Which female swimmers get your vote?

[glen_75]

Well, some posters have talked about their favs. Primarily male swimmers.
If its fair for some posters to remark about Mark Foster's manliness then its only fair to inquire about the fairer sex.
Many eye catching ladies have graced the pool decks of elite international swimming...Franziska van Almsick, Joanne Malar, Elka Graham and others...

So which swimmers are easy on your eyes? Looks aren't everything, but they don't hurt. If Kournikova and Sabbatini can raise the profile of tennis, than why not have swimmers do the same?

There are many lovely lasses out there. Right now my vote has to go to Natalie Coughlin (19 years old). She also happens to be an outstanding swimmer who overcame chronic back problems which almost made her reconsider swimming at a young age. She recently broke Sarah Price's 200 back SC record. I love Sarah, but I hope that Natalie continues her success so that I get to see a lot more of her. She is also a good freestyle swimmer who broke Jenny Thompsons collegiate 100 (yards) record at the American Collegiate Championships. Her best events are probably the 100, 200 back & 200 free though she also does fly.

Visit her profile:
http://calbears.fansonly.com/sports/w-swim/mtt/coughlin_natalie00.html

Elka Graham newly crowned 200 free Aus champ gets my 2nd place vote.:)

[swimmer]

i would have to say that DAWN FRASIER has to be my 100% fave swimmer, from what she had to overcome, and stil to achieve such great success- she is my idol.:rainbow:

[Bazza]

I think Therese Alshammar is widely regarded as one of the most attractive female swimmers. I believe she was voted sexiest sportswoman in Sweden or something similar. I wish I'd gone to Loughborough now!!:devil:

[swimusa]

My friend, who is Swedish, swam with Therese on her Swedish team (and still does when Therese swims in Swedish meets) and she concurs that Therese is foxy!

[lane4]

Are you suggesting your pal wants something more than friendship between Therese and her or does that already exist?

Regardless, Neil is a lucky man, that much is certain.

[Steve]

Originally posted by lane4
Are you suggesting your pal wants something more than friendship between Therese and her or does that already exist?
always one lowering the tone :rolleyes: ;)

Regardless, Neil is a lucky man, that much is certain.

He is lucky, shame he's not still swimming tho' :(

[Kaci]

You boys!!! The best female swimmer was bound to end up as who looks the fittest in a swimsuit. Shame of you 'bazzaroodoo' for setting the rest of them off, although it was only a matter of time before the thread topic changed slightly.
:rolleyes:

[swimusa]

First, no she does not have an affection deeper than friendship with Therese. Second, Kaci, you do have a point. Third, I always thought Karen Pickering is the best looking high profile British swimmer.

[lane4]

Originally posted by swimusa
Third, I always thought Karen Pickering is the best looking high profile British swimmer.

OH MY GOD!
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Chris]

Originally posted by swimusa
Third, I always thought Karen Pickering is the best looking high profile British swimmer.

Originally posted by lane4


OH MY GOD!
:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I've got to second that ......

http://www.tnfj.com/Images/Smilies/eek2.gif

[swimusa]

Who would top her? You have to admit, you have some ugly swimmers. They are no Dara Torres, Shelley Ripple, Jenny Thompson, or Franzi van Almsick

[lane4]

To Swimusa: if you ever visit Britain, try and come at a time when our nationals are on, give me a call, we'll meet up on poolside and I'll be happy to point out who are best looking female swimmers are. There are more than you think and KP is definitely not near the top of the list.

[lane4]

Originally posted by swimusa
You have to admit, you have some ugly swimmers.


Please name who you think these ugly swimmers are? Don't just throw that term around without backing it up with evidence.

[Pete]

Swimusa
Yet again you lay yourself right open to criticism and then when the sh"one"t hits the fan you whinge that we are unfriendly as a nation. As for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland? It is all clean fun as long as we beat the Canadians and Aussies as often as possible between us.:devil:

[Steve]

Originally posted by swimusa
You have to admit, you have some ugly swimmers

...and so do the USA - Amy van Dyken anybody? - and everybody else - no points for looking good in this game anyway...

(wait for it...)

..otherwise I'd be Olympic champion baboom chish! :p :beer: :joker: :funnyhat:

[Steve]

Originally posted by Kaci
Shame on you 'bazzaroodoo' for setting the rest of them off, although it was only a matter of time before the thread topic changed slightly. :rolleyes:

I hardly think it's baz's fault, given that the thread starter was talking about swimmers who are 'easy on the eye' :rolleyes: He just happened to mention that she was a good swimmer as well!

[Bazza]

Originally posted by Kaci
You boys!!! The best female swimmer was bound to end up as who looks the fittest in a swimsuit. Shame of you 'bazzaroodoo' for setting the rest of them off, although it was only a matter of time before the thread topic changed slightly.
:rolleyes:

Yeah it was Glen who first brought this up, so don't blame me...!:devil:

[swimusa]

Natalie Coughlin is no catch either, but I did not cause an uproar when Glen introduced the thread, now did I? As for ugly swimmers, we in America do have ugly high profile swimmers :eek:. But, for Amy van Dyken, there is Dara Torres, for Cristina Teuscher, there is Summer Sanders. For Rebecca Cooke, who do you have to balance it out? Alison Sheppard? Zoe Baker? Georgina Lee? Karen Legg? There is 1/2 your national team. The rest don't look so promising.

[Steve]

Originally posted by swimusa
For Rebecca Cooke, who do you have to balance it out?

Heidi Earp. 'Nuff Said :D :D

[rogant stard]

Originally posted by swimusa
For Rebecca Cooke, who do you have to balance it out? Alison Sheppard? Zoe Baker? Georgina Lee? Karen Legg? There is 1/2 your national team. The rest don't look so promising.

Are you really putting these four forward as the best British Swimming has to offer?
Steve says it all indeed with his post and I'm sure, if I were in the habit of looking(!), I could find many females better than the four you offer there.
Good luck at trying to crack Zoe by the way.

[swimusa]

Who are your high profile attractive females? You love to knock anything I say, and dance around it. Fine, Heidi Earp, ok. Who else?

[swimbabe]

As well as me there is that backstroke girl who trains in your country now, a lot of lads I know like her.

[swimmer]

ru heidi earp?

[swimusa]

SwimBabe, do you mean Joanna Fargus, who trains at Univ. of Southern California?

[Aussiebabe]

Female swimmers easy on the eye in Oz include Giaan Rooney, Elka Graham, Clemetine Stoney to name a few.

At the other end of the scale though, can't go past Petria Thomas & Dyana Calub!!!

:angel:

[swimbabe]

Yes Jo is the girl I meant.
The boys seem to talk favourably about Georgy Lee too.
Surprised you think Zoe and Karen Legg balance Becci out though! Haven't heard of any boys liking ZB or KL.

[swimusa]

I never said Zoe & Karen balance out Becci. I said if not Karen P., then who? And Georgy Lee is not fabulous looking....I will concede Heidi Earp, but not Georgina.

[lane4]

Originally posted by swimusa
For Rebecca Cooke, who do you have to balance it out? Alison Sheppard? Zoe Baker? Georgina Lee? Karen Legg? There is 1/2 your national team. The rest don't look so promising.

If you did not say Zoe and/or Karen balance out Becci, please explain again what exactly the above statement does mean?

[sexy sandy]

Originally posted by swimusa
Alison Sheppard? Zoe Baker? Georgina Lee? Karen Legg? There is 1/2 your national team. The rest don't look so promising.

From this I must assume you have never seen or met Katy Sexton or Margy Peddar?

Plus, you would need to name many more people to constitute half our national team.

[rogant stard]

Originally posted by sexy sandy


From this I must assume you have never seen or met Katy Sexton or Margy Peddar?

Margy Peddar!!!!!????!!!!??????!!:confused: :eek:

[i]Haven't heard of any boys liking ZB or KL[/B]

Think they'd be barking up the wrong tree with the former even if they were daft enough to like.
The phrase 'ram-raiding on a scooter without a helmet' springs to mind.

[Steve]

Swimusa, would I be right in thinking you are a girl? (now don;t all jump to the wrong conclusion, this is not going to be sexist or misogynistic! and I'm not about to have a go at him/her :cool: ) Only from my albeit limited experience in this field, women often have a very different view on what makes a women attractive to us blokes, hence the reaction to your comment about Karen Pickering.

You cite Dara Torres and Summer Sanders as good looking US swimmers (not current internationals though? :confused: ) and while they probably don't fall into the same category as Amy van Dyken, IMHO they aren't exactly supermodels - of the current US team I much prefer Gabrielle Rose and Amanda Beard.

As for the UK if we are going back over former internationals I could mention the likes of Zara Long, Nicole Thornley, Alex Bennet - very nice thank you. Of the current team (Right I'm going to be careful what I say now otherwise I'll never get another interview - I knew signing up with my real name would get me into trouble...:rolleyes: ) I agree with Sandy about Katy, and with Swimbabe about Georgie Lee and I'm not going to commit myself any further :D

[Bazza]

Gotta gree about Jo Fargus!;)

[swimusa]

First, you must keep in mind I have only seen Susan Rolph, Joanna Fargus, Georgina Lee, and Alison Sheppard in a form outside of a picture, because TV in the US focuses on American swimmers when they do show international swimming on TV. Second, I am male. Third, Stacianna Stitts does not shave her head. She suffers from Alopecia (since age 12) where you lose all of your hair ALL OF IT, and it does not grow back. Not a very kind thing to say she's scary. Fourth, Kaitlin Sandeno, Samantha Arsenault, Amanda Beard, Tammie Stone. I would mention more, but they are rather young and that is rather disgusting.

[Steve]

OK I take back my comment about Staciana Stitts, should have got my facts straight first. :o

Originally posted by swimusa
First, you must keep in mind I have only seen Susan Rolph, Joanna Fargus, Georgina Lee, and Alison Sheppard in a form outside of a picture

What do you mean by this? (this isn't a criticism, just don't understand :confused: )

Anyway this is probably a pointless debate, at present, the US team probably is better looking overall...[stands well back from lit blue touch paper...] but i repeat, what do looks mean?

Absolutely nothing :cool:

[swimmer]

katy sexton is really pretty! and don't be mean about people coz its not fair and ur being really horrible now.

[swimusa]

I mean, I have seen them on TV. Sorry I thought that was obvious. And swimmer, Katy's picture on the ASA website isn't very flattering.

[swimmer]

u mean u haven't atcually seen these people in real life??!! u can't judge people on the basis of one or a couple of photographs! i have seen her at a lot of meets and in real life she is pretty.

[swimusa]

I am American. I am sorry if I am not the typical American jetsetter who can take off all the time I need to fly 1/2way around the world to watch British Nationals in Manchester. The last major international meet in the US was the World Cup in New York, and even that is 5 hours away via car. And I most certainly can judge via photograph. If people could not, the whole entire adult magazine business would cease to exist, as would celebrity magazines. And let's face facts, Katy Sexton, no matter how pretty she is, is no Gabriela Sabatini or Anna Kournikova.

PS - let me know when you fly in for US Nationals, we'll catch up.

[swimmer]

no u shouln't judge by photographs! just because some single minded and perhaps ill-educated or arrogant people do dosen't mean u should! and think of the persons feelings, if they were reading this, like how would you like it if a forum was discusing how ugly u are!

[swimusa]

Did I ever say she was ugly?

[swimmer]

every1 seems to be implying that her, karen and beccy cook are!

[Pete]

Sarah Price looked very fit on the tv today. Yes a swimmer on Grandstand. Not focussing on swimming though, she was interviewing a clay-pigeon shooter. There were some shots of her training doing Backstroke.:)

[swimmer]

on channel 4 this morning there was an interview with a south african swimmer, who lost a leg and still managed to come 2nd in the 1500m South African trials (able bodied people as well) she is now 20 secs faster on the 800m without a leg - than she was beofre. she is amazing!

[swimusa]

No one ever said Katy was ugly, you jumped to that conclusion. The original question posed by Glen_75 was who are the Sabatini or Kournikova of women's swimming. When I asked who is the prettiest British female swimmers were, Sexy Sandy said Katy and Margy. I said Katy's picture on the ASA website was not very flattering. That was all I said about Katy. You keep bringing her up, and nobody else outside of me or Sexy Sandy have entertained the idea of Katy's beauty. Nobody brought her up, nor has anyone outside of my remark about her lack of photogeniality on the ASA website said she was ugly. Calm down, please, and stop making assumptions.

[Steve]

Originally posted by swimmer
on channel 4 this morning there was an interview with a south african swimmer, who lost a leg and still managed to come 2nd in the 1500m South African trials (able bodied people as well) she is now 20 secs faster on the 800m without a leg - than she was beofre. she is amazing!

Ahh you mean Nathalie du Toit. I saw the interview, and Tara has posted about her before: http://www.swimclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=499&highlight=Natalie%20du%20Toit

A great example of overcoming adversity. She'll be at the commonwealth games in the EAD events, but as I understand it isn't far off making the able bodied team, which she aims to do for Athens.

[Bazza]

Yeah interesting interview. It would be nice to see this amount of coverage of British swimmers on British TV on a regular basis. Still that's a) a dream, and b) for another topic. She's still very young I think maybe 17, which is quite impressive, and good luck to her if she thinks she can be Olympic champion. You have to admire that determination.

[glen_75]

I don't really believe that this discussion is inappopriate, as long we do not go so far as to start disparaging people for their looks or lack thereof. I also didn't mean for this topic to generate discussions about which country has the best/worst looking swimmers. Specific swimmers....

SwimUsa...You claim that Natalie Coughlin is not "a catch." Of course you are entitled to that opinion. BUT, I would question whether or not at the time you posted you had actually ever seen Natalie. Given the fact that she was the highlight swimmer at NCAA's it would be surpising if you hadn't. I believe if you took a poll. with pictures. that Natalie would win hands down.

Torres, Thompson, etc. don't do anything special for me. They have amazing bodies, with avg. faces...faces are important to me. that's why I'm not partial to the barbie doll demographic (ie Sandeno). Natalie is probably the first US swimmer that caught my eye, she is very svelte! Typically I prefer brunettes, so if I take to a blonde...you know she's not Goldilocks.

On British swimmers, you know I have seen Earp and Rolph and they're not bad looking. Any nation that produces Liz Hurley and Rachel Weisz is well in my book. :)

Joanne Malar, Elka Graham, and Coughlin are really the only ones who've caught my eye and I've been following since the late 80's. Krisztina Egerzegi is pretty easy on the eyes as well. Haley Cope is nice in a girl next door kind of way.

Go to this address, there's a slide show of Natalie. See caption under her picture.
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2002/04/08_coughlin.html

If you still think she's uninspiring, then OK, but don't knock her if you haven't see her! :cool:

[swimusa]

Wow, outdated much?

[glen_75]

Outdated? As in am I spurned for dates? No, I do just fine...:D
Speaking of which...had much luck with the ladies recently?



I lost my pass word. So, its been awhile for me. I came across it.
So, here I am. Catching up for lost time. :)

[nsswimmer]

swimusa: i just wanted to say that you seem to be in the minority here about natalie coughlin. all the guys on my team think natalie is pretty OMG, and i know that a lot of the guys are ga-ga over her on one of our rival teams, too... ;)

[swimusa]

Well first, American swimmers aren't like Anna Kournikova etc. I think we can save that to some of the Swedes (ie Joanna Sjoberg and Anna Karin Kammerling). Of the American swimmers, I think Dara Torres, Tara Kirk and Amanda Beard are better looking than Natalie Coughlin.

[swimusa]

Originally posted by glen_75
Outdated? As in am I spurned for dates? No, I do just fine...:D
Speaking of which...had much luck with the ladies recently?



I lost my pass word. So, its been awhile for me. I came across it.
So, here I am. Catching up for lost time. :)

Would help if I likes ladies.

[violet]

clementine stoney is very pretty.

[ktcute]

Woo... it just goes to show, that as women don't go so fast in the pool, denigrating them for they way they look, is fair game.

I know, lets prevent the ones men vote as really ugly from competing at all. After all, its not like they are going to be the fastest people in the world or anything :^).

[rogant stard]

Best suggestion you've given on this site kt - keep it up.

[Steve]

Since there's a discussion goign on amongst the swim mums about how great Fos is I thought I'd resurrect this thread with the following South African Swimmer: Romy Altman (their no 3 backstroker as I understand it)

http://www.sasi.co.za/BOS/ and
http://www.sasi.co.za/wallpapers/images/RAltman4.jpg (it's a big picture so may take a while to load) :) :devil:

[Bazza]

Steve you're so shallow! :eek:

Still she's not bad I guess! ;)

Having said that, there's not much future for backstrokers - selective breeding and all that!! :p

[Steve]

Erm, selective breeding? :confused:

[swimusa]

Hmm, one would think when you see the title of the thread, that it would pertain to who you think the best female swimmer is, not the best looking. Hmmm. Vanity did Narcissus in.

[glen_75]

Whose vanity? The posters or the swimmers?

Is it wrong to admire someone for their looks? In that case 90% of the human race is superficial.

You can be athletic and beautiful too. There's no shame or harm in pointing it out. As long as you stick with the positive.

People see a nice smile, warm eyes, and a fit body why shouldn't they admire them? Stars who are talented and attractive to others can only increase the popularity of swimming and sports in general.

Being part of the general swimming community it is only natural to talk about swimmers of some renown who we fancy for being attractive, just as we appreciate some for their personality and spirit.

[swimusa]

All I am saying is that when Chris created this subset, I don't think he meant it as a beauty contest more than admiration of accomplishments. But, I could be wrong. Why do you like Heidi Earp? Because she is beautiful, or because she is the British Recordholder? You know?

[Steve]

I'm sure we've had this argument before!

Why do you like Heidi Earp? Because she is beautiful, or because she is the British Recordholder?

Both! :D

[swimusa]

I mean I can understand that guys will be guys, and since the time of antiquity we have all been admiring objects of beauty. But I think, and I may be alone on this, that in some respect, resurrecting this thread, it diminishes women as an object rather than a subject. The women that subscribe aren't really flaunting over who they go ga-ga for, so why should the men?

[lane4]

Originally posted by swimusa
The women that subscribe aren't really flaunting over who they go ga-ga for, so why should the men?

But if women were to do so, nobody in the world would have a problem with it.

[swimusa]

Doesn't make it right though, would it?

[Steve]

have you been reading the threads about Mark Foster?

[mammamedley]

female subscribers to this forum would NEVER enter into such degrading behaviour!!!

[Bazza]

Ya right!

BTW SwimUSA I think it was Glen who started this thread not Chris, and if you read the first post he did it because at that time there were also alot of threads about Mark Foster (notice a pattern here?!).

originally posted by Steve Buckley
Erm, selective breeding? :confused:

Lets face it, backstrokers are an endangered species...

[swimusa]

Bazz, who created the website, and who created the subset? Was it Glen? No, it was Chris. And when he created "Favourite Swimmer", I don't think beauty was the intent, though Glen (and a few others) tend to think so.

[glen_75]

Oh? Do you know Chris's intent? Englighten me. Such speculation.

"Favourite swimmer" seems broad enough. There are many reasons I admire certain swimmers: achievements, personality, longevity, gutsy performances, and in some instances I find them attractive.

In the first half of the 20th century, people such as Errol Flynn and Rudolph Valentino were objects for women and this was still in the era of propriety. But shame on them for not recognising their art and acting talents. My grandmother drooled over Cary Grant without reservation and she was a prude. Bless her soul.

I don't see what good comes from proselytising from your puritanical soapbox. If it upsets you so much I would've thought you would have contacted the site administrators or kept clear of this thread. Rather, you seem eager to engage in a morality debate and to paint me and other posters as degenerate male sops. If you think it so remember it's a big tent.

[swimusa]

Who is your favorite swimmer, and why?

[Pete]

Let's face it; nearly all of us are people watchers and if we see someone attractive we appreciate it. What we should not be doing is degrading individuals as happened earlier in the thread. One of the swimmers mentioned I know personally. Favourite is about who or what one favours and does not have to be linked to sporting performance, looks, or personality together but it can be one or more. Choice is also personal and everyone is entitled to their opinion and as long as their opinions stay on the side of decency on this site, let them have their say. I don't think sexism is being displayed by anyone in this thread.

[Bazza]

Certainly no more than elsewhere!

My favourite swimmer is Mark Warnecke because when I started to take a serious interest in swimming at the highest level, he was THE man in my event. He dominated European and World swimming in that event for years. I guess you could say he is a kind of hero to me. For the record, I don't find him attractive.

[lane4]

Originally posted by bazzaroodoo
My favourite swimmer is Mark Warnecke because when I started to take a serious interest in swimming at the highest level, he was THE man in my event.

I assume you realise that he cheated in almost every race he ever swam? Surely you saw him do frontcrawl kick off the turns and fly+frontcrawl kick at the starts? There was some speculation previously that Warnecke is where Heidi learnt it from?!

[Bazza]

Really?

Unfortunately the sad news is who doesn't these days? Maybe it is time to use the technology of underwater cameras now present at major meets to 'police' this kind of thing?

[chris_lamb]

Do they normally have underwater cameras in every lane?

[mad4it]

not not normally, they usually hav just in the middle few lanes as that is where they expect 2 see the best swimmers.

i know i hav just recently joined swimclub, but having read all this thread, does anyone agree it is getting quite boring? it was getting quite heated earlier, maybe cooling down and moving to a different subject would be a good idea?

[SexySarahPrice]

Post edited by Chris.

[Pete]

Oh dear!
Another sad one for Chris.

[swimmer]

well i bet she wouldn't 'do' you

[rogant stard]

Originally posted by swimmer
well i bet she wouldn't 'do' you

Some might say that if he's a normally equipped male then he's likely to be a candidate...;)

[lane4]

Originally posted by swimmer
well i bet she wouldn't 'do' you

I think that's an issue for the two people involved and them alone to decide.

[Linny]

Perhaps we are just assuming that "SexySarahPrice" can't punctuate and is extremely rude. Perhaps the send button was pressed by accident before the words "blood sugar level test to check that she is not suffering from diabetes" could be typed in - with a full stop at the end of course.
Honestly talk about jumping to conclusions.

[Tara]

Deviating a little from the thread to male swimmers, did anyone else see james gibson, adam whitehead, adrian turner and (ahem) mark foster (who was "hot date" of the month) in New Woman magazine.

If you didnt basically it was a small interview with a pic and then a telephone number to ring and leave a message and they will choose some-one to go on a date with them. There were 20 or so people in total, or sportsmen of some discription or another...

I have it on good authority that their agents made them do it!

[Bazza]

One question Tara - "Why?"

- That is, "Why on Earth were you reading New Woman magazine?!"

Even work isn't *that* boring!

[nsswimmer]

hahhaha that's right swimmer :D

and look, you're God! ;D

[Tara]

Originally posted by bazzaroodoo
One question Tara - "Why?"

- That is, "Why on Earth were you reading New Woman magazine?!"

Even work isn't *that* boring!

Cause I was told to check it out cause of the swimmers in there, and yeah work is sometimes *that* boring...:o

[UltraLord]

SARAH PRICE GETS MY VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KatieBun]

Ultra..stop shouting, you're giving me a bad head!

[UltraLord]

SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[KatieBun]

Ouch!!!

[UltraLord]

sorry

[KatieBun]

Well done..that's much calmer!

[nsswimmer]

wow. this must be a record first :D

[KatieBun]

20 years in school teaching ns, a bit of discipline..heehee

[UltraLord]

I'm a calmer more controlled UltraLord now. I've had therapy

[nsswimmer]

good stuff :P

[Top10ranking]

Amanda Beard and Inge De Bruin!

[Katie]

Don't you think Inge De Bruin looks a bit scary? No debating she's v pretty, but I think she looks like she could be a bit scary.

[Jaime]

Don't you think Inge De Bruin looks a bit scary? No debating she's v pretty, but I think she looks like she could be a bit scary.

Yeh i thought that aswell!

[Top10ranking]

the 6 pac is off putting i agree

[glen_75]

Don't you think Inge De Bruin looks a bit scary? No debating she's v pretty, but I think she looks like she could be a bit scary.
Actually, I would debate it. ;) She always has this Gremlin expression! :aarrgghh:


I've changed my mind. Natalie is now #2.

Numero Uno is this girl next door:

http://www.klochkova.com/c/pics/b0082.jpg

[glen_75]

Damn fine young lady ... in and out of the pool. Talented and striking.

http://www.klochkova.com/c/pics/b0171.jpg