Dubai International Aquatic Championships Announced…..Approved by FINA as a 2016 Olympic Games-qualifying meet, the United Arab Emirate (UAE) Swimming Federation has announced the 2016 Dubai International Aquatic Championships. The competitive event will offer contests in water polo, open water swimming and pool swimming, with the following dates assigned to each discipline:
Water Polo – March 29th-April 1st
Open Water Swimming – April 2nd
Swimming – April 4th-April 7th
More information will be released by the federation shortly.
Ning Zetao Named One Of China’s Top Athletes of 2015…..Claiming a gold medal at the 2015 FINA World Championships in the men’s 100m freestyle, Chinese swimmer Ning Zetao established himself as a rising swimming star on the international sprinting scene. With his win, Ning became the first Chinese man ever to win the 100 free at the World Championships. For his efforts, Xinhua News Agency named Zing as one of China’s ‘Top Athletes of 2015.’
2006 Olympic Samples Re-analyzed By WADA…..489 of the 1219 samples collected during the 2006 Olympic Games have recently been re-analyzed by the WADA-accredited laboratory in Lausanne. New and improved banned substances-detection methods were applied, however, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will not issue further comments regarding the process. According to the IOC, ‘further communications will be issued in due course.’
German Swimmers Win Awards…..31-year-old German swimmer, Dorothea Brandt, has been named Nordrhein-Westfalen’s Swimmer of the Year for 2015. The 26-time German National Champion won 5 individual titles across the 2 SV NRW Championship meets last year, while also claiming a gold and 2 silvers at the 2015 German Short Course Nationals. Brandt still holds her nation’s 50m freestyle (short course) and 50m breaststroke (long course) records. Christian vom Lehn earned the title on the men’s side, having competed in both the World Championship and European Short Course Championships where he placed in the top 20 at each competition.