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When I tell you 12-year old Eric Ring is lightning in the water, I think I'm underselling it.  This Louisiana has broken 6 state swimming records in the last month, and he's only getting started.

The Slidell youngster broke 2 swimming records at once to start his streak at the end of February by beating the previous record lap time in the 1650 yard (roughly a mile) by 40 seconds, then turning in an even faster one.  I'm not going to pretend to understand how impressive his times are, but this 12-year old torpedo turning in times that would blow older and more seasoned athletes out of the water - that much is clear.

The mystery of where Eric's explosive aquatic speed comes from does start to clear up once you look into his lineage - Eric's father is All-American, LSU swimmer Eddie Ring.  His mother is Duane Ring, renowned swimming coach responsible for a trophy case full of Louisiana swimming titles for both boys and girls.

This kid is smashing some state records that were set when he was 9-years old, and it seems like he's just warming up.  The records laying at his feet don't automatically put him in 1st place for his age bracket, but they do get him within striking distance of the leaders.  You can check the stats, current rankings, and the specific records he's broken (so far) at SwimSwam.com - that's who broke the story first.

Eric may or may not be the Bayou State's answer to Michael Phelps, but don't be surprised if you're watching the Olympics in a few years and the American swimmer taking the gold's name has a familiar ring to it.

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