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CONTENTS 008 RYAN HELD BREAKS STREAK OF BAD TIMING WITH INDIVIDUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS MEDAL AND RELAY GOLD by David Rieder Ever since the moment when Ryan Held won Olympic gold as part of the U.S. men’s 400 freestyle relay at the 2016 Olympics, his career has suffered from off swims at the worst possible moments. That all changed at the recent Short Course World Championships in Abu Dhabi. 012 IN CHASE FOR 16th MEN’S NATIONAL TITLE, TEXAS LOOKS UNSTOPPABLE by David Rieder The University of Texas Longhorns are the defending national champions in men’s swimming and diving, and they have won five of the last six national titles. Based on their recent performances at the Minnesota Invitational, it’s a good bet that Coach Eddie Reese’s Longhorns will be adding their 16th national team trophy in 2022. 014 FINA ANNOUNCES REFORMS THAT WILL “SIGNIFICANTLY MODERNIZE THE FEDERATION” by David Rieder During meetings around the Short Course World Championships and Aquatics Festival in Abu Dhabi, FINA announced a set of reforms that, according to a press release, “will significantly modernize the Federation, helping it better serve aquatics athletes.” 016 KLETE KELLER COULD TESTIFY AGAINST FELLOW COUP PLOTTERS FROM THE JAN. 6 INSURRECTION AT THE U.S. CAPITOL by Matthew De George As part of his plea deal for taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, Olympic medalist Klete Keller is cooperating with authorities, which has further delayed his sentencing. The next status conference in his case is set for March.
SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY DECEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 24 028 COMMENTARY: WITHOUT NCAA ACTION, THE EFFECTS OF LIA THOMAS SITUATION ARE AKIN TO DOPING by John Lohn Swimming World Biweekly looks at transgender Lia Thomas’ athletic skill set in comparison to the advantages that doping has provided certain athletes at various points in history. 030 “IT STEALS EVERYTHING FROM YOU”: TAYLOR RUCK DETAILS STRUGGLE WITH EATING DISORDER by John Lohn Taylor Ruck, a two-time Canadian Olympian, recently revealed she has struggled with an eating disorder in the years since her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016. Part of her desire to share her story is hopeful, for her and for others, that things can improve with more informed attention on the problem. 032 ADAM PEATY ON LOVING THE CHALLENGE, WATER BABY GEORGE AND ENDING A CHAPTER IN HIS LIFE by Liz Byrnes Adam Peaty says 2021 signals the end of a period in his own history that has brought Olympic titles in the pool and fatherhood, which has transformed his life beyond the water. The 26-year-old announced his intention to take some time out of the water in light of the fact he intends to continue competing until Los Angeles 2028.
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018 IN FIFTH YEAR, VILLANOVA’S MILLY ROUTLEDGE KEEPS PROVING THEM WRONG by Matthew De Goerge Milly Routledge has a tattoo on her right biceps that reads, “Prove them wrong.” Says the Villanova grad student, “It’s a reminder that I can achieve anything that I put my mind to, and as long as I commit to it and give it my best effort, I know that I can be successful in whatever I do.”
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020 FOR SHAINE CASAS, SHORT COURSE WORLDS GOLD IN 100 BACK COULD BE ONLY THE BEGINNING by David Rieder Just last season, Shaine Casas was the talk of college swimming. He won three individual events at NCAAs to go along with his U.S. national title from 2019. But as the eyes of the swimming world turned toward the Olympics, Casas was out of the picture. After turning pro in September, things have changed, and he is now a world champion.
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022 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
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)
026 COMMENTARY: ALLOWING LIA THOMAS TO COMPETE AT NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS WOULD ESTABLISH UNFAIR SETTING by John Lohn Lia Thomas, a transgender athlete at the University of Pennsylvania, has been firing off a multitude of top “women’s” times, her performances generating passionate debate, with the anti-angle the consensus. For the protection of cisgender female athletes and the sport, Lia Thomas should not be allowed to influence what unfolds at next year's NCAAs.
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Ryan Held Breaks Streak of Bad Timing With Individual World Championships Medal and Relay Gold by David Rieder
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ver since the moment when Ryan Held won Olympic gold as part of the U.S. men’s 400 freestyle relay at the 2016 Olympics, his career has suffered from off swims at the worst possible moments. One year after combining with legends Michael Phelps and Nathan Adrian and future legend Caeleb Dressel in a career-defining moment, he finished seventh in the 100 free at U.S. World Championship Trials, four hundredths off the team. In 2018, same story: eighth, and 0.15 off the team. Finally, in 2019, Held got the breakthrough he had been seeking when he won the 100 free at U.S. Nationals in 47.39. That meet occurred the week after the World Championships, so no selection was at stake, but the former NC State standout and native of Springfield, Ill., vaulted himself up to third alltime among Americans in the event, just ahead of Phelps and Adrian. The time was much quicker than the bronze-medalwinning time in the 100 free from that year’s Worlds. Heading into the Olympic year, Held looked a strong candidate for the No. 2 U.S. spot in the 100 free along with Dressel and at the very least a key relay piece once again. But after the one-year Olympic delay thanks to COVID-19, Held could not replicate that form at his second Olympic 8
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Trials. He had been training with coach Coley Stickels at the University of Alabama, but when Stickels left that program in December 2020, Held stayed with Stickels. Eventually, the group consisted of only one other swimmer, Egyptian sprinter Ali Khalafalla, at pools in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. It was not an ideal setup, and Held did not swim his best at Trials. In his return trip to Omaha five years after first achieving his Olympic dream, Held posted the top time in the 100 free prelims and then the fourth-best time in semifinals. His finals swim was his slowest of the meet (and more than a second off his best), but he still finished sixth, seemingly in line for a return trip to the Olympics. In recent history, the top-six finishers in a relay event (100 free and 200 free) had never not been selected for the Olympic team, even if that spot would always be the last to be added. Not this time. A little-known rule allowed the American team to only select 12 relay-only swimmers (women and men combined), and there were 13 such candidates. The swimmer with the lowest world-ranked finals swim would be knocked out, and that turned out to be Held. That rule had never excluded a swimmer before. So in a crushing disappointment Continued on 10 >>
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>> Ryan Held behind the blocks during the 2021 ISL season
and the ultimate bad-luck turn of events, Held was out.
the world record.
Perhaps now, finally, his luck has turned. At the Short Course World Championships in Abu Dhabi, Held has looked like one of the best sprinters in the world. Each day of the meet so far, Held has touched the wall first in his first race of the session. The men’s 400 free relay on day one saw Held lead off in 45.75, putting the Americans in front by four tenths, and his team went on to capture bronze.
After that successful Sunday, Held will be positioned for another individual medal run in the 100 free as well. He will have to face off against Olympic bronze medalist Kliment Kolesnikov, 200 free winner Hwang Sunwoo and Olympic finalists Alessandro Miressi and Maxime Grousset, but Held actually beat both Kolesnikov and Miressi head-to-head on that 400 free relay leadoff back on day one, and his leadoff split was just two tenths off the top splits from a relay exchange.
The next day, he touched first after his leadoff leg in the mixed 200 free relay, although that group ended up fourth. On day three, he blasted a 20.81 in the 50 free for the top qualifying mark into the final. He swam even faster leading off the U.S. men’s 200 free relay on day four, with a 20.72, but the Americans again fell to fourth place in a heartbreaking finish. They missed the medals by just three hundredths, and the team was just two tenths away from gold. But the night was far from done, and over the next two hours, Held would experience two of the signature moments of his career. In the 50 freestyle final, Held improved his lifetime best again and touched in 20.70, securing a silver medal. He had been the gold medalist in the 100 free at the 2017 World University Games, but this was his first-ever individual medal at any World Championships. Then, Held was asked to anchor the U.S. men’s 800 free relay, handling a 200-meter race that’s on the upper end of his range, and he delivered again. He dove in with a 1.4-second lead and extended it to secure a gold medal. The U.S. foursome, which included Kieran Smith, Trenton Julian and Carson Foster, set an American record and just missed 10
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Held also figures to anchor the Americans on both men’s medley relays, the 200-meter event Monday and the 400 Tuesday. Before the 2021 Trials, Held admitted that he did not expect to continue training and competing for another Olympic cycle through 2024. He wanted to continue racing for a while, and Short Course Worlds was certainly on the table, maybe even a shot at the long course World Championships this coming spring. Since Trials, Held has moved his training west to Arizona State University, and he got engaged to former NC State teammate Lexie Lupton. It’s unclear if his future racing plans have changed during that time. But swimming is not always about the future, one race pointing to bigger and better things down the line. Whether or not Held races internationally again, winning his firstever individual medal at a World Championships and anchoring a U.S. relay to gold will make Sunday one of the highlights of his swimming career, right along with winning Olympic gold. ◄
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[ Photo by Texas Athletics ]
>> Carson Foster
In Chase for 16th Men’s National Title, Texas Looks Unstoppable by David Rieder
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he University of Texas Longhorns are the defending national champions in men’s swimming and diving, and they have won five of the last six national titles — one year by as many as 193 points, another year by as few as 11.5. Texas was likely to win the title in 2020, too, before the COVID-19 pandemic cancelled the national championships. In total, legendary coach Eddie Reese has led Texas to 15 national titles, the first all the way back in 1981. And in 2022, you can bet that Texas will be adding another trophy to the case. After the performances at this weekend’s Minnesota Invitational, the Longhorns look simply unstoppable. The craziest part is how the Longhorns stunned everyone on a weekend where their established stars were quiet. Carson Foster appears on the verge of an enormous breakout after barely missing the U.S. Olympic team, swimming the world’s fastest 400-meter IM later in the summer and then recording the fastest dual-meet time ever in the 400-yard IM in November, but in Minnesota, Foster swam one individual race. He won the 400 IM in 3:37.65, the second-best time in the nation so far this year. drew-kiblerDrew Kibler, the only returning Olympian on this Texas team and a swimmer who finished second twice and fifth once in his individual events at last year’s NCAAs, was also unexceptional. He was second in the 50 free and posted some quick relay splits, but in the 100 and 200 free, Kibler did not
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even make the A-final. Here’s what did happen: Texas goes into Christmas break with the nation’s top time in four out of 13 individual NCAA events from four different swimmers, none of whom have ever won an individual NCAA title. One such No. 1 time is in the men’s 100 breast, where junior Caspar Corbeau swam a 50.79 to become the eighth-fastest performer ever and defeat reigning NCAA champion Max McHugh. Corbeau also swam a 1:50.81 in the 200 breast while beating McHugh and 2021 NCAA runnerup Reece Whitley, and he ends the calendar year at No. 2 in the event behind Penn’s Matt Fallon. Corbeau is a case of a good swimmer (two individual A-finals at NCAAs last year) developing into a great one. After making his Olympic debut for the Netherlands this summer, Corbeau has exploded this season. He also owns the country’s third-fastest 200 IM at 1:41.62, and his free relay splits were sensational: 18.75 in the 50, 41.56 in the 100 and 1:32.30 in the 200. Senior Danny Krueger is in a similar situation. He tied for second in the 100 free at NCAAs last year with Kibler, and winner Ryan Hoffer graduated, so Krueger certainly looked like a title contender heading into the season. Indeed, he swam a 41.45 in the 100 free for the top spot in the country and then delivered a 40.90 relay split.
Before the season, it was reasonable to count on Krueger being a big piece for Texas in the sprints. But Cameron Auchinachie? No way. Auchinachie is a graduate transfer from the University of Denver, and last swam at an NCAA Championships in 2019 (in Austin, coincidentally). He made a couple consolation finals at that meet. Now, he is the fastest 50 freestyler in college swimming by two tenths — an enormous margin in the splash-and-dash — at 18.80. He ranks second in the country in the 100 back at 45.01.
potential this weekend in Minnesota, but they always come to swim in March. Head coach Dave Durden’s squad also won’t be missing two of its best swimmers, Hugo Gonzalez and Trenton Julian, at the end of the season.
The last top-ranked individual is another newcomer to the Longhorns, freshman Luke Hobson. He arrived in Austin with lifetime bests of 1:35 in the 200 free and 4:16 in the 500 free. Then, on the first two days in Minnesota, he split 1:31.34 on Texas’ 800 free relay B-team, and he won the 500 free in 4:09.72. Twice in one day, he broke a 17-18 National Age Group record that had belonged for 18 years to the great Michael Phelps.
Last March, while Texas was on its way to winning the national title at the NCAA Championships in Greensboro, N.C., Reese began telling those close to him that he was going to retire. Two days after the meet, the announcement came from Texas that Reese would be done as head coach following Olympic Trials.
Hobson also ranks second in the nation in the 1650 free behind Olympic gold medalist Bobby Finke, and he sits 12th in the 200 free, although his relay split suggests he has more in the tank. His star turn is reminiscent of the improvement that Townley Haas showed in his freshman year at Texas, long before Haas qualified for two U.S. Olympic teams. The relays? Texas ranks first in the country in every single one. Krueger, Kibler, Corbeau and Auchinachie are a formidable bunch in the sprint free relays, and that group has already recorded a time quicker than last year’s NCAA-winning time in the 400 free relay. The medleys are similarly stacked with fifth-year senior Alvin Jiang a very capable piece to go along with Auchinachie or Anthony Grimm on backstroke, Corbeau on breaststroke and Krueger anchoring.
Still, it’s virtually impossible to see a scenario where Cal can muster up enough improvement to knock off Texas. Not with Texas getting championship-level contributions from the most unlikely of sources.
At the time of his retirement announcement, Reese said, “We never talk about winning. All we talk about is what they can do to help me make them faster. If everybody on my team goes faster, win or lose, then we’re successful.” Now, after the coach reconsidered his retirement and returned to the Longhorns, he has once again succeeded in making his swimmers faster. It’s a simple goal, but his enormous success in doing so has Texas in position to finish in a very familiar spot in March — for the 16th time. ◄
The 800 free relay will certainly include Kibler and Foster and likely Hobson, with rapidly-improving sophomore Coby Carrozza and junior Peter Larson as the main contenders for the fourth spot. Just a completely stacked roster — and we have not even mentioned Jake Foster, Carson’s older brother and an Olympic Trials finalist in the 400 IM and 200 breast. Texas probably has at least one high-impact A-finalist in every event minus the 200 fly, and there will be a lot of chances for individual national titles. That is a far cry from last year, when Texas won the title despite winning no individual swimming events. Only two relays (the 800 free and 400 medley) and diver Jordan Windle finished in first place, but the Longhorns’ depth proved to be enough. Of course, Cal will not roll over and let Texas cruise to a crown. The Golden Bears have finished in the top-two nationally every year since 2010, including winning four titles during that span and finishing second to Texas in all six title-winning efforts. Cal’s men did not perform to their BIWEEKLY
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FINA Announces Reforms That Will “Significantly Modernize the Federation” by David Rieder
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uring meetings around the Short Course World Championships and Aquatics Festival in Abu Dhabi, FINA announced a set of reforms that, according to a press release, “will significantly modernize the Federation, helping it better serve aquatics athletes.” A group called the FINA Extraordinary Congress proposed and passed this new legislation. Among the new innovations are an Aquatics Integrity Unit, said to be independent of FINA, designed to “protect our aquatics community from ethical and discriminatory violations, match-fixing and all forms of harassment,” according to FINA President Husain Al-Musallam. Changes were also passed to the FINA Constitution and Code of Ethics. Read the full press release from FINA below: The FINA Extraordinary Congress, held alongside the 15th FINA Swimming World Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi, today approved a series of key reforms that will significantly modernize the Federation, helping it better serve aquatics athletes. The FINA Extraordinary Congress voted to approve the recommendations put forward by the FINA Reform Committee at the FINA Bureau meeting in October 2021, including the establishment of an independent Aquatics Integrity Unit. “The introduction of an Aquatics Integrity Unit is at the heart of all our reforms. It is this Unit, entirely independent of FINA, that will protect our aquatics community from ethical and discriminatory violations, match-fixing and all forms of harassment,” said FINA President Captain Husain AlMusallam.
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The Congress also approved changes to the FINA Constitution, FINA Rules on the Protection of Harassment and Abuse and FINA Code of Ethics. The adopted changes to the FINA Rules on the Protection from Harassment and Abuse will enter into force immediately, while the amendments to the FINA Code of Ethics will come into force on 1 June 2022, following the FINA Congress in Fukuoka. “I am incredibly proud of the progress that has been made since my election. I promised you that in six months I would deliver a programme of essential reforms that would bring aquatic sports into the 21st Century. Today is the day that we deliver that promise, together. Today is the day that we confirm those reforms. We have demonstrated that our athletes and their welfare are at the heart of everything we do and everything that we stand for. I want to thank all those who have worked so hard to prepare us for today.” Announced by FINA President Captain Husain Al-Musallam on his election day, 5 June 2021, the Reform Committee was formed to identify potential changes to FINA and provide strategic recommendations on a number of areas including governance, communication, marketing, gender equity, events, athlete safeguarding, sport medicine and sport development. The Reform Committee, chaired by Me. Francois Carrard, presented the work of the sub-Committees during a two-day meeting at the FINA Headquarters in Lausanne on 4-5 October 2021. The recommendations voted on today were the outcome of the extensive assessment. Members of the Aquatics Integrity Unit will be elected and rules adopted at the FINA General Congress in May 2022 in Fukuoka. The Unit will be operational from 1 June 2022. ◄
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Klete Keller Could Testify Against Fellow Coup Plotters From The Jan. 6 Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by Matthew De George
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s part of his plea deal for taking part in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol, Klete Keller is cooperating with authorities and could end up testifying against fellow coup plotters. Keller was part of the attempt to prevent certification of the 2020 presidential election orchestrated by supporters of former President Donald Trump. The former Olympian was spotted in the Capitol during the insurrection and faced a seven-count federal indictment. He pled guilty in September to one count of obstructing an official proceeding, carrying a sentencing guideline of 21-27 months in prison. In exchange for the dismissal of the other six counts and a sentencing recommendation, Keller entered into a cooperation agreement with the District of Columbia’s U.S. Attorney’s office. That process included a status conference last Thursday. Tony Edwards Jr., an assistant U.S. Attorney, said at the conference that Keller has the opportunity “to provide details that he remembers,” including potentially in a
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trial setting. As part of his plea, Keller has acknowledged that he, “I acted to affect the government by stopping or delaying the Congressional proceeding” and entered a building he did not have permission to. Also from his Statement of Offense: Keller admitted to standing in the crowd facing off against “law enforcement officers clad with riot gear preventing me and others from advancing,” and to yelling “(Bleep) Nancy Pelosi!” and “(Bleep) Chuck Schumer!” He also acknowledged that he jerked his elbow to shake off law enforcement officers who were trying to remove him and other people from the Rotunda. Keller’s cooperation has further delayed his sentencing, which his attorney assented to. The next status conference in his case is set for March 16, 2022. ◄
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In Fifth Year, Villanova’s Milly Routledge Keeps Proving Them Wrong by Matthew De George | Photos Coutesy Villanova Athletics
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he tattoo on Milly Routledge’s right biceps is a constant reminder of a distant home. “Prove them wrong,” it reads, in stylized script. The “them” often seem distant for the Villanova grad student. “They” include people at home in North Ascot, England, who were confused as to why Routledge was turning in such fast times growing up, on the way to British Olympic Trials in 2016. Those who thought that her aspirations to swim in college in the United States might be aiming too high. Four years, four Big East team championships and one Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet award later, “they” seem to be stumped over and over. “It’s a saying that me and my dad (Tim) have come up with over the years,” Routledge told Swimming World recently. “Back at home, swimming, I had a lot of judgment and negative feedback on how well I was doing based on where I was at in the training I was doing and lot of people telling me, I shouldn’t be as good as I am. And to me, ‘prove them wrong’ is not only motivating because of that kind of judgment but also for myself that I know I can keep getting better and I can go through a whole bunch of struggles that I’ve been through in my life and still be successful in all aspects of my life. “It’s a reminder of home through my family, but it’s also a reminder that I can achieve anything that I put my mind to, and as long as I commit to it and give it my best effort, I know that I can be successful in whatever I want to do.”
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At Villanova, Routledge found a home for that challenge, so much so that she jumped at the chance for a fifth year with the Wildcats. The desire to be part of something bigger originally attracted her to the Main Line in 2017. The same lure kept her there when the NCAA granted extra eligibility to compensate for the COVID-19 pandemic’s disruptions of 2020-21. Routledge, who graduated with a degree in psychology in May, mulled over taking her final year elsewhere. Instead, she wanted to be part of the quest for a ninth straight Big East title and the larger goals that the Wildcats are chasing. “I didn’t want to come into college being the fastest person; I wanted to be surrounded by people who’d make me better as an athlete and as a person, and I think Villanova did exactly that and is continually doing that as I develop through not only my swimming but my education as well,” she said. “Not only to be a part of that through my younger years but now becoming one of the leaders on the team, being able to continue that success and that kind of attitude and mindset and encouraging that through the younger years has really helped me shape the person I want to be and the person that I want to be able to leave with this team as a legacy, to be able to continue to get better and continue to look to get better as a team and as a program.” Routledge is a leader out of the water, which follows from what she’s done in the pool. As a junior in 2020, she pulled a Big East treble, winning the women’s 50, 100 and 200
freestyle. She also helped the Wildcats win three relays and took home Most Outstanding Women’s Swimmer honors. She repeated in the 100 and 200 free at the 2021 Big East Championships and swam on four victorious relays. For her career, she has five individual and 17 total Big East championships. She’s a 21-time All-Big East selection. Villanova is off to a 4-1 start this dual-meet season, with triumphs over league foes Georgetown and UConn. The Wildcats also finished second out of six teams at the West Virginia Invitational in November, where Routledge finished in the top six in three individual events and led off the Wildcats’ winning 400 free relay to go with two runner-up relay spots. Routledge hasn’t had to sacrifice her post-swimming aspirations in remaining at Villanova. Her fifth year in the pool will cover the first half of a postgrad program in clinical mental health counseling. Routledge wants to be a sports psychologist or sports counselor, drawing on her experience with the mental side of competition to aid others. To that end, she’s been a big part of Villanova’s Every Mind Matters initiative, which emphasizes mental health within the athletic department. The ability to pursue that personal passion was another
indication that staying at Villanova was right move for her. “I think it’s been one of the things I’ve been most passionate about. I’ve given a lot of time to it because I want it to be an integral part of Villanova athletics as a whole,” Routledge said. “I know it’s a developing time in how people are understanding how important mindset and mentality are to athletic performance. I think Every Mind matters is my opportunity to bring it to Villanova and put it right in front of people’s faces to know that everything that studentathletes are going through is normal, the stress, the anxiety, the pressure and even all the clinical mental health problems like depression, and all the things of being a student as well as an athlete, all that collective experience is normal. And everyone’s going through it, so we should talk about it more and they can feel more comfortable being able to express when they’re struggling and reaching out for help.” ◄ (College/University Affiliated Swim Camp)
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For Shaine Casas, Short Course Worlds Gold in 100 Back Could Be Only the Beginning by David Rieder
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ine months ago, Shaine Casas looked like a star on the verge of a big-stage breakthrough. He had earned U.S. National titles in long course and three individual wins while representing Texas A&M at the NCAA Championships. Over the course of his college career, as his technique improved, his times dropped rapidly. His potential appeared nearly unlimited, and Casas was not shy about his supreme confidence in his own abilities. Qualifying for the Olympic team seemed like the natural next step in his rapid progression. But in the always-tough 100 backstroke final in Omaha, Casas fell just short. He was third, less than three tenths behind surprising runnerup Hunter Armstrong. Casas’ time was not bad, a 52.76 that fell just four hundredths off his personal best from two years earlier, but it was surely disappointing for a swimmer who had seemingly improved so much over that span to not deliver in the big moment. Casas had another chance in the 200 back, where he was the third seed entering the meet, but he ended up sixth in 1:57.64, more than two seconds off his best time. Casas had been the singular swimmer of the college season 20
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as he recorded all-time top-10 performances in five different individual events, and he challengedAmerican records in all three of his NCAA-championship events. He even swam what is believed to be the fastest time ever in the 100 IM. His impact vaulted Texas A&M to its first national top10 finish in years. But as the eyes of the swimming world turned toward Tokyo, Casas was out of the picture. The aftermath of Trials brought changes: Casas announced in September that he was turning professional and leaving Texas A&M. He planned to train at the University of Texas with coach Eddie Reese. That did not entirely work out as planned — Casas has still been training at A&M under coaches Jay Holmes and Jason Calanog through the fall, and his future training plans are unknown — but the implication was clear: the 21-year-old Casas was fully focused on achieving success on the international level. On Friday in Abu Dhabi, he got his first taste. He earned a spot on the U.S. team for the Short Course World Championships, his first time ever representing the country at a senior-level international meet, and he made the most of it. He qualified fastest for the men’s 100 back final, tying
with Russian Olympic silver medalist Kliment Kolesnikov for the top seed. In the final, he held nothing back, exploding out to a halfbodylength lead right away and leading by three tenths at the 50-meter mark. His underwater dolphin kicks were brilliant off his start and his first two turns, and while he looked tired as he came up short off the last wall, he did not cede any ground. He touched the wall three tenths ahead of Kolesnikov, and he was a world champion. Make no mistake: this was a measure of redemption. In Casas’ first chance to prove that his skillset could translate to international waters, he could not deliver. This time, he did.
So for Casas, maybe this short course world title turns out to be a jumping-off point, the spark he needed to regain the momentum that came to a screeching halt in June. The first real test will come at the U.S. World Championship Trials in late April, when he will need to finish in the toptwo in an individual event to book himself a spot at the long course World Championships. Only there can he test himself against all of the world’s best backstrokers and not just those who made the trip to Abu Dhabi.
[ Photo by Peter H. Bick ]
Admittedly, Short Course Worlds does not hold the same weight as a long course championship, and many of the world’s top swimmers are missing. Only two weeks prior, Olympic gold medalist Evgeny Rylov and world-record holder Coleman Stewart both beat Casas’ time from Friday while racing in the ISL final. But beating Kolesnikov is plenty impressive, as the 21-year-old Russian recently won two individual medals in Tokyo and has traditionally been just as successful in short course as long course.
Of course, before we get too far ahead, Casas still has a busy week remaining in Abu Dhabi. He will race as a medal favorite in the 50 back (Saturday and Sunday) and 200 back (Tuesday), and he will swim the leadoff leg on at least two and likely three American medley relays: the men’s 400, men’s 200 and mixed 200. He chipped SWIM MART in a leg on the 400 free relay and ended up with a bronze medal, so he could be in line for action on the men’s 200 or 800 freestyle relays as well. So here you go, world. Here is the Shaine Casas that was the talk of college swimming just last season. One Olympic Trials performance can be career-defining, but Casas looks ready to prove that it won’t be the case for him. Keep an eye on Casas, and the 100 back final from Abu Dhabi could be the start of something big. ◄
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Commentary: Allowing Lia Thomas to Compete at NCAA Championships Would Establish Unfair Setting by John Lohn
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he competition is scheduled for March 16-19, 2022. The site is the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center. A tantalizing Virginia-Stanford battle for the team title is expected. Maggie MacNeil should chase several individual records. Yet, the biggest storyline of the NCAA Women’s Championships could be the presence of Lia Thomas on the pool deck. The story is well-known. Thomas is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania, and a transgender athlete. She previously competed for three years as a member of the Quakers’ men’s team, earning All-Ivy League accolades. A year ago, the conference, as the COVID-19 pandemic raged, canceled all athletics. Meanwhile, Thomas had transitioned to female, and awaited the opportunity to represent Penn in women’s collegiate competition. That time has now arrived. In recent weeks, Thomas has been firing off a multitude of top times – primarily in the distance-freestyle events. At last weekend’s Zippy Invitational, on the campus of Akron University, Thomas blasted automatic NCAA-qualifying efforts in the 200-yard freestyle (1:41.93) and 500 freestyle (4:34.06). Both times rank No. 1 in the nation, and her 200 free performance was quicker than last year’s gold-medal time at NCAAs. It is not a surprise that Thomas’ performances and presence on a women’s roster have generated passionate debate. Arguments for and against Thomas’ participation in a
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women’s sport have been posted on website articles and to social media, the anti-angle the consensus. More, many of the posts have included vile commentary in which Thomas has been subjected to name-calling and insults. It was just yesterday that I wrote a short column asking for civility in regard to the situation involving Thomas. Unequivocally, I stand by that column and the need for commenters – wherever they leave remarks – to make their arguments without the use of heinous language or the designed decision to identify Thomas by incorrect pronouns and gender. Simply because a request for humanity was made led to assumptions of support for Thomas and her involvement in women’s competition. Quite the contrary. Rather, Thomas should not be on the starting blocks in Atlanta in March. If she does race, it would be an indisputably unfair setting. To those she would race in the 200 freestyle. To her opposition in the 500 free. To the women she would battle in the 1650 freestyle. Before delving deeper into this topic, let’s make something clear. According to the NCAA bylaws, Thomas has adhered to the requirements set forth for an athlete who has transitioned from male to female. According to the NCAA rulebook: “A trans female treated with testosterone suppression medication may continue to compete on a men’s team but
may not compete on a women’s team without changing it to a mixed team status until completing one year of testosterone suppression treatment.” Last month, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced a framework for transgender athletes that will not require athletes to undergo “medically unnecessary” procedures or treatment. The IOC statement noted: “This Framework recognizes both the need to ensure that everyone, irrespective of their gender identity or sex variations, can practice sport in a safe, harassment-free environment that recognizes and respects their needs and identities.” The IOC’s decision is not legally binding and various sports will decide their own guidelines in regard to transgender athletes. While the NCAA’s rules demand the use of testosterone suppressants for a specific duration, the current requirements are not rigid enough and do not produce an authentic competitive atmosphere. It is obvious that one year is not a sufficient timeframe to offer up a level playing field. Athletes transitioning from male to female possess the inherent advantage of years of testosterone production and muscle-building. There is also the advantage (in many cases) of larger body frames, hands and feet. All of these traits are beneficial in the sport of swimming. In the case of Thomas, she had nearly 20 years of this testosterone-building advantage, something cisgender women could not attain. Although she took part in the testosterone-suppression process, a look at her performances clearly reflects that she is benefitting from the genetics of her birth sex. “There’s absolutely no question in my mind that trans women will maintain strength advantages over cis women, even after hormone therapy,” said sports physicist Joanna Harper in an interview with WEBMD Health News. “That’s based on my clinical experience, rather than published data, but I would say there’s zero doubt in my mind.” With Thomas routinely producing swift times, the possibility she will break two major records exists. In the 200 freestyle, Missy Franklin holds the NCAA and Americans standard at 1:39.10. In the 500 free, Katie Ledecky’s NCAA and American record sits at 4:24.06. Based on what Thomas has already gone this year, coupled with her performances for Penn in previous years, those marks are certainly in jeopardy. Since emerging as an international force at the 2012 Olympic Games, where she won the 800-meter freestyle, Ledecky has altered the landscape of distance swimming. Simply, she is an icon who changed what was perceived to be attainable. In the 800 freestyle, no woman has been within nine seconds of Ledecky’s world record. The gap is 18 seconds in the 1500 freestyle. And in the 400 freestyle, only Australian Ariarne Titmus, who topped Ledecky for gold at last summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, has been anywhere close to Ledecky’s global standard.
Now, Thomas is stalking Ledecky’s 500 freestyle record, a chase that reveals the unfairness in her racing against cisgender women. A look at the all-time rankings in the 500 free shows that Leah Smith is the second-fastest female performer in the event. Yet, she is almost five seconds back of Ledecky. The fact that Thomas could break the record of such a once-in-a-generation athlete confirms the biological advantages she possesses, and their power. When the NCAA Champs are held, nearly 300 women will race at the venue which served as host of the swimming competition at the 1996 Olympics. During this collegiate season, thousands of women will log countless hours of training in the water and in the weight room. Going a step further, to reach the college ranks as an athlete – especially Division I – athletes put in years of work. This effort and dedication should not be denied by advantages out of their control. At the NCAA Championships, a runnerup finish to Thomas in the 500 free by Arizona State’s Emma Nordin would be unfair. So, too, would a second-place showing to Thomas by Stanford’s Torri Huske in the 200 free. Sure, these are hypothetical scenarios, but they are legitimate possibilities. The NCAA’s minimal standard of testosterone suppressants for the inclusion of trans women in competitive sports has created a situation in which cisgender women are put at a disadvantage. The organization has an obligation to further investigate this topic and institute guidelines which protect the greater good of thousands of athletes. Lia Thomas deserves the opportunity to continue racing, and to pursue the sport without vicious attacks against her character and identity. Perhaps this chance can be presented at Penn meets, but without the results influencing meet scores or altering record books that are kept to acknowledge the excellence of those who have preceded her. But on a larger scale? In three months, Atlanta will be the focal point of collegiate swimming, the city playing host to the NCAA Championships. A team title will be awarded. Individual crowns will be collected. And, for the protection of cisgender female athletes and the sport, Lia Thomas should not influence what unfolds.◄
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Definition of Cisgender: Denoting or relating to a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with their birth sex. BIWEEKLY
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Commentary: Without NCAA Action, the Effects of Lia Thomas Situation Are Akin to Doping by John Lohn
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he advantages afforded Kornelia Ender were transformational. The benefits reaped by Kristin Otto made her a global superstar. The boost enjoyed by Michelle Smith took her from also-ran status to Olympic champion. It’s simple: Performance-enhancing substances have – at various points in history – altered the dynamic of the sport. If not for the systematic doping program of East Germany, Shirley Babashoff would be an individual Olympic gold medalist. Enith Brigitha would hold that title, too. So would Sharron Davies. And if not for the obvious doping of Smith, the Irish lass whose career arc is laughable, Marianne Limpert and Allison Wagner would be referred to as Olympic titlists. Who will lose out next? The influence of doping occupies no small chapter in the sport’s history. Numerous athletes – through individualized decisions – have tainted competition through their use of illicit drugs. Some countries – notably East Germany and China – have developed national-level programs designed to attain powerhouse status. Either way, wreckage has been left behind, the greatest casualties those clean athletes beaten and knocked down, or off the podium. The newest predicament facing the sport is not one of rampant doping, but a complex scenario with an outcome that could be as damning. Yes, we’re discussing the Lia Thomas saga – again. It’s a debate not soon to go away, and with each passing day toward the NCAA Championships in March, the potential of Thomas racing for a Division I crown becomes a more pressing issue.
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To review, Thomas is a transgender senior on the University of Pennsylvania women’s team and has produced several performances through the early portion of the season that suggest she will be an NCAA title contender. Previously, she was a three-year member of the men’s squad at Penn and was talented enough to earn All-Ivy League honors. Her shift from the men’s team to the women’s team is a result of Thomas’ transition to female, and after fulfilling the NCAA’s requirement of one year of testosterone suppressant use, she is eligible to compete in collegiate competition as a member of a women’s program. The problem: The NCAA’s one-year suppressant requirement is not nearly stringent enough to create a level playing field between Thomas and the biological females against whom she is racing. Swimming World staffers have penned several articles on the Lia Thomas debate/controversy, ranging from overviews of the situation to columns. And as this story continues to unfold, we will continue to report and deliver opinion. In this current piece, there is a need to look at Thomas’ athletic skill set in comparison to the advantages doping has provided certain athletes. Despite the hormone suppressants she has taken, in accordance with NCAA guidelines, Thomas’ male-puberty advantage has not been rolled back an adequate amount. The fact is, for nearly 20 years, she built muscle and benefited from the testosterone naturally produced by her body. That strength does not disappear overnight, nor with a year’s worth of suppressants. Consequently, Thomas dives into the water with an inherent
advantage over those on the surrounding blocks. Flash back to the 1970s and 1980s. When the likes of Ender and Otto powered through the water, en route to Olympic titles, they enjoyed a massive advantage over the competition. Babashoff couldn’t keep up. Neither could Brigitha. Why? They were competing against women who were fed steroids and reaped the rewards – most notably enhanced strength. As Ender moved through the water, her stroke was more powerful and more efficient than the stroke of her rivals, allowing her to cover more ground with each cycle. Otto could push off the walls with greater force. And Smith, who dominated at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, maintained her top end speed and endurance for a longer period than her foes. From a mental perspective, doping-fueled athletes also possessed an upper hand. For clean athletes, the knowledge they were headed into a race already playing catchup was a blow to the system. Questions lingered before the starting beep. How can I keep up? Is there anything I can do to negate their advantage? Why has this setting been allowed? Thomas enjoys similar advantages. Meanwhile, officials of the past turned a blind eye to the situation. Although positive tests were not typically returned, it didn’t take a genius to recognize that doping was at play. Administrators and referees swallowed their words, afraid of being branded for taking an accusatory stance. The NCAA, it can be argued, has taken that same approach via its lax requirements related to transgender females. Let’s get this out of the way, because some readers will argue we are calling Lia Thomas a doper – regardless of the information presented and the selected verbiage. That is not the case. There is no intent. What we are stating is this: The effects of being born a biological male, as they relate to the sport of swimming, offer Thomas a clear-cut edge over the biological females against whom she is competing. She is stronger. It is that simple. And this strength is beneficial to her stroke, on turns and to her endurance. Doping has the same effect. According to NCAA rules, Thomas has met expectations for participation. But for Thomas to suggest she does not have a significant advantage, as she did in one interview, is preposterous at best, and denial at worst. Sure, it is on the NCAA to adjust its bylaws in the name of fair competition for the thousands of swimmers who compete at the collegiate level. It is also on Thomas to acknowledge her edge. The suppressants she has taken account for an approximate 2% to 3% change. The time difference between male and female swimming records is roughly 11%. Providing Thomas with an opportunity to exhibition and record
times while in peak condition would be a suitable decision by the NCAA. Allowing her to register times against athletes who are at an undeniable disadvantage would not be acceptable. Last spring, Virginia’s Paige Madden, who represented Team USA at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, won the NCAA title in the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 4:33.61. Thomas owns a best time of sub-4:20 and recently went 4:34 during a midseason invitational. Even if Thomas does not get near her best time, she seems likely to go faster later in this season and easily win the NCAA title in the 500 free. How is that scenario – in the slightest way – considered legitimate? Through anonymous means, due to fear of retribution, members of the Penn women’s team and their parents have spoken out against the participation of Thomas in women’s competition. Good for them. Good for speaking out against an injustice. Now, the NCAA needs to act, and it needs to act quickly. This scenario – with the effects of doping – cannot linger. For the good of the sport, and for fairness to those competing as biological women, a ruling must come down soon. If it doesn’t, the NCAA just doesn’t care.◄
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in both the 400 free and 800 free relays. Ruck was part of the breakout contingent at the 2017 World Junior Championships, winning six golds in Indianapolis (five relays plus the 200 freestyle). She’d won World Junior titles in the 100 and 200 free in 2015.
[ Photo by Becca Wyant ]
After the success of Rio, and with a looming college career at Stanford, the pressure began to build. She finished fifth in the 200 free and fifth in the 200 back at Worlds in 2019 to go with three relay bronzes.
‘‘It Steals Everything from You’’: Taylor Ruck Details Struggle With Eating Disorder by John Lohn
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aylor Ruck, a two-time Canadian Olympian, has struggled with an eating disorder in the years since her Olympic debut in Rio in 2016, she revealed in an interview Friday. Ruck, 21, was one of the athletes profiled by Toronto’s Globe and Mail in an expansive investigation into eating disorders among elite Canadian athletes. The article calls disordered eating “one of the most widely identified yet underdiagnosed problems inside the national teams and their feeder systems.” The headline labels it a “troubling” prevalence.
But training disruptions around an Olympic deferral affected her performance in 2021, exacerbated by what she was suffering behind the scenes. After a tremendous freshman year at Stanford, she took an Olympic redshirt for 2019-20, then returned to Toronto in the fall of 2020 to prepare for the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Games. In January 2021, she was provisionally selected for the Olympics in the 100 free, though she wouldn’t end up swimming that event. She struggled mightily at a pair of test events in May. At Canadian Olympic Trials in late June, she recovered from a slow prelims swim to finish second in the 100 back, albeit a second slower than her best time. She was 12th in the 200 free, more than four seconds slower than her best, scratched the 50 free and finished fifth in the 100 free. After finishing second in the 200 back, albeit 2.5 seconds off her best time, the decision was made for her to focus on backstroke. She battled in Tokyo, finishing ninth in the 100 back and sixth in the 200. She earned a silver medal for swimming prelims in the 400 free relay and bronze for prelims of the medley relay. “It steals everything from you,” she said. “There’s no room for anything else in your brain.”
Ruck is far from alone: The Globe and Mail cited a University of Toronto study of 1,000 current and recently retired national team athletes across a variety of sports in which 21 percent reported an eating disorder. That’s alarmingly higher than the national average of 3 percent.
Ruck cited, among other pressures, remarks by coaches about her physique as adding pressure. Many other athletes pointed to such stressors – some said in passing, some codified in institutional practices – as contributing.
Ruck developed a routine of binging and purging and was fixated on her weight. Things intensified in 2018, trying to train as much as she could and minimize the calories she took in. She lost nearly 20 pounds off her 6-foot frame.
“We certainly have to be better at identifying it and hopefully supporting it,” John Atkinson, Swimming Canada’s highperformance director, told the Globe and Mail. “We can all be better; we can all improve.”
“I characterize myself as a pretty happy person, and I’d say I was more unhappy than not when I was eating less than I should have,” Ruck said. “And it kind of got to the point where I was having suicidal thoughts.”
Part of Ruck’s desire to share her story is hopeful, for her and for others, that things can improve with more informed attention on the problem.
Ruck is a prominent member of the ascendant generation of Canadian female swimmers. She joined fellow 16-year-old Penny Oleksiak in Rio as part of squads that earned bronze
“There’s strength in a story that can impact other people and help them live better lives,” Ruck said. “This interview, it’s important for that same reason.” ◄
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Adam Peaty on Loving the Challenge, Water Baby George And Ending a Chapter in His Life by Liz Byrnes
A
dam Peaty says 2021 signals the end of a period in his own history that has brought Olympic titles in the pool and fatherhood which has transformed his life beyond the water. Peaty became the first Briton to retain an Olympic swimming title when he won the 100m breaststroke in Tokyo, five years after gold in Rio. That followed more history at the European Championships in Budapest in May when he became the first athlete to win four titles at four straight editions – the quadruple quadruple. The eight-time world champion also won gold with the mixed medley relay and silver as part of the men’s medley quartet. The 26-year-old, who is coached by Mel Marshall at Loughborough National Training Centre, then announced his intention to take some time out of the water in light of the fact he intends to continue competing until Los Angeles 2028. Instead, he competed in BBC TV’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ with professional dance partner Katya Jones with the pair the sixth to be eliminated. Speaking ahead of the Sports Personality of the Year award ceremony – in which he is on a six-strong shortlist, Peaty joked he would take his dancing shoes to next month’s training camp in Florida “and do a bit of salsa if I can on a Saturday.”
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But he also said finishing the show signaled the conclusion of one stage of his life as he told double Olympic medalistJazz Carlin and Andy Jameson – who won 100 fly bronze at Seoul 1988 – on Eurovision.tv’s coverage of the World ShortCourse Championships in Abu Dhabi. He said: “I have been vulnerable, I’ve learned so much but I think that is the beauty of it. “If you don’t do something that really challenges you and really makes you feel emotion, I don’t think you are alive! “So, for me I was just going through that and yes, I had a minor cry – a very big cry actually – after I’d done it because that is closing a chapter for me. “Closing that book on this part of my life from Olympics, the last five years going through Covid, having a baby, moving house – it just couldn’t be more. “I can close that chapter now and really be happy. I am proud of myself.” Peaty faces the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and European Championships between May and August 2022 and he said:
[ Photo Courtesy: BBC ]
>> Peaty on Strictly Come Dancing
“We have got to be proud of ourselves to really continue and let’s go to these triple championships and have a bit of a dance, have a bit of a laugh and hopefully win some races. “I just enjoyed it: I lived it, I loved it and it is scary. “Again it comes down to the challenge, I love the challenge and I’m so grateful for it.” Staying Fresh And Setting New Goals Peaty will head out to the States for a three-week training camp with his Loughborough teammates next month. Always with one eye on his competition, Peaty looked ahead, saying: “I am always focusing – where I need to be, when I need to put my energy. In terms of training, I am already back in the water, I’m feeling good but really it starts in January and just building the fitness, building my base back up and enjoying it.”
it’s no joke that burnout is real and especially in swimming because it’s the same black line. “I love racing, I love going out there but it’s all about keeping refreshed, keep enjoying it and it’s an absolute privilege to be able to race as well – especially in these times. “I love competition so the faster the world gets hopefully the faster I get but I never want to take that away from anyone and huge congratulations who does so well out there (in Abu Dhabi).” Aspirations For Water Baby George Peaty became a father with partner Eiri Munro in September 2020 and Marshall recently posted film of him pushing son George down the Loughborough pool on a raft. ◄
On resetting goals, he added: “I really believe if you are going hard, you’re going 10 sessions a week and five gym sessions as well, it’s a full-time job and unfortunately we don’t have much time for rest in the season. “That is why I said to myself this year: I’m not going to race, I’m not going to do that – I’m going to let myself become hungry because I know that will serve me now like a dividend over the next seven years. “If I’d continued and exhausted myself – BIWEEKLY
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parting shot Louise Hansson surfaces in the women's 100m backstroke at FINA World Swimming Championships in Abu Dhabi. [ Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto ]
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