LONDON (AP) -- What are they on? Or are they?

When Chinese swimmers started blowing rivals out of the water in London's Olympic pool, whispers quickly followed. Is China cheating the sport again, as it did in the 1990s, when drug-fueled, muscle-bound swimmers emerged from nowhere to beat the world? Alain Bernard, the 2008 Olympic freestyle champion from France, was among those who wondered.

"I'm for clean sport, without doping, and I truly hope the authorities in charge of this are doing their job in good conscience and really well," he said. "Unfortunately, I want to say that there is no smoke without fire. But today there is no proof to show that any Chinese has tested positive in this competition."

At a briefing Monday in London, reporters peppered Arne Ljungqvist, the International Olympic Committee's medical commission chairman, with questions about Ye Shiwen, China's 16-year-old swimming sensation. Ljungqvist said "it is very sad that an unexpected performance be surrounded by suspicions." "Suspicion is halfway an accusation that something is wrong," Ljungqvist said. "I don't like that. I would rather have facts."

Unlike the 1990s, however, there are plausible explanations this time for why China is the swimming phenomenon of the 2012 Games.

For example, Ye's astounding world record in the 400 medley, when she swam the last 50 meters faster than American Ryan Lochte did in winning the equivalent men's race, isn't solely attributable to her large hands and feet. It also is at least partly because China, which has grown to become the world's second-largest economy, now throws big checks at some of swimming's sharpest minds. China has turned to foreign trainers to get their coaching programs, expertise and methods, not only to hone its swimming stars but to make them more rounded and relaxed, too. The idea is that happy swimmers are fast swimmers.

Ye has trained in Australia with two well-recognized coaches, Ken Wood and Denis Cotterell. Wood has had a contract with the Chinese Swimming Association since 2008, and 15 of China's swimmers in London, plus five of its relay swimmers, have trained at his academy north of Brisbane, rotating through in groups for a couple of months at a time, he told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

"I get paid per month, per swimmer four times more than I do with my home swimmers," Wood said from Australia after Ye qualified comfortably fastest Monday in the 200 medley heats. China pays him bonuses for Olympic gold and for swimmers' personal bests, and he also got a bonus for Ye's 200 medley world championship win in 2011.

"China is putting a lot of money into its program and I am only too happy to work with them," he said. "The whole Chinese philosophy is that they want to be the best they can."

Not only is training overseas exposing Chinese swimmers to more sophisticated coaching, it is teaching them about life and the wider world. In Australia, they and their coaches are learning to let their hair down a bit and about themselves. For a seasoned observer of China and its state-run sport system, the worldlier Chinese swimmers performing so well in London are truly a new breed. These aren't the automatons of old, with monosyllabic stock responses about how grateful they are to their motherland and seemingly so ignorant of life outside China's government-funded medal factories with their grind of training and yet more training far from family and friends.

See the article here:
Chinese success raising suspicions of doping

What are they on? Or are they?

When Chinese swimmers started blowing rivals out of the water in London's Olympic pool, whispers quickly followed. Is China cheating the sport again, as it did in the 1990s, when drug-fueled, muscle-bound swimmers emerged from nowhere to beat the world? Alain Bernard, the 2008 Olympic freestyle champion from France, was among those who wondered.

"I'm for clean sport, without doping, and I truly hope the authorities in charge of this are doing their job in good conscience and really well," he said. "Unfortunately, I want to say that there is no smoke without fire. But today there is no proof to show that any Chinese has tested positive in this competition."

At a briefing Monday in London, reporters peppered Arne Ljungqvist, the International Olympic Committee's medical commission chairman, with questions about Ye Shiwen, China's 16-year-old swimming sensation. Ljungqvist said "it is very sad that an unexpected performance be surrounded by suspicions."

"Suspicion is halfway an accusation that something is wrong," Ljungqvist said. "I don't like that. I would rather have facts."

Unlike the 1990s, however, there are plausible explanations this time for why China is the swimming phenomenon of the 2012 Games.

For example, Ye's astounding world record in the 400 medley, when she swam the last 50 meters faster than American Ryan Lochte did in winning the equivalent men's race, isn't solely attributable to her large hands and feet. It also is at least partly because China, which has grown to become the world's second-largest economy, now throws big checks at some of swimming's sharpest minds. China has turned to foreign trainers to get their coaching programs, expertise and methods, not only to hone its swimming stars but to make them more rounded and relaxed, too. The idea is that happy swimmers are fast swimmers.

Ye has trained in Australia with two well-recognized coaches, Ken Wood and Denis Cotterell. Wood has had a contract with the Chinese Swimming Association since 2008, and 15 of China's swimmers in London, plus five of its relay swimmers, have trained at his academy north of Brisbane, rotating through in groups for a couple of months at a time, he told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

"I get paid per month, per swimmer four times more than I do with my home swimmers," Wood said from Australia after Ye qualified comfortably fastest Monday in the 200 medley heats. China pays him bonuses for Olympic gold and for swimmers' personal bests, and he also got a bonus for Ye's 200 medley world championship win in 2011.

"China is putting a lot of money into its program and I am only too happy to work with them," he said. "The whole Chinese philosophy is that they want to be the best they can."

More:
What's up With China's Swimming Success?

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Lubrizol Corporation announces that it has completed the acquisition of Lipotec SA, a leader in the development, manufacturing and sale of personal care ingredients based on three core technologies: peptide-based active cosmetic ingredients, delivery systems and biotechnology products. This purchase includes Lipotecs cosmetic active ingredients business and its subsidiaries, Diverdrugs and Lipofoods. The transaction was announced on June 20, 2012.

The addition of Lipotec complements Lubrizols global personal care ingredients business, strengthening its offering of high-performance technology solutions to marketers of formulated skin care products. Furthermore, it illustrates Lubrizols commitment to provide a broad product portfolio, new technology and applications expertise that enhance its ability to make customers successful through expanded access to innovative ingredients.

With the close of this transaction, Lipotec is now part of Lubrizol Advanced Materials, with Lipotec, Diverdrugs and Lipofoods retaining their respective names. The previous owners will continue their activities in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic finished goods segments through BCN Peptides, GP Pharm and Prima-Derm which are not part of the transaction. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

About The Lubrizol Corporation

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is an innovative specialty chemical company that produces and supplies technologies to customers in the global transportation, industrial and consumer markets. These technologies include lubricant additives for engine oils, other transportation-related fluids and industrial lubricants, as well as fuel additives for gasoline and diesel fuel. In addition, Lubrizol makes ingredients and additives for personal care products and pharmaceuticals; specialty materials, including plastics technology and performance coatings in the form of specialty resins and additives. Lubrizols industry-leading technologies in additives, ingredients and compounds enhance the quality, performance and value of customers products, while reducing their environmental impact.

With headquarters in Wickliffe, Ohio, The Lubrizol Corporation owns and operates manufacturing facilities in 17 countries, as well as sales and technical offices around the world. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol has approximately 7,000 employees worldwide. Revenues for 2011 were $6.1billion. For more information, visit http://www.lubrizol.com.

Originally posted here:
Lubrizol Completes Acquisition of Lipotec

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Bisnar | Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP of Newport Beach, California (www.BestAttorney.com) has been named one of the Best Places to Work by Orange County Business Journal and Best Companies Group.

Companies making the Best Places to Work list are evaluated, scored and ranked on workplace policies, practices, philosophies and systems, as well as the results of a comprehensive employee survey that gauges opinions about leadership and planning, corporate culture and communications, role satisfaction, work environment, supervisor relationship, training and development, pay and benefits and overall engagement.

Based on these criteria, Orange County companies making the list are recognized as most successful in creating and maintaining workplace excellence.

Bisnar | Chase will be featured in the October 2012 Best Places to Work issue of the Orange County Business Journal along with other small, medium and large-sized organizations making the list.

Were extremely honored to be named a Best Places to Work company in Orange County, said John Bisnar, founder of Bisnar | Chase. This award is a tribute to the talent and efforts of our administrator, Shannon Barker and our team leaders, Nicole Michau, Marta De La Torre, Ned Spilsbury and Chris Foerster. Were very proud of them. This award is especially meaningful coming from the Orange County Business Journal and Best Companies Group two highly respected, industry-leading organizations.

Since 1978, Bisnar | Chase has obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in judgments and settlements for thousands of personal injury clients who have been catastrophically injured or lost a loved one due to car accidents, negligence or defective products such as automotive defects.

The firm is particularly proud of its commitment to helping dozens of charitable organizations, including MADD, Second Harvest Food Bank, The Boys & Girls Club, Adopt A Family, American Legion, Kristies Foundation, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and AIDS/LifeCycle Trek, among others.

For more information about the Best Places to Work program in Orange County, visit http://www.BestPlacestoWorkOC.com. For more information about Bisnar | Chase, visit http://www.BestAttorney.com.

About Bisnar | Chase Personal Injury Attorneys, LLP

Originally posted here:
Bisnar | Chase Personal Injury Attorneys Named One of the Best Places to Work by Orange County Business Journal

The tenth anniversary of the Northwestel Summit Hockey School is now underway with 60 players from across the Yukon participating in the camp.

The school focuses on both on and off skills and player and personal development.

Taking place at the Canada Games Centre the school will also including swimming, off ice games and skill work, Aboriginal games, on ice skill work and games and guest speakers.

Newly signed Detroit Redwing Jordin Tootoo of Rankin Inlet, NWT will also be on hand to work with the young athletes.

Also returning to the school will be Danny Flynn and Brian Kozak.

Flynn, currently the head coach of the Moncton Wildcats of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), served as an assistant with the N.Y. Islanders in 2007.

Hes renowned in hockey circles across the county for his ability to break down the game.

Hes the all-time winningest coach in Wildcats history and led St. Francis Xavier University to three CIS National Finals, where he won the championship in 2004.

Kozak is the camps leader when it comes to the off-ice training.

He holds an Aboriginal teaching degree from Queens University and has had several notable students during his training and mentoring career including Mike Richards, who won the Stanley Cup this past season with the L.A. Kings.

Read more here:
Annual Northwestel Summit Hockey School now underway

The benefits of practising yoga are all but universally accepted it increases strength and flexibility, centres breathing, and reduces stress. But, like any form of exercise, it does come with certain risks.

Although injuries caused by yoga are not extremely common, they most often occur when a person is not listening to their body, said Simon Cooke, a physiotherapist at Kinsmen Sports Centre Physical Therapy Clinic.

The No. 1 injury well see is the too much too soon type of injury, where people are overly enthusiastic or overestimate what their body can tolerate and dive in with a bit too much vigour, he said.

Muscle strains or tears in the hamstrings are the biggest issue. If a muscle does become strained, Cooke said to lay off it for two to four weeks, and stick to light strengthening exercises and flexibility work.

Youre trying to gain the strength back in the injured tissue and make it as strong as it can be before you start to stretch it and pull it apart again, he said.

Injuries can also take place in the shoulders, knees and back, added Angela Zawada, owner of Moksha Yoga in Glenora.

In vinyasa yoga which connects a series of movements using breath there is a low pushup that causes problems for people who dip their shoulders too much, she said.

Students can also get hurt by over extending themselves performing back bends or failing to align their legs during standing poses.

Here are a few tips Zawada shared for being a safe yogi.

Take it slow: If youre newer to the practice, definitely take it slower. Try to put the Type A personality away and just drop the ego, said Zawada.

Link:
Stay safe while practising yoga

Editor's Choice Main Category: Stroke Also Included In: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine;Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy Article Date: 31 Jul 2012 - 14:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Yoga Can Help Re-Build Balance After A Stroke

Leading researcher Arlene Schmid, Ph.D., O.T.R., a rehabilitation research scientist at Roudebush Veterans Administration-Medical Center and Indiana University's Department of Occupational Therapy in Indianapolis, said: "For people with chronic stroke, something like yoga in a group environment is cost effective and appears to improve motor function and balance."

The study involved 47 participants, of which around three-quarters were male veterans. The oldest participant was in his 90s and all participants had to be able to stand unaided at the start of the study. Participants were split into three different groups. The first group attended a twice-weekly yoga group for eight weeks, whilst the second group consisted of a twice-a-week "yoga-plus" group that had a relaxation recording to use at least three times a week and the control group receiving no rehabilitation.

The yoga classes, taught by a registered yoga therapist, included modified yoga postures, relaxation, and meditation that were progressively challenging with time.

At the end of the study, the team noted that participants in the yoga or yoga-plus group had a substantial improvement in their ability to balance compared with those in the control group. The team also noted improved scores in the participant's independence and quality of life, and participants' reported to be less afraid of falling. After suffering a stroke, patients frequently suffer balance problems for long periods of time, which are linked to a higher risk of falling and greater disability.

Schmid, who is also an assistant professor of occupational therapy at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis and as an investigator at the Regenstrief Institute commented: "For chronic stroke patients, even if they remain disabled, natural recovery and acute rehabilitation therapy typically ends after six months, or maybe a year."

She noted that improvements after the six-month window can take considerably longer, adding, "but we know for a fact that the brain still can change. The problem is the healthcare system is not necessarily willing to pay for that change. The study demonstrated that with some assistance, even chronic stroke patients with significant paralysis on one side can manage to do modified yoga poses."

The researchers believe that yoga's combination of postures, breathing and meditation could be produce different effects compared with traditional exercise due to its more therapeutic nature.

Schmid continued:

See the original post:
Yoga Can Help Re-Build Balance After A Stroke

NARINGAL aerobics exponent Brenton Andreoli is bound for the Netherlands.

The 19-year-old will represent Australia for the fifth time at the 2012 Federation of International Sport Aerobics and Fitness (FISAF) world championships.

The world titles run from October 15 to 21 in the south-west Netherlands city of Dordrecht.

Andreoli was yesterday upbeat about another international campaign after booking his berth with strong results at Australian titles in Adelaide.

He won silver in the senior individual and teamed with Aerobics All-Stars clubmates Cameron Brown and Emily Daniels to win gold in the senior trios.

"I'm very happy," Andreoli said yesterday while travelling back from Adelaide.

"It was a much better performance in the final for the individual.

" I moved up a place in the final."

Sport aerobics uses seven scoring areas, which include artistic quality, creativity, execution and difficulty, to determine the result of national competitions.

Andreoli ranked first in two areas in the singles and second in five, putting him clear in second behind Brown, who ranked first in five scoring areas.

Read the original:
Aerobic Andreoli set for international competition

The benefits of yoga have been the subject of countless studies now, over a period of several decades. Most obviously, a regular yoga practice will increase strength and flexibility and improve your balance. For us middle- and older-agers, it can keep us in the game climbing stairs, lifting heavy pots and twisting over our shoulders while driving. If you are losing these capacities, yoga can help you regain them.

Yoga promotes pain relief in numerous conditions including cancer, MS, hypertension and arthritis and can help heal conditions such as back/neck pain, sciatica and carpal tunnel syndrome. Now exercise in general produces some of these benefits, but yoga is designed to address the entire body not just muscles, but also organs, bones, joints and all the bodys systems (nervous, endocrine, etc.). And yoga cultivates slow, full breathing that oxygenates the blood, improves circulation and induces relaxation. Even a gentle yoga practice has been shown to promote weight management, reduce cortisol in the blood (decreasing stress), condition the heart, and improve endurance and immunity. For all these reasons, I describe yoga as physical therapy for the whole body at a fraction of the cost.

At the end of yoga class, practitioners report feelings of calm relaxation, openness and balance. Because it so reliably produces a sense of well-being, it is an important tool for people suffering with symptoms of imbalance and dysregulation such as anxiety, depression, and eating and substance abuse disorders, to name a few. Yoga is now a centerpiece in treatment programs for these disorders.

We in Southern Illinois are fortunate to have a thriving yoga community with more than 20 trained and certified teachers. Despite this robust, local presence, and the broad range of benefits that yoga offers, there are still misconceptions held by those who have never tried it. The one I hear most often: Im not _____ enough to do yoga. (Fill in the blank with flexible, thin, fit, just not good enough.)

Know this: You will practice beside another imperfect human who may not be able to see her or his toes much less touch them. We know its fine to move more slowly than others I do, or skip poses to rest. Your teacher may even suggest it. (Thats an exercise program you can get behind.)

If you ever feel like trying it, you will be welcomed into a non-competitive, non-judgmental space. Because students vary so greatly, teachers are trained to offer modifications, or ways of simplifying poses to make them accessible to everyone. If you cant sit onto the floor, for example, your teacher may show you how to practice from a chair.

So, if you are afraid of looking foolish, dont worry, nobody is even watching you, except maybe the teacher, who is there to help.

KATHRYN NEELY is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice and a contributor to the Southern Illinoisan Behavioral Health Action Team. She also is the owner of Center@101 and one | o | one yoga in Carbondale.

Go here to see the original:
Yoga breathes movement and energy into every nook and cranny

So you want to be a professional coach? UEFA has been asking this question of students at its innovative UEFA Pro licence student exchange courses in recent times. Participants are confronted with a number of issues which make them reflect not only on the pleasures, but also the pitfalls of a job which brings its major share of pressure.

The latest edition of the official UEFA coaching publicationUEFAtechnician looks at the implications of becoming a coach, and how coaching is perhaps not so much a job of work but ultimately a life choice.

In his column, UEFA technical director Andy Roxburgh recalls the challenging question put to UEFA Pro student exchange candidates by eminent English technician Howard Wilkinson "Are you obsessed by the subject [coaching], and are you ready to commit the rest of your life to it?"

Roxburgh emphasises the particular demands on a professional coach, and how they can endanger a person's well-being and family life due to the requirements of players, media, sponsors and owners. "In professional football," he explains, "the to-do list is exacting, but it is the pressure that is wearing. The constant demand to produce results, the burden of dealing with elite players, the stress of trying to satisfy hungry media, and the multifarious difficulties imposed by time restraints, crisis situations, intrusive agents and all-powerful owners take their toll."

This notwithstanding, Roxburgh considers that for most top coaches, the highs outweigh the lows. And for those UEFA students who do go into the profession, the realities will soon become clear. "It will be a job which quickly becomes a way of life."

Once into the job, coaches develop and mature, both as coaches and as people. UEFAtechnician analyses how many of the great coaches have learned through education, work experience and the invaluable advice given by mentors on their path towards the summit of their profession. In addition, the coaches did not necessarily have to be leading players Real Madrid CF boss Jos Mourinho is one shining example but they all count on special life experiences, qualities and personal characteristics that have moulded them into successful technicians.

"It is a mixture of coach education, playing the game, coaching teams, making contacts, using mentors and working with football people which combines to produce the mature coach," says Roxburgh.

"Coaches, then, need to know how to coach, teach, manage, lead, learn, communicate, organise, plan, prepare, analyse and select. But this will not be enough, as Vicente del Bosque, Spain's reigning world and European champion coach, said at a UEFA coaches' gathering: 'If you only know football, you are lost ... Top technicians Jos Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and the others know football, but they also know about life ...'"

Women's football is flourishing in Europe, andUEFAtechnician spotlights coaching in the female game. Two women who are vastly respected, former Germany coach and triple EURO winner Tine Theune and current Scotland manager Anna Signeul, give a fascinating insight into the state of women's coaching as this area of football evolves constantly in tactical and technical terms.

The two technical observers at the recent UEFA European Under-17 Championship finals in Slovenia, Ross Mathie and John Peacock, survey the evolution of youth football and especially how the balance must be found between creating a winning, creative mentality in youth teams while also placing priority on player development rather than results.

Read the original post:
UEFA.technician - what makes a coach?