…Canada’s Randy Starkman passed away today at the age of 51, from complications of pneumonia, according to the Toronto Star – his former employer. Starkman was one of Canada’s leading journalists in amateur sports, and took ill shortly after coming home from calling the Canadian Olympic Trials in March. Among his other career accomplishments include being the journalist who exposed the second infamous test of sprinter Ben Johnson for steroids. There was a unified voice from across the Canadian Olympic sports of sorrow and remorse for a man who was great at what he did, taken far too young…
…Who Wants to be a Millionaire (believe it or not, the former Regis Filbin hit-gameshow still airs 5-days a week on ABC, and then again on Game Show Network) will be hosting “American Pride Week” from April 30th-May 7th, according toa press-release. Among the contestants will be true American heroes like firemen, policemen, and members of the armed forces; but they will also host some Olympians. Slated for the lineup are swimmers Ryan Lochte and Dara Torres. The two will pair up either on Friday, May 4th or Monday, May 7th and as a pair will play to raise money for the USOC. The show has guaranteed each team at least $10,000 for the cause (though, presumably Torres and Lochte aren’t the athletes who will most need/make use of that money)…
…Former American Olympic star Kirsty Kowal was inducted into the University of Georgia Circle of Honor today. Among her accomplishments include an Olympic silver medal in the 200 breast in 200, and a pair of World Championships in Perth in 1998. She never lost an SEC title in a breaststroke race, and led the Bulldogs to a pair of team National Championships. This was an honor long overdue. Check out this video of the honor here, including an introduction by coach Jack Bauerle. She was inducted alongside a teammate Courtney Shealy, who was the 2000 NCAA Swimmer of the Year. Even in the storied history of Georgia swimming, this makes only 3 who have received the prestigious honor…
…As the South Africans are settling-in on who they will take to the Olympics this week in Durban, local SA media is reporting that Swimming South Africa CEO Shaun Adriaanse has firmed up arrangements for the National Team to train in Monaco as guests of Princess Charlene of Monaco prior to the Olympics. Princess Charlene, a former South African Olympic swimmer, said that she would provide all lodging, food, and training arrangements for the team, and that all they would need to do would be to get to Monaco. That deal was also sealed this week, when South African Airways committed to fly athletes to the Olympics. This is a huge burden off of the shoulders of a federation that has slowly-but-surely started to see improvements in its dreadful financial situation…