A collection of brief aquatic-themed stories from across the web for February 3rd, 2015.
…Dutch swimmer Jasper van Mierlo confirmed today that he is retiring from professional swimming in order to pursue business interests. Per his personal Twitter account,Van Mierlo says, “everything comes to an end….now on to the future”. His Instagram account was a tad less eloquent, stating in English, “ Decided to quit swimming. Thanks for all the great years!” The 2011 Dutch National 50m freestyle champion had been training in Italy up to this point.
…This afternoon, more than 220 swim-minded people in Asheville, NC attended the Buncombe County’s board of commissioners meeting in protest of a local pool’s closing. The Zeugner Center, a county-run pool that is home to six area schools and swim clubs for practice and competitions is slated for closure in March, as county officials cite heating/cooling trouble, lack of access for the disabled, and overall operating costs as reasons to close the 50-year old building’s doors. Many of those in attendance at today’s meeting wore goggles to show their support of competitive
swimming in the area, telling The Citizen Times earlier today that the pool just “can’t just close down until there is another option….it serves too many different groups.” According to the local press, the county manager intends to have a plan in place for next year within the next three weeks.
…In the hope of calling attention to the need to protect Antarctica’s Ross Sea area, British endurance swimmer, Lewis Pugh, is scheduled to set out on what The Belfast Telegraph reports as one of the “most dangerous swims ever undertaken in the world.” In his five-swims-over-five weeks quest, Pugh will take on routes around Cape Adare, Cape Evans, and Bay of Whales. The journey will certainly carry with it frigid water temperatures (expected to be as cold as 29F), as well as some not-so-small sea life, including leopard seals and killer whales. You can learn more about Pugh‘s journey and cause here.