Omaha Swimming

Qwest Center Pool

Here's a cool photograph of the Qwest Center where the US trials have taken place this week (photo from the swim foundation). Phelps wins the 100-meter butterfly last night, beating five-year rival and former world record holder Ian Crocker. His time of 50.89 would have beat Mark Spitz by over three seconds or at least two body lengths. 

Still, it is just ho-hum for Phelps, who leaves this week with two world records, a U.S. open record and the chance to go for eight gold medals at the Beijing. Says the humble Spitz on Phelps winning seven: "It would be like the second moon walking." On eight: "First man on mars." 

Over-looked this week perhaps is Katie Hoff, who quietly(?) takes five races to Asia herself. While she did not break Janet Evans's 15-year 800-meter freestyle record yesterday finishing in 8:20.81 vs 8:16.22 (my best time in this event BTW was 8:35 in '85), Hoff did re-establish her World Record in the 400 I.M. earlier with a time of 4:31.12. 

Not surprisingly, she trains with Phelps at North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Could she nip Mark Spitz's seven-gold record while everybody focused on the men? Will be fun to find out next month.

It's a wet day - Wimbledon final, of course - and we without our car. We're shuffle around town in a town car from swim practice to party to Kew Garden where we meet Dakota and Dana, who is two weeks away from child #2. Dana joined a trust six months ago to establish their private equity program and she is off to a great start.

The kids find lengthy branches at Kew and immediately dream of Harry Potter, their flying apparatus named "Bullet" (Madeleine) and "Light Speed." We race about an old Robinia pseudoacacia.