Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Maarten van der Weijden, the gold medalist at the 2008 Olympic 10K Marathon Swim from the Netherlands, prepared himself in thoughtful ways for his 2008 Olympic triumph. The 10 km champion dramatically adjusted his sleep patterns in his native Netherlands in order to match Beijing time several months in
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. "You will become an Olympic champion," said 3-time Olympic gold medalist Pieter van den Hoogenband. "Do you believe it?" asked his coach Marcel Wouda. "Inspiration is part of dream. This is contrary to the sober man that I am and the sober Dutch culture," explained 2008 Olympic champion Maarten van der
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Complaints by Alex Meyer and other swimmers about the upcoming FINA 10K Marathon Swim held in the United Arab Emirates are getting media attention (see Yahoo article here). But the complaints and planned non-participation by the American elite swimmers apparently have little influence over the rest of the
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. In the rough water conditions of Playa del Carmen, Mexico when stiff winds caused plenty of surface chop and more than a few whitecaps, it was a reminder on how important it is for open water swimmers to have a strong core. A strong core enables you to swim in a streamlined and balanced manner despite
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Word on the shorelines around the globe is that Marcel Wouda is one of the best coaches of the world. The 2.03 m (6 foot 8 inch) Dutch coach is nearly always dressed in the orange of his native Netherlands and quick with a smile. It is clear he loves swimming and is always working towards the best for his
The Dutch team knew Ferry Weertman of the Netherlands was ooooohhhhhhhh soooooo close to a medal. He finished sixth in the world's 10 km championships, only 1.1 seconds behind bronze medalist and Olympic champion Ous Mellouli. His coach, Christiaan Sloof, was proud of his young athlete over the 1 hour 49 minute race. “Ferry stuck to the plan that we
European Open Water Swimming posted the following information on its website: Swimmer Linsy Heister won't defend her world title in Shanghai on the 25 km open water. Coach Marcel Wouda pulled the 23-year-old from Eindhoven Thursday back. According to the coach, it is medically irresponsible to swim the longest distance at a water temperature of around 30
