…With the Danish women coming off of an outstanding performance at the European Championships, with 6 golds, 3 silvers, and 2 bronze medals, things continue to settle into place after the big coaching announcement that Paulus Wildeboer was headed to Australia. It turns out that 18-year old Pernille Blume, who anchored Denmark's winning 200 medley and free relays, followed her teammate Lotte Friis to Nice, France to train with Fabrice Pellerin: suddenly the hottest coach in the world after his French stars Yannick Agnel and Camille Muffat started breaking World Records in the last month. Despite being so young, the 5'7″ sprinter has been 25.0 and 54.0 in the 50 and 100 freestyles, and alongside Mie Nielsen give good reason for Danish swim fans to be excited about the future. Pellerin's best recent success has been with more middle-distance types, so keep an eye on how he does with more of a pure sprinter like Blume…
…Brazil had their last National Championship meet of the season, finishing with the 17 year old's and a combined 18-19 year old championship. Unlike their previous age group meets, this one was a bit on the disappointing side in terms of results, this one being called the Julio De Lamare Trophy. Most eyes in the states were focused on Arthur Mendes, who will join Auburn in January. He swam fairly well, winning the 100 fly long course in 54.17 and was 2nd in the 100 free in 50.60. He also won the 200 free (1:51.56), and was 2nd in the 200 fly in 2:02.85. Another college freshman, Hawaii's Paulo de Paula, won the 100 breast in 1:02.85 – close to his best time. Always with an eye toward the future of Brazilian sprinters, 18-year old Leonardo Palma Alcover swam a 49.78 – his best time by almost a second – in prelims of the 100 free. He also won the 50 free in 22.85, and will represent Brazil at the Short Course World Championships in December…
…In the seemingly never-ending bizarre world of Massachusetts High School Swimming, there was only a single boys champion crowned at the fall State Championships meet. Under new rules after uproar when a boy broke a girls' section record last fall in the fall swimming season, the rules were changed to hold boys races at the fall meet as well. Read more about it here and here. For all of the gabbing, there was only a single male swimmer at the meet. C.J. Khosabjian from Billerica Memorial High won the boys' 100 breaststroke, swimming alone, in 1:07.02. A lone male state champion in a fall season dominated by the girls.