SW Biweekly June 7, 2022 Issue by Swimming World Magazine

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CONTENTS 008 ALLEGATIONS OF VERBAL ABUSE, BULLYING LEVIED AT CAL COACH TERI McKEEVER; CAL RELEASES STATEMENT by Matthew De George According to an investigation by the Orange County Register, a daily newspaper in Southern California, Cal’s swim coach Teri McKeever has been accused of verbal abuse and bullying that has led to athletes contemplating and even attempting suicide. 010 AS TITLE IX TURNS 50, CHANGES LIKELY ON THE HORIZON FOR LANDMARK LAW by Matthew De George While the 37 words of Title IX that enshrine protection against gender discrimination into law will not change, details of how the statute could be enforced might change. 011 OLYMPIANS KATIE GRIMES, MICHAEL BRINEGAR LEAD U.S. DELEGATION TO OPEN WATER WORLDS by Matthew De George Led by Olympians Michael Brinegar and Katie Grimes, a nine-strong Team USA will compete at the World Open Water Championships this summer. In addition to the lone open water race of the Olympics (10K), Worlds will include competition for distances of 5K and 25K. 012 BUDAPEST BECKONS: THE STORYLINES SURROUNDING AN “EXTRAORDINARY” WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS by David Rieder Because of the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic that first appeared more than two years ago, the 19th edition of the World Aquatics Championships has been scheduled—and rescheduled—four times between 2021 and 2023 with two different locations (Fukuoka and Budapest). Appropriately called the “extraordinary” World Championships, the world’s best swimmers (well, most of them) will gather in Hungary later this month. 016 COMMENTARY: DON’T SHED A TEAR FOR EVGENY RYLOV, OLYMPIC CHAMP AND SUPPORTER OF MURDEROUS REGIME by John Lohn FINA imposed a nine-month suspension on four-time Olympic medalist Evgeny Rylov after he appeared on stage during a rally supporting Vladimir Putin’s tyrannical assault and declaration of war on Ukraine. The ban runs through Jan. 20, 2023, which makes the end date just a bit longer than the FINA ban of all Russian athletes through the end of 2022.

SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY JUNE 2022 | ISSUE 11 024 FUELED BY PHELPS, CAN MICHAEL ANDREW REACH HIS POTENTIAL IN 200 IM? by David Rieder Almost one year ago, Michael Andrew was on the verge of producing an historic swim as he turned at the 150-meter mark of the 200 individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He was an astounding 1.21 seconds under Ryan Lochte’s world-record pace. Andrew faded badly, his 29.96 freestyle split the slowest of all semifinalists. If he is to reach his potential, it won't be at this year's World Championships, as he skipped that event at Trials to focus on the 50 free.

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026 MAGGIE MAC NEIL TO SWIM FIFTH YEAR AT LSU; NO LONGER HEADING TO CAL by David Rieder Shortly after concluding her senior-year NCAA Championships for Michigan, Olympic gold medalist Maggie Mac Neil had announced she would compete for Cal-Berkeley. However, her plans have since changed, with the fifth-year senior opting for LSU. 028 USA WATER POLO HIRES ETHAN DAMATO AS WOMEN’S ODP ACADEMY COACH by Matthew De George Ethan Damato, who has long been involved with USA women’s water Polo (Pan Ams, FINA Intercontinental Cup), was recently hired as a full-time women’s head Olympic Development Program Academy coach. 029 NAVY DEDICATES TRAINING POOL IN HONOR OF CHARLES JACKSON FRENCH by Matthew De George The surface rescue swimmer pool at Naval Base San Diego was named in honor of Steward’s Mate 1st Class Charles Jackson French, who saved 15 injured comrades by towing a raft to safety by swimming through shark-infested water for more than six hours during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942.

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030 CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE TO HOLD “SNEAK PEEK MEDIA DAY” AT AQUATIC CENTER WITH USA DIVING AND RED BULL CLIFF DIVING by Ashleigh Shay The event will highlight the entire spectrum of diving—from the humble beginnings of grassroots training programs to Olympians and world champion high divers.

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018 KELSI DAHLIA ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT AFTER DECORATED CAREER IN SPRINT BUTTERFLY EVENTS by David Rieder Kelsi Dahlia, 27, recently announced her retirement from swimming. The University of Louisville graduate, who set a world record (SCM 100 fly) last December, was a multi-time NCAA champion, 2016 Olympic champion (400 medley relay prelims) and a 2017 World Championship bronze medalist,

032 HOW THEY TRAIN PIPER ENGE by Michael J. Stott

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019 KELSI DAHLIA JOINS NOTRE DAME AS ASSOCIATE COACH by Matthew De George Olympic gold medalist and recently retired Kelsi (Worrell) Dahlia has joined the staff at Notre Dame as an associate coach. Dahlia swam for new Notre Dame head coach Chris Lindauer, hired in April, during her stellar career at the University of Louisville.

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INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENTS 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)

020 “WE’RE STILL HERE”: HOW MICHIGAN STATE’S “UNLUCKY 13” SURVIVED PROGRAM CUT by Audrey Richardson Author Audrey Richardson offers a first-person, behind-thescenes account of what she and her teammates have experienced since Michigan State University announced in October 2020 that it would cut its varsity swimming and diving program after the 2020-21 season.

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Allegations of Verbal Abuse, Bullying Levied at Cal Coach Teri McKeever; Cal Releases Statement BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

niversity of California swim coach Teri McKeever has been accused of verbal abuse and bullying that has led to athletes contemplating and even attempting suicide, an investigation by the Orange County Register has found. The article spoke to 19 current and former athletes, including at least one who represented the United States internationally, and six parents. It begins with the story of Danielle Carter, who attempted suicide as a result of the bullying she endured at the hands of McKeever, one of at least six Cal swimmers since 2018 who have contemplated suicide. Carter and others accuse McKeever of favoritism to the point of verbal abuse and freezing out, creating a toxic culture and belittling physical and emotional difficulties. The result of the interviews, the Register’s Scott M. Reid writes: “portray McKeever as a bully who for decades has allegedly verbally and emotionally abused, swore at and threatened swimmers on an almost daily basis, pressured athletes to compete or train while injured or dealing with chronic illnesses or eating disorders, even accusing some women of lying about their conditions despite being provided medical records by them.” It creates a complicated picture given McKeever’s role as a trailblazer for female swim coaches. The 60-year-old was, in 8

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2012, the first female head coach of a U.S. Olympic team, a squad that featured six swimmers with Cal ties. A former swimmer at USC, she has spent 29 seasons in Berkeley, wining four NCAA team titles. In that time, Cal has produced 26 swimming Olympians accounting for 36 Olympic medals, including American superstars like Missy Franklin and Natalie Coughlin. In 2020, Cal signed McKeever to an extension through the 2023-24 season. She’s also a member of Cal’s athletic hall of fame. The Register’s investigation includes allegations that, “McKeever recently used a racial epithet and profanities in disparaging rap music” in an issue that was referred to the University’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination. All 19 swimmers interviewed told Reid that McKeever, “routinely bullies swimmers by screaming and/or swearing at them” and that McKeever, “each year targets one, two or three swimmers for almost daily bullying and verbal and mental abuse.” Two swimmers also said that McKeever shared their medical information, which is supposed to be confidential, with other team members or staff. The investigation also found that from 2013-14 through 2020-21, 42.6 percent of incoming freshmen left the program before completing their eligibility, a number that does not include four swimmers that have transferred out of the 202122 roster. That 42 percent includes six swimmers of color who have left, out of 12 total.

“Teri is a really great swim coach,” said Nick Hart, a member of the men’s team who was close to a number of women on the team. “She knows what she’s talking about. But she creates an environment and a culture that is fear-based. I don’t think her team has a healthy culture or environment.” The University of California released the following statement: We are deeply concerned by what our student-athletes have reported to the Orange County Register. There is nothing more important to the university than the safety and well-being of our students, and it is that commitment which will guide and inform how we respond to all that has been reported. The allegations described are serious and deeply disturbing in that they describe behavior antithetical to our values and policies. We are now, as always, encouraging current and former students to report behaviors and incidents that run counter to our policies and our values. We are now, as always, encouraging current and former students who may have been impacted to seek out support and assistance. We stand ready to help students in need connect with the appropriate campus resources and offices that offer support, guidance and assistance. Unfortunately, due to stringent laws and policies protecting personnel issues and privacy, we are unable to address

>> Danielle Carter these allegations. We wish that were not the case given how serious these allegations are. Due to campus polices and confidentiality requirements, the campus cannot comment on matters of this nature (including whether a case does or does not exist) unless that case has resulted in a finding of violation of campus sexual violence/sexual harassment policy or nondiscrimination policy, and that case has resulted in disciplinary action. Every member of our staff shares a strong commitment to the success of our student athletes – academically, athletically and developmentally. We have in place best-practice policies and procedures that enable Cal Athletics and the university to respond quickly and comprehensively when there are allegations of misconduct by coaches that are inconsistent with our values or applicable rules and policies. ◄

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>> Tracy Caulkins

As Title IX Turns 50, Changes Likely on the Horizon for Landmark Law BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

itle IX turns 50 years old this month, and while the 37 words that enshrine protection against gender discrimination into law won’t change, details of how the statute could be enforced might. Title IX, of the Education Amendments of 1972, was passed that year, giving oversight to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Title IX states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Straightforward as the spirit is, the implementation is considerably more complex, as is the understanding of Title IX as that law that gave us more women’s sporting opportunities. The law has come to govern opportunities in athletics, education, safe working conditions, gender-based and sexual harassment and assault and speech issues. The dimensions of Title IX’s purview most likely to be altered by administration of President Joe Biden far exceed its ramifications for sports. The Biden administration announced in December that draft rules were forthcoming, and the reveal has been delayed from April to May and has yet to formally happen. Title IX is not a static document – its power rests in lengthy regulations formulated after its passage and a mountain of court precedent in how the law is interpreted.

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The administration of President Barack Obama undertook new guidance in 2011. In 2020, the Department of Education, under President Trump appointee Betsy DeVos, tackled enforcement near the line between free speech and sexual harassment. It’s one of the principles the Biden administration it likely to take aim at. (It’s worth restating that the balance of enforcement and due process for allegedly discriminatory acts, particularly on college campuses, constitutes a much, much larger share of the impetus and implications for Title IX reform and ramifications and the reaction to the leaked changes thus far.) Proposed changes have been leaked gradually, and many expert watchers of education law believe that indicates that the administration is set in those changes. Among the leaked changes that has garnered the most attention is an end to enforcement by the OCR against “statements not subject to cross-examinations,” most notably in sexual misconduct cases overseen by colleges that some fear could infringe upon the right to due process of accused perpetrators.

The most pressing potential change for athletics regards gender discrimination. (Tackling discrimination against LGBTQ groups was an explicit aim in reviewing the regulations starting in 2021.) Specifically, updates floated in the fall of 2021 involve an important insertion of, “an Educational Environment Free from Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Including Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.” In the draft regulations, the phrasing includes provisions against, “Discrimination on the basis of sex includes discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes, sex-related characteristics (including intersex traits), pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity.” That opens up the possibility of preventing discrimination on the basis of gender identity, such as for transgender athletes to compete under their preferred rather than assigned gender. Such a move could add fuel to an already hot debate about the participation of transgender athletes, particularly transgender women. (University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas has been the most visible lightning rod for this controversy.) Seventeen states have passed laws, many in the last two years, banning transgender students from participating in sport conforming to their gender identity. Inserting gender identity to the conversation at the federal level, in addition to guaranteeing a new flood of litigation, could call into question the legality of those state statutes. It would also add another dimension by which recipients of federal financial assistance (i.e. universities) could have their athletic offerings deemed equal for all populations or showing evidence of discrimination. ◄

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Olympians Katie Grimes, Michael Brinegar Lead U.S. Delegation to Open Water Worlds BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

eighth in the women’s event there, while Tepper was the top American in ninth.

Worlds includes not just the 10-kilometer distance, which is the lone Olympic open water race, but five-kilometer and 25km races.

Brinegar and Brennan Gravely won bronze in the team event at the 2019 World Championships. The other seven will be making their Worlds debut for open water. Grimes is also on the roster for the pool events in Budapest, having qualified for the 400 individual medley and 1,500 freestyle. ◄

lympians Michael Brinegar and Katie Grimes lead a nine-strong Team USA to the World Open Water Championships this summer, as announced by USA Swimming on Saturday.

The team includes: • Michael Brinegar (Columbus, Ind./Mission Viejo Nadadores) – men’s 25K • Brennan Gravley (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada/University of Florida) – men’s 5K, 10K • Dylan Gravley (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada/ Arizona State University) – men’s 10K • Joey Tepper (Egg Harbor Township, N.J./University of Tennessee) – men’s 5K, 25K • Anna Auld (West Palm Beach, Fla./University of Florida) – women’s 5K, 25K • Mariah Denigan (Walton, Ky./Indiana University) – women’s10K • Katie Grimes (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada) – women’s 10K • Kensey McMahon (Jacksonville, Fla./University of Alabama) – women’s 25K • Summer Smith (Agawam, Mass./Bluefish Swim Club) – women’s 5K

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Both Brinegar and Grimes swam the 800 freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Grimes finished fourth in the Olympic final; Brinegar missed out on the top eight, finishing 17th in prelims. Qualifiers for worlds were based on a points system, factoring in April’s U.S. Open Water Nationals and the FINA Marathon Swim World Series in Portugal this weekend. Grimes finished

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>> Caeleb Dressel

Budapest Beckons: The Storylines Surrounding an ‘‘Extraordinary’’ World Championships BY DAVID RIEDER

Because of the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic that first appeared more than two years ago, the 19th edition of the World Aquatics Championships has been scheduled—and rescheduled—four times between 2021 and 2023 with two different locations (Fukuoka and Budapest). Appropriately called the “extraordinary” World Championships, the world’s best swimmers (well, most of them) will gather in Hungary later this month.

fter the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics to 2021, the FINA World Championships scheduled for Fukuoka, Japan, were delayed from July 2021 to May 2022 to accommodate the Games. But early in 2021, the Fukuoka meet was postponed again to July 2023, and it appeared that the year 2022 would pass without any international championship meet that welcomed the entire world. Then, a few weeks later, FINA announced the addition of a new “extraordinary” championships set to take place, June 18 through July 3, in Budapest, Hungary. In a departure from World Championships norms, the pool swimming competition was scheduled for the first eight days instead of the final eight. That means swimming’s biggest competition outside of the

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Olympic Games is returning to the Duna Arena after first hosting the event in 2017, and American sprinter Caeleb Dressel will be returning to the venue where he first elevated himself from a rising star in the domestic sphere to the world’s premier sprinter. At his first Worlds, Dressel stormed to gold and an American record in the 100 meter freestyle, and then he became the first swimmer to win three world titles in one day, capturing gold in the 100 butterfly, 50 free and mixed 400 free relay on the meet’s seventh day. Including relays, Dressel won seven gold medals to tie a record first set by Michael Phelps in 2007. Since then, Dressel has only been back to Budapest once, during the 2020 ISL season, and he finished off that campaign by setting three short course meters world records (50 free, 100 fly, 100 IM) during the ISL final. At the 2019 Worlds, he won eight total medals (six gold and two silver) to break the all-time records for medals at one World Championships, and then he produced on the biggest stage when he won five Olympic gold medals in Tokyo. His wins in the 100 free, 100 fly and 50 free made him just the third man to win three or more individual golds in one Games, joining Phelps and Mark Spitz. This year, Dressel will be favored to win repeat gold medals in both sprint freestyle and both sprint butterfly events, and he

will be at the center of at least four American relay efforts. At last year’s Olympics, Australia’s Kyle Chalmers provided the biggest challenge to Dressel’s golden streak when he nearly caught the American for gold in the 100 free, but Chalmers will only compete in butterfly events at this year’s Worlds.

world titles in one event. Only two swimmers have ever won five titles overall, but not in a row. Michael Phelps skipped the 200 fly at the 2005 World Championships, while Katinka Hosszu missed the 400 IM final in 2011, but won titles in 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Thus, the biggest challenger to Dressel’s supremacy will be 22-year-old Hungarian star Kristof Milak, the world record holder in the 200 fly. Three days after capturing his 200 fly gold, Milak put a scare into Dressel in the 100-meter distance, and he fell just 23-hundredths behind as Dressel set a world record. Milak is the second-fastest performer in history, and he will be charging hard in their Budapest showdown as he is buoyed by the home crowd. Milak will also be the big favorite to repeat as world titlist in the 200 fly, and he could threaten the 1:50-barrier, a performance that would have been unfathomable just three years ago.

This year, two swimmers will have a chance to secure that honor of five straight. One of those is Hosszu, who has now won four world titles in a row in both individual medley events, but the Hungarian veteran had a poor Olympics, finishing fifth in the 400 IM and seventh in the 200 IM, and she has competed sparingly since. The other contender for a historic finish is Katie Ledecky, going for her fifth 800 freestyle title in a row. Ledecky first took charge of the 800 free with a shocking upset win over Rebecca Adlington at the 2012 Olympics (when she was 15), and she has not lost since, so she will be favored to accomplish that feat this year.

Women’s Stars from Tokyo Absent While Tokyo provided the setting for Dressel’s showcase on the men’s side, the swimmer who won the most medals was Australia’s Emma McKeon, whose seven total awards were the most ever by a female swimmer at one Games. McKeon was the Olympic champion in the 50 and 100 freestyle and the bronze medalist in the 100 butterfly, and she helped Australia to golds in the 400 free and medley relays. Also winning freestyle gold in Tokyo was Aussie countrywoman Ariarne Titmus, who won an epic showdown against Katie Ledecky in the 400 free before overtaking Siobhan Haughey for 200 free top honors. But both McKeon and Titmus — who blasted her way to a world record in the 400 in May at the Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide with a 3:56.40 — have announced their intentions to skip Worlds, with both planning to focus on the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, one month later. Three other individual gold medalists will be missing from action at Worlds: Canada’s Maggie Mac Neil won gold in the 100 butterfly in Tokyo, but she will race only relays this year. South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker, the 200 breaststroke world champion and world record holder, will also focus on the Commonwealth Games, while 100 breast winner Lydia Jacoby of the United States did not qualify for Worlds, placing fourth in the event at U.S. Trials in April. That means only half of the races in Budapest will include the women’s champion: Ledecky will be back in the 800 and 1500 free as the big favorite in both, and with Titmus absent, she will also take over as favorite in the 400 free. Japan’s Yui Ohashi will try to back up her Olympic gold medals in both IM events, and Australia’s Kaylee McKeown will aim for world titles in the backstroke events. China’s Zhang Yufei, who dominated the 200 butterfly in Tokyo, will be favored in that event as well as the 100 fly, where she was the Olympic silver medalist behind Mac Neil. Seeking a Five-Peat No swimmer, female or male, has ever won five consecutive

In history, only five swimmers have ever won four consecutive world titles in one event. The list includes: •

Grant Hackett, 1500 freestyle (1998, 2001, 2003, 2005)

•

Ryan Lochte, 200 IM (2009, 2011, 2013, 2015)

•

Sun Yang, 400 freestyle (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)

•

Hosszu, 200 IM and 400 IM (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)

•

Ledecky, 800 free (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019)

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom will be bidding to join that four-peat club, having already won three consecutive gold medals in the 50 butterfly. Her premier rival in the event, the Netherlands’ Ranomi Kromowidjojo, retired at the end of 2021, so she will be a big favorite this year. Sjostrom narrowly missed out on a four-peat in the 100 fly in 2019. In addition to the 50 fly, the 28-year-old will be favored for gold in the 50 freestyle with McKeon absent, and she should contend for gold in the 100 free as well. Sjostrom rebounded from a fractured elbow to win silver in the 50 free in Tokyo before an amazing fall short course season. Great Britain’s Adam Peaty, the dominant sprint breaststroker in the world since 2014, would have been the heavy favorite to win his fourth consecutive gold medals in the 50 breast and 100 breast this year, but he will miss the World Championships after fracturing a bone in his right foot during training in May. Describing himself as “devastated,” Peaty said he would need six weeks of complete rest, which would take him to around the third week in June. The Rise of Duncan Scott After narrowly coming up short of Olympic gold in two individual events last year, 25-year-old British star Duncan Scott will be in the mix for three individual world titles in 2022 while contributing to two relays with gold-medal potential. In Tokyo, Scott finished just behind countryman Tom Dean in the 200 free as the two produced the nation’s first 1-2 finish in swimming since 1908. Three days later,

CONTINUED >>

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distances. But the Americans will take a dynamic contingent of female medal contenders to Budapest, and with the competition somewhat weakened this year, they are likely to win medals in most of the remaining 15 individual events. Ledecky should be the big favorite in the 400, 800 and 1500 free, and compatriots Leah Smith (400 and 800) and Katie Grimes (1500) will also be in the mix for medals. In the backstrokes, Regan Smith is a gold-medal contender in the 100, while Phoebe Bacon and Rhyan White will look to build on Olympic final appearances last year in the 200. Lilly King will be the goldmedal favorite in the 100 and 200 breast at Worlds, with Italy’s Benedetta Pilato only slightly ahead of King as a favorite in the 50-meter event.

>> Duncan Scott

China’s Wang Shun held off Scott for gold in the 200 IM. This year, Scott has added the 400 IM to his schedule of events, and in April, he produced a performance quicker than the time that won Olympic gold last year. Scott has no major weaknesses, and his elite freestyle makes him incredibly dangerous on the end. The 400 IM sets up as one of the most anticipated races of the World Championships with defending world champion Daiya Seto, Olympic gold medalist Chase Kalisz, Olympic bronze medalist Brendon Smith and a pair of rising 20-year-olds, France’s Leon Marchand and the USA’s Carson Foster, all expected to be in the mix. Additionally, Scott will likely anchor the British 800 freestyle relay squad that dominated the field at the Olympics last year, and at the last World Championships, he anchored Britain’s 400 medley relay to a stunning, come-from-behind gold medal with his 46.14 split that is the second-fastest in history. Scott is currently dealing with a COVID-19 diagnosis, but if he can recover quickly and return to form, he could leave Budapest with a significant medal haul, and his variety of individual chances could produce his first-career individual world title. American Women with Big Medal Potential The United States women will struggle to make the medal podium in the 50, 100 or 200 freestyle events in Budapest. Simone Manuel, the 2019 world champion in both sprints, has not competed in 2022, while Katie Ledecky withdrew from the 200 free individual race to concentrate on the longer 14

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The women’s sprint butterfly races will feature the duo of teenagers Torri Huske and Claire Curzan. Huske missed a 100 fly medal by just 1-hundredth in Tokyo, while the 17-year-old Curzan won two individual bronzes at the Short Course World Championships in December. Hali Flickinger and Regan Smith were the silver and bronze medalists, respectively, in the 200 fly in Tokyo, while IM silver medalists Alex Walsh (200) and Emma Weyant (400) will also be back competing for medals. Russian Swimmers Absent There will be no Russian swimmers competing at the World Championships as a result of the country’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. That will change the dynamics of numerous races, most notably the men’s backstroke events. Evgeny Rylov and Kliment Kolesnikov finished 1-2 in the 100 back in Tokyo, and their absence will leave Americans Ryan Murphy and Hunter Armstrong as the pre-race favorites. Murphy and Great Britain’s Luke Greenbank will be the ones to watch in the 200 back with Rylov, the two-time world champion in addition to his Olympic gold medal, out of the mix. Kolesnikov also won bronze in the 100 free in Tokyo, and Russia typically brings a strong contingent in the 800 free relay, with the Martin Malyutin-led group securing a silver medal in Tokyo. Also prohibited from attending are Anton Chupkov, the world record holder in the 200 breast, and Andrei Minakov, the 2019 World Championships runner-up in the 100 fly. The Russian women did not win any medals in Tokyo, but their absence will be felt in the breaststrokes, where Yuliya Efimova has been a stalwart contender for the last decade and

teenager Evgeniia Chikunova has recently emerged. Chikunova placed fourth in Tokyo in both the 100- and 200-meter events.

•

After securing the first-ever Olympic swimming medals for Hong Kong at the Tokyo Games, Siobhan Haughey will be back and seeking gold medals in the 100 and 200 free. She will be the top returning finisher from Tokyo in both events. Haughey did secure gold at the Short Course World Championships in both races, setting a world record in the 200-meter event.

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Canada’s women have steadily become >> Summer McIntosh a huge force in women’s swimming, and that trend should continue in Budapest. Kylie Masse is the two-time world to back up their accomplishments. Tunisia’s Ahmed champion in the 100 back, and she captured silver in Hafnaoui was just 18 when he pulled off a complete both backstroke races in Tokyo, while Penny Oleksiak stunner to win the 400 free, while in both the 800 and also won an individual medal in the 200 free. All three 1500, American Bobby Finke used stunning finishing Canadian relays should contend for medals, while splits to overtake European rivals and distance stalwarts 15-year-old Summer McIntosh has become a breakout Florian Wellbrock, Mykhailo Romanchuk and Gregorio star over the past year with enormous time drops. She Paltrinieri. ◄ could pull off amazing performances in the 400 free and 400 IM.

•

While Australia’s women dominated the Tokyo Olympic swimming competition, the only men’s gold medalist from Down Under was Zac Stubblety-Cook, who pulled away for Olympic gold in the 200 breaststroke. In an initially unpredictable event, Stubblety-Cook now enters Budapest as the favorite after breaking Anton Chupkov’s three-year-old world record of 2:06.12 with a stunning 2:05.95 at the Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide. The 23-year-old from Brisbane became the first man ever under.

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European women captured just four total medals in the pool in Tokyo, with two of those honors coming in the same race on the final day. A confluence of factors contributed to that disappointing performance: Sarah Sjostrom won just one medal after fracturing her elbow earlier in the year, and Katinka Hosszu’s streak of dominance stretching back to 2013 came to an end. In her final major competition, 32-year-old Federica Pellegrini could not return to medal form. The stars of women’s swimming right now reside in North America, Australia and Asia, although the Italian women’s contingent that includes Simona Quadarella, Benedetta Pilato and Arianna Castiglioni could have a strong meet this year.

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Additional Notes

suspension on the four-time Olympic medalist. The ban runs through Jan. 20, 2023, which makes the end date just a bit longer than the FINA ban of all Russian athletes through the end of 2022. FINA’s decision also follows the move by Speedo, previously Rylov’s sponsor, to dump the Russian from its roster of athletes. [ PHOTO BY MINE KASAPOGLU / ISL ]

“I don’t understand what I did, but in the end, (FINA) filed a complaint against me for (comments that) offended the feelings of other athletes,” Rylov told Russian media. “You see, I offended them by simply supporting my country, my president. I don’t know how to argue with that.”

Commentary: Don’t Shed a Tear for Evgeny Rylov, Olympic Champ and Supporter of Murderous Regime BY JOHN LOHN

here’s no denying the talent of Evgeny Rylov. He’s earned recognition as the best backstroker in the world, courtesy of the Olympic titles he captured last summer in Tokyo. And given his international consistency through the years, including excellence at the World Championships, there’s no arguing his status as an all-timer in his specialty stroke. This summer, though, the 25-year-old Russian will be noticeably absent when the World Championships are held at the Duna Arena in Budapest. Even before FINA declared Russian athletes ineligible for the World Champs, due to their homeland’s invasion of the Ukraine, Rylov announced he would voluntarily skip Worlds. Why? His Instagram account told the story: “In support of Russian Paralympians, in support of all Russian athletes who have been removed from international competitions, I refuse to go to the (World Championships) this summer. I believe that losing competition is losing the development of sport. As sad as it may sound, sport cannot move without decent competitors.” Sad, indeed. But, yes, it can. Apparently, Rylov is of the notion that the sporting world—and its progress—holds greater significance than the thousands of lives that have been lost to Vladimir Putin’s tyrannical assault and declaration of war on Ukraine. Rylov proved this stance when he attended—and appeared on stage—during a rally supporting Putin. In response to Rylov’s decision, FINA imposed a nine-month

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Rylov’s words appeal for pity, as he tries to paint himself as a victim of political circumstance. Instead, his position is pathetic, and a callous nature is revealed. Political victims in the sport are easy to find. Ask Tracy Caulkins and Craig Beardsley. Ask Rowdy Gaines and Mary T. Meagher. Ask Cynthia Woodhead and Brian Goodell. What about Jonty Skinner?

Rylov is nothing similar, and the moment he publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine, and the murder of innocent citizens, he yielded any empathy sent in his direction. Simply, he identified as a dictatorial sympathizer whose presence on an international pool deck wouldn’t be missed if he never again appeared in a Russian cap. Who cares if he never again competes for whatever three-letter acronym is used to identify athletes representing a country whose human-rights violations have been complemented by a government-guided doping system? This summer, other Russian athletes will be affected by Putin’s power-hungry maneuvers. The All-England Club, which organizes Wimbledon, announced in mid-April that it was banning entries from all tennis players representing Russia and Belarus, which has strong ties to Putin’s government. In this instance, that decision can be debated. Those players, including Grand Slam titlist Daniil Medvedev, have not publicly cheered Putin’s actions. Back to the pool, neither has Olympic medalist Kliment Kolesnikov, who won’t get the chance to compete for several medals. Is connecting their nationality to their leaders’ despotic ways a fair approach? Arguments can go both ways. What is inarguable is the way Rylov has carried himself, first through his for-all-to-see appearance, and second for his pitiful words. So, shed not a tear for Evgeny Rylov this summer—and through the duration of his suspension. If the backstroke events are missing a power player, so be it. Better that scenario unfold than for the sport to witness an outward supporter of murder honored on a podium. ◄

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Kelsi Dahlia Announces Retirement After Decorated Career In Sprint Butterfly Events BY DAVID RIEDER

fter a lengthy run as one of the top sprint butterfly specialists in the United States and in the world, Kelsi Dahlia has announced her retirement from swimming. The 27-year-old, originally from Westampton, N.J., and a graduate of the University of Louisville, Dahlia was a multitime NCAA champion during her career with the Cardinals, an Olympian for the United States in 2016 (where she won gold in the 400 medley relay as a prelims swimmer) and an individual bronze medalist at the 2017 World Championships in the 100 butterfly.

In an interview with Swimming World days before she set her world record, Dahlia indicated that she was unsure of her long-term plans for swimming, and she explained that she needed time to discuss her future with husband Thomas Dahlia, a former French national team swimmer, and her coaches. After she swam the 100 fly final at the International Team Trials last month, Dahlia received long hugs and congratulations from her coaches, teammates and friends, which hinted that she planned to move on from the sport.

Dahlia narrowly missed qualifying for the 2021 Olympic team as she finished fourth in the 100 fly at Olympic Trials, but she rebounded less than six months later to set the world record in the short course meters 100 fly in December 2021, a mark which still stands. Last month, she placed third in the 100 fly at the U.S. International Team Trials in Greensboro, N.C., and that turned out to be her last race.

During her standout college career at Louisville, Dahlia became the first woman to break 50 seconds in the 100-yard fly at the 2015 NCAA Championships, and she won national titles in that event and in the 200 fly in 2015 and 2016. She qualified for the Olympic team with an upset win over thenworld-record holder Dana Vollmer in the 100-meter fly at the 2016 Olympic Trials.

Dahlia posted a retirement message to her Instagram account Saturday. She wrote, “Thank you swimming. This sport has given me all I could dream and more, and I’m so thankful for my last 20 years in the water. The people I have met along the way are what have made the blood, sweat, and tears all worth it.”

After narrowly missing the Olympic final in Rio, she spent the next several years as the top American woman in the sprint fly events, and during that time, she was part of worldrecord-setting 400 medley relay squads at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. ◄

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[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

Kelsi Dahlia Joins Notre Dame as Associate Coach BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

lympic gold medalist and recently retired Kelsi Dahlia has joined the staff at Notre Dame as an associate coach.

Dahlia swam for new Notre Dame head coach Chris Lindauer, hired in April, during her stellar career at the University of Louisville. Associate head coach Kameron Chastain also coached with Lindauer in Louisville. “I’m very thankful to Chris and the administration at Notre Dame for the opportunity and honor of coaching at this historic university,” Dahlia said in a Notre Dame press release. “I’m so grateful for the lessons I’ve learned as a swimmer, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to take those experiences into this coaching role. I’m looking forward to supporting the student-athletes at the highest level, both academically and athletically. I am so excited to support the lofty goals the team sets and will fight together to accomplish!” Dahlia retired last month after an outstanding career in the college ranks and internationally. A four-time national champion, she made the podium 10 times at NCAAs, including setting an American record in the women’s 100 butterfly in 2015.

Under her maiden name, Kelsi Worrell, did the butterfly double in her final NCAAs on the way to qualifying for the 2016 Olympics, where she won gold for swimming prelims of the 400 medley relay. She finished ninth in the 100 fly. Dahlia did not qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Dahlia retired as the world-record holder in the shortcourse meters 100 fly, set last December, plus four SCM relays. She won eight medals (five golds) at LongCourse Worlds, 10 golds and 15 total medals at ShortCourse Worlds and medals at Pan Pacs and Pan Ams. “As an Olympic gold medalist and current world record holder, Kelsi immediately brings an elite level of perspective to the Notre Dame Swimming & Diving program,” Lindauer said. “However, she will be most impactful to our program because of the person she is. Kelsi brings compassion, love, and a humble heart to our program that will help teach and set an example for our student-athletes on how to pursue being an elite student-athlete in the classroom and in the pool. This is one of the most impactful hires in program history and I’m so excited to welcome Kelsi and Thomas to our Notre Dame family. Go Irish!” ◄ BIWEEKLY

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[ PHOTO BY AUDREY RICHERSON ]

>> Kasey Venn

‘‘We’re Still Here’’: How Michigan State’s ‘‘Unlucky 13’’ Survived Program Cut BY AUDREY RICHARDSON

Michigan State University cut its varsity swimming and diving program in October 2020. Despite a robust campaign of alumni and supporters fighting for its reinstatement, the university has not wavered on its decision, leaving Michigan State swimmers in the lurch. Members of the final Spartans varsity team captured a club national title in 2022. This story first appeared in The State News, which will continue to follow this story. Watch for updates, and see more photos of the Michigan State club swim season, at StateNews.com.

ven a year-and-a-half after former Michigan State athletic director Bill Beekman broke the news to my teammates and I, we’re still bitter. I’m told I need to move on, find another hobby and leave the sport that has molded my identity since I was 4 years old. Eighteen months is a long time. I’m beating a broken drum. Why are we still talking about it? Why can’t we let it go? Among endless articles, interviews, photos and videos about this topic, none have been able to encapsulate the extent to which my team and I have been impacted. I want to show what we went through and how swimming is not and never was about money. It’s not about how many times we made it on the podium. It’s not about the six-lane pool and the facilities we were given, either. It’s about family.

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I’m a sophomore at MSU and signed to compete as a Spartan swimmer my junior year of high school. Due to the decision to cut the swim and dive team, I have never competed here. As a journalist for The State News, my new hobby, I’m in the unique position to share my view on how this decision changed us all. Blindsided In August 2020 when news broke that the school year would begin online, I opted to stay home and train with my club team. Spending more time with my cat and spending less money at Brody dining hall was my rationale. I lived vicariously through weekly team Zoom calls and GroupMe notifications. On Oct. 22, 2020, everything changed. I woke up to a GroupMe notification. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” I thought. After fluttering my eyes open, I realized the tone of the message was off. Questions immediately arose in my head. “All practices tonight are canceled,” head coach Matthew “G” Gianiodis had typed. “We have a team mtg at 4 PM. Location is forthcoming.” I was awake now.

After several hours of anxiously waiting and non-stop rapid thumb movement, many members of the team met at the Huntington Club at Spartan Stadium. I watched the meeting on Zoom at teammate Kasey Venn’s house. Venn and I had been swimming together since I was 7 years old. Her promising words of the athletics culture at Michigan State convinced me to commit to the school. The call ended with me heartbroken. MSU cut the swim and dive program. I shut Venn’s front door, took a few deep breaths attempting to hush my broken sobs, put my car keys in the ignition and drove straight to swim practice. My whole life, I’ve always been “the swimmer.” I was never the best writer, could never master long division and never had the most aesthetic-looking Instagram. I was always the swimmer. “I can’t, I have morning practice.” Those words and the rolling of eyes that followed fueled me at each practice. Knowing that I made sacrifices to pursue my dreams was invigorating. I was never going to let all the early nights, missed school dances and exhausting hours in the pool go to waste. I was going to swim in college. I stood proudly on signing day, displaying the Spartan logo and holding a document I thought meant something. I scribbled my name and showed it to my parents, teachers, coaches and friends that had supported me along the way. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to my sport; my signature said as much. My signing day was on Nov. 13, 2019, and less than a year later the abruptness and carelessness of MSU administration’s decision left our team speechless. There was one word that recurred throughout my semester-long project: Blindsided. Junior breaststroker Travis Nitkiewicz said one of the driving reasons he chose Michigan State was because of the implied safety net of a Big Ten school. “I wanted to swim all four years, so I figured, Big Ten, I’d be set,” he said. “Michigan State, they’re in good standing, this would never be an issue. And then it was.” Broken Promises The sting of the athletic department’s decision is still very eminent. It’s the gift that keeps on giving. With every board meeting, with every press release, with every encouraging comment from a trustee and rumor from alumni, our hopes

go up and then we get defeated all over again. Members of the team filed a Title IX lawsuit shortly after the decision to cut the program. The suit argues that the facilities and opportunities offered to other MSU athletes were not equal to those offered to our women’s team. Nutritional sciences senior Sheridan Phalen describes the litigation process after being cut as exhausting. “You start over, all shattered and broken and you have to keep going with what you’re doing,” she said. “Be sad, but then also pick up the pieces and try to build something out of it.” Somehow, the swim program getting cut wiggles its way into conversations on an everyday basis. Why’d you come to Michigan State? Oh, I came to swim. We get asked what sport we play when we wear our athletic parkas or shoes, standing in the athlete section at football games, or studying at Smith Center. Human capital and society sophomore Cris Gore said that he’s still here with special privileges, like scholarship, athletic gear and sports tickets, but it’s not the same. “I’m not competing for the school I committed to,” Gore said. The ghost of what we were has been haunting us for over a year. So, 13 of us decided to do what we had always known: swim. Forming a Club Deciding to participate in club sports was something that I would never have considered a year ago. As someone who got recruited, and convinced by the athletic department, to swim for MSU, it never crossed my mind. At the beginning of the school year, there were some strong-minded teammates that already knew they wanted to join. I was on the fence, but I decided to give it a try. I felt sick changing in the locker room, walking out on the pool deck and looking up at the record board. There was something seriously wrong about getting into the pool I was meant to call home for four years, but instead for a careless practice. My first time swimming at IM West wasn’t with the purpose and drive I envisioned, I wasn’t surrounded by my 70 teammates, and I did not feel any kind of motivation to get in. After a heavy internal debate, I dove in. Just like that, I was home. Everything faded away. I had forgotten the beautiful escape of

CONTINUED >>

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swimming. I’d missed the feeling of my hands gliding through the water, the rush of pushing off the wall, and the brief silence of being underwater after each turn. It woke me up. I realized how awful, scary and unknown the idea of swimming had become. All because MSU’s administration told me I wasn’t good enough, that I didn’t deserve to swim. They had made me hate something that had represented my peace, therapy and identity for as long as I could remember. With that leap of faith to join club swim, I remembered who I was again. As the season went on, the number of varsity swimmers who joined the swim club grew. With a couple of months in the school year left, there were a total of 13 of us who couldn’t resist their unwavering love of the sport — the unlucky 13 who couldn’t let go of swimming and who couldn’t resist the chance to redeem themselves. From Cut to Champions Since the fall of 2021, our goals were centered around College Club Swimming nationals the following April. We had little expectation for success in Atlanta, as our training had been minimal compared to when we were collegiate athletes. We were surprised when we encountered the same kind of competitiveness with our opponents as a meet like the Big Ten Championships. Racing: an exhilarating aspect of the sport we had forgotten about during our time off. Once we got a taste, the hunger, the need, was undeniable. We were fueled by the competition. Phalen, a sprinter, attributes her win in the 50-yard freestyle 22

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to her primitive competitiveness after coming to a total of two practices the entire school year. We were more capable than we realized. Our times surprised even us. After an impressive preliminary race from computer science junior Evan Stanislaw in the 100 free, I asked him how close he was to his best time. He looked up and smiled. “That was my best,” he said. We were fueled by the snide comments from other teams. They were angry that our team won event after event. Notably, the University of Virginia chanted, “They’re on varsity,” after Nitkiewicz won the 100 breaststroke. They chanted it after every event we won thereafter. To them, it was unfair we got to compete at Club Nationals. We thought so too, but for different reasons. Baffled by people’s outrage at our success, we just kept swimming. We ended the competition with 20 event wins, CCS records, meet records, a Women’s High Point award for Venn, a Men’s High Point award for Nitkiewicz and a whole lot of smiles and memories. We laughed, we got angry, we cried and we won. Fuel to the Fight In recognition of our win in Atlanta, MSU President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. invited us to his home for the “Champions Reception.” We stood alongside the football team and

[ PHOTO BY AUDREY RICHERSON ]

>> Stephan Freitag, Evan Stanislaw and Travis Nitkiewicz celebrate after setting the meet record in the men’s 200 free relay at CCS Nationals

enjoyed the catered food provided. The 13 of us listened as Stanley made a speech emphasizing how we should be proud of our athletic success.

ignore our value as Michigan State athletes.

It’s ironic. A brief 18 months ago, you told me that I wasn’t good enough and could never be good enough for MSU. You’ve been telling us that every single month since Oct. 22, 2020. Every time a teammate pleads with you at the Board of Trustees meeting. Every time you appeal a court’s decision. Every time you pour colossal amounts of money into football or basketball, and not the comparatively meager $1.2 million it would cost to run our team. As we fight in the courts against you, we were now standing in your house as you congratulate us on our athletic achievements in the pool. Ha!

We’re still here. ◄

I hope this club season made one thing clear.

Audrey Richardson is a junior at Michigan State University studying journalism and photography. She has been swimming competitively since she was 7 years old and dreamed of competing in college. After the program was cut she started working at The State News, Michigan State’s independent student newspaper.

Thank you, Stanley. Instead of getting angry, I sat back and enjoyed the warm chocolate chip cookies and acknowledged how much of a comeback, a triumph and a win for our cause those words meant. We are still left with the hole of no varsity swimming at MSU. While I appreciate all that swimming has taught me, this battle has been just as instructive. While the irritation and anger of the process is unavoidable, the team understands that the wait is worth it, especially after our club success. We have grown accustomed to the avoidance and the cynicism of our administration. We understand persistence is our only friend in this fight. I’m happy with Atlanta, but not satisfied. Club swimming gave me more fuel to keep fighting because I realized what I was fighting for again. I’m fighting for my therapy, my art, my home and my family. We will not raise the white flag, quit swimming and move on with our lives. We will continue to stand against the bullies that have been trying to tear us down. They can’t hurt us anymore because they’ve already taken so much. I will continue to “beat the broken drum,” and just keep swimming until it’s impossible for the administration to BIWEEKLY

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[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

>> Michael Andrew (right) with father & coach, Peter.

Fueled by Phelps, Can Michael Andrew Reach His Potential in 200 IM? BY DAVID RIEDER

lmost one year ago, Michael Andrew was on the verge of producing an historic swim as he turned at the 150-meter mark of the 200 individual medley at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He was an astounding 1.21 seconds under Ryan Lochte’s world-record pace, and Lochte’s decade-old mark of 1:54.00 was coming under fire for the first time in years. Andrew did not need to match Lochte’s blistering finishing speed to become the first man under 1:54, but he instead faded badly, his 29.96 freestyle split the slowest of all semifinalists. His time was more than a second back of the world record at 1:55.26. Andrew had all the strokes, even freestyle, as he would go on to finish second to Caeleb Dressel in the 50 free two days later. But at the end of the 200 IM, Andrew’s stroke completely collapsed, even his timing and breathing. Could he put together the finish necessary to break the world record? With his first three lengths, the freestyle merely needed to be average for a record-breaking swim. The next day before the final, the man who had captured 200 IM gold at the last four Olympics chimed in. Michael Phelps

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attributed Andrew’s deficit to a “training error.” Throughout his career, Andrew has almost exclusively trained race-pace, and Phelps opined that the all-out, all-the-time methods mean Andrew has trouble controlling his speed and cannot dial it down when he needs to, such as the first 50 meters of the IM. Phelps argued for additional training geared toward the 400 IM to help Andrew finish the 200-meter race. “I just think to swim a good 200, you have to train for the 400. To swim a good 100, you have to train for a 200. So when you see somebody who has an amazing 150 and their stroke — I say ‘fall apart’ in the nicest way possible at the end of the race. I know how it feels,” Phelps said. “When you’re slipping water like that, I feel like that’s a training error. You’re not giving yourself that chance to have repetitions in training that you’re going to feel the last 25 meters. If he finishes in 28-anything, he’s going to break the world record. His breaststroke was 32.1. Are you (kidding) me?” But over the next month-and-a-half, Andrew never improved upon that Trials semifinal performance, and he never closed the gap on Lochte’s world record. In the Trials final, he was

“I think it hurt worse than it looked, and it looked pretty bad,” Andrew said that night in Tokyo. “It’s just disappointing. Obviously we’ve been working really hard on that. But now we go back to the drawing board and we figure out what we can do three years from now, if I swim that event three years from now. It’s one of those races where I knew I had to be fast to the 150.” Six months later, Andrew acknowledged the input from Phelps and seemingly committed to putting in the training necessary to put together a full 200 IM. In an appearance on the “Inside with Brett Hawke” podcast, Andrew reiterated the challenges of that 200 IM Olympic final and called it “an emotional race to watch.” Andrew told Hawke, “We are training longer now. We’re not relying just on repetitions of 50s at 200 pace, but we’re going to start doing broken 200s, broken 150s, 100s at pace. We realize that in order for me to learn how to close that race, I’m going to have to, like Phelps said, train for the 400 in order for my 200 to be good. And I hate admitting that because it would be nice to know that I could train for the 200 like a 100 guy of stroke, but it only works up until the 150. I don’t want to go my whole career thinking, ‘I could have broken the world record.’” Andrew added that even if he repeated a 1:55 in Tokyo and won an Olympic medal but still finished poorly on the freestyle leg, he would have been disappointed. He plans to continue focusing on the 200 IM “for now,” although he admitted that he does enjoy training for sprint 50s and 100s more. “I realize with my talent, there’s too much potential in the

[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

just five hundredths slower at the 150-meter mark, but he faded even worse on the final length to a time of 1:55.44. In the Olympic final, Andrew led through 150 meters and was again under world-record pace, but he completely collapsed on the free, even worse than at Trials. His split was 30.69, more than two seconds slower than any other swimmer in the field, and he ended up fifth, his time of 1:57.31 more than a second outside the medal mix.

200 IM to not give it everything for a few seasons,” he said. But Andrew will not attempt to fulfill that promise this year, not at the upcoming World Championships in Budapest. Andrew will compete in Budapest in the 50 and 100 breaststroke, 50 and 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle, but he skipped the 200 IM at the U.S. International Team Trials in late April as that race conflicted with the 50 free on the final night of competition. Chase Kalisz’s winning time of 1:56.21 was a full second adrift of Andrew’s best form. Andrew has a chance to win a medal in each of his events in Budapest, especially given the absence of many big names this year (such as Adam Peaty), so odds are that he wins at least one individual medal. He will be favored to bring home a gold medal as part of the U.S. men’s 400 medley relay (at least as a prelims swimmer). But Andrew’s diverse skill set lends perfectly to the 200 IM, so it’s a bummer for swimming fans that he will not compete in that event and try to show improvement from his 2021 disappointment. The world record remains within his grasp for the next few years, but will the allure of the sprint events prove enticing enough to keep Andrew out of the medley? Of course, Andrew has control over his event lineup and deserves that control, and he was hardly the only 200 IM specialist to take a pause on that event in 2022. The same day he skipped the event at International Team Trials, women’s Olympic bronze medalist Kate Douglass also passed on the event to focus on the 50 free. But if Andrew can find the desire for a serious return to the 200 IM, that could lead to a special performance.◄ BIWEEKLY

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[ PHOTO BY PETER H. BICK ]

Maggie Mac Neil to Swim Fifth Year at LSU; No Longer Heading to Cal BY DAVID RIEDER

hortly after concluding her senior-year NCAA Championships for the University of Michigan, Olympic gold medalist Maggie Mac Neil announced that she would compete a fifth year in college swimming for Cal-Berkeley. However, Mac Neil’s plans have since changed, and Louisiana State University announced Saturday that Mac Neil will be heading to Baton Rouge to join the Tigers for her final year of college swimming. Mac Neil, a native of London, Ontario, will reunite with LSU head coach Rick Bishop, who was Mac Neil’s primary coach during her time with the Wolverines until Bishop’s departure to LSU last year. “I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with Maggie again,” Bishop said in a press release from LSU. “She is one of the greats in swimming today, and she will make an immediate impact for the Tigers. Maggie has an infectious drive for success that elevates those around her.” Mac Neil’s decision comes on the heels of allegations of verbal abuse and bullying against Cal women’s coach Teri McKeever and McKeever being placed on administrative

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leave. However, Mac Neil had deleted her Instagram post in which announced her commitment to Cal, so her change in plans does not come as a major surprise. Nor does her decision to reunite with Bishop, under whose tutelage Mac Neil became one of the world’s top swimmers. At the 2019 World Championships, Mac Neil was just 19 years old when she pulled off a major upset in the women’s 100 butterfly by defeating Sarah Sjostrom, the world-record holder and three-time defending world champion, and claiming gold for Canada In 2021, Mac Neil won a pair of NCAA titles in the 100-yard fly and 100-yard freestyle, and her performance in the butterfly event made her the first woman in history to swim under 49. A few months later, Mac Neil won Olympic gold in the 100 fly, beating China’s Zhang Yufei by five hundredths. Mac Neil also won two relay medals in Tokyo with her Canadian teammates, silver in the 400 free relay and bronze in the 400 medley relay. She finished off 2021 by claiming five medals (four gold) at the Short Course World Championships in Abu Dhabi, and her results at that meet included an individual gold in the 100 fly and a world-recordsmashing performance in the 50 backstroke where she led a 1-2 finish with Canadian teammate Kylie Masse. However, Mac Neil did struggle in her final meet with Michigan, this year’s NCAA Championships. She ended up third behind Kate Douglass and Torri Huske in a tight 100 fly final, and she also finished third in the 50 free and 10th in the 100 free. Mac Neil revealed soon after that she had been dealing with a fractured elbow, and while she will compete at the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, she will race in relays only.◄

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[ PHOTO COURTESY USA WATER POLO ]

>>Ethan Damato (second from left)

USA Water Polo Hires Ethan Damato as Women’s ODP Academy Coach BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

SA Water Polo on Wednesday announced the hiring of Ethan Damato as a full-time women’s head Olympic Development Program Academy coach. Damato has a long history coaching at high levels, a ninetime CIF champion at Laguna Beach High School (six girls, three boys). His pupils include Olympic gold medalists Annika Dries, Makenzie Fischer and Aria Fischer for the three-time reigning Olympic champions. Damato also coached at Saddleback El Toro (SET) Water Polo Club in Orange County. “I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to work in this role with the USA Water Polo and our Women’s National Team program,” Damato said in a press release. “Our women’s senior team has been the standard in the sport at the international & Olympic level for as long as I can remember. I feel humbled and grateful to be a part of the pipeline and look forward to working with our amazing young athletes and coaches on a full-time basis.” Damato has long been involved with USA women’s water polo, including guiding the youth national team at several

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Pan Am Games. He was the senior team’s head coach at the FINA Intercontinental Cup in Peru this year, in which a developmental squad took home bronze. Damato’s new role with USA Water Polo will seek to integrate the “technical, tactical and team administration vision” of the senor team with youth levels through the ODP ranks. “Ethan has been a part of Team USA for many years whether with a pipeline team, senior team or the Olympic Development Program,” said USA Water Polo Chief Sports Performance Officer John Abdou. “The opportunity to work with him full-time and further his impact on our program and teams is one that I am genuinely excited about. His presence and leadership will meet the needs of strengthening the developmental pyramid in America from top to bottom. The base of the pyramid needs to continue to get wider and the top of the pyramid needs more touch points. All of this work is being done with a focus on our path to Paris 2024 and the journey home to LA 2028 ahead of us.” ◄

[ PHOTO BY MC3 SANG KIM / NAVY COMMUNICATIONS ]

at a dedication of a training pool at Naval Base San Diego in French’s honor Saturday; Photo Courtesy: MC3 Sang Kim/ Navy Communications

Navy Dedicates Training Pool in Honor of Charles Jackson French

BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE

he surface rescue swimmer pool at Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) is now named in honor of Steward’s Mate 1st Class Charles Jackson French. It’s a fitting honor for French, who during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942 dove in to save 15 injured comrades from the USS Gregory by loading them to a life raft and towing the raft to safety by swimming through shark-infested waters for more than six hours. Family members of Charles Jackson French cut the ribbon

The ceremony included members of French’s family and other guests. (French passed away in 1956 and is buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego.) French’s nephews Chester French and Roscoe Harris, were in attendance, along with Chester’s wife Linda, Roscoe’s sons Michael and Christopher Harris and Christopher’s sons Chris Jr., Mark and Samuel Harris. Also present was James Wright, a staffer from the office of Congressman Don Bacon of French’s native Nebraska. The congressional delegation in that state has pushed for greater commemoration of the Omaha native’s service. As part of the ceremony, the family was presented the Navy and Marine Corps Medal posthumously to French. The honor is part of a wave of long overdue recognition for French’s heroism. He was awarded a Letter of Commendation by Admiral William Halsey, then the Commander of South Pacific Area and South Pacific Forces, during his service, but other recognition has been slower to arrive. “It will inspire generations of Sailors,” Rear Admiral Charles Brown said. “It’s a story of the best of who we are.” ◄

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City of Fort Lauderdale to Hold “Sneak Peek Media Day” at Aquatic Center with USA Diving and Red Bull Cliff Diving BY ASHLEIGH SHAY

he City of Fort Lauderdale and the Fort Lauderdale Diving Team will host a “Sneak Peek Media Day” at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center in coordination with USA Diving and Red Bull on Monday, June 6 at 10 a.m. The event will highlight the entire spectrum of the sport of diving, from the humble beginnings of grassroots training programs to Olympians and world champion high divers. After undergoing extensive renovations over the past few years, the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center is now the first permanent facility in the western hemisphere capable of accommodating divers at 27 meters. “The renovation of the aquatic complex restores Fort Lauderdale as a premier destination for global competitive swimming and diving at a venue that is also available for resident use. The demonstration by US Diving illustrates the long-term value that we have achieved and the excitement that we are generating,” said Mayor Dean Trantalis. World champion high diver Steven LoBue and 2020 Olympian Brandon Loschiavo will be among the divers participating in the media day, which will feature divers from the Fort Lauderdale Dive Team, USA Diving’s High-Performance Squad, and Red Bull Cliff Diving. The event will allow the media to see the renovated facility while learning about the

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sport of diving at all levels. “The City of Fort Lauderdale is totally committed in a huge way to returning to the top of the swimming and diving world. We are excited to welcome back all the incredible athletes,” said Commissioner Steve Glassman. Six members of USA Diving’s High-Performance Squad, including Loschiavo, will be on hand to discuss Olympic highlights, what it takes to train at an elite level, and the future of the sport at the national and international levels. Tier 2 High-Performance Squad member Jordan Rzepka, who will compete at the World Championships next month, will participate as well along with Tier 3 High-Performance Squad members Kaylee Bishop, Matthew Brisson, Emilie Moore, and Juliet Radich. Bishop, Moore, and Radich represented the United States at the Junior Pan American Championships last fall. High divers and High-Performance Squad members will also share knowledge, tricks, and tips for safe and successful diving with the media and members of the Fort Lauderdale Dive Team. Renovation of the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center began in 2019 and is expected to be complete by the end of 2022. ◄

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