SW Biweekly February 7, 2022 Issue

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CONTENTS 008 FINA TO STAGE “EXTRAORDINARY” WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BUDAPEST IN JUNE; FOUR GLOBAL MEETS IN FOUR YEARS

by Liz Byrnes FINA will stage an “extraordinary” World Championships in Budapest in June to make it four major global meets in as many years through 2025. It follows the postponement of the Fukuoka Worlds which were scheduled for May 2022 but which have now been pushed back to July 2023 because of the ongoing pandemic with the Doha edition switched to January 2024 to start the Olympic year.

010 FINA CONFIRMS FUKUOKA WORLDS RESCHEDULED FOR JULY 2023; DOHA EDITION SWITCHED TO JANUARY 2024

by Liz Byrnes The 19th World Championships were initially scheduled for May 2022, but following consultation between FINA and the Fukuoka 2022 Organizing Committee, all parties agreed to delay the meet in order to “ensure a safe and successful event for everyone involved,” given the impact of the Omicron COVID variant. Consequently, the Fukuoka Worlds will be held in July 2023 and the Doha Worlds, originally scheduled for November 2023, were moved to January 2024.

011 ISL ANNOUNCES SEASON 4 SCHEDULE, KICKING OFF IN NORTH AMERICA The ISL Season 4, 2022 schedule features a regular season consisting of 15 matches from June 3-Oct. 2, followed by a “wild card” match shortly thereafter. The regular season will see 10 ISL teams competing in North America and Europe. The Season 4 Final is planned for the last week of December at a location still to be confirmed.

012 USA SWIMMING RELEASES NEW TRANSGENDER ATHLETE POLICY; EVIDENCE OF MITIGATION REQUIRED

by Dan D’Addona In response to the growing awareness regarding gender inclusion and equity, USA Swimming released its new Athlete Inclusion, Competitive Equity and Eligibility Policy. The organization has and will continue to champion gender equity and the inclusivity of all cisgender and transgender women and their rights to participate in sport, while also fervently supporting competitive equity at elite levels of competition.

014 HOW NEW USA SWIMMING RULES MAY APPLY TO LIA THOMAS AND THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS

by David Rieder After USA Swimming released its new transgender athlete participation policy, questions immediately turned to how this action would affect NCAA competition and, specifically, the upcoming Women’s NCAA Championships. Following the letter of the law around this new rule, a transgender athlete such as Penn’s Lia Thomas would almost surely be unable to compete at NCAAs, but there are several possible loopholes that may allow her to compete after all.

016 PENN TEAMMATES EXPRESS “FULL SUPPORT” FOR LIA THOMAS

by Matthew De George Members of the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swimming and diving team recently released a statement in support of transgender teammate Lia Thomas. Although it wasn’t specifically signed by any number of athletes, the statement appears to reflect a broad swath of the Quakers’ team. The statement counterbalances reported criticism from teammates or parents, all of it being voiced anonymously, objecting to Thomas’ participation.

018 UNLIKE NCAA AND ITS COWARDLY APPROACH, USA SWIMMING DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP WITH NEW TRANSGENDER POLICY

by John Lohn In this commentary, USA Swimming deserves applause for its recent actions and how it has handled the current dilemma of transgender participation. The organization took a brave stance. It didn’t hide. It didn’t defer to another group, as the NCAA did earlier. It protected fairness for its female members.

020 A VICTIM OF DOPING, ALLISON WAGNER DESERVES GREATER RECOGNITION

by John Lohn American Allison Wagner set a SCM world record in the 200 IM in 1993 that lasted nearly 15 years. However, through no fault of her own, she never won a gold medal at the Olympics or long course World Championships. At the 1994 Worlds in Rome and 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the medley master collected three silver medals, each time finishing behind opponents suspected of doping.

022 SIPHIWE BALEKA: “I FELT BETRAYED BY MY SPORT AND FINA” AFTER OLYMPIC SNUB

by Matthew De George Guinea-Bissau swimmer Siphiwe Baleka said he felt “betrayed” by FINA after his appeal to swim for his adopted country at the Tokyo Olympics last summer was denied. Baleka was bidding to become the oldest male Olympic swimmer in history at 50 years of age.

023 REPORTS: WINTER OLYMPICS APP HAS SERIOUS FLAWS; ATHLETE PERSONAL SECURITY AT RISK

by Dan D’Addona The 2022 Beijing Olympics smartphone app— MY2022—that Olympic athletes will use to report health and travel data reportedly has some serious issues. The app’s intention is to track COVID-19 data and possible outbreaks prior to and during the Winter Games to keep athletes from bringing the virus into the general population.

024 MOTIVATED FOR MORE

by David Rieder Canada’s Kylie Masse remains on her run of nearly unprecedented, sustained success in the 100 back after having also developed into an elite 200 backstroker. Her track record lends credence to the idea that Masse will remain a strong international medal contender for the years to come.

028 MADDIE MUSSELMAN SHINES AT UCSB WINTER INVITE

by Lauren Mattice Twelve women’s water polo teams kicked off their water polo season at the 2022 UCSB Winter Invite in Santa Barbara, Calif., with none better than No. 3-ranked UCLA, which finished the tournament undefeated.

Olympian Maddie Musselman led the Bruins with 14 goals on 20 shots (.700 percentage), five assists, 10 steals and 19 total points.

030 CATE CAMPBELL PLANS TO SIT OUT COMMONWEALTH GAMES

by David Rieder As Australian sprinter Cate Campbell considers her future in the sport, the eight-time Olympic medalist decided she will not attend this summer’s Commonwealth Games.

031 CLAIRE CURZAN TAKES DOWN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL 100 BACK RECORD IN 50.47

by Chandler Brandes Claire Curzan, a senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School, N.C., broke Phoebe Bacon’s national high school record in the 100 yard back at the North Carolina 4A East Regional Championships in February.

032 KATE DOUGLASS BECOMES SECONDFASTEST WOMAN IN HISTORY IN 200 BREASTSTROKE AT CAVALIER INVITE

by David Rieder Versatile Virginia swimmer Kate Douglass, who won the 50 free at last year’s NCAAs and placed second in the 100 fly and 100 free, turned in a midseason performance of 2:03.14 in the 200 yard breaststroke to become history’s second fastest performer in the event.

034 USA SWIMMING CANCELS TYR PRO SWIM SERIES DES MOINES USA Swimming announced the cancellation of the 2022 TYR Pro Swim Series Des Moines, which was slated to take place March 2-5 at the MidAmerican Energy Aquatic Center at the Wellmark YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa.

035 HOW THEY TRAIN BAILEY HARTMAN

by Michael J. Stott

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On the cover: Kylie Masse by Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

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FINA to Stage “Extraordinary” World Championships In Budapest in June; Four Global Meets in Four Years

BY LIZ BYRNES

F

INA will stage an “extraordinary” World Championships in Budapest in June to make it four major global meets in as many years through 2025.

It follows the postponement of the Fukuoka Worlds which were scheduled for May 2022 but which have now been pushed back to July 2023 because of the ongoing pandemic with the Doha edition switched to January 2024 to start the Olympic year.

With the announcement, it means there will be significant international competitions in June 2022, July 2023, January 2024 and July 2025.

agreement for Hungary’s capital city to hold a FINA World Championships from June 18-July 3, 2022.

“The agreement ensures athletes have a global aquatics championship to target in the summer of 2022. The agreement was reached after approval from the FINA Bureau today.

“FINA and key stakeholders of the Fukuoka 2022 Organising Committee jointly agreed last week to move the FINA World Championships from May 13-29, 2022 to July 14-30, 2023 due to the current health impacts of the Omicron COVID-19 variant and the pandemic measures currently in place in Japan.”

The showcase meet at the Duna Arena in the Hungarian capital will run from June 18-July 3 and means the USA and the likes of Brazil – who otherwise were looking at a blank calendar until June 2023 – have a major international meet to target.

Al-Musallam said:

However, it raises questions for some with the Budapest meet ending on July 3 and the Commonwealth Games – featuring Australia, Canada, South Africa and the British who compete as the home nations – starting on July 29 in Birmingham.

“We know we need to be imaginative in our approach in navigating through the current health crisis for our athletes.

Today’s agreement is a testament to this work.

The European Championships will then be held in Rome from August 11.

The International Swimming League has also announced season 4 will kick off in North America on June 3 and run through Dec. 22.

In a press release, FINA said: “The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and FINA President Husain Al-Musallam today announced an 8

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“As an aquatics community, we are finding solutions around the pandemic and today’s announcement is an important step in this process.

“FINA also recognises that the pandemic is evolving differently according to time and place. We are extremely fortunate to have event hosts that share our passion for aquatics and have the willingness, capability and flexibility to organise FINA’s most prestigious event. We are deeply grateful to all our hosts and know that aquatics athletes feel the same way.

“With four FINA World Championships and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games over the next four years, we are maximising the racing opportunities and earnings potential for established and emerging aquatics athletes alike.'” ◄

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FINA Confirms Fukuoka Worlds Rescheduled for July 2023; Doha Edition Switched to January 2024

BY LIZ BYRNES

F

INA has confirmed the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, have been rescheduled for July 2023 with the Doha, Qatar, edition pushed back to January 2024.

The 19th Worlds were initially scheduled for May 2022, but following consultation between the world federation and the Fukuoka 2022 Organizing Committee, all parties agreed to delay the meet in order to “ensure a safe and successful event for everyone involved,” given the impact of the Omicron COVID variant.

The 20th World Championships in Doha – originally scheduled for November 2023 – will now be held in January 2024 at the start of the Olympic year raising the prospect of two world titles and an Olympic Games in the space of 12 months.

Details of the specific dates the event will be held in Doha will be announced soon.

Three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty responded on social media, saying: “Disappointed that @fina1908 World Championships has been delayed 14 months but it is what it is. Still working my hardest towards Birmingham Commonwealth Games in July then onto European Championships in Rome.”

He went on to ask: “Does there need to be 3 World/Olympic Championships within 12 months though? Could be a good opportunity for @fina1908 to try something new within that time frame.”

FINA President Husain Al-Musallam said: “Given the current pandemic situation and the measures currently in place in Japan, FINA and key stakeholders of the Fukuoka 2022 Organising Committee have agreed to reschedule the 19th FINA World Championships to 14-30 July 2023.

“The 20th FINA World Championships in Doha, Qatar, will

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now take place in January 2024. These decisions have been taken in the best interests of everyone involved.

“FINA will continue to prioritise the welfare of competition participants and take decisions as early as possible given the circumstances, in order to provide a measure of certainty to aquatics athletes and those who support them.”

Revised dates for the FINA General and Technical Congresses and the World Masters Championships will be announced in the near future.

So too will the world body announced an updated calendar for 2022 in the light of the ISL last week announcing a competition that will run from June-December.

British Swimming also responded with CEO Jack Buckner saying: “We respect and support the decision to reschedule the World Championships in Fukuoka in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation and the continuing impacts and complications it brings to major international events.

“While major spectacles such as a World Aquatics Championships brings our brilliant sports to the fore and provides a priceless platform on which our athletes can shine, the health and wellbeing of everyone involved in and outside of our sports remains of paramount importance.

“At British Swimming, our athletes, coaches and staff have shown time and again over the past two years that they can be versatile and adaptable in difficult circumstances, and this is another moment where I am sure those qualities will come to the fore.

British Swimming Associate Performance Director Tim Jones added: “While this is disappointing news, our athletes and coaches have shown incredible agility these past two years – and we have no doubt that they will adapt to these changes in a positive manner.◄

[ Photo by Mine Kaspoglu / ISL ]

T

ISL Announces Season 4 Schedule, Kicking Off in North America

he International Swimming League (ISL) announced today its preliminary 24-match schedule for Season 4, 2022, planned to kick off on June 3rd, 2022 in North America.

The ISL Season 4, 2022 schedule features a regular season consisting of 15 matches from June 3rd to October 2nd, followed by a “wild card” match shortly thereafter. The regular season will see 10 ISL teams competing in North America and Europe, with the exact locations to be announced shortly.

Season 4’s Play-offs will consist of 6 matches and a “wild card” match, with the top 8 ISL teams vying for the four places in the ISL Season 4 Final. The matches will take place in North America and the Asia Pacific region.

loyal fans, for their continued support.”

ABOUT THE ISL: The International Swimming League is the first global professional swimming team-based competition.

Founded in 2018, the league currently consists of 10 teams based in North America (Cali Condors, DC Trident, LA Current, NY Breakers and Toronto Titans), Europe (Italybased Aqua Centurions, Energy Standard, Hungary-based Iron, and the UK-based London Roar) and Asia (Tokyo Frog Kings). ◄

The ISL Season 4 Final is currently planned for the last week of December, at a location still to be confirmed.

Following a very successful Season 3, held once again in extremely challenging circumstances due to the ongoing global pandemic, the ISL aims to bring even more thrilling competitions to its fans this year. True to its reputation as a trailblazer in competitive swimming, the season will introduce new, exciting changes to its team-based competition format in Season 4.

Konstantin Grigorishin, the founder and President of the International Swimming League, said: “Last year we introduced ISL’s, and swimming’s, first ever Draft. This season we are preparing some very exciting innovations to our format, which will make ISL’s matches even more unpredictable. We also plan to expand our geographic reach and bring the ISL competitions to Asia for the first time. Our fans should stay tuned!”.

CEO, Konstantin Koudriaev, said: “We are delighted to announce our Season 4 schedule, and will focus on ensuring that the quality of ISL’s production matches the extraordinary performance of the ISL swimmers. We thank our broadcasting partners, sponsors and production partners, and of course, our BIWEEKLY

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USA Swimming Releases New Transgender Athlete Policy; Evidence of Mitigation Required

BY DAN D'ADDONA

I

n response to the growing awareness regarding gender inclusion and equity, USA Swimming has released a new policy concerning the topic.

This issue of transgender women competing in women’s sports has continued to grow in the past few months, mostly surrounding Penn swimmer Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete who competed for the Penn men’s team for three years before completing the required one year of “testosterone supression treatment” in order to be eligible to compete as a female.

While Thomas has continued to follow all of the rules, many have argued that her situation goes against equity in women’s competition. As a result, USA Swimming drafted new guidelines.

Here is what USA Swimming released as its policy: Following several months of internal work, critical stakeholder discussions, and medical and legal review, and in light of updated information regarding the Fédération Internationale de Natation’s (FINA) policy development, USA Swimming has elected to release its Athlete Inclusion, Competitive Equity and Eligibility Policy.

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This policy, effective immediately, is applicable only to USA Swimming athlete members and approved elite events as defined in the policy and will remain in place until the release of an elite policy by FINA. USA Swimming has and will continue to champion gender equity and the inclusivity of all cisgender and transgender women and their rights to participate in sport, while also fervently supporting competitive equity at elite levels of competition.

The development of the elite policy therefore acknowledges a competitive difference in the male and female categories and the disadvantages this presents in elite head-to-head competition. This is supported by statistical data that shows that the top-ranked female in 2021, on average, would be ranked 536th across all short course yards (25 yards) male events in the country and 326th across all long course meters (50 meters) male events in the country, among USA Swimming members. The policy therefore supports the need for competitive equity at the most elite levels of competition.

While recognizing the need for the aforementioned guidelines in elite competition, sport is an important vehicle for positive

physical and mental health, and, for this reason, USA Swimming remains steadfast in its continued commitment to greater inclusivity at the non-elite levels.

In order to balance these two priorities, specific guidelines have been developed for both non-elite and elite athletes and elite events. At the non-elite level, an inclusive process has been established by which an athlete can elect to change their competition category in order for them to experience the sport of swimming in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity and expression. At the elite level, a policy has been created for transgender athlete participation in the U.S. that relies on science and medical evidence-based methods to provide a level-playing field for elite cisgender women, and to mitigate the advantages associated with male puberty and physiology. Elite athletes shall include any athlete who has achieved a time standard and desires to participate in elite events as defined in the policy.

•

Evidence that the concentration of testosterone in the athlete’s serum has been less than 5 nmol/L (as measured by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) continuously for a period of at least thirtysix (36) months before the date of application.

Athletes will need to abide by USA Swimming’s Athlete Inclusion, Competitive Equity and Eligibility Policy to be eligible to set USA Swimming National Age-Group Records in the 13-14 age group and above or to be eligible to set an American Record, per the USA Swimming Rules & Regulations, in a competition category which is different than the gender assigned to the athlete at birth.

USA Swimming’s policy is not applicable to non-USA Swimming athlete members nor non-approved Elite events, as defined in the policy.

The elite athlete policy will be implemented by a decisionmaking panel comprised of three independent medical experts and eligibility criteria will consist of:

USA Swimming will continue to learn and to evaluate its policy, with a focus on balancing inclusion and equity, and will continue to work closely with FINA on global standards.

•

The complete policy, for both elite and non-elite athletes, which is part of the USA Swimming Operating Policy Manual, is available online at https://www.usaswimming. org/inclusion. ◄

Evidence that the prior physical development of the athlete as a male, as mitigated by any medical intervention, does not give the athlete a competitive advantage over the athlete’s cisgender female competitors.

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How New USA Swimming Rules May Apply to Lia Thomas and the NCAA Championships

BY DAVID RIEDER

A

fter USA Swimming released its new transgender athlete participation policy Tuesday, questions immediately turned to how this action would affect NCAA competition and, specifically, the upcoming Women’s NCAA Championships.

The NCAA recently switched its policy around transgender athletes by deferring to national governing bodies, and this latest update from USA Swimming is the first fleshed-out transgender policy released by the organization.

Following the letter of the law around this new rule, a transgender athlete such as Lia Thomas would almost surely be unable to compete at NCAAs, but it is unclear if the NCAA may allow Thomas to retain her eligibility because of the last-minute policy changes. If the NCAA were to immediately follow a strict version of USA Swimming’s new rule, no transgender athlete would be allowed to compete in the women’s category prior to showing that her concentration of testosterone in serum has been less than 5 nmol/L for a continuous period of 36 months. Thomas did not begin transitioning until the late spring of 2019.

However, there are several possible loopholes that may allow Thomas to compete after all. According to the NCAA’s January 20 release, the organization recommends “flexibility to allow for additional eligibility if a transgender student-athlete loses eligibility based on the policy change provided they meet the newly adopted standards.” That may mean that Thomas would only need to record a testosterone level matching USA Swimming’s 5 nmol/L at a point one month prior to the NCAA Championships to retain her eligibility, or it may mean that she would be grandfathered into this season’s NCAA Championships regardless of testosterone levels.

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Secondly, USA Swimming wrote in its release that its “policy is not applicable to non-USA Swimming athlete members nor non-approved Elite events, as defined in the policy.” It is unclear whether the NCAA Championships would fall under the category of an “elite” event (although the required qualification times are faster than USA Swimming’s standard for “elite”), and it is also unknown whether the policy would apply to Thomas since she is not a USA Swimming member, which the organization confirmed in December.

A spokesperson for the NCAA confirmed Wednesday that the Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) “will review this change at its next meeting and will make recommendations as it deems appropriate to the NCAA Board of Governors.” The NCAA reiterated that the transgender policy adopted January 19 remains in effect, and that policy indeed states that sport-specific policies must be approved by CSMAS and the Board of Governors.

The NCAA previously confirmed that it will not be changing its requirements for competing this season, so Thomas should remain eligible for the Ivy League Championships later this month.

According to the new USA Swimming rules, transgender athletes hoping to compete in women’s events would also have to provide “evidence that the prior physical development of the athlete as a male, as mitigated by any medical intervention, does not give the athlete a competitive advantage over the athlete’s cisgender female competitors.”

Final determination of eligibility would be made by a panel, but it is unclear if such a determination would be required to attain NCAA eligibility. ◄

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Penn Teammates Express ‘‘Full Support’’ for Lia Thomas

BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

M

embers of the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swimming and diving team this week released a statement in support of teammate Lia Thomas.

The statement was first reported by ESPN, and a copy of the full statement was provided to Swimming World. Though it wasn’t specifically signed by any number of athletes, the statement appears to reflect a broad swath of the Quakers’ team.

The statement: As members of the Penn Women’s Swimming and Diving team and teammates of Lia Thomas, we want to express our full support for Lia in her transition. We value her as a person, teammate, and friend. The sentiments put forward by an anonymous member of our team are not representative of

the feelings, values, and opinions of the entire Penn team, composed of 39 women with diverse backgrounds. We recognize this is a matter of great controversy and are doing our best to navigate it while still focusing on doing our best in the pool and classroom.

It is the closest to an on-the-record declaration of support as has come from the program. The Ivy League, various members and the University of Pennsylvania signaled their support for Thomas in January. Head coach Mike Schnur and members of the swim team have not granted interviews since the start of the season.

The statement counterbalances reported criticism from teammates or parents, all of it being voiced anonymously, objecting to Thomas’ participation. The swimmers’ support follows a statement from 16 law organizations at Penn in favor of Thomas’ right to compete, as well as comments made by American Olympian and Stanford All-American Brooke Forde.

Thomas, a senior on the women’s team, competed for three seasons on the men’s team before coming out as transgender and transitioning. She has followed the guidelines set forth by the NCAA and USA Swimming as to the required waiting periods before competing. Yet her presence on the roster and a fast fall in which she posted some of the top times in the nation in the women’s distance events has sparked a maelstrom of controversy and elicited reviews of policies regarding transgender athletes from various organizations. ◄

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Unlike NCAA and Its Cowardly Approach, USA Swimming Demonstrated Leadership With New Transgender Policy

BY JOHN LOHN

S

ometimes, it’s amazing how a single issue can prompt such dichotomous reactions. Not so much in the opinions possessed, for the United States – it can be argued – is as fractured as it has ever been. Rather, the stunning part is how two groups charged with leadership duties can go about their business in such distinct fashion.

With the NCAA Women’s Championships scheduled for Atlanta in mid-March, decisions and guideline adjustments required quick attention. The athletes involved – including Thomas – needed some clarity over the situation. For their parts, the NCAA and USA Swimming could not have carried themselves in more divergent fashion.

We saw an example in the past week. It was the NCAA vs.

USA Swimming in a battle of governing bodies and action.

In the simplest breakdown, the situation unfolded in the following manner.

Rare are the days here in early 2022 when the debate surrounding Lia Thomas and transgender participation in sports is not a primary topic. It has been a leading theme in the sport for two months, at the forefront of discussion due to Thomas’ transition to female, and her desire to compete as a member of the women’s program at the University of Pennsylvania.

The NCAA took a cowardly approach, unwilling to identify its own guidelines and bylaws for the participation of transgender athletes in collegiate sports, specifically maleto-female transitions. Instead of drafting its own policy – regardless of support – the NCAA ran away from a difficult situation, and ultimately revealed it would follow whatever policy was adopted by USA Swimming.

As soon as Thomas raced to a pair of nation-leading times in the 200 freestyle and 500 freestyle during an early-season invitational, the debate over fairness took off. How much of a boost would Thomas maintain from her male-puberty advantage? What about the spots – relay and travel team – she would take from biological females? How would organizing bodies rule on the issue of fairness, and when?

On the other side, USA Swimming – for the betterment of its members – took a proactive approach. After initially indicating it was working with FINA on a transgenderinclusion policy, USA Swimming didn’t sit back and wait.

With guts, it took a leading step forward and presented specific guidelines for how the organization would handle transgender-eligibility situations. In part, here is what USA

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Swimming decided in its new Athlete Inclusion, Competitive Equity and Eligibility Policy.

The elite athlete policy will be implemented by a decisionmaking panel comprised of three independent medical experts and eligibility criteria will consist of: • Evidence that the prior physical development of the athlete as a male, as mitigated by any medical intervention, does not give the athlete a competitive advantage over the athlete’s cisgender female competitors.

• Evidence that the concentration of testosterone in the athlete’s serum has been less than 5 nmol/L (as measured by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry) continuously for a period of at least thirty-six (36) months before the date of application.

One group cowered in the corner.

One organization led the way.

Look, there is no mystery where I stand on this issue. Since the debate ignited, the argument here has been that Thomas should not race at the Ivy League Championships or the NCAA Championships. While it is terrific that Thomas has embraced her true gender identity, her inherent advantages – testosterone development, physical differences, lung capacity, etc. – from male puberty have provided an undeniable edge over biological females.

From the start, this situation has been one about fairness – nothing more and nothing less. Of course, certain individuals have tried to peg those supporting biological females and their right to an equal playing field as transphobic. It is a goto approach. And USA Swimming, through its stringent new guidelines, has already been accused – in some articles and on social media – as taking an anti-trans stance.

No way. What USA Swimming did concerning this debate is place fairness at the center of the discussion. The governing body represents thousands of athletes and it needed to create bylaws that protected the opportunities of its biological females. Unlike the NCAA, it didn’t leave the decision in the hands of another group. It also ensured that the women’s sports category wasn’t ripped apart, but instead was recognized as important and deserving of respect. Meanwhile, at the nonelite level, USA Swimming noted that it would continue to foster involvement and participation of transgender athletes.

As USA Swimming developed its elite policy, it clearly performed considerable research and involved multiple stakeholders. It also provided evidence and details which emphasized why its action was necessary.

“The development of the elite policy therefore acknowledges a competitive difference in the male and female categories and the disadvantages this presents in elite head-to-head

competition,” the USA Swimming policy states. “This is supported by statistical data that shows that the top-ranked female in 2021, on average, would be ranked 536th across all short-course yards (25 yards) male events in the country and 326th across all long-course meters (50 meters) male events in the country, among USA Swimming members. The policy therefore supports the need for competitive equity at the most elite levels of competition.”

Once the USA Swimming decision was rendered, leading women’s sports advocate Nancy Hogshead-Makar acknowledged the promising development. A three-time Olympic champion, Hogshead-Makar has long fought for equality in women’s sports and has used her broad and respected voice to draw attention to this debate – even before the Thomas debate surged into the national spotlight.

In the days after the USA Swimming release, HogsheadMakar helped 16 members of the Penn women’s team and their families draft a letter to the NCAA, Ivy League and University of Pennsylvania urging them to abide by the organization’s guidelines, and not sue. That letter was sent a day after Penn formally stated that members of the women’s team supported Thomas, despite only a few athletes truly taking that stance.

A little more than a month before the NCAA Champs, it remains to be seen if the NCAA, as it previously noted, will abide by USA Swimming’s new rules. In recent days, the collegiate governing body indicated it will review the situation at a meeting in late February. Yes, it’s a typical NCAA move – waiting several weeks and just before the Championships before making a call. Leaving athletes to again blow in the wind? To no surprise, the NCAA is certainly checking that box.

If Thomas is absent from the NCAA Champs, as should be the case, it is necessary to provide her with a chance to race in peak form in some fashion. A time trial or an exhibition could work. It would allow her to demonstrate her prowess in an environment not detrimental and unfair to biological females.

Clearly, more chapters to this saga will be written. But for now, USA Swimming deserves applause for its recent actions and how it has handled this current dilemma of transgender participation. The organization took a brave stance. It didn’t hide. It didn’t defer to another group. It protected fairness for its female members.

Well done. ◄

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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A Victim of Doping, Allison Wagner Deserves Greater Recognition

BY JOHN LOHN

I

n our sport, Olympic gold is the ultimate award. In the chase for that peak achievement, any number of factors can determine whether the mountain is scaled. Obviously, skill is the primary consideration. Timing often plays a role.

So does health. The opposition, too, has a major influence, for occasionally, a specific foe might not be beatable.

Allison Wagner ran into another obstacle.

manner than anyone on a pool deck.

A rising star on the American scene, Wagner emerged on the global stage at the 1993 World Short Course Championships in Spain. In Palma de Mallorca, Wagner captured a gold medal in the 200 individual medley and a silver medal in the 400 I.M., the shorter event producing a world record that endured for nearly 15 years. In retrospect, what unfolded in the 400 medley served as a harbinger of what was to come.

The impact of the systematic-doping program of East Germany is a well-known black eye on the history of the sport.

Stars such as American Shirley Babashoff and Dutchwoman Enith Brigitha were denied their rightful honors – individual Olympic crowns. They were also thwarted at the World Championships, as their opposition didn’t rely merely on talent, but also on the boost supplied by the little blue pill known as Oral-Turinabol.

At the inaugural World Short Course Champs, Wagner’s silver in the 400 I.M. arrived behind China’s Dai Guohong, who set a world record en route to a two-second triumph over the American. Although Dai did not test positive for a banned substance, China had suddenly emerged as a global power in the pool, the use of performance-enhancing drugs thought to be the driving force. In a way, East Germany had been replaced by another rogue nation.

By the time Wagner emerged as one of the United States premier performers in the individual medley events, the Berlin Wall had come down, and the East German doping program was no more. Did that mean the sport was clean?

Hardly, and Wagner learned that truth – perhaps – in a harsher

A year later, Wagner’s misfortunes continued.

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At the 1994 World Championships in Rome, China’s power was on full display. In addition to notching victories in 12 of the 16 women’s events, the Chinese swept the relays and

managed three gold-silver finishes. Wagner left Rome with silver medals in the 200 I.M. and 400 I.M., beaten by Lu Bin in the shorter distance and Dai again over 400 meters. What was unfolding, especially against the backdrop of past East German dominance, did not sit well.

“I believe you have to be incredibly naive to ignore the circumstantial evidence,” said Dennis Pursley, the National Team Director of USA Swimming. “The current situation is an exact replica of the GDR, and it is depriving deserving athletes of the attention and success they deserve. We can’t put our heads in the sand again and pretend what we know is happening isn’t happening. Our athletes just aren’t buying it this time. Common sense tells you that our athletes aren’t going to make the major sacrifices required to compete at this level when they know the deck is stacked against them.”

In the months following the 1994 World Champs, China’s thinly veiled secret was revealed as several athletes failed doping tests, including Lu. Still, Wagner was left as the silver medalist in each of her events as she prepared to race at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. On home soil, the Americans would not have to deal with drug-fueled China, although Wagner would be greeted by another unfair hurdle.

As a 1988 and 1992 Irish Olympian, Michelle Smith was an also-ran in worldwide competition. Yet, on the road to the 1996 Olympics, questions arose concerning Smith’s metamorphosis to Olympic-title contender. She first emerged from the shadows to capture multiple European titles in 1995 and her drops in time mimicked what is seen in an agegrouper who has just entered the sport.

At the Atlanta Games, Smith was the star of the women’s competition, securing gold medals in the 200 I.M., 400 I.M. and 400 freestyle. For good measure, she won a bronze medal in the 200 butterfly. It was in the 400 medley in which Smith denied Wagner her proper place on the podium. While Smith clocked 4:39.18 for the gold medal, Wagner touched in 4:42.03 for the silver medal. Once again, the American was beaten by an opponent suspected of doping.

Although Smith brushed aside the accusations of performance-enhancing drug use and Ireland accused the United States of sour grapes, the truth surrounding Smith was revealed in 1998. Just two years after attaining disputed Olympic glory, the Irish lass tampered with an out-of-competition urine sample. The result of that move was a four-year ban from the sport.

Nonetheless, Smith maintained possession of her four Olympic medals, including the gold in the 400 I.M. that should have gone to Wagner.

“The Olympics are a big part of anyone’s life,” Wagner said after Smith’s doping ban. “This decision has not closed a chapter in my life. Not at all. The decision won’t bring any closure at all to me. It is reassuring, but it doesn’t change anything for me. Thirty years from now, she will show her grandchildren her gold medal. I will show my grandchildren silver. She has those gold medals in her possession. She will always have gold and I will always have silver. It will always be that way forever.”

In what is a fitting role, Wagner currently works as the Director of Athlete and International Relations for the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). The position enables Wagner to serve athlete needs with USADA. Unfortunately, she does not possess the gold medal from the 1996 Olympics that should be in her medal collection, or hang on her wall.

More, Wagner is missing as an inductee from the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

A comparison can be drawn between Wagner and Craig Beardsley, the former world-record holder in the 200 butterfly. As 1980 dawned, Beardsley was the overwhelming favorite for gold in the 200 fly at the approaching Olympic Games in Moscow. Ultimately, Beardsley did not receive the opportunity to chase that title, due to the United States’ boycott of Moscow in response to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan. The lack of a gold medal for Beardsley, like Wagner, has seemingly been the missing piece to ISHOF entry. Sadly, neither athlete could control what transpired.

Allison Wagner will forever be known as an NCAA, national and world titlist whose wide-ranging skill set served her perfectly in the medley disciplines. Unfortunately, though, her grandest moment never came to fruition, stolen by a drug cheat. So, it is important to look back, tip the cap to her and continually ensure Wagner’s days in the pool are respected and appreciated. ◄

SWIM MART

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[ Photo by Egyptian Swim Federation/Claytown Productions ]

Siphiwe Baleka: ‘‘I Felt Betrayed by My Sport and

by FINA’’ After Olympic Snub

BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

G

uinea-Bissau swimmer Siphiwe Baleka said he felt “betrayed” by FINA after his appeal to swim for his adopted country at the Tokyo Olympics last summer was denied.

Baleka discussed his feelings this week in an interview with U.S. Masters Swimming, of which he is an active member of the Missouri Valley (MOVY) program. Baleka was bidding to become the oldest male Olympic swimmer in history at 50 years of age.

Baleka was nominated by Guinea-Bissau to represent the tiny West African nation at the Olympics, occupying a universality spot. But FINA ruled that Baleka’s paperwork for a nationality switch was insufficient to meet its requirements, a decision levied in July.

“To be quite honest, I felt betrayed by my sport and by FINA,” Baleka said. “There was what I call the athletic disappointment. As a swimmer, to compete in the Olympics is the ultimate goal. Of course, I wasn’t expecting to win any medals or anything like that, but I did want to go and swim my best. I was planning to swim fast.”

Baleka was born in the United States and swam collegiately at Yale. He has followed a circuitous career route to still be swimming at an elite level at such an advanced age. His connection to the country came after Baleka explored his

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genetic history as an Afrodescendent of the Balanta tribe. He submitted paperwork in June to formally become a citizen of the country.

Baleka said he regretted the missed chance to raise the profile of the country on the Olympic stage. GuineaBissau has never had an Olympic swimmer. Its swimming federation was largely non-existent for the last two decades, lacks any organized swimming programs and a dearth of suitable facilities. Baleka remains committed to developing a swimming infrastructure in his adopted country. (For what it’s worth, FINA, under new president Husain Al Musallam, has taken steps toward increased investment in non-traditional swimming areas like Africa.)

Baleka is back training. His immediate goal is the 2022 FINA World Masters Championships. He won four silver medals at that event in 2017. His goal for the 2024 Paris Olympics is for Guinea-Bissau to be represented, but not by a 53-year-old Baleka.

“My goal is not to compete in Paris in 2024,” Baleka says.

“My goal is can I develop someone from Guinea-Bissau to compete in the Paris Olympics in 2024. We want GuineaBissau to be represented. It doesn’t have to be me. If it’s me, then I feel like I didn’t really do my duty to the Guinea-Bissau people to help them develop.” ◄

the app in violation of China’s newly enacted personal data protection laws, as well as the privacy policies required to list an app on Google’s and Apple’s stores.”

Reports: Winter Olympics App Has Serious Flaws; Athlete Personal Security at Risk

T

BY DAN D'ADDONA

he 2022 Beijing Olympics smartphone app — MY2022 — that Olympic athletes will use to report health and travel data has some serious issues, according to reports.

“All the information you are transmitting can be intercepted, particularly if you are on an untrusted network like a coffee shop or hotel Wi-Fi service,” Jeffrey Knockel, a research associate with Citizen Lab told the New York Times.

This could lead to a number of serious issues, including identity theft, with the report stating hackers could steal information without the Chinese government realizing it. ◄

The app’s intention is to track COVID-19 data and possible outbreaks prior to and during the Olympic Winter Games to keep athletes from bringing the virus into the general population, but the reports bring concerns about censorship and surveillance during the Games. According to a New York Times report citing Citizen Lab, a University of Toronto cybersecurity watchdog, “portions of the app that will transmit coronavirus test results, travel information and other personal data failed to verify the signature used in encrypted transfers, or didn’t encrypt the data at all.”

The report also found that the Olympics app includes a series of political terms marked for censorship in its code, though it does not appear to actively use the list to filter communications.

An American Enterprise Institute report stated the app has serious security vulnerabilities and that “all Olympian audio is being collected, analyzed and saved on Chinese servers.” Citing the Citizen Lab report, AEI went on to state the app has a “devastating flaw where encryption protecting users’ voice audio and file transfers can be trivially sidestepped.”

According to the New York Times report, “Citizen Lab said it disclosed the security flaws to the Beijing Organizing Committee on Dec. 3 but had not received any response. A January update to the software did not fix the issues, which most likely put BIWEEKLY

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Canada’s Kylie Masse remains on her run of nearly unprecedented, sustained success in the 100 back after having also developed into an elite 200 backstroker. Her track record lends credence to the idea that Masse will remain a strong international medal contender for the years to come.

BY DAVID RIEDER

A

t her first Olympics in 2016, Kylie Masse was an international neophyte, having won her only previous medal in foreign waters when she captured gold in the 100 back at the 2015 World University Games. One year later, the 20-year-old from Windsor found herself in Lane 2 for the 100 back Olympic final, a tightlybunched field that saw all eight swimmers record times within a half-second of each other in the semifinals.

The same day that Masse swam in her 100 back semifinal, she had watched as 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak stunned a field full of veterans to take silver in the women’s 100 butterfly, securing the first Olympic medal in swimming for Canada’s women in two decades.

“When she did it, it was just a snowball: ‘Well if she can do it, then I can do it,’” Masse said.

In the 100 back final, Masse turned in fourth place at the halfway point, but she surged over the second half of the race. While Katinka Hosszu pulled away to win Olympic gold, the next four swimmers came crashing into the wall at basically the same time. Masse ended up with a bronze, sharing the honor with China’s Fu Yuanhui while the pair was just 1-hundredth ahead of Kathleen Baker and 4-hundredths ahead of Mie Nielsen.

Masse was an Olympic medalist by that narrow margin, and so began a run that would quickly establish her as one of the elite women’s backstrokers in the world.

“I don’t think I really realized what it meant for my career until probably a little while after,” Masse said. “Yes, I wanted to do well, but I didn’t have any expectations for myself and getting on the 24 24

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podium or anything like that. Coming away from that meet with a bronze medal really just opened my eyes and showed me that I belong on the international stage and gave me so much confidence in myself and confidence as a person and also as a swimmer.”

Of course, hard work and determination are key for any elite athlete, but Masse identified other attributes about herself that had allowed her to succeed on such a grand stage: “Being able to compartmentalize, being adaptable, having balance and having perspective,” she said. Specifically, Masse identified being in school at the University of Toronto, where she was pursuing a degree in kinesiology, as critical for maximizing her potential in the pool.

“I realized that having school and swimming really helped me,” Masse said. “I found I liked having that balance. I like being able to spend the day and go to school and be with classmates and kind of not be a swimmer, and then I got to practice, and it was only swimming. I was just focusing on that. Once I left practice, that was it. Those are strengths that I saw in myself, and I saw that working.”

The formula worked in Rio, and it continued working for Masse over the next several years. Maintaining a consistent level of success in swimming can be difficult as swimmers improve, plateau or struggle at different points. From the 2016 Olympics until the Tokyo Games in 2021, Masse almost completely avoided the pitfalls that set back swimmers’ careers.

Only six total swimmers won a medal in the same individual event at the Rio Olympics, the 2017 World Championships, the 2019 World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics. On the women’s

[ Photo Courtesy: Ian MacNicol/Swimming Canada ]

MOTIVATED FOR MORE

side, there were just three: Katie Ledecky (in multiple events), Lilly King (100 breaststroke) and Masse (100 back). Over those four major meets, eight other women joined Masse on the 100 back podium, and only one other swimmer (Baker) made multiple podiums during that span.

With that consistency, Masse joined an exclusive club. In the 21st century, the only other swimmer to win a medal in the women’s 100 back in four straight major competitions (Olympics plus World Championships) was Natalie Coughlin, from 2004 through 2008.

DEALING WITH THE ROLE OF FAVORITE The Olympic medal in 2016 launched Masse toward her first world-record scare eight months later, at Canada’s Trials for the World Championships in Budapest. “I think I was on such a high,” Masse said. “I honestly didn’t even know the world-record time going into those April Trials. I was just swimming, and I was just loving what I was doing.”

She ended up swimming a 58.21 at that meet, the quickest time recorded since fullbody polyurethane suits were banned in 2009 and just 9-hundredths off the world >> At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Masse ended up with a bronze medal in the 100 back, sharing the honor record. For the first time, Masse assumed a with China’s Fu Yuanhui...and so began a run that would quickly establish her as one of the elite women’s backstrokers in the world. [ Photo Courtesy: Scott Grant /Swimming Canada ] role as “favorite” entering an international meet, and that was a new sort of pressure for her to grapple with. difficulty unique among their rivals around the world.

“It forced me to learn how to deal with that, to learn how to separate that from my swimming and use it as fuel and motivation COVID REARS ITS UGLY HEAD but not let it overwhelm me,” Masse said. “I think once it actually In mid-March 2020, Masse got out of practice at the University came down to Budapest and doing it, it was a little bit of a relief of Toronto to find an email announcing the postponement of because it had been kind of anticipated for a little bit, but at the same Canada’s Olympic Trials. So her coaches, Byron MacDonald and time, I was obviously so happy, and I was just so overwhelmed that Linda Kiefer, told the group to take the weekend off and plan to I didn’t know what to say or do.” come back on Monday. That return date was quickly pushed back.

Indeed, Masse did break the world record, clipping Gemma So Masse packed a weekend bag and headed to her parents’ house Spofforth’s eight-year-old mark of 58.12 with a 58.10, as she became in Windsor, expecting a short stay. the first Canadian woman ever to win a world title in swimming. She The date when pools would reopen kept getting pushed back. also made her international debut in the 200 back at that meet, where Masse managed well during the first weeks of the shutdown, she finished fifth despite recording the meet’s third-fastest time in thinking of the time as a break before a renewed push for the nowthe semifinals. delayed Olympics, but as the months dragged on and top nonIn the ensuing years, Masse could seemingly do no wrong. She Canadian swimmers around the world began returning to training, was golden in the 100 back at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the frustration set in.

2018 Pan Pacific Championships and 2019 World Championships, “At least back within our swimming community, it felt like that and she began winning international medals in the 200 as well. She was who I was comparing it to because that was my competition. lost her 100 back world record to Baker in July 2018, but two weeks That was everyone that we were going to be racing at the Olympics,” later, she beat out Baker and Emily Seebohm in an anticipated Masse said. “I think once I started to see people posting on Instagram showdown at Pan Pacs. and posting on social about being back, I think then I started to get The only setbacks she faced during that period were some minor more anxious: ‘I need to be doing this. They’re back in. When are injuries, including a knee injury that restricted her from any kicking we getting back in?’ It was just a constant battle.” for three months. “Basically, I was in a lot of pain, and it all came Finally, at the end of June, Canadian Olympic hopefuls received from doing breaststroke,” Masse said. So she swore off breaststroke clearance to return to the pool, but only in certain settings. Masse and eventually resumed flutter and dolphin kicking, although the was able to join the group led by Coach Ben Titley at the Toronto pain would flare up from time to time.

High Performance Center, but that meant leaving a University of Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced the Olympics Toronto program that had guided her to so much success. She joined to be postponed one year. Every single swimmer, every athlete and an HPC group that became an unofficial hub for the Canadian every person in the world dealt with setbacks and adversity at this national team in the leadup to Tokyo, with Penny Oleksiak, Kayla point, but Masse and her Canadian teammates faced a degree of Sanchez, Sydney Pickrem, Taylor Ruck, Maggie Mac Neil, Summer CONTINUED ON 26 >> FEBRUARY 2022 BIWEEKLY

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KYLIE MASSE / Continued from 25

>> In addition to hard work and determination, Masse identified other attributes about herself that had allowed her to succeed internationally: “Being able to compartmentalize, being adaptable, having balance and having perspective,” she said. Specifically, she identified being in school at the University of Toronto as critical for maximizing her potential in the pool: “I found I liked having that balance.” [ Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL ]

McIntosh, Yuri Kisil, Finlay Knox and Joshua Liendo all spending at least some time there.

Masse had previously swum one practice per week with Titley’s group, which helped the transition, but it was still an adjustment as she adapted to slightly more volume and an increase in intense sprinting in training.

“We were all just so focused on the Olympics and just doing exactly what we could and what we needed to do to make it to the Olympics, to make it to the possible Trials,” Masse said. “I compare it to just tunnel vision. I wasn’t really allowing myself to think about what I was doing before or think about the change and how I was feeling.”

But while her training was going well, Masse and other Canadians were unable to race. She had swum in the ISL bubble in Budapest in October and November of 2020, but her next official race came in mid-June 2021 at the Olympic Trials meet that had been rescheduled over and over. Canada remained in lockdown, and that meant no domestic prep meets. The replacement? Time trials.

“We would do suited Saturdays,” Masse said. “It was like a time trials kind of thing, which definitely got old toward the end. Leading into the Olympics, it was like, ‘Another time trial?’ but it was just what we had to do. Yes, it was frustrating, but I didn’t really allow myself to think about it that way because I couldn’t. I needed to be positive, and I needed to be optimistic about the situation because I knew that’s what was going to be helpful for me in getting to my goals and getting to the Olympics.”

RENEWED “LIFE” Heading into those Trials, Masse felt confident in her fitness but 26 26

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still a little unsure of what to expect given the additional obstacles she and her Canadian teammates had faced during the pandemic.

But then she shattered her best time in the 100 back, swimming a 57.70 to become just the third woman under 58 seconds.

“It gave me a life going into the Olympics, and it made me feel so good. And for the 200, I had worked a lot more on 200 pace and doing longer backstroke sets than I was used to before, and I think I felt more confident than I had in my 200,” Masse said. “Sometimes, I feel like the 200 can be really daunting for me, but I felt like I had finally gotten to a point where I knew how I wanted to swim it. I knew I felt strong, and I knew I could do it.”

In Tokyo, Masse scored silver medals in both backstroke events.

She actually led at the halfway point of the 100 back final and at all three intermediate splits in the 200 back, but there was no shame in finishing behind Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, who had broken the world record in the 100 back the month before and had come close to the top mark in the 200 back. Masse’s 100 back time was 57.72, and she crushed her best time with a 2:05.42 in the 200-meter event, making her the sixth-fastest performer in history.

On the meet’s final day, Masse led off a Canadian 400 medley relay team that also included Pickrem, Mac Neil and Oleksiak, and the group secured a bronze medal. It was the first time Canada had won a medal in the event since 1988.

“Obviously extremely happy and proud to have come out with two silvers and a bronze,” Masse said. “I think the 100 back hit me a little bit harder. It definitely stung a bit because I wanted to be on top of the podium, but I knew it was going to be hard.

“Finishing the relay with a bronze—with three of my training mates throughout the last couple of years—I feel like we just had

A CULTURE OF SUCCESS The six-year stretch since 2016 has seen Canada emerge as an elite squad in women’s swimming, by most measures as the thirdbest nation in the world behind the United States and Australia. It’s no coincidence that Masse has been one of the world’s best backstrokers for that entire stretch—even as swimmers such as Oleksiak and Ruck have had ups and downs, while others such as Mac Neil have emerged more recently.

Over that span, Masse has witnessed a culture of success that has rubbed off on emerging young swimmers.

“It’s incredibly powerful and inspiring >> In Tokyo, Masse (right, pictured with 100-200 back winner Kaylee McKeown, center) scored silver to see. When you’re in it and at practice or medals in both backstroke events. Her 100 back time was 57.72, and she crushed her best time with a 2:05.42 at the meet with the national team, it’s just in the 200-meter event, making her the sixth-fastest performer in history. On the meet’s final day, Masse led off a Canadian 400 medley relay team that set a national record, securing a bronze medal. It was the first time normal because it’s just a representation of Canada had won a medal in the event since 1988. [ Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports ] the culture that is on the team and the group of girls and guys who were on the team and just their characteristics. I think when you take a step back and actually think about it and I actually reflect on it, it’s so cool to think about,” she said. “It’s a combination of culture and pushing one another and supporting one another and encouraging one another and wanting them to succeed as a whole and want to help others succeed.”

Canada’s prowess was on full display at the Short Course World Championships at the end of 2021, as the nation won 15 medals (tied for third-most of any country) and seven golds (second-most).

Masse captured four silver medals between the 50, 100 and 200 meter backstrokes and the 400 medley relay, and the highlight came in the women’s 50 back with Mac Neil shattering the world record and Masse claiming silver, her time of 25.62 just 2-hundredths off the previous global standard. It was a banner moment for Canadian swimming and a sweet one between two good friends.

A NEW NORMAL Now, Masse needs to find balance again, a new normal. She finished her university degree in April 2021, and she had time for a normal routine after that between the all-important stretch leading up to the Olympics and then months of racing overseas between the ISL and Short Course Worlds.

Back in Toronto for the first extended stretch since pre-Tokyo, Masse plans on attending graduate school in the near future, and she is considering a variety of programs, including exercise science, feminine health and business, with an eye toward accommodating both her training and racing schedules and her post-swimming career goals. In the meantime, though, Masse will be training without having the anchor of school for the first time.

As swimming’s attention turns toward the Paris 2024 Olympics, expect Masse, who turned 26 in January, to remain at the forefront of women’s backstroke on the global stage. “I think this whole last year, and I think this move in programs, I think the jump of PBs and the success I had last year has motivated me even more because I’m still hungry for more,” she said. ◄ v

>> Between the 2016 Olympics until the Tokyo Games in 2021, Masse has maintained a consistent level of success. Only six swimmers (three women) won a medal in the same individual event at the Rio Olympics, the 2017 World Championships, the 2019 World Championships and the Tokyo Olympics. In the 21st century, the only other swimmer to win a medal in the women’s 100 back in four straight major competitions (Olympics plus World Championships) was Natalie Coughlin, from 2004 through 2008. [ Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis /ISL ] FEBRUARY 2022 BIWEEKLY

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[ Photo by Mike Lewis / ISL ]

such a strong bond because we were all the only people we saw the whole year. That was extremely special.”

[ Photo by Catherine Hayne ]

Maddie Musselman Shines at UCSB Winter Invite

BY LAUREN MATTICE

T

he 2022 UCSB Winter Invite wrapped up last weekend in sunny Santa Barbara, with 12 women’s water polo teams back in the pool to kick off their seasons.

The No. 18 Gauchos returned with an at-home start after their 2021 season was canceled after just a month due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The last time UCSB hosted the Winter Invite was in 2020, when the Gauchos started the year with a 9-8 upset against No. 2 UCLA. Santa Barbara posted another strong start to its season this year with four wins over Ottawa, No. 23 Wagner, No. 19 Princeton and Brown, and two losses to formidable opponents in No. 16 SJSU and No. 3 UCLA. The Gauchos overcame a 12-9 deficit against Brown with two minutes left in the final quarter to pull out a 14-13 win in overtime, the team’s thirdstraight goal point win of the tournament. Against UCLA, UCSB freshmen attackers Aidan Flynn and redshirt Leigh Lyter turned in strong performances with multiple-goal efforts, but the Bruins closed with five unanswered goals to win, 21-8.

UCLA did not hold back in its first games of the season, hitting double digits in every matchup to leave the tournament undefeated. After posting huge wins over Wagner (15-8), No. 21 CBU (20-3), and OUAZ (21-1), the Bruins met No. 9 UC San Diego. The teams were locked up at 4-4 in the second period, but UCLA scored six straight to take command of the game. UCSD grad center Ciara Franke and UCLA freshman utility Nicole Strauss both scored hat tricks for their teams, and redshirt senior attacker Maddie Musselman added two goals of her own.

Musselman rounded out the weekend with 14 goals on 20 shots for a .700 percentage, and led the Bruins with five assists, 10 steals and 19 total points. The Olympian’s performance resulted in her 11th career MPSF honors as

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Player of the Week.

The Tritons broke even with a 2-2 record in the tournament.

A strong defensive output and last-second score cost UCSD a loss to Wagner in its first game, but it harnessed last-quarter energy against SJSU. With just a 7-6 lead at the end of the third, the Tritons scored three unanswered goals to bring the tally to 10-6.

San Jose State’s freshman Cila David captured the MPSF Newcomer of the Week award, the first time in three years that a Spartan has earned the honor. David scored 10 goals across the tournament, with five against UCSB in her college debut. SJSU left Santa Barbara with a strong 4-1 record, its best start in six years, with wins over UCSB (15-7), CBU (18-9), Brown (13-6) and Iona (17-7).

Cal Baptist University found some tough matchups among a handful of top-20 opponents, leaving the invite winless. Despite the record, individual players had strong performances. Overall, senior attacker Kira O’Donell tallied five goals and seven ejections drawn, while freshman utility Cayleigh Carter scored four goals in her first appearance for the Lancers.

Also leaving the weekend with a perfect record is No. 11 Indiana, scoring 64 goals to their opponents’ 21. The Hoosiers shut down their only ranked opponent in CBU, bolting to a 7-2 lead. Senior center Izzy Mandema captured a pair of hat tricks in games against Azusa Pacific and Iona, and 11 different players chimed in to an 18-8 win over the latter.

Wagner, despite playing last year, earned itself the No. 19 position in the College Water Polo Association rankings, starting the season strong. Joining their roster this season are nine newcomers, including sophomore attacker Carlota Alonso, who earned a hat trick, four assists and four steals in

her first game as a Seahawk against Azusa Pacific. Wagner held its own against the Bruins, ultimately losing 15-8, but boasted strong play from sophomore attacker Mar Navarro, who had her best game with four goals on six shots, one assist and four exclusions.

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The Seahawks carry on into the rest of the season at 2-2, sharing the same record with Azusa Pacific and Princeton.

Brown and Iona left Santa Barbara with 1-3 records, and Ottawa has yet to claim a victory at 0-6.

Coming up this weekend is a set of games for Iona and Harvard at the Villanova Invite. CBU will host the Lancer Joust with participants Fresno Pacific, UC San Diego, Biola, UCSB, Concordia, No. 25 CSUN and Pomona-Pitzer.

No. 8 Michigan will host No. 6 Hawaii, No. 2 Stanford, No. 22 Marist, UCLA and more at their invitational. The Wolverines traveled to Tempe this past weekend for the ASU Cross Conference Water Polo Challenge, triumphing over No. 7 UC Irvine, No. 10 Fresno State and No. 4 ASU only to lose to No. 5 Cal, 12-8.

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[ Photo by Swimming Australia ]

Cate Campbell Plans to Sit Out Commonwealth Games

BY DAVID RIEDER

A

ustralian sprinter Cate Campbell has been one of the world’s best in her events for 15 years and she has won eight Olympic medals in four Games, but as she considers her future in the sport, she will not attend this year’s Commonwealth Games, set for late July/early August in Birmingham, England. Swimming Australia head coach Rohan Taylor confirmed the news to the Australian Associated Press, and he indicated that Campbell is still considering whether or not she will continue racing and pursue an appearance in a fifth Olympics in 2024.

“Cate Campbell won’t be swimming (in Birmingham) but primarily, we will have a very strong team. That is our plan,” Taylor said, according to the AAP. “The open conversation is ‘go away, have a think, then come back to me and tell me what I can do to provide support for you.’ Obviously I don’t want anyone to finish swimming if they have got the motivation and desire – it’s always that encouragement to really spend time before they do that (finish).

Taylor added, “Cate and I have had a number of chats… so I am very aware of her strategies.”

This is not the first time Campbell has employed the strategy of skipping a major championship meet after the Olympics.

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After 2016, when she arrived in Rio as the gold-medal favorite in the 50 and 100 freestyle but failed to win an individual medal, she sat out the 2017 World Championships before returning to elite competition in 2018. Campbell’s strategy paid off beautifully that time, as she recorded arguably the finest meet of her career at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships with five gold medals.

This time, though, it’s unclear whether or not Campbell plans to return to international competition in the future. Just weeks after the Tokyo Olympics, she admitted that she planned to take time and consider her future, and she has not raced since the Olympics. Should she choose to pursue an appearance in Paris, Campbell would compete at age 32 — half a lifetime after she made her Olympic debut as a 16-year-old in 2008.

In Campbell’s first Olympics in Beijing, she earned bronze medals in the 400 freestyle relay and in the 50 freestyle. She has remained among the world’s best sprinters since then, and the 29-year-old captured bronze in the 100 free at last year’s Tokyo Olympics for the second individual Olympic medal of her career (and the first since 2008). Campbell also anchored gold-medal efforts for Australia in the 400 freestyle and 400 medley relays in Tokyo. ◄

[ Photo by Peter H. Bick ]

Claire Curzan Takes Down National High School 100 Back Record in 50.47

C

Welcome TO A WATER WONDERLAND

BY CHANDLER BRANDES

laire Curzan is back to her record-setting ways.

A senior at Cardinal Gibbons High School, Curzan impressed at the North Carolina 4A East Regional Championships on Feb. 3-5 at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. Her winning time of 50.47 in the 100 back eclipsed the previous National High School record of 50.89 set by Phoebe Bacon on Feb. 8, 2020.

She also posted a time of 50.42 to win the 100 fly, just off her national high school mark of 50.35 set on three different occasions throughout 2020 and 2021. Her best time in the 100 back sits at 50.03 while her fastest 100 fly time is 49.51, both swum at the TAC Sectional Championships in March 2021.

Curzan will have a chance to lower both records yet again at the North Carolina 4A State Championships on Thursday, Feb. 10. She owns the North Carolina 4A and overall state record in both the 100 back and 100 fly and has twice been named the meet’s Most Outstanding Swimmer.

A native of Raleigh, North Carolina, Curzan does her club swimming with the TAC Titans and is on the U.S. National Team. She earned her Olympic berth last summer after finishing second in the 100m fly at Olympic Trials, going on to place 10th in that event in Tokyo.

No stranger to the record books, she owns a total of 13 National Age Group records. She is also the owner of the World Junior records in the 50m free and 100m fly.

Curzan has committed to Stanford and will arrive on The Farm this fall. ◄

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Five one-week sessions (May 29-July 1). Room, board, parking, $650/session salary, up to $300 travel expense help, and NIKE camp apparel package provided. Applicants must agree to work in an alcohol/drug-free environment, and must have completed at least 75 hours of college coursework. Competitive swimming and/or teaching/ coaching/camp experience required. References, CPR, First Aid and/or Lifeguarding/ Safety Training for Swim Coaches certifications required.

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[ Photo by Peter H. Bick ]

Kate Douglass Becomes Second-Fastest Woman in History in 200 Breaststroke at Cavalier Invite

BY DAVID RIEDER

V

irginia third-year Kate Douglass was the bronze medalist in the 200-meter IM at the Tokyo Olympics, but she is skilled in a wide variety of other strokes and distances.

At the NCAA Championships last season, Douglass was the national champion in the 50 free and the second-place finisher in the 100 fly and 100 free while skipping the 200 IM (which teammate Alex Walsh won).

So far this season, Douglass has shown impressive form in the 200 breaststroke, with a midseason performance of 2:03.58 that made her the fourth-fastest performer in history and surpassed Sophie Hansson’s winning mark from last year’s NCAAs. On Saturday morning, she lowered that time even further in a time trial at the Cavalier Invitational. Douglass swam a 2:03.14 to pass Kierra Smith and Bethany Galat on the all-time list, and she only missed the American record by a half-second. The only swimmer to ever swim faster than Douglass is Lilly King, a four-time NCAA champion in the event from 2016-2019, and King’s American record stands at 2:02.60.

With more than two weeks to go until the ACC Championships and more than a month until the NCAA Championships, Douglass could certainly take a run at King’s record — if she

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chooses to swim the 200 breast. Shortly after her impressive midseason swim, Douglass said, “I didn’t swim the 200 breast (at NCAAs last year) because I definitely find it easier to train for the 50 free and 100 fly instead of adding in the breaststroke training.” She added that “it’s not impossible to train for both the 50 free and the 200 breast at the same time, but that’s definitely something I think about when making that decision.”

Douglass would certainly be the national-title favorite if she chose to swim the 200 breast as her time Saturday ranks 1.5 seconds ahead of the next-fastest swimmer in the country this season (Anna Elendt at 2:04.69), while her other possible event that day, the 100 free, sets up as a tough battle against Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil and Stanford’s Torri Huske.

In other events at the Cavalier Invitational, the Virginia men blasted a 1:16.71 in the 200 freestyle relay for the country’s sixth-fastest time. That relay included Matt Brownstead, Matt King, Connor Boyle and August Lamb, with King chipping in the fastest split at 18.93. Meanwhile, Saturday morning’s prelims also featured Walsh making a rare appearance in the 100 breaststroke, where she swam a 58.36 for the ninthfastest time in the country. ◄

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Dr. Josh White

Associate Head Coach NCAA All American

Ksenia Gromova Volunteer Assistant

Sam Wensman

Cauli Bedran

Assistant Coach CW Elite Coach

Roger Karns

Assistant Coach NCAA All American

Manchester University Head Coach

Kurt Kirner

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USA Swimming Cancels TYR Pro Swim Series Des Moines

U

SA Swimming has announced the cancellation of the 2022 TYR Pro Swim Series Des Moines, which was slated to take place March 2-5 at the MidAmerican Energy Aquatic Center at the Wellmark YMCA in Des Moines, Iowa.

Following the announcement that the 2022 FINA World Championships would be postponed to 2023, it was decided that the TYR Pro Swim Series event in Des Moines, which was planned as a qualifying meet for the Phillips 66 International Team Trials in April and in turn the World Championships, would also subsequently be canceled. Given the movements

on the international calendar, USA Swimming is reviewing its domestic calendar to ensure it provides the best competitive opportunities at the most impactful times.

An updated domestic competition calendar is slated to be released in the coming weeks. Further information on USA Swimming national events can be found at www. usaswimming.org/events. ◄ The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with USA Swimming.

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PROGRESSION OF TIMES SCY 100 Free

BY MICHAEL J. STOTT

I

n December at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships, West Crow Canyon’s Bailey Hartman completed an impressive 2021.

Currently ranked the No. 1 recruit in California (ninth nationally) in the Class of 2024 by collegeswimming.com (Swimcloud), Hartman posted personal bests in six events.

In the 200 yard free and 200 fly, she earned summer national times (1:45.58, 1:55.95). In the 500 free and 100 fly, she qualified for the Winter U.S. Open (4:45.58, 53.13). She also clocked 23.40 and 49.96 in the 50 and 100 free. Hartman’s 52.77 fly leg on Crow Canyon’s 400 medley relay was the second fastest among the event’s top 16 and just behind Bella Sim’s 52.26.

Ethan Hall, head coach of the Crow Canyon Sharks in Danville, Calif., says her most impressive swim may have been a Wave I Olympic Trials 100 meter fly swimoff in which she dropped nearly a second to a 59.67. Earlier in the year, she was the girls’ 15-16 highpoint winner at both the Winter and Summer CA-NV sectionals.

“Bailey joined Crow Canyon in the fall of 2013 as a 7-year-old.

She had never competed in a swim meet and was the most coachable kid I’d ever dealt with at that age,” says Hall. “Concepts that take youngsters years to master took her only weeks. She went straight to the top of the 8-and-under age group that year. By the end of the year, she was demonstrating to our senior swimmers how to do a 50 free no breath.

“Most remarkably, she never let this early success affect her willingness to put in the work. She is uncommonly hard working and consistent. Bailey has a very high baseline of performance. She doesn’t especially do outstanding things in practice, but rarely has bad days. Her attendance and average daily effort is unmatched,” he says.

“She is steady, has a low-key mindset and is always ready to work. Her mentality is the same whether it is an Olympic Trials Wave I final or an early season Monday morning practice. Bailey rarely speaks about her goals or aspirations, and leads our group in a quiet steady way, letting her actions show the path. She is often goofy and in her own world before her races and rarely shows nerves. We joke with her about her awesome unique sense of style— like incorporating tie-dye and flannel frequently,” Hall says.

These days, Bailey trains with Coach Joe Natina in the senior 42

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[ Photo Courtesy: Anita Hartman ]

13

14

15

52.37

51.47

50.25

49.56 1:45.58

200 Free

2:03.73

1:54.00

1:50.25

1:48.89

1:10.24

57.80

54.66

55.28

53.13

200 Fly

—

2:20.70

2:04.89

2:01.55

1:55.95

Age 11

12

13

14

15

—

—

57.19

NA

56.84 2:01.00

LC

HOW THEY TRAIN

12

56.97

100 Fly

100 Free

BAILEY HARTMAN

Age 11

200 Free

—

—

2:07.95

NA

100 Fly

—

—

1:02.03

1:03.36

59.67

200 Fly

—

—

2:21.27

NA

2:14.47

group. Following are some of her recent sets: SET 1 SCY Freestyle 3x • 1 x 200 free @ 2:00 (1:54 on 200) • 2 x 100 free @ 1:20 descend pace from 200 by 50 (went 56 on first 100, 55 on second 100) • 1 x 50 free @ :30 build to sprint from second 100 @ 1:20 (went 26.5) • 1 x 50 ALL OUT (went 25.9) • 1 x 150 @ 3:00 easy SET 2 SCY Butterfly • 3 x 200 @ 4:00 negative split descend—add uw on second 100 (2:10/2:05/2:02) 3x • 100 free @ 1:05 • 100 fly @ 1:55 descend (1:00/:59/:57) SET 3 SCY Butterfly • 20 x 25 @ :30 sprint (hold 12s) • 1 x 200 @ 5:00 easy 3x • • • •

4 x 25 @ :15 sprint (hold 12s) Break @ 15/10/5 by round 1 x 50 @ :40 sprint 1 x 100 @ 4:00 easy 

Michael J. Stott is an ASCA Level 5 coach, golf and swimming writer.

His critically acclaimed coming-of-age golf novel, “Too Much Loft,” was published in June 2021, and is available from store.Bookbaby. com, Amazon, B&N and book distributors worldwide.

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