Welcome to the February Issue of the Chlorine Chronicles, the occasional electronic newsletter of the Metropolitan LMSC.

Today's issue contains the following:

1. Virtual Swim/One-Hour Postal Swim/February Fitness Challenge Update
2. Olympic Gold Show on NBC
3. Swimming coverage in ESPN, The Magazine
4. Board Meeting
5. Upcoming Events
6. A look ahead
7. In the works

Anyone who recently participated in a VIRTUAL SWIM event or the ONE HOUR SWIM during January or a FEBRUARY FITNESS CHALLENGE event, please contact Metro LMSC Chairman Steve Newman (by tel 914-260-3412 or via email sn100@aol.com) with details so we can recognize your accomplishments.

Sunday, February 29 - U.S. Olympic Gold show 1:00-1:30pm on NBC Channel 4:

U.S. National Team members Amanda Beard, Misty Hyman and Michael Phelps will be featured on Episode No. 610 of U.S. Olympic Gold with host and former Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders. U.S. Olympic Gold is a 30-minute magazine show focused exclusively on U.S. athletes as they prepare for their chance at making history. The show follows these American Olympic-hopefuls on their journey to Athens. See the training behind the performances that truly set these men and women apart, making them some of the best competitors in the world. But also take a look inside their lives and hear the stories behind their success, their heartbreak and the drive that makes them champions on their way to one common, golden goal. This edition of U.S. Olympic brings us square into the lights, camera, action that is as we meet up with three of Team USA's best swimmers at a photo shoot. U.S. Olympic Gold Host Summer Sanders sits down with Amanda Beard (Irvine, CA), Misty Hyman (Phoenix, AZ) and teen phenom Michael Phelps (Baltimore, MD). In 1996, at age 14, Amanda Beard earned a gold medal in the medley relay and swept the silver medals in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke. After a difficult period of adjustment, she came back to capture bronze in the 200 breaststroke in Sydney. Beard turned 22 in 2003 and continues to excel. She tied the world record in the 200 breast, winning gold at the FINA World Championships. She's looking for some more hardware in Athens. Misty Hyman not only won gold in the 200 butterfly in Sydney, she did it by defeating Australia's Susie O'Neill who hadn't lost that race in six years. Hyman recently received her degree in international relations from Stanford University and is now back in the pool ready to defend her title in Athens. Michael Phelps is the current world record holder in the 200-meter butterfly and the 200 and 400-meter individual medley. At the 2003 Summer Nationals, he became the first man to win five U.S. National titles at one championship. And he's now chasing an Olympic legend in Athens he could break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games.

ESPN The Magazine on newsstands this week http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/story?id=1736056

World record holder Michael Phelps is on the cover of this week?s ESPN The Magazine. The article addresses the question of whether Phelps's potential to make history this summer will make swimming matter in the eyes of the American public.

Upcoming Events:

Saturday, March 13 12:15pm Metro LMSC Board meeting at Asphalt Green in Manhattan for Board members, Board appointees and team reps immediately following conclusion of Asphalt Green morning swim meet session.

Saturday & Sunday, March 13-14 Annual SC Yard March Madness meet at Asphalt Green. Event info posted on Metro LMSC website at http://www.metroswim.org. Entries must be RECEIVED by Tuesday, March 9.

Saturday, March 20 and Friday-Sunday, March 26-28 NEM SCY Champs at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. Event info posted online at http://www.swimindex.com/Meets/2004/NEM-SCY.

Sunday, March 21 Annual SC Yard Spring Fling Meet at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park on Long Island. Event info posted on both the Metro LMSC website and in the AEvents@ section of the AquaFit website at http://www.aquafitmasters.com/Events/Events.htm. Entries must be RECEIVED by Friday, March 12.

Thursday-Saturday, March 25-27: Men's NCAA Division I Swim Champs at Nassau County Aquatic Center. Ticket info at http://www.aquafitmasters.com/Events/Events.htm

Friday-Sunday, April 2-4 Colonies Zone SC Yard Champs at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. Event info posted online at http://www.patriotmasters.org/Colonies.April2004.Entry.pdf.

Sunday, April 18 SC Yard April Showers Meet at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in Eisenhower Park on Long Island. Event info posted on both the Metro LMSC website and in the AEvents@ section of the AquaFit website at http://www.aquafitmasters.com/Events/Events.htm. Entries must be RECEIVED by Monday, April 12.

Thursday-Sunday, April 22-25 USMS National SC Championships, Indianapolis. Event info in January/February issue of SWIM magazine and posted online at http://www.usms.org/comp/scnats04/meetinfo.shtml. Entries must be POSTMARKED by Thursday, March 11 or RECEIVED by Thursday, March 18. Online entry system also available.

If you are unable to open or download metro-sanctioned event information posted on the internet, contact either the Sanction Chairperson, Lisa Baumann (Tel 516-294-7946 or Email aquafitinc@aol.com) or the Metro LMSC Chairman, Steve Newman (Tel 914-260-3412 or Email sn100@aol.com) to request information be FAXED to you. Indicate exactly what event information you want, and provide your first & last name and both your telephone & fax numbers.

LOOKING AHEAD
Saturday, July 10: USMS 10K Open Water National Championship and Metro 5K Open Water Swim Champs to be held in Huntington Bay on Long Island.

IN THE WORKS:
LC Meter swim meet - mid to late July
Open Water Metro Team & Individual Swim Champs at Point Lookout - early August
Metro swim caps for sale - further info to be posted shortly on Metro LMSC website
Online event registration for metro-sanctioned events
Dual-sanctioned events (USMS & USA-Triathlon)
Metro-sponsored technique clinics
Online FAQs