Duels in the pool : swimming's greatest rivalries / Matthew De George.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

De George, Matthew.

Series:

Scarecrow swimming series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Swimming--History.

Swimming.

Sports rivalries--History.

Sports rivalries.

History.

Physical Description:

xii, 225 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Maryland : Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2013.

Summary:

In the sports world, battles between rivals can be friendly, hotly contested, or even hostile. An individual sport at its core, swimming is defined by iconic rivalries such as those between Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte, and Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres. Throughout its history, swimming has showcased some of its top athletes competing face to face, challenging each other in ways that captivate their fans. Duels in the Pool: Swimming's Greatest Rivalries highlights the best of these contests. Spanning nearly 100 years, this book delves into the individual showdowns, team battles, friendly competitions, and heated political rivalries that have played out in pools around the world. From their early beginnings through the highlights of their careers, Matthew De George follows the top athletes in the sport and the rivals who pushed them to the pinnacle of swimming. Individual races are recounted, bringing to life the intense competition that drove the swimmers to glory. In addition, Duels in the Pool also examines some of the most exciting rivalries that existed between colleges and among nations. Although such rivalries as those between the U.S. and Australia took place exclusively in the pool, others were intensified by allegations of doping and the political climate. Exhaustively researched, Duels in the Pool includes original interviews and rich details, shedding light on some of the sport's finest athletes and the rivalries that propelled them to greatness. This book will appeal not only to sports historians and researchers but also to fans of swimming at every level. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Rie Mastenbroek vs, Ragnhild Hveger: The Chocolate Box Rivalry 1

2 Michael Phelps vs. Ryan Lochte 9

3 Michael Phelps vs. the 100 Butterfly Field 21

4 Dara Torres vs. Jenny Thompson 35

5 Matt Biondi vs. Tom Jager 49

6 Alexander Popov vs. Gary Hall Jr. 63

7 United States vs. Australia 77

8 Grant Hackett vs. Ian Thorpe 91

9 Shirley Babashoff vs. East German Doping 105

10 United States vs. East Germany 121

11 U.S. Olympians vs. Time: The 1980 Olympic Boycott 135

12 Gunnar Larsson vs. Tim McKee 151

13 Brendan Hansen vs. Kosuke Kitajima 161

14 David Wilkie vs. John Hencken 175

15 College Rivalries 187

16 Men's College Swimming vs. Title IX 201.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780810891753

0810891751

OCLC:

841212091