SwimStars presents its self at German Championships in Essen
Thomas Rupprath swims new European Record in Essen
SwimStars presents itself in Essen by the German Championships and meets with world champion Thomas Rupprath who broke the European Record in the 50m backstroke with a time of 22,91!!!
Margit Ohlsson World Champion backstroker
It is the story of Margit Ohlsson who started to swim again at the age of 42 after over 20 years of absence from swimming. A swimming career that wasn´t very successful and always in the shadow of her faster sister. It is a story where I play (proudly) a small role but the main leading lady is a very strong woman; Margit Ohlsson. She started swimming again and had fun. And she was successful on a national level. She swam her 50m backstroke in 38 – 39 seconds and the 100m back in 1.30 – 1.27. After a few years of that she wanted more. Then in 1999 she went to a masters camp in Barcelona, Spain that Agneta Holmberg and I organized. We had a great training week and in the end of the camp Margit wanted to know how to train when she got back home. I wrote her 9 weeks of training and that is how we started our successful cooperation. Ten years ago.
At first the times only improved over 100m backstroke, drastically, down to 1.24, after one year 1.21! Then after 2 years of hard work she swam the 50m backstroke in 36 and breaking 1.20 in the 100 meter! The same year she won her first European Championship title. In 2004 she won the World Championships in 100 and 200 m backstroke. Since then she has captured many titles and records; 11 European Championship titles, 5 World Champion titles, 4 world Records and 11 European Records. She is not an average swimmer any more. She is not an underdog anymore and it is a big responsibility to design her training and advice her. Next year she turns 65 and we are trying new things in the training. Margit wants to swim fast, win new titles in Göteborg and brake some records.
It doesn´t seem that the story of Margit is over, maybe this is just the beginning for my first online swimmer. After all her mother almost reached the respectable age of 97!
Back to basics
After all the the records the last couple of months it is time to get back to the basics. I will most likely not swim a competition in December and swim a world record per month as promised. Due to a misunderstandment I cannot race in Germany for the next month and I do not have time to travel. But 5 times under the old world records and 7 times under the old european records since August is also good and Yesterday I started to train for the next season. Swam 2500meter and today my body is very tired!!! This is what I did:
2 x100m freestyle, 200m double arm backstroke/2-1 breaststroke, 10 x 100m breaststroke technique (2.00″) 1,29″, 2 x 100 breaststroke kick (2.00″) 1,40 + 200m breaststroke kick (4.00″) 3,28″ + 4 x 50m breaststroke kick (1.00″) 45″-47″, 8 x 50m breastroke pull with flykick, paddles & short fins(1.00″) 36″-37″, 100m swim down
Two of the T3 pools
The World Masters Camps to Tenerife and the new fantastic training centre T3 for December, January and February are starting to fill up! From 615,- euro you can get a week of world class swim training, weight training, seminars, technique swimming in the top modern swim flume, hotel + full board and transfer to and from airport. Not to forget: Training in the SUN and getting to know other swimmers from Sweden, Germany, Italy, Ireland, France, USA, Finland…..
Arne Jutner, Mr Masters in Sweden
The man who dedicated his life to aquatics and the last 25 years to Masters swimming Arne Jutner slept in today at the age of 89. Arne who worked hard to introduce masters swimming and put Sweden on to the international Masters map in the 80´s were a former Swedish national team swimmer and waterpoloplayer who were unlucky enough to be at his peak during the 40´s when the Olympic Games didn´t take place because of the World War II. A former Chief of Police in Stockholm city he was a strong man with strong principles. But he had visions and empathy for people. He made Hellas Masters the dominating Masters team in Sweden for 20 years and Hellas Masters still enjoys a reputation for having the strongest relay teams in the world in the older agegroups. Hellas Masters won under the guidance of Arne countless World Champion titles. Some of the gold medals were won with Arne himself on the relay team and some of the titles were won by myself as I swam for Hellas Masters from 1994 to 2005. Arne recruited me to the team in 1993 and he became my mentor. A fantastic leader and man and I am grateful having learned from him. Thank you for all you have done for us Arne, thank you for Masters swimming in Sweden. I am sad that you didn´t get to experience the World Masters Championships in Sweden but we will do our best to honour your work and memory!
Happy with New Records in Copenhagen; Glen and Elisabeth Ketelsen
One of the T3 pools on Tenerife
Time to book some swim in the sun! We are organising camps in December, January and February in T3 on the beautiful island of Tenerife. Masters swimmers from around the world are starting to book a training week in T3, a perfect place to train with a 50meter pool, a 25meter pool, a topmodern swimming flume for technique analysis, a new fully equipped gym and a first class hotel. I will be there to coach you, share my experiences as a coach and swimmer and hold seminars on training, racing and all you you need to know to be a happy and successful swimmer and triathlete.
You want to come too? Send me an email for more information!!!