Get your news fix on happenings outside the pool with the latest ‘Beyond the Lane Lines.’ With each edition, we collect personal stories, little-known facts, and general items of interest from around the world. Read on and learn something new this week.
#1 Mireia Belmonte Honored
Spanish Olympic champion Mireia Belmonte has been recognized once again, having been honored for her social role at the sixth annual edition of the ‘Influencers Awards.’
Joining Spanish national football team coach Luis de la Fuente and electronic music artist DJ Nano, Belmonte was recognized among the various personalities from the worlds of sports, culture, communications, and gastronomy as an opinion leader in their fields.
Belmonte told EFEl, “in these times when we want everything fast, it is important to have work and perseverance.”
The 34-year-old medalist is not entered in this month’s World Championships, having missed qualification at the Spanish World Trials.
#2 Daichi Suzuki Reappointed
Late last month, the Japanese Swimming Federation (JASF) re-elected Daichi Suzuki as chairman.
He will serve a two-year term, with the veteran bureaucrat stating, “I will work hard to tackle many issues, such as halting the decline in swimming lessons.”
Suzuki was an Olympic athlete himself, having earned gold in the men’s 100m backstroke at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. He became chairman in 2013, retired in 2015 and rose again to become the first director-general of the Japan Sports Agency.
#3 One Big Beautiful Bill’s Impact on LA2028
The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’, which was approved recently by the U.S. Congress, included a funding component related to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The funding is listed within the section related to the Department of Homeland Security, and includes $R
#4 Sjostrom is Business Management Ambassador
We may not be seeing Swedish Olympic champion Sarah Sjostrom in the pool this year but the 31-year-old is still a busy woman, awaiting the birth of her first child while also attending business school.
Sjostrom is studying business management and has been named Ambasador at IHM Business School which is located in Kalmar, Sweden.
The collaboration is taking place in collaboration with ID Agency, who sees a perfect match between Sarah and IHM.
“We at ID Agency are very proud to work with Sarah – one of our most beloved and successful athletes – in a new role that reflects both drive, development and authenticity,” says Ida Bergfeldt, ID Agency.
Sjostrom said, “As a self-employed person, I get to work with many different companies and I believe it is an education that will help me no matter what I choose to do in life.
“It is fun to learn everything from scratch and I can already apply much of what we learn in my everyday life.”
The megastar continued, “I want to continue my swimming and in combination with being a mother, I have an exciting time ahead of me. I take things as they come, but in the future the idea is to continue further education. A first step is to complete Business Management.
“It is absolutely possible to combine a career in sports with an education like this, which is adapted for professionals and designed so that it can be combined with work. While I may sometimes regret not starting earlier, I have probably done the right thing in the path I have taken. But I am happy to be starting.” (InfluencerEffect.com)
#5 Historic Australian Swimmers Honored
The first Australian woman to win an Olympic silver medal, Wilhelmina (Mina) Wylie was honored with a blue plaque at Coogee, New South Wales, Australia, earlier this month.
The plaque was installed next to Wylie’s old training ground, Wylie’s Baths, which were built by her father Henry in 1907 – a legendary long-distance and underwater swimmer.
Wylie represented one of the first women to represent Australia at a Summer Olympic Games, racing at the 1912 edition in Stokholm.
She went on to coach other young athletes until she was almost 70 and, in 1975, she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Parliamentary Secretary for Heritage, Trish Doyle said, “The blue plaques program rolls out incredible opportunities to connect the community with events and stories that have helped shaped NSW’s rich history.
“Wylie’s Baths is iconic for residents and visitors, and having a blue plaque at the Baths helps cement its historic link to this swimming hero.”
