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CONTENTS 008 USA SWIMMING ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL 2021-22 NATIONAL TEAM ROSTER by Dan D’Addona 009 BETHANY GALAT ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT FROM SWIMMING by Matthew De George After nearly 20 years of competitive swimming, former Texas A&M standout Bethany Galat announced her retirement on Instagram. The SEC champion and silver medalist at the 2017 LC World Championships, 2018 SC World Championships and 2019 Pan Ams just missed qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, finishing fourth in both breaststroke events.. 010 MATT SATES WINS 11 EVENTS IN DOMINATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS by Matthew De George Seventeen-year-old Matt Sates displayed his versatility at the South African Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg, winning five freestyle events from 50 meters to 800 plus the 100 breast, 50-100 fly, 200-400 IM and the 200 freestyle relay. 011 RESPECT FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES DISTANCE DOUBLE OF BOBBY FINKE by Dan D’Addona American Bobby Finke dominated the 800 and 1500 freestyles—highlighted by his fast finishes—earning him the distinction as the breakout performer of the Tokyo Olympic Games. 012 NO TOKYO, NO PROBLEM: THE NONOLYMPIANS TURNING HEADS IN ISL SEASON 3 by Matthew De George The International Swimming League is giving swimmers who missed the Tokyo Olympics a way to showcase their abilities on the global stage and to make money doing it. Through six matches in ISL Season 3, the fastest times in no fewer than eight events belong to non-Olympians, highlighted by Coleman Stewart’s world record in the men’s 100 SCM backstroke (48.33). 014 NOTHING HAS CHANGED: FORMER ISL EXECUTIVES CLAIM LEAGUE STILL HAS UNPAID BILLS by David Rieder While the meets have been exciting to watch and clearly a fun experience for the swimmers in attendance, former ISL executives claim the league appears to have its share of problems. 015 WADA WILL REVIEW STATUS OF MARIJUANA AS BANNED SUBSTANCE by Dan D’Addona Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is currently prohibited in competition and will continue to be in 2022. But beyond that will depend on the research of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Executive Committee, which will begin a review of the drug as a banned substance. 016 TEXAS SWIMMER CARSON FOSTER SIGNS DEAL WITH MIZUNO SWIM by Matthew De George Carson Foster, a sophomore at the University of Texas, has signed with Mizuno Swim, becoming the first college swimmer added to Mizuno’s roster of athletes. The 19-year-old is among a growing number of elite swimmers availing themselves of new NCAA rules allowing them to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL).
SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY SEPTEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 18 017 KATIE LEDECKY JOINS UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AS VOLUNTEER ASSISTANT COACH, WILL TRAIN FOR 2024 IN GAINESVILLE by Dan D’Addona Seven-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky announced she has joined the Florida swimming and diving program as a volunteer swimming coach and will train for the 2024 Olympics in Gainesville with Florida head coach Anthony Nesty, who was an assistant coach for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. 018 SURPRISE! AHMED HAFNAOUI AND LYDIA JACOBY BROUGHT SHOCK VALUE TO THE GAMES by John Lohn Prior to the start of the Tokyo Games, few experts—if any—had Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui and American Lydia Jacoby standing on the top step of the podium. Yet, that is where they stood after their prime events, Hafnaoui the champion of the 400 free and Jacoby the gold medalist of the 100 breast. 020 AFTER A YEARLONG DELAY, THE EXTRAORDINARY TOKYO GAMES DELIVERED! by John Lohn There has never been an Olympics like the one held in Tokyo from July 23 through Aug. 8. Even the Games themselves were known as the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games despite the fact that the actual event was held a year later! Yet, once the competition got started—at venues without any spectators—the XXXII Olympiad provided all of the anticipated emotions, surprises, goal fulfillments and more. 026 COLIN KENNEDY NAMED AGE GROUP COACH OF THE YEAR AT ASCA SWIM CLINIC by Matthew De George Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club (Texas) coach Colin Kennedy was named the 2021 Age Group Coach of the Year by the American Swimming Coaches Association and Fitter and Faster. The selection was made at the ASCA World Clinic in Orlando, where the inductees for the organization’s hall of fame—Charlie Kennedy, Ray Looze and Cyndi Gallagher—as well as Coach of the Year Gregg Troy were also unveiled. 028 FROM OLYMPICS TO ISL, BRITISH STAR DUNCAN SCOTT HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY EXCELLENT by David Rieder Duncan Scott is about as steady and solid as they come. For Great Britain, he has always delivered his best on all-important relays and has learned to excel in World Championship and Olympic finals, including a gold and three silver medals this past summer in Tokyo. And for ISL’s London Roar, he can do just about anything they ask in order to put together a match-winning combination. 030 THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMING by Alyssa Blair Here are a few things to expect if you’re making the transition from high school to becoming a college student-athlete.
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031 PARTING SHOT 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)
PHOTOGRAPHERS/SWTV Peter H. Bick, USA Today Sports Images, Reuters, Getty Images
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COVER PHOTO: LYDIA JACOBY BY ROB SCHUMACHER/USA TODAY SPORTS
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[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
USA Swimming Announces Official 2021-22 National Team Roster BY DAN D'ADDONA
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SA Swimming, the national governing body for the sport of swimming in the United States, announced its 2021-22 National Team roster presented by Toyota. Included in the 2021-22 U.S. National Team are: • • • • • •
60 Olympians 57 clubs represented 34 first-time U.S. National Team members 32 universities represented 29 states represented 15 athletes from the 2020-2021 U.S. National Junior Team
“We are looking forward to starting the Paris 2024 Quad with such a strong mix of National Team veterans and rookies,” USA Swimming Managing Director of the National Team Lindsay Mintenko said. “We hope to build on our Olympic success in Tokyo and to shift our focus to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in less than three years.” Sandpipers of Nevada’s five athletes makes it the mostrepresented, non-collegiate club on this year’s USA Swimming National Team roster. The University of Texas and Cal-Berkeley are tied for the highest-attended universities among this year’s roster with 11 current, former and incoming athletes attending each school. Decorated names such as Nathan Adrian (Bremerton, Wash./ California Aquatics/Westside Aquaducks) and Allison Schmitt (Canton, Mich./Sun Devil Swimming) headline the roster with the 14th and 12th National Team selections of their careers, respectively, dating back to 2008. Other decorated talents to make this year’s roster include Matt 8
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Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill./Jim Click Team Elite, Inc.), Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md./Nation’s Capital/Alto Swim Club) and Caeleb Dressel (Green Cove Springs, Fla./Gator Swim Club). Grevers is the oldest member of this year’s National Team at age 36. Among the 34 USA Swimming athletes selected to their first U.S. National Team are Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 gold medalists Lydia Jacoby (Seward, Alaska/Seward Tsunami Swim Club/NLSC), Hunter Armstrong (Dover, Ohio/ Ohio State University/CCS), Bowe Becker (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada/Minnesota) and Brooks Curry (Dunwoody, Ga./Louisiana State University/Dynamo). Katie Grimes (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada) is the youngest athlete on this year’s National Team roster at age 15. Current members of the U.S. Open Water National Team will hold their distinctions through October 31, 2021. The Open Water National Team currently features 13 athletes based on U.S. representatives at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 10K race and top five finishes at the 2021 Open Water National Championships. The upcoming USA Swimming Open Water National Team, which will be active from November 1, 2021 to April 30, 2022, will consist of Haley Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif./ Mission Viejo Nadadores), Ashley Twichell (Fayetteville, N.Y./TAC Titans) and Jordan Wilimovsky (Malibu, Calif./ Kswim) after they swam the 10K at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The roster will also feature the top five finishers in the 10K at the Las Vegas Open Water Championships Cup, which takes place October 8-10, 2021.◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
an QA/R&D internship at Reed Food Technology next week! Galat won silver medals in the women’s 200 breaststroke at both the 2017 World Championships in Budapest and the 2018 Short-Course Worlds in Hangzhou in 2018. She also won silver at the 2019 Pan Am Games.
Bethany Galat Announces Retirement From Swimming BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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ethany Galat, who won silver medals in breaststroke at the World Championships, has announced her retirement from swimming at age 26. Galat made the announcement on Instagram. The former Texas A&M standout made a run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but fell short in the breaststroke events. From her post: I don’t prefer long posts, but after nearly 20 years, how could I adequately express the impact swimming’s made in my life? God graciously guided me into realizing that I was content with what swimming’s given me, and am ready to move on to challenging myself elsewhere. I’m excited to say I’ll be starting
Galat was an SEC champion in the 200 breast at Texas A&M, part of the Aggies ascent to the national scene. She was the first current Texas A&M swimmer to medal at a major international event when she did so in 2017. The native of Mishawaka, Ind., extended her career a year to chase the Tokyo Games when it was postponed by the COVID-19 pandemic. She swam for the DC Trident in the International Swimming League in 2020 to bridge to the Olympic Trials. Galat finished fourth in both breaststroke events to miss out on a Tokyo Trip. She was .47 seconds behind Lydia Jacoby, the eventual Olympic champion, in the 100 breast and 1.06 seconds shy of eventual silver medalist Lilly King in the 200. Both fields were historically deep with talent, much of it on display in ISL now. Among the things she was sacrificing for another year in the pool was a chance to start her career and use the degree in food science she earned at A&M, all of which weighed in her decision to carry on. ◄
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[ Photo Courtesy: Swimming South Africa ]
Matt Sates Wins 11 Events in Domination of South African Short Course Championships BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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att Sates turned in a dominant performance at the South African Short Course Championships this weekend, winning 11 events at the meet in Pietermaritzburg. While Sates was the star on the men’s side, the women’s half of the meet generated the only two national records of the event, led by Lara Van Niekerk’s continental record in the 50 breaststroke. Sates, 17, had his versatility on display. He won five freestyle events from 50 meters to 800, plus the 50 butterfly, 100 fly, 200 individual medley, 400 IM and 100 breast. The only sticking point was a disqualification in the 100 IM that denied him a chance at his stated goal of 12 medals. Sates also won gold as part of the Seals ASC 200 free relay. The Seals were second in both the mixed 200 free relay and men’s 400 free relay. Matt Sates sealed an automatic spot in the 2021 Short Course World Championships in the 100 free with a time of 47.14, the 200 free (1:42.91), 400 free (3:43.01) and 400 IM (4:07.93). He went 3-for-3 in duels with fellow Olympian Pieter Coetze. Sates handled him in the 100 fly with a win in 50.61 seconds, another SC Worlds A cut. Sates bested Coetze in the 50 fly, and the two were neck-and-neck in the 50 free, Sates winning in 21.96 to nip Coetze by .03 and third-place Guy Brooks by .05. Coetze won three events, the 100 IM and 50 and 100 back. He went 23.42 in the 50 back and 50.98 in the 100, both auto cuts for SC Worlds. Coetze and Sates were two of four Olympians to take part in the meet. Sates qualified for the Tokyo Olympics this summer in the 100 fly and 200 IM, while Coetze swam the 100 back in Tokyo. Martin Binedell won the event in Pietermaritzburg that he had qualified for Tokyo in, the 200 back.
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The lone female Olympian in the field was the big winner on the women’s side. Rebecca Meder won six gold medals in a tremendous showing, claiming all three IMs, plus the 100 free, 200 free and 100 fly. She was also second in prelims of the 100 back and 100 breast before scratching out of finals. Meder posted a picturesque time of 1:00.00 in the 100 IM, taking down Aimee Canny’s South African record of 1:00.31. Meder had been second to Canny and under the existing record when Canny set the mark in 2020. Meder also outdueled Van Niekerk and earned an automatic spot in the SC World Championships. Meder, who finished 23rd in the 200 IM in Tokyo, added Worlds auto cuts in that event (2:10.63) and the 400 IM (4:36.79). Van Niekerk delivered the swim of the meet on its first day, uncorking a 29.85 in the women’s 50 breaststroke. She’s the first African woman ever to go under 30 seconds. “We were just trying to break the 30-second barrier but I didn’t expect to break it by this much so I’m very surprised and super-happy,” Van Niekerk said in a press release. In prelims, she had dashed the South African record of 30.20 seconds set in 2020 by gold medalist Tatjana Schoenamker, whom the 18-year-old van Niekerk called “a big role model of mine.” She also downed the African record held by Kenya’s Achieng Ajulu-Bushell (30.11 from 2009). Van Niekerk won the 100 breast and 200 breast in Worlds auto cuts of 1:05.01 and 2:23.65, respectively. Hannah Pearse swept the 100 and 200 backstroke, and Caitlin de Lange sprinted to wins in the 40 fly and 50 free. ◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ]
Respect For the Olympic Games Distance Double of Bobby Finke BY DAN D'ADDONA
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obby Finke raced to the wall. Putting together a sprinter’s final 50, he surged ahead of the field and made history. With a time of 7:41.87, the U.S. swimmer became the first man ever to win Olympic gold in the 800 meter freestyle, an event added this year at the Tokyo Olympic Games. It was a stunning turn of events in the final 50 of the distance race. Even more stunning was what he did a few days later. Finke put together another strong turn heading into the final 50 of the 1500 and passed three swimmers during the final length of the race to claim his second Olympic gold. It has been a long time since a U.S. men’s swimmer has won a distance race in the Olympics—not since Mike O’Brien won the 1500 in 1984. Finke dominated both the 800 and 1500—highlighted by his fast finishes—earning him the distinction as the breakout performer of the Olympic Games. While some predicted Finke to medal, most did not predict gold, especially in both events. But he put the exclamation point on his— and the USA’s—performance in Tokyo on the final day of the meet with a quick 25.78 split to win that epic mile in 14:39.65. “I saw all three of us (Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk, Germany’s Florian Wellbrock and Finke) were kind of neckand-neck,” Finke said. “I knew from my 800 I had the ability to switch gears for the final 50. So I was trying to keep it clean as possible in the last 300 to hold on and just build off it at the end.” Italian Gregorio Paltrinieri, the reigning gold medalist and only holdover finalist from the Rio Olympics, took the edge through the first 300. He would eventually fade to fourth. Wellbrock took the lead at 400 meters, with Romanchuk just behind. Meanwhile, Finke waited for the time to
make his move. As he did in the 800, the 21-year-old University of Florida senior cranked out a stunning final 50 split in the mile that was more than a second faster than the field and 61-hundredths faster than his 26.39 final split in the 800. Romanchuk earned the silver medal (14:40.66), while Wellbrock, who led for more than 1,000 meters of the race, took bronze (14:40.91). Paltrinieri landed off the medal stand by four seconds. Finke swam so fast, he even surprised himself. “For myself, I didn’t know I had these swims in me,” Finke said. “So I’ve just gained a lot of confidence with Coach (Anthony) Nesty being here. Even during the training trip, I was having some of the best practices of my life, so it gave me a huge confidence boost coming here.” Finke was aware that it had been a long time since an American male had won an Olympic gold medal in the 1500: “It was something I was aware of,” Finke said. “Going into Trials, I didn’t really know how long it was, but we’ve got a lot of silver medals and bronze medals, so I’m glad to be able to pull it off with gold.” U.S. men’s coach Dave Durden has been around for a lot of swimmers who aimed for gold, but didn’t quite get there. Meanwhile, Katie Ledecky has dominated the distance events on the women’s side. That has been something the men have tried to replicate, and now they nally have. “Hell yeah, absolutely that is a tremendous amount of pride that we have—not only in winning the 800, but coming back and winning the mile,” Durden said. “We’re trying to keep up with the Katie Ledeckys of the world, so it’s nice to have Bobby Finke step up and do that in the 800 and the mile.” ◄ BIWEEKLY
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[ Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis / ISL ]
>> Linnea Mack (left) & Ali DeLoof of the DC Trident
No Tokyo, No Problem: The Non-Olympians Turning Heads in ISL Season 3 BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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very season of the International Swimming League has carried a notable first. The inaugural campaign in 2019 was an experiment in every aspect. The 2020 season brought expansion and a bubble amid a global pandemic. The question this year would be about the Olympics. Much as the league might aspire to displace the Olympics’ primacy in swimming, you won’t find a swimmer who's yet in that mindset. How ISL would fit into the schedule of athletes recovering, reloading or resting was an open question for ISL Season 3. The role of the league as a force multiplier, keeping in the headlines athletes who’d thrust themselves into the mainstream for the first time this summer, was one obvious possibility. But ISL has also revealed another dynamic, beyond reminding those other than swimming diehards that Caeleb Dressel and Lilly King aren’t just dominant racers once every four years. The league is giving swimmers who missed the Tokyo festivities a way to showcase their abilities on the global stage and to make money doing it. The most spectacular embodiment of this phenomenon was Coleman Stewart, who set the world record in the men’s 100 backstroke in his debut for the Cali Condors with a time of 48.33 seconds. “I had absolutely no idea what to expect,” Stewart said then.
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“This was a complete shock. I was not expecting to go best times, really. Obviously super happy with it.” Stewart missed out on Tokyo with just a so-so Olympic Trials. He was 10th in the 100 back in Omaha, fourth in the 100 butterfly and eighth in the 100 freestyle, just missing a relay spot. Stewart is hardly alone in leading the pack in ISL without having swum in Tokyo. Through six matches in ISL Season 3, with every team having swum at least twice, the fastest times in no fewer than eight events belong to nonOlympians. Kelshi Dahlia (who was an Olympian in 2016) leads the way in the women’s 100 fly and 200 fly. Her Cali Condors teammate Beata Nelson owns the top time in the 200 back and 100 individual medley, among a slew of top-10 times. Ali DeLoof of the DC Trident owns the top time in the women’s 50 back; she’s second in the 100 back to LA Current’s Ingrid Wilm. Women’s backstroke is particularly fascinating: Seven of the top 12 in the 100 and seven of the top 10 in the 50 are swimmers absent from Tokyo. On the men’s side, beyond Stewart, Nicholas Santos owns the top time in the 50 fly. Two other notables: Marco Orsi
There are a few broad categories to sort these swimmers into. Some are specialists in the short-course, either for the frequent walls or the 50-stroke/100-IM offerings. Stewart would fall into this category (though it’ s a tough line to walk, as his disqualification in Match 6 for not surfacing before 15 meters showed.) Santos, who set a world record in the 50 fly at age 40, is an obvious example.
[ Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis / ISL ]
is second to Dressel in the 100 IM after the Team Iron swimmer missed the Olympics for Italy. The top 200 freestyler is Aleksandr Shchegolev of DC Trident, who swam only in prelims for the Russians’ 800 free relay.
>> Marco Orsi of Team Iron
We’d be remiss not to recognize the unlucky category: Swimmers who are victims of extreme depth in their national programs. The roster of American women in this category – Nelson, Dahlia, Maddy Banic, Emily Escobedo, Linnea Mack, Ali and Gabby DeLoof, Aly Tetzloff – is voluminous. Italian breaststroker Alessandro Pinzuti, who is swimming well for the Tokyo Frog Kings, falls under that category, stuck behind Nicolo Martinenghi and Fabio Scozzoli. The Canadian Wilm is mired behind Taylor Ruck and Kylie Masse on the backstroke depth chart (at least for long-course).
[ Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL ]
Others are veterans of the international scene still turning in strong swims and able to physically and financially extend their careers. You’d place Holly Barratt, Alicja Tchorz, Orsi, Felipe Silva Franca, Santos and Leonardo Santos into that bucket.
>> Holly Barratt of Aqua Centurions
Belonogoff has been one of the top breaststrokers for DC. Great Britain’s Katie Shanahan (London) and Imogen Clark (LA) have started strong. Toronto has gotten a big boost from Luc Kroon (Netherlands) and Grigory Pekarski (Belarus).
All those swimmers are showing that in extracting value Perhaps the most intriguing group of non-Olympians is the from the 2021 season, the Olympics is not the be-all-andup-and-comers. So often after an Olympic cycle completes, end-all. ◄ the ensuing World Championships is a telling harbinger of the next four years. ISL Season 3 is serving as an advance on that, albeit SWIM MART with the short-course caveats. This category is the most exciting, for ISL’s place in the swimming universe and for fans. Watching young swimmers like Takeshi Kawamoto (who was in Tokyo, but still) upset Dressel in the 50 fly is an example. London’s Teppei Morimoto has a 200 fly win. Valentine Dumont has done so well in ISL that it’s easy to forget the Belgian is just 21. Ilia Borodin has a pair of 400 IM wins for Energy Standard, and fellow Russian Tatiana
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[ Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL ]
Nothing Has Changed: Former ISL Executives Claim League Still Has Unpaid Bills BY DAVID RIEDER
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uring the 2020 ISL semifinal round, Energy Standard GM Jean-François Salessy abruptly announced he was leaving his position. Salessy released an open letter to ISL founder Konstantin Grigorishin to announce his decision. Long before Grigorishin founded the league, he had established the Energy Standard Swim Club, and Salessy claimed that Grigorishin’s “hand-picked coach” had fought against signing French swimmers beyond Florent Manaudou to a supposedly Paris-based team. Salessy also claimed Grigorishin had ignored reasonable sponsorship ideas Salessy had suggested, hurting the ISL’s financial situation and leaving the league unable to fulfill all its financial responsibilites at the end of the 2020 season. He slammed the league for its treatment of employees and associates and called the ISL “an iceberg with an attractive visible part and an immersed dark side.” Now, Salessy has re-emerged to claim that “nothing’s changed” about the league, and he claimed that outstanding bills from previous seasons remain unpaid as of September 17. A statement released Friday from Salessy and ISL excommercial director Hubert Montcoudiol claimed that the actual payments the ISL have doled out have been on an “arbitrary basis.” “Elite swimmers, but not all, some audiovisual production
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partners, and other essential vendors are paid on an arbitrary basis when others are not,” the statement said. “The list of victims of such behaviors includes some Hungarian vendors, a communication agency, press officials, travel agencies, team managers, operational directors, webmasters, digital agency specialists and other consultants.” The statement goes on to say that the lack of media coverage during ISL season 3 “sounds obvious in such conditions.” The league has placed most of its match live streaming behind an in-house subscription service, although select racing is available on broadcast and cable television worldwide. That statement concludes with the sentiment that “the swimming ecosystem doesn’t need to be weakened any further. Generating hopes and then disappointing them is terrible.” The ISL regular season has taken place entirely in Naples, Italy, and while the meets have been exciting to watch and clearly a fun experience for the swimmers in attendance, the racing is watered-down with many top competitors missing the five weeks of racing following their Olympic campaigns. The regular season has received little attention outside of the sport’s core fans just weeks after a captivating Olympic Games in Tokyo drew in fans from around the world. ◄
WADA Will Review Status of Marijuana as Banned Substance BY DAN D'ADDONA
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he World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA’s) Executive Committee (ExCo) will begin a review of marijuana as a banned substance. Following several requests from a number of stakeholders — and after the tumultuous situation that saw U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson lose her spot on the Olympic track and field team — the ExCo endorsed the decision of the List Expert Advisory Group to initiate in 2022 a scientific review of the status of cannabis at its meeting on Tuesday. Cannabis is currently prohibited in competition and will continue to be in 2022. But beyond that will depend on the research of the committee. In compliance with WADA, the U.S. Anti-doping Agency suspended Richardson following a positive cannabis test after the Olympic trials. The suspension cost her a spot on the Olympic team and stripped her of her 100-meter championship at the Olympic trials. She admitted to ingesting cannabis prior to the Olympic trials. The suspension shocked the world of sports with many asking for that rule to be changed. Despite how polarizing the ban on cannabis has been in wake of the situation, since it is legal
in many states, it still was a clear violation of USADA and WADA rules since it is currently on the banned substance list. Now with a research committee looking into cannabis with careful research, only time will tell if it continues as a banned substance past 2022. WADA is composed of a 38-member Foundation Board (Board), which is the Agency’s highest policy-making body, and the 14-person ExCo, to which the Board delegates the management and running of the Agency. The Board and ExCo are composed of five representatives each from the Sports Movement, including an athlete, and Governments, as well as four independent members, including the President and Vice-President. After the meeting, WADA President Witold Bańka, said: “I am pleased with the decisions that were taken today by the Executive Committee on a range of key topics. These will help further strengthen the global anti-doping program and the protection of clean sport. In particular, the decisions made by the committee in relation to compliance, the 2022 Prohibited List and in a number of science-related areas will prove to be important for the continued success of the system and for the good of athletes around the world.” ◄ BIWEEKLY
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in June in the 400 IM. He was eighth in the 200 freestyle, missing the top six relay spots by .18 seconds. But before the Olympics, the 19-year-old set a time of 4:08.46 at Sectionals in Austin that was the fastest in the world in 2020 and quicker than the time used by Chase Kalisz to win gold in Tokyo. “We are thrilled to partner with Carson and support him in his swimming career,” said Clint Sammons, team sports marketing manager at Mizuno USA. “He has already proven a talented athlete in the pool and continues to hold himself to a high standard. We look forward to working with him and continuing the advancement of Mizuno USA products with him.”
[ Photo Courtesy: Mizuno Swim]
Foster won three gold medals, including two in relays and the 200 IM, at the 2019 World Junior Championships. He won silver in the 200 back at the 2017 World Juniors.
Texas Swimmer Carson Foster Signs Deal with Mizuno Swim
Foster is among a growing number of elite swimmers availing themselves of new NCAA rules allowing them to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL). Olympians Regan Smith and Torri Huske have signed apparel sponsorships deals, while Erica Sullivan has retained an agency to manage her NIL earning potential. Deals like Foster’s and David Curtiss’s with Speedo are likely to become increasingly commonplace, with swimmers no longer having to choose between monetizing their accomplishments in the pool and sacrificing amateur eligibility. ◄
BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
U
niversity of Texas swimmer Carson Foster has signed with Mizuno Swim, the company announced on Thursday. He’s the first college swimmer added to Mizuno’s roster of athletes. Foster is a sophomore at Texas. He won an NCAA title for the Longhorns in the 800 freestyle relay as a freshman and finished in the top six in three events – second in the 400 individual medley, fourth in the 200 IM, sixth in the 200 backstroke – in his first NCAAs.
“I am excited to partner with Mizuno USA because they are a fast-rising company in the swimming world,” Foster said. “Their continuous product advancement and my personal experience gives me great confidence in their products.” The native of Cincinnati, Ohio, came close to qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, finishing third at U.S. Olympic Trials 16
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[ Photo Courtesy: Mizuno Swim]
Foster will don Mizuno gear in training and competition, including its GX Sonic tech suits. Mizuno said in a press release that it will work with Foster to get his insight in developing future products and services.
[ Photo Courtesy: Katie Ledecky / Instagram ]
Katie Ledecky Joins University of Florida as Volunteer Assistant Coach, Will Train for 2024 in Gainesville
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BY DAN D'ADDONA
even-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky announced she has joined the Florida swimming and diving program as a volunteer swimming coach and will train for the 2024 Olympics in Gainesville with Florida head coach Anthony Nesty, who was an assistant coach for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics. Florida confirmed the move. Ledecky, who won two gold and two silver in Tokyo earlier this year, completed her degree at Stanford, where she trained under Greg Meehan. “I’m excited to be a part of the University of Florida’s worldclass swimming and diving program and train for the 2024 Olympics with Coach Anthony Nesty, and the top-tier middistance and distance training group,” Katie Ledecky said. “My years at Stanford, both academically and athletically, were nothing short of incredible and I’m looking forward to the opportunity and challenges that lie ahead in Gainesville.” Nesty was thrilled with Ledecky’s decision. “The knowledge and experience that Katie brings to the pool are unparalleled,” Nesty said. “In addition to her obvious excellence as a swimmer, Katie is an exceptional person who will make a great impact on the student-athletes here. Katie’s
values are in total alignment with the Florida program, and we’re so excited to have her join the Gators as she continues to train for the 2024 Olympics. Ledecky is an eight-time NCAA Champion and in her two years of collegiate swimming helped lead Stanford to backto-back Pac-12 and NCAA team titles in 2017 and 2018, while breaking NCAA records 15 times and NCAA Championship meet records six times. She became just the second Freshman ever to be awarded the Honda Cup (2017) and was the first sophomore ever to be named CoSida Academic All-America Team Member of the Year across all Division I sports (2018). As a 10-time Olympic Medalist and 15-time World Championship Gold Medalist, Katie Ledecky has broken World Records 14 times and American Records 37 times in her career. She has won more gold medals in individual events than any Team USA female athlete in any sport. At the Tokyo Olympics, she also made history by becoming the first Team USA female swimmer to win an individual event (800m Freestyle) in three straight Olympics, and by winning the first-ever women’s 1500m Freestyle event. Ledecky, a three-time USOPC SportsWoman of the Year, was also the most decorated Team USA female athlete in any sport for the second straight Olympic Games. ◄ BIWEEKLY
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[ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ]
Surprise! Ahmed Hafnaoui and Lydia Jacoby Brought Shock Value To the Games BY JOHN LOHN
I
t happens every Olympiad, a traditional development that is awaited. We just don’t know where it will come from. A distance event? From a stroke discipline? Male? Female? The beautiful part of the scenario is its guessing-game nature. Who will provide the surprise performance of the Olympic Games? Tokyo supplied a pair. Prior to the start of the Games, few experts – if any – had Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui and American Lydia Jacoby standing on the top step of the podium at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Yet, that is where they stood after their prime events, Hafnaoui the champion of the 400-meter freestyle and Jacoby the gold medalist in the 100 breaststroke. When the final of the 400 freestyle was called to the starting blocks, little attention was paid to Hafnaoui. He had narrowly advanced to the championship race, occupying Lane Eight. But as the cliché goes, he had a lane and a chance, and the 18-year-old took advantage of his opportunity. Lurking in second place from the 150-meter mark through the last turn, Hafnaoui overhauled frontrunner Jack McLoughlin of Australia down the last lap and prevailed in 3:43.36, the Aussie earning silver in 3:43.52. Hafnaoui became just the second Tunisian to capture Olympic gold in the sport, joining Ous Mellouli, who was the 2008 titlist in the 1500 freestyle and 2012 champion in the 10k open-water event. It was a startling triumph, but could be just the beginning of a superb international career. “I cannot believe it,” Hafnaoui said. “It was a dream and it has come true. It was great, it was my best race. I was in tears
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(on the podium) because I saw the flag of my country and I heard the anthem in the background. It was great. I’m so proud. I dedicate it to all the Tunisian people.” While Hafnaoui was an off-the-radar medalist, Jacoby headed into the 100 breaststroke as an upstart. Following a superb performance at the United States Olympic Trials, the 17-year-old was considered a medal contender, but not so much for gold. The heavy favorite for the top spot was defending champion and world-record holder Lilly King. Ultimately, it was Jacoby who flourished in the mostpressurized moment of her career. Third at the midway point, behind South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker and King, Jacoby surged on the last lap, especially in the final 15 meters, and got to the wall in 1:04.95. Schoenmaker followed in 1:05.22, with King claiming bronze at 1:05.54. A native of Seward, Alaska, Jacoby supplied her state with a rare Summer Games medal and provided proof that, regardless of history, much can be accomplished with a chance. Going into her senior year of high school, Jacoby has committed to the University of Texas and given the United States, along with King, a potent combination in the 100 breaststroke. “I was definitely racing for a medal. I knew I had it in me,” Jacoby said. “I wasn’t really expecting a gold medal, so when I looked up and saw the scoreboard, it was insane. A lot of bigname swimmers come from big, powerhouse clubs. Coming from a small club, in a state with such a small population, really shows everyone that you can do it no matter where you’re from.” ◄
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[ Photo Courtesy: Grace Hollars / USA Today Sports ]
>> Caeleb Dressel
After a Yearlong Delay, the Extraordinary Tokyo Games Delivered! BY JOHN LOHN
I
t was all supposed to go down last summer, Tokyo the centerpiece of the sporting world. Champions crowned. Iconic performances recorded. Moments of redemption. Upsets. Tears of elation. Tears of heartache. There would be a little bit of everything, and something for all. Of course, the original plan was shredded. The COVID-19 pandemic, in all its tragic fury, changed the world. Amid the loss of lives and shifting daily environments, the 32nd edition of the Olympic Games was postponed, and while that decision paled in comparison to the life-altering effects of the Coronavirus, athletes saw their dreams put on hold. If the yearlong delay felt like an eternity – to competitors, fans and media – what transpired in Tokyo proved worth the wait once the Games were held in the Japanese capital. Everything that was initially anticipated was produced, another Olympiad supplying what is – typically – quadrennially desired: The emotions, surprises, goal fulfilments and more. Let’s take a look, and appreciate, what the Tokyo Games delivered.
JOB DONE
As hyped as any Olympian in Tokyo, Caeleb Dressel couldn’t avoid the comparisons. Due to his vast potential for an epic medal haul, Dressel was linked to United States icons Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Matt Biondi. All along, Dressel emphasized that he just wanted to do his thing – and 20
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be recognized for his ability. Shouldn’t be a problem any longer. As the United States topped the medals count in Tokyo, with 30 pieces of hardware and 11 gold medals, Dressel was nothing short of phenomenal. The 24-year-old from Florida collected five gold medals, three of them solo, set a world record and deftly managed the immense pressure that was placed on his shoulders even before the COVID delay. Coming off a pair of World Championships (2017 & 2019) in which he starred for the Red, White and Blue, Dressel affirmed his status as the sport’s leading face at his second Games. He won individual gold medals in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and led Team USA to gold in the 400 freestyle relay and 400 medley relay. The fly and medley relay golds arrived in world-record time. Dressel had to negotiate a gauntlet of challenges, from the United States topping a stout field in the 400 freestyle relay to beating a stacked British squad in the 400 medley relay, a world record of 3:26.78 getting the job done for Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Dressel and Zach Apple. In between those relays, Dressel turned back Australian rival Kyle Chalmers in the 100 freestyle, fended off Hungarian threat Kristof Milak in the 100 butterfly (49.45 to 48.68) and waltzed to gold in the 50 freestyle.
[ Photo Courtesy: Grace Hollars / USA Today Sports ]
“I tried to convince myself that Worlds was the same, and it’s the same competition, but it’s a lot different here,” Dressel said. “It’s a different kind of pressure, and I’m aware of that now and I can stop lying to myself. It means something different. It only happens every four years for a reason, and it’s 20-something seconds or 40-something seconds. You have to be so perfect in that moment, especially if you have another year, a five-year buildup or a 24-year buildup, whatever you want to call it. There’s so much pressure on one moment. Your whole life boils down to one moment that can take 20 or 40 seconds. How crazy is that?”
>> Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky has a firm handle on the expectations that come along with the Olympic Games. A champion as a 15-year-old in 2012, she won three individual crowns in 2016. Her third trip to the Games represented yet another type of appearance. This time, Ledecky was not as dominant, but her resilience shined through. Edged by Aussie Ariarne Titmus in her first final, the 400 freestyle, Ledecky was then fifth in the 200 free, an event in which she was the defending champion. But Ledecky flashed her distance greatness in her other two individual events, winning gold in the inaugural 1500 freestyle for women, and then capturing a third straight gold in the 800 freestyle. The trifecta enabled Ledecky to join Aussie Dawn Fraser (100 freestyle), Hungarian Krisztina Egerszegi (200 backstroke) and Phelps (100 butterfly; 200 individual medley) as swimmers to three-peat.
the longest pool event since 1984. Both wins were perfectly calculated, Finke hanging with the leaders until he could unleash his unmatched finishing power. And when no one could counter, Finke lived golden moments. There was an upset gold medal from 17-year-old Alaskan Lydia Jacoby, who ascended the throne of the 100 breaststroke
In distance action, Bobby Finke doubled in the 800 and 1500 freestyle, marking the first time an American has won
Th
e
With Dressel and Ledecky as the lynchpins, the United States had no difficulty finishing ahead of Australia in the medals count. Going to work without Phelps for the first time since the 1996 Games, this squad had a chance to build its own identity. It was a young team, which suggests continued excellence in the future. But in the present, there is uncertainty how youth and inexperience will react. Ultimately, this team upheld tradition.
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“I think I saw a statistic two years ago that said no one’s ever three-peated in that event, and that’s been in the back of my mind,” Ledecky said. “You’re like, ‘Huh, I wonder if there’s a reason why no one has ever three-peated.’ It’s tough. It’s tough to win one gold and to do it three times in a row in that event is really amazing.”
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[ Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro / USA Today Sports ]
[ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ]
AUSSIE RESURGENCE
A glance at the medals table from the past two Olympics revealed some serious difficulties for Australia. At both Games, the tradition-rich country won just 10 medals. Those troubles were exacerbated by just three golds in 2016 and one title in 2012. Simply, these types of performances were not acceptable for the Dolphins. Message received.
>> Emma McKeon
>> Ariarne Titmus
from an unlikely setting. And there was Chase Kalisz grabbing gold in the 400 individual medley, training partner Jay Litherland picking up silver. More, Regan Smith, Hali Flickinger, Murphy and Lilly King each won two individual medals. Sure, there were a pair of ugly relay results, as the men’s 800 freestyle relay placed fourth and became the first U.S. relay to miss the podium in Olympic action, and the mixed medley relay was fifth behind a suspect lineup. But overall, this version of Team USA achieved at a high clip – as is always expected. “We got a really, really strong showing with a little less experienced team that we’ve had at the Olympic Games in the past,” said U.S. women’s head coach Greg Meehan. 22
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Led by Emma McKeon, Australia acquitted itself superbly in Tokyo, totaling 21 medals, highlighted by nine gold. It was a charge paced by the female contingent, which managed 14 medals and rode solo doubles by McKeon (50 freestyle/100 freestyle), Ariarne Titmus (200 freestyle/400 freestyle) and Kaylee McKeown (100 backstroke/200 backstroke). McKeon ended her meet with seven medals, making her just the second woman (all sports) in history to reach that milestone at a single Games. Her sprint-freestyle sweep was complemented by bronze in the 100 butterfly and four relay medals, two of which were gold. In the 400 freestyle relay, McKeon turned in the fastest split of the field (51.35) as Australia set a world record of 3:29.69. “It means a lot to me and to the team I have behind me,” McKeon said of her record-tying achievement. “They have put in just as much hard work. It’s overwhelming knowing how much hard work has been put into this.” Titmus’ inaugural Olympiad marked the completion of a quest that first revealed itself on the international stage at the 2019 World Championships. There, Titmus clipped American distance ace Katie Ledecky in the 400 freestyle. But with Ledecky hampered by illness, there were still questions whether the Aussie could replicate the feat. Well, all doubt was erased when Titmus charged past Ledecky on the final lap of the 400 freestyle and then prevailed in the 200 freestyle. A silver medal was added in the 800 freestyle. As for McKeown, she emerged with a backstroke sweep against some of the deepest fields of the week. She first
dispatched Canadian Kylie Masse and American Regan Smith in the 100 backstroke and followed with a win over Masse in the 200 backstroke. A little less than a year after the death of her father to brain cancer, McKeown saw her Olympic vision completed. “I am so stoked to win the double and I had the belief,” said McKeown, who was the leadoff leg on the winning 400 medley relay. “I’d done the work, but I was nervous just the same. I just went out and did my best and another gold medal is just brilliant.” While the women carried the Australian banner, Zac Stubblety-Cook shined in the 200 breaststroke, as he secured gold in an Olympic record of 2:06.38. That title was the lone victory for the Australian men, who pulled in six medals.
CONTROVERSY REIGNS
Every Olympiad features some sort of controversy, ranging from relay decisions to athlete animosity to rules violations. In Tokyo, the primary controversy emerged when American Ryan Murphy, the reigning champion in both backstroke events, decided to express his concerns with a longtime issue in the sport: Doping. Five years after his excellence at the Rio de Janeiro Games,
Murphy won a bronze medal in the 100 backstroke and a silver medal in the 200 backstroke. Both events were won by Russia’s Evgeny Rylov, and after the 200 backstroke, Murphy emphasized that performance-enhancing drugs are prevalent. “I’ve got about 15 thoughts,” Murphy said after the 200 backstroke. “Thirteen of them would get me into a lot of trouble. It is what it is. I try not to get caught up in that. It is a huge mental drain on me to go throughout the year that I’m swimming in a race that’s probably not clean, and that is what it is. The people that know a lot more about the situation made the decision they did. It frustrates me, but I have to swim the field that’s next to me. I don’t have the bandwidth to train for the Olympics at a very high level and try to lobby the people who are making the decisions that they’re making the wrong decisions.” Murphy’s comments were not so much directed at Rylov as they were about the presence of Russian athletes. Despite the revelation that Russia had operated a systematic-doping program, the International Olympic Committee ruled Russian athletes were eligible to compete in Tokyo. The only penalties levied were insignificant, with the nation’s flag and anthem banned from medals ceremonies, and athletes competing under the Russian Olympic Committee moniker. It all equated to a wrist slap.
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[ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ]
>> Yui Ohashi
Murphy was frustrated with the stance. For the American, his willingness to speak out was met with mixed reactions. Some credited Murphy for being vocal, while others accused the American of sour grapes over his defeats to Rylov. If nothing else, Murphy generated discussion, including a statement by FINA that it was intent on ensuring a level playing field. Of course, Russia was not pleased with the accusations and responded in grand fashion. Despite receiving a pass into the Games with minimal restrictions, the Russian Olympic Committee released a statement that was dripping in arrogance. “How unnerving our victories are for some of our colleagues,” the statement said. “Yes, we are here at the Olympics. Whether someone likes it or not. The old barrel organ started the song about Russian doping again. English-language propaganda, oozing with verbal sweat in the Tokyo heat. Through the mouths of athletes offended by defeats. We will not console you. Forgive us those who are weaker. God is their judge. And for us – an assistant.”
A HOME HERO
Prior to the start of the Games, Japan had high hopes for a stellar showing on home soil. But not all plans go as scripted, and the host nation came up with only three podium finishes – two gold and a silver – as medals favorites Daiya Seto and Katsuhiro Matsumoto faltered. 24
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Rescuing Japan from an abysmal display was Yui Ohashi. A medalist in the individual medley events at the past two World Championships, Ohashi was viewed as a leading medal contender in the 200 I.M. and 400 I.M. When the week ended, she had gold in each discipline. Ohashi clocked 2:08.52 in the shorter distance and went 4:32.08 over the longer distance. By doubling in the medley events, Ohashi extended an Olympic streak. Starting with the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, the same woman has swept the 200 I.M. and 400 I.M. at seven straight Games. “It seems like a dream. It doesn’t feel real,” Ohashi said after completing the double. “I swam the last part of the race thinking win or lose, I want to be able to say I have no regrets. I caused many people a lot of trouble to get this far, but I hope I was able to repay them a little bit by this win.”
THE BRITISH ARE COMING
If Australia was awarded the gold medal for a boost over past performances, Great Britain earned the silver medal in that category. The British contingent tallied eight medals, including four gold, and ended a measure of futility that was more than 100 years old. As expected, Adam Peaty was the go-to guy for Great Britain. Not only did Peaty repeat as the gold medalist in the 100 breaststroke, he handled the breaststroke leg on
But there was much more from the Brits, as Tom Dean and Duncan Scott put together a gold-silver effort in the 200 freestyle, and then joined Guy and Matt Richards for a win in the 800 freestyle relay. When that quartet prevailed, it marked Great Britain’s first Olympic relay gold since 1912. Adding to the success was another Scott silver medal, this time in the 200 individual medley, and Luke Greenbank taking bronze in the 200 backstroke.
[ Photo Courtesy: Robert Hanashiro / USA Today Sports ]
Great Britain’s triumphant and world recordsetting mixed medley relay. Peaty was joined by Kathleen Dawson, James Guy and Anna Hopkin in claiming the first gold medal in the event.
>> Adam Peaty
Capping the competition was a silver medal in the 400 medley relay, where Peaty clocked the fastest breaststroke split of all-time and lifted his team to a European record. Three years out from the Paris Games, Great Britain has generated momentum on the world scene. “In one word, it’s inspiring to be part of a team which is always looking for the one percent, always looking for more,” Peaty said. “We came together as a team and hopefully now this is a catalyst, not only for this Games, but through to the next Games and the one after that. There’s no point in British swimming being in such a great position if we’re not going to inspire the next team to do it. It’s absolutely incredible.”
inclusion on the relay until just before the race, but clearly wasn’t disturbed by her added duties. In other notable action, China’s Wang Shun was superb in the 200 individual medley, posting an Asian record of 1:55.00. The time made Wang the third-fastest performer in history, trailing only American legends Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps. Meanwhile, Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey earned her country’s first Olympic medals in the sport with silver efforts in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle. ◄
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The butterfly races produced champions from four countries, Caeleb Dressel joined by Maggie MacNeil (Canada) in the 100 distance and Hungary’s Kristof Milak and China’s Zhang Yufei besting the competition in the 200 fly. MacNeil was a prominent figure in Canada’s six-medal haul – all by women. In addition to winning the 100 fly in 55.59, MacNeil was a member of Canada’s medal-claiming 400 medley relay (bronze) and 400 freestyle relay (silver). Both relays also featured Penny Oleksiak, who added a bronze medal in the 200 freestyle, while Kylie Masse led off the medley relay and was the silver medalist in both backstrokes. Milak was the male champion of the 200 fly, his time of 1:51.25 good for an Olympic record. It wasn’t the world record Milak wanted, as a suit tear before the race disrupted the 21-year-old’s preparation. The same could not be said of Zhang, who blew away the field in the women’s 200 fly, going an Olympic record of 2:03.86 and coming back later in the session to power China to a gold medal and world record in the 800 freestyle relay. Zhang wasn’t made aware of her
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Colin Kennedy Named Age Group Coach of the Year at ASCA Swim Clinic BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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ypress Fairbanks Swim Club coach Colin Kennedy was named the 2021 Age Group Coach of the Year this week by the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) and Fitter and Faster. Kennedy was one of the finalists named in July. The selection was made as part of the ASCA World Clinic this weekend in Orlando. Kennedy is the head age group coach at Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club (under the Fleet umbrella). He began his coaching career in his native St. Louis, Mo., in 2003 at the neighborhood club level. His previous coaching stops included as the head age group coach of Flyers Aquatic Swim Team in St. Louis and the national prep coach then head coach of Parkway Swim Club, also in St. Louis. He was named the LSC Age Group Coach of the Year in 2012 by Ozark Swimming LSC and in 2017 by Gulf Swimming LSC. He helped Fleet win the Bill Nixon Team Sportsmanship Award in 2021. It was twice won the Allen Salinas Gulf Team Sportsmanship Award under his tutelage. With Cypress Fairbanks/Fleet, Kennedy has coached 73 individual USA Swimming Top 20 swims (including 43 in the top 10) and 37 USA Swimming Top 20 relays (25 top 10). That group includes the No. 1 9-10 boys 400 freestyle relay long-course in 2019. Kennedy mentored one swimmer who set a Texas Age-Group Standard (TAGS) record and nine individual TAGS champions in multiple events.
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The other nine finalists were: Allison Brol, Nitro Swimming; Andrew Eckhart, Sarasota Family YMCA Sharks Swim Team; Joe Finke, St. Petersburg Aquatics; Don Garman, La Mirada Armada; Chrissy Gentry, Lakeside Aquatic Club; Andrew Marsh, Lakeside Aquatic Club; Erin Miller, Scarlet Aquatics; Dale Porter, Bolles School Sharks; and Gabriela Sofia, Long Island Aquatic Club. Bios of all the finalists are available here. Also unveiled at the ASCA World Clinic were the 2021 inductees for the organization’s hall of fame – Charlie Kennedy, Ray Looze and Cyndi Gallagher – as well as Coach of the Year Gregg Troy. Gallagher spent 31 seasons as the head coach of the women’s team at UCLA, finishing in the top 10 at NCAAs. The current coach of the International Swimming League’s DC Trident has mentored numerous Olympians in her time. Kennedy (no relation to Colin Kennedy) has spent 35 years as the head coach at Suburban Swim Club outside of Philadelphia and more than 20 years coaching at Swarthmore College. His prized pupils at Suburban include Brendan Hansen. Looze has been the head coach at Indiana University for the last 18 years. A two-time assistant coach for Team USA at Olympic Games, Looze has coached more than a dozen Olympians, including Americans Lilly King, Cody Miller, Blake Pieroni and Annie Lazor. ◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis / ISL ]
From Olympics to ISL, British Star Duncan Scott Has Been Consistently Excellent BY DAVID RIEDER
S
omehow, Duncan Scott is still underrated. The 24-yearold from Alloa, Scotland, made his first Olympic final at age 19 and then spent the next five years entrenching himself as an individual medal contender on the global stage and a key contributor to gold-medal contending British relays. At first, he had some trouble swimming his best races in individual finals, but he broke through with a bronze medal in the 200 free at the 2019 Worlds, and most memorably, he anchored Britain’s 400 medley relay to gold at the 2019 World Championships by providing a 46.14 split, the secondquickest in history, to storm past American Nathan Adrian.
the Americans on the medley relay, but he secured another silver for Great Britain.
At this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, Scott was, by all accounts, brilliant. He swam a 1:44.26 to become the seventh-fastest man ever in the 200 freestyle, and three days later, he recorded a 1:55.28 in the 200 IM, where he also jumped to seventh alltime. On Great Britain’s 800 freestyle relay, he dove in to anchor with an advantage and extended it, his 1:43.45 split ending up as the race’s quickest by far and locking down Great Britain’s first Olympic gold medal in a relay since 1908. He didn’t quite have the firepower to again run down
So Scott put together two gold-medal level swims in an Olympic final, only for a surprising swimmer to get to the wall in front of him each time. And it’s not like there is a ton of overlap between the 200 free and 200 IM, with Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte the only others in recent decades to excel in both. But without an individual gold to complete his steady ascencion to the pinnacle of swimming, Scott was never going to get quite the credit he deserves.
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The only knock was that Scott finished without an individual gold. Despite Scott’s furious final 50 in the 200 free final (26.46), British compatriot Tom Dean still managed to sneak past him at the finish and steal away gold. In the 200 IM final, surprising Chinese swimmer Wang Shun was just a smidge better coming home, even as Scott moved up from fifth and picked off his competitors down the stretch on his way to a silver medal.
Well, if we needed any more proof as to Scott’s skill, versatility and even value as a swimmer, he has supplied that with his efforts so far in the International Swimming League regular season. No, these ISL matches are not glamor events, and short course is obviously a different animal than long course, but consider what Scott did just this weekend for the London Roar during Match #6. On Saturday, he finished third in a highly-anticipated 200 IM — and there’s no shame in finishing behind Daiya Seto and Caeleb Dressel in a short course 200 IM. Next, he swam the 400 freestyle, an event in which he hardly ever appears, and he won in 3:41.14, less than a second off this season’s fastest time.
No, Scott is not flashy, a record-breaker or a stat-stuffer, but he is about as steady and solid as they come. For Great Britain, he has always delivered his best on all-important relays while he has learned how to excel in World Championship and Olympic finals, and for the London Roar, he can do just about anything they ask in order to put together a match-winning combination. So could we say that a man who won four Olympic medals including one gold is quietly putting up one of the best years possible for a swimmer? That seems like the most apt description for Scott’s consistent excellence in 2021. ◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis / ISL ]
During Sunday’s action, Scott competed in four races, finishing first in the 100 free (by 0.03 over teammate Katsumi Nakamura), first in the 100 IM (by two tenths over Thomas Ceccon) and first in the 200 free (by a more comfortable eight tenths). After all that, the Roar asked Scott to swim the 400 IM, and that strategy did not pan out as Scott ended up seventh and he lost his points in a jackpot, but not many swimmers are taking on the challenge of that many events, some of them very different in nature, in one two-hour session. And Scott is the first swimmer, female or male, to win both the 400 free and 100 IM at the same ISL match.
With Scott racing so many individual events was relays, he ended up skipping all relay action during Match #6. He will not be their top medley relay freestyler with Kyle Chalmers on the Roar, but London ended up winning the 400 free relay by two seconds even without Scott. The Roar’s strategizing paid off big time with a match victory. No London swimmers ended up finishing in the top three for match MVP, but they swept the next four spots on that list, led by Scott in the No. 4 spot.
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[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
The Differences Between College and High School Swimming BY ALYSSA BLAIR
C
hange is a difficult thing. Whether it excites you or causes you dread, change rarely comes without some level of anxiety about the unknown that will undoubtedly accompany it. One of the biggest changes that can happen in a swimmer’s career is the switch from a high school career to a college career. Here are a few things to expect if you’re making the transition from high schooler to college student anytime soon. More Academic Responsibilities In high school sports in general, grades only matter so much. If you’re good enough, sports can pave the way for you to a halfdecent college so long as you scrape by with a passing GPA. While this certainly is not the case for many athletes in high school, it isn’t out of the question. In college, however, there is a much higher emphasis on what you’re there to do – further your education. You’re there to get a degree above all else, even if competing in your sport is your main motivator for going to college, and you could be put on academic probation if you don’t put the right amount of time into your studies. Athletics can only take you so far in life, so put as much effort into studying and homework as you do in practices and competitions and you’ll be well on your way to both athletic and academic success. Closer Relationships It’s no secret that you form close bonds with your teammates, especially in our sport. Swimmers see each other at their most vulnerable moments and are with each other at the highest highs and lowest lows, but college swimming takes that to a whole new level. Because so much of you and your teammates’ schedules are planned out around practices and meets, the other aspects of your schedules are bound to fall in line as well. You could end up sharing the classroom with your teammates, eating meals together, and even living together for the pure reason of convenience. This type of closeness bonds you, and before long, you’ll know these people just as well as you know yourself, and you’ll realize you hardly even tried. Very few high school swimmers share a relationship that close. Higher Level of Personal Responsibility College makes it so there is a higher level of personal responsibility on you. For quite possibly the first time in your
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life, you can make almost all your decisions by yourself. Little things like when or what you want to eat and whether or not you have to clean your dorm, or big ones like whether to ditch class or not. This level of responsibility tends to cause some level of internal stress and struggle as you adjust to these newfound obligations in your personal life. Homesickness Even if you go to a school within driving distance of your house, chances are you could experience homesickness. Not just for familiar surroundings, but also for the familiarity of the people there and the habit and routine of how everything and everyone works together in your house. Feeling this way is completely normal, and while it can be hard to let go of our past, there is also a certain level of excitement in knowing that we have the world ahead of us and anything we could dream about at our fingertips. Different Training Any swimmer who has switched from one team to another knows that it can take a physical toll to switch from one training style to another. Even if the two are similar and the foundations of the practices are the same, every coach comes with their own special challenges they like to focus on in the practice sets. Sometimes the time difference in practice, such as going from night practice to morning practice, or the added stress of having lift obligations and added travel requirements to compete can also require adjustments. The acclimation to these new practices and conditions can cause soreness, physical fatigue in the water, and mentally draining the athlete. Keep your head high, lean on your teammates, and remember that you’re not suffering alone and things will get easier. Remember that no matter how alone you feel while experiencing these problems, there is most likely someone feeling exactly the same way you do. One of the blessings of being an athlete is knowing that you never run from a challenge or obstacle in your path. Instead, you face it, you make a plan and set goals, and defeat it. Adopt that same mindset for any of the challenges you may face here, and continue to face your future with determination and a positive attitude. You’ll be surprised at how far it takes you. ◄
parting shot
Chase Kalisz at the ISL venue in Naples, Italy [ Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis / ISL ]
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