ROMA 09 (www.fina.org)

the 13th FINA World Championships 2009 - Rome, ITA

Roma 09 - Swimming mascot

Dates of competition: July 26-August 2
Venue: Stadio del Nuoto
Capacity: 13,000 seats
Medal favourites:

• Men – Michael Phelps and all the team from USA, Oussama Mellouli (TUN), Tae-Hwan Park (KOR), Alain Bernard and all the team from France, César Cielo (BRA), the team of Australia, Milorad Cavic (SRB), the team of Japan, Laszlo Cseh (HUN), the team of Italy;
  
• Women – Stephanie Rice and all the team from Australia, Marleen Veldhuis and all the team from the Netherlands, Britta Steffen (GER), Federica Pellegrini and all the team from Italy, Rebecca Adlington (GBR), Kirsty Coventry (ZIM), Katie Hoff and all the team from USA

FACTS & FIGURES (some of them):

• The men’s 4x100m freestyle relay has been almost exclusively dominated by American teams. Only in 2001 (when the medals went to Australia, Netherlands, and Germany respectively), and in 2003 (when Russia took gold, USA silver and France bronze) was USA denied gold.

• Micheal Phelps (USA), now the greatest Olympian ever, is also the best performer in the history of the World Championships. Before Rome 2009, Phelps already has 18 World medals (15 gold & 3 silver) since the 2001 edition. The next best Championship performers are Grant Hackett (AUS), who earned 18 medals (10 gold, 5 silver & 3 bronze) over 5 editions from 1998-2007, and Ian Thorpe (AUS), who has 13 medals from 3 editions (11 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze)

• Ian Thorpe retained his 400m freestyle title for three editions (1998, 2001 & 2003), as well as his back-to-back 200m freestyle crowns (2001 & 2003). Grant Hackett, in addition to the 800m freestyle title he retained in 2003 & 2005, held his 1500m freestyle title for four-straight editions (1998, 2001, 2003 & 2005)!

• All Championships records date from the 21st century. The oldest ones (3) of this list were established in 2001 at the FINA World Championships in Fukuoka (JPN): among men, the 400m free by Ian Thorpe (AUS) and the 1500m free by Grant Hackett (AUS), and in the women’s competition the 50m free by Inge de Bruijn (NED)

(pic: Mike, leaving a training session in Riccione, northern Italy...)
*yummmm* check out them abs...:)

Can't wait for Mike to sweep all SIX events this year....yeah, only 6 unfortunately....
He'll be swimming only 3 individual events in Rome — the 200 freestyle, and 100 & 200 butterfly — plus all 3 relays....

oh well, can't wait for the Worlds!!! I wanna see all my faves! team USA, Australia, Italy....etc...:)

the ONLY thing that could make this any sweeter - IAN and GRANT coming out of retirement and showing the rest of 'em how it's done....:)