SWIMNEWS

Double Olympic medley champion Stephanie Rice may return to racing for the first time since shoulder surgery next week at New South Wales state titles; meet to feature top line up, including Olympic champ Leisel Jones and world champ James Magnussen

USA Swimming, which hosts its Olympic trials in Omaha from June 25, is to supply FINA with a list of likely team members for London 2012 in time for a June 18 qualification deadline set by the international federation to get the job done

News Round-Up: Dirk Lange left his role in Germany by mutual consent at the end of 2011 and will now help Mexico raise its game in time for a home FINA world titles in 2017; Mass walkout at Spanish club; Perkins urges Thorpe to slow up

NADA, Germany's national anti-doping agency says 28 athletes are implicated in a scandal involving Dr Andreas Franke, who worked at Thuringia's Olympic training facility and is said to have treated blood then reinjected it

News Round-Up: Markus Diebler (GER) clocked 50.08sec to win the 100m free at the Luxembourg Euro international ahead of Ian Thorpe (AUS), on 50.76; Thorpe on 1:51.51 over 200m; Gianniotis wins FINA 10KM in Santos

Sarah Sjoestrom, with junior Swedish marks in the 200m medley (2:08.17) and 100m free (52.15) in the bag, added two more youth records to her tally at nationals in Valby with a 56.70 (26.91) win in the 100m butterfly and a 23.82 victory in the 50m free

Matthew Targett powered to a best time of 21.98sec to deliver a knockout blow in a bout with world-champion 4x100m free teammates Matt Abood and James Magnussen as the action wrapped up at South Australia State titles in Adelaide

Sarah Sjoestrom, the Swedish 'fly and free ace who took two weeks off at Christmas in the face of convention as world-class swimmers approach Olympic season, set a Swedish short-course record of 52.15 in the 100m free at junior nationals in Valby

At the Miami Swimming Club's Miami Super Challenge today, Sun Yang clocked times of 49.50, 1:46.84 and 3:42.89 over 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle; Hao Yun, 16, made his world ranks debut on 1:48.74 and 3:45.49 - and 54.11 100 'fly

A day after a 4:36 400m IM at SA State Titles in Adelaide, Blair Evans clocked 4:08.36 and 1:58.23 respectively in 400m and 200m freestyle finals and earned plaudits from her Perth coach - who said she would be much faster come OG trials

A speech by the monster Caliban from William Shakespeare's 400-year-old play will form the basis for the 27 million Olympic ceremony at London 2012, Danny Boyle, the producer, has revealed

James "the missile Magnussen, world 100m free champion and the swiftest man ever in a textile suit, gave South Australia swim fans a thrill with a 48.05 blast at state titles in Adelaide; Blair Evans on 4:36 400IM

Dr Gary Hall Snr is directing an effort on behalf of United States Olympians and Paralympians and National Team members and alumni of all Olympic sports "to reverse the alarming trend of childhood obesity in America"

Aussie 'fly ace Geoff Huegill had to abandon a training camp last weekend, according to media reports Down Under. The reason was the best there could be: back home in Sydney his wife Sara had given birth to the couple's first child, a girl

A reconnaissance mission is how Perth coach Matt Magee sees Blair Evans's trip across the country to the South Australia state titles that run for three days from Friday; the venue is key - the Adelaide pool will host Olympic trials in March

News Round-Up: Long-time FINA and LEN Bureau member Klaas van de Pol (NED) passed away aged 87 yesterday; Abdul Rehaman Al Bader (KUW) has been slapped with a six-month ban for a positive Methylhexaneamine test

This Chinese New Year marks the start of the Year of the Dragon - but not any old dragon. Every 60 years, the Year of the Water Dragon fires into view. A good excuse to consider the threat of the nation that took as world No2 in 2011 - China

Mireia Belmonte clocks 4:07.10 and 4:38.77 over 400m free and medley respectively at Catalan Champs; freestyle time a lifetime best and medley effort a standard setter for early 2012 world rankings

Femke Heemskerk (NED) added victory in the 100m free to her victory over 200m on Friday with a dominant 54.27 effort at the Nancy International; European 400m champion Yannick Agnel was way out ahead in the 200m free, on 1:47.01

On the last day of action at the West Australia state titles, Japan's Ryosuke Irie clocked 53.32 to lead his team's medley relay to victory