Swimming World April 2021 Issue

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APRIL 2021 FEATURES 012 A PANDEMIC PERSPECTIVE FROM MASTERS SWIMMING

by Dan D’Addona Masters swimmers maintain a connection to the sport they love as well as to their team and community. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that connection has been missing the past year, but they are ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.

017 DEATH, TAXES...AND INDIAN RIVER!

by Andy Ross Indian River State College will be shooting for its 47th straight men’s and 39th consecutive women’s NJCAA team titles.

018 TAKEOFF TO TOKYO: SPRINT TSAR

by John Lohn As Swimming World continues its “Takeoff to Tokyo” series, the opportunity to examine the career of Russia’s Alexander Popov—accomplishments and approach— is the chance to pay tribute to a man who might be the greatest sprinter the sport has ever seen.

021 COUNT ON CHINA

by Dan D’Addona Based on the results of the last eight Olympics—and the most recent World Championships held two years ago— China would be a good bet to once again dominate the diving competition, July 23Aug. 8, at the 2021 Games in Tokyo.

022 EVER THE COMPETITOR

by David Rieder Five years after her public introduction to the world at the Rio Olympics, little has changed about Lilly King. She will still speak her mind, tell you how she really feels, and she’s still a winner, a dominant force in sprint breaststroke.

025 THE GREATEST OF THEIR GENERATION

by Bruce Wigo The General Slocum steamship disaster in 1904, the tragedy that changed swimming history, had an impact on two of the greatest swimming heroes of all time, Johnny Weissmuller and Charles Robert Drew.

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022 ON THE COVER Competing in her first international meet at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Lilly King, then 19, won gold medals in the 100 breaststroke and 400 medley relay. Since then, she has not been beaten in the 100 meter breast (long course), winning the event at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships and the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships. Now 24, the former Indiana University star swimmer (2015-19) and current world record holder in the 50 and 100 breast and 400 medley relay continues to train with Coach Ray Looze at the Indiana Swim Club, and also represents the Cali Condors in the International Swimming League. (See feature, pages 22-24.) [ PHOTO BY MINE KASAPOGLU/ISL ]

028 NUTRITION: FUELING FOR COMPETITION—THE “CHERRY ON TOP!”

by Dawn Weatherwax Athletes spend hours upon hours training.

It is now time to put the sports nutrition piece all together when it matters most. A big part of the plan is to know what, when and how much to eat and drink before, during and after the event.

COACHING 014 FAST AND FURIOUS

by Michael J. Stott College coaches Braden Holloway (NC State), Todd DeSorbo (Virginia), Matt Kredich (Tennessee) and Jessen Book (Kenyon) share their ideas on how they help their swimmers maximize turn speed.

038 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: APPLYING MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES TO IMPROVE SWIMMING TECHNIQUE

by Rod Havriluk Many swimmers attempt to swim faster by modeling the technique of the fastest swimmers. Using champions as models is an archaic approach of painstakingly slow, trial-and-error that risks adopting technique limitations. A far superior approach is to apply mechanical principles that eliminate uncertainty and accelerate the skill-learning process.

043 Q&A WITH COACH MEGAN OESTING

by Michael J. Stott 044 HOW THEY TRAIN DIGGORY DILLINGHAM

by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING 037 DRYSIDE TRAINING: PUSHING POWER

by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER 040 GOLDMINDS: LEARN HOW TO BE A RACER

by Wayne Goldsmith It’s important to learn how to swim your event in such a way that you can perform to your potential in every possible racing situation, including different strategies for heats, semifinals and finals.

047 UP & COMERS: DANIEL DIEHL

by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COLUMNS& SPECIAL SECTIONS 008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT 011 DID YOU KNOW: ABOUT THE STORY OF THE AUMAKUA? 030 2021 SWIM CAMP DIRECTORY 046 DADS ON DECK: BRENT BILQUIST 048 GUTTERTALK 049 PARTING SHOT

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SWIMMING WORLD MAGAZINE (ISSN 0039-7431). Note: permission to reprint articles or excerpts from contents is prohibited without permission from the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for errors in advertisements. Microfilm copies: available from University Microfilms, 313 N. First St., Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Swimming World Magazine is listed in the Physical Education Index. Printed in the U.S.A. © Sports Publications International April 2021.

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A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

TEENAGE TRADITION AT TRIALS

BY JOHN LOHN

A

s much as change is a constant in the world, some things have remained steady through the years. When it comes to Olympic campaigns and the opportunity for Team USA to build its latest high-powered squad, there is little doubt a teenage standout—or maybe a few—will be part of the Red, White and Blue parade to the starting blocks.

Although the sport has certainly undergone a shift in recent years, with athletes logging longer careers, the tradition of teenage phenoms on the American roster has not crumbled.

Names such as Donna de Varona, Debbie Meyer and Katie Ledecky are part of the United States’ youthful fabric, each having been crowned an Olympic champion in her teens.

While de Varona made her Olympic debut as a 13-year-old at the 1960 Games in Rome, it was her gold medal in the 400 individual medley in 1964 that defined her greatness. As for Meyer, she was a triple-freestyle champion at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City—a feat pulled off as a 16-year-old and not matched until Ledecky also won the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle and 800 freestyle at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Four years earlier, Ledecky emerged as a 15-year-old star in London, capturing the Olympic title in the 800 freestyle.

So, how will this summer unfold? Will the teenage tradition continue for the United States?

The truth is, there should be a major veteran presence for the American women, who will be coached by Stanford’s Greg Meehan. The likes of Ledecky, Simone Manuel and Lilly King have been cornerstones for the United States and will be in Tokyo, barring a stunning upset. The international experience of Melanie Margalis and Hali Flickinger is also expected to dot the roster.

Still, there is room for a surging teen to earn a ticket to Tokyo, and we’re not talking about someone like Regan Smith, who will be 19 at the United States Olympic Trials and figures to be a headliner for her country for years to come. Nor are we talking about someone like Torri Huske (Stanford) or Gretchen Walsh (Virginia), current high school seniors who are headed for major collegiate programs.

Rather, we’re looking for a high-school-aged kid who isn’t yet bound for the college scene.

Just two months shy of Trials, the top choice to fill this traditional role is 16-year-old Claire Curzan, a burgeoning star from North Carolina who will be one of the top challengers to qualify for Tokyo in the 100 meter butterfly and could also be a factor in the sprintfreestyle events and 100 backstroke.

Maybe Bella Sims has a chance in the 800 freestyle. Perhaps Charlotte Hook can secure a Team USA berth in the 200 butterfly. It’s possible another athlete will emerge, someone currently off the radar who will peak at the right moment. It happens every quadrennial, and there is no reason to believe it won’t happen this summer, too.

With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a one-year postponement of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, the delay can actually be considered a door-opening opportunity for these teenage hopefuls. Last summer, Curzan, for example, was talented enough to qualify for the final of the 100 butterfly. Yet, she was not near her current position of favorite, which was earned by a 56.61 performance in late 2020.

In teenagers, improvement arcs can be significant, and bring an athlete from the cusp of a breakthrough to a career-changing moment. This tendency, then, suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has not only altered daily lives, but will affect the makeup of the next United States Olympic team.

When the U.S. Trials are held in Omaha for the fourth time, surprises are bound to happen, such as a favorite being left home. It’s also safe to bet on a young teenage female qualifying for the Olympic Games and realizing a dream earlier than anticipated.

Hey, it’s tradition. 

John Lohn

Associate Editor-in-Chief Swimming World Magazine

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DID YOU

KNOW ABOUT THE STORY OF THE AUMAKUA?

BY BRUCE WIGO PHOTOS BY INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME

INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME

I

n 1914, the Hawaiian swimming great Duke Kahanamoku was invited to Australia to give a series of clinics and to have a friendly swimming match against Frank Beaurepiere, a member of the 1908 and 1912 Australian Olympic teams.

Beaurepaire was one of the greatest open water swimmers in the world, but until Duke’s visit, he had never swum outside the shark nets when in Australia. But Duke insisted on “open water swimming.”

“Duke,” warned Frank, “you can’t swim here in Australia without nets. There are a lot of man-eating sharks down here.”

“Oh, come on, Frank,” said the Duke, “the sharks won’t bother us.”

You see, after so many years of swimming with the sharks in Hawaii, Duke had come to believe that the shark was his “aumakua” (ancestral spirits; his guardian). He wasn’t afraid of anything in the sea, and since Frank was Duke’s friend, Duke’s “aumakua” would also protect Frank.

Bolstered by Duke’s assurance of protection, and perhaps not wanting to appear afraid, Frank swam with Duke along the coast—without the nets—as hundreds of people watched and waited on the beach. When they landed, the first question they were asked was: “Did you see any sharks?”

“Yeah, we saw plenty,” replied Duke, jokingly.

“And they didn’t bother you?” asked the crowd.

“No,” Duke replied, “and we didn’t bother them.” ***

> Jack Chalmers and Frank Beaurepaire

> “The Waterman”: Duke Kahanamoku

A few years later, on Feb. 4, 1922, Beaurepaire was on the beach in Melbourne along with 40,000 other spectators watching a surfboard competition. One of the competitors was Milton Coughlan. Suddenly, Beaurepaire heard the shark bells ringing and people screaming. They tolled the bells in those days as a warning when sharks appeared in the Antipodes, and with the lifeguards and surfers, the shark menace was always in mind.

As Beaurepaire ran toward the surf, he saw three giant fins surround Coughlan’s board. Then one rose to the surface and grabbed Coughlan by the right arm and ripped it off! Two other sharks, attracted by the blood and activity in Coughlan’s attempt to get away, went for him. The remaining arm was cut off with another savage bite.

Fearlessly, and without a second thought, Beaurepaire and another swimmer, Jack Chalmers dove in and swam out toward the bloody carnage. Amazingly, Chalmers and Beaurepaire were able to reach Coughlan and return to shore unharmed, amid a wild ovation from the stunned crowd.

Although Coughlan died from the loss of blood on the way to the hospital, Beaurepiere and Chalmers were acclaimed as heroes, and both were awarded tidy sums raised through the papers by the Royal Lifesaving Society.

When Beaurepaire returned from Paris after competing in his fourth Olympic Games in 1924, he invested his reward in a small tire retreading company. Within a few years, that small business had grown to become Olympic Consolidated Industries, one of Australia’s greatest corporations.

He was later elected Lord Mayor of Melbourne and was largely responsible for bringing the 1956 Olympic Games to Australia—all because Duke had shared his “aumakua.”  Bruce Wigo, historian and consultant at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, served as president/CEO of ISHOF from 2005-17.

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A PANDEMIC PERSPECTIVE FROM MASTERS SWIMMING Masters swimmers maintain a connection to the sport they love as well as to their team and community. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, that connection has been missing the past year, but they are ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.

BY DAN D'ADDONA | PHOTOS BY U.S. MASTERS SWIMMING

T

here are more than 65,000 Masters swimmers in the United States representing nearly 1,500 swimming teams across the country, and as with so many other organizations, meets have been postponed multiple times and even canceled altogether.

Swimmers around the country have been missing out on competing at the local and national level. Perhaps even more important to them, they are missing out on what happens out of the water at these local and national meets: camaraderie.

Camaraderie is something very unique to Masters. Swimmers are there to compete and keep up with one of their passions. But they are doing this with people in their own age groups.

Get to talking, and the similarities start to grow.

THE SOCIAL ASPECT “A lot of us just do it for the social aspect. That is the one time we see each other—at meets,” said Nadine Day, former president of U.S. Masters Swimming and a current Masters swimmer at Indy Aquatics. “That is our commonality, the swimming part. We meet people and their families. My daughter was basically born on the pool deck. She went to her first meet with me when she was a month old!

“There is a lot of social aspect in Masters swimming. I am somewhat competitive in my age group, but that is not my focus. It is the social aspect and growing the sport. That is one of the main reasons why I swim. We have missed that.”

For months during the pandemic, pools were closed around the country—and the world—as COVID-19 spread around the globe in waves.

It has kept practices on hold and also traveling to meets, which, of course, means no competition and no connection with fellow swimmers around the country.

“It has been tough. I am used to traveling every month. Zoom helps. It has helped us stay in touch with each other,” Day said.

“When I travel internationally, I see my friends that I only see at 12

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Worlds every year or every other year, and that has been tough, too.”

PROMOTING THE SPORT With nearly an entire year of Masters swimming lost, it is now a year of promoting the sport lost. That is one of the biggest challenges of Masters swimming, especially because of its name, which can make joining seem intimidating.

“The name is the biggest issue. It is actually adult swimming.

It is not ‘Masters’ because you are great swimmers. We have had Olympians, but the majority of our people are fitness swimmers,” Day said. “We also have the crossbreed of the triathlon athletes, which has become big. A lot of the people I have coached have been runners who are swimming to get fit. They were surprised they got more conditioning out of swimming. It was a challenge for them, and people like challenges such as that.”

Day said after she was a college swimmer at Northwestern, she didn’t even know Masters swimming existed. She actually joined to help one of the high school swimmers she was coaching.

“I was coaching high school, and one of my swimmers was injured. I was a PT at the time as well. She fractured her pelvis and her ribs in a car accident. Her goal was to get back and swim her senior year. She wanted me to swim with her and get back into it, too. I was injured in college as a freshman and was able to come back and swim a bit my senior year. So I swam Masters and had my first meet in Evanston,” Day said. “I just started getting involved more and volunteering more.”

A LIFE-CHANGING ACTIVITY Laurie Hug got into Masters swimming after college, and it has been life-changing.

“I graduated from University of Maryland in 1987 and failed to get the Olympic Trials cut that summer, so I retired (from the sport), started working, and I put on weight. I got back into lap swimming at the local YMCA about a year later, but I had no idea that there

were competitions for adults. I started passable. I’ve coached in snowstorms, training with a small group of former icy rain and high winds! When the “It is the people we have lost that college swimmers there and found out weather has looked bad, I asked the we need to get back. Our people about USMS. swimmers if they wanted to just cancel who are the diehards are going to “I went to my first meet in 1989 and (the practice), but they did not. It has be there, but we need to get back have never looked back,” Hug said. been incredible to see how adaptable and grow the sport and remind “Had I known, I would have started as everyone has been. people what brought them to soon as my college swim career had “Some could swim at local Ys, but swimming in the first place. It is a ended. My last meet was December they love the camaraderie of our group. struggle. We need to figure out a 2019 (because of the pandemic), so One of the highlights is at the end of new norm and help people find that this is the longest I have gone without our Sunday morning workouts, several direction.” —Nadine Day, former competing in a meet since the break swimmers do race-25s or 50s. We miss president of U.S. Masters Swimming after college.” racing, so this is a lot of fun. The blocks She is part of the GAAC are icy now, so we are doing it from a and a current Masters swimmer at (Germantown Academy Aquatic Club) push, but we did do a race off the blocks Indy Aquatics Masters in Pennsylvania, which is a in our first snowstorm. training group for the Colonials 1776 “It has become a bonding experience team. for us. We have such a great swimming family that I think has “We had to be shut down after our March 6 (2020) practice become strengthened by this.” because a student from Germantown Academy had a family member who had the first COVID case in the Philly suburbs,” Hug said.

A NEED TO GROW THE SPORT “All the other pools started shutting down over the next week, Hug’s club is adapting, but not every club is as fortunate to have so our program was put on hold. We held weekly Zoom ‘happy an outdoor option during the pandemic, and numbers could dwindle. hours,’ and I sent links for different dryland options out to the team, The biggest challenge will be to keep that recognition going. including a few scavenger hunts, where we looked for various Without a national championship meet, the individual recognition items while running/hiking/walking. The weekly meetings were the was not there to show possible future Masters swimmers. highlight of the week for a lot of us.”

But without the camaraderie, the group recognition also is on The club is now back on a limited basis because of COVID-19 hold. That might not be an issue for the so-called Masters “lifers,” protocols in an outdoor pool. Just being together has been huge and but it is a big deal as far as growing the sport. worth braving the weather, Hug said.

“It is the people we have lost that we need to get back. Our “Some of our regular swimmers travel from over 45 minutes people who are the diehards are going to be there, but we need to get away to swim with us,” she said. “We have also welcomed members back and grow the sport and remind people what brought them to from other clubs who have had issues getting pool time. We’ve been swimming in the first place,” Day said. “It is a struggle. We need to holding practices regardless of the weather as long as the roads are figure out a new norm and help people find that direction.”  APRIL 2021

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[PHOTO BY TODD DESORBO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ]

> Virginia’s Matt Brownstead is shown in the 50 yard freestyle the instant after leaving the wall.

College coaches Braden Holloway (NC State), Todd DeSorbo (Virginia), Matt Kredich (Tennessee) and Jessen Book (Kenyon) share their ideas on how they help their swimmers maximize turn speed.

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT

4

:46.02 to 4:46.09. It was a mid-season 500 free more than a decade ago between two all-state and, later, NCAA D-I swimmers. My distance freestyler lost a minimum of nine seconds on his turns; theirs didn’t.

Neither athlete, who was never more than 67-hundredths apart at each 50, remembers the race...but both coaches do. “My guy came off the wall in a perfect streamline, launched his kick and powered home (26.46 to 26.78),” says Seton coach Jim Koehr.

Turns—from summer league to the Olympics—make a difference. Nowhere is this more obvious than in North Carolina State’s recent showings at the NCAA Championships.

“We work on turns every day,” says Wolfpack head coach Braden Holloway. “It begins in the weight room, working on explosive movements for explosive turns. We have turn work throughout all sets and all workouts. In a 3,000-yard workout, that could be up to 117 turns.”

For those of you at home, 117 turns in a 3,000-yard workout— just six workouts per week times 50 weeks—is 35,100 turns a year.

With such repetition, one could get awfully good just concentrating on the basics.

“For example,” says Holloway “we start in warm-up. We can go 600 as follows: • Loosen, doing the first 100 with underwater technique turns; • 100 with fast flips (just the flips are fast); • 100 complete fast flips putting your hands on the top of the deck to prevent deceleration; • 100 with fast flips and MAX DPS push-offs with no kicks— trying for max distance—then add four-to-six fly kicks into the breakout; • 100 blast, flags to wall to fast flip plus putting hands on the deck and pressing body out, 100 blast flags into fast flip plus putting hands on deck and pressing body out of water completely to standing position as fast as possible.

“We also add turns into mid-pool, working on a fast somersault 14

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motion, staying tucked and asking the athletes to rotate more than one time around.

“Another way is to start or finish normal sets with flips. We could go eight rounds of a 100 swim plus a 50 kick with a board. Start the 100 with arms stretched out and feet out behind on the wall and then flip to begin the 100. The 50 kick ends with a pull into a fast flip, focusing on accelerating the feet around.”

Pack swimmers also do no-wall turns. Swimmers may float and do fast flips in place or build speed to a fast flip in place. “In shallow water, we often have them float-blast four-to-five strokes, flip all the way around to where they can stand up and press down with their feet to the bottom and jump high in the air. If swimmers are thinking to flip all the way around to stand up fast, it keeps their acceleration up and their rotation small,” says Holloway.

Russell Mark, USA Swimming’s national team high performance manager, has metrics on many aquatic elements. In timing turns, he says USA Swimming “always measured hand-to-foot touches and didn’t include feet contact time on the wall. For hand-to-foot, we used 0.65-0.75 as fast, 0.75-0.85 as OK, and 0.85+ as slow.”

Holloway doesn’t time flips, saying “FAST is FAST. The biggest thing is making sure swimmers don’t place their feet on the wall, but maintain speed from the flip all the way around, knowing that the water will slow their rotation when their feet enter the water at the end of the flip.

“Also, the wall never moves, so we want a flip fast and a maximized press against the wall. Too many kids actually slow their flip/rotation, trying to time their push-off or placing their feet on the wall for a push-off.

“As for timing a flip during a race, we tell our swimmers not to change their stroke dramatically, but to exit the hand a tad early to help speed their rate and judge the timing of the somersault. We never want them to slow the rate down into the wall.”

UP THE ROAD Todd DeSorbo, now in his fourth year as head coach at the University of Virginia, worked with sprinters while at NC State.

[PHOTO BY TODD KIRKLAND ] [PHOTO BY UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA ]

“We work on turns every day. It begins in the weight room, working on explosive movements for explosive turns. We have turn work throughout all sets and all workouts. In a 3,000-yard workout, that could be up to 117 turns.”

— Braden Holloway, head coach, North Carolina State

There he stressed low, fast, tight flips. To encourage that, he used a long, red lifeguard buoy and had swimmers flip into it so that the heels pushed the buoy away rather than land on top. Then and now, he has his swimmers keep their feet/legs low in the water during the turn. “Getting the heels to touch rear ends helps keep turns small, low and tight,” he says.

“We concentrate on push-offs after the turn a ton—both in the weight room and the water, where we stress a tight streamline.

We’ll do swims/sets, focusing on strong, explosive push-offs with no kicking until the feet reach the flags followed by six dolphin kicks before breaking out.”

He has ratcheted up his focus on the push-offs and turn speed.

“We’ve put significant emphasis on the amount of power put INTO the wall, and how much speed and power is generated upon leaving the wall, working to minimize the loss of generated power. In doing so, we focus on lines, foot plant, body position, head position and dolphin kicks.

“At Virginia, we’ve done significant analysis with video and force velocity sensors to aid with this,” he says. “We are fortunate to partner with distinguished professor of mathematics, Dr. Ken Ono, who has worked with USA Swimming and national team members in this regard. He utilizes underwater video and sensors to help target inefficiencies in stroke and turn mechanics. We’ve incorporated his findings into verbal training cues for our athletes, and he has used his findings to improve our training practices,” says DeSorbo.

IN KNOXVILLE At the 2019 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships, Tennessee sprinter Erika Brown wasted no time on her turns, finishing second (21.23) and fifth (46.99) in the sprint freestyles.

“One thing we all agree on,” says her coach, Matt Kredich, “is that repetition is key. A turn done once per length is not a lot of repetition. Usually there is not a cost in doing a poor turn in practice—and there may be some benefit to the athlete—i.e., more breath, less uncomfortable, easier to streamline. But...by allowing swimmers to practice things we don’t want them to get better at, are we really furthering our cause?” he asks.

“At Tennessee, we have a high standard. In warm-up, we almost always do repeated turns per length—some in the middle of the pool—or start at the halfway point and do 20 turns in a row. We’ll also start on the wall and do underwater turns by: • Pushing off the wall underwater and turn, forward or back, at the second line, letting momentum carry you to the third line; • Pushing off the wall underwater, turning at the second line, unfolding and coming back underwater; • Pushing off on the surface, taking two strokes, doing a surface turn and returning.

“We’ve put significant emphasis on the amount of power put INTO the wall, and how much speed and power is generated upon leaving the wall, working to minimize the loss of generated power. In doing so, we focus on lines, foot plant, body position, head position and dolphin kicks.”

—Todd DeSorbo, head coach, Virginia

“Sometimes swimmers go back and forth from the wall to eightto-10 meters, alternating a no-wall turn with a turn on the wall.

“Walls complicate things a little bit,” says Kredich. “If swimmers do no-wall turns, they can be more aggressive. When doing those, we eventually have swimmers come back and repeat the skill on the wall so they are doing a full turn.”

The Volunteers divide the turn into seven segments: approach, rotation, landing, jump (push-off), “flight” (the period after the jump and before creating additional propulsion), underwater propulsion and exit (breakout). Using both directions in an eightlane pool, athletes will jump to the second line, the third and fourth lines, where they are not allowed to create any propulsion until their heads (or feet) cross the third line.

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[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

FAST AND FURIOUS / Continued from 15

“One other focus point is setting up a good rhythm of exhaling in the race in attempting to keep the CO2 levels down as much as possible. A big part of any turn is making sure the first breath out of the exit is minimally disruptive.

Creating a good exhale pattern helps this, especially in the two-to-three cycles heading into each wall.”

—Matt Kredich, head coach, Tennessee

flags to the wall or stay underwater to the halfway point and so on. If we are coming off a meet where we were getting beat into the wall, the next week our focus is going to be on the approach,” he says.

“In warm-up, we may do 30 12-and-a-half-yard swims—i.e., jump off the wall, and at the seven-meter mark, race to the exit... or race to the exit and then stop. Instead of taking another stroke, people are usually in too much of a hurry to begin a stroke when they come to the surface. They just snap into a line at the surface and carry as much speed into it, and then glide to the end of the pool, go back and do it again. We call that ‘sliding the exit,’ slide into the middle of the pool and then go back. There are a lot of different exercises we create, especially in isolating one part of the turn. By doing that, we shorten later conversations,” Kredich says.

“One other focus point is setting up a good rhythm of exhaling in the race in attempting to keep the CO2 levels down as much as possible. A big part of any turn is making sure the first breath out of the exit is minimally disruptive. Creating a good exhale pattern helps this, especially in the two-to-three cycles heading into each wall,” he says.

IN GAMBIER Jessen Book is in his 11th year at Kenyon College, winner of 57 men’s and women’s NCAA Division III national championships. He embraces the commonalities in good flip turns—i.e.: • Turn on a full stroke—not a half stroke, no gliding;

[PHOTO BY AMELIA ARMSTRONG ]

• Eyes at the bottom of the pool or bulkhead where wall meets pool bottom; • Eyes open during the flip, feet slightly apart, cut the water surface with the heels; • Accelerate through the flip.

He also celebrates the differences and admonishes his athletes to experiment. “Try different things, make adjustments, see what’s faster. Play with wall foot placement: how high, how much of a rotation with flip.

“The best turners know how to time their turns—i.e., by hitting a consistent stroke count or by adjusting stroke length (slightly) the last three-to-four strokes into the wall,” he says.

“Another training concept we play with is swimming in a shortened pool. Training racing in a 15-meter (or shorter!) course is a great place to focus on turn efficiency, power and, ultimately, speed,” says Book. 

“Try different things, make adjustments, see what’s faster. Play with wall foot placement: how high, how much of a rotation with flip. The best turners know how to time their turns—i.e., by hitting a consistent stroke count or by adjusting stroke length (slightly) the last three-to-four strokes into the wall.”

—Jessen Book, head coach, Kenyon of weaknesses. “If the approach isn’t good, then the landing won’t be good. If that is poor, athletes will not be in a position to jump,” says Kredich. “So, that exercise ensures a good turn setup. Without a good jump, swimmers will not make the third line without a dolphin kick or pullout.

“No-wall turns we do almost every day. At other times we’ll name a focus and ask athletes to compete. You can always place certain requirements or challenges on top of any set. We might be doing 20 x 100 on a pink pace (130-150 HR based on Jon Urbanchek’s charts), but within that set, have athletes race a teammate from the 16

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Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach whose Collegiate School (Richmond, Va.) teams won nine state high school championships. A member of that school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, he is also a recipient of NISCA’s Outstanding Service Award.

TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE Yes, COVID-19 has altered lives and how we do swim training. Thankfully, absent in-person instruction, swimmers and coaches have access to unending resources to hone aquatic skills. For one, YouTube offers a gold mine on turn intricacies from approach through breakouts. To learn more from Kredich and legends such as Eddie Reese, David Marsh, Frank Busch and Richard Quick, consult Championship Productions, whose videos offer hours of presentation and demonstration by world-class swimmers. 

NJCAA PREVIEW

DEATH, TAXES...AND

INDIAN RIVER! Indian River State College will be shooting for its 47th straight men’s and 39th consecutive women’s NJCAA team titles.

BY ANDY ROSS

NJCAA

April 28-May 1 Indian River State College Fort Pierce, Florida In a year as weird as the COVID season of 2020-21, one thing is certain: Indian River State College is still the school to beat at the NJCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.

IRSC was one of the few teams to get its hands on a national championship trophy in 2020, as NJCAAs were held just before the threat of coronavirus began to shut down sports competitions throughout the world.

This year, all systems are go for 2021, and Indian River’s men should garner their 47th consecutive national title. The Pioneers have six swimmers who lead the nation in at least two events: Luke Altmann in the 50, 100 and 200 yard free; Chance Conde (500 and 1650); Jhon Moncada (100-200 back); Michael Deans (100-200 breast); Brennan Hammond (100-200 fly); and Aramis Rivera (200400 IM).

It is safe to say that with this star power, Coach Sion Brinn will be hoisting the team trophy once again in his home pool. Last year, the team was pushed by Barton (Kan.) and Iowa Central, but this year, those teams aren’t expected to factor into the final score. *** Even without 2020 Co-Swimmer of the Year Hannah Kiely, > PICTURED ABOVE A familiar scene for this year’s NJCAA Championships would be to see Indian River atop the podium again as team champions.

(Pictured: victorious 2020 men’s team) [PHOTO BY NJCAA]

Indian River still has a stacked women’s team led by the likes of Taryn Dailey (fly/free) and Rylee Woelk (breast/IM). With a win over Barton last year, Indian River’s women extended their winning streak to 38.

It’s been difficult for NJCAA teams to compete in many meets this season because of the COVID restrictions. Only three NJCAA schools have even registered a time in the 200 medley relay, meaning this year’s national meet may look like none other before it. Still, based on its history and current roster, Indian River is the team to beat. *** NJCAAs, which are being held in Indian River’s home outdoor pool in Fort Pierce, Fla.—nearly halfway between Orlando and Miami—should provide a good atmosphere for the swimmers. This year’s meet is being held nearly two months later than they were in 2020, with the 2021 version coming in late April versus 2020 when it was in early March.

Weather shouldn’t be an issue this year in terms of temperatures, although the only thing to worry about might be unpredictable rain showers. And perhaps the rain may not be the only thing showering, as plenty of records could follow. The sport has already seen a number of short course records fall in NCAA D-I and D-II venues, even in a year that was disrupted by the COVID pandemic.

Swimming fans should expect more of the same at the NJCAA Championships.  TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE FOR MORE NJCAA COVERAGE NOT A TOTAL ACCESS MEMBER? YOU’RE JUST A CLICK AWAY: SWIMMINGWORLD.COM/VAULT APRIL 2021

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As Swimming World continues its "Takeoff to Tokyo" series, the opportunity to examine the career of Russia’s Alexander Popov—accomplishments and approach—is the chance to pay tribute to a man who might be the greatest sprinter the sport has ever seen.

BY JOHN LOHN

H

e knew how to play the all-important mental game of highlevel sports with the skill of a chess master. Every move was calculated. As Alexander Popov scanned the ready room before a major race, it was not unusual for the Russian star to chat up the opposition. He would throw out a joke or two, a few laughs generated along the way. But in the laughter he elicited, Popov was already gaining an advantage over his foes, as he planted a seed of doubt here and a distractive thought there.

With that part of his job done, he would then shift personas, the affable jokester replaced by a fierce competitor with an icy stare and a take-them-out mentality. The moment Popov walked onto the deck, it was all business. He knew his goal, and it was simple: Destroy.

From an athletic standpoint, Popov was the epitome of perfection in the sprint-freestyle events. He boasted a flawless stroke, one that is still revered. The relationship he shared with Coach Gennadi Touretski was as much father-son in its dynamic as it was mentor-pupil. Then there was his inner drive, so high in 18

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its intensity that it is difficult to describe.

THE RISE OF POPOV In the late 1980s and early 1990s, there was no question that Americans Matt Biondi and Tom Jager ranked as the sport’s Kings of Speed. While Biondi captured the Olympic title at the 1988 Games in Seoul, Jager was a two-time world champion and the world record holder.

As dominant as Biondi and Jager were, though, there were rumblings that a young challenger was on the way. Of course, Popov was that man, and when he captured the European crown in the 100 freestyle in 1991, his presence became bolder. A year later, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona, Popov fulfilled the expectations placed upon his shoulders.

In his first Olympic appearance, Popov swept the sprintfreestyle events, prevailing in 21.91 in the 50 and 49.02 in the 100.

It was the one-lap sprint that truly solidified his status as the Sprint Tsar, as Popov beat Biondi and Jager in comfortable fashion. The

[PHOTO BY KAI PFAFFENBACH, REUTERS ]

SPRINT TSAR

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fact that there was a changing of the guard was not lost on the Americans.

“Popov obviously had the courage to stand up to Matt Biondi and Tom Jager and take them down,” Jager said. “The first person in the world to do that. I take my hat off to Popov. He has a great career ahead of him.”

Jager’s foresight was perfectly on target. After supplanting the American legends on the sprint scene, Popov sandwiched sprint sweeps at the European Championships around a sprint double at the 1994 World Championships in Rome.

There was no letup from a guy who wanted to take his opponents’ will and desire with his mere presence.

As he surged to untouchable status, Popov also claimed the first world record of his career when he fired off a 48.21 clocking in the 100 freestyle in 1994, a standard that endured for six years. The work he put in came under the guidance of Touretski, who took Popov with him when he accepted the head-coaching position at the Australian Institute of Sport in 1992.

“When I go to competitions in Europe or America, or even here in Australia, I am always looking for potential challengers,” Popov said. “If I see any, I have to swim faster and make them feel sick. If they have a little potential, you must get on top of them and kill that enthusiasm right away so they will lose their interest in swimming.”

> In his first Olympic appearance in 1992, Popov swept the sprint-freestyle events, prevailing in 21.91 in the 50 and 49.02 in the 100. It was the one-lap sprint that truly solidified his status as the Sprint Tsar, as Popov beat Americans Matt Biondi and Tom Jager in comfortable fashion. [EPA PHOTO BY AFP/ERIC FEFERBERG/PB]

GREATNESS IN REPEAT Ahead of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Popov was cemented as the heavy favorite to mine gold in the 50 free and 100 free.

But repeating on the Olympic stage had proven to be one of the most difficult tasks in sports, and nothing was a given—even with Popov. Aside from the pressure of the situation, Popov had to deal with the latest American sprint star, Gary Hall Jr. Hailing from a family with a rich lineage in the sport, headlined by Gary Hall Sr.’s three Olympic trips, Junior was armed with considerable talent of his own.

At the 1994 World Champs, Hall Jr. was > The “changing of the guard” took place at Barcelona in 1992. (From left) Alex Popov is congratulated by Matt Biondi, second to the Russian in both sprints, who had not lost in the 100 free at a major meet since 1984. [PHOTO BY MASSIMO LOVATI ] performances that noted he would be a factor in the ensuing years. rivalry with Hall Jr. was on, with the men exchanging barbs at The first duel between Popov and Hall various times. It was Popov who hurled the first grenade. Not only Jr. at the Atlanta Games was in the 100 freestyle, and while Hall did he take umbrage with Hall’s relaxed and colorful style, one gave his rival more of a push than expected over the two-lap that included shadow-boxing routines before races, he took a shot distance, it was Popov who emerged on top, 48.74 to 48.81. Three at Hall’s family. days later, Popov got the job done again, this time winning the 50 “He doesn’t work hard,” Popov said of his rival. “He’s doing freestyle in 22.13, with Hall grabbing silver in 22.26.

1500 meters? That’s what I swim in warm-ups. (Hall) says he By retaining his 100 freestyle title, Popov became the first man will be at the Sydney Olympics and that he will win both sprint to go back-to-back in the event at the Olympics since American legend Johnny Weissmuller doubled in 1924 and 1928. More, the titles. I don’t know how he can say that. His father was never an CONTINUED ON 20 >> APRIL 2021

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TAKEOFF TO TOKYO / Continued from 19

misunderstood us and started to fight.

The men didn’t know who I was. We were in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Having dodged death, Popov went on to win gold in the 100 freestyle at the 1998 World Championships, in addition to earning silver in the 50 free. Meanwhile, just a few months before the Sydney Games, Popov crushed the world record in the 50 freestyle at the Russian Olympic Trials, going 21.64 to break Jager’s 10-year-old world record by 17-hundredths.

In Sydney, Popov knew he had the opportunity to make history and become the first man to win the same event at three straight Olympics. It was a goal Popov wanted badly.

“When I go to competitions...I am always looking “If you win the Olympics once, for potential challengers. If I see any, I have to swim you’re good,” Popov said. “Win the faster and make them feel sick. If they have a little Olympics two times, you’re great. potential, you must get on top of them and kill that Win the Olympics three times, enthusiasm right away so they will lose their interest you’re history.” in swimming.” —Alexander Popov (Pictured: Russian Ultimately, Popov didn’t have the Rocket, Swimming World cover, March 1994) same magic he spun in Barcelona BAD TIMING and Atlanta.

In the 100 freestyle, Popov captured the silver medal On the road to Sydney, Popov found that Hall was the least behind the Netherlands’ Pieter van den Hoogenband. In the 50 of his concerns. In August of 1996, just weeks after he swept the free, Popov missed the podium and was forced to watch Hall Jr. sprint-freestyle events at the Atlanta Olympics, Popov was walking claim the gold medal, which he shared with American teammate with friends on a Moscow street when members of his party got Anthony Ervin. into an argument with watermelon vendors. The exchange of words quickly escalated into a physical altercation, and one of the vendors stabbed Popov in the stomach. Popov was rushed to a hospital where he underwent a three-hour surgery to treat damage to his lungs and kidney.

Popov spent 45 days in the hospital and resumed training three months after the incident, with his return to major competition arriving at the 1997 edition of the Santa Clara International Swim Meet 10 months after the stabbing. After winning the 50 freestyle in northern California, the only hint of his near-death experience was the six-inch scar on his chest.

“You know, we probably could have gotten out of the situation if it had been handled differently,” Popov said. “But they approached us, and somebody started talking with them, and they

[PHOTO BY SIMON BRUTY/ALLSPORT ]

Olympic champion, and he never will be either. It’s a family of losers.”

Not surprising, Popov’s words got back to Hall, who vowed to become an alchemist and turn his silver medals from Atlanta into gold at the 2000 Games in Sydney. He also felt the need to defend his family and father, an inductee into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. “(Popov) is the epitome of unsportsmanlike conduct,” Hall said.

“In the world of swimming, Alexander brings a new definition to the word, ‘shallow.’ What really upsets me is that in order to make himself feel better, Alexander must put down the Olympic accomplishments of his opponent’s father. I am embarrassed for this coward of a man. He ought to quit now because that road is going to be a long and hard one. Or, he can learn the words of the ‘Star Spangled Banner’ because that’s what Olympic audiences will be hearing for years to come.”

NOT QUITE DONE If it looked like Popov was on the downside of his career following the Sydney Games, the legendary sprinter, whose stroke has been described as a piece of art, proved otherwise while remaining in the sport. At the 2003 World Championships, Popov emerged once again as a double-sprint champion.

With two more world titles collected, Popov figured to be a factor at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Instead, the meet was a disaster for the Hall of Famer, as Popov failed to advance out of the preliminaries of the 50 freestyle and was eliminated in the semifinals of the 100. As quickly as Popov moved through the water, his career was over. ***

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When he is remembered, Alexander Popov will be recalled for his perfect stroke. He will be lauded for his ability to deliver under pressure. He will be appreciated for etching himself as one of the greatest sprinters in history, perhaps the finest.Simply, he had a special relationship with the pool.

“The water is your friend. You don’t have to fight with water, just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move,” he once said. “If you fight the water, it will defeat you. We were born in water. It’s like home to me.” 

OLYMPIC PREVIEW: DIVING

COUNT ON

CHINA T

[PHOTO BY GIORGIO PEROTTINO, DEEPBLUEMEDIA/INSIDEFOTO ]

>> China’s Yang Jian, Swimming World’s Male Diver of the Year in 2019, won two gold medals at the World Championships that year in Gwangju: 10-meter platform and mixed team (with Lin Shan).

Based on the results of the last eight Olympics—and the most recent World Championships held two years ago—China would be a good bet to once again dominate the diving competition, July 23-Aug. 8, at the 2021 Games in Tokyo.

BY DAN D’ADDONA

he last Olympics in which China did not finish as the world’s No. 1 diving team was in 1984—thirty-seven years ago! And at that Olympiad, China finished second in the medal standings.

In the eight Games held since then (1988-2016), the world’s most populous country has won 42% of all medals awarded for diving— and 75% of the available gold.

But the last Olympics was five years ago. A lot could change in that time, you say. Well, the most recent international competition was the 2019 World Championships—and the results were even better: 44% of all medals...and 12 of 13 gold!

China boasts several generations of divers who have won medals in international competitions. Lin Shan, only 19 years old, represents the current generation. In 2019, she partnered with Yang Jian to a win a mixed team gold medal at the World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

But the old guard is not to be overlooked.

Three Olympic gold medalists from Rio 2016—Chen Aisen, Shi Tingmao and Ren Qian—along with world champions Wang Han and Zhang Jiaqi, have performed well at national competitions in 2020 following the re-opening of pools during the pandemic.

Tingmao and Han placed 1-2 on the 3-meter springboard at Worlds, while Yiwen Chen captured 1-meter. Yuxi Chen and Wei Lu, who went 1-2 on platform, will also be hoping to represent their country at Tokyo.

For China’s men at Gwangju, Wang Zongyuan won gold on 1-meter, ahead of Peng Jianfeng, who captured bronze. They also added 1-2 finishes on 3-meter (Xie Siyi and Cao Yuan) and platform (Yang Jian and Yang Hao).

Among some of the world’s other top divers are Mexico’s Rommel Pacheco Marrufo, who was the 1-meter silver medalist in 2019, and Juan Celaya-Hernandez, who has been a factor on multiple boards as well. Great Britain’s Jack Laugher was a 3-meter bronze medalist at Worlds, and Aleksandr Bondar of Russia won bronze on platform.

South Korea’s Suji Kim was the women’s bronze medalist

on 1-meter, while Australia’s Maddison Keeney won bronze on 3-meter.

AMERICANS HOPING TO MAKE THEIR MARK The United States, hoping to improve upon its four-medal haul at Gwangju in 2019, will select its Olympic team at the U.S. Olympic Diving Trials, June 6-13, at the Indiana University Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis.

For months, they have prepared for the rescheduled Olympic Trials and the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, only to see competitions pushed back with more pressure put on individual workouts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on diving, just as it has around the world, by sidelining competitions and closing pools for months at a time.

But divers have been able to continue strength and flexibility training on their own while waiting to get back in the water, which most Olympic contenders have been able to do at least in small chunks of time.

Most of the big names in U.S. diving are still around a year after the pandemic first hit, with David Boudia and Steele Johnson considered top contenders. Several divers who have had NCAA success—such as Jordan Windle (Texas), David Dinsmore (Miami), Andrew Capobianco (Indiana) and Michael Hixon (Texas and Indiana)—will be looking to make their mark at the international level as well.

Meanwhile, Purdue continues its strong diving tradition, and has Ben Bramley and Brandon Loschiavo as top challengers.

For the U.S. women, Kassidy Cook is a returning Olympian and has teamed with Sarah Bacon for some synchro diving events.

Bacon won the silver medal on 1-meter in Gwangju.

Arkansas champion Brooke Schultz, Texas’ Alison Gibson, Stanford’s Carolina Sculti and Indiana’s Jessica Parrato lead another group of contenders. Arizona’s Delaney Schnell won bronze on platform at the 2019 Worlds.  APRIL 2021

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[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

Competitor EVER THE

illy King has nothing of her words. put together a That’s when she remarkable swimming realized her story had career in the years exploded and she since, and she could had gained 40,000 continue dominating for Instagram followers years to come, but she in the span of a couple knows she may never Five years after her public introduction to the world at the Rio hours. escape the memory of Olympics, little has changed about Lilly King. She will still speak “It was nuts,” the Rio Olympics— her mind, tell you how she really feels, and she’s still a winner, a King said. “It was and specifically, the a very early public dominant force in sprint breaststroke. women’s 100 breast introduction for me. semifinals on Aug. 7, ‘I’m going to create

BY DAVID RIEDER 2016, and the final the the biggest spectacle next day.

I can, on the largest scale.

Almost five years later, King’s name is synonymous with that I’m going to make this the hardest race anyone could ever win, and particular race.

I’m going to go out there and win.’”

King was 19 and competing in her first international meet, and Thankfully for King, everything worked out in the pool the she told the world that she didn’t think Russia’s Yulia Efimova, following night. She won the final in 1:04.93, topping Efimova her chief competitor for the gold medal, should be competing at by more than a half-second and setting an Olympic record. The the Olympics because of her doping history. During the semifinals, exuberant teenager splashed the water in celebration and barely Efimova raised her finger as she recorded the top time in the first acknowledged Efimova. semifinal, and as King watched in the ready room, cameras captured In the aftermath, many accused King of poor sportsmanship her waving her finger back at Efimova. because she publicly criticized Efimova. She was labeled a bully.

A rivalry instantly materialized.

Even years later, King will have none of it. She sees a double “Especially now that it’s five years later, it’s insane to me. I think standard in public expectations for male professional athletes versus about how young I was. Who let me go to the Olympics?” King said. females. King believes that if a prominent male athlete were to take “I was blissfully ignorant the whole time. I was so new to it that I a stand on an issue he felt passionate about, he would have been didn’t understand what was going on. I didn’t understand what I celebrated for his confidence and bravery, rather than chastised for had done. I didn’t understand the scale of what I had said. I didn’t being cocky and obnoxious. understand the scale that it would grow to.”

King has seen improvement in recent years in the way female That night, King returned to the Olympic Village, thinking athletes are viewed when they speak their minds on important

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[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

issues. She thinks the U.S. women’s soccer team paved the way for that change when they won the 2019 FIFA World Cup while in a dispute with their own national federation.

“That was a big, pivotal moment for women in sports, in my opinion, because you see this whole group of super strong females, and they’re speaking their mind, and they’re fighting for equal pay,” King said.

Others, including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles and Olympic gold medalist swimmer Simone Manuel, have become more outspoken about issues they are passionate about, notably racial justice, and King sees that as positive progress, that strong female athletes are using their voices to impact change.

As for King and Efimova, that relationship has thawed significantly in the years since Rio. One year later at the > Lilly King has not been beaten in the 100 breast (LC) since she won gold at the 2016 Olympics, and her last loss came FINA World Championships, the two at the 2015 U.S. Nationals, when the then-18-year-old finished second to future Olympic teammate Katie Meili. King congratulated each other after King again (right) and Meili (left) went 1-2 at the U.S. Olympic Trials (pictured), then won gold and bronze, respectively, at Rio. took gold in the 100 breast, breaking her first world record in the process. And year room or literally anything was fair game for competition. Except for after year, King still looks forward to the running up the stairs.” opportunities to race Efimova because she knows their clashes will King sought competition from a young age, so much so that bring out her best. she avoided any game with no possibility of winning and losing.

“We’re not besties, obviously, but I do love to race her,” King The sibling rivalry between the two helped instill the characteristic said. “That’s one thing that will never change. I love racing her.” that has propelled King in her swimming career: the sheer hatred of losing.

A TALE OF TWO LILLYS The Lilly King the world knows is the strong, outspoken woman A STORIED HISTORY and the fiery racer, the “Killer Lilly” persona. But King insists that All her life, the message to herself has been “win, win, win,” be the vast majority of the time—99% even—she is “Goofball Lilly.” it against Efimova or her brother or anyone else. These days, King She likes singing and dancing on deck at practice, and she has just does not lose, at least in her specialty event. She has not been dressed up in costumes on deck at meets. Swimming fans get to beaten in the 100 breast (long course) since she won gold at the see that goofy side in Cody Miller’s weekly blogs in which King Rio Olympics, and her last loss came at the 2015 U.S. Nationals, typically guest-stars. when the then-18-year-old finished second to future Olympic “Do we dial it up a little bit for the camera? Yeah, of course, but teammate Katie Meili. King has admitted that she likes the feeling we’re pretty much like that every day, just goofing off and being and the pressure of being the underdog, and in those situations, she crazy and just having fun,” King said. consistently thrives.

But what’s not at all feigned is the close relationship King shares In 2017, Efimova threw down a huge challenge to King at the with Miller—and now Miller’s wife, Ali, and their son, Axel. After World Championships by almost breaking the world record in the the two Indiana University breaststrokers (Miller, 2010-14; King, semifinals (missing by just 1-hundredth), putting the pressure on 2015-19) qualified for the Olympics together after King’s freshman King for the final. But she responded in striking fashion, dominating year, they developed a close bond that has only strengthened since. the heat and taking down the world record with a 1:04.13. King “It definitely started as a big brother, mentor kind of thing, and would add a second world record in the 50 breast (29.40) a few now he’s probably my best friend,” King said. “He’s definitely days later. No one has considered her an underdog in any sprint helped me evolve as a swimmer and has been one of my biggest breaststroke race since. supporters and mentors. I owe him so much. I can’t even begin to “I’m going to say I’m the best,” King said. “I haven’t lost a 100 explain how much he has helped me along the road of navigating breaststroke (LC) in five years. I don’t think I need to defend myself college swimming and Olympic swimming. He knows all my on that one.” secrets, and I know his secrets. We’re family at this point.”

However, her career path in the 200 breaststroke has been much As for the competitiveness, the “Killer Lilly” persona seen so less dominant. Days after winning Olympic gold in the 100 breast often on TV, that’s also very much genuine. King has a younger in Rio, King went all out from the start in her 200 breast semifinal, brother, Alex, who recently completed his own college swimming but ended up fading to 12th. By 2017, she had made a big jump in career at Michigan. Less than a year apart in age, Lilly called Alex the longer event, finishing fourth at the World Championships in “my best friend and my worst enemy,” and she added that the two 2:22.11, missing a medal by less than 2-tenths. are alike in almost every way, except that she is typically optimistic and Alex typically pessimistic. And growing up, the two constantly In 2019, she swam as fast as 2:21.39 at the FINA Champions competed with each other in everything.

Series in Indianapolis, beating out Efimova, who would win “Everything we did when we were little was a race. Everything her second straight world title in the event soon after. But King was a competition. Whether that was piano lessons or cleaning our found herself unable to challenge her Russian rival at those World

[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

LILLY KING / Continued from 23

> Lilly King and Russia’s Yulia Efimova have been international rivals ever since the 2016 Olympics. King won the gold medal in the 100 breast that year and at the World Championships in 2017 and 2019. She looks forward to the opportunities to race Efimova because she knows their clashes will bring out her best. “We’re not besties, obviously, but I do love to race her,” King said. “That’s one thing that will never change. I love racing her.”

Championships, a circumstance brought on, King believes, because she again chose to voice her strong opinions.

“This is my personal theory, completely and totally a conspiracy theory. I said FINA was corrupt the day before the meeting started because they let Sun Yang swim,” King said, referring to the Chinese distance swimmer allowed to compete at those World Championships despite a pending hearing for a doping violation.

“And they said, ‘All right. You did an illegal turn in the 200 breaststroke in prelims.’ I think that’s what happened. I’m pretty confident that’s what happened.”

King was disqualified for a one-hand touch in prelims, and an appeals committee sustained the DQ shortly before the semifinals.

That day, King admitted that she had committed a violation on her turn, but almost two years later, she said, “I’m sure I came out and said I did it so I wouldn’t get in trouble anymore.” She remains convinced that no one could have detected the illegal turn with just their naked eye and no frame-by-frame video replay.

So now, approaching the postponed 2021 Olympics, King remains the undisputed queen of the 100 breast and a complete wild card in the 200 breast. Her coach at Indiana, Ray Looze, called King’s 200 breast “still a bit of a work-in-progress.” She excelled in the short course meters version of the event during the 2020 International Swimming League season, and she trains at Indiana with Annie Lazor, the ninth-fastest performer in history in the 200 breast, but she has not had a chance to show her abilities in the long course event in years. On her strategy for the 200 breast for the Olympic year, King said, “I’ll probably decide behind the blocks.”

A DAY AT A TIME

King comes from a family of teachers, including her mother, father and grandmother, and in college, King majored in physical education. She student-taught third through eighth grade in the spring of 2019, and “Goofball Lilly” had a blast. “I feel like it’s 24

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easy to connect with the kids,” she said. “Talk to kids and get them going on silly conversations and just having fun with them—it’s just a fun group to work with.”

But any teaching, she insists, will be a long way down the road.

When she does stop swimming, she wants to use her platform as one of the world’s best, although she doesn’t yet know how. She has no immediate plans to be done swimming anytime soon, either.

“For so long, I thought I (would be) done after 2024. I really feel like the quarantine and having everything taken away from me so quickly gave me a greater appreciation for what I’m doing and just kind of sparked that joy again,” King said. “I’m going to keep going until I’m not having fun anymore, and when I start saying I’m going to work and I’m not going to practice, that’s probably time to stop.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020 and the Olympics were postponed, King was fairly stoic. “I’m a serial under-reactor,” she said. Even as some of her teammates, including Miller and Lazor, became upset with the decision to postpone the Olympics, King calculated in her head that the postponement should not significantly impact her Olympic prospects, and that underreaction became her coping mechanism. “That’s just kind of how I handle things,” she said. “In situations where I’m literally shocked, I’m like, ‘I feel nothing.’”

As for any lingering uncertainty about whether the postponed Olympics will in fact take place this year, King isn’t concerned. She won’t let herself worry, just like she won’t consider the possibility of losing a race.

“I never think of what’s going to go wrong in my racing. Never. I only think of the best possible scenario. When I visualize my races, I never think of what can go wrong. I only think of the race I want to swim. For this summer, I’m trying not to think of what could go wrong, and only think of the best-case scenario.” 

INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME

THE GREATEST OF THEIR GENERATION The General Slocum steamship disaster in 1904, the tragedy that changed swimming history, had an impact on two of the greatest swimming heroes of all time, Johnny Weissmuller and Charles Robert Drew.

BY BRUCE WIGO

A

ll historians relish finding coincidences of seemingly unconnected events that explain historical outcomes. One of these coincidences occurred when two of swimming’s greatest heroes were born on consecutive days in June of 1904.

JOHNNY WEISSMULLER

The first hero of this story is well known: Johann “Johnny” Peter Weissmuller. He was born on June 2, 1904, to German-speaking parents living in Romania. It was less than two weeks before the infamous General Slocum steamship disaster that claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people—mostly women and children—from a German-American church group in New York City’s East River.

The Slocum disaster made international news, especially in Germanspeaking regions of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

When the Weissmullers immigrated to America in 1907, his parents made a point to teach him swimming at Fullerton Beach on Lake Michigan. At the age of 11, he joined the Northside YMCA, where he showed promise not only as a swimmer, but in running and high jumping.

But his future as an athlete appeared to end when his alcoholic father left the family. Forced to leave school after the eighth grade to support his little brother and mom, he went to work, delivering packages for a church supply company and hawking produce from a cart.

“You know, your guts get so mad when you try to fight poverty,” Weissmuller recalled. “I told myself, ‘I’m going to get out of this

> Front page news from the New York World (June 15, 1904): General Slocum disaster [PHOTO PROVIDED BY INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME]

neighborhood, if only because he’s got a quarter and I haven’t.’”

But he still found time to swim, and it was while working as a bellhop and elevator operator at the Plaza Hotel in 1920 that Johnny’s reputation as a young swimmer earned him a tryout with

> PICTURED ABOVE (From left) Johnny Weissmuller at the Molitor Pool, Paris; and Charles R. Drew at the Francis Pool, Washington, D.C. (circa 1931).

[PHOTO BY ISHOF/NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH] CONTINUED ON 26 >> APRIL 2021

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WEISSMULLER & DREW / Continued from 25

Bill Bachrach, the legendary coach of the Illinois Athletic Club.

Bachrach took Johnny under his wing and became a surrogate father and trainer...and the rest, as they say, is history.

Their collaboration carried Johnny to Olympic glory and international fame. Many of his records would last 20 years or more, and he reigned as swimming’s GOAT for 50 years...until he lost the crown to Mark Spitz in 1972.

Upon turning pro in 1928, he toured the country, promoting swimwear at clinics and inspiring children and adults alike to swim.

Then in 1931, he landed the Hollywood role of a lifetime. He would appear as Tarzan in 12 films over a period of 17 years. No other actor in film history has had such longevity portraying a character, and today he is better remembered as an actor than as the great swimmer that he was.

CHARLES ROBERT DREW

> Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan [PHOTO PROVIDED BY INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME]

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Our second swimming hero was born on June 3, 1904, the day after Weissmuller was born. You probably never heard of Charles Robert Drew, but that’s why we write history.

Drew was born to African-American parents, living in Washington D.C., where he grew up in the largely middle-class and interracial neighborhood of Foggy Bottom. Like Weissmuller, the Slocum tragedy had a direct impact on Drew’s childhood, since the event triggered a nationwide interest in the importance of learning to swim and also resulted in a swimming pool-building craze.

It was in one of these pools, the segregated Howard Playground pool, where Charles Drew first learned to swim and show promise as a champion swimmer—before attending Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Best known today for its legendary basketball teams, Dunbar was a “colored” school named after one of the first African Americans to gain international acclaim as a poet and novelist. When the school first opened in 1916, it was considered one of the nation’s finest secondary schools—white or black—and it has produced over the years an incredible list of distinguished alumni.

It was also one of the few public high schools at the time with its own indoor pool. Drew not only excelled in the classroom, but won letters in four sports (swimming, football, basketball and track).

He was voted “best athlete,” “most popular student” and “the student who has done the most for the school,” and he earned a scholarship to attend Amherst College in Massachusetts.

Although he wasn’t a member of the swimming team at Amherst, he was a member of the Lifesaving Corps in addition to being an AllAmerica football player as well as a star and the captain of the track team. Upon graduating, Drew served as the director of athletics and instructor of biology and chemistry at Morgan College in Baltimore, Md. from 1926 to 1928. Then in 1928, he was accepted into the medical school of McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

But every summer during these years, he worked as a lifeguard and pool manager at the segregated Francis Pool in D.C. This was where he organized the first National Colored Swimming Championships that attracted teams from Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. In 1931, Drew gained recognition from the AAU for his meet. His Francis teams won the first five national championships before he graduated from McGill in 1933. ***

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Before continuing this story, here’s a little background about the International Swimming Hall of Fame. It was established in 1964 not just to honor competitive swimmers. It was meant to be the Smithsonian for all aspects of swimming culture—as a sport, therapeutic exercise, lifeskill, recreational pastime and its place in art and literature—from pre-history to the modern era.

Times in the pool, distances covered in open water, scores off the diving board and goals scored in water polo games are just one

way to measure greatness. Most certainly, the GOAT of competitive swimming today is Michael Phelps. But there is another measure of greatness, as defined by ISHOF’s Gold Medallion Award.

This award “is presented each year to a former competitive swimmer for his or her national or international significant achievements in the field of science, entertainment, art, business, education or government. There are no restrictions other than the recipient must be an outstanding adult whose life has served as an inspiration for youth.”

The ISHOF Gold Medallion recipients are a distinguished group that includes a President of the United States, a civil rights icon and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, senators, congressmen, a prince, captains of business and industry, war heroes, writers, celebrities and even a few who were great both in and out of the pool.

Today, while thousands of young swimmers dream of becoming Olympians or professional swimmers, most are not blessed with super genes and a psychological devotion to following the black line that such status requires. But that doesn’t mean young swimmers shouldn’t “have the dream” and strive to be the best they can be—because in the process, they are learning invaluable life lessons that will serve them well in their careers after they have hung up their competitive suits. ***

> Dr. Charles R. Drew at work at Howard University [PHOTO PROVIDED BY NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY]

.com

SWIMMING On The Wall

www

And this brings us back to Charles Robert Drew. Unfortunately, ISHOF’s Gold Medallion, like the Nobel Prize, is not awarded posthumously—but if he hadn’t been killed in a tragic car accident in 1950, at the age of 46, Charles Robert Drew might have claimed both awards.

After completing his residency, Charles Drew was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation research fellowship at the New YorkPresbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center to study blood.

He became the first African American to receive a doctor of science degree in medicine and the first black surgeon examiner of the American Board of Surgery.

He revolutionized medicine by creating a system that allowed the immediate and safe transfusion of blood plasma. His dissertation was on banked blood, and in the fall of 1940, he was chosen to direct “Blood for Britain,” a project that called for the preparation of large quantities of liquid plasma and its shipment to British soldiers on the battlefields of France.

With the success of the program, Drew gained international fame and was appointed director of the first American Red Cross Plasma Bank. During World War II, he recruited 100,000 blood donors for the U.S. Army and Navy. Their blood saved the lives of thousands of wounded soldiers. The following year, he established the American Red Cross’ first blood bank, a pilot program that became the model for blood banks all over the country during WWII. In 1942, he returned to Washington, D.C and became the head of Howard University’s department of surgery and later chief surgeon at the University’s Freedman’s Hospital. Between 1941 and his untimely death in 1950, Dr. Drew taught more than half of the nation’s AfricanAmerican surgeons receiving certification papers from the American Board of Surgery.

Nationwide there are at least a dozen K-12 schools and six medical and higher education institutions that have been named in honor of Dr. Drew. In 1981, the U.S. Postal Service issued a 35-cent stamp in honor of Drew as part of the “Great American Series.” There is a Charles R. Drew Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., and one of the boroughs of Montreal, where he attended McGill University, has been named after him (Parc Charles-Drew, in Le Sud-Ouest).  Bruce Wigo, historian and consultant at the International Swimming Hall of Fame, served as president/CEO of ISHOF from 2005-17.

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NUTRITION

FUELING FOR COMPETITION:

THE “CHERRY ON TOP”!

Athletes spend hours upon hours training. It is now time to put the sports nutrition piece all together when it matters most. A big part of the plan is to know what, when and how much to eat and drink before, during and after the event.

Step 1. Maximize your Daily Sports Nutrition Regimen

What an athlete consumes daily impacts training, recovery, immunity and performance the most. If an athlete optimizes all aspects of training, then they optimize success. (See SW January, “To Be an Olympian or World Champion, You Need to Train Like One,” and SW February, “To Be the Best, You Need to Eat the Best.”)

Step 2. Use Practices and Minor Competitions/Events to Formulate a Winning Plan

The goal is to use trainings and lower-level events to figure out what you will eat and drink throughout that day or days. Try items before trainings, sometimes within 30 minutes, pending on the goal. You would rather have a “subpar” workout than an awful performance.

Athletes know they mastered it when they don’t have to think much about it!

Step 3. Eat Enough

Many athletes get nervous, have stomach distress, get caught up in the event or do not have a designed sports nutrition event plan—all which can lead to an insufficient intake of fuel at the right times to finish strong...especially in events that cover multiple days or cover extended periods of time. Even if the event is shorter in length, you need to be optimally prepared. I have worked with many athletes who have struggled with this, but found a way!

Step 4. Hydrate

Being properly hydrated starts a couple of days before the event.

If an athlete is 1% dehydrated, then performance can decline up to 12%! It is important to spread the fluid throughout the day and make sure you intake enough sodium as well. The amounts needed vary because sweat and sodium losses differ per person. (See SW February, “To Be the Best, You Need to Eat the Best,” for suggested amounts.)

Step 5. Avoid New Items around Event Time

Avoid trying new food or beverages a day or two prior and during the big event. Athletes don’t want to take a chance that anything will not digest well.

Step 6. Come Prepared

Don’t leave anything up to chance. Take 100% responsibility. Pack things, know the surroundings and always have a backup plan.

Many times athletes need to bring their own foods, stay at a place that has a kitchen or take a trip to the local grocery store to make it a success.

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[PHOTO BY PIXABAY ]

BY DAWN WEATHERWAX, RD, CSSD, LD, ATC, CSCS

Step 7. Know the Cuisine

If traveling to a place where the food is completely different than what you’re used to eating, then start experimenting at home with their local cuisine before going to the meet. An athlete can’t always pack 100% of what is needed in these situations. It is important to expose the stomach and taste buds to the unfamiliar. Leave nothing to chance!

Step 8. Eat Clean

This is pretty straightforward: Why train so hard before an event, then go to that event and eat fried foods, sweets and foods smothered with unhealthy fats that have little nutritional value? For those over 21 years old...that also means alcohol. NOTHING MORE TO SAY!

Step 9. Work with an Expert

If you are really serious about your sport, I highly recommend working with a sports dietitian. There is a lot of misinformation out there. Each athlete is different. When researching, look for the CSSD credential (board-certified specialist in sports dietetics). It takes seven to nine years of schooling and experience to obtain a CSSD credential. You can also go to https://findanrd.eatright.org/ for a statewide directory.

When embarking on setting yearly goals and priming for main competitions or events, do not forget to start implementing fuel strategy plans along the way. To get ready for the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics, enjoy the following 3,000 to 3,500-calorie sample swim meet competition menu...with a Japanese breakfast flare. (Remember: This is just an example, not an absolute.)

3,000 to 3,500-CALORIE SWIM MEET COMPETITION MENU (with Japanese breakfast option)

Breakfast (6-8 a.m.)

1 large Kodiak waffle or 1-2 packets of Kodiak oatmeal 2 T Nut butter 1 T Flax grounded seeds 1 large Banana 1 small Pea yogurt or Siggi’s yogurt 16 oz Water/soy milk/organic milk/nut milk/oat milk Japanese Option 1 Tamagoyaki (rolled egg omelet) 1-2 cups Kobachi (chopped-up vegetables) ½-2 cups Rice or rice porridge 1 cup Miso soup Multivitamin and mineral tablet

Fish oil capsule Vitamin D3 Vitamin C Probotics Swim Meet (8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)

4-10 oz Water an hour and one NUUN tablet per 20 oz (amount varies pending on sweat and sodium loss) 8-10 a.m No Cow Bar and fruit leather or orange 10-11:30 a.m Lara Bar, RX Bar or Pro Bar and packet of RX nut butter or nuts Lunch (11 a.m.-1:30 p.m.)

1 Bun 4 oz Grilled chicken 1 cup Side salad 1 T Dressing 1 large Baked potato 1 T Butter/salt/pepper 8 oz Juice or fruit of choice 16 oz Water OR 6-inch hoagie, turkey/chicken/ham, any veggies, oil and vinegar, fruit smoothie

Dawn Weatherwax (RD, CSSD, LD, ATC, CSCS) is a registered/ licensed dietitian with a specialty in sports nutrition and founder of Sports Nutrition 2Go. She is also a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics, which is the premier professional sports nutrition credential in the United States. In addition, she is an athletic trainer with a certification in strength and conditioning from The National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Weatherwax brings a comprehensive and unique understanding of the athlete’s body—and its nutritional needs—to those interested in achieving specific performance goals and optimal health. She is also the author of “The Official Snack Guide for Beleaguered Sports Parents,” “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Sports Nutrition” and “The Sports Nutrition Guide for Young Athletes.”

Swim Meet (3-7:30 p.m.)

4-10 oz Water an hour and one NUUN tablet per 20 oz (amount varies pending on sweat and sodium loss) 2-4 p.m No Cow Bar and fruit strip or orange 4-6 p.m. Lara Bar, RX Bar or Pro Bar and packet of RX nut butter or nuts Evening Meal (6-8:30 p.m.)

4-6 oz Grilled chicken/no steak 1-2 cups Wild rice/pasta/potato/quinoa 1-2 cups Salad/veggies/stir fry 1-2 T Oil-based dressing/pumpkin seeds 16 oz Water Multivitamin and mineral tablet Fish oil capsule Evening Snack—OPTIONAL (8-10 p.m.)

1 large bag Microwave non-GMO natural popcorn 1 Evolve or Orgain shake 4-8 oz Odwalla, Naked or Bolthouse smoothie After meet is completely over, enjoy a meal or beverage that might not be ideal!  TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REFERENCES FOR THIS ARTICLE.

NOT A TOTAL ACCESS MEMBER? YOU’RE JUST A CLICK AWAY:

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SWIMMING WORLD PRESENTS

2021 SWIM CAMP DIRECTORY The listings on pages 30-36 are advertisements.

AADVANCED REMOTE SWIM CAMPS

THE ARETE SWIM CAMP & CLINICS

THE BOLLES SCHOOL SWIM CAMPS 2021

Bob Prichard, Director 4 Tara Hill Road Tiburon, CA 94920 415-435-9880 bprichard@somaxsports.com www.somaxsports.com/swimcamp.php

Coach Chuck Warner, Camp Director Arete Swim Camp 1050 Dellwood Rd. Martinsville, NJ 08836 areteswimcamp@gmail.com www.areteswim.com

Peter Verhoef, Coach 7400 San Jose Blvd.

Jacksonville, FL 32217 904-256-5216 VerhoefP@bolles.org www.Bollesswimming.org

Camp Dates: Feb. 1 - Dec. 31, 2021

Super-Strokes & Skills Clinics: To Be Determined

Elite I Camp: June 6-13 Elite II Camp: June 13-23

Our 2021 private remote camps accommodate up to three swimmers from the same family. Each five-day camp teaches one stroke. We teach swimmers to swim efficiently like world record holders (our swimmers have set 11 world records and have won 43 gold medals) by using frame-by-frame underwater stroke analysis and our exclusive drills, stretches and exercises. Swimmers have reduced their stroke count 30-50%.

We teach parents how to teach their kids.

A parent will record videos and supervise practices as we talk and watch via Zoom. During dryland sessions at home, we will analyze underwater strokes via Zoom, measure strokespecific flexibility and then teach stretches and exercises to relax muscles that are restricting breathing, shoulders, hips and legs.

A complete camp description can be found at www.somaxsports.com/swimcamp.php.

The fee for each private remote camp is $13,500 for all instruction, our custommade Powerbelts and a 2,500-yard practice laminated drill card.

Camp Dates: To Be Determined: June 20-24?? at Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, N.J. We are uncertain whether the ARETE Swim Camp will launch its 24th year due to health considerations around COVID-19. Our intense instruction led by three-time USA National Team Coach Chuck Warner has helped transform more than 4,000 swimmers. For 18 consecutive years, ARETE has sold out most sessions. Our four core objectives are: Immediate Skill Improvement, Self-Esteem Development, Teamwork and “WOW Experiences.”

Each swimmer is filmed underwater and has permanent access to their own recording. A coach analyzes each stroke with each swimmer using our camp workbook. A key aspect of our camp is our “Inner Engineering Curriculum,” and we have a coach-to-swimmer ratio of 1:9 or better.

Coach Warner’s experience includes: • Four-time Big East Conference Coach of the Year •

Author of …And Then They Won Gold; Four Champions, One Gold Medal; EDDIE REESE: Coaching Swimming, Teaching Life

•

Former president of the American Swimming Coaches Association

For experienced competitive swimmers 13 and over

Camp sessions will focus on elite training in a team environment that includes technical teaching Dryland sessions focus on swimmingspecific strength and conditioning Olympic Camp: June 23-July 3

For experienced competitive swimmers 13 and over

Coaches and athletes will focus on the training, teaching and competitive aspects that make up competing at the Olympic level with daily viewing of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials as they happen Dryland sessions will focus on swimmingspecific strength and conditioning Campers will compete at the Bolles Classic Swim Meet (entry fees/USA Swimming registration included) Speed Camp: July 5-11

For competitive swimmers 13 and over

•

Swimmers will explore the technical and physiological aspects of swimming faster

•

Individual technical instruction and video sessions will be included for each camper, and practices will feature measurable and specific sets to focus on speeds for events ranging from 50 to 800 meters

•

Dryland sessions will focus on plyometric and power movements

2019 Clinic Fees: $215 all three/$85 per.

2019 Camp Fees: $590-710 commuter/$765-900 resident (early registration discounted). Ages: 7-18.

COMBINATION OPTIONS FOR AFOREMENTIONED CAMPS AVAILABLE

CHECK OUT OUR CAMP LISTINGS ONLINE AT WWW.SWIMMINGWORLD.COM/CAMPS 30

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[ PHOTO COURTESY LARRY THORNTON ]

2021 SWIM CAMP DIRECTORY Day Camp: June 8-17 (Day Sessions) Dates: June 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16 and 17 •

Technical one-day camp for swimmers age 12 and under

•

Camp will include teaching, training and camp activities

•

Registration is limited to 30 participants per day

Note: Be assured COVID-19 procedures are in place to mitigate risks and keep campers as safe and healthy as possible.

CAMP CHIKOPI Founded 1920 For Boys aged 7-17 Colette Duenkel 373 Chikopi Rd., Magnetawan, Ontario, POA 1PO Canada 705-387-3811 (In Season) • 954-566-8235 (Off Season) campchikopi@aol.com www.campchikopi.com https://www.facebook.com/CampChikopi/ https://www.instagram.com/campchikopi/

camps in Ontario.” Ahmic Lake is a quiet, pristine freshwater lake. Chikopi has over 2,000 feet of waterfront, offering multiple swimming options; a 50-meter swimming pool built into the lake and three sandy beaches.

Our swimming program covers every level— beginning with our respected water safety and learn-to-swim program to our admired and highly competitive swim team. No matter which level of swimming your son is at, he will improve with our personalized program, tailor-made to fit his ability and needs.

Located on 400 acres of the Almaguin Highlands, we offer over 30 land and water sports, all of which complement our swimming program. As well as specializing in swimming, soccer and triathlon, Camp Chikopi offers unique activities such as open water swimming, wilderness mountain bike trails, competitive war canoe and canoe tripping.

Campers range from boys who are here to have fun playing sports and being outdoors to gifted athletes. We have programs to fit everyone’s needs and fulfill their summer goals.

Chikopi is extremely proud of our diversity and inclusiveness. We are very international and welcome every nationality, language and custom at Chikopi. It is an excellent opportunity for boys to be technology-free and immersed in a variety of cultures.

Our wilderness location and rustic setting add to the extraordinary experience that a summer at Chikopi provides.

THE WORLD’S FIRST SWIM CAMP FITTER AND FASTER SWIM CAMPS

Two-Week Camps: June 30-July 14 July 14-28 July 28-Aug. 11 Three-Week Camps: June 30-July 21 July 28-Aug. 18 Four-Week Camps: June 30-July 28 July 14-Aug. 18 Five-Week Camps: June 30-Aug. 4 July 14-Aug. 18 Six-Week Camps: July 30-Aug. 11 Seven-Week Camps: June 30-Aug. 18 Specialty session pre-arranged with directors Camp Chikopi is a unique mix of a traditional and competitive sports camp. Chikopi was founded in 1920 by U.S. Olympic swimming coach Matt Mann II. We are renowned for being the world’s first swim camp and the oldest competitive sports camp in the world.

Chikopi has a long history of Olympic, national, university and high school champions.

It was voted “one of the best boys sports

www.FitterandFaster.com When: Year-round Where: 40+ states, Canada & Bahamas Elite Clinicians: 150+ Fitter & Faster safely produced more than 100 swim camps in 40 states during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company reduced session sizes and practiced detailed safety protocols.

Fitter and Faster’s high volume of camps has enabled their clinicians to achieve an experience and competency level that is unmatched in the industry.

As a year-round organization that produces swim camps anytime and anywhere—they are able to cap their session sizes at the smallest volume of any swim camp in the world. That means more expert-level attention for your swimmer.

• Each camp has a specific, unique curriculum centered around technique and race strategy •

Your instructors are in the water, demonstrating and making corrections.

•

Each camp is an enriching experience where swimmers with professional clinicians who have competed in college, World Championships and Olympics.

•

Participants engage in conversations about technique, race strategy, balancing school and swimming, nutrition, psychology, training, taper and other aspects of life in

and out of the pool that have made your clinicians successful.

Visit FitterandFaster.com to find a swim camp or to request one near you.

EAGLE SWIM CAMPS AT FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY Contact Camp Director Caroline Rollins with questions 513-515-7371 eagleswimcamps@gmail.com Registration is open www.eagleswimcamps.com June 21-24 & June 29-July 2 Technique Camps June 25-28 Elite Training Camp Eagle Swim Camps at Florida Gulf Coast University focus on providing skill instruction on all four competitive strokes, while also providing an incredible overall summer camp experience.

Our campers—ages 8-18 (technique camp), 12-18 (training camp)—will enjoy learning from our championship coaching staff the skills to improve their competitive strokes and turns during their two-water sessions per day.

Between sessions each day, campers will experience special guests and events, including Q&A and swimming with Olympic and world champion swimmers, college recruiting, strength and conditioning as well as our special rock wall.

Eagle Swim Camps aim not only to educate our swimmers, but also continue to foster a love for fun in the sport of swimming. Registration is open!

GOLD MEDAL SWIM CAMPS AND CLINICS Courtney Hart, Head Coach Georgia Tech Swimming and Diving 404-867-3766 buzzswimming@gmail.com www.goldmedalswimcamp.com Link to registration page: https://portal.campnetwork.com/Register/ Register.php?camp_id=397055 Head coach and two-time Olympic gold medalist Courtney Hart invites you to take part in our Spring Clinics and Summer Camps.

The Gold Medal Swim Camp coaches are some of the best in the business. With two former Olympians, former national team members, experienced collegiate coaches and Georgia Tech Swimming & Diving team members, the camp promises to have some of the best technical instruction available in a camp setting.

Camp Dates: June 7-10 Session 1 July 6-9 Session 2

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2021 SWIM CAMP DIRECTORY / CONTINUED FROM 31 CAMPS: This year, our Competitive Swim Camp is a commuter-style camp that will include a water session, technical instruction, video work and dryland instruction.

Swimmers will be in the water two-plus hours each day and hear from some of the best coaches in the business.

Our camp is located at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology at 750 Ferst Drive.

Clinic Dates: Saturday April 17 Starts and Turns Sunday April 18 Freestyle and Backstroke Sunday April 25 Butterfly and Breaststroke Saturday May 8 Starts and Turns Sunday May 9 Freestyle and Backstroke

AGES 8-17 | COED

CLINICS: Our clinics are designed to provide competitive swimming technique training for intermediate to advanced competitive swimmers. Our clinics are two-and-a-half hours long, to the point and full of information!

Get ready for the summer competition season with one of our focused clinics. Get individualized attention from our former Olympians and collegiate coaches.

Our clinic is located at the Campus Recreation Center (CRC) at the Georgia Institute of Technology at 750 Ferst Drive.

Jon Alter, Camp Director The University of Texas P.O. Box 7399 Austin, TX 78713-7399 512-475-8652 • Fax 512-232-1273 longhornswimcamp@athletics.utexas.edu www.LonghornSwimCamp.com Four one-week sessions from May 24-June 19 43 years of excellence! Headed by threetime Olympic and Texas head men’s coach Eddie Reese, 2019 World University Games and women’s coach Carol Capitani, former USA Swimming National Junior Team Director and assistant women’s coach Mitch Dalton and 2018 Team USA Pan-Pac and assistant men’s coach Wyatt Collins, the Longhorns Swim Camp is the most exciting camp in the country! Guest coaches and speakers include Olympians and national team members Ian Crocker, Josh Davis, Colleen Lanné-Cox, Garrett Weber-Gale, Townley Haas, Whitney Hedgepeth, Will Licon, Madisyn Cox and Jimmy Feigen. Open to male and female competitive swimmers, ages 8 to 18.

Camp is held at the Jamail Texas Swimming Center on the University of Texas at Austin campus, home to 23 NCAA team champions.

Facility includes an indoor 50-meter by 25yard pool, a 25-yard by 25-meter pool and a BRAND NEW 50-meter by 25-yard outdoor pool.

Four training groups based on age and ability,

Swim Clinics

SUMMER PROGRAMS

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with a 1:7 coach/swimmer ratio in technique sessions.

Daily training includes challenging longcourse sessions Monday-Friday mornings; technique sessions Monday-Thursday afternoons and evenings, with start/turn work included. Classroom sessions on technique and race strategies held. Underwater video of each camper analyzed by a coach. Daily social activities and field trips offered. Multiple-week stays include planned weekend activities with supervision. Experienced, mature, adult staff provides 24-hour supervision. Cost: Overnight Camp $1,070; Day Camp $970. Complete camp information and online registration available at Longhornswimcamp.com.

Per NCAA rules, sport camps and clinics conducted by The University of Texas are open to all entrants. Enrollment is limited only by age, grade level, gender and capacity restrictions as specified by each camp. NCAA guidelines prohibit payment of camp expenses by a representative of The University of Texas’ athletics interest. NCAA rules also prohibit free or reduced camp admission for prospects (9th grade and above).

Regisnotwer!

June 20-24, 2021 June 27-July 1, 2021

MERCERSBURG ACADEMY SWIM CLINICS Glenn Neufeld, Head Coach Mercersburg Academy 100 Academy Drive Mercersburg, PA 17236 717-328-6225 summerprograms@mercersburg.edu www.mercersburgsummer.com June 20-24 Session 1 June 27-July 1 Session 2 Mercersburg Swim Clinics are dedicated to improving your technique and helping you develop as a swimmer both inside and outside of the pool. Mercersburg Academy’s storied aquatics program has produced over 30 Olympians and brings a tradition of excellence to their summer program. The primary aim of Mercersburg Swim Clinics is to provide an experience that teaches swimmers the most innovative techniques available while having fun. The philosophy is simple. Swimmers do not just compile distance, but rather work on improvements in starting, turning and stroke techniques.

Mercersburg Swim Clinics participants stay in Mercersburg Academy’s state-of-the-art residence halls that are recently renovated, airconditioned with carpeted hallways, and have bathrooms on every hall with individual shower stalls.

The swimmer-to-staff ratio is around 5 to 1.

Mercersburg Academy’s elite coaching staff and other successful coaches from colleges and club teams will instruct swimmers throughout the week. Counselors are generally current and former college swimmers or Mercersburg Academy graduates with swimming experience.

Swimmers will train in the state-of-theart Lloyd Aquatic Center, which includes an Olympic-size, 50-meter, 10-lane pool.

See display ad on page 32.

MICHIGAN SWIM CAMP at The University of Michigan 8160 Valley View Drive Ypsilanti, MI 48197 734-845-8596 umswim1@gmail.com www.michiganswimcamp.com or www.camps.mgoblue.com/swimming Four sessions open to any and all entrants, limited to age and 195 campers per session in Canham Natatorium at the University of Michigan. A staff of 60+ and three instructional sessions per day ensure the individual attention necessary for significant improvement.

Coaches Mike Bottom, Dr. Josh White, Rick Bishop, Sam Wensman, Nikki Kett, Kurt Kirner and Roger Karns are directly involved in coaching and teaching campers.

All campers HD-filmed, 1:1 analyzed, and receive a written stroke analysis. Optional custom video and/or Kistler start-and-turn analysis available for an additional fee. Choose the Intensive Training Track or the Technique

Development Track. World-class staff provides leadership and mentoring that encourage each swimmer to strive for excellence in and out of the pool.

While the status of summer camps for 2021 is uncertain, we will resume hosting athletic camps when it is safe to do so. Please continue to follow us on mgoblue.com for the latest updates. Stay safe and Go Blue.

NAVY SWIMMING CAMPS 2021 Bill Roberts, Camp Director Navy Swimming Camps 2021 566 Brownson Rd., Annapolis, MD 21402 410-293-5834, 410-293-3012 Fax 410-293-3811 navyswimmingcamp@usna.edu www.navyswimmingcamp.com or www.navysports.com Facebook search: Navy Swimming Camp June 15-19 Session I June 21-25 Session II Clinics: June 19 & 20 (see website for 2021 clinic offerings) Now going into our 23rd season, expect direct results by being part of the 2021 Navy Swimming Camp this summer! Our principal goal is to provide you the very best in individual instruction, evaluation, camper experience and safety/supervision. The purpose of our camp is to offer you a unique environment to learn and develop your competitive strokes, including all related starts, turns and finishes.

Navy Swimming Camp is a stroke-intensive camp. Swimming campers will receive individual attention. Additional training sessions are offered to all needing to maintain conditioning while at camp. Video analysis, dryland activities designed to improve individual fitness levels, performance, training, goal-setting, leadership presentations and the Severn River boat cruise are all part of the schedule for 2021. Also, outstanding and accomplished guest speakers and presenters all scheduled for this year’s edition of the Navy Swimming Camp.

Campers will learn, train and reside in an amazingly safe and unique environment on the grounds of the United States Naval Academy.

Additionally, teamwork and leadership are important points of emphasis for every camper.

The Navy camp is led by an experienced camp staff while providing the very best in 24-hour supervision.

See www.navyswimmingcamp.com for greater detail, including brochure, application, daily schedule and frequently asked questions.

Cost for each camp: $725/commuter camper (ages 8-18), $775/extended day camper (ages 8-18), $825/resident camper (ages 9-18). All campers receive a NAVY swimming shirt & an exclusive NAVY backstroke flag. Go Navy!

2021 NEAL STUDD SWIM CAMP AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Dan Carrington, Camp Director Florida State University 2560 Pottsdamer St. Tallahassee, FL 32310 850-644-5946 dcarrington@fsu.edu www.fsuswimcamp.com June 14-18 Session 1 June 21-25 Session 2 The Neal Studd Swim Camp at Florida State University is a camp that focuses on giving each swimmer, ages 7-18, the tools to improve his or her overall technique. The camp focuses on fitness, stroke technique, starts, turns, nutrition and mental training.

Each camper will receive specific instruction on all four strokes, turns and starts. There will be classroom sessions on these principles as well as talks on nutrition. We will also have champion swimmers come in to talk to our campers.

Our goal each session is to give your camper the tools to improve his or her swimming as well as give them a renewed love of the sport!

We love to hear from our campers each year that they have a “renewed love of the sport” and/or that they “were so excited to drop time.”

We’ve earned a reputation with the clubs of our campers returning to their teams with better technique, improved fitness and more confidence!

Additional camp information can be found at: https://www.fsuswimcamp.com/

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO SWIMMING CAMPS Lisa Ebeling, Camp Director University of Northern Colorado 970-451-1476 Lisa.ebeling@unco.edu www.uncswimmingcamps.com June 28-July 2 Session 1 July 12-16 Session 2 UNC Swimming Camps are designed to teach athletes the technical aspects of swimming to help them achieve success at the next level. The main focus of our camp is on stroke analysis and technique for starts and turns through in-depth video review. We also provide elite high-altitude training sessions, team building activities, nutritional education, competition preparation tools and mental training.

We group athletes according to skill level, and are able to accommodate swimmers of all levels, ages 8-18.

UNC Swimming Camps are open to any and all entrants (limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender).

Join Coaches Lisa Ebeling and Brody Lewis to learn the techniques used by NCAA and Olympic champions. Camps are filling fast, so register now to reserve your spot!

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2021 SWIM CAMP DIRECTORY / CONTINUED FROM 33 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH SWIMMING CAMPS http://www.pittswimmingcamp.com/ Pittsburgh Swim Camp Dates: June 13-17 June 20-24 Our swim camp is designed to inspire competitive swimmers to develop their strokes and training while swimming under the guidance and experience of some of the best collegiate coaches in the country!

University of Pittsburgh head coach and 1996 Olympic gold medalist, John Hargis, along with his coaching staff will instruct campers how to develop their strokes, starts and turns. We will also instruct campers on how to maximize daily training while at camp and when they return to their home club. Each day will consist of water workouts plus a classroom session to watch and analyze swimming videos, as well as other topics such as preparing for college, sport nutrition and goal setting. Camp will also include individual stroke analysis and instruction via video review, and a low camper-to-staff ratio.

We will be taking additional measures based on guidance from our local health department and the Pitt Athletics department to limit any COVID exposure.

Campers can also purchase additional video analysis that includes all four strokes, starts, turns and underwater kick footage.

Video analysis is done by collegiate coaches and delivered to the camper digitally for unlimited playback.

Cost: $500. Additional camp information can be found at: http://www.pittswimmingcamp.com/

THE RACE CLUB 2021 UPCOMING SWIM CAMPS https://theraceclub.com/swim-camps/swimcamp-details/ Swimmers will focus on all strokes, swimming starts and swimming flip turns while improving freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly swimming techniques. Learn four different types of dryland training, the science of swimming and the five disciplines of fast swimming. Develop seasonal planning, mental training and swim race strategy techniques that are sure to give you an edge over your competition.

Whether you’re a beginner, Masters or a competitive swimmer, we recommend that all campers attend every swim camp session to gain a comprehensive knowledge of our methodologies to improve your swimming technique.

The Race Club Swim Camps are unlike any other swim camps or clinics. Sign up for the sessions you’d like during a camp. We coach a morning and an afternoon session on each scheduled camp day. Morning sessions are three hours at $250 per session, and afternoon sessions are two hours long at $150 per session.

We encourage all campers to attend all

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eight sessions to gain the full benefit of The Race Club methodology. If you register 30+ days before the camp start date, you will receive a $200 discount off the full camp rate of $1,600.

Link to camp info: https://theraceclub.com/ swim-camps/swim-camp-details/

SPIRE INSTITUTE & ACADEMY 440-466-1002 info@spireinstitute.org https://www.spireinstitute.org Stroke Camp Dates: June 6-10 June 13-17 June 20-24 Aug. 8-12 Start & Turn Camp Dates: May 28-30 June 11-13 June 18-20 Aug. 13-15 SPIRE offers five-day Stroke Camps and three-day Start & Turn Camps for ages 12 and older. These competitive swimming camps are either boarding or non-boarding and are for competitive swimmers.

Stroke Camps are structured around a philosophy of teaching skill acquisition and development in all four competitive strokes as well as starts and turns. Two daily water sessions are led by a world-class staff.

Workouts are structured to improve stroke technique with a combination of drills, skills and training.

Each athlete will have opportunities to enhance all phases of competitive swimming through individualized attention from our excellent coaches and counselors. Individual stroke analysis, dryland instruction and lecture sessions will give the campers one of the most comprehensive and up-to-date training camp experiences available in the United States.

The Competitive Start & Turn Camp will only focus on starts and turns. Emphasis is about turning these often-overlooked skills into a true competitive advantage. Swimmers will receive intensive instruction on the forward and backstroke starts with safety being a priority.

Fast, legal turns for all four competitive strokes and the IM transition turns will be covered. Each athlete will receive individual attention from a staff of outstanding coaches and instructors.

See display ad on page 35.

STR SPEEDWEEK SWIM CAMPS USING SCIENCE TO IMPROVE TECHNIQUE swimmingtechnology.com Are you: • looking for a significant time drop?

• serious about improving your technique?

• hoping to reduce or eliminate shoulder pain?

• ready to compete at the next level?

• interested in extending your swimming career to college?

If you are, then an STR SpeedWeek is your best swim camp option! We are the only camp with scientific studies that confirm the effect of our technique improvement strategies.

In the morning classroom instructional session, swimmers learn specific cues to see and feel so they can swim like MONA, a biomechanical model of optimal technique.

The following pool session includes deliberate practice strategies to help the swimmers optimize technique—short swims at a slow stroke rate with lots of individual feedback.

In the afternoon, swimmers are tested in the pool and analyzed in the classroom with Aquanex—our patented system that captures synchronized underwater video and hand force data. This science-based analysis is unlike anything else in the world of swimming, giving swimmers the information they need to fine-tune their technique and make drastic time drops.

You will learn to: • Optimize the non-breathing head position • Control the base of support to minimize resistance and maximize propulsion • Benefit from elbow flexion at the beginning of the pull • Vary the arm index of coordination in freestyle • Minimize shoulder stress on the freestyle and butterfly arm entry • Reduce fluctuations in body velocity in breaststroke and butterfly • Gain extra propulsion on the freestyle push phase • Eliminate wasted arm motion in backstroke • Practice deliberately to make technique changes quickly The STR bottom line: We guarantee we can show every swimmer how to swim faster.

SpeedWeek helps you make technique changes based on scientific data rather than opinion. Our campers have incomparable progress and learn practice strategies that help them continue to improve on return to normal training.

Each SpeedWeek is limited to 12 swimmers to ensure maximum individual attention by Dr. Rod Havriluk, world-renowned biomechanist and technique expert. Dr. Havriluk is internationally recognized for his unique approach to accelerating skill-learning and preventing shoulder injury. He is a frequent conference presenter (ASCA, ASCTA, BMS, FINA, IOC, ISCA, USAS, USMS, USSSA) and is widely published. In 2015, he was selected by Swimming World Magazine as one of the top 10 individuals making an impact on swimming.

Check our website for more info: swimmingtechnology.com CONTINUED ON 36 >>

START&TURN

STROKE

JUNE e-ao, 13-17, 20-24

AUGUST 8-12

MAY

2a-3o

JUNE

H-13, 18-20

DAY CAMP: $595

DAY CAMP: $345

BOARDING: $795

BOARDING: $595

AUGUST 13-as

PROGRAM FEATURES r ----- - - -- - - --------------- - -- ----------------- --------- - ,

Drills and Skills in All 4 Competitive Strokes

Performance & Mental Skills Training

Drills and Skills in All Comp,etitive Turns Including IM Transitions

Introductions to Weight Room & Dryland Exercises

Drills and Skills in Forward Start, Backstroke Start & Relay Start

Nutritious Food

2021 SWIM CAMP DIRECTORY / CONTINUED FROM 34 TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AGGIE SWIM CAMP Shannon Clark, Camp Director aggieswimcamp@gmail.com www.aggieswimcamp.com May 23-28 (Sunday-Friday) May 30-June 4 (Sunday-Friday) June 6-9 (Sunday-Wednesday) TECHNIQUE CAMP The Aggie Swim Camp offers super stroke technique, great counselors, a world-class, newly renovated facility and lots of fun! The Texas A&M head men’s and women’s coaches, Jay Holmes and Steve Bultman, are on deck every day to work with campers one-on-one and in small groups to maximize the camp experience.

Campers receive detailed stroke work with a highly experienced coaching staff and a low coach-to-swimmer ratio in every group. Campers also receive extensive filming with voice-over stroke instruction on all four strokes. Filming includes above water, below water, starts and turns as well as one-on-one video analysis with camp coaches daily. Take home your DVD, and watch it with your coach at home.

Outside of the pool, campers reside in a beautiful off-campus dorm and enjoy great recreational activities away from the pool as they create new friendships and meet swimmers from all over the world.

The Aggie Swim Camp is open on a firstcome, first-serve basis to any individual who satisfies the age, grade level and/or gender requirements set forth in the registration materials.

Male and female swimmers (ages 8-18) of any ability level are welcome to attend. It is highly recommended, but not required, that swimmers have competitive experience prior to attending.

Visit our website at: www.aggieswimcamp.com to register online.

TOTAL PERFORMANCE SWIM CAMPS AT KENYON COLLEGE & CALVIN COLLEGE 740-398-4464 www.tpscamps.com Competitive Stroke Camp at Kenyon: June 13-17 Session 1: $675 overnight $510 day (space limited to 75) June 17-20 Session 2: $525 overnight $375 day (space limited to 75) June 20-24 Session 3: $675 overnight $510 day (space limited to 50) Competitive Stroke Camp at Calvin: June 13-17 Session 1: $675 overnight $510 day (space limited to 50) Elite Distance Camp at Kenyon: June 20-24: $775 overnight $610 day (space limited to 25) Elite Breaststroke Camp at Kenyon: June 20-24: $775 overnight $610 day (space limited to 25) Elite STRENGTH Camp at Kenyon (NEW CAMP OFFERING FOR AQUATICS): June 24-27: $425 overnight $310 day (space limited to 25) Elite Coaching Camp at Kenyon (NEW CAMP OFFERING FOR AQUATICS): June 25: $99/coach (space limited to 75) Elite Fly/Back Underwater Camp at Kenyon: June 27-July 1: $775 overnight $610 day (space limited to 50) Elite Sprint Camp at Kenyon: June 27-July 1: $775 overnight $610 day (space limited to 50) The Total Performance Swim Camps— hosted in 2021 at Kenyon College and Calvin College—are back! As we have since 1980, Total Performance offers swimmers of all abilities an opportunity to learn how to take their swimming to the next level from some of the nation’s top coaches. This year, we offer two

camp models: the Competitive Stroke Camp and the Elite Camp. NEW in 2021 is the firstever Total Performance Strength Camp and Coaches Camp.

COMPETITIVE STROKE CAMPS feature nationally ranked collegiate coaches, two pool sessions per day with a focus on training and technique, critique sessions in all four strokes, starts and turns with personalized takehome video analysis, special guest speakers that include Olympians and top DI coaches, educational classroom sessions and fun social activities. The Competitive Stroke Camps are directed by nationally ranked collegiate coaches and are open to all competitive swimmers, ages 10-18.

ELITE CAMPS are intensive, stroke-specific programs that provide elite swimmers, ages 13-18, with cutting-edge training and techniques in each specialty, data-driven classroom sessions and swimming-specific drylands. These camps feature nationally and internationally ranked headliners as well as top collegiate coaches.

NEW in 2021 are the Total Performance Elite Strength Camp and Elite Coaches Camp.

ELITE STRENGTH CAMP will feature top strength coaches from around the country and will focus on: 1.) How to develop swimmingspecific strength and power, and 2.) How to establish proper technique. Advanced critique sessions for all aquatic athletes.

Guest speakers will include Olympians and top coaches, educational classroom sessions and fun social activities.

ELITE COACHES CAMP will be a oneday training camp for high school and club coaches. The camp will focus on: 1.) Coach development, 2.) Team development—building a program, and 3.) Culture—establishing a healthy environment for athletes.

Kenyon College and Calvin College feature safe campuses and world-class facilities that have been rated in the Top 20 by the Princeton Review. Overnight camps provide 24-hour supervision by our staff of collegiate swimmers and coaches, providing greater opportunities for mentorship during the week.

More than most years, space is limited. Call 740-398-4464 or visit: www.tpscamps.com for more information. 

CHECK OUT OUR CAMP LISTINGS ONLINE AT

WWW.SWIMMINGWORLD.COM/CAMPS 36

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DRYSIDE TRAINING

PUSHING POWER

BY J.R. ROSANIA • DEMONSTRATED BY NORIKO INADA • PHOTOS BY EMMI BRYTOWSKI

In last month’s issue, we touched on pulling power. This month as a sequel, we’ll look at pushing power. What are some great exercises to help with the pushing component of swimming?

When we swim, the kick is the stabilizing force to create proper body position and forward thrust. Our pushing power also determines how far off the blocks and what rate of speed and distance we can create off the blocks and walls while underwater.

This series of exercises will provide us with more strength and power as well as a greater ability to create more underwater speed. Plan on doing these exercises two to three times a week. Perform 10 repetitions for two to three sets per exercise.

Good luck and push away!

BOX JUMPS Using a 6-inch-to-3-foot box and standing 12 to 18 inches away, jump to the top of the box. Step off and repeat.

SQUAT WITH DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS With dumbbells at your shoulders, perform a deep squat. On the way back up, press the dumbbells overhead. Lower and repeat.

DEEP LUNGE Perform a walking lunge. Lower the leg to create a 45-degree angle at the knee joint of the forward leg. Alternate legs as you walk forward.

BOX STEP-UPS WITH OVERHEAD DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS Using a six-to-12inch box/platform, step onto the box with one leg and push the dumbbells overhead. Alternate the movement with the other leg.

MEET THE TRAINER J.R. Rosania, B.S., exercise science, is one of the nation’s top performance enhancement coaches. He is the owner and CEO of Healthplex, LLC, in Phoenix.

Check out Rosania’s website at www.jrhealthplex.net.

MEET THE ATHLETE Noriko Inada, 42, swam for Japan at the 1992, 2000 and 2004 Olympics. She now swims Masters for Phoenix Swim Club, and owns Masters world records in the women’s 25-29, 30-34, 35-39 and 40-44 age groups.

NOTICE All swimming and dryland training and instruction should be performed under the supervision of a qualified coach or instructor, and in circumstances that ensure the safety of participants.

STABILITY BALL LEG CURLS Lying on your back, put your feet on top of a stability ball. Lift your hips off the floor, bend your knees and roll the ball toward your hips with the heels of your feet, then roll the ball back.

Keep your hips elevated.

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SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS

BY ROD HAVRILUK

APPLYING MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES TO IMPROVE SWIMMING TECHNIQUE

M

any swimmers attempt to swim faster by modeling the technique of the fastest swimmers. Using champions as models is an archaic approach of painstakingly slow, trial-and-error that risks adopting technique limitations. A far superior approach is to apply mechanical principles that eliminate uncertainty and accelerate the skill-learning process. Unfortunately, modeling champions is well entrenched in swimming history.

EARLY HISTORY OF APPLYING SCIENCE In his 1963 book, Coach Forbes Carlile’s chapters on “experiments” with style clearly documented the trial-and-error (i.e., non-scientific) process of improving swimming technique.

However, his chapters on the technique of each of the four competitive strokes also included a number of technique elements that are clearly consistent with scientific principles. In spite of that, Carlile ultimately concluded that coaching technique “is more an art than a science,” stating that “we do not have hard and fast scientific principles to guide us.”

In contrast to Carlile, Coach Doc Counsilman applied many “hard and fast scientific principles” to improve technique in his 1968 book. The very first chapter was on “mechanical principles” and included buoyancy, Newton’s Law of Action-Reaction, the relationship of resistance and velocity, continuous source of propulsion, conservation of angular momentum and transfer of momentum. Each of these principles can be used to determine the most effective elements of swimming technique.

A SCIENTIFIC MODEL FOR PERFORMANCE Doc’s application of the principles of physics to swimming is just as relevant, appropriate and accurate today as it was over a half century ago. As opposed to modeling the fastest swimmers, the application of mechanical principles has the advantage of certainty.

The principles provide equations that definitively explain the relationships of component variables to allow the development of a performance model.

A “deterministic” model (Hay, 1983) begins with the relationship of the criterion measure (i.e., swimming velocity, SV) with its component variables (see Fig. 1). Swimming velocity is determined by the product of stroke length (SL) and stroke rate (SR). Adding variables to the model explains how a swimmer can benefit the most from both stroke length and stroke rate.

A CONVENTIONAL APPROACH TO BREASTSTROKE BREATHING The rationale for using the traditional approach of modeling champions is that a swimmer with a world-record performance must have exceptional technique. Superficially, the logic makes sense.

In reality, countless analyses have shown technique limitations in every top swimmer.

A classic and very noticeable example of champion performance is the breaststroke breathing position (see Fig. 2). Elite swimmers typically have the head, chest and upper arms above the water surface. Science, however, disputes that this breathing position is the most effective.

A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO BREASTSTROKE BREATHING Science suggests a different approach to breaststroke breathing based on the concepts of buoyancy and velocity fluctuations.

Because of buoyant force, a human floats with about 6% of the body volume above the surface. A breaststroker in a typical breathing position often has the head, chest and upper arms above the surface for a total of 36% of the body volume. To elevate the additional 30% of body volume above the surface, a swimmer must generate considerable vertical force that does not contribute to horizontal propulsion.

Consistent with the conventional breathing position is another factor that makes a compelling argument against elevating body segments above the surface. A review of typical body velocity changes within a stroke cycle shows a severe loss in velocity during the breathing phase. The graph in Fig. 3 shows the mean body velocity for nine adult-male, elite breaststrokers. As the swimmers changed their head positions to breathe, their velocity decreased almost 2 meters per second. For about 10% of the stroke cycle, their bodies were barely moving forward. The graph pinpoints the stroke phase that seriously limits performance.

The scientific approach suggests that keeping the body submerged and extending at the neck to position the mouth above the surface (see Fig. 4) is more effective. A more submerged position greatly minimizes the downward force necessary to counter the loss in buoyancy (from 36% to 9%) and would also minimize the loss in body velocity.

FIG. 1 > The model shows the relationship of swimming velocity (SV) to component variables stroke length (SL) and stroke rate (SR).

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SERIES ON MECHANICAL PRINCIPLES Breaststroke breathing is just one example of applying science to determine effective technique. There are many other mechanical principles that can likewise verify or dispute technique elements: • The Drag Equation provides variables related to stroke length to maximize swimming velocity.

The equation includes the Drag Coefficient, which provides the overall best measure of technique effectiveness to quantify improvement.

COACHING

• Leverage determines the strength of the relative position of body segments and identifies ways to increase propulsion.

• Conservation of Angular Momentum explains the impact of an arm recovering above the surface.

• Conservation of Energy explains how variations in intracycle body velocity affect performance.

• Summation of Forces explains the direction and timing of successive body segments to maximize propulsion in a motion like flutter kicking.

FIG. 2 > Breaststrokers in a typical breathing position with head, chest and upper arms above the surface.

Application of these principles provides the equations to accurately assess factors such as body position, joint angles and the coordination of limb movements.

The purpose of the following series of articles is to provide information about the mechanical principles and related research so that coaches and swimmers can make informed decisions about technique elements.

Next month: “Swimming Velocity Performance Model (Part 1),” which explains how stroke length and stroke rate vary, and how stroke time provides insight into maximizing swimming velocity.  Dr. Rod Havriluk is a sport scientist and consultant who specializes in swimming technique instruction and analysis. His newest ebooks in the “Approaching Perfect Swimming” series are “Optimal Stroke Technique” and “Swimming Without Pain,” and are available at swimmingtechnology. com. Contact Rod through info@ swimmingtechnology.com. All scientific documentation relating to this article, including scientific principles, studies and research papers, can be provided upon demand.

FIG. 3 > Breaststroke swimming velocity plotted against stroke cycle time.

SUMMARY

The conventional, laborious and outdated approach to improve swimming technique is to model a champion. The main problem with the conventional approach is that every top swimmer has technique limitations.

When modeling a champion, a swimmer risks adopting his/her limitations. Using a scientific approach, a swimmer can be certain to adopt only beneficial technique elements.

FIG. 4 > The model demonstrates an effective breaststroke breathing position with the torso submerged.

TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REFERENCES FOR THIS ARTICLE. NOT A TOTAL ACCESS MEMBER? YOU’RE JUST A CLICK AWAY: SWIMMINGWORLD.COM/VAULT APRIL 2021

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JUNIOR SWIMMER

GOLDMINDS

LEARN HOW TO BE A RACER It’s important to learn how to swim your event in such a way that you can perform to your potential in every possible racing situation, including different strategies for heats, semifinals and finals.

“There are two kinds of swimmers: PACERS AND RACERS. “PACERS can swim their event one way—usually all-out maximum speed.

“RACERS learn how to swim their event in multiple ways and develop the racing skills to match and excel in every racing situation they face.” —Alexander Popov (4x Olympic gold medalist, 6x world champion and multiple world record holder)

W

hich swimming event are you preparing for? 50 free? 100 back? 200 IM? If you’re racing your event at a meet where you have to swim it only once, then you prepare to swim the event—i.e., the stroke and the distance—as fast as you can.

However, if you’re preparing to swim at a meet with a “multiround” format—i.e., heats, semifinals and finals—you need to learn how to race the same event...THREE DIFFERENT WAYS. Multi-round swimming is about knowing how to swim your event—as Popov says at the beginning of this story—like a RACER. SAME EVENT, THREE DIFFERENT RACES 1. Heats = Accurate Pacing The most important competitive skill to develop for swimming in heats is accurate pacing. As a general rule, the accuracy level of pacing skills should be mastered according to the following Pacing Skill Guidelines: • Young age group swimmers (10-12 years of age) should be able to pace their heat swims with an accuracy of plus-or-minus 1.0 second. This means if their target time is 35 seconds, they need to be able to swim between 34 and 36 seconds.

• More experienced age group swimmers (13-15 years) should be able to pace their heat swims with an accuracy of plus-or40

APRIL 2021

SWIMMINGWORLD.COM

minus 0.5 seconds. This means if their target time is 35 seconds, they need to be able to swim between 34.5 and 35.5 seconds.

• Older swimmers (16 years and over) should be able to pace their heat swims with an accuracy of plus-or-minus 0.1 seconds.

This means if their target time is 35 seconds, they need to be able to swim between 34.9 and 35.1 seconds.

Accurate pacing is a critically important competitive swimming skill. Too many swimmers make the mistake of swimming too fast in their heat swim, leading to unnecessary fatigue and subsequent disappointments in their semifinals...OR...swimming too slowly, resulting in missing out on making the semifinal round.

2. Semifinals = Time Trials The goal of swimming in a semifinal is very simple: MAKE THE FINAL. No one gets to the final because they’ve got the best looking technique, the most colorful swim cap or the nicest smile. A place in the final comes from having one of the eight (or 10) fastest swim times swum in semifinals.

Therefore, semifinals are, in effect, time trials!

You can finish seventh in your own semifinal race, but still make the final if your time is one of the eight (or 10) fastest overall times swum in the two semifinal heats.

Semifinals are not about placings...or even winning, for that matter. It’s about swimming at your fastest to ensure you get a chance at a medal in the final.

3. Finals = Racing Skills, Strategies and Tactics And once you’re in the final, it’s about WINNING. Finals are won by the swimmers who can race—i.e., swimmers who have developed a wide range of racing skills, strategies and

[PHOTO BY MATT RUBEL PHOTOGRAPHY]

BY WAYNE GOLDSMITH

tactics to overcome their opponents when and where it really matters—in the FINAL.

• At training, challenge other swimmers to one-on-one races— i.e., “match races.” Offer handicaps—e.g., give head starts to slower swimmers, and ask for head starts from faster swimmers;

PRACTICING TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN MULTI-ROUND SWIMMING To be successful at multi-round swimming—i.e., when you have to race your event more than once—you need to practice a range of different racing strategies in training.

• Learn to negative-split—i.e., racing the second half of a race at a faster speed than the first half;

1. Mastering Heat Swimming: Learn to Pace Accurately This is a relatively easy skill to learn, and you can incorporate accurate pacing practice into every set and session you swim during training.

For example, if your coach asks you to swim a set of 20 x 50 meters on 1:30, holding a pace of 42 seconds for each of the 50-meter repeats, you need to choose to swim this set with a high level of accuracy, focusing on swimming your target pace.

Ideally, your coach should be able to give you accurate times based on the level of accuracy you are working to achieve (refer to the Pacing Skill Guidelines discussed near the beginning of this story following the “Heats = Accurate Pacing” category). If not, then why not take responsibility for your own pacing skills practice by purchasing and wearing a sportswatch during training?

***

2. Mastering Semifinals Swimming: Learn to Time Trial There’s a great way to learn how to time trial: swim time trials in practice!

Look for opportunities to learn how to swim fast time trials whenever the opportunity arises—the start of practice, the end of practice...it doesn’t matter. Learn to get up and swim at your maximum speed whenever you choose.

One great technique for learning how to time trial is called a “cold swim.” This is usually done at the start of practice before you swim your pool warm-up (although you can stretch and warm up on deck). It is generally completed over a distance of 50 meters.

The goal of “cold swims” is to learn how to swim at maximum speed when and where it matters, and it’s a challenging and effective way to master the physical and mental elements of time trials.

Author’s Note: Do not attempt a “cold swim” if you have any pre-existing injuries or medical issues that may potentially be aggravated by completing the “cold swim.”

Please discuss your concerns with your coach prior to attempting to complete any “cold swim.”

• When you’re approaching a wall at the end of a repeat in training, practice out-touching swimmers in other lanes.

Look for every possible opportunity at training and at meets to race, race, race and to develop a broad range of racing skills that are necessary to meet the demands of every racing situation you are likely to face. 

Wayne Goldsmith has worked with swimmers, coaches, swimming clubs, swimming parents, sports scientists and swimming organizations all over the world for almost 30 years. He has contributed to Swimming World Magazine for nearly two decades.

He is one of the world’s leading experts in elite-level swimming and high-performance sport. Be sure to check out Goldsmith’s websites at www.wgaquatics.com and www.wgcoaching.com.

SUMMARY 1. There are two types of swimmers: those who learn to swim their event and those who learn how to race their event optimally in heats, semifinals and finals.

2. It might seem that all you have to do is learn how to swim your event really fast to win swimming races, but that’s a very simplistic way of thinking about the sport.

When you get to multi-round swimming and need to swim heats, semifinals and finals, it is vital that you’ve practiced to swim your event the right way at the right time.

3. Mastering Finals Swimming: Learn to Race The way to get better at racing...is by racing! There are many strategies you can employ to improve your racing skills, including: • Enter in races where you are competing against superior competition, and learn from observing their racing strategies and tactics firsthand; • Enter in races where you’ll be racing competitors you should be able to defeat, and learn to maintain a winning lead from the front; • Race in events you don’t usually race to learn how to change pace, how to manage your speed, how to “build” your kick over the final stages of races, etc.; APRIL 2021

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Q&A

MEGAN

[PHOTO BY STRAUSS STUDIOS]

OESTING Coach Megan Oesting Head Coach SwimMAC Carolina Charlotte, North Carolina •

UCLA, B.S., mathematics, ’96; University of Iowa, M.S., educational measurement and statistics, 2014

•

Four-year NCAA All-America swimmer, NCAA national champion water polo player, senior academic excellence and hardest worker honoree at UCLA

•

National junior team member, 8x Washington state high school champion, gold (400 free relay) and silver (100 free) medalist at 1991 Pan Am Games

•

Nationally top-ranked 10-year-old age grouper in three events; later won three national junior titles

•

No. 1 world-ranked Masters swimmer, 35-39 age group, 50 and 100 meter freestyle, 2009-10

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Owner, Megan Oesting Swim Technique (MOST); developer, MySwimEars (wireless waterproof headsets for swim training)

•

Head Swim Coach, Iowa Flyers, 2010-12

•

ASCA Age Group Coach of the Year, 2019

•

Head coach, USA Swimming Southern Zone Select Camp, 2019; assistant coach, National Girls Select Camp, 2018

Before becoming head coach at SwimMAC Carolina, Nov. 1, 2020, Oesting was the founder/head coach of the Eastern Iowa Swimming Federation from 2016-20.

There she coached her swimmers to more than 25 Top 100 USA Swimming All-Time Age Group swims.

This past fall, Megan Oesting—business owner, team founder, USA Swimming select camp coach, empowerment speaker and national age group coach of the year—moved from Eastern Iowa Swimming Federation to SwimMAC, where she looks to continue the program’s Olympic tradition.

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT

Q. SWIMMING WORLD: How did you get started in swimming?

A. COACH MEGAN OESTING: My parents joined a summer club in Seattle when I was 5. I was an asthmatic preschooler with frequent ER visits, so this was a great opportunity to be active and outdoors. In my early elementary years, I was frustrated in other sports because my body would just shut down. Swimming felt good to my skin, lungs and whole body. I could be as physical as I wanted in the water. With my driven nature, I could be myself while swimming.

SW: Any seminal influences regarding swimming and your decision to coach?

MO: My age group coach, Craig Weishaar, gave us an ideal swimming experience.

He was invested, had fun with us, and we enjoyed his humor and discipline. We knew he cared, and we had fun working hard and pushing ourselves. There really was no separation between the hard work and the fun. Being raised that way allowed me to flourish as a young person.

I started coaching at 14. I had been coming to practice an hour early to do push-ups and sit-ups on my own. A teammate was coaching the 5-6-year-olds, and I asked if I could help. I’ve been on the pool deck ever since.

Like swimming, it’s the most natural thing in the world for me. Many times I’ve tried to make the decision NOT to coach.

I thought I had to get a real job, work in a high rise or do something academic.

I come from an intelligent family with

an academic and musical culture, so sport was way out of the box and not really respected. But for me, swimming is exactly like musical expression—the water was my instrument.

SW: How do you have a “conversation with the water?”

MO: I ask swimmers to listen to the body sensations that the water is giving them.

If you listen to the water, it’s very active, and you can hear it as if it were a piece of music. Only you can hear the music you are playing. The fundamental focus point, before the biomechanics, is the ability to listen with your body. We all come to that skill or “talent” differently. In music, some people have perfect pitch, others are tone deaf. No matter what your starting point, everyone can learn to enjoy musical expression. Likewise, everyone can learn to enjoy physical expression. Swimming is “playing the water.”

SW: How did having your daughter, a deaf child, change your coaching behavior?

MO: Even before my daughter, listening was important to me. At my core, I am a listener. There’s information available all the time on what we’re doing and how to do it well. You just have to know how to listen.

When my daughter was born deaf, it never occurred to me that she couldn’t still “listen.” The way she listened was more like how I listened to the water and to life.

It is not just with your ears. You listen with anything that can pick up information, CONTINUED ON 45 >> APRIL 2021

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SPONSORED BY

DIGGORY DILLINGHAM

how they train

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT [PHOTO BY STRAUSS STUDIOS]

“He is very powerful mentally, extremely stubborn, and he can focus like a hot laser when it’s time to race. Milt Nelms once said that I was the most intuitive racer he’d ever met.

Diggory is far more impressive than I ever was. The boy can dial it in like no one I’ve ever seen.

“We had a very special moment when he made his winter junior cut a year ago. His entry time was a 21.7. I had him sprint the first 50 of the 200 free to get him ready for his 50 free later. He went 20.87. An hour later, he won his heat by a full second, going 20.77. That night, he went 20.67 against the ‘big boys.’ That’s when I knew this kid could do whatever he decided to do,” she says.

PROGRESSION OF TIMES SCY

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

50 Free

25.44

21.71

20.67

20.28

100 Free

58.17

49.14

45.85

45.42

1:07.54

1:00.08

52.13

51.31

100 Fly

O

h, to be young—and talented. Diggory Dillingham, son of SwimMAC coach Megan Oesting, is on a roll. He was the fastest 14-year-old 50 yard freestyler in the country (20.67) for the 2019-20 season, and as of January, he was the swiftest 15-year-old (20.28) for 2020-21. A year ago February, he helped his Iowa City West High School team to the Iowa high school state championship, garnering three NISCA All-America finishes: 50 free, 20.67 (63rd), 200 free relay, 1:24.00/20.98 leadoff (28th) and 400 free relay, 3:05.45/45.85 leadoff (37th).

Now in North Carolina, he is the state’s No. 1 college recruit (30th nationally) for the Class of 2023. Two months ago, he won the NCHSAA 4A 100 yard free championship in 45.42 and finished second in the 50 free (20.53, NISCA A-A).

“He was a water bug in childhood,” says his mother.

Dillingham’s early aquatic exploits included being a water aerobics mascot as a preschooler, a summer leaguer who learned butterfly in just one week at age 5—but only an on-and-off competitive swimmer after that. Instead, flag football, basketball, track, Taekwondo, wrestling, art classes and fencing commanded his attention.

When Mom took over Eastern Iowa Swimming Federation and Diggory was 11, he began swimming more frequently.

“He was always a borderline state qualifier,” says Oesting, “which in Iowa is the equivalent to a little faster than BB times. His birthday was right before the state meet, so as an age grouper, he mostly went to a non-qualifiers meet. As he got faster, Dilllingham got more serious.

“He’s not the most well-rounded swimmer,” says Oesting, “and I think people sometimes judge my values as a coach based on his performances. I don’t think that’s fair at all. As a coach, I love the 400 IM, the mile, the 200s of stroke and anything a kid is willing to go after. Diggory is his own guy, and we never talked about swimming at home because that was the only time I had to just cuddle him.

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SAMPLE DILLINGHAM SETS “For about 15 minutes, we do various activities for :08 seconds on and :32 off. It doesn’t matter how far you get— we’re just looking at quick traction and full ignition,” says Coach Oesting: • Head-high free from a “water polo start” (head up also) •

Stretch cord belt wrapped tight (very little give) for streamlined bouncing push-offs

•

From a float with paddles and fins (:08s FAST)

•

From vertical streamline pencil float (stabilize before you hit it), then :08 FAST, get UP on top of the water as fast as you can.

“For 20 minutes, we spend the first 10 minutes doing feel work, then 10 minutes of assisted or resisted cords depending on the time of the season.” Sample feel work includes: •

Hold paddles so they become extensions out front. Look to control water as far out as possible, hollow the armpit out, keep the elbow high to start the impulse and then control it through the pull

•

Fingertip directionality and pathway through the stroke where there is more sensitivity and pressure; work to maximize that sensation throughout

•

Immediate elbow lift as soon as you touch the water, as far away from your head as possible; have your “claw/ meat hook” ready to go

•

Long, high neck, being pulled toward the opposite side of the pool, flatten back belly into spine and hydroplane across the water; keep tight hips as in a boxing drill

•

Kayak freestyle with broomstick and snorkel.

“Diggory’s favorite is called the ‘Death Set.’ We had a 20yard section of pool, and he had to hit a certain time on the watch. If he missed it, we added :05 to the sendoff and kept going. We repeated that until he couldn’t make the speed under any circumstances. We started on :25 per 20-yard sprint, and I didn’t give him his hit time until about 7 or 8 in, so I knew what his fast was going to be around for that session. v Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach whose Collegiate School (Richmond, Va.) teams won nine state high school championships. A member of that school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, he is also a recipient of NISCA’s Outstanding Service Award.

Q & A / CONTINUED FROM 43

whether it’s your eyes, skin, balance or through behavior patterns of others.

Obviously, we get a massive amount of information auditorily. Language comes in verbal, visual, physical and emotional forms. Not having aural access avenues clearly limits processing information.

We spent her preschool years at the Maryland School for the Deaf, which had a bilingual program for deaf children with auditory access on various levels, but whose language acquisition was primarily through American Sign Language.

There was a great deal of parent education regarding the importance of language as well. We learned how language was framed and how it strengthened the brain pathways allowing one to move from concrete to abstract thinking. The challenge for deaf children is their access to the language that allows for that bridge to move complex levels of thought.

SW: How has your use of the product you invented—MySwimEars—helped you become a better coach and your athletes better swimmers?

MO: In swimming, we tend to put the kids in a pool and then talk to them every so often, be it every 30 seconds or 10 minutes.

Our instruction often has more to do with what to do and how rather than what to listen for and why.

MySwimEars allows me to stay connected to them and help them interpret what they are feeling and what they might be picking up as valuable information. I’m their interpreter to allow the bridge for the language to come alongside their learning.

Without MySwimEars, when they are in the water, they are all mostly “deaf” to this support. So, as coaches, we are

removed from their real-time conversation with the water. That means often the best swimmers are those who have come in with near-perfect pitch or spent so much time in the water that they can tune their bodies to it themselves.

Swimming is such a beautiful experience. I want more than just the “naturals” to feel what it’s like to be in that flow.

SW: How did you become a techniquebased coach?

MO: Swimming is a traction-based sport.

If I am wearing spikes and running on a track against Usain Bolt who is wearing plastic wrap on the wet muddy grass, I am going to win the race. It’s not because I’m stronger or have longer legs; it’s because I have traction, and he doesn’t.

The first point of learning in swimming is how to find traction. That has to do with balance, control and corralling the water at the point of “impact” to climb forward off an anchor point. If we are both finding similar levels of traction, I need to have a stronger push-off from that anchor, and I need to be able to do it repeatedly.

Strength and endurance can certainly help, but we’ve all seen strong, in-shape athletes handily beaten by swimmers who are better at simply finding water. So, find the water, then act on it with more force and for longer.

SW: What did you learn giving lessons in an Endless Pool?

MO: It just helped me hone my listening skills. I could see more with the underwater cameras, feel more of the swimmer experience and connect better since it was just the two of us. It helped me ask better

questions and give better feedback.

SW: You speak of the need for swimmers to play the long game. What’s your secret to doing so?

MO: To stay pure in the moment and not weigh down actions with the outcomes.

Once committed to moving forward, I’ll make that move with all I’ve got. It’s important to keep the final destination in mind. If you’re in Seattle and want to get to L.A., you’ve got to head south, but you’ll also need to recalibrate along the way as you encounter challenges. So, it’s imperative to stay in touch with both goals at the same time.

SW: What does Megan Oesting do to find life balance?

MO: Today I’m taking my banjo to get restrung and making a karaoke playlist for my mom and me. Recently my husband and I watched Fletch for the umpteenth time. Truth be told, my work and my play aren’t very far apart. I see it as a gift that my work and my play are blended.

That’s often the case for my swimmers, too. In general, we are fine with spending so much time at the pool because that’s really where we want to be anyway. 

Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach whose Collegiate School (Richmond, Va.) teams won nine state high school championships. A member of that school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, he is also a recipient of NISCA’s Outstanding Service Award.

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SWIM PARENTS

DADS ON

DECK WITH BRENT BILQUIST

SWIMMING WORLD PRESENTS A QUARTERLY SERIES THAT SHOWCASES MOMS AND DADS OF SWIMMERS FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY.

A

my Bilquist was a talented swimmer from a young age.

Growing up in Scottsdale, Ariz., her father, Brent, enjoyed watching his daughter’s success in the pool and several other sports, including volleyball.

It wasn’t until the family moved to Carmel, Ind. before her junior year of high school that Bilquist finally committed to being a singlesport athlete. She went on to hold Indiana state high school records in the 50 and 100 yard free as well as the 200 medley, 200 free and 400 free relays. She followed that with a successful collegiate career at Cal and a third-place finish in the 100 meter backstroke at the 2016 Olympic Trials. Now, Bilquist is one of the pioneers of the International Swimming League (ISL).

But this year, the 2019 U.S. national champion in the 100 meter backstroke will have her sights set on making the Olympic team that will compete in Tokyo this summer.

Throughout all of her success, Bilquist’s father has enjoyed watching his daughter’s incredible perseverance. Through all of the highs and lows (and several injuries), Brent has considered the swim parent experience both fun and rewarding. He took the time to talk

SUITMATE": Keeping swimmers happy since '83

>>Brent Bilquist with his daughter, Amy

to Swimming World Magazine about 16-plus years of being on deck, cheering on his daughter!

How has the sport of swimming shaped Amy’s character?

The combination of team fun and successes, along with individual goals in swimming plus the need to put in the work to be successful, really have added a balance to Amy’s character. As a dad, I am very proud that the achievements that she gets most excited about and has always been so strong at, are the relay accomplishments where the success of the whole team depended on each person doing her best to make each other better.

What advice would you give to new swim parents?

Well, 16-plus years of being a swim parent has taught me the easy answer to this question. Focus on making it fun for the swimmer and for you, and just be there to support your child/children. The competition aspect is up to the swimmer, and it takes care of itself.

What stands out as the highlight of Amy’s swimming career?

Wow—the highlight reel for me is pretty long. It is just fun being able to share her accomplishments while Amy does all the work :). The real highlight to me has been Amy’s perseverance to work through an impressive list of injuries and setbacks, yet still be successful and enjoy swimming.

Working her way back from injury to go lifetime best times in the 100 back and 200 back in the finals of the 2016 Olympic Trials...and then doubling down and working her way through more injuries to swim lifetime bests and have a blast at the NCAA Championships with her University of California teammates her senior year in 2019 are tops on my list.

An innovative system that efficiently removes 95% of water from a wet swimsuit in just eight seconds 1-800-553-3353 • info@suitmate.com www.suitmate.com

What has swimming taught you about parenting? ...That swimming is a great opportunity to be there with your kid(s) to share and enjoy in their experiences. Swimming has helped teach me just how fun being a parent is and continues to be.  TOTAL ACCESS MEMBERS CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD MORE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WITH AMY BILQUIST’S DAD, BRENT—AND A PHOTO OF THE TWO OF THEM WHEN AMY WAS AN 8-YEAR-OLD AGE-GROUP SWIMMER.

NOT A TOTAL ACCESS MEMBER? CLICK HERE!

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[PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRENT BILQUIST ]

BY SHOSHANNA RUTEMILLER

JUNIOR SWIMMER

UP & COMERS AGE GROUP SWIMMER OF THE MONTH

BY SHOSHANNA RUTEMILLER

D

[PHOTO BY KAREN DIEHL ]

Daniel

Diehl

aniel Diehl, who swims for the Cumberland YMCA Sea Otters (Md.), was about to turn 15 on Oct. 26. But before aging-up, he took one last shot at setting a national age group record in the boys 13-14 age group. And he reached his goal not once, but twice!

Swimming unattached at the Eagle Swim Team Virtual Swim Meet #2, Oct. 10, at McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Md., Diehl first broke Destin Lasco’s 2016 NAG record of 1:38.24 in the 200 yard freestyle by a second-and-a-half with his 1:36.75.

A week later, Oct. 17, at the Middle Atlantic Keystone Aquatics Fall Closed Invite in Carlisle, Pa., he clocked a 47.44 in the 100 yard back, eclipsing Michael Andrew’s 47.83, set in 2014.

Besides setting two NAG records, he also came within a tenth of a second of Andrew’s 13-14 NAG record in the 100 free with a 44.00. And in his first meet as a 15-year-old, Diehl swam an Olympic Trials qualifying time at the U.S. Open in Richmond, Va., Nov. 13, in the 100 meter backstroke (55.46).

“Daniel is a very dedicated and self-motivated person with an unstoppable drive to meet his goals in and out of the pool,” says Sea Otter Coach Brian Dowling.

Before committing solely to swimming at age 12, Diehl also participated in soccer and baseball, and was a successful long jumper on his middle school track team.

In his free time, he volunteers with the Special Olympics swim program and spends time at the nursing home with his grandmother.

According to his mom, Karen, many have called Diehl a kind, humble and gracious young man who has the ability to easily make new friends at meets!v

WHAT IS THE BEST THING YOU DO IN SWIMMING? I’m good at moving on after meets. Whether I reach my goals or not, I don’t look back; I move forward.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TOUGHEST WORKOUTS/ SETS YOU’VE DONE? One of the toughest sets I swam was a 20x50 free at 200 pace.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT SWIMMING? My favorite thing is the friendships I’ve made through swimming. It’s fun hanging out on deck with the other swimmers and cheering them on.

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WHAT ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEAR? I’m looking forward to the Olympic Trials, and I would like to at least make semifinals.

WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOOK UP TO IN SWIMMING...

AND WHY? I look up to Cody Miller because of his positive attitude. He is the embodiment of making it through hard work.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES? I like lifting weights and skating.

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HOW SPECIAL WAS IT TO BE BACK ON DECK AT A CHAMPIONSHIP MEET AGAIN?

BY ANDY ROSS LARS JORGENSEN Head Coach, Kentucky

ARTHUR ALBIERO Head Coach, University of Louisville

[PHOTO BY NOAH J. RICHTER, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY]

[PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK]

Normally we are together in the summer, and we weren’t together at all. That was really unique, but I think the challenges of keeping the team engaged whether they were training at their clubs or on Zoom meetings, we did the best we could.

When we came back in August with our team, we were like, “OK, well, we have to get back in shape,” and our main goal was to stay healthy. There were challenges all year. Our freshmen never had the normal experience of going to football games and having class with people and meeting new people. It was all different.

But in some ways, all the stuff we had to go through—our athletic director told the team this—that winning during the COVID year may be even more special because of all the stuff we had to do. Everyone had to do it! But we are lucky we overcame that.

JAKE MAGAHEY Freshman, University of Georgia

I think as the season progressed, our mindset changed. I preached all year to have an attitude of gratitude. I’ve done this before, but I think every practice from even the summer, I always called warm-down a “400 gratitude swim” because I wanted people to leave the practice and think, “I don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring—and I am not going to worry about tomorrow—but today was awesome.”

I wanted them to have an appreciation for the fact that a lot of people were doing a lot of work behind the scenes to allow us to be there and have practice. We have always been humble, and I think that fit in well with our program, this attitude of gratitude.

As we were leaving for ACCs, it was like, “Guys, we get to go! How awesome is that?” The night before, we are having a team meeting, and like, “It is so awesome we get to do this!” It was almost like a Christmas morning feeling. There is no complaint for us to go three times during the meet to get COVID-tested. It was inconvenient, but it was so awesome we got to do it.

[PHOTO BY CHRISTINA LONG, GEORGIA ATHLETICS]

We’ve been really lucky at Georgia this season.

We had four or five dual meets and a pretty normal season—not a lot of hiccups with COVID. We had SECs, and besides spectators not being there, it felt like a normal meet. I don’t want to say we took it for granted, but it went so smoothly that we were all treating it like a regular meet. It was probably the most exciting and draining meet I have been to, but it was a good time.

SWIM MART

REACH LONG

KICK STRONG

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PHOEBE BACON Freshman, University of Wisconsin [PHOTO BY WISCONSIN ATHLETICS]

It was pretty awesome. It was extremely loud with just having the teams in the stands. You had a few people down on deck cheering. I gave my dad a call midway through the meet, and he mentioned to me that it looked so much fun on TV, and he couldn’t even imagine the atmosphere with spectators in the stands. It was like, “Wow! It’s going to be super loud when we get everyone in here next year.”

But just this year with all the different changes and precautions we had to take, it was so much fun to be able to bring the entire women’s team together and cheer everybody on, and watch two of the seniors have their last swims. I know I’ve only known them for a year, but it was special. 

Caeleb Dressel, swimming in the Speedo LZR Racer, originally outlawed in the United States on Oct. 1, 2009, tackled "the sub-20 in 20" challenge in December 2020 in an attempt to see how fast he could go in one of the fastest swimsuits of all-time.

On attempt 1, Dressel swam a 20.41, off his best time of 20.16 from the International Swimming League Grand Final the month before, which stands as the official world record. On attempt 2, Dressel swam a 20.42.

With the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships “The suit doesn’t make the swimmer.

Thepandemic, swimmer makes theasuit,” canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 it was welcome Dressel said at the end of the attempts.

THE SUN RISES OVER MOON VALLEY COUNTRY CLUB IN PHOENIX, ARIZ. ON FEB.to 13, see 2021. sight to see college swimmers back in the water last month Photo by Mike Lewis ] No. 1. who [would become [PHOTO BY JOE JOHNSON] [PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK] APRIL 2021

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