Crimson Tide swimmer dies protecting girlfriend during tornado: Report

The word "hero" gets tossed around in sports (and life) way too often these days. But if anyone deserves the the title, it's John Servati.

And with a big H.

The University of Alabama dive and swim team member died after protecting his girlfriend from a collapsing wall during a tornado on Monday evening.

While deadly storms swept through the South, killing dozens of people and ripping apart whole towns, Servati ended up losing his own life protecting his girlfriend from a collapsing retaining wall in an off-campus home's basement, reported WSFA.

Anna Rae Gwarjanski, captain of the University's women's swimming and diving team, said the 21-year-old Servati managed to hold up the wall and save his girlfriend's life that night while sacrificing his own.

Servati was taken to DCH Regional Medical Center and later pronounced dead after being crushed under the wall.

His girlfriend survived.

"John Servati died a hero. Held up a concrete wall long enough for his girlfriend to get out from under it before it collapsed again on him," tweeted Gwarjanski.

John Servati died a hero. Held up a concrete wall long enough for his girlfriend to get out from under it before it collapsed again on him.
— Anna Rae Gwarjanski (@annaraeoflight) April 29, 2014

"John's mom told our team this morning he always wanted to be an Alabama swimmer, and he always wanted to be a hero. He accomplished both."

Servati was a business student from Tupelo, Mississippi, according to his bio page, and scored at the SEC Championships. A successful student, he was also listed as having a 3.55 GPA in 2013. 

"John Servati was an extraordinary young man of great character and warmth who had a tremendously giving spirit," UA head coach Dennis Pursley said in a statement. "During this incredibly difficult time, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and to all who had the good fortune to know him. He will forever be in our hearts and a part of the Crimson Tide legacy."

It seems only fitting that servati in Italian means preserved.

Michael Phelps loses to Ryan Lochte in first comeback meet

Michael Phelps' first competitive dip into the pool after retiring might have been a second-place effort — but it still had all the splash that only the 22-time Olympic medalist can make.

Since Phelps entertained thoughts of defending his Olympic titles in Brazil, there was the matter of qualifying for the national championships in Southern California in August.

On Thursday night,  Phelps lost his first race to Ryan Lochte in the 100-meter butterfly final at the Arena Grand Prix.

It was Phelps’s first race in 628 days — since his butterfly leg in the gold-medal-winning 4x100 medley relay at the London Olympics in 2012 — and it attracted a sellout crowd of 1,200 Thursday at the Skyline Aquatic Center.

Lochte touched first in 51.93 seconds, second-fastest in the world this year. Phelps took second in 52.13 in his first meet since retiring after the London Games.

"I swam a final again," a smiling Phelps said later. "I said I wanted to be around 52.0 and I would be completely happy with that."

He is the three-time Olympic champion and current world record-holder in the event. His time tied for fourth-quickest in the world.

"It's one meet; it's one race," Phelps said. "It's a long way whether I decide to continue or not."

Phelps was faster in the final than he was while winning his preliminary heat with a time of 52.84.

Swimming before packed stands and lots of media, Lochte led at the turn and Phelps was second.

"Down there at the turn I kind of peeked over and I saw him and almost started smiling," Lochte said about his longtime friend and rival.

Phelps interjected, "Why? Because you were ahead?"

Next up for Phelps is the 50 freestyle on Friday, when he will swim the prelims doing the butterfly stroke for training.

Parents charged with attempted murder after 'making their daughter do too much sport': Report

The South African parents of a 10-year-old girl have been charged with attempted murder after allegedly forcing her to continue her workout after she had become exhausted.

Prosecutors claim the girl was made to swim continuously in a dam near Bloemfontein in South Africa while her mother and father watched from the banks, reports dailymail.com.

The parents reportedly pushed their daughter to her limit and, when the girl complained, she was reportedly assaulted and forced to continue swimming.

The 38-year-old mother of the primary school student and her 31-year-old husband appeared in Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday charged with attempted murder and child neglect.

The woman, who faces a further charge of assault, was warned she could face up to ten years in prison, it was reported by SowetanLive which cited Afrikaans-language daily newspaper Volksblad.

The attempted murder charge relates to an incident in October last year when the girl had to swim continuously in the Krugerdriftdam, outside Bloemfontein, while her parents were watching from the side.

Lawyers representing the parents have asked prosecutors for more details on the charges, which relate to that incident. 

The child is now in foster care.

Michael Phelps sparks comeback rumors after posting 'training' photo with long-time coach

Michael Phelps posted a photograph online of himself training with his long-time coach, fueling rumors he could be planning a comeback.

The image, which the Olympian uploaded to his Instagram account on Monday, shows him by the pool at the Meadowbrook Aquatic Center in Baltimore with his old swimming coach, Bob Bowman.

"One on one training session with @coach_bowman!!!" he wrote beneath the photograph.

The posting had fans flocking to the page to share their excitement at a possible comeback, demanding to know if the champion would be returning to the Olympic pool in Rio in 2016 in spite of his retirement last year.

But speaking to Swimming World, Bowman insisted that the photos were only for a photo shoot with one of Phelps' sponsors, believed to be Speedo, rather than a training session.

It is not the first time there have been rumors surrounding a possible return.

The 27-year-old Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in history with 22 medals including 18 golds, hung up his swimming goggles immediately after The London Games last summer.

But last month, it was reported that Phelps is planning to return to swimming with the intention of competing in the Olympics in Rio in 2016.

"The greatest Olympian of all time isn't hanging up his swimsuit, after all," wrote reporter Peter Busch, who is the son of Frank Busch, director of the U.S. national swim team.

While Phelps did not outright deny the comeback, he downplayed the article.

"Why do I keep getting texts about coming back?" he tweeted. "Do [people] really believe everything they hear or read? There are [too] many [people] in the world that think they have a story."

Busch stood by his report. "Guess we'll see," he tweeted.

Either way, Phelps still looks likje he's in Olympic shape.

Michael Phelps back in dating pool sporting new look

It looks like Michael Phelps is doing just fine after his split from aspiring model Megan Rossee right before New Year's.

The 27-year-old Olympic swimmer was spotted by TMZ sporting a porn stache and hipster glasses while flirting with a number of girls at where else ... poolside.

Sources told TMZ that Phelps was hanging out Friday by a pool in the Bahamas, smoking cigars with his buds and hitting on a cute woman in a yellow shirt.

Looks like Phelps just scored another gold.

Michael Phelps leaves party with mystery woman and gold medals

Michael Phelps continued to collect gold even after his 2012 Olympics was over.  The swimmer was seen leaving a "boozy" London party with a golden-haired mystery woman after celebrating at the exclusive House of St. Barnabas-in-Soho, according to The New York Post.

Phelps celebrated his 4x100 meter relay victory with his teammates and he kept the party going by getting into a waiting SUV at around 4 a.m. with his blue-eyed beauty with the red, white and blue fingernails.

The couple reportedly smuggled a couple of bottles of Stella Artois into their ride while a triumphant Phelps showed off some of his gold medals for the cameras.

The leggy-woman was a little more camera-shy and hid from the photographers but, once inside the car, she smiled seductively.

Even though the 27-year old Phelps' Olympic career is over, the swimmer said he still woke up at his usual 6 a.m. training time.

"I only had three or four hours of sleep last night, then I woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep," he said.

It sounds like Phelps is having a hard time with retirement already and he still has to wait 38 more years for social security benefits.

"It's kinda weird. It's very strange, the first day of not having to swim and never having it again," he said.  "I'm not sure right now how I feel.  It's really confusing."

Phelps said he plans to spend his first day of retirement with his biggest fan, his mother Debbie, and would not be going near a pool except to watch the Olympics and world championships.

The competitive part of my career is over, but it doesn't mean my involvement with swimming is over," he said.  "I'm still going to be involved, but looking at it from the outside."

I'm sure there will be other mystery woman coming in and out of Phelps' new life of leisure. Wearing a bundle of gold medals around your neck can't hurt.

Ryan Lochte admits to peeing in the pool

It might be best to avoid the pool after swimmer Ryan Lochte has been paddling around in it.  The American Olympic swimmer, who has won five medals at the London Games, has admitted to urinating in the pool.

"Not during the the Olympic races," the swimmer told U.S. broadcaster Ryan Seacrest.  "But I sure did in warmups."

Everyone said he was a whiz in the water.

Asked by Seacrest, during a live radio broadcast, if he ever "went" in the pool, the glib Lochte laughed, "Of course, we all do."

Why does the 27-year old Lochte do it?

"I think there's just something about getting into the chlorine that you just automatically go."

I don't think we're going to be seeing to many swimmers take their pre-game sips from the water anymore— especially when they see Lochte aimlessly floating around the pool with a relieved grin on his face.

It's unclear what made Lochte admit in public to taking a leak while wearing his Speedos but— after his mother told the world her son is a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am type of guy— all I have to say is TMI from this family.