Libby Trickett says goodbye to swimming

Dual Olympian, world record holder and multiple world champion Libby Trickett has today announced that she will retire from competitive swimming with immediate effect.

One of Australia’s most decorated female swimmers of the modern era, the 24-year-old plans to spend more time with her family and look to pursue a career in the media with Network TEN and ONE.

According to Swimming Australia, speaking at today’s announcement, Trickett said it has been the most difficult decision of her life, but one she is now completely comfortable with.

“It’s something that I’ve been thinking about for almost a year now, and after much consideration and speaking with my family and close friends I know that I am ready to move on to the next stage of my life and career,” said Trickett.

“Swimming is such a great sport to be involved with and has been a huge part of my life for such a long time. Through swimming I’ve been able to travel the world doing something that I love and this great sport has provided me with so many fantastic memories and opportunities.”

“I would like to thank everyone for their fantastic support throughout my career, especially my family and coaches Stephan Widmer and Grant Stoelwinder.”

Swimming Australia President David Urquhart said Trickett’s contribution to the success and culture of the Telstra Dolphins Australian Swim Team has been outstanding since first joining the team some seven years ago.

“Libby was a member of the team from a young age, but always conducted herself with the utmost professionalism and respect for the sport,” said Urquhart.

“She has been a member of the leadership group for the last five years, and in that sense we hope she can stay involved with the sport at some level, to pass on her great knowledge and experience.”

“Her legacy and success at Olympic, World Championship and Commonwealth level is a tribute to her hard work and commitment over a long period of time and while it’s disappointing she won’t be swimming for Australia again, her achievements and contribution will be well remembered.”

“All we ask of our swimmers is to work hard and give their best, and Libby is a great example of what happens when these two values come together.”

Trickett first joined the Australian team as 17-year-old Libby Lenton in 2002 for the Oceania Championships in Noumea.

A year later she won her first major international medal at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona in 2003 – taking bronze in the 50m butterfly – before going on to taste relay gold at the Athens Olympics in the 4x100m freestyle.

She won three gold medals at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, four gold and one silver in Melbourne at the Commonwealth Games in 2006 and then an incredible five gold medals at the 2007 World Championships again in Melbourne.

Her Olympic dream of individual gold was fulfilled in Beijing last year, winning the 100m butterfly in a commonwealth record time, before teaming up with Emily Seebohm, Leisel Jones and Jessicah Schipper to win gold in the 4x100m medley relay.

Bronze in the 100m butterfly and silver in the 4x100m medley at the World Championships in Rome this year, was the last time Trickett competed internationally, while the true champion that she is goes out at the very top of her game, setting a world record in the 100m freestyle at the Telstra Australian Short Course Championships in Hobart.

Trickett’s final swim – an incredible 51.01 seconds for the 100m freestyle – withstood a recent onslaught at the World Cup series and looks set to stand for many years to come.

Lisbeth Trickett (formerly Lisbeth Lenton)

Born: 28/01/1985 Townsville Queensland

Started Swimming: At age one

Physical: 167cm, 63kg

Clubs/Institutes: Commercial QLD/ QAS and SOPAC/NSWIS

Coaches: Stephan Widmer, Grant Stoelwinder

Main Events: 50m and 100m freestyle and butterfly

Stats and Facts

Libby Trickett won six Olympics medals, including three gold from two Olympics – Athens and Beijing

She is the current world record holder for the 100m freestyle over the short course – setting a new world mark of 51.01 in what proved to be her last ever competitive swim at the Telstra Australian Short Course in Hobart in August

In 2007 she married Luke Trickett a former national medallist in the 200m breaststroke and clubmate from Commercial Queensland

Won five gold and two silver medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games

Has eight gold, three silver and four bronze medals from four FINA World Championships

Won the Telstra Swimmer of the Year award in 2007

Made her senior Australian debut in 2002 at the Oceania Championships

IOC approves new events for London 2012: tennis mixed doubles and more track cycling events

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today approved the inclusion of a mixed doubles tennis event as well as several changes to the track cycling programme of the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The requested changes came from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the International Cycling Union (UCI) as part of the IOC’s systematic review of the Olympic programme. The changes reflect the IOC’s desire to continually refresh the programme, as well as its commitment to increase women’s participation.

The inclusion of the tennis mixed doubles event will not increase the current number of athletes and will bring an added value to the Olympic programme by providing another opportunity for men and women to compete together on the same field of play.

The changes to the track cycling programme see the number of women’s events increase from three in Beijing in 2008 to five in London, with the total number of track cycling events now at five each for men and women. There were seven men’s events and three women’s events in Beijing.

The EB agreed to this modification as the UCI has adjusted its track cycling programme to remain within its current number of events and athletes.

These changes in the track cycling programme bring the number of women cyclists at the Games to 84, up from 35 in Beijing. Women will now make up 45% of the total number of track cyclists at the Games (compared to 19% in Beijing).

Both men and women will now compete in the sprint, team sprint, keirin, team pursuit, and omnium events. To make room for the increased participation of women and the inclusion of the new event, omnium, the men’s and women’s individual pursuit, men’s and women’s points race and men’s Madison events will no longer be part of the Olympic programme.

Omnium, a track cycling competition that is part of the UCI’s World Championships, can be compared to the decathlon in athletics, with six competitions, including individual pursuit and a points race.

The IOC received requests from 17 International Sports Federations for modifications to events, quotas and competition formats for the Olympic Games in London in 2012 by the deadline of October 2008.

The IOC Olympic Programme Commission analysed all of the requests based on established criteria, and submitted its findings to the Executive Board. The key positive factors included whether the changes would increase universality, gender equity and youth appeal, and, in general, add value to the Games. Other considerations included the cost of infrastructure, and the impact on the overall quota and the number of events.

All modifications to events, quotas or competition format for the Olympic Games in London 2012 are provisional, and will be reviewed for the programme of the 2016 Olympic Games after the Games in London.

Simply Roger Federer

On Tuesday, 24 November, Roger Federer was guaranteed to finish the 2009 calendar year ranked No. 1 in the world after beating Andy Murray at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

This is the fifth time Federer has finished leading the world rankings. Pete Sampras holds the record in this respect, having wrapped up six year end No. 1 rankings (1993-1998).

Federer now joins Ivan Lendl as the only players to have held, lost and regained the year end no. 1 position since the current ATP rankings were introduced in 1973.

Year end No. 1 ATP rankings by individual

# Name Nation Year(s)

6 Pete Sampras USA 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998

5 Jimmy Connors USA 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978

5 Roger Federer SUI 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009

4 John McEnroe USA 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

4 Ivan Lendl TCH 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989

2 Björn Borg SWE 1979, 1980

2 Stefan Edberg SWE 1990, 1991

2 Lleyton Hewitt AUS 2001, 2002

1 Ilie Nastase ROU 1973

1 Mats Wilander SWE 1988

1 Jim Courier USA 1992

1 Andre Agassi USA 1999

1 Gustavo Kuerten BRA 2000

1 Andy Roddick USA 2003

1 Rafael Nadal ESP 2008

37

Taeke Taekema shouted 42 times

On Saturday, 28 November, Taeke Taekema broke the all-time Champions Trophy record for most goals scored by netting his 41st and 42nd goal in the history of the competition in the Netherlands 3-2 win over Spain at the 2009 Hockey Champions Trophy. The Dutch penalty corner specialist has now broken Sohail Abbas’ total of 40 Champions Trophy goals set between 1998 and 2006.

Taekema’s 42 goals are made up of 39 penalty corner goals and three penalty stroke goals. Abbas has scored 36 penalty corners and four penalty strokes.

Top 3 all-time Champions Trophy top scorers

Goals Player Nation

42 Taeke Taekema Netherlands

40 Sohail Abbas Pakistan

36 Teun de Nooijer Netherlands

Taekema vs Abbas in Champions Trophy competition

Taeke Taekema vs Sohail Abbas

Netherlands Team Pakistan

51 Matches 42

2000-2009 Years 1998-2006

42 Goals 40

0 FG 0

39 PC 36

3 PS 4

Taeke Taekema Champions Trophy goals

Edition PC PS Total goals

2009 2 2

2007 6 1 7

2006 8 8

2005 4 4

2004 6 6

2003 4 4

2002 6 1 7

2001 2 1 3

2000 1 1

Total 39 3 42

Sohail Abbas Champions Trophy goals

Edition PC PS Total goals

2006 5 1 6

2004 5 1 6

2003 9 9

2002 3 3

2001 7 1 8

1999 4 4

1998 3 1 4

Total 36 4 40