People

Swimming World and Junior Swimmer, Mar 1999

Biondi Baby. Kirsten and Matt Biondi are the proud parents of Nathaniel Nicholas Biondi, born in Hawaii last Dec. 17. Nate, who weighed in at 8 pounds 11 ounces and was 23 inches long at birth, has been "growing like crazy," according to his mom: at six weeks, he was 15 pounds. Matt has suggested that Kirsten sell her milk to athletes to increase their peak performance.

Injury Report. Lenny Krayzelburg has been resting and receiving therapy for a stress fracture in his lower back. He returned to light training in early February.

Alex Popov underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January. He told Swimming World he was back in the water two days later, but will be undergoing therapy for several months. Popov plans to compete later this year.

Stanford's Matt Pierce, defending NCAA champ in the 200 fly, is out for the season after shoulder surgery.

Swimmers of the Year. Michael Klim was named Australian Swimmer of the Year, edging Ian Thorpe, Susie O'Neill and Grant Hackett. Klim won four golds at both the '98 World Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Orn Arnarson was named Iceland's Sportsman of the Year for 1998. The fast-improving 17-year-old was the upset winner of the 200 meter backstroke (1:55.16) at the European Short Course Championships in December, and currently ranks third in the world.

Shorts. Triple Olympic gold medalist Josh Davis has signed on with ESPN as play-by-play announcer for the men's NCAA Championships.

Ireland's Michelle Smith-De Bruin, another triple Olympic gold medalist, will appeal her four-year ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on May 3. She was suspended from the sport for tampering with her urine sample.

Tragic Loss. Swimming World was saddened to learn of the passing of T. Ray Garner, for the past five years the assistant coach of the Riviera Swim Club in Indiana. Garner, 43, was killed in a tragic auto accident last Dec. 29. Hungarian Dies. Gyorgy Zemplenyi, the manager of Hungary's 1992 Olympic swim team, died of a heart attack in prison on Jan. 20, nine months after being sentenced to four years in prison. Zemplenyi, 45, was convicted last year of fraud and embezzlement after he absconded with almost $2 million from the Hungarian swim federation.