SW Biweekly 6-21-19

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TYR PRO SWIM SERIES CLOVIS • . · FULL FINALS .

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SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY | JUNE 2019 | ISSUE # 12

008 2019 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES CLOVIS - FULL FINALS RECAP

by Diana Pimer

Full event coverage of all four nights, June 12-15, from Clovis, Calif.

018 USA SWIMMING RELEASES SCHEDULE FOR 2020 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES

USA Swimming announced that swimmers from around the globe will be making five stops in the United States next year between November 2019 and May 2020 as part of the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series.

019 DOLPHINS HEAD COACH JACCO VERHAEREN RETURNING TO EUROPE AFTER TOKYO 2020

Swimming Australia head coach Jacco Verhaeren will vacate his post after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and will return to the Netherlands to pursue new opportunities there.

020 TROUBLE IN POLO PARADISE: FLORIDA GIRLS’ WATER POLO HAS REFEREE PROBLEMS

by Michael Randazzo

Video from the Florida Girls’ Water Polo Tournament shows that the officiating by the water polo referees affected the outcome of the championship game.

023 LILLY KING WINS FOURTH INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR TITLE

Indiana’s Lilly King is the first athlete in school history to be named IU Athlete of the Year on four occasions. In 2019, she completed her four-year sweep of both the 100 and 200 yard breaststrokes at the NCAA Championships, becoming the only woman in NCAA history to do so. King was also named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year three times and was tabbed the 2018-19 Honda Sports Award winner for swimming and diving.

024 MACK HORTON TO SWIM 400 FREE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DESPITE NOT MAKING QUALIFYING STANDARD AT NATIONALS

by Andy Ross

Mack Horton’s second-place time in the 400 free at the Australian Nationals did not meet his country’s time standards to get to Worlds, but it was inside the FINA standard. Swimming Australia announced he will swim the 400 free at Gwangju.

025 EMILY SEEBOHM OUT OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2005

by Andy Ross

Emily Seebohm, who finished third in the 200 back and fourth in the 100 back at the Australian Swimming World Trials, failed to make Australia’s World Championship team for the first time since 2007 when she was 14 years old.

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SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

026 CODY MILLER REBOUNDS, REFLECTS AND LOOKS AHEAD

by David Rieder

Olympic bronze medalist Cody Miller discusses the ups and down of his career, the reasons why he swims and the future of the sport.

030 U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE CHANGES NAME TO U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE 032 KATINKA HOSSZU, VLADIMIR MOROZOV LEAD TEAM IRON ROSTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE

by Andy Ross 033 MICHAEL ANDREW, LIA NEAL AND JACOB PEBLEY AMONG THE STARS OF ISL’S NEW YORK BREAKERS

by David Rieder 034 ADAM PEATY, CATE CAMPBELL HIGHLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE’S LONDON SQUAD

by Andy Ross 035 RYAN MURPHY, KATHLEEN BAKER HEADLINE ROSTER FOR ISL’S LOS ANGELES CURRENT

by David Rieder 036 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE’S CALI CONDORS LED BY LILLY KING, OLIVIA SMOLIGA

by Daniel D’Addona 037 KATIE LEDECKY TOPS A TALENTED D.C. TRIDENT TEAM FOR INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE

by Daniel D’Addona 038 REDEFINING TAPER TO ENGAGE BOTH THE BRAIN AND BODY

by Claire Alongi

Willamette head coach Brent Summer defines taper as “coming down in volume and intensity, and increasing rest.” He likes to call it, “peak performance phase,” which has to do with both the mental and physical aspects of swimming.

040 LEBRON JAMES LAUNCHES SWIM CAMP WITH HELP FROM SIMONE MANUEL

by James Sica Basketball star LeBron James is helping teach children to swim, with some major help from Olympian Simone Manuel. The program is part of James’ “I Promise School” in Akron, Ohio, which recently hosted its first-ever week-long summer camp focused entirely on swimming.

041 PARTING SHOT

PUBLISHING, CIRCULATION AND ACCOUNTING www.SwimmingWorldMagazine.com Publisher, CEO - Brent T. Rutemiller BrentR@SwimmingWorld.com Operations Manager - Laurie Marchwinski LaurieM@ishof.org Executive Assistant - Brandi West BrandiW@SwimmingWorld.com Assistant Operations Manager - Taylor Brien TaylorB@SwimmingWorld.com Circulation/Membership - Ivonne Schmid ISchmid@ishof.org Accounting - Marcia Meiners Marcia@ishof.org

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INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS Africa: Chaker Belhadj (TUN) Australia: Wayne Goldsmith, Ian Hanson Europe: Norbert Agh (HUN), Camilo Cametti (ITA), Oene Rusticus (NED), Rokur Jakupsstovu (FAR) Japan: Hideki Mochizuki Middle East: Baruch “Buky” Chass, Ph.D. (ISR) South Africa: Neville Smith (RSA) South America: Jorge Aguado (ARG)

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ON THE COVER: CODY MILLER PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK

Andy Ross (SWTV Producer) Peter H. Bick, USA Today Sports Images, Reuters, Getty Images

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TYR PRO SWIM SERIES CLOVIS FULL FINALS RECAP

by Diana Pimer NIGHT 1

The first night of racing at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series Clovis featured the women’s and men’s 800 Freestyle. The meet will run from June 12-15 in Clovis, California at the Clovis North High School Aquatics Complex.

While Leah Smith and Akaram Mahmoud earned the two victories of the night, it was Erica Sullivan and Chris Wieser that earned season-best times after placing second overall in the event. Both Sullivan and Wieser moved to third in the American season rankings with their times. Sullivan also worked her way into the worldwide top-ten for the year.

WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE

Leah Smith cruised to victory in the opening event of the meet. Her time of 8:22.87 was off her season-best 8:16.33 from the Richmond stop of this Pro Swim Series. She was not far off her pace at the halfway point, coming in at 4:09.88 today opposed to 4:07.53 in Richmond.

Erica Sullivan dropped a lifetime best for second place in 8:27.06. The swim moves her from fourth to third in the United States rankings this season, passing Ashley Twichell (8:28.16 – Winter Nationals). The time also moves Sullivan from fourteenth to eighth in the world rankings for this year.

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SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

Megan Dalke (Canada) also raced to season best for third place in 8:56.43. She was followed by Claire Tuggle (8:56.88), Ayumi Macias (8:58.26), Averee Preble (8:59.48), Lauren Case (9:03.17) and Natalie Mannion (9:10.28).

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE

Egypt’s Akaram Mahmoud was off to an early lead in the men’s race. Chris Wieser made a move on the back half but ran out of room to run him down. Wieser ultimately took second, 8:00.86 to 8:01.98. The swim was a season-best for Wieser, and only one second off his lifetime best of 8:00.40 from 2017. He now holds the third-fastest time for Americans this year behind Zane Grothe and Jordan Wilimovsky.

Mahmoud’s final time was also a season-best, seven seconds ahead of his 8:07.48 from the Des Moines stop of the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series. Mexico’s Ricardo Vargas Jacobo was third in 8:09.75.

Rounding out the top eight finishers were Sawyer Grimes (8:11.88), Alexander Pratt (8:16.54), Scott Pekarske (8:22.06), Aidan Reagan (8:23.14) and AJ Sheppard (8:48.77).

NIGHT 2

The second night of competition at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim

[ PHOTO BY: BECCA WYANT ] >> KELSI DAHLIA

Series Clovis featured five events for both men and women.

Leah Smith and Akaram Mahmoud earned the first victories of the meet in the 800 Freestyle on night one.

Canada’s Sydney Pickrem led the way on night two, claiming victories in both the 100 breaststroke and 400 IM. Louise Hansson and Kelsi Dahlia also posted quick times in the 100 butterfly, as did Brandon Fischer in the 100 breaststroke.

Further event wins on the second night at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series Clovis came courtesy of Leah Smith and Trey Freeman (200 Freestyle), Ali Deloof and Justin Ress (50 Backstroke), Luca Urlando (100 Butterfly) and Jarod Arroyo (400 IM).

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE

Leah Smith, Mallory Comerford and Emily Overholt battled it out until the end in the first event of the night. Comerford had the lead at the halfway point (57.44), but Smith had a strong third fifty (29.91) to take command of the lead. She took the gold in 1:57.40, a season-best swim.

Overholt out-split the field on the final fifty (29.73) but just ran out of room in running down Comerford who took second in 1:57.93. Overholt raced to a 1:57.97. Comerford’s time was also a season-best and maintains her rank as the sixthfastest American in this event so far this year.

Catie Deloof broke the two-minute barrier for the first time

this season for fourth (1:59.95). 14-year-old Claire Tuggle was fifth in 2:01.15. She was followed by Mackenzie Padington (2:01.29), Remedy Rule (2:01.41) and Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (2:01.49).

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE

Trey Freeman was able to hold off a charging Townley Haas 1:47.86 to 1:48.02. Freeman held the lead for the entirety of the race despite Haas’ 27.63 and 27.57 final fifties. Luca Urlando also posted a solid swim, coming in right behind in 1:48.48. The time is just off his best 1:47.70 from last summer.

Haas is currently the fastest American in this event this year at 1:47.09 from the FINA Champions Swim Series in Indianapolis just a few weeks back.

Canada’s Markus Thormeyer was fourth in 1:48.86 right in front of Dylan Carter (1:48.95). Rounding out the top eight finishers were Cristian Quintero (1:49.72), Mexico’s Jorge Iga (1:50.53) and Canada’s Jeremy Bagshaw (1:51.30).

Women’s 100 Breaststroke Canada’s Sydney Pickrem made a statement in the women’s 100 breast, winning the race in 1:07.20. The swim was over two and a half seconds faster than her previous best this year and puts her inside the top sixteen world rankings for 2019.

Pickrem blasted the second fifty in 35.01 to race ahead of CONTINUED >>

SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

9

[ PHOTO BY: GRIFFIN SCOTT ]

maintains her spot as the fourth-fastest American in this event so far this season.

Deloof out-swam recent Cal graduate Amy Bilquist (28.44) and 16-year-old Isabelle Stadden (28.64).

Stadden’s AQJT teammate Abby Kapeller (29.37) was fourth. She was followed by 15-year-old Natalie Mannion (29.64), Katey Lewicki (29.96), Yulduz Kuchkarova (29.99) and Olivia Ellard (30.07).

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

Despite a run-in with the laneline, Justin Ress had the upper hand over Matt Grevers 25.05 to 25.21 in the men’s 50 backstroke. Both men have been 24-mid earlier this year.

Chris Staka was third in 25.57, followed by Kristofer Rogic in 25.90. Rounding out the top eight finishers were 17-yearold Harrison Lierz (26.50), 16-year-old Jack Alexy (26.51), Andy Song (26.59) and Markus Thormeyer (26.66).

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY >> BRANDON FISCHER

Mexico’s Melissa Rodriguez who was out in a quick 31.69.

Rodriguez finished second in 1:07.32.

Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson was also in the mix at 1:08.00 for third. Breeja Larson took fourth in 1:08.20. She was followed

by Olivia Anderson (1:09.93), Danielle Herrmann (1:10.71), Ali Harrison (1:11.43) and Mexico’s Esther Gonzalez Medina (1:11.95).

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE

Thirty-year-old Brandon Fischer blasted a 59.86 100 breast to take the win. Not only was the swim a best time by over a full second, it is also the third-fastest American swim this year behind Cody Miller (59.24) and Michael Andrew (59.52).

Just one tenth of a second separated Louise Hansson from Kelsi Dahlia in the women’s 100 butterfly. Dahlia had the lead at the halfway point 26.80 to 26.98, but Hansson battled back with a textbook finish to secure the win in 57.36.

For Dahlia, the time earns her the fastest-performance by an American this year, passing Kendyl Stewart (57.51). She also moves from eighth to sixth in the worldwide rankings for 2019. Hanson was just one one hundredth off her season-best, the fifth-fastest time in the world this year.

Stewart took third in the race at 58.35. Mallory Comerford led the remaining finishers in 59.78. Lauren Case (59.82), Haley Black (1:00.41), Autumn D’Arcy (1:00.77) and Bailey Nero (1:02.43) placed fifth through eighth.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY

Fischer dominated the race, as he was the only man under one minute and nearly 1:01. Devon Nowicki was second in 1:00.97 and Mexico’s Miguel de Lara Ojeda was third in 1:01.15.

Luca Urlando came back from the 200 free to win the 100 butterfly in 52.20. Right on his best time, the swim was enough to chase down Giles Smith (52.63) and Ryan Coetzee (53.57). Urlando posted a 52.04 at this month’s Mel Zajac International Swim Meet.

Daniel Roy raced to a season-best 1:01.41. The time bumps him into the top-fifteen American ranks so far this season.

Roy was followed by AJ Pouch (1:01.57), Mexico’s Mauro Castillo Luna (1:01.72), Richard Funk (1:01.84) and Youssef Elkamash (1:02.54).

Justin Wright dropped about a second on the season, coming in for fourth in 53.82.He was followed by Canada’s Josiah Binnema (53.97), Mexico’s Mateo Gonzalez (54.42), Loren Gillilan (54.72) and Lukas Miller (54.76).

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE

Ali Deloof swam a quick 50 backstroke of 28.05 for the win at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series Clovis. The time was a season best by three one-hundredths of a second, and

WOMEN’S 400 IM

The Canadian swimmers led the way in the women’s 400 IM. Sydney Pickrem doubled up on wins after dominating the race by four seconds. She used strong breaststroke and CONTINUED >>

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SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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freestyle legs to run away with the race in the end.

Emily Overholt was second in 4:44.23, edging out Evie Pfeifer (4:44.51). Pickrem is currently the third-fastest performer in the world this year (4:35.15) while Overholt is eleventh (4:37.88). Pfeifer was only three-tenths off her season-best.

Vien Nguyen (4:50.33), Mexico’s Monika GonzalezHermosillo (4:52.36), Canada’s Megan Dalke (4:54.71), Tara Halsted (4:55.71) and Taylor McCoy (5:00.65) placed fourth through eighth.

MEN’S 400 IM

Puerto Rico’s Jarod Arroyo was victorious in the men’s 400 IM with a 4:21.65. The time is a second faster than his previous best of 4:22.38 from April’s Puerto Rico International Swimming Open.

Arroyo pulled ahead on the breaststroke leg, out-splitting the field by over four seconds. He was near even with Guatemlla’s Erick Gordillo at the 200 mark, but ran away with the race.

Brodie Young (4:28.18) and Mexico’s Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz (4:28.63) had a race of their own for third and fourth. Mexican teammate Ricardo Vargas Jacobo was fifth in 4:30.36. He was followed by 16-year-old Jonathan Affeld (4:37.36), Jack Spitser (4:39.46) and Harrison Lierz (4:42.61).

NIGHT 3

The third night of finals at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series 12

SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

Clovis featured six events for both men and women.

Numerous season-bests were achieved on night two, and a similar showing presented itself on night three.

Luca Urlando led the way by breaking Michael Phelps‘ 17-18 National Age Group Record in the 200 Butterfly. He also set a TYR Pro Series record in the event. Kelsi Dahlia won the women’s race, while the sprint fly went to Kendyl Stewart and Peter Holoda.

Further event wins came courtesy of Catie Deloof and Brad Tandy (50 Free), Isabelle Stadden and Matt Grevers (100 Back), Sydney Pickrem and Daniel Roy (200 Breast) and Erica Sullivan and Trey Freeman (400 Free).

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY

Kelsi Dahlia earned her first win of the weekend in the 200 fly in 2:10.69. The time is one second off her season best 2:09.09 from the Richmond stop of this Pro Swim Series.

Dahlia will also race in the 50 Freestyle and 50 Butterfly on night three.

Dahlia was out to quick start, coming ahead of the field by over a second right from the first fifty. She was out in 1:01.63 at the 100, then held on in 33.94 and 35.09 for the win.

Texas duo Remedy Rule and Lauren Case out-split Dahlia on the final fifty (34.33 and 34.40, respectively). They ultimately took the second (2:11.56) and third (2:12.13) positions. Both times were season-bests.

Canada’s Emily Overholt took fourth in 2:12.81. She was followed by Bailey Nero (2:15.87), Tara Halsted (2:16.24), Vien Nguyen (2:18.12) and Megan Dalke (2:19.66).

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY

17-year-old Luca Urlando had the swim of the meet so far in the men’s 200 Butterfly. He dominated the race by nearly five seconds, coming in at 1:53.84. The time was not only a TYR Pro Series Record, but also a 17-18 USA Swimming National Age Group Record. The mark was formerly set by Michael Phelps in 2003.

Urlando’s splits for the race were 26.08 – 28.74 – 29.09 – 29.93. He remains the top American in this event this season and is now the fourth-fastest performer in the world for 2019.

Justin Wright was right on his season best for second in 1:58.61. Ben Miller rounded out the top three with his 2:00.41.

Also competing in the final were Mexico’s Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz (2:00.64), Puerto Rico’s Jarod Arroyo (2:01.00), Mexico’s Angel Martinez (2:02.85), Ascanio Ferna Pinto Urbina (2:04.20) and Nicolas Duke (2:06.77).

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE

Catie Deloof added a win of her own, dipping below the 25-second barrier for the 50 freestyle win. The swim is the seventh-best time for Americans so far this season and is a season-best for Deloof.

Julie Meynen was not far behind in 25.08. Mallory Comerford took the third position in 25.21, off her season-best of 24.89.

Fresh out of the 200 Fly, Kelsi Dahlia took fourth in 25.28.

That time is just two one hundredths off her season-best.

Linnea Mack (25.41), Anelise Diener (25.66), Ali Delos (25.69) and Marina Spadoni (25.78) also raced in the final.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE

Brad Tandy and Michael Chadwick battled it out in the men’s 50 Freestyle, with Tandy having the upper hand in the end.

He won the race in 22.17, while Chadwick took second in 22.28.

Mexico’s Gabe Castano was third in 22.35.

Taking the fourth through eighth places were Peter Holoda (22.66), Cristian Quintero (22.70), 16-year-old Jack Alexy (22.98), Tate Jackson (23.08) and Devon Nowicki (23.32).

Alexy now holds the eleventh-fastest time ever for a 15-16-year-old American.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE

16-year-old Isabelle Stadden blasted a 59.71 100 Backstroke for the win in Clovis. The swim was her first time under the one-minute barrier, moving her from sixth to fourth in the USA Swimming all-time 15-16 100 Backstroke rankings.

The time is also the fourth-best by an American this season.

Stadden was able to track down Ali Deloof (1:00.59) who had the lead at the fifty in 29.10. Catie Deloof (1:01.69) took third with a season-best swim.

After winning the 100 butterfly on night two, Sweden’s Louise Hansson was fourth in 1:01.90. 15-year-old Natalie Mannion took fifth in 1:02.08. She was followed by Olivia Ellard (1:03.54), Mexico’s Athena Menseses Kovacs (1:03.65) and Katey Lewicki (1:03.84).

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE

After taking second in the 50 Backstroke on night two, Matt Grevers posted a solid time to win the 100 Backstroke (53.59). Out in 26.11, he was able to hold off Justin Ress who took second in 54.25.

Grevers’ season-best is 53.09, while Ress took two tenths off of his. The men sit second and seventh in the American ranks this season.

Canada’s Markus Thormeyer was third in 54.50 followed closely by Dylan Carter in 54.72. Chris Staka (55.83), Luca Urlando (56.82), Kristofer Rogic (56.93) and Andy Song (56.96) took fifth through eighth.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

Canada’s Sydney Pickrem picked up her third win of the week in the 200 breaststroke. Her time of 2:25.52 was off her worldwide sixth-ranked 2:22.63, but was still enough for the win in Clovis.

Pickrem held the lead throughout the race, but was heavily challenged by Mexico’s Melissa Rodriguez in 2:25.54.

Rodriguez was narrowly out-splitting Pickrem on the back half, but ran out of room to run her down. Her teammate Esther Gonzalez Medina was third in 2:29.44.

Breeja Larson put up the fourth-place time of 2:30.78.

Abigail Herscu (2:33.97), Mackenzie Duarte (2:35.21), Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (2:35.46) and Hillary Metcalfe (2:35.73) rounded out the heat.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE

19-year-old Daniel Roy had a quick swim in the 200 breaststroke for the win in Clovis. His 2:10.43 is a seasonbest by over a second and a half and moves him from to seventh to fifth in the American ranks for this season.

CONTINUED >>

SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

13

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ] >> ERICA SULLIVAN

18-year-old AJ Pouch was not far behind in 2:11.06. He moves in as the sixth-quickest racer this year for the United States. After a fast 100 on night two, Brandon Fischer was third in a personal best 2:11.91.

Mexico took the next two spots with efforts from Miguel de Lara Ojeda (2:12.81) and Mauro Castillo Luna (2:14.83).

Devon Nowicki (2:18.09), Zachary Tan (2:20.89) and Youssef Elkamash (2:23.34) were sixth, seventh and eighth.

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY

Team Elite’s Kendyl Stewart won a tight 50 fly battle on night three over Kelsi Dahlia (26.38) and Louise Hansson (26.54).

Stewart’s time of 26.35 is less than a tenth off her season-best time.

Also competing in the final were Haley Black (26.81), Linnea Mack (26.96), Mallory Comerford (27.13), Lauren Case (27.45) and Alia Atkinson (27.85).

MEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY

Phoenix Swim Club duo Peter Holoda (23.78) and Giles Smith (23.95) went one-two in the men’s 50 fly. They were the lone swimmers under the 24-second mark.

Ryan Coetzee was third in 24.14 and Mexico’s Jorge Iga was fourth with a 24.57.

Rounding out the top eight were Lukas Miller (24.73), Daniel Ramirez (25.03), Justin Wright (25.06) and Josiah Binnema (25.14).

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SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE

After a great 800 freestyle on night one, Erica Sullivan kept her momentum going in the 400 distance. Her 4:10.36 was just one second off her lifetime best time in this event. She also moves from eleventh to seventh in the 2019 American rankings.

Sullivan grabbed the lead early on and only strengthened it as the race progressed. Texas’ Evie Pfeifer did give her a push throughout the entirety of the race, swimming a lifetime best time of 4:11.77.

14-year-old Claire Tuggle was third in 4:14.37. Remedy Rule (4:19.58) and Ayumi Macias (4:19.67) had a race of their own for the fourth position. Mackenzie Padington took sixth in in 4:23.34 followed by Allison Bernier (4:26.45) and Natalie Mannion (4:27.45).

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE

After winning the 200 free on night two, Trey Freeman made a statement in the 400 race by winning in a dominant 3:49.16.

Just one tenth off his lifetime best, the time is now second for Americans this year only behind Zane Grothe (3:48.27).

Freeman had control of the race throughout its entirety.

Akaram Mahmoud (3:53.94) and Chris Wieser (3:54.81) had a good race, with Wieser out-splitting the field on the last fifty in 28.73.

Canadian duo Alexander Pratt (3:58.29) and Jeremy Bagshaw (3:58.91) were fourth and fifth. Rounding out the heat were

Sawyer Grimes (4:01.38), Parker Reynolds (4:02.72) and Connor Daniels (4:03.04).

NIGHT 4

Rounding out the top eight finishers were Blake Simpson (16:00.93), Scott Pekarske (16:06.51), Parker Reynolds (16:11.34) and Brodie Young (16:13.04).

The final day of competition at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series Clovis closed out the Series for the season as well.

Erica Sullivan kicked things off with a bang in the women’s 1500, after already winning the 400 freestyle on night three.

Akaram Mahmoud did likewise in the men’s race.

WOMEN’S 200 IM

Other event winners on the final night of the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series circuit included Sydney Pickrem and Luca Urlando (200 IM), Isabelle Stadden and Markus Thormeyer (200 Back), Alia Atkinson and Brandon Fischer (50 Breast) and Mallory Comerford and Michael Chadwick (100 Free).

Pickrem used a quick 37.61 breaststroke leg to get the upper hand over Canadian teammate Emily Overholt who took second in 2:13.45. Mexico’s Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo completed the international sweep with her third-place time of 2:14.54.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE

Evie Pfeifer was the top American in the field, coming in at 2:15.00 for fourth. She was followed by Erika SeltenreichHodgson (2:15.34), Claire Tuggle (2:18.26), Melissa Rodriguez (2:19.35) and Bailey Nero (2:21.17).

Sandpipers of Nevada’s Erica Sullivan ran away with the 1500 free to close out her meet at Clovis. Not only was her 15:55.25 a lifetime best by seven seconds, it was also the third-fastest time in the world this year.

Among Americans, Sullivan is second only to Katie Ledecky for 2019, and is right behind distance legend Janet Evans on the USA Swimming 17-18 All Time rankings in this event.

Sullivan’s 500 splits were 5:18.21 – 5:18.89 – 5:18.15.

Canada’s Mackenzie Padington was a distant second, coming in at 16:56.58. She had a battle against Mexico’s Ayumi Macias throughout the race. Macias ultimately took third (16:56.76) after a great closing 500.

Clovis Swim Club’s Averee Preble was fourth in 16:59.72. She was followed by Allison Bernier (17:29.05) and Claudia Chang (17:39.43).

Canada’s Sydney Pickrem won her fourth title of the weekend with a dominating 200 IM of 2:11.78. The swim was off her season-best 2:08.61 from Indiana’s FINA Champions Series but was enough for the win in Clovis.

MEN’S 200 IM

DART Swimming’s Luca Urlando picked up his second win of the meet, claiming the 200 IM in a lifetime best 2:00.12.

The time bumps him from fifteenth to ninth in the USA Swimming All Time 17-18 rankings in this event, coming in just one one hundredth ahead of National Teamer Carson Foster.

Urlando used a strong opening 100 (25.93-31.84; 57.77) to take the lead in this event. Puerto Rico’s Jarod Arroyo was second in 2:03.29.

CONTINUED >>

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE

Egypt’s Akaram Mahmoud got to the wall first in the men’s 1500 (15:26.12).

DART Swimming’s Chris Wieser was also in the mix through the 1000-meter mark, but could not withstand a charging Mahmoud in the back third. The victor dropped to 30s in the final 200 and came home in 29.64.

Teen duo Sawyer Grimes (SAND) and Aidan Reagan (FORD) picked up their Olympic Trials cuts in this event, with Reagan sneaking under the mark by four one hundredths of a second. Their times of 15:38.38 and 15:44.85 earned them third and fourth place, respectively.

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[ PHOTO BY: BECCA WYANT ] >> ISABELLE STADDEN

15-year-old posted a quick 2:05.60 four fourth place.

Mexico’s Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz (2:06.17), Jonathan Affeld (2:08.97), Spencer Klinsky (2:12.30) and Brodie Young (2:13.20) placed fifth through eighth.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

16-year-old Isabelle Stadden posted a strong win in the 200 back, coming in right on her lifetime best at 2:08.67. The swim is a best for this year for Stadden, and bumps her up to tenth in the world so far this year. She is the fourth-best American.

Sydney Pickrem added a second-place finish to her Clovis resume after racing to a 2:13.17. Taylor McCoy took third in 2:14.46 and 15-year-old Natalie Mannion was fourth in 1:15.74.

Rounding out the top eight finishers were Mexico’s Athena Meneses Kovacs (1:16.52), Skylar Dikeman (2:17.17), Yulduz Kuchkarova (2:20.00) and Erika SeltenreichHodgson (2:20.18).

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

Canada’s Markus Thormeyer raced to victory in the 200 back, coming in at 1:59.24. His season best is a 1:57.42 form earlier this year. Thormeyer was the only man under the twominute barrier this time around.

Mexico’s Andy Song was in the mix through the 100, as was 16

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Harrison Lierz who actually had a solid lead at the halfway point (58.57). In the end, Song took second in 2:02.73 with Lierz third (2:02.95). The latter dipped right under the Olympic Trials standard in this event by four one hundredths of a second.

Also racing in the final heat were Josiah Binnema (2:06.35), Erick Gordillo (2:06.55), Robby Moseley (2:07.03), Nicolas Duke (2:07.04) and Zachary Tan (2:10.04).

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE

Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson won her first event of the meet, finishing just off her season-best in the 50 breast. She was the only swimmer under 31 seconds with a 30.69.

Danielle Herrmann (31.55) and Melissa Rodriguez (31.86) had a tough duel for second, whole Olivia Anderson was fourth (32.04).

Also competing in the final were Ali Harrison (32.46), Hillary Metcalfe (32.65), Jordyn Wentzel (33.12) and Larisa Tam (33.63).

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE

Brandon Fischer doubled up on breaststroke wins this meet after blasting a 27.26 fifty. The swim is the second-best time by an American so far this year and ranks nineteenth overall.

[ PHOTO BY: BECCA WYANT ] >> MALLORY COMERFORD

Pavel Romanov was second (27.71) and Youssef Elkamash third (27.89). Mauro Castillo Luna led the remaining finishers in 28.08. Coming in next were Richard Funk (28.14), Miguel de Lara Ojeda (28.19), Lionel Khoo (28.47) and Azad AlBarazi (28.75).

Grabich was seventh in 50.31 and Gabe Castano was eighth in 51.03. 

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

Cardinal Aquatics posted a one-two finish in the 100 freestyle with great effort from Mallory Comerford (53.90) and Kelsi Dahlia (54.56). Comerford was slightly off her season-best 53.33, while Dahlia earned a best for 2019 after going 55.33 earlier this year.

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Julie Meynen took a close third in 54.63. Catie Deloof was also under 55 seconds, grabbing fourth in 54.91.

Louise Hansson (55.05), Kendyl Stewart (55.48), Linnea Mack (55.54) and Anelise Diener (55.78) took fifth through eighth.

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MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

Michael Chadwick went a season-best 100 free for the win in Clovis. His 48.70 now moves him into the top thirty world rankings for 2019. He got off to a quick start in 23.26 and outsplit the field on the second fifty as well (25.44).

Christian Quintero (49.43) won a tight race for second over 50-fly champion Peter Holoda (49.46). The men were followed by Tate Jackson (49.55) and Dylan Carter (49.64).

Townley Haas took sixth this time around in 49.74. Federico

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U

SA Swimming announced today that swimmers from around the globe will be making five stops in the United States next year as part of the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series.

Scheduled between November 2019 and May 2020, athletes will use the world-class domestic events in Greensboro, N.C.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Des Moines, Iowa; Mission Viejo, Calif. and Indianapolis, Ind. in preparation for their run to the 2020 Olympic Games.

Nov. 6-9, 2019 Greensboro, N.C. - Greensboro Aquatic Center Jan. 16-19, 2020 Knoxville, Tenn. - Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center Mar. 4-7, 2020 Des Moines, Iowa - MidAmerican Energy Aquatic Center Apr. 16-19, 2020 Mission Viejo, Calif. - Marguerite Aquatic Center May 6-9, 2020 Indianapolis, Ind. - IU Natatorium The 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series concluded on June 15 in Clovis, Calif., with more than 1,100 domestic and international athletes participating in at least one of the five events and prize money totaling more than $540,000. The 2019 Series also marked the first time USA Swimming selected its events via a request for proposal and bid process, which it did once again for the 2020 Series, creating a strong partnership with Local Organizing Committees (LOC) who play a vital role in the planning, marketing and selling of the event.

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Knoxville and Des Moines will return as hosts for the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series after those facilities hosted for the first time in 2019. Indianapolis returns as a host for the first time since 2018 when Katie Ledecky broke a world record in the 1500 free. Greensboro and Mission Viejo will make their TYR Pro Swim Series debuts in 2020.

“We work closely with our event organizing partners to offer a premium experience for athletes and fans,” USA Swimming Chief Commercial Officer Shana Ferguson said.

“We are fortunate to have incredible partners and strong local clubs’ support as we showcase the world’s greatest athletes in communities throughout the U.S. We will continue to use the TYR Pro Swim Series to provide more exposure to the best in international competition.”

“We at TYR are proud to support athletes with the penultimate event series on their journey to the 2020 Olympic Trials,” began Chief Executive Officer Matt DiLorenzo. “If 2018 and 2019 are any indication of what is to come, TYR is eager to provide fans and local communities with a first-class spectator experience.”

The TYR Pro Swim Series is a 3.5-day long course event televised on NBCSN, the Olympic Channel, as well as live streamed at usaswimming.org. Historically, each stop attracts between 400-600 of the world’s top swimmers including, USA Swimming National Team members, Junior National Team members and top-50 world ranked swimmers.  The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with USA Swimming.

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

USA SWIMMING RELEASES SCHEDULE FOR 2020 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES

DOLPHINS HEAD COACH JACCO VERHAEREN RETURNING TO EUROPE AFTER TOKYO 2020

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wimming Australia Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren announced that he will be vacating his post after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, per a report published in the Sydney Morning Herald. Verhaeren will be returning to Europe, specifically the Netherlands, with his family after the 2020 Games to pursue new opportunities there.

Verhaeren took over as head coach for Swimming Australia following the 2012 London Olympics, where the Australian swim team had an under-whelming performance that failed to produce a single individual gold medal. The post-Games fallout also revealed major cultural concerns among the Aussie team that included an initiation at a pre-Games training camp involving the sleeping pill Stilnox.

Verhaeren has been credited as a major force behind reforms to the Aussie team since 2012, including instituting a new four-year framework for the national team heading into

the next Olympic quad following the 2016 Rio Olympics.

That has included more stringent standards to qualify for international meets and a new shift for trials closer to major international meets, similar to the schedule in the United States for the Olympic Games.

While the new standards have resulted in leaner rosters for international meets, Verhaeren is quoted by the Herald as stating the bar needed to be raised regarding qualification for major meets.

“That is the reality of our sport,” Verhaeren commented.

“There is some discretion because of tactical decisions you have to make regarding relays. But when it comes down to a set time, one one-hundredth too slow is one one-hundredth too slow. It keeps it very clear. This is the performance culture we want, although making the Olympics is a huge achievement. Nobody will deny that.” 

SWIM MART

REACH LONG

KICK STRONG

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> A PICTURE SAYS IT ALL: HIALEAH HEAD COACH ALIX DONIS, A REFEREE, AND THOROUGHBREDS' STAR PAOLA DOMINGUEZ-CASTRO.

TROUBLE IN POLO PARADISE: FLORIDA GIRLS’ WATER POLO HAS REFEREE PROBLEMS

by Michael Randazzo | photos by Annie Tworoger

A

shaky, uneven video clip from last month’s 2019 Florida Girl’s Water Polo Tournament has the potential for conspiracy gone wild. A bad call, irate parents, and a disputed outcome from Hialeah High School’s 9-8 loss to arch-rival Ransom Everglades—all in slo-mo—are enough to antagonize even the most level-headed fans.

If this were an isolated incident for Florida’s youth polo, it might easily be dismissed. Taken in combination with controversy from last year’s playoffs, when Winter Park’s overtime victory against Lake Mary in a regional semifinal was overturned upon review, one conclusion looms large: the Florida High School Athletic Association has a significant problem with its water polo officials.

HIALEAH WONDERS, BIAS OR INCOMPETENCE?

Coming into a regional playoff game in South Florida, the defending state champion Hialeah Thoroughbreds were even more dominant in 2019, reeling off 18 straight victories.

Led by Paola Dominguez-Castro’s 129 goals and Alejandra Aranguren’s even 100, head coach Alex Donis’ squad was the team to beat in the Florida State High Athletic Association playoffs. The T-Breds unquestionably had a target on their collective back due to last year’s achievement, when they became the only public school to win a girls’ title in the 12year history of the tournament.

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One prominent opponent was Ransom Everglades. The state’s dominant program when Olympian Ashleigh Johnson was in the Raiders’ cage, head coach Eric Lefebvre’s squad were certainly anticipating their meeting against their crosscity rivals. A 17-7 loss in last year’s regional final added fuel to the intensity of this year’s match. That, and the high stakes: the winner would advance to the semis, the loser would go home.

The questionable sequence started at the 3:54 mark of the fourth quarter, when an exclusion was called on DominguezCastro. Although that seemed a phantom call, it’s what happened next that was particularly egregious—and what proved fatal to Hialeah’s title hopes. As Dominguez-Castro was swimming off, with her coach gesturing to his team, Ransom’s Grace Waibel picked up the ball approximately six meters from the T-Breds’ goal. As the defense was setting up in a man-down defense—that is, covering all attackers except the ball handler—Waibel tentatively swam in, wound up and shot past Alicia Krasner, the surprised Hialeah goalie.

The reason for Krasner’s confusion? The rules clearly state that the offensive player who possesses the ball immediately after an exclusion is not allowed to shoot; she is required to pass to another attacker; then—and only then—may a goal be scored.

This was an egregious non-call because it overlooked a violation of one of the sport’s fundamental rules. The fact that neither referee caught it should have drawn immediate protest from the Hialeah bench—and a stoppage of play.

That it did not was due to the confusion of the moment; but it begs the question, even with multiple video cameras in place, would the referees have been equipped to review the play?

“The day of the game, one mother got extremely angry for what was happening,” she wrote in an email. “The girls were so sad and frustrated. Some were crying because it was impossible to accept what was happening.

Donis, in an email sent after the match, focused his ire on the referees’ inexperience—and opened up the can of worms of how to reverse a bad in-game decision.

No protest was made immediately at the moment of the blown call—it was filed days after the match was over. That, and the fact that Hialeah had more than four minutes left in the match to get the equalizer, suggest it will be impossible to reverse what is clearly (it’s in the video!) a monumental blunder by the referees.

“It is very difficult and unjust to see a game’s outcome decided by someone other than the players in the game,” he wrote. “There needs to be a better way [to] revise referee error. Just to say no matter what mistake is made the game will not be replayed is obsolete.

“Especially when the issues are reoccurring ones with no change in sight,” he added for emphasis.

Parents and players alike were understandably crushed to have their season dashed by a blown call. In a transcript of comments from various Hialeah parents, Marisol BarrigaKrasner—whose daughter is the Hialeah goalie—summed up the response from the stands that day.

“The championship was literally stolen in front of the eyes of everyone.”

NOT THE FIRST TIME…

If anyone should know just how controversial a referee’s decision can be, it’s Barry Creighton, Winter Park High School’s boy’s and girl’s coach. In 2018, his Wildcats won a regional playoff match against Lake Mary. Only, they didn’t. In the aftermath of a 7-6 triple overtime decision, it was revealed that the referees had applied the wrong overtime rules. Almost inexplicably, the FHSAA reversed the outcome, deciding in a unanimous vote that a sudden-death format should have been applied. The Rams were awarded a 5-4 win, and the provocative decision became a cause célèbre CONTINUED >>

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regarding how the Hialeah vs. Ransom match was officiated.

“There is no benefit to the FHSAA to assign anything less than the best officials available for the games that are most important,” Sobers’ statement said. “These officials were assigned after recommendations from the officials’ associations, in addition to evaluations and exam scores.”

> A PENSIVE THOROUGHBRED

for Winter Park parents.

“It’s in the rulebook that referees’ decisions are final…and they miss things.” Creighton said in a recent interview. “[What] happened to Hialeah, where there was a foul and that girl swam down the pool and shot it, [that] happened in one of our games. My assistant coach noticed it—I didn’t notice it at the time, I was worried about something else. It happened and you play on.”

“Last year with our girls and that decision, I thought: Holy smokes! We were on TV news and columnists [were writing] about high school water polo,” Creighton said. “When does that happen? Never. All because of some crazy decision. [It was] more attention than we’d get if it we’d won the state championship.”

The craziness around that decision, with lawyers and hearings, culminating in a 9-0 decision in favor of overturning a referee’s decision in the pool, surprisingly did not chasten the FHSAA. But after this latest snafu, and an uproar of protest

by Hialeah fans, the overseer of high school sports in Florida admitted there’s work to be done to improve the quality of play.

In a statement released last month, Corey Sobers, FHSAA Assistant Director of Athletics, looked to damage control

Sobers went on to say that there are consequences for referees whose mistakes are caught—clearly, not such an easy task— saying that it will affect playoff assignments in following years, or even result in heavy fines. However, he closed his comments with a remark that will be cold comfort to Hialeah parents who were looking forward to another state title this year.

“There is a statewide officiating crisis in terms of there being a shortage, so we encourage anyone interested to sign up at BecomeAnOfficial.org.”

IS THERE A SOLUTION OUT THERE?!?

Unfortunately, this response is in direct opposition to what Alex Donis believes to be the core issue for high school polo in his state—a lack of experienced officials.

“There needs to be something done about the learning curve of the referees,” he wrote. “Most of them officiate two months a year and that’s it. The top players and coaches play yearround. It’s not fair that the athletes put in all the work and the officials don’t do anything to get better and still get paid.”

In the wake of these high-profile controversies, Creighton— who’s been coaching boys’ and girls’ polo at Winter Park for a quarter century—understands that this is a pivotal moment.

“I don’t think it’s a good look for the sport,” he said of the coverage if his team’s loss last year. “What’s going on with water polo? People don’t know what it is to begin with, and then you only hear negative things about it.”

Then, in a nod to the reality of any athletic endeavor, he added, “If you look really closely you can always find missed calls.”

Again, cold comfort for the girls and their families, who strongly feel that something was taken from them.

Marisol Barriga-Krasner is quite clear— and defiant—in her takeaway from the only blemish on what otherwise would have been a sparkling Hialeah record.

“Our girls never lost that game,” she wrote. “Neither [did] Ransom Everglade win it. The referee stole it.” 

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“Lilly King has been the most transformative swimmers in Indiana university’s women’s athletic history,” IU head swimming coach Ray Looze remarked. “The win this prestigious award four years in a row is very humbling given all the great athletes produced each year

by Hoosier athletics. It has been a blessing to coach her these past four years.”

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

The Evansville, Ind. native also won four more Big Ten titles in 2019, bringing her career total to a staggering 16. King also earned a remarkable 16 All-America honors in her four seasons at Indiana. She was also a four-time First-Team All-Big Ten and three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

LILLY KING WINS FOURTH INDIANA UNIVERSITY ATHLETE OF THE YEAR TITLE

T

he Indiana University Department of Athletics announced on Tuesday that women’s swimmer Lilly King and men’s soccer’s Andrew Gutman have been named IU’s 2018-19 Athletes of the Year.

“Indiana University Athletics has a long and rich history of students who have separated themselves with their extraordinary athletic accomplishments, and Lilly King and Andrew Gutman are members of that elite list,” said IU Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass.

“Each was honored nationally as the best in their sport this season, and each led their team to a Big Ten title and NCAA Championship success. Congratulations to Lilly and Andrew on being named IU Athletes of the Year.”

King is the first athlete in school history to be named IU Athlete of the Year on four occasions, while Gutman is the ninth men’s soccer player to earn the accolade.

King will leave Bloomington as one of the finest athletes in the history of Indiana University. During her senior season, King completed her four-year sweep of both the 100 and 200yard breaststrokes at the NCAA Championships, giving her eight titles in her illustrious career to become the first woman in NCAA history to win eight breaststroke championships.

A two-time Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year award winner, King was named Big Ten Swimmer of the Year three times and was also tabbed the 2018-19 Honda Sports Award winner for swimming and diving.

After a standout senior season for the Hoosiers, Gutman earned the most prestigious honor in all of collegiate soccer, as he was named the winner of the 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy.

A unanimous First-Team All-American and selection as Big Ten Defender of the Year and First-Team AllBig Ten, Gutman also earned First-Team All-North Region accolades this past season. Gutman led the Hoosiers with 11 goals on the season to go with nine assists.

“Andrew had a special senior year leading our team to championship success on and off the field,” Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley said. “It’s very difficult for a defender to be named national player of the year. Andrew will be remembered as one of the elite players of Indiana soccer.”

Along with all his offensive efforts, Gutman was one of the best defenders in the country, helping the Hoosiers post a NCAA-best 15 shutouts on the season and allow just 13 goals on the year.

For his career, the Hinsdale, Ill. native started all 90 matches he appeared in for the Hoosiers, scoring 20 goals with 17 assists. Gutman also earned All-America honors is 2017 and was a four-time All-Big Ten and All-Region honoree, as well as a two-time Academic All-Big Ten standout.  The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Indiana Swimming and Diving.

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by Andy Ross

2

016 Olympic Champion Mack Horton will swim the 400 free at the World Championships in Gwangju in five weeks. Horton did not make the qualifying standard for the event at the Australian Nationals this week, placing second behind Jack McLoughlin with a 3:46.47. Swimming Australia set the time standard to get to Worlds at 3:46.14.

McLoughlin won the final with a 3:44.34 on Monday.

But according to The Sydney Morning Herald, Horton will be swimming the 400 free at the World Championships. He also made the Worlds team by placing fifth in the 200 free final, earning himself a spot for the 4×200 free relay.

Swimming Australia’s head coach Jacco Verhaeren said he expected Horton to rebound strongly in five weeks despite swimming below his best in Brisbane. His time was inside the FINA standard but he would need to shed seconds in a hurry to be competitive in a world championships final.

“He may not have been rested enough, I am guessing here… there is no clear answer,” Verhaeren told The Sydney Morning Herald. “We will run a few tests after this week to go a bit more in depth.

Swimming Australia has shown they are not concerned with Horton’s performances at Nationals.

“You have to look at why that didn’t happen and what did we miss here, we haven’t got that answer yet but I am confident

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we will find it. He is an Olympic champion, it’s not a panic situation… he could turn it around in weeks.”

Horton was the silver medalist in the 400 free at the 2017 World Championships behind China’s Sun Yang. He also was the Commonwealth Games gold medalist in 2018 in the 400 and had the second fastest time from any of the major meets last summer, again behind Sun. Horton is currently eighth in the world rankings in the 400 free.

Swimming Australia shifted their trials closer to the major meet at the end of the summer to mirror that of what USA Swimming does. The Australians saw success in this new approach last summer at the Pan Pacific Championships in Japan. Verhaeren is hoping this momentum continues in to Gwangju in five weeks.

“Our goal is unchanged from last year and the year before.

We put an emphasis at being better at the benchmark event that trials,” Verhaeren told The Sydney Morning Herald.

“We did well at that at Commonwealth Games and at Pan Pacs… the conversion rates [being faster at the event than the trials] there were 60 percent. That’s double what we had for Rio. To win when it matters, to be at your best when it matters, is way more important.

“You want to see times close to world class and this is why our selection standards are so strong. They have achieved that … now it’s time to convert.” 

[ PHOTO BY: DELLY CARR/SWIMMING AUSTRALIA LTD. ]

MACK HORTON TO SWIM 400 FREE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS DESPITE NOT MAKING QUALIFYING STANDARD AT NATIONALS

[ PHOTO BY: DELLY CARR/SWIMMING AUSTRALIA LTD. ]

EMILY SEEBOHM OUT OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2005

by Andy Ross

2

017 World Champion Emily Seebohm finished third in the 200 back on Friday night at the Australian Swimming World Trials in Brisbane with a 2:08.58. Seebohm was also fourth in the 100 back on Monday night and for the first time since 2005 will not be swimming at the World Championships for Australia.

Seebohm has been on Australia’s World Championships team since 2007 when she was a 14-year-old in front of the home crowd in Melbourne. She has been in the Worlds final of the 100 back at every Championships since placing fourth 12 years ago. She is also the two-time reigning World Champion in the 200 back, winning the 2015 and 2017 World titles.

standard there as well.

McKeown is now third in the world for 2019 while Atherton sits sixth. McKeown, 17, will have a chance to improve on her fourth place finish from the 2017 Worlds in the 200 back.

Atherton will be making her first World Championships appearance.

Molly O’Callaghan (2:13.81), Tahlia Thornton (2:14.21), Abbey Webb (2:15.09), Jess Unicomb (2:15.95) and Kirrily Siebenhausen (2:16.27) also placed in the top eight in the final. 

It is unclear exactly what happened to Seebohm as she was a 2:08.89 earlier in the year at the FINA Champions Series in Budapest. She has been one of the consistent performers on the world stage the last decade and would have been one of the medal favorites for both the 100 and 200 in Gwangju had she qualified.

Seebohm, 27, should not be ruled out of qualifying for the 2020 Olympic Games next year.

Kaylee McKeown (2:06.35) won the 200 ahead of Minna Atherton (2:06.82) as the two teenagers got under the Worlds qualifying time to swim both the 100 and 200 back at World Championships in five weeks. Atherton got the upper hand in the 100 earlier in the week over McKeown as they were both under the qualifying SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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by David Rieder

A

bout a month before last year’s U.S. Nationals, Cody Miller couldn’t kick breaststroke. He had begun feeling pain in his left knee at the start of 2018, pain that was “gradual,” “chronic” and “always changing,” and he had no idea what was causing it. And in a subconscious effort to protect himself from the pain, he accidentally compromised the muscles that power his breaststroke.

So Miller showed up at Nationals and ended up fifth in his signature 100 breaststroke, four tenths off the pace of national champion Michael Andrew nine tenths slower than his lifetime best, the 58.87 he swam in August 2016 that made him Olympic bronze medalist.

Was Miller washed up, stagnant to the point that a collection of teens and early-20-somethings had caught up? Not quite— but the Cody Miller machine definitely contained some rusted cogs.

“Over time, my VMO, which is the big muscle inside your knee on the inside of your leg, the big breaststroker muscle, began to shrink because I was using my left leg a lot less subconsciously,” Miller said. “Once the muscle in that leg was really atrophied, the tendons around the joint in my knee could no longer sustain all the breaststroke kick, all the torque, all the power.”

Medical tests found tears in Miller’s MCL and meniscus, and the blood around his knee was stagnated and lacking oxygen.

But all that ligament damage and muscular decay resulted 26

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from pain compensation. The source of the initial pain? Plica syndrome, where a layer of tissue gets folded between two joints and causes pain when the joints move.

Miller called it “basically just pointless pain.” But the Plica proved costly. For the first time since 2013, he was shut out of the top U.S. international team for the summer after finishing fifth at Nationals. He lost USA Swimming funding and missed out on sponsorship money tied to his performance.

His frustrations, however, extended far back from Nationals.

For more than six months, he had been unable to live his normal swim training lifestyle, and he had not been competitive with his usual rivals or with the standards he expected of himself. After a year (2017) where Miller had not trained as much as usual in the post-Olympic year, he was ready to focus on returning to his peak, but his body kept pushing back.

“For the longest time, being injured and not swimming well, there were always those thoughts and doubts: ‘Maybe I won’t be able to do it. Maybe I won’t be able to make a recovery.

Maybe I’m past my prime.’ Every athlete has those thoughts, and if they tell you that they don’t, I think that they’re lying,” Miller said. “Everyone has them. It’s just a matter of how you handle them. For me, it was tough.”

Desperate for a resolution, Miller went in for tests in August, and he finally learned the extent of the damage to his knee.

In one procedure, doctors punctured tissue near his knee to drain blood and fluid. Only then could Miller work to build

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

CODY MILLER REBOUNDS, REFLECTS AND LOOKS AHEAD

[ PHOTO BY: BECCA WYANT ]

back the strength in his left leg.

“It basically took six months to kind of build back up the atrophied leg to where I could actually train breaststroke again,” he said. “It wasn’t until about January or February of this year where I was in a position to actually legitimately train breaststroke.”

MILLER’S OLYMPIC TRIUMPH

Before the Rio Olympics, Miller had been best-known as the second U.S. representative in the 100 breast behind Kevin Cordes, who was considered a strong medal contender. But then Miller edged out Cordes and broke his American record and took bronze.

At the conclusion of that race, television cameras showed Adam Peaty celebrating his gold medal and world record, but viewers around the world could hear a loud scream in the background. That was Miller, one lane over, in awe of not just the medal he had won but the culmination of the process that led him to that point.

“You always hear stories about how people can defy odds and do the impossible, and you don’t have to be the most talented, all those rah-rah stories, and I kind of see myself kind of as that,” Miller said. “When I look at what I accomplished years ago, I think about how I got there and what it represents.

What it represents is just a total commitment to preparation.”

Interestingly, when asked to reflect on his Olympic experience, Miller replied with a chuckle, “Dude, no one’s actually asked me that question.” In three years since Rio, Miller had never taken the time to consider how one week in Brazil impacted his swimming career.

Six days after his 100 breast bronze medal, Miller swam the breaststroke leg on the U.S. men’s 400 medley relay, ceding significant ground to Great Britain’s Peaty but doing enough that the Americans could win gold. If the individual 100 breast was the signature moment of Miller’s career, this one got him into the history books as a contributor to Michael Phelps’ 23rd and final Olympic gold medal.

see,” Miller said. “That’s why I celebrated it like that when I won that medal in Rio, because it meant that much to me.

Because I was very understanding of how much of a long shot that really was.”

BOUNCING BACK

Today, Miller still lives in Bloomington with his wife, Ali. Discussing Ali, a former swimmer with coaching experience in both middle school, high school and college (at Indiana, where she was the volunteer assistant during Miller’s senior season), Miller said, “she gets my lifestyle.”

Miller explained that Ali’s swimming background made for an easier transition to married life, even if the two hardly ever discuss his swimming.

“We don’t talk about my training. Unless I feel like there’s something I really need to talk to her about, I know I can, and that’s very comforting, but most of the time I don’t,” Miller said. “I can talk about other stuff. I often talk about how I think. I feel like when it comes to professional swimming, you have to have balance. You can’t just have swimming.”

Meanwhile, in October 2017, Miller launched a YouTube channel in which he would give fans an insight into his daily life and training. Initially designed as an avenue to practice video-editing skills, Miller ended up building up a following for the videos that has now reached more than 90,000 subscribers on YouTube.

Without those two moments, Miller might never have had the opportunity to regularly share with young swimmers the story of how he, never a youth record-setter or a “freak” like Phelps or fellow Rio relay member Ryan Murphy, could become an Olympic medalist by dedicating himself to his craft.

“It’s basically me just sharing a story and trying to piece together a narrative in an interesting, entertaining way while providing some form of swimming in sight, be it a set we’re doing or the way that we tackle a race or something about strategy,” Miller said. “For me to make a video that people enjoy, I get great reward from that.”

“I hope that it’s a positive relatability that people can kind of

Miller posts new vlogs to his channel every Wednesday CONTINUED >>

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Months after Rio, Miller decided to share his deeply personal, emotional story with Yahoo! Sports’ Pat Forde.

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

“I felt like it was important that people know that despite me losing my dad six months before the Olympics, I was still able to come through and still able to achieve my dreams,” Miller said. “Everybody has struggles. That’s one thing that I went through that really sucked, that I had to deal, with that my family had to deal with.

morning, and he likes knowing that he is helping the sport grow in a small way by getting fans excited or providing young swimmers with tips that they can use in their own swimming. It hasn’t hurt that Miller’s video and social media presence has helped attract sponsorships that are based less heavily on his performance in the pool.

And as his life outside of competition has continued to flourish, Miller has finally returned to full health and to his top form.

At last month’s TYR Pro Swim Series in Bloomington—at Indiana’s home pool—Miller won the 100 breast in 59.24, his fastest time since 2017 and faster than the winning time from 2018 Nationals. And in the 200 breast, Miller won the event in 2:08.98, his first lifetime best in the event in almost four years.

“I went so long without really racing at a high level that (Indiana coach) Ray (Looze) let me rest a little bit because I needed to go fast,” Miller said. “ It was really cool to swim fast at the Bloomington meet. Obviously, it meant a lot to go fast there and kind of prove that I can still swim and be competitive at our home pool. That was super cool.”

SHARING HIS “SUPER PERSONAL” STORY

One day in high school, Miller learned that father, Craig, had lied to their family about having a job while he was in fact addicted to alcohol and prescription drugs. After that, Craig withdrew from his family’s life, and Cody and younger sister Catie never saw him again after Cody’s high school graduation in 2010.

Finally, on Christmas Day 2015, Cody’s mother, Debbie, received a phone call that a homeless Craig had been found dead in San Diego. That was just six months before Cody would qualify for the Olympics.

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“I think you could go down the list of national team athletes, and everybody probably has something like that. Maybe not quite as bad, maybe a whole a lot worse, but everyone has trials and tribulations in their personal life that 100 percent affect their swimming and everything that they’re doing. I kind of feel like it’s important for people to hear those stories.”

With some distance building from those painful memories of his father’s addiction and death, Miller remembers some key life-lessons he learned from watching his father’s mistakes: the importance of social awareness, the importance of distinguishing good decisions from bad ones and the consequences of not accepting criticism and help from others.

Even while discussing a serious topic like addiction, Miller used swimming and a fellow Indiana Olympic breaststroker, Lilly King, to make his point. King, Miller explained, is willing to accept feedback from swimmers slower than her in practice, and she listens when a coach tells her that maybe a burger from McDonalds isn’t the best food choice.

Yes, the repercussions of King breaking her diet would be far less significant than in Craig Miller’s situation, but Cody’s point stands: The only progress in sport or in life comes with a willingness to listen.

“There were numerous times over the course of my relationship with him, even when I was in college, that I tried to help him. The bottom line is his addiction was so bad that he wasn’t willing to accept help because he wasn’t there to help himself,” Miller said. “You have to be understanding that people want to help you because they want you to succeed, and you have to be coachable and be willing to accept that.”

WHAT MAKES CODY MILLER TICK

Miller remembers a moment not too long ago during his injury battle and the resulting struggles in the pool when a conversation with his wife made him reconsider some of his life decisions.

“Ali asked me, ‘Why are you still swimming?’” Miller recalled. “At the time, I legitimately couldn’t give her an

answer. I did not know. That was a really dark moment for me. I was like, ‘What the heck am I doing with my life?’”

relationship with the Sandpipers of Nevada, his home club in Las Vegas that he still represents at meets and occasionally visits.

Soon enough, Miller realized why that simple question, where Ali wasn’t trying to freak out her husband, made him panic: Because of his ongoing struggles and frustrations. So Miller thought deep down about what’s left for him in the sport after five full years of professional swimming.

“I look back at my career, and obviously I always had dreams of being an Olympic swimmer, but for the longest time, the reason that I swam was because I had friends and I had fun doing it,” Miller said. “And I think that should only be the driving force. No matter what age you are, I really believe that.

“Number one, first and foremost, I want to see how much farther I can take it. I want to see if I can get any faster.

Can I go another best time at 27 years old?” Miller said.

“Can I make another Olympic team?

I don’t know. Can I set another record? I don’t know, but we’re going to see. The important thing is I’m enjoying the journey I’m on to get to those moments.”

Secondly, Miller stated, he wants help create a world where professional swimmers can thrive. He sees ongoing events like the new FINA Champions Series and the forthcoming International Swimming League as key markers in the sport’s growth, and he mentioned a FINA athlete panel meeting at the recent Champions Series meet in Indianapolis, where top FINA officials listened to swimmer thoughts and criticisms, as “just one small step in the right direction.”

“You might want to win gold medals, and you might want to be a successful swimmer, but if you don’t enjoy the process, guess what, you’re not doing it for the right reasons.” 

Miller added, “I want to look back in 20 or 30 years at the time when I was swimming and say, ‘Man, that really sucked because we were not doing nearly as well as swimmers are doing now.’”

And then, on a much smaller level, Miller hopes to help swimmers remember that swimming is supposed to be fun. He admits that training can be a grind, but he has strived to remind swimmers the importance positive team energy and goofing off in order to maintain some level of enjoyment through the process.

Miller has numerous vehicles of conveying that message of positivity: Through his YouTube channel, at swim clinics around the country, at Indiana Swim Camp and through his own SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE CHANGES NAME TO U.S. OLYMPIC & PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE

T

he United States Olympic Committee has formally changed its name to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee – a change celebrating the athletes of Team USA and the Paralympic Movement in the United States. The USOPC board of directors unanimously approved the change in its quarterly meeting.

“This is a proud day for Paralympic and Olympic sport in the United States and a change that is representative of our organization’s commitment to inclusivity,” said USOPC Chair Susanne Lyons. “While the name is new, our dedication to Paralympics is an established value – evidenced by the number of Paralympic athletes who receive support and by the strength of the U.S. Paralympic Team. The worldclass Paralympic athletes – and staff who support them – deserve this recognition as outstanding representatives of Team USA.” The name change is effective immediately as seen through updated marks on social and digital platforms. Physical changes to signage at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Centers, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Sites, U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and all associated properties will be made as soon as possible with a goal of completion in 2020. Additionally, the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame will be renamed the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame.

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“This change is about more than an organizational name. To me this means that Paralympic athletes are fully included, embraced and celebrated by the USOPC,” said four-time Paralympian Oksana Masters. “I have personally felt the growing support for Paralympic athletes and the Paralympic Movement by this organization. I am so proud to represent the U.S. in competition – and this allows me to take similar pride as a member of Team USA.” “The decision to change the organization’s name represents a continuation of our long-standing commitment to create an inclusive environment for Team USA athletes,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “Paralympic athletes are integral to the makeup of Team USA, and our mission to inspire current and future generations of Americans. The new name represents a renewed commitment to that mission and the ideals that we seek to advance, both here at home and throughout the worldwide Olympic and Paralympic movements.”

American athletes have represented the United States in the Paralympic Games starting with the Rome 1960 Games where 24 athletes competed. Most recently, Team USA delivered a record-setting performance at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 with a delegation of 73 athletes earning 36 medals.

“This is a historic moment for the Paralympic Movement in the United States,” said Andrew Parsons, president

of the International Paralympic Committee. “To see the USOPC make this inclusive statement by changing its name demonstrates the true parallel nature of the Olympic and Paralympic movements. This change lays a strong foundation to transform the Paralympic Movement as we look toward the Los Angeles Games in 2028 and beyond.”

As part of the USOPC’s ongoing effort to elevate the Paralympic Movement and support for athletes, on Sept.

21, 2018, the board voted to increase monetary awards for medal-earning U.S. Paralympic athletes to equal those made to medal-earning U.S. Olympic athletes. With this decision, Operation Gold Awards for U.S. Paralympians were increased by as much as 400 percent. U.S. Paralympians who earned a medal at the PyeongChang 2018 Games received retroactive payments for their performances and the award parity will be reflected in every Games moving forward.

The nonprofit USOPC is one of only four organizations in the world to manage both Olympic and Paralympic sport at the national level – and the first to include the distinction in its official name and marks. U.S. Paralympics, a division of the USOPC, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic Movement and promoting excellence in the lives of people with disabilities. Additionally, U.S. Paralympics serves as the National Governing Body for six Paralympic sports.

One of five constituent councils to serve as a source of advice and opinion to the USOPC board and staff, the Paralympic Advisory Council is charged with enhancing Paralympic programming and resources, while providing vision to advance Paralympic sport in the United States. Established in 2011, the PAC today adjusted its composition to include representatives from the USOPC board, Athletes’ Advisory Council, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation, LA 2028 and IPC. ABOUT THE USOPC

Founded in 1894 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee serves as both the National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee for the United States. The USOPC is focused on protecting, supporting and empowering America’s athletes, and is responsible for fielding U.S. teams for the Olympic, Paralympic, Youth Olympic, Pan American and Parapan American Games, and serving as the steward of the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the U.S. For more information, visit TeamUSA.org. The preceding press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee.

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SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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KATINKA HOSSZU, VLADIMIR MOROZOV TO LEAD TEAM IRON ROSTER FOR INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE

by Andy Ross

H

ungary’s Katinka Hosszu and Russia’s Vladimir Morozov will be leading Team Iron for the inaugural season of the International Swimming League (ISL) this fall.

Dorina Szekeres is the general manager for the team that includes swimmers from Europe and Jamaica. She swam at the 2012 Olympic Games for Hungary and swam collegiately at Indiana University from 2011-2015. Olympic medalists Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Maddie Groves and Pieter Timmers are also on the team.

Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson is on the roster as well and expressed gratitude over the new league because she believes it will keep people in the sport long. Atkinson is now 30 and mentioned it would be beneficial to swimmers so “we can have more Nicholas Santos’s in the sport.” Atkinson also expressed her excitement over getting the chance to swim on relays with people since she does not get that opportunity for Jamaica in international competitions.

Team Iron is one of eight clubs that will compete in the ISL this fall and will start October 18 in Lewisville, Texas. The team will be competing with the LA Current, London Roar and the NY Breakers in Texas. The competition schedule can be viewed here. The season will culminate in December at a custom-built pool in the heart of Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

The roster is not yet complete, but it can be viewed as it currently stands:.

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Women’s Roster Veronika Andrusenko, RUS Alia Atkinson, JAM Kim Busch, NED Kimberly Buys, BEL Maddie Groves, AUS Katinka Hosszu, HUN Zsuzsanna Jakabos, HUN Ajna Kesely, HUN Ranomi Kromowidjojo, NED Jenna Laukkanen, FIN Fanny LeCluyse, BEL Mie Nielsen, DEN Kira Toussaint, NED Jessica Vall, ESP Men’s Roster Richard Bohus, HUN Henrik Christiansen, NOR Jeremy Desplances, SUI Robert Glinta, ROU Dominik Kozma, HUN Kristof Milak, HUN Vladimir Morozov, RUS Ross Murdoch, GBR Peter Stevens, SLO Sebastian Szabo, HUN Pieter Timmers, BEL David Verraszto, HUN 

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

> KATINKA HOSSZU

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

> MICHAEL ANDREW

MICHAEL ANDREW, LIA NEAL AND JACOB PEBLEY AMONG THE STARS OF ISL’S NEW YORK BREAKERS

by David Rieder

W

ith his mother Tina Andrew in place as general manager of the International Swimming League’s New York Breakers, it’s no surprise to see Michael Andrew on the roster for that team. He will be joined by two swimmers who swam on the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, sprinter Lia Neal and backstroker Jacob Pebley.

The roster is highlighted by veteran German breaststroker Marco Koch, the 2015 World Champion in the 200 breast, as well as Brazilian sprinters Pedro Spajari and Marcelo Cherighini and Australian backstroker Madison Wilson.

“To be a part of it, I’m extremely blessed,” Michael Andrew said. “I’ve been known with doing things very differently.

I started swimming pro as a 14-year-old. I think the ISL is doing the same, following a very untraditional path. I’m just excited to see where it’s going to go because it’s going to be massive.”

While most of the American teams featured predominatly U.S.-based rosters, the Breakers will be much different with only three swimmers with U.S. Olympic experience: Pebley, Neal and breaststroker Breeja Larson. The Breakers are the only American team with a heavy Australian contingent, including Wilson, Clyde Lewis and Jack McLoughlin.

In an interesting twist, all three DeLoof sisters: Ali, Catie and Gabby, all Michigan graduates now swimming professionally.

The only other American on the roster is breaststroker Emily Escobedo.

Women’s Roster Haley Black Ali DeLoof Catie DeLoof Gabby DeLoof Emily Escobedo Reva Foos Lara Grangeon Breeja Larson Lia Neal Emily Overholt Alys Thomas Madison Wilson Men’s Roster Michael Andrew Marcelo Cherighini Mack Darragh Joao de Lucca Jonathan Gomez Marco Koch Marius Kusch Clyde Lewis Justin Lynch Jack McLoughlin Jacob Pebley Christopher Reid Pedro Spajari Brad Tandy Markus Thormeyer  SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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ADAM PEATY, CATE CAMPBELL HIGHLIGHT INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE’S LONDON ROAR

by Andy Ross

S

wimming superstars Adam Peaty and Cate Campbell will be headlining the London Roar team out of the newly minted International Swimming League. The team features some of the best swimmers from Australia and Europe.

1984 Olympic bronze medalist Rob Woodhouse is the general manager of the team and will have a strong team of 30 athletes from Australia, Europe and Canada. Olympic gold medalists Mireia Belmonte, Kyle Chalmers and Emma McKeon are also on the team that will start competing in the new ISL this fall.

“I’m really excited to be joining the ISL. As a new grad and professional athlete, the timing couldn’t be better for me,” said Brazil’s Vini Lanza in a press conference held by the ISL on Tuesday.

“I’m really encouraged by everyone, my fellow partners in London Roar, and my competitors, to train really hard and to compete at the highest level. With only seven matches in the fall, there’s no time to break. We all got to be ready to take the challenge on and I’m so proud and excited to be joining a roster that has so many great athletes.”

Woodhouse noted in the press conference Tuesday that he wanted to pick up swimmers like Lanza and Sydney Pickrem, who have the valuable experience of swimming in a teambased atmosphere. Lanza and Pickrem both finished their careers at Indiana and Texas A&M respectively and will be important assets for the London-based team.

London Roar is one of eight clubs that will compete in the ISL this fall. They will start competing October 18 in Lewisville, Texas. The team will be swimming in that event with the LA Current, New York Breakers, and Team Iron. The competition schedule can be viewed here. The season will culminate in December at a custom-built pool in the heart of Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

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Women’s Roster Minna Atherton, AUS Holly Barratt, AUS Mireia Belmonte, ESP Bronte Campbell, AUS Cate Campbell, AUS Jess Hansen, AUS Holly Hibbott, GBR Boglarka Kapas, HUN Emma McKeon, AUS Taylor McKeown, AUS Siobhan O’Connor, GBR Jeanette Ottesen, DEN Sydney Pickrem, CAN Sarah Vasey, GBR Marie Wattel, FRA Men’s Roster Peter Bernek, HUN Kyle Chalmers, AUS Christian Diener, GER Alex Graham, AUS Guilherme Guido, BRA James Guy, GBR Yuri Kisil, CAN Finlay Knox, CAN Vini Lanza, BRA Cameron McEvoy, AUS Adam Peaty, GBR Kirill Prigoda, RUS Duncan Scott, GBR Matt Wilson, AUS Elijah Winnington, AUS 

[ PHOTO BY: GIORGIO SCALA - DEEPBLUEMEDIA ]

> ADAM PEATY

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

> NATHAN ADRIAN

RYAN MURPHY, KATHLEEN BAKER HEADLINE ROSTER FOR ISL’S LOS ANGELES CURRENT

by David Rieder

L

enny Krayzelburg, who swept gold medals in the 100 and 200 back at the 2000 Olympics, has led the Los Angeles Current of the International Swimming League as general manager, and he has added two new American backstroke stars to his team. The world record-holders in the men’s and women’s 100 back, Ryan Murphy and Kathleen Baker, respectively, will headline Krayzelburg’s team.

Murphy swept gold in the 100 and 200 back at the 2016 Olympics while later breaking the world record in the 100 back, and Baker broke the world record in the 100 back last summer. Murphy’s predecessor as 100 back Olympic gold medalist, Matt Grevers, is also on the roster, as is Chase Kalisz, the Olympic silver medalist in the 400 IM and the 2017 World Champion in both the 200 and 400 IM. “I’m so excited for ISL to get up and running. It’s been cool to be involved behind the scenes. I remember the first time meeting (ISL founder) Konstantine (Gregorishin) and (ISL CEO) Ali Khan last August. As they pitched this idea to me, their question was, ‘Do you think athletes are going to want to do this?’ My reaction right away was, ‘Yes,'” Murphy said.

“I’m really excited to be on Lenny’s team. I think we’ve put together a great roster, and I can’t wait to go for the championship.”

Additional members of the 2016 Olympic team joining Krayzelburg’s LA Current roster include Jack Conger, Ryan Held, Blake Pieroni, Josh Prenot, Tom Shields and Leah Smith.

Aside from a strong contingent of backstrokers, Krayzelburg’s team is covered for sprint and middle-distance freestyle across both men’s and women’s events as well as butterfly,

and Prenot, Felipe Lima and Will Licon will provide some coverage in breaststroke.

Women’s Roster Kathleen Baker Amy Bilquist Jhennifer Conceicao Ella Eastin Beryl Gastadello Margo Geer Annie Lazor Katie McLaughlin Andi Murez Farida Osman Leah Smith Kendyl Stewart Aly Tetzloff Men’s Roster Nathan Adrian Michael Chadwick Dylan Carter Jack Conger Matt Grevers Ryan Held Chase Kalisz Will Licon Felipe Lima Ryan Murphy Blake Pieroni Josh Prenot Andrew Seliskar Tom Shields  SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE’S CALI CONDORS LED BY LILLY KING, OLIVIA SMOLIGA

by Daniel D'Addona

T

he Cali Condors of the International Swimming League (ISL) announced its roster during a league press conference on Tuesday. Jason Lezak is the GM of the Condors and his team is lead by Lilly King and Olivia Smoliga.

“I am really happy to be a part of this,” Lezak said. “I swam for 15 years as a professional and we never had anything like this. “We’re excited to bring together a roster of the best swimmers in the world and we think we’re going to be one of the most competitive teams in the league. I can’t wait to see my old teammates on the pool deck — and bring some trophies back home.”

King is happy to represent the Condors.

“I am super excited to be joining the Condors,” King said.

“Our first meet is in Indianapolis and it is really cool that I get to do that close to home. The league is really going to change how we view swimming.”

Smoliga agreed, and was already looking forward to racing.

“I have looked up to Jason for years, so I am really honored to be a part of his team,” Smoliga said. “Jason put a great team together and we are the team to beat.”

In addition to Lilly King and Olivia Smoliga, the roster also includes, Mallory Comerford, Kelsi Dahlia, Hali Flickinger, Molly Hannis, Natalie Hines, Anton Ipsen, Natalie Hines, Mitch Larkin, Melanie Margalis, Kylee Masse, Justin Ress, Jan Switkowski, Mark Szaranek, Ariarne Titmus and Andrew Wilson.

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The Full Roster Bowen Becker, USA Jack Cartwright, AUS Nic Fink, USA Townley Haas, USA Anton Ipsen, DEN Radosław Kawęcki, POL Mitch Larkin, AUS Kacper Majchrzak, POL Justin Ress, USA John Shebat, USA Jan Świtkowski, POL Mark Szaranek, GBR Andrew Wilson, USA Mallory Comerford, USA Kelsi Dahlia, USA Hali Flickinger, USA Natalie Hinds, USA Molly Hannis, USA Shayna Jack, AUS Lilly King, USA Melanie Margalis, USA Kylie Masse, CAN Olivia Smoliga, USA Ariarne Titmus, AUS Kelsey Wog, CAN 

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

> LILLY KING

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

> KATIE LEDECKY

KATIE LEDECKY TOPS A TALENTED D.C. TRIDENT TEAM FOR INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE

T

by Daniel D'Addona

he D.C. Trident of the International Swimming League (ISL) announced its roster during a league press conference on Tuesday. General Manager Kaitlin Sandeno has plenty of talent on her roster, led by Katie Ledecky.

“Of course, I am absolutely thrilled to have Katie Ledecky on the D.C. Trident roster, not only for her speed, but her leadership. It is great to know D.C. has her representing her tri-state area,” Sandeno told Swimming World. “I am so thrilled to be able to break ceilings and empower these strong female athletes. This is a time where female sports are on the rise. I take a lot of pride in the strength of this league supporting the equality and it was something I really wanted to do.”

Sandeno was looking for strong leadership from her entire roster, but especially having strong female leaders and role models, which she achieved with Ledecky, Natalie Coughlin as well as Siobhan Haughey, Anika Apostalon, Lisa Bratton, Bethany Galat, Sarah Gibson, Madison Kennedy, Brianna Throssell and Sian Whittaker.

“I think it is a great opportunity for professional swimmers to come together and race together,” said Haughey, who set three Hong Kong national records this week at the Mare Nostrum Series. “The team format allows people from all over the world to be on the same team and get to know each other. It seems like a very cool concept. A lot of people are excited for it, swimmers and swimming fans.”

On the men’s side, Sandeno has a group of strong leaders as well, led by Cody Miller, Abrahm DeVine, Ian Finnerty, Kevin Cordes, Jay Litherland and Andreas Vazaios, as well as Zach Apple, Zane Grothe, Zach Harting, Tristan Hollard, Gabriel Santos, Giles Smith and Jeremy Stravius.

“I am really proud not only of the strength that we have in our

swimmers, but the leadership. We have Olympic legends and world champions and bright stars of the future, representing five continents. It is really incredible to see all of these individuals with their different personalities. They have so much to offer on so many levels,” Sandeno said.

Women Anika Apostalon, CZE Lisa Bratton, USA Natalie Coughlin, USA Bethany Galat, USA Sarah Gibson, USA Siobhan Haughey, HKG Madison Kennedy, USA Katie Ledecky, USA Brianna Throssell, AUS Sian Whittaker, AUS Men Zach Apple, USA Kevin Cordes, USA Abrahm DeVine, USA Ian Finnerty, USA Zane Grothe, USA Zach Harting, USA Tristan Hollard, AUS Jay Litherland, USA Cody Miller, USA Gabriel Santos, BRA Giles Smith, USA Jeremy Stravius, FRA Andreas Vazaios, GRE  SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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REDEFINING TAPER TO ENGAGE BOTH THE BRAIN AND BODY

by Claire Alongi

S

wimming is a very physical sport, but that’s certainly not all. Just as much rides on an athlete’s mental training when it comes to their prowess in the pool. Sure, it helps to have height or longer arms. But that will only take a swimmer so far. A swimmer’s mind must also be highly trained to succeed. From taper to everyday practices and juggling the balance of swimming and life, a strong mental outlook is key.

So how does this apply to taper? Think back to the grueling seasons when you couldn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Tests and papers piled up on top of exhausting practices while the cold and grey of winter lowered your spirits. Only one thing kept you going – knowing that taper would be around the corner. Practices end earlier and you leave with some extra energy. Your focus begins to falter as you’ve started to check out a bit mentally. It’s taper time – what is there to worry about? The very word carries connotations that may be more detrimental than helpful for both the athletes and coaches. But what if there was a better way to approach it?

How Do We Define Taper?

In swimming, like a lot of sports, mental focus especially comes into light around competitions. It’s particularly a topic around bigger meets where a conference or national title is at stake. Often, coaches incorporate some kind of mental training into their version of taper. To swimmers, taper often carries associations akin to, “Finally I won’t feel like my legs are going to fall off after every practice!” Taper is the time leading up to a big meet when workouts are not only typically more focused on race-specific scenarios but also shorter to ensure proper recovery.

Cameron Taggesell, a rising junior and swimmer at Willamette

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University, saw taper as something to look forward to and also a time to look back: “To me, taper is anticipation. It’s a signal that I am approaching a goal that I’ve been working towards all season long. Sure, I see it as ‘easy’ practices and a break [from] the physical pain that’s endured at all other practices, but it’s also a time to reflect on how far I’ve come and reinforce my determination to do well at our large meet.”

Willamette Head Coach Brent Summers defines taper as “coming down in volume and intensity and increasing rest.”

Finding a New Point of View Many swimmers might take the term “taper” for granted.

But this past winter, when it came time for Willamette University Swimming to begin their taper, swimmers got a bit of a surprise. Summers announced that the pre-conference training would be called “peak performance phase” instead of taper.

Taggesell noted that when Summers made the announcement,

she had a little “chuckle.” She wasn’t alone in her initial skepticism. Summers did notice a few eye-rolls when he made the change, but he had a very specific reason for his decision – it had to do with both the mental and physical aspects of swimming.

He had recently stumbled across an article about retired University of Alabama swim coach Dennis Purley, who began to use “peak performance phase” to replace taper. He felt that taper had begun to solely be associated with the word “rest.” Summers developed a similar stance: “I thought about how I used to think of taper – as a swimmer and coach – and what it meant and how I believe the team saw that portion of our training. I saw how that as we got toward that time of the season, the talk shifted to ‘I can’t wait until we rest’ but didn’t really focus on ‘I can’t wait until we swim fast.’”

Getting Used to the New Normal Summers defines peak performance as “increasing focus on the little things [like] streamlines, breakouts, turns etc., and fine-tuning the stroke while keeping intensity up high to get to body prepared to swim fast.”

Taggesell realized that the name and focus change had some merit. While Summers put emphasis on even the smallest technical aspects, he also wanted swimmers to imagine themselves swimming fast, warming-up, walking to the blocks and diving in.

“My second reaction was an acknowledgement that framing matters. I think that the name has a lot of potential to change a lot of athletes’ mentalities toward big-race-day preparations,” she said.

Taking Mental Focus Beyond the Big Meet (and Out of the Pool) Mental focus is not something that just comes and goes

when a meet ends. Just like the body, the brain needs to be constantly trained. Outside of visualizations on the pool deck, activities like meditation and yoga can help you keep up your mental game even when you’re out of season.

Swimming is demanding. From morning workouts to dryland, it’s no wonder swimmers have the reputation of being almost married to the sport. Taggesell elaborates on how mental training has positively impacted different parts of her life: “I think [mindfulness] has affected me positively during normal practices and even in my classes and work, because it’s more prevalent in my thoughts. For instance, when preparing for a big test or final, I feel a lot of the same nerves that I get before a big race. Having a mental approach to racing has actually made me a stronger and more confident test taker because I can fall back on the same type of self-talk that I use for swimming.”

Moving (or Swimming) Forward Summers and Purley are far from alone in their quest to bring mentality on par with physicality. Websites like Sports Psychology and Peak Performance Sports are almost wholly devoted to the mental aspect of athletics. An article in Psychology Today discusses ways to change your mental outlook. While not directly intended specifically for swimming, its suggestions can apply to any life situation.

Looking to the future, Summers wants to incorporate some of the techniques from peak performance into regular training: “Next season, I want to expand our use of mental focus and visualization to be a season-long thing and not just a month’s worth as we prep for [Northwest Conference] Championships.

You can train your mind just like you can train your body.

Visualizing yourself succeeding, however you define it – swimming fast, beating a personal best, beating a season best, executing a race strategy, etc. – those mental reps count.”  SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY

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by James Sica

B

asketball star LeBron James is helping teach children to swim, with some major help from Olympian Simone Manuel, according to a recent feature on ESPN.com.

100 free at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and has since partnered with the USA Swimming Foundation and the Make a Splash campaign to promote water safety for kids.

The program is part of Lebron James’ I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, which hosted their first-ever week-long summer camp focused entirely on swimming. A group of 140 third and fourth graders participated, with 125 of the attendees having never set foot in water before. Each day started with a video message from Manuel, who had also made a visit to the school in March to help announce the program.

As noted in the article, according to the CDC two children under the age of 14 die from drowning every day in the United States. Additionally, the article notes that 64% of AfricanAmerican, 45% of Hispanic/Latino, and 40% of Caucasian children have little to no swimming ability.

Manuel stressed the importance of not only water safety, but accessibility for the students involved: “It’s about bringing swimming into a space where it may not be accessible and allowing those children to learn how to swim and save their lives,” she said, adding “it’s really exciting knowing that this is the first time that these children are getting in the pool and playing in the water and getting their first pair of goggles and [maybe] swimsuits.”

Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an individual medal in swimming when she won the 40

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“I would love to see more minorities in the sport of swimming,” Manuel added, noting that visibility is a key part of not only saving lives, but getting more people involved in the sport.

“Often, African-American children don’t see themselves as swimmers. They see themselves as basketball players or volleyball players or track stars. Introducing the sport of swimming to them not only saves their lives but allows themselves to see the possibility of becoming an Olympic champion like myself. It [could] open the door for a college scholarship in a sport that maybe they didn’t feel like was for them.” 

[ PHOTO BY: PETER H. BICK ]

LEBRON JAMES LAUNCHES SWIM CAMP WITH HELP FROM SIMONE MANUEL

PARTING SHOT

An underwater view as USA Synchro performs a routine.

[Photo Courtesy: Liz Corman Photography and USA Synchro]

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