SW Biweekly May 7, 2022 Issue by Swimming World Magazine

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CONTENTS 008 USA SWIMMING ANNOUNCES TEAM HEADING TO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN BUDAPEST by David Rieder USA Swimming announced a team of 21 women and 20 men who will represent the United States at this year’s FINA World Championships in Budapest. The swimming portion of the meet will be held June 18-25 at the Duna Arena, the same site that hosted Worlds in 2017. 010 ALEX WALSH RAISES THE BAR AGAIN, BECOMES TITLE FAVORITE IN 200 IM by David Rieder Alex Walsh, the Olympic silver medalist in the 200 IM, set a U.S. Open record in the event at the U.S. International Team Trials with a 2:08.32. That time made her the sixth-fastest performer in history, the second-fastest American and the big favorite to win a world title in Budapest next month. 012 LEAH HAYES “HONORED” AS SHE QUALIFIES FOR WORLDS, BREAKS KATIE HOFF’S NATIONAL AGE GROUP RECORD by David Rieder After qualifying first in the 400 IM, but finishing fourth, Leah Hayes made the most of her second chance to make the World Championships team by touching second in the 200 IM. Her time of 2:09.99 broke the national age group record of 2:10.41 set by Katie Hoff on her way to winning gold in the event at the 2005 World Championships. 013 KATIE LEDECKY NOT SWIMMING 200 FREESTYLE AT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS by David Rieder Katie Ledecky posted four dominant victories at the U.S. International Team Trials, winning the 200-400-800-1500 freestyles. She’s won world titles in all of those events in her career, but after the meet, she chose to withdraw from the 200 for this year’s meet in Budapest to focus on the three longer events and the 800 free relay. Leah Smith, the third-place finisher in the 200, will swim the 200, 400 and 800 at next month’s World Championships. 014 CLAIRE CURZAN FULFILLED IMMENSE PROMISE AT U.S. INTERNATIONAL TEAM TRIALS by David Rieder After a year of watching Claire Curzan flash her potential across a wide range of events, she has now proven herself with all the best swimmers in the nation, peaking at an all-important selection meet. At Worlds, the 17-year-old will race in four individual events (100 free, 50-100 fly, 100 back) and two relays, and could also participate on the mixed 400 medley and freestyle relays. 016 CARSON FOSTER OVERCOMES LINGERING DOUBTS TO CONQUER 400 IM, UNLOCK HUGE POTENTIAL by David Rieder Carson Foster swam the fastest time in the world last year in the 400 IM, but that came a month after Olympic Trials, where he missed making the team. His performances, however, at the International Team Trials were absolutely a game-changer. First, he made the U.S. team by placing third in the 200 free, then he won the 400 IM. He performed his best when it counted, and that win could be the moment that kicks off a prolific international career.

SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY MAY 2022 | ISSUE 09 020 DUEL IN THE POOL REVIVAL HAS POTENTIAL TO BECOME CAPTIVATING RIVALRY SHOWDOWN by David Rieder The Duel in the Pool is back. This made-for-TV, rivalry-style event between the USA and Australia has been absent from the international calendar since 2007. Almost 15 years later, these two powerhouse nations have announced its return in the same Sydney Olympic Aquatic Center that hosted the memorable 2007 event. PUBLISHING, CIRCULATION AND ACCOUNTING

022 ANDREW WILSON, FROM NCAA DIVISION III TO OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST, ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT by Dan D’Addona Andrew Wilson, the Emory University graduate who won Olympic gold as a prelims swimmer in the 400 medley relay in Tokyo, has retired from swimming. He also finished sixth in the 100 breaststroke and is the first NCAA Division III swimmer to make the U.S. Olympic swim team. 024 JOSEPH SCHOOLING TO REASSESS OLYMPIC CYCLE PLAN AFTER SEA GAMES by Matthew De George 2016 Olympic champion Joseph Schooling recently reported he will reassess his plan for the road to the 2024 Olympics. The 26-year-old is scheduled to compete at the Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam in May and later at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. But whether the Singapore sporting icon will vie for a spot at a fourth Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 remains an open question. 026 “I WAS SUPER DEPRESSED”: CHAD LE CLOS ON PRE-TOKYO TRAUMA AND RECOVERY by Matthew De George Chad le Clos underwent a traumatic experience in January 2021, something that clouded his Olympic experience in Tokyo. It’s only now that he’s opening up about that experience and seeking help in the aftermath. 028 RACHEL ZILINSKAS, FORMER GEORGIA ALL-AMERICAN, ENJOYING SECOND CAREER IN TRIATHLON by Matthew De George Filling the hole left by swimming due to injury was a complex challenge for Rachel Zilinskas when she left the University of Georgia. But a few years later, she’s been able to pursue life as a professional athlete in triathlons, with a couple of high-profile top-10 finishes at Ironman events to her name. 030 OLYMPIANS HONORED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN AT WHITE HOUSE by Matthew De George Nearly 600 U.S. Olympians and Paralympians were honored at the White House by President Joe Biden, who addressed the group of Olympians, congratulating them for their hard work, success and inspiration. Team USA totaled more than 260 medals at last summer’s Tokyo Games. 031 HOW THEY TRAIN: CLAIRE WEINSTEIN by Michael J. Stott

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018 A FAMILIAR HOME: WHY OLYMPIC TRIALS RETURNING TO INDY IS A PERFECT FIT by Cooper Vandriessche 1924 is when the U.S. Swimming Trials first came to the city of Indianapolis to determine who would represent Team USA at the Olympics in Paris. Between 1924 and 2000, Indy has hosted the meet six times. Now, exactly 100 years after the first meet, the city is getting ready to host the U.S. Trials...with Paris once again the site of the Olympic Games.

Americas: Matthew De George (USA) Africa: Chaker Belhadj (TUN) Australia: Wayne Goldsmith, Ian Hanson Europe: Norbert Agh (HUN), Liz Byrnes (GBR), Camillo 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) PHOTOGRAPHERS/SWTV

Peter H. Bick, USA Today Sports Images, Reuters, Getty Images OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF:

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On The Cover: Claire Curzan | Photo by Peter H. Bick

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USA Swimming Announces Team Heading to World Championships in Budapest BY DAVID RIEDER | PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK

t the conclusion of the U.S. International Team Trials in Greensboro, N.C., USA Swimming announced the group of swimmers that will represent the country at this summer’s FINA World Championships in Budapest. The swimming portion of the meet will be held June 18-25 at the Duna Arena, the same site that hosted the Worlds in 2017. Highlighting the U.S. roster are Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel. Ledecky earned Trials victories in the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 freestyle, and in her fifth Worlds this year, she will look to add to her collection of 18 World Championships medals, including 15 gold. Dressel will head to his third World Championships after he won the 50 and 100 free and 50 and 100 butterfly this week in Greensboro. Dressel has won 15 World Championship medals between 2017 and 2019, including 13 gold. The list of Americans qualifying for multiple individual events at World Championships include Lilly King, who swept the breaststroke races at Trials, and Claire Curzan, who will swim at Worlds in the 100 free, 50 and 100 fly and 100 8

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backstroke. Torri Huske will have the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly on her schedule, while Regan Smith is qualified for the 100 back and 200 fly. On the men’s side, Michael Andrew will race the 50 free, 50 fly and 50 and 100 breast, Nic Fink will highlight all three breaststroke events, Kieran Smith will lead the way in the 200 and 400 free, Ryan Murphy will swim both backstroke events and Olympic gold medalist Bobby Finke will race in the 800 and 1500 free. The newest world-record holder, Hunter Armstrong, will race in the 50 backstroke as well as the 100 back. University of Virginia coach Todd DeSorbo was previously announced as the women’s head coach for the World Championships team, and University of Florida coach Anthony Nesty was confirmed to lead the U.S. men. Assistant coaches for this year’s staff include Sandpipers of Nevada coach Ron Aitken, Texas women’s coach Carol Capitani, Ohio State coach Bill Dorenkott, Stanford women’s coach Greg Meehan and legendary Texas men’s coach Eddie Reese.

Women Phoebe Bacon - 200 BK Chevy Chase, Md. Nation’s Capital Swim Club/Wisconsin Aquatics Katharine Berkoff - 50 BK Missoula, Mont. Missoula Aquatic Club/NC State Erika Brown - 50 FR; 4x100 FR-R Modesto, Calif. Tennessee Aquatics Mallory Comerford - 4x100 FR-R Kalamazoo, Mich. Cardinal Aquatics Claire Curzan - 100 FR; 50/100 FL; 100 BK Cary, N.C. TAC Titans Kate Douglass - 200 BR; 4x100 FR-R Pelham, N.Y. University of Virginia Hali Flickinger - 200 FL; 4x200 FR-R York, Pa. Sun Devil Swimming Katie Grimes - 1500 FR; 400 IM Las Vegas, Nev. Sandpipers of Nevada Leah Hayes - 200 IM Sugar Grove, Ill. Fox Valley Park District Riptides Natalie Hinds - 4x100 FR-R Midland, Texas Gator Swim Club Torri Huske - 50/100 FR; 100 FL Arlington, Va. Stanford University Lilly King - 50/100/200 BR Evansville, Ind. Newburgh Sea Creatures/Greater Evansville Aquatic Team Annie Lazor - 100 BR Beverly Hills, Mich. Indiana Swim Club/Mission Viejo Nadadores Ohio State Katie Ledecky - 200/400/800/1500 FR Bethesda, Md. Nation’s Captial/Gator Swim Club Bella Sims - 4x200 FR-R Las Vegas, Nev. Sandpipers of Nevada Leah Smith - 400/800 FR; 4x200 FR-R Pittsburgh, Pa. Longhorn Aquatics Regan Smith - 100 BK; 200 FL Lakeville, Minn. Stanford University Alex Walsh - 200 IM; 4x200 FR-R Nashville, Tenn. Nashville Aquatic Club/University of Virginia Claire Weinstein - 200 FR Port Jefferson, N.Y. Sandpipers of Nevada Emma Weyant - 400 IM Sarasota, Fla. Sarasota Sharks Rhyan White - 200 BK Herriman, Utah University of Alabama/WFFM

Men Michael Andrew - 50 FR; 50/100 BR; 100 FL Encinitas, Calif. MA Swim Academy Hunter Armstrong - 50/100 BK; 4x100 FR-R Dover, Ohio The Ohio State University Coby Carrozza - 4x200 FR-R Austin, Texas University of Texas Shaine Casas - 200 BK McAllen, Texas Longhorn Aquatics Charlie Clark - 800/1500 FR Sandusky, Ohio The Ohio State University/Vacationland Swim Club Brooks Curry - 100 FR Atlanta, Ga. Louisiana State University Caeleb Dressel - 50/100 FR; 50/100 FL Green Cove Springs, Fla. Gator Swim Club Nic Fink - 100/200 BR Morristown, N.J. Metro Atlantic Aquatic Club Bobby Finke - 800/1500 FR Clearwater, Fla. Gator Swim Club Carson Foster - 200/400 IM; 4x200 FR-R Cincinnati, Ohio University of Texas/Mason Manta Rays Trey Freeman - 400 FR; 4x200 FR-R Emigration Canyon, Utah University of Florida/Baylor Swim Club Ryan Held - 4x100 FR-R Springfield, Ill. NYAC/Sun Devil Swimming NC Trenton Julian - 200 FL; 4x200 FR-R Glendale, Calif. Rose Bowl Aquatics Chase Kalisz - 200/400 IM Baltimore, Md. Athens Bulldog Swim Club Drew Kibler - 200 FR; 4x100 FR-R Carmel, Ind. University of Texas Ryan Murphy - 100/200 BK Ponte Vedra Beach, Calif. California Aquatics Justin Ress - 4x100 FR-R Cary, N.C. Wolfpack Elite NC State, ‘15 Kieran Smith - 200/400 FR Ridgefield, Conn. Ridgefield Aquatic Club/University of Florida Charlie Swanson - 200 BR Richmond, Va. Club Wolverine Luca Urlando - 200 FL Sacramento, Calif. University of Georgia/DART Swimming – Davis ◄ BIWEEKLY

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Alex Walsh Raises the Bar Again, Becomes World Title Favorite in 200 IM BY DAVID RIEDER | PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK

n the 2021 Olympic Trials final of the 200 IM, Alex Walsh used brilliant backstroke and breaststroke splits to surge into the lead, and that put her 50 away from qualifying for her first Olympic team. Then she faded hard, and the race came down to the wire, but Walsh touched first, two hundredths ahead of University of Virginia teammate Kate Douglass and another two hundredths ahead of crestfallen veteran Madisyn Cox. Seven weeks later, Walsh again turned for freestyle with the lead in the Olympic final, and she fought to hang on every stroke as Yui Ohashi, already the gold medalist in the 400 IM, clawed back. Ohashi did pull ahead at the finish, but the race made Walsh an Olympic silver medalist. Walsh took that momentum and ran with it. She returned to college swimming, where she had opened her Cavaliers career as NCAA champion in the 200-yard IM in 2021, and at the 2022 national championships, she repeated as national titlist in her signature event while posting a stunning mark of 1:50.08, wiping eight tenths off Ella Eastin’s American record. Walsh was 1.8 seconds faster than her own winning time from the year before. But she had not finished above fifth in any other event at NCAAs as a freshman, her sophomore campaign saw her add titles in two events in which she rarely competed over previous seasons, the 400 IM and 200 butterfly.

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Walsh was somewhat overshadowed at NCAAs by Douglass, who also won three individual crowns while posting American records in all three events, but it was clear that she had progressed massively. The 19-year-old breakout performer from the year before had become a 20-year-old bona fide star, riding off of and building upon the confidence amassed in 2021. She showed off more evidence of that fact Saturday night in Greensboro, N.C., during the final session of the U.S. International Team Trials. Walsh had only entered two events over the first four days of the meet, but she earned a spot at World Championships in the 800 freestyle relay after finishing sixth in the 200 free, her first serious foray into that event in long course. Walsh also had placed fifth in the 100 breast behind Lilly King, Annie Lazor, Kaitlyn Dobler and Lydia Jacoby, all single-stroke specialists. In the 200 IM on the final night, Walsh was the clear favorite in a somewhat depleted field. If she could simply win, maybe finish in the 2:09-low range or even 2:09-mid, she would have taken care of business, set for the World Championships as a medal favorite. Walsh didn’t need to make another huge jump, post another “wow” swim, but she did. A dominating performance saw Walsh out-split the field on every stroke except fly, where she was just behind Beata Nelson. Unlike the finals at her previous

major finals, the Olympic Trials and the Olympics, she had no one to hold off on the freestyle leg, but she showed no signs of fatigue. Instead, Walsh touched in 2:07.84, breaking Kathleen Baker’s impressive U.S. Open record of 2:08.32.

Anxiety about whether she will perform well in big moments? She feels much less after successful taper meets in three successive months, beginning with the ACC Championships in February and continuing through NCAAs and then Trials.

The time was Walsh’s personal best by eight tenths. It made her the sixth-fastest performer in history and the secondfastest American, behind only Ariana Kukors’ suit-aided 2:06.15 from the 2009 World Championships. It was the fastest time in the world by more than two seconds and faster than any swimmer had recorded since 2019. The time was the fastest by any swimmer not named Katinka Hosszu since 2017.

“I think we figured it out,” Walsh said. “Every single time I taper, I get nervous that it’s not going to work, and then it works. I’m really grateful that (Virginia coach) Todd (DeSorbo) kind of experimented with what’s going to work, and I’m really happy that we found something. I think we realized that I needed more taper than what we had originally thought. It’s working for me, so I’m going to keep doing that.”

It would have won the Olympic gold medal — comfortably, by seven tenths of a second. “I didn’t know I had a 2:07 in me at this meet,” Walsh said. “Really couldn’t have been happier with how I swam it, and I think I’m definitely becoming more confident in myself in that race and learning how to close it well because last summer I would really fade in the last 15 meters. I’m really happy with how my endurance is looking.” Walsh believes that training for and racing the 400-yard IM during the college season helped provided a huge lift for the 200 IM. “I just see it as a lot more of a shorter race and a more fun race,” she said.

Yes, it’s working. Last week’s Trials featured brilliant swims all across the board on the women’s side, including Katie Ledecky’s 8:09 in the 800 free, Phoebe Bacon and Rhyan White swimming 2:05-lows in the 200 backstroke, Regan Smith dialing up a 57.76 in the 100 back and basically anything that teenagers Torri Huske and Claire Curzan did, but Walsh’s final-night effort topped them all as the women’s performance of the week. It was the latest notch in Walsh’s rise toward preeminence. At every opportunity over the last year, Walsh has risen to any challenge and outperformed any reasonable expectation. That culminated in a performance that will send her to Budapest as the big favorite to win a world title in the 200 IM. ◄

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一娀䌀漀爀搀稀⸀挀漀洀㠀 ⸀㠀㠀㘀⸀㘀㘀㈀㄀ BIWEEKLY

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Leah Hayes ‘‘Honored’’ as She Qualifies for Worlds, Breaks Katie Hoff’s National Age Group Record BY DAVID RIEDER | PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK

eah Hayes walked out for the 400 IM final at the U.S. International Team Trials as the top seed, and the 16-yearold was staring at the biggest moment of her swimming career so far. To her right in lane three was Emma Weyant, the Olympic silver medalist in the event, and another lane over was Hali Flickinger, who had earned bronze in Tokyo. On the other side of Hayes was Katie Grimes, also 16, but Grimes was already an Olympic finalist. In contention for most of the race, Hayes actually took the lead with 100 meters to go, could not live up to her incredible prelims performance, the three-second time drop that made her the top seed, as she ended up fourth behind Grimes, Weyant and Flickinger. “I was a little disappointed after my 400 IM because I was seeded first and I came back fourth, but I was happy with the race,” she said. “I thought I swam well, and I gave it my best effort, so I didn’t want to let myself be disappointed.” Hayes actually spent most of the week in Greensboro wearing a walking boot because of a recent stress fracture in her foot, but she insisted that it was not bothering her. She finished the 400 IM as the sixth-fastest swimmer in U.S. history in the 15-16 age group, trailing four Olympians plus the current American-record holder in the short course yards 400 IM. Two days later, Hayes would have another chance to qualify for Worlds in the 200 IM. She received a stroke of good fortune when three of the top-four seeds (Kate Douglass, Torri Huske and Melanie Margalis) scratched, and then she survived a scare in prelims when she was announced as disqualified for a false start, but that DQ was quickly overturned. In the final, Olympic silver medalist Alex Walsh built a substantial lead on the field through the middle 100 meters, but a brilliant breaststroke split helped Hayes pull into second place, 1.8 seconds ahead of anyone else going into the freestyle leg. Hayes sustained that gap on freestyle, and

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she touched the wall second. At the finish, Walsh reached across the lane line to hug an exuberant Hayes, and television cameras captured Walsh telling Hayes, “That’s so fast!” How fast? Hayes swam a time of 2:09.99, breaking the National Age Group record of 2:10.41 set by Katie Hoff on her way to winning gold in the event at the 2005 World Championships. Hayes became only the second 18-andunder American swimmer to break 2:10, joining Walsh. She smashed her lifetime best in the event by more than a second. “To make the team, it’s definitely quite a surprise,” Hayes said. “I’m honored, and I’m looking forward to everything that’s going to happen.” Hayes has lived most of her life with alopecia, an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. She wore a wig in public for a few years after her diagnosis, but she has not worn a wig since fourth grade, when she revealed her diagnosis to her school class. The condition does not affect her at all in the pool, but she is easy to spot in races since she goes without a swim cap. Despite her condition, Hayes has stressed the importance of living life as one’s authentic self, and that’s why she does not wear a wig. In the hours after she qualified for Worlds, Hayes’ raw and genuine emotions spilled out, particularly as she was introduced on deck at the Greensboro Aquatic Center as a member of the World Championships team. “It’s still quite a shock,” Hayes said. “As we were getting our pictures taken and I was standing with all these incredible athletes, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I had a conversation with Katie Ledecky and with Lilly King. What in the world? So many incredible athletes, and it’s just humbling to be around them.” ◄

Katie Ledecky Not Swimming 200 Freestyle at World Championships BY DAVID RIEDER | PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK

t last week’s U.S. International Team Trials in Greensboro, N.C., Katie Ledecky posted four dominant victories. She swam her fastest time in four years in the 800 freestyle, and then she added first-place results in the 200 free, 400 free and 1500 free. Ledecky has won world titles in all of those events in her career, with four consecutive gold medals in the 800 free and three each in the 400 and 1500. In 2015, she won a competitive 200 free final on her way to four individual gold medals. However, Ledecky has chosen to withdraw from the 200 free for this year’s meet in Budapest to focus on the three longer events and the 800 free relay. She did not announce the move, but the current U.S. roster for Worlds has Ledecky listed in the 400, 800 and 1500 free while Leah Smith, the third-place finisher in the 200 free at Trials, has added that event in addition to the 400 and 800 to her lineup. Smith will join 15-year-old Claire Weinstein, the surprise No. 2 finisher in the 200 free at Trials, in racing the individual event. Ledecky finished fifth in the 200 free at the Tokyo Olympics after entering the meet as defending gold medalist. In her absence, Weinstein and Smith will both need to swim much faster than their 1:57-low performances from Greensboro to have a chance of qualifying for the Budapest final.

Despite Ledecky pulling herself out of contention for the individual event, she will surely remain a member of the 800 free relay squad, which she has been a member of at every major international meet going back to the 2013 World Championships. Ledecky has helped the Americans win three world titles plus 2016 Olympic gold in that relay, along with silvers at the 2019 World Championships and 2021 Olympics. Notably, USA Swimming has not added the seventh-place finisher in the 200 free, Erin Gemmell, to the roster. The others expected to participate on the relay this year are Hali Flickinger, Bella Sims and Alex Walsh. In addition to the Ledecky news, the current U.S. roster for Worlds shows which swimmers will participate in the 50-meter stroke events. Only Trials winners were added to the World Championships team in these non-Olympic events, but second-place swimmers in five of the six events qualified for Budapest, so they will all swim those respective races. Those swimmers include Torri Huske in the women’s 50 butterfly, Michael Andrew in the men’s 50 fly, Nic Fink in the men’s 50 breaststroke, Regan Smith in the women’s 50 backstroke and Justin Ress in the men’s 50 back. In the women’s 50 breast, however, Lilly King will be the only representative for the United States. ◄ BIWEEKLY

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Claire Curzan Fulfilled Immense Promise at U.S. International Team Trials BY DAVID RIEDER | PHOTOS BY PETER H. BICK

fter this week’s U.S. International Team Trials in Greensboro, the question “What can Claire Curzan do?” has become obsolete. Now, we know. After a year of watching Curzan flash her potential across a wide range of events, she has now proven herself with all the best swimmers in the nation, peaking at an all-important selection meet. Of course, Curzan showed flashes of her brilliance when she qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in the 100 butterfly last year and then when she collected six medals at the Short Course World Championships. But this week, Curzan went head-to-head with the best swimmers in the country over a wide range of sprint events, and she has finished first or second in all four of her events so far, with a possible fifth to come. The week began with the 100 freestyle. Curzan had recorded an impressive 53.55 last May, but she ended up finishing 12th in that event at Olympic Trials. Her 2022 results, including a win in the event at the TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio in early April, hinted that she would be in contention at this

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year’s Trials, and she indeed swam a 53.58 to secure not only a spot on the 400 free relay but also an individual 100 free berth for Worlds. Day two brought the 50 butterfly, an event perfectly suited to Curzan’s skill set and sprinter instincts. She finished first in 25.49, just one hundredth off Kelsi Dahlia’s American record. In the 100 fly, the event in which she qualified for the Olympics, Curzan was out fast and ended up finishing just behind American-record holder and future Stanford teammate Torri Huske, 56.28 to 56.35. Most impressive of all was Curzan’s result Friday night, when she threw her hat in the ring for the always-loaded 100 backstroke. Curzan first broke into 58-second territory in 2021, but she did not swim the event at Trials because of a schedule conflict with the 100 fly. Those in the field included American-record holder Regan Smith, Tokyo fourth-place finisher Rhyan White, 100-yard back American-record holder Katharine Berkoff and 2019 World Championships bronze

medalist Olivia Smoliga. And Curzan, in seemingly an off-event, beat all except Smith, posting an elite time of 58.39 in the process. World rankings can be a little deceiving to this point because so many of the world’s best have yet to swim a championship meet in 2022, but here is where Curzan currently sits in those four events: •

100 Freestyle: fourth (behind Shayna Jack, Sarah Sjostrom and Huske)

•

50 Butterfly: second (behind Sjostrom, tied with Rikako Ikee)

•

100 Butterfly: second (behind Huske)

•

100 Backstroke: third (behind Smith and Kaylee McKeown)

Curzan enters the 50 free final as the top-ranked American this year and third-fastest swimmer overall, and she is also the fifth-ranked swimmer in the world in the 200 backstroke (behind McKeown and three Americans), although she skipped that event Wednesday to focus on the 50 fly. Through her experiences at the Olympics, Short Course Worlds and other significant events over the past year, Curzan has built the confidence she needs to thrive day after day, even in a stressful racing environment.

“Confidence is something I’ve been working on,” Curzan said after her 50 fly victory. “I think the Olympics was great in just getting a taste of the biggest stage in the world. Now I can reflect on that and be better at these meets when the competition is still high, and you can still kind of feel the tension because it’s a qualifying meet. I know that I’ve done it before and I can do it again.” The degree of difficulty will be upped at the World Championships, where Curzan will race at least four individual events and two relays, with possibly the 50 free still to be added to her schedule, and Curzan could also participate on the mixed 400 medley relay and mixed 400 freestyle relay. If she swims prelims, semifinals and finals of all her events plus each relay once, that is 16 total swims over the eight-day meet, 19 if she adds the 50 free to her program. That’s a lot of responsibility for a 17-year-old. But Curzan handled every race beautifully this week to earn that chance on the international stage, and she cemented her status among the country’s best swimmers. When considering the top female swimmers of this meet, Katie Ledecky will top the list if she adds a victory in the 1500 freestyle to her earlier wins in the 200, 400 and 800 free, and Lilly King swept the breaststroke events, but those performances were mostly expected. Curzan entered the meet with some questions, but she has exceled at every opportunity. ◄ BIWEEKLY

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Carson Foster Overcomes Lingering Doubts to Conquer 400 IM, Unlock Huge Potential BY DAVID RIEDER | PHOTOS BY PETER H. BICK

he day before Olympic swimming began in Tokyo, Carson Foster got on the blocks to race a 400 IM at a low-key Sectionals meet in Austin. One month earlier, Foster had missed the Olympic team in excruciating fashion, surrendering the lead to Chase Kalisz and then, on the final length, the runnerup position to Jay Litherland. But in Austin, Foster recorded a mark of 4:08.46, the fastest time in the world for 2021 and good enough to make him the ninthfastest performer in history. When Foster watched the 400 IM Olympic final and realized his time was faster than what Kalisz swam to capture gold, he was not frustrated but instead inspired. He wanted his chance at redemption, to break through to a senior-level long course squad. He was excited that the 2022 World Championships team was to be selected in April, sooner than their customary spot in June. But as the U.S. International Team Trials drew closer, Foster still could not shake every ounce of doubt. Swimming the fastest time in the world was great, but it was at Sectionals, not the high-pressured showcase of a national qualifying meet. He performed well at the Short Course World Championships in December, finishing with one medal of each color, but at the NCAA Championships in March, his highest finish was a third-place mark in the 400 IM, and all of his fastest swims came in prelims. Foster was performing very well in all but the biggest races.

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Would the pressure of swimming in big-time finals remain a mental block? Could he overcome that obstacle, especially with the major selection meet now only one month away? In his first race this week in Greensboro, Foster crushed his lifetime best by more than a second in the 200 freestyle, and his time of 1:45.57 earned him the top seed. He did not need to swim any faster. If he could finish fourth place or better, and his spot on the World Championship team would be secured. That evening, Foster placed third, his time of 1:45.66 just hundredths off his morning effort. He had qualified. Suddenly, all the pressure of the redemption swim in the 400 IM abated. The race he had anticipated for nine months was no longer do-or-die. He had claimed his spot in Budapest. Simply watching Foster walk around the pool deck Thursday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, his sense of relief was palpable. Perhaps that’s what made Foster comfortable to swim a relaxed prelims effort in the 400 IM rather than his usual all-out strategy. He ended up qualifying second for the final despite looking incredibly relaxed and smooth on the final 100 meters of freestyle. “I’m kind of uncomfortable doing that,” he admitted. “That’s never been really my jam to go super easy in prelims, but I

trusted the coaches, trusted that I was going to be able to do it.” A few hours later in the final, Foster found himself in second place after 300 meters, seven tenths behind Kalisz after the veteran’s usual stellar breaststroke split. His time at that wall was 3:11.00, almost a second slower than he covered the first 300 meters at Olympic Trials. But that was just fine. “The race was 400 meters and not 300 and that if I get passed, it’s OK,” Foster said. That was the point in the race at Olympic Trials where Foster faltered. This time, he thrived. He caught up to Kalisz and pulled himself back into the lead. “I’m a good freestyler, and I’m going to be able to come home,” Foster said. “Just staying calm that first 50 and just trying to race that last 50.”

pressure, and in the 400 IM, he made his long-awaited leap to the top of the U.S. rankings in the 400 IM. He performed his best when it counted, and that win could be the moment that kicks off a prolific international career. ◄

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Bobby Finke made a late surge to almost catch Kalisz, but by that point, Foster was well clear. In 4:09.33, he had his World Championships spot. So many days of doubt were behind him. The next stop, of course, is Budapest for a global showdown that will include defending world champion Daiya Seto, world No. 1 Duncan Scott, emerging Frenchman Leon Marchand and Olympic champion Kalisz, and Foster has the abilities required to compete with those stars. He will certainly be in medal contention, and he could even be in the running for gold. Beyond that, Foster’s sky-high potential has long been obvious to those in the sport, and he is still only 20 years old.

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A Familiar Home: Why Olympic Trials Returning to Indy Is a Perfect Fit BY COOPER VANDRIESSCHE

o fully understand the relationship between Indianapolis and the Olympic Trials, you have to take a deep dive into the historic event that is the selection meet for the Olympic Games. The year 1924 is when Trials first came to the city of Indianapolis. The top swimmers in the nation competed at Broad Ripple Park for their spot on the Olympic team competing in Paris that summer. Eighteen years later, in 1952, Broad Ripple Park once again hosted the best athletes in the country, this time only women, for the Olympic Trials. Although the Trials in 1924 and 1952 helped build Indy’s reputation of hosting top-level swim meets, the opening of the famous Indiana University Natatorium-IUPUI in 1982 completely changed the relationship between the city of Indianapolis and the Olympic Trials. The Nat The Indiana University Natatorium-IUPUI, or The Nat as it’s more commonly referred to, was opened in 1982 and for four decades has welcomed the best swimmers in the world to compete in its historic pool. Since its opening, it has hosted every event from U.S. Nationals to the Pan American Games to the NCAA Championships, along with the FINA Junior World Championships in 2017. The Nat’s first time holding Olympic Trials came in 1984 when top-level swimmers such as Rowdy Gaines, Tracy Caulkins, Matt Biondi and a teenage Dara Torres competed for spots on the Olympic Teams. Following the 1984 Trials, The Nat played host to three more Trials – in 1992, 1996 and lastly in 2000 when a young star by the name of Michael Phelps made his first Olympic Team by finishing second in the 200 Butterfly. The IUPUI Natatorium has also created several Trials traditions that continue to live on today. The most notable of those traditions is the painting (now hanging) of swimmers’ names on the diving-end wall after they made the Olympic Team. After the 2000 Trials, the event started to outgrow The Nat. After leaving Indy, USA Swimming took Trials to Long Beach in 2004 and to Omaha in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2021.

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But 24 years after the Trials left Indy, the city is getting ready to host the fastest meet on American soil once again. Welcome “Home” In just over 24 months, the best swimmers in the nation will bring their talents to Indy in hopes of getting a spot on the Olympic Team that will compete in Paris. As USA Swimming and Indiana Sports Corp get ready to plan for a smooth event, one individual knows a lot about how to run a smooth and efficient Olympic Trials. Arlene McDonald, The Event Coordinator at the IUPUI Natatorium, has been the Meet Director at the past four Olympic Trials, with her years of experience, Arlene knows what the Trials can bring to the City of Indianapolis. “While we certainly host a lot of large events here, this gives us the unique opportunity to host a world class event for the first time, in a new venue, in an NFL Stadium. Hosting this prestigious event and selecting Team USA in a new and larger setting allows our city to be a leader in the sports innovation sector.” Although Trials bring new opportunities to Indy, Arlene also believes it helps add to the history of swimming in Indiana “It gives us a chance to reflect on the rich history of the six trials that have been hosted in Indianapolis and to bring more people into the sport as we look back.” Excitement Builds As the official countdown to Trials is now underway, people will get excited about the sport of swimming. Kyle Sockwell, an analyst and one of the most influential voices on Swimming Twitter, is ready for the Trials in Indy: “I’m excited to have everyone back on the same page and at one meet, with one goal…qualify for the Olympic Team.” With all that has happened in the past two years, Sockwell is ready to watch the best in the county take the water. “We’ve been through a lot these last few years and I can’t wait for everyone to be able to refocus and get some consistent uninterrupted training under their belts going into Paris.” The Future In June 2024, the eyes of the swimming world will turn to Indy as some of the best athletes take to the water for what is one of the fastest meets in the world. Although the main focus of the event will be the elite-level athletes chasing berths to Paris, there is an additional focus behind Trials, and USA Swimming’s purpose as a whole. Arlene McDonald, the Event Coordinator at the IUPUI Natatorium, put it best: “The Trials here in Indy at Lucas Oil Stadium are going to elevate the sport of swimming to new levels by providing a unique and exciting atmosphere in which to select Team USA while creating a lasting community impact through various water safety initiatives being planned throughout the city in conjunction with Trials.” ◄

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>> Ariarne Titmus

Duel in the Pool Revival Has Potential to Become Captivating Rivalry Showdown BY DAVID RIEDER

he Duel in the Pool is back. This made-for-TV, rivalrystyle event has been absent from the international calendar since December 2015, when the United States faced a team of European All-Stars in Indianapolis, and the last event featuring the original United-States-vs.-Australia matchup occurred back in April 2007. Almost exactly 15 years later, the swimming federations representing the two powerhouse nations have announced its return, in the same Sydney Olympic Aquatic Center that hosted the memorable 2007 event. That was the meet when Libby Lenton, later known as Libby Trickett, became the first woman to break 53 seconds in the 100 freestyle as she raced Michael Phelps on the leadoff leg of a mixed 400 freestyle relay. This was before mixed relays were commonplace, so it took several months before FINA announced that Lenton’s 52.99 would not be certified as the world record, but she would officially break the barrier one year later at Australia’s Olympic Trials. Phelps, meanwhile, won the 100 freestyle and 200 backstroke at that meet, which was held just two days after he completed a magnificent seven-gold-medal performance at the FINA World Championships in Melbourne. Four years earlier, Phelps provided the best performance at a Duel in the Pool. At the inaugural edition of the meet in 2003 in Indianapolis, Phelps almost broke two world records in one day. He lowered his own mark in the 400 IM (4:10.73)

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before finishing just three hundredths off Michael Klim’s world record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 51.84. For good measure, Phelps out-touched teammate Tom Malchow to win the 200 fly by seven hundredths and then swam the fly leg of the U.S. men’s victorious 400 medley relay. All in one day. None of the three previous USA-Australia matchups have been close in the final team score, with the Americans dominating all three, but Australia did finish on top in the women’s competition in both 2005 and 2007. The Australians went on to be the dominant women’s team at the 2008 Olympics, but they lost momentum during the next two Olympic cycles. However, the Aussies’ performance at the 2021 Games in Tokyo was magnificent, with three female swimmers winning two individual golds each: Ariarne Titmus in the 200 and 400 freestyle, Kaylee McKeown in the 100 and 200 backstroke and Emma McKeon in the 50 and 100 freestyle. Australia also won two women’s relay gold medals, and Zac Stubblety-Cook won the men’s 200 breaststroke. Australia finished Tokyo with 21 total medals and nine golds, just two behind the 11 won by the United States. That made 2022 a perfect opportunity to resurrect the previously-lifeless concept of the Duel in the Pool. The initial announcement of the event promised a series of showdowns that would be rematches from the Tokyo Games,

particularly with many of the highest-profile Australian stars skipping this year’s World Championships to focus on the Commonwealth Games. Titmus would get a rematch with Katie Ledecky in the 400 freestyle for the first time since their epic race for gold in Tokyo. Kyle Chalmers would have his shot at revenge against Caeleb Dressel after Dressel beat the Aussie by just six hundredths in the Olympic final of the men’s 100 free. McKeown could race American backstroker Regan Smith, although it’s worth noting that McKeown is tentatively planning to race in Budapest, unlike Titmus, Chalmers and McKeon.

a watered-down field if many of the sport’s biggest names decline a spot on the team. Let’s hope for the first scenario, which would create the Duel in the Pool fans have hoped for since its inception: the brightest stars from the two top swimming nations in the world, both now and for most of the sport’s history. Match races in a relatively low-stress environment (compared to the Olympics, at least) with the Australian fans roaring in Sydney? Especially given the circumstances surrounding this year’s international racing calendar? Yes, this new edition of an old event could be a real delight. ◄

The Duel presents a lower-stakes atmosphere but exciting format, making it the ideal ending to a summer championship season. This meet has so much potential — assuming, of course, that the biggest names in the U.S. commit to swimming. Late August is an unusual time for a major championship meet, and this will be two months after the World Championships. Swimming fans certainly hope that the biggest stars decide to make the trip around the world for this unique event. The meet will be held in long course meters, just like the three previous USA-Australia matchups (while the four meets between the U.S. and European All-Stars were all in short course meters). Wednesday’s announcement of the new Duel in the Pool revealed that this new 2022 edition will include multi-class para competition as well as an open water race at Bondi Beach. That means a lengthy schedule events, but the roster of athletes will remain relatively small. Rosters for both countries will consist of 30 total athletes, a number that includes pool swimmers, open water swimmers and para swimmers, and USA Swimming has confirmed to Swimming World that the organization plans to bring 15 athletes of each gender, including 13 able-bodied athletes. For some comparison, the maximum size of the U.S. World Championships team is 26 female athletes plus 26 male athletes, so the group heading to Sydney in August will be half that size. That could mean either a group of all-stars or potentially BIWEEKLY

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Andrew Wilson, From NCAA Division III to Olympic Gold Medalist, Announces Retirement BY DAN D'ADDONA

.S. Olympic swimmer Andrew Wilson has retired from swimming.

The Emory University graduate won Olympic gold as a prelims swimmer in the 400 medley relay in Tokyo. He finished sixth in the 100 breaststroke and is the first NCAA Division III swimmer to make the U.S. Olympic swim team. “While I’ve known for a while that my career as a professional swimmer was over, this moment still feels different. This year at Oxford has been my soft landing into retirement, allowing me to remain in touch with competitive swimming, but with more life balance and less stress. To be completely honest, I wasn’t prepared to face the fact that such an incredible chapter of my life had come to an end, and I’m incredibly grateful to those at Oxford who welcomed me with open arms as I figured out what my future relationship with the sport would be,” Andrew Wilson wrote. “It is difficult to leave the sport of swimming completely satisfied with what you have accomplished, and I don’t believe many do. I know that this is certainly the case for me, which I am not saying in a search for sympathy, but rather to let others know that you are not alone in this feeling. Instead of focusing on this though, I want to focus on the things that I am proud of from my swim career.” Wilson wrote a long letter addressed to the swim community detailing his decision. To the swim community, Today I have officially submitted my retirement paperwork. While I’ve known for a while that my career as a professional swimmer was over, this moment still feels different. This year at Oxford has been my soft landing into retirement, allowing me to remain in touch with competitive swimming, 22

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but with more life balance and less stress. To be completely honest, I wasn’t prepared to face the fact that such an incredible chapter of my life had come to an end, and I’m incredibly grateful to those at Oxford who welcomed me with open arms as I figured out what my future relationship with the sport would be. During this year I’ve had time to reflect on my career as whole, and I have more to say than fits in a social media post. I don’t expect everyone to be interested in what I have to say, but this letter is as much for me personally to express my thoughts on the period of my life dominated by swimming as it is to share my views on my career and this sport with others. It is difficult to leave the sport of swimming completely satisfied with what you have accomplished, and I don’t believe many do. I know that this is certainly the case for me, which I am not saying in a search for sympathy, but rather to let others know that you are not alone in this feeling. Instead of focusing on this though, I want to focus on the things that I am proud of from my swim career. 1. I believe that I did everything I could in order to be as good as I possibly could. Of course I wish that I could have medaled individually at the Games or set an individual AR, but I’m extremely proud of the fact that if I were to do it all again, I would not do it differently. I genuinely believe that I got as much out of my talent as I possibly could, and in every race gave it everything I had. I think that knowing I did everything in my power to accomplish what I believed I could in this sport is something to be proud of. 2. Everything I accomplished I did without bending or breaking the rules, whether that applies to doping or dolphin kicks. I can always look back and know that I did it the right way. 3. I’m proud to come from DIII. Too many people look down

upon DIII as a lesser version of the sport, but I promise you, it isn’t. Sure the times are a bit behind DI, but I never once went to a practice at Emory and thought, ‘man, these guys just don’t care about swimming as much as at DI schools.’ Out of all my time training with different people, different programs, and in different places, the thing that makes a good training partner is someone who puts in the effort and someone who cares, and you find a plethora of people like that in DIII. 4. I’m proud that I didn’t give up, which is not to say I wasn’t close. I still remember vividly speaking to Jon Howell on deck at the end of World Champs Trials in 2017. In 2015-16 I completely dedicated myself to swimming. I did everything I possibly could to set myself up to make the Olympic team in 2016, and I thought I deserved to. But a lot of people deserve to, and the cards don’t always fall your way. That was a very tough lesson to learn, but I accepted it, and went back to work even more motivated for 2017. Then I missed the team again. I went to Jon, fighting back tears, and told him I wasn’t sure if I could keep doing this, working for a year for a chance, only to fall short by fractions of a second. Jon talked me down from the proverbial ledge, and I bounced back quickly to focus on WUGS, with a determination to prove myself. Managing to go a best time at WUGS is one of the moments I’m most proud of in my career. This sport is brutal. In swimming it sometimes feels like when you deserve something the most is when you’re least likely to get it. But I’m proud that I didn’t let the brutality of swimming win. I’m proud that I kept working and finding ways to get better until I did make those teams.

with finding a way to be faster I will always miss swimming intensely, but I’ve come to realize that what I miss is that chapter in my life, and I don’t find myself wanting to train in the way you need to in order to write a few more words. What I really want most of all is to relive some of those moments of my life, with those people, in that moment in time, because it truly was incredible, even if at times I didn’t show it. Looking back at all the moments I cherish it’s difficult to believe that it went by so fast, and I only hope that others look upon those moments as fondly as I do. My list of people to thank is too long to include everyone here, but I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention Jon Howell and all the coaches at Emory who took a chance on me. Cindy Fontana for being my mom away from home. Jack Bauerle and the coaches at Georgia who helped me live out a dream. Keenan Robinson for being the ultimate weight coach, trainer, and hype man I could ask for. Eddie Reese, Wyatt Collins, Emilie Hoeper and others who I had the pleasure of working with at Texas who taught me how to be a professional. Tim Kelly and David Fox who believed in me before many did. The entire USA Swimming staff for being the best, and most fun, in the world. Ken Ono and Russell Mark for helping me find measurable areas to improve and always supporting me as I tried to. Mike Lewis for capturing some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Sean McCann for helping me to train my mind; and of course, all of the incredible athletes I have been lucky enough to call teammates over the years. I love the sport of swimming. I loved it even when I hated it, but there’s a point when everyone has to say goodbye to it, and for me that is now. To those who are still in it, cherish it, work for it, embrace the highs, embrace the lows, value the people around you, and savor it; because I’m so jealous that you are still experiencing your story instead of looking back and nostalgically longing for just one more of those moments with your teammates.

5. I’m proud of the relationships I’ve made through swimming. I’m proud that I get to call so many incredible people friends, and that we got to share moments that made us who we are. As a swimmer you spend so much time with your teammates and coaches, and give up so much of your life outside of the sport. These were some of the most important people in my life for the last 10 years, and I will always be grateful to them for who they helped me become, Until we meet again, and what they helped me accomplish because I certainly Andrew Wilson, OLY ◄ wouldn’t have done it without them. I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of their journey as well. SWIM MART I’m also proud of accomplishments, but realistically those are distantly behind everything I’ve listed above. There are of course aspects of my swimming career that I’m not proud of as well. I’m not proud of how I sometimes reacted in training when having a bad set. I’m not proud of moments when I sought to blame people other than myself for a poor performance. I’m not proud of relationships that I let get ruined by my borderline psychotic obsession

䐀刀夀䰀䄀一䐀刀䔀匀䤀匀吀䄀一䌀䔀吀刀䄀䤀一䤀一䜀䜀䔀䄀刀䤀洀瀀爀漀瘀攀䘀漀爀洀 ☀ 䤀䴀琀椀洀攀簀䔀渀栀愀渀挀攀攀渀搀甀爀愀渀挀攀簀吀爀愀椀渀愀渀礀眀栀攀爀攀

一娀䌀漀爀搀稀⸀挀漀洀簀㠀

⸀㠀㠀㘀⸀㘀㘀㈀㄀

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Joseph Schooling to Reassess Olympic Cycle Plan After SEA Games BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

oseph Schooling, the 2016 Olympic champion in the men’s 100 butterfly, said in an interview this week that he will reassess his plan for the road to the 2024 Olympics. Schooling is 26. He’s scheduled to compete at the Southeast Asian Games in May in Hanoi, Vietnam, as well as the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. But whether the Singapore sporting icon will vie for a spot at a fourth Olympic Games in Paris in 2024 remains an open question. “I’m going to be 27 this year, and there are a lot of things outside the pool that I’ll want to move on to after I’m done swimming,” Schooling told Yahoo News Singapore. “Right now the question is, ‘Okay, do I still want to do Paris? Or do I stop and reassess where I want to go after the Asian Games?’ “Also, how do I balance what I need to do (national service)-wise and getting the training I need? Because if this schedule persists, I don’t think I can make it to 2024 in Paris.” Schooling first made his name at the SEA Games in 2011 in Palembang, Indonesia, winning two golds among four total medals. He’s one of the most decorated athletes in SEA Games history, winning 31 medals (27 golds) over five installments. But he hinted in the interview that the next SEA Games could be his last. He had a bumpy run to the Tokyo Olympics

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in 2021, which required deferrals of his compulsory national service that he is still sorting through. In 2018, he’d indicated a desire to push through to Paris, but the last few years have been onerous. Little can take away from Schooling’s tremendous career. He was a 12-time NCAA champion at the University of Texas. He’s got three gold and seven total medals at the Asian Games and was the bronze medalist in the men’s 100 fly at the World Championships in 2015 and 2017. In between, obviously, was the swim that immortalized his career. He won Singapore’s first ever Olympic gold medal in Rio, upsetting the three-way tie for second between Michael Phelps, Chad le Clos and Laszlo Cseh in an unforgettable final. Schooling struggled in the years leading up to Tokyo, changing his training locations and looking for a spark. After winning in 50.39 in 2016, an Olympic record, Schooling finished 44th in the event in Tokyo with a time of 53.12 seconds. Schooling also finished 39th in the 100 free. “I’ve always enjoyed representing Singapore at the SEA Games, and this SEA Games being possibly my last will make it even more special,” Schooling said. “I won’t take anything for granted, and I’m going to appreciate whatever is going to happen.” ◄

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‘‘I Was Super Depressed’’: Chad le Clos on Pre-Tokyo Trauma and Recovery BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

had le Clos underwent a traumatic experience in January 2021, something that clouded his Olympic experience in Tokyo. It’s only now that he’s opening up about that experience and seeking help in the aftermath.

“I only started to speak to someone after the Olympics – biggest mistake of my life – and I started getting myself right again. I was in a dark place, even after the Olympics,” he said. “I was super depressed.

Le Clos revealed the struggles in an interview with South African outlet The New Frame. He did not disclose the nature of the event or circumstances, saying only: “It’s something I’ll never talk about because it’s not for anybody else to know. But it was something so deep, it was worse than my parents having cancer and this was worse for them.”

“There were times where I was sitting in my room just crying by myself. I didn’t know why I was like that. It genuinely wasn’t about the Olympics. It was about my future and about me… it felt like I had fallen such a long way from where I was in terms of who I was as a person. It really wasn’t about swimming.”

Le Clos said the traumatic experience combined with other factors to weigh him down in 2021. Those included a shift in sponsorship dollars and the shifting currents of attention in South African swimming. Le Clos, then 29, finished fifth in the men’s 200 fly. He didn’t escape the heats of the 100 fly, an event in which he’d won silver in consecutive Olympics.

Le Clos is, in his words, “on my way back” now. He’s progressing in his therapy and he’s coming off an impressive showing in the South African Championships. His next goal is to become the most decorated athlete in Commonwealth Games history, needing two medals for that. He’s also got an eye toward the 2024 Paris Olympics.

It wasn’t until after the Tokyo Olympics that le Clos sought professional help, a delay which he now regrets.

“I know I’m winning medals in two years’ time, I can promise you that,” le Clos said. “So I’m not worried about the future.”◄

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[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

Rachel Zilinskas, Former Georgia All-American, Enjoying Second Career in Triathlon BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

illing the hole left by swimming was a complex challenge for Rachel Zilinskas when she left the University of Georgia. The void was obvious for the All-American swimmer. Since she was a child, first at Germantown Academy and then in Athens, Zilinskas took pride in the hours of work she put in. At two daunting, distance-heavy programs, Zilinskas thrived, as a national teamer in the pool and in open water, an allpurpose distance specialist who harbored realistic Olympic dreams. But her relationship to the sport grew complicated. She loved being a Bulldog enough to add a fifth year at the school to obtain a master’s degree. But a torn rotator cuff that she swam through during her sophomore year derailed her upward trajectory. Years of physical and mental adaptation became too arduous, even if she attained her best NCAA finishes in 2015 – sixth in the mile, eighth in the 500 free – on one good arm. All the rehab, resets and restarts made that passion difficult to sustain. By the end of her time in Athens, her body was done. But her spirit still craved the grind. “My last two years, there were of course wonderful highlights

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of getting to compete with my teammates,” Zilinskas said recently. “I got a few best times here and there in some off events that I hadn’t swum in a while. But for me personally in terms of my swimming career, it was tough.” When she relocated to the University of Minnesota, where she’s pursuing her Ph.D. in biostatistics, Zilinskas wanted something to fill the gap. She tried running, in her competitive way building up from 5 K's to half-marathons to a full marathon. She dabbled in cycling classes. And, given her open-water swimming background, the idea was floated soon enough: Hey, what about triathlons? A few years into her second athletic journey, Zilinskas is a professional triathlete, with a couple of high-profile top-10 finishes at Ironman events to her name. She’s also rediscovered that training passion that was taken away by her college injury woes. “I had done it before, so I felt like I could do it again,” she said. “This was the way I personally was used to doing things. It’s still difficult every day, just trying to plan out the day to try to execute what I need to get done in the best possible way. But all the while, the emphasis on triathlon has increased as I’ve gone on.”

“IT FELT LIKE A PERSONAL FAILURE” Zilinskas’s perseverance through her shoulder injuries is a testament to how talented a swimmer she is. In 2012, before her senior season at GA, she qualified for Trials in a slew of events. She ended up ninth in the 800 free and 15th in the 400 free, with the kind of classical 200-stroke, freestyle distance, 400-IM specialty that GA and Georgia are known to churn out. At just 17, she was on the short list of names to watch for 2016. But her body didn’t quite hold up its end of the bargain. She started her career in Athens on a high, helping the Bulldogs win the national title in 2014 by making three B finals at NCAAs. She followed it up with two A finals the next year, and still gutted out a 14th-place finish in the mile in 2016 as the Bulldogs won another team title. Down to her last day in a Georgia cap – she was 17th in the mile, 21st in the 400 IM and 26th in the 500 free at NCAAs as a senior – she was a contributor. As of the end of the 2022 season, Zilinskas remains fourth in program history in the 200 back, sixth in the mile and 10th in the 500 free. But for someone so fastidious in her training, all those efforts came at a cost. “It was really difficult, especially watching my teammates continuing to be able to do the yardage and do everything in the weight room and I couldn’t,” she said. “It felt like a personal failure. It truly wasn’t; this was a very physical problem. But mentally I took it as a personal failure. “Every time I would have to get out of practice early and not be able to complete a practice or have to transition to kicking, it felt like a lot of shame. Every time I would have to leave the pool deck, it felt like a walk of shame.” When Zilinskas walked away from the pool, she was still in love with swimming. It just had become clear that it wasn’t exactly in love with her. DIVING BACK IN After getting her master’s in statistics, Zilinskas began her Ph.D. studies in the Twin Cities. As engrossing as biostatistics is, she had time to fill, with a schedule no longer accommodating hours of mandatory daily training. She looked for new outlets in all the usual places – running, fitness classes, anything to get her by now healed body moving again. Even when she found something that scratched the physical itch, the mental aspect that came from nearly two decades of goal-driven competition was noticeably absent. “When I first retired from swimming, I think any former swimmer will tell you this, the transition into the ‘real world’

is very, very tough,” she said. “Specifically the transition with how to exercise and I definitely struggled with that, knowing what was enough, knowing what was healthy. I tried a lot of different things, but I still kind of felt at a little bit of a loss not having a physical goal to work towards.” Here, Zilinskas leaned on her fitness-focused family. Her mom, Susan, does triathlons and long-distance running events. When Zilinskas got into it, she went in whole hog, working with coach Andrew Yoder, based in her native Pennsylvania, to explore what this path could bring. Only a swimmer of Zilinskas’ background would identify one of the positives of her triathlon training as its length. Since the mile swim is, in her words, “only 15 minutes,” the swim portion of a triathlon that can stretch near an hour offers more opportunities to press her advantage. Adjusting to Ironman races that can last for 10 hours – her recent showing in Texas took 9 hours, 23 minutes and 35 seconds – was fine by her. Not having her face in the water opens up chances to explore the “competitive, strategic aspects that I really enjoyed in swimming” in new ways. There was the small item of merging her training with her academic demands to navigate. But even that challenge felt familiar from undergrad. It was aided by studying remotely during the pandemic, which has led to her relocating to Arizona to train while finishing her studies. “When I first started competing in triathlon, I still saw it as more of a hobby, more of an outlet to fuel that competitive fire, but also just provide more balance in my life as I got into my studies,” she said. “I struggled with that at first because no one in my cohort or my Ph.D. program was taking time to do those kinds of things. So I felt guilty in some ways taking that time to train for triathlon. But I was a student-athlete in college and I drew on that experience because studentathletes have to balance that.” Even more than when she was in the pool, Ironman competitions give Zilinskas a chance to push her body to its absolute limits. She’s more attracted to the Ironman discipline rather than pursuing Olympic triathlon, which is a shorter distance and requires more technical acumen on the bike and in running. Having those long-term goals to aim at brings her back to what she so relished in the water. Turning professional is one step on that pathway, one she hopes will help her unlock others. “It’s been my goal these past few years as I’ve noticed myself have an ability in this sport,” she said. “It’s changed my goals to compete at the highest level, so competing as a professional is the highest level.” ◄ BIWEEKLY

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[ PHOTO BY NATALIE HINDS / INSTAGRAM ]

>> Natalie Hinds & Allison Schmitt

Olympians Honored by President Biden at White House BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

early 600 U.S. Olympians and Paralympians were honored at the White House by President Joe Biden.

Katie Ledecky, Natalie Hinds, Allison Schmitt, Lilly King, Michael Andrew and several swimmers were among the group of athletes on the south lawn of the White House. “Quick trip to my hometown to visit a beautiful House and celebrate @teamusa Thanks @potus @flotus @vp @ secondgentleman and all working at the @whitehouse for a special day!” Ledecky posted on Instagram.

the results, we wanted to honor you here at the White House. I’m going — and I’m sorry you had to wait that year between the time it was set and the time to go. I mean, you’ve been through so damn — darn much...You’ve been through so much.” Biden noted that athletes came from sports all across the country, from all backgrounds, including 18 U.S. Armed Forces veterans. Team USA totaled more than 260 medals won by Olympians and Paralympians.

Natalie Hinds posted: “what a weekend of celebration @ the @whitehouse I will always be grateful for the year of 2021 & opportunities it has gifted me! my grandmother would be so proud!”

“Thanks for letting me hold those medals, man. It made me feel important for a second. (Laughter.) They are something else. Thank you,” Biden said. “We also know the pride your families felt and how hard it was for them and for you that they couldn’t be there in person with you.

Among the swimmers in the crowd were: Annie Lazor, Zach Apple, Lydia Jacoby, Hunter Armstrong, Bella Sims, Paige Madden, Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass, Zach Harting, Katie McLaughlin, Claire Curzan, Brooke Forde, Haley Anderson, Erica Sullivan, Kieran Smith and Sophia Herzog, among others.

“Our favorite part of the Olympics — Jill and my family — was watching your families watch you. I’m not joking — watching your families watch you, learning about who you are. Because we learn about how big and diverse and talented — how great this nation is, just how diverse we are.”

President Biden addressed the group of Olympians, congratulating them for their hard work, success and inspiration. “The Bidens are a big sports family, and we love watching the Olympics. And Jill came home from Tokyo — all she could do was talk about you all constantly. You think I’m kidding. I’m not,” Biden said. “And we know that, no matter 30

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Biden took time to honor the Olympians and Paralympians and their work and success. “You inspire people. You inspire people around the world. You inspire them to pursue — to pursue their hopes and their dreams not just in sport but in life,” he said. “I’ve had kids come up to me and say, ‘Did you see? Did you see? I think I can.’ Not a joke. You all know it. It’s real.” ◄