Natalie hits 60

Natalie Coughlin, USA's current female swimmer mostest-extraordinaire, got her 60th international championship medal at the Pan Ams (in a relay).  That's quite impressive.   While she didn't make the World Championships team this time -- obviously she's been there before -- she's still swimming very fast and probably has a good chance of making the Olympic team for 2016.  We'll wait on that.

According to the article, her leadoff backstroke split was the third-fastest in the world thus far, which is pre-Worlds (the swimming events get started on Saturday August 1).  Not bad at all.

(I'll bet that's the fastest 100 meter backstroke ever swum by a woman who has also posed nude.)

Natalie Coughlin wins unprecedented 60th international medal

(The comments indicate that this might not be unprecedented in terms of numbers, as Jenny Thompson appears to have garnered more, and she would have had more gold if not for Chinese women steroid users.  But there aren't many others who have won nearly this many.)