I posted this on MGoSwim last night. Sports Illustrated’s Olympic Preview issue is out on newsstands as of yesterday. Mine came in the mail today. A subscription to SI is a must during the summer of an Olympic year!

If you don’t subscribe, I highly recommend you pick up this issue. It’s chuck full of Team USA goodness, including a bunch of great shots, articles, and Q&A’s. If you’re an Olympics Whore, like the Swim Aids, you will love it!

And be sure to check out their medal predictions section, towards the end of the issue. I disagreed with many of their picks, but it was still a nice read. And no, I will not be putting my predictions out there. I’m far too lazy for all that.

The Got Milk? ad on Pg. 30 & 31 was nice! Loved seeing the Lochtenator and Maritza in there reppin’ for swimming. I think I might have a new desktop!

Also, if you’re looking for a Swim Aid response re: Jessica Hardy, you aren’t going to get one. I consider Jess a friend and I work with her agents almost daily. In short, we have nothing to say.

Even though we didn’t post about it, the Swim Aids for beyond ecstatic when our friend, Max Jaben, qualified for the Israeli Olympic team.

The Swim Aid love for Maxie goes back a couple of years when we met — and later rescued — him at a University of Florida post-party following the end of the 2006 Nationals in Irvine. That was a crazy party until “the man” shut it down.

So following the news that Max tested positive, twice, for a banned substance, we don’t know what to say. In an interview with the Kansas City Star, Max says he doesn’t even know what boldenone is. He gives the following statement, which tugs at our heart strings:

“I felt like a plane crashed. I went from being on top of the world. As of right now, it’s all gone. It’s a horrible feeling, something that I’ve never imagined feeling. … As a sportsman, this is the lowest low that you can go.”

The Kansas City Star piece, referenced above, was dated July 17, and stated that that Max’s future with the Israeli team was uncertain. This was also mentioned in an AP story. However, in a newer story by Ha’aretz, it is being reported that he is officially off the team.

It’s tough when newsworthy topics involve people you are friendly with. Max is one of the nicest and sweetest swim boys we’ve come across in our years in the sport. He gives great hugs and also amuses us by looking like he’s smiling when he takes a breath in between strokes.

We hope that whatever the outcome, that he surrounds himself with positive and caring people to help him through this time. We know the Olympics were a major goal for him.

And if you knew me personally, you’d understand how huge that statement is!

Our dear Ryk, whom the Swim Aids refer to as “The Hotness”, has an autobiography coming out this fall and some snippets are starting to leak.

In the book, titled Chasing the Dream, we will get some insight into his longterm relationship with Miss Amanda Beard a few years back. (Hottest. Swim. Couple. Ever.) We also learn more about how he got into the sport, which was that he almost drowned as a 5 year old. How PVK-esque!

Other topics include the reasoning behind turning down Qatar’s offer to race for them, as well as why he still calls South Africa home.

In other words, I am intrigued. I want to read this book. And I don’t read books. Such power Ryk holds. This has the potential to be simply dangerous!

Also, Ryk recently turned down an offer to be the next “Bachelor” for ABC. He only wants to concentrate of preparing for Beijing, like a good little Olympic athlete. That’s unfortunate, though. And by unfortunate, I mean for us Swim Aids. Because if there’s one thing American TV needs, it’s a healthy dose of “The Hotness”. Maybe Dancing With The Stars will come calling too? I don’t care what show it is. My ass is going to watch. Just keepin’ it real!

There won’t be any threats or lawsuits coming from NIKE with regards to their signed swimmers testing the waters with the Speedo LZR. Maybe, just maybe, they think it’s bad for business? Who knows.

But what we do know is that NIKE hasn’t created a suit in line with TYR’s Tracer Rise or Speedo’s LZR Racer and it looks like they are openly acknowledging that fact. I will say that I was feelin’ their suits with the white band from a purely visual standpoint. That black/white combo is hot to me, just ask any of the Swim Aids!

An Associated Press piece announced that the 7 signed athletes will be allowed to compete with the Speedo suit at the upcoming Olympic Trials in 2 weeks. NIKE’s spokesman Derek Kent said the movie gives the swimmers the chance to “experiment with other products, satisfy their curiosity and compete without distractions”.

We’d been hearing that some of Team Nike has already been rockin’ the Speedo, with logo blacked out, so this doesn’t really come as that much of a surprise. (Forgot where I read that, though)

I’m just glad there will be no additional drama for Trials. These athletes don’t need to be worrying about things like that when there’s so much on the line. Kudos to Nike for doing the right thing.

TYR’s answer to the Speedo LZR Racer gets its debut!

Greeeeeverrrrsss

There’s a lot of press and buzz for TYR’s 2008 racing suit, the Tracer Rise. It will be interesting to see how its athletes perform. We’re big Matt Grevers fans around here. But we’d already noted that he was setting the pool ablaze this racing season; shattering his personal bests at ridiculously fast rate. That was before this suit came out. We’ll be watching to see how much faster he goes, leading up to Trials, now that he has the Tracer Rise.

Mary Descenza broke her first American Record in the suit at the Short Course World Champs in Manchester. To date, only 1 World Record has been set in the suit, on a relay.

With all the competition between the top suit companies, I’m sure it will be well documented when more global/American marks are set and which suit was worn.

So, I’m sure you’ve heard all about the mayhem in San Francisco and the Torch Relay through the city.

If you haven’t, you shouldn’t be too surprised to learn that things didn’t exactly go as planned. The route had to be shortened and moved inland; away from protesters and spectators alike. And on top of that, the ceremony was relocated from the Bay’s waterfront to the San Francisco International Airport.

The heavy presence of demonstrators comes as no surprise, as the torch has been met with the same pandemonium at other stops across the globe.

Swimming’s own Natalie Coughlin was one of the chosen torchbearers. I’d be super-interested to hear her thoughts on this experience amidst all the chaos.

We were going to send our own kiwi to check things out, but her schedule didn’t allow it. It’s just as well, though. Since the schedule and route were changed without alerting the public, she probably wouldn’t have seen anything anyway!

Beginning today and continuing through Sunday, you can watch the 2008 FINA Short Course Swimming World Championships live on WCSN.com at 2PM (ET). Cilck the banner below:

Today’s schedule: Opening Ceremony, Men’s 200m Free, Women’s 200m Fly, Women’s 400m IM, Men’s 4×100m Free, Women’s 4×200m Free