes face some tough hair and beauty challenges, so read on for some revitalizing solutions.

Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard captured her first gold medal when she was just 14 years old, making U.S. swimming history as the second-youngest gold medalist ever. She competed in her second Olympics in 2004 in Athens and is heading to Beijing for the 2008 Games. At the height of her training, she’s in the pool four-plus hours a day. Find out how Shape Magazine helped get her hair back in peak condition.

You may not be in the water four or more hours a day – but if you’re a swimmer, you know the potential hair care problems.

The sun, coupled with chlorinated water, makes swimmers hair dry, brittle and in need of serious attention. For anyone who spends long hours in an outdoor pool, it’s critical to rehydrate the hair. It’s also a good idea to avoid overlayering too much to reduce exposure to lots of ends which eventually will split and look dull and frizzy.

In a quick search for great hair care advice, we came across some common hair-care myths. For example, do frequent trims make hair grow faster? No. Does switching shampoos make your hair healthier? No. Is brushing your hair 100 strokes each night good for your hair? No.

We also found out about some budget-friendly haircare products that can be purchased at the drugstore. These include Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream and Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask.

Redbook offers some surprising ways you might be taxing your tresses — along with easy fixes.  Outdoor elements (wind, cool temperatures) can be rough even for dry hair but when hair is wet, it’s actually more fragile and susceptible to breakage so beware.

Once you get your hair in great shape, you have to decide whether to wear it hair up or down. Marie Claire taps some beauty pros who share what’s absolutely essential to sport each look.

Pretty Tough Tip
Here’s our advice: If you’re a swimmer and chlorine tends to turn your hair green, try squirting lemon juice in your hair. Let it soak in for about two minutes then rinse out in the shower. No guarantees but it’s worked for us!

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