By a Fraction of a Second [Paperback]

Lois Ruskai Melina (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 7, 2000

Read about seven members (five medalists) on the U.S. Olympic team, including: Megan Quann, gold medalist, 100 breast, 400 medley relay, Kristy Kowal, silver medalist, 200 breast and Lindsay Benko, gold medalist, 4 x 200 relay, and three other Olympic Trials finalists and semi-finalists, including Kristine Quance-Julian and Keiko Price.

Athletes at all levels and in all sports, as well as coaches, officials, and parents, will find inspiration in the stories of athletes trying to come back from a car accident, injury and pregnancy; athletes trying to step up to the elite level; and athletes trying to maintain their position at the top of the sport.

Also included in the book is helpful information about technique and training, as well as discussions of current issues such as; high-tech swimwear, eating disorders, and performance-enhancing drugs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

John Feinstein, author of The Majors. This book pulls off that near impossible feat. -- John Feinstein

About the Author

Lois Melina, a contributor to Swimming World, followed nine of the top female swimmers in the United States for more than a year leading up to the 2000 Olympic Trials, and continued their stories through the Olympic Trials. Of the nine swimmers, six qualified for the 2000 Olympic team, and of those, five won medals in Sydney.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Sports Publications Inc. (September 7, 2000)
• ISBN-10: 0964778238
• ISBN-13: 978-0964778238
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,438,750 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting look at today's Olympic swimmers, August 16, 2004

By 

Clare K (Rocky River, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By a Fraction of a Second (Paperback)

I first read this book after the 2000 Olympics, and I picked it up again when I saw that several of the swimmers in the book are on the current Olympic team--Natalie Coughlin, Kaitlin Sandeno, Diana Munz, and Lindsay Benko. This book gives a realistic (not a "rah-rah") look at what it takes to be the best. Knowing what these swimmers have had to go through to make the Olympic team makes it all the more interesting to watch them swim.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beyond the lane lines, April 15, 2003

By 

"swimmom50" (Moscow, ID USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By a Fraction of a Second (Paperback)

I'm not a swimmer. I've been a swim official and followed a swimming daughter for over a decade. This book brings the personality of swimmers to the forefront. It's a real page-turner, and you can experience vicariously the chlorine and the struggles that these young women encounter to be elite swimmers.
I recommend this book. As a librarian and a swim parent, I know how hard it is to find books for girls on swimming. This is a great read and gives long overdue attention to the sport. For the novice to the expert, there's material here to inform as well as entertain.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars By a Fraction of a Second, April 30, 2003

By 

Cyndi Gallagher (LA, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: By a Fraction of a Second (Paperback)

I found this book very inspiring for athletes as well as for coaches. It gives in depth stories about real athletes and what makes them successful, how they deal with defeat and how they live their lives.
I highly recommend this book to any sports fan, especially to people that are passionate about swimming. There are great stories and everyone can learn something about what makes a champion!
This is an outstanding book to read before the 2004 Olympics Games because almost every single athlete listed in the book is still swimming and trying again to make the team. Go USA!

Cyndi Gallagher
Head Coach, UCLA Swimming