If you’re a self-professed swim junkie like me, nothing beats watching swimming on TV (other than being there of course). So what happens when you keep turning on the boob-tube at the alloted time told to us by NBC and all you find is a rerun of Monk?

A lot of frustration, at least for me. I promise you I have been checking and double-checking when NBC says it is broadcasting the swim trials, but for the life of me it’s been wrong every time. Ugh.

Apparently, NBC doesn’t even know when it is showing the swim trials on the West Coast. Remember, if you live in the East, nothing exists beyond the mighty Mississippi. Thanks to Ron Judd of the Seattle Times, I think I may have solved this little issue.

NBC is scheduled to run the evening sessions this week on USA Network at 8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday. Then it switches back to NBC at 8 p.m. on Friday, 9 p.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday. You can watch the finals live on the Internet without waiting for the three-hour delay. One other note, I am having trouble doing just that because the program running on nbcolympics.com doesn’t work with a Mac.

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Tara Kirk improved on her morning swim in the first of two semifinal heats of the 100 breaststroke and will swim in tomorrow evening’s finals.

Kirk led Rebecca Soni at the 50-meter mark, 31.76 to 31.81, before Soni caught her at the wall. Soni finished in 1:06.87 to Kirk’s 1:07.19. I’ll update the finals rankings as soon as its available. In the second semifinal, American record-holder Jessica Hardy finished third in her heat with a time of 1:08.18. Megan Jendrick won in a time of 1:07.17 with Amanda Beard fifth in 1:08.73.

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Tara is seeded second in the first semifinal heat tonight, which can be seen on USA Network at 5 p.m. Kirk is seeded with Rebecca Soni, while Jessica Hardy, Megan Jendrick and Amanda Beard in the second heat. It looks like Kirk will have to swim around a 1:06 to qualify for the finals. Her best is 1:06.34.

The finals of the 100 breast are tomorrow evening. Top two placers qualify for the Olympics.

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Tara Kirk earned the fourth fastest qualifying time of the morning, with a 1:07.86 and the Bremerton native won her heat easily. In an earlier heat, Rebecca Soni threw down the early gauntlet with a 1:06.90. Jessica Hardy followed with a 1:06.8 in the final heat and Megan Jendrick of Puyallup touched in 1:07.

All four of the fastest U.S. breaststrokers made the semifinals tonight which can be seen on USA Network at 5 p.m. Tara should be seeded third or so into the semis. As soon as the start rankings are available I’ll get it posted.

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The breaststroke prelims are underway and Tara’s heat is coming up soon. Currently they’re on heat 8 of 14. Tara’s the top seed in the 13th heat. The times have been slow so far, with most swimmers going 1:10 to 1:12. Tara’s seeding time is 1:06. No one has yet to break 1:10 in heats right now.

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Here’s an interesting story about American sprinter Gary Hall, Jr., who thinks doping is still prevalent in the sport of swimming. Hall spoke with reporters at the swim trials in Omaha on the opening day.

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By Annette Griffus

Looks like Tara Kirk will get into the pool for the first time at these trials at about 10:11 a.m. Kirk will swim in the 100-meter breaststroke and is swimming in lane 4 of the 13th heat. There are 14 heats this morning. You can watch the prelims live all this week.

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  I Just read the article about Dana’s graceful retirement from the swimming world.  I am going to be a little selfish here and say I am sad to see it happen, sad only because I was not there to watch it.  My memories of Dana go back as far as I can remember.  From the days on Bremerton “Y” to the first day she came to swim with us on OAC.  I remember sitting in lane 1 at the Bremerton community pool with Jed Holm and Kyle Hansen peering over the bulkhead as Tara and Dana came strolling in thinking “what are they doing here.”  Then all the good, and bad time on Maki where we all learned of the big world of swimming out there from our coach Gabe Mazerkiewicz (sorry if I butchered the spelling).  From our various trips while we were in high school (venice beach, texas, alaska etc…).  To our college days we always kept in touch, sometimes better the others. 

  In 2004, when I made the semi-finals at the long beach olympic trials, Dana was the first one who congratulated me.  Later that evening, after I swam the last race of my career, Dana was there to give me one of her signature hugs and take me out to dinner.  I am sad that I was not there for her final swim.  Dana is a class act and I am sure she will do great things in the future.  Dana if you are reading this, I am sorry I was not there, I will see you on Tuesday.

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  Hello to all out there, my name is Justin Adrian and I am Nathan’s older brother.  I am new to this bloging thing but I will do my best.  A couple weeks ago I recieved a call from Anette, one of the sportswriters at the sun, asking me if I would be interested in writing about the upcomming Olympic Swim Trials.  I didn’t hesitate one bit at the offer.  

  I have yet to leave for omaha and am now writing from a little coffee shop in downtown Tacoma where I currently reside.  My family and I will be leaving Tuesday morning to watch the competition.  As I sit here I can’t help but be nervous for the next weeks events.  This will be the third Trials I will have attended.  In 2000 I went as a spectator in Indianapolis, at the time I really didn’t know what it was all about and it was just fun to go and watch Dana and Tara compete.  In 2004 I was a competitor in Long Beach, I knew I really didn’t have much chance of making the team but I went for the experience and it was the perfect place to retire from a career that had put me through school at the UW.  This year I will again return as a spectator, not only will I watch Tara and Dana but I will also be there chearing on my little brother Nathan. 

  It is a little odd for me to be reading all these articles and seeing all these pictures of this young man skyrocketing into the international swimming world and realizing he is my little brother.  For those of you who saw the picture of the Kirks and Adrians, if you look at that little squirt in the lower left side of the photo, that is Nathan at least the way I remember him.  

  As I said, my family and I will be leaving on Tuesday, we will be staying in a studio type hotel in downtown Omaha which will be interesting in and of itself.  The cherry on the cake is my older sister, Don (Donella) will be having shoulder surgery monday morning.  My Mom (Cecilia), who is a school nurse for the Bremerton School District, and I will be in charge of taking care of her during her 4-5 week recovery which starts off with this trip to Omaha.  I know this will be an exciting and trying time for us all and I will make sure to keep you all posted.  I will be the Eyes and ears for friends and family as the Adrians take off to Omaha to cheer on our local athletes. 

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Both the Olympic swim and track and field trials will be on Ch. 5 at 7 p.m. tonight. Neither event will be shown live, but will be packaged together as one show.

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