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By Loretta Race on SwimSwam

To see all of our 2016 Swammy Awards presented by TYR, click here

2016 OCEANIA MALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: KYLE CHALMERS

What a difference a year can make, as Australian Kyle Chalmers soars from being recognized as an Honorable Mention in our World Junior Swimmer Swammy category in 2015 to the outright winner of our Oceania Male Swimmer of the Year acknowledgement for 2016. The skyrocket to fame is primarily compliments of Chalmers’ gold medal victory in the men’s 100m freestyle at the 2016 Olympic Games, although the 18-year-old’s star has long been on the rise.

At just 16 years of age, the Adelaide born and bred sprint thoroughbred broke Cameron McEvoy‘s 100 LCM national age group record by nearly a full second to establish himself as a freestyle force domestically. Internationally, at the 2015 World Junior Championships in Singapore, Chalmers nailed a double title-winning sprint sweep, claiming golds across the 50m and 100m freestyle races. Chalmers wrote a new World Junior Record into the history books in the 100m along the way.

The crystallization of Chalmers as a viable medal-contending threat for Rio came when the Marion Swimming Club stud scored a man-speed-worthy time of 48.03 to finish only behind McEvoy at the 2016 Australian Championships (Olympic Trials). With his performance, Chalmers clinched an individual spot on the Aussie Rio roster ahead of such heavily experienced athletes as James Magnussen, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the event, and James Roberts.

Kyle Chalmers (photo: Mike Lewis)

Flash forward to Rio and Chalmers threw down a near-perfect time progression in the men’s 100m freestyle from heats to semi’s to finals to smartly race in a manner well beyond his years. He marked his territory right off the bat by firing off a 47.90 new World Junior Record in heats, the first time he’d ever earned a mark below the 48-second threshold. That was erased immediately in semi-finals, where Chalmers notched a new WJR mark of 47.88, which he eventually lowered to 47.58 to claim the gold medal in history-making fashion. Chalmers stunned a stacked field composed of national record holders, an Olympic champion and seasoned veterans to become Australia’s first male Olympic champion in the event in 48 years.

Instead of capping off his year with the individual Olympic gold and two relay bronze place finishes, Chalmers churned on, racing at two stops of the FINA World Cup Series. Within a matter of days, Chalmers set, then lowered, a new World Junior Record in the short course meters version of the men’s 100m freestyle event, taking it down to a super swift 46.12.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

In no particular order

• Cameron McEvoy– Despite having been the universal pick to take the men’s 100m freestyle gold in Rio, McEvoy fell short in his individual Olympic quest. The 22-year-old multiple national record holder wound up 7th in the event, notching a (by his standards) lackluster time of 48.12. This was especially disappointing given the fact that in April of 2016, McEvoy made history, clinching the Australian National Championships title in 47.04, the fastest time ever in a textile suit. He did, however, help the Aussies nab Olympic bronze in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay, scorching the field with the fastest split time of 47.00. McEvoy also won bronze as a prelims swimmer for the green and gold’s 4x100m medley relay.
• Mitch Larkin– Larkin dominated the backstroking fields in both the 100m and 200m distances in Kazan, taking the 2015 world titles in both in Kazan. As such, all eyes were on the 23-year-old to potentially do the same in Rio, but Larkin didn’t fare as well. He found himself off the medal stand in the painstaking fourth place position in the 100m backstroke, but bravely redeemed himself with a fighting finish in the 200m backstroke. In the longer event he raced to a silver medal, touching just about 3/10 behind winner Ryan Murphy.
• Mack Horton– Horton came down with a nasty bug during the 2015 FINA World Championships, so his racing in Rio was his chance to prove to the world he is a premier distance freestyler. And he accomplished that in spades, battling his way to the top of the podium in the 400m freestyle, able to hold off a charging Chinese man in Sun Yang. The two are rivals within the pool, but also outside of it, where Horton called out Yang for being a ‘drug cheat’, stemming from the swimmer’s suspension in 2014. Post-Rio, Horton was named ‘Swimmers’ Swimmer of the Year’ by his fellow Australian Olympic contingency, a sign of support for his vocal stance.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2016 Swammy Awards Video: Oceania Male Swimmer Of The Year

By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam

Kevin Cordestalks about training with Sergio Lopez in Auburn.

Cordes, who picked up gold on the 2016 Olympic medal relay, reflects on his individual performance in Rio where he finished just off the podium in the 100 breaststroke and 8th in the 200 breaststroke.  He sees room for improvement in 2020, planning for the transition from US Olympic Trials to the Olympics Games.

Follow Kevin Cordes on Twitter here.

Follow Kevin Cordes on Instagram here. 

See Kevin Cordes on Facebook here.

RECENT EPISODES

This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Cordes On Training With Sergio Lopez: GMM presented by SwimOutlet.com

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

To see all of our 2016 Swammy Awards presented by TYR, click here

2016 JUNIOR MALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: KYLE CHALMERS (AUS)

In Rio, as James Magnussen was unable to return to 2012 form and Cameron McEvoy failed to follow up his textile world record of 47.04 from April, the Australians were left scrambling for a new sprint force– but not for long.

Youngster Kyle Chalmers would make his mark when his older teammates could not deliver, striking at just the right time in the men’s 100 free final at the 2016 Olympics. The 100 free was a big upset race on the men’s and women’s side, and Chalmers put the hammer down to take a surprise gold in the men’s race. It wasn’t early speed that drove Chalmers to the wall ahead of the rest of the field; he was actually 7th at the turn at 23.14. However, he had the fastest back-half of the race (24.44), as only two other men came back under 25 seconds. Chalmers’ surge to the wall earned him the gold, one of only five individual medals for the entire Australian team in Rio, along with a new world junior record.

Additionally, Chalmers was essential on relays. He had the 2nd-fastest Aussie split on their 400 free relay, and threw down a 46.72 anchor leg on their 400 medley relay, the fastest anchor in the field. Both relays earned bronze medals. Chalmers also broke the 100 free world junior record in SCM this October to add to his achievements on the year. He was named Australia’s Olympic Swimmer of the Year this November.

HONORABLE MENTION: DUNCAN SCOTT (GBR)

Much like Chalmers, Duncan Scott is a young sprinter who broke out on the international stage this year. In the 100 free final in Rio, Scott placed 5th, matching his prelims time of 48.01 which was a new British record. Scott erased an eight-year-old mark set by Simon Burnett in 2008, and signifies new life in the British sprinting corps. Not known for their sprint free, the Brits nonetheless have a fast-improving young name to watch going forward in the new Olympic cycle. Scott anchored their 400 medley relay (47.62) and swam the 2nd-fastest 800 relay split (1:45.05) for GBR in Rio, as both relays earned silver medals behind the USA and both broke British records. Scott added a slew of national titles and new Scottish records at the recent Scottish SC Championships in early December, and he’ll lead the way for British sprinting in the years coming.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2016 Swammy Awards: Junior Male Swimmer of the Year

By Mitch Bowmile on SwimSwam

To see all of our 2016 Swammy Awards presented by TYR, click here

2016 National Development Award: Canada

The national development award is awarded to the country that exceeded expectation in international competition during the 2016 calendar year, and for that, Canada is the clear cut recipient.

Canada shocked the world at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games when they picked up six medals in the pool made up of one gold, one silver, and four bronzes.

Their medal run started on the first night of competition. A team comprised of Sandrine Mainville, Chantal Van Landeghem, Taylor Ruck, and Penny Oleksiak put forth a national record swim of 3:32.89 to beat the Dutch by almost a full-second and claim the bronze behind the Australians and Americans.

As Oleksiak touched the wall she secured Canada’s first medal in the pool on the women’s side since the 1996 Olympic Games, a medal that was achieved four-years before either her or her teammate Ruck were born.

On night two, Oleksiak was back in the pool for the 100m butterfly final. A dark-horse to medal, she pushed her way past defending Olympic champion on the final stretch to finish second only behind world record holder Sarah Sjostrom. Her time broke the world junior record, and made her the first individual female Olympic swimming medallist from Canada in 20-years.

Two nights, two medals.

Kylie Masse continued Canada’s medal streak on night three with a bronze medal and national record in the 100m backstroke, putting Canada’s total to two bronzes and a silver.

The streak ended after night three, but night five had the Canadians in the final of the women’s 4x200m freestyle relay where they once again were strong contenders to medal. In national record time, Katerine Savard, Taylor Ruck, Brittany MacLean, and Oleksiak put forth a combined effort and added another bronze to Canada’s medal tally. That brought Canada up to four medals, and Oleksiak up to three.

Oleksiak swam her last individual event of the Games on night six: the 100m freestyle. At the turn she was seventh, and well out of the podium picture, but she began to charge, and charge, and charge over the last 25-meters. With an outstanding finish, she managed to get her hand on the wall in first, winning Canada’s first Olympic gold in the pool since Mark Tewksbury won the 100m backstroke at the 1992 Olympic Games 24-years prior.

Oleksiak’s fourth medal made her the most decorated Canadian at one edition of the summer Games. She also became Canada’s most decorated Olympic swimmer.

Canada’s last medal came in the women’s 200m backstroke. Veteran Canadian swimmer Hilary Caldwell finished third, adding a fourth bronze for Canada.

Following the completion of the Games, Canada finished eighth overall in the pool. On the women’s side, they were second overall only behind the United States – an impressive feat for the nation.

With four bronzes, a silver, and a gold, Canada won more medals in swimming at the 2016 Olympic Games than they did in the last four Olympic Games combined. Canadians were represented in 11 individual finals by 10 different swimmers in Rio.

Four of their relays qualified for the finals, two of which medaled. Canada hadn’t had a relay medal since the 1992 Olympics, and hadn’t had a women’s relay medal since the 1988 Olympics.

Shortly after the Olympics, Canada hosted the short course world championships in Windsor, Ont. this past December. There, Canada finished sixth overall with two golds, three silvers, and three bronzes. While no male swimmers medaled, the women were on fire.

Taylor Ruck finished third in the 200m freestyle in a new world junior record. The 16-year-old was also part of two gold-medal winning relays in finals.

Penny Oleksiak was third in the 100m freestyle, and was part of two gold-medal winning relays in finals as well as the silver-medal winning 4x100m medley relay.

Kelsey Wog and Kylie Masse also picked up individual medals.

Canada has demonstrated clear, rapid development, rising to become one of the best swimming nations on the women’s side, and for it’s success this year is being named the recipient of the National Development Swammy Award.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

#1 Kazakhstan – at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games Kazakhstan came home with it’s first ever Olympic gold medal in swimming. Dmitriy Balandin touched the wall first in the men’s 200m breaststroke from an outside lane in order to claim the gold in a new national record time. He also made the Olympic final in the 100m breaststroke. While Balandin’s success drew all the attention, Kazakhstan also had two other swimmers competing at these Olympic Games. Vitaliy Khudyakov swam int he men’s 10km open water, and Yekaterina Rudenko finished 20th in the women’s 100m backstroke. Led by Balandin’s gold medal, the country appears to be making strides forward in the pool.

#1 Great Britain – GBR has been drastically improving their pool performances over the last quad. In Rio, they were fifth overall in the pool with one gold and five silvers. The unbelievable domination by Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke (gold and world record), and their two silver-medal winning mens relays shows huge improvement on the men’s side. The women earned three silvers in individual events as well. 14 swimmers qualified for finals at these Olympics, and the British were represented in 15 Olympic finals in the pool. Although swimming participation is dropping in the UK, the British pulled through to have an outstanding Olympics. 

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2016 Swammy Awards: National Development Award

By Olivier Poirier-Leroy on SwimSwam

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer based out of Victoria, BC. In feeding his passion for swimming, he has developed YourSwimBook, a powerful log book and goal setting guide made specifically for swimmers. Sign up for the YourSwimBook newsletter (free) and get weekly motivational tips by clicking here.

Easily the most common question I get in my inbox – outside of that friendly Nigerian prince who keeps wanting to give me some money – is a variation of the same question: How do I stay motivated to train, even when I don’t feel like it?

The assumption is that elite swimmers wake up fired up, ready to go, 24/7. What many swimmers don’t realize is that they suffer from the same motivational lapses as the rest. They also have those mornings when the last thing they want to do is roll out of bed. In other words, what you are experiencing is not weird.

What differentiates them from mere mortals is what happens next. That in the face of fatigue, soreness, and lack of motivation they still find a way to make it to the pool and crush their workout.

Here are 6 ways to dust off the inner drive:

1. Remember that motivational lapses are natural. Don’t think something is wrong with you if you wake up tired and unmotivated. Often swimmers will take this lapse personally and assume that this must mean that they aren’t good enough, or driven enough. The lapses are normal, but it is what you do to deal with them that will set you apart.

2. Watch a couple Olympic races. For a quick motivational jolt there are fewer things better than watching some of the great moments from our sport. Lezak’s come from behind win in Beijing, Evans winning the 400m free in Seoul, Agnel’s dominating 200 free in London. If you are in need of a quick dose of motivation there is nothing easier or faster than hitting up a couple fast races on YouTube.

3. Rest up. Ever notice how blinding fatigue can be? When you are utterly exhausted the world could be burning down but all you can think about is your pillow and blankie. Nothing else seems to matter; not your swimming, not your nutrition, not your goals.

• 10 Motivational Quotes for Swimmers
• 7 Things Swimmers Need to Know About Staying Motivated

We’re raised on being an “all go, no quit” sort of bunch, with pride in doing it better and harder and longer than other sports. Often our sleep suffers as a result. Something as simple as catching up on our sleep can not only regenerate our bodies, but also give us that critical clarity and sense of purpose again.

4. Reconnect with your goals. Often swimmers get demotivated when that they have veered off the path towards their goals. Either their goals are no longer attainable (creating a “what’s the point?” scenario) or interest has waned.

Sit down with your goals for a few minutes. Make adjustments based on where you stand with your training right now, and where you would like to be moving forward. Additionally, if you are feeling particularly ambitious, try to figure out where you lost your path. If you can figure that out you will have a powerful mini-list of things to avoid moving forward.

5. Pick one thing to demolish today. On your way to the pool pick one thing you are going to work on, and forget everything else. It could be a particular stroke count, or breathing pattern, or a specific adjustment to your technique. When you remove distractions, and focus your thoughts and energy on doing one thing spectacularly well, you’ll find that it has the curious side effect of cratering outwards to other parts of your swimming as well.

6. Act. One of the easiest ways to sap your motivation is to procrastinate. To wait. To sit around, hoping, wishing. Action builds momentum and gets you on the path to achieving results, which in turn helps fuel the motivational fire.

So do something, anything, immediately and get rolling towards excellence.

About YourSwimBook

YourSwimBook is a log book and goal setting guide designed specifically for competitive swimmers. It includes a ten month log book, comprehensive goal setting section, monthly evaluations to be filled out with your coach, and more.

NEW: It now also comes with a 76-page mental training skills eBook called “Dominate the Pool.” It is free with your purchase of YourSwimBook and is emailed to you within 24 hours of your order.

Click here to learn more about YourSwimBook and get your mental training on track!

Read the full story on SwimSwam: How Do I Stay Motivated to Train Hard in Swimming?

By Daniela Kapser on SwimSwam

Im Oktober fand in Freiburg die Athleticon 2016 statt:

Ein erfolgreicher Athlet ist immer auf der Suche nach neuen Wegen, die ihn noch erfolgreicher machen. Von Michael Phelps wissen wir, dass er auf Visualisierung setzt, er stellt sich den Rennverlauf genau vor und er hat sogar die Zeit im Kopf, die er schwimmen will. Britta Steffen hat während ihrer Karriere gelernt, Einflüsse von außen auszublenden oder für sich in positive Signale umzuwandeln. Marco Koch setzt auf Hypnose, um vor Rennen zu entspannen. Ryan Lochte hat die Umstellung seiner Ernährung einen großen Schritt nach vorne gebracht.

Es gibt unzählige Beispiele, wie sich Athleten aller Sportarten, und auch die Schwimmer, nach neuen Methoden umsehen, die zum einen die Leistung fördern, zum anderen aber auch Abwechslung zum Training im Becken bieten. Oder auch Fähigkeiten trainieren, die mit einseitigem Schwimmtraining  nur schwer zu erlangen sind.

Die Athleticon, die “sportübergreifende Athletic-Convention für Sportler”, kombinierte dabei Vorträge und praktische Kurse. Jeder Teilnehmer konnte sich die Themen aussuchen, die ihn interessieren – oder sich einfach einmal von neuen Ansätzen überraschen lassen.

Dies war auch die Motivation von Viktor Keller, der für den SC Wiesbaden startet und 2016 als Mitglied der DSV Mannschaft an den Junioren-Europameisterschaften teilgenommen hat. Zur Zeit ist Viktor noch Schüler, 2017 wird er sein Abitur machen.

Viktor hat bei der Athleticon u.a. den Kurs “Bewegungssteuerung im BAX Konzept” besucht, dieses Konzept sieht den Körper als eine funktionelle Einheit. Das heißt, es sind nicht die einzelnen, isolierten Muskeln, die dem Menschen erlauben, sich zu bewegen, sondern die Verkettung, Vernetzung aller Muskeln. Ein Beispiel: Die hintere Oberschenkelmuskulatur wird nicht länger als Muskel betrachtet, der allein angeordnet ist sondern als ein Muske, der seine Arbeit in einem bestimmten Bewegungsablauf verrichten muss. Das heißt, wenn man Flexibilität, Dehnbarkeit, Kraft oder Ausdauer trainieren will, sollte man sich diesem System immer bewusst sein.” (siehe:  http://athletic-convention.eu/#experts)

Viktor Keller beurteilt die Athleticon: “Ich würde diese Veranstaltung auf jeden Fall weiterempfehlen, da sie viele neue Sichtweisen auf den Sport bringt um neue Reize zu setzen und sich so zu verbessern. Mit den neuen Trainingsmethoden kann ich im Wasser meine Kraft besser und effizienter  einsetzen.”

Hier ein kurzes Video mit Organisator Carsten Simmes:

Der Stundenplan gibt einen guten Überblick über die vielfältigen Kurse und die spannenden Themen 2016: Die Referentin Dr. Anne Denk zum Beispiel ist Psychologin und arbeitet mit Sportlern, die Leistungsblockaden lösen und ihre bestmögliche Performance abrufen wollen. Sie arbeitet in eigener Praxis mit Methoden wie Hypnotherapie und gibt ihr psychologisches Wissen weiter, damit Menschen ihren Verstand bestmöglich für ihre Erfolge nutzen können.

Um das Thema Ernährung kümmerte sich bei der Athleticon Marcel Pleess– als Rettungsassistent und Heilpraktiker ist er seit 2012 in eigener Praxis tätig. Er setzt den Schwerpunkt auf Orthomolekulare Medizin, um die biochemische Fabrik des menschlichen Körpers optimal am Laufen zu halten. Er ist Fachautor und hält regelmäßig Vorträge über Darmgesundheit, Stoffwechsel-optimierung und die Notwendigkeit von Supplements.

Auf die Matte ging es beim Yoga mit Daniela Pignata– sie  ist internationale Referentin und Ausbilderin im Body & Mind Bereich. Ihren Schwerpunkt bilden funktionelle ganzheitliche Konzepte, die die Einheit aus Körper, Geist und Seele im Vordergrund sehen. Als bodyART und Pilates Ausbilderin,  Personal Trainer, Work-Life-Coach, Entspannungspädagogin und diplomierte Yogalehrerin setzt sie diese Konzepte um. Durch das gezielte Training und die Konzentration auf sich selbst schafft ihr Unterricht nicht nur ein ideales Ganzkörper- Training, sondern fördert mentale Entspannung und Stressabbau.

Oder die Teilnehmer probierten einmal Kettlebell aus – das Training kommt ursprünglich aus Russland und den baltischen Staaten. Kettlebell Training eignet sich sehr gut für den Kraftaufbau und zur Körperstabilisierung, aber auch zum Fettverbrennungstraining. Mit einer Kettlebell hat man immer und überall ein vollwertiges Fitnessstudio zur Hand. In dem Einführungskurs wurden grundlegende Übungen des Kettlebell-Trainings erklärt, mit denen die Athleten maximale Explosivität, aber auch Kraft entwickeln.

Auch 2017 wird es wieder eine Athleticon geben- Informationen hier.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Blickt 2017 über den Schwimmerhorizont hinaus: Bei der Athleticon

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

To see all of our 2016 Swammy Awards presented by TYR, click here

2016 FEMALE JUNIOR SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: PENNY OLEKSIAK

Surfing atop 2016’s new wave of Canadian swimming was Penny Oleksiak, who capped off an impressive summer in Rio with an Olympic gold in the 100 freestyle, where she tied with American Simone Manuel. She also added a silver in the 100 fly over 2012 Olympic champion Dana Vollmer, and provided key splits on Canadian free relays that both earned bronze.

While many might not have expected her to go as fast as she did in Rio, Oleksiak left plenty of bread crumbs on her path to success this Olympiad. She smashed world junior records left and right in the sprint freestyle and butterfly races, and ended the year with multiple Canadian records. This year, Oleksiak set national records in the 100 fly, 100 free, 400 free and medley relays, and 800 free relay in LCM. She racked up more at the FINA World Championships in Windsor, breaking marks in the 100 free and four out of the possible five relays.

Penny Oleksiak (photo: Mike Lewis)

Oleksiak is by far the most versatile and valuable junior in the world right now. Not only does she threaten the podium in more than one individual race, but she’s a consistent player on any relay. She can sprint, yet had, by far, the strongest Canadian split in the 800 free relay in Rio. Meanwhile, she’s Canada‘s #1 butterfly weapon, though she only swam fly on the 200 medley relay in Windsor.

The Canadian women have built a stable foundation over the last two years or so for their future, and Oleksiak has been at the heart of that movement. She had a substantial medal haul at the biggest meets of 2016, and was recently named Canada’s athlete of the year. As Canada continues to surge with growing international relevance, Oleksiak will be leading the movement as she focuses next on the 2017 World Championships.

HONORABLE MENTION:

• RIKAKO IKEE, JAPAN: Much like Oleksiak, Ikee has been breaking WJR’s this year, too. In fact, they stole it away from each other in the 50 fly throughout the spring and summer. Ikee did not quite have the illustrious Olympic debut that Oleksiak had, finishing 5th in the 100 fly and only making the semifinals of the 100 free. That said, maybe it just wasn’t her time yet to break out. Nonetheless, Ikee had a fantastic showing– she broke the Japanese 100 fly record in prelims, semis, AND finals in Rio, ultimately breaking the 57-second mark to touch 5th in the field in 56.85. Altogether, she broke 4 individual and 1 relay record in Rio in long course, and added another 3 individual and 3 relay records (2 mixed relays) in SCM throughout this fall/winter.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2016 Swammy Awards: Female Junior Swimmer of the Year

By Daniela Kapser on SwimSwam

Schwimmer sind ein engagierter, verrückter Haufen. Ob du nun schon mal mit einer Sportlerin ausgegangen bist oder nicht, hier 5 Gründe, warum Dates mit Schwimmerinnen vielleicht etwas anders sind – und auf was du dich einstellen solltest:

1. Mit ihr kannst du ausgehen und so richtig schlemmen. Sie trainiert viel. Sehr viel. Und dazu brauchen ihre Muskeln Energie – also wird sie nicht den ganzen Abend nur an ein paar Salatblättern rumkauen, sondern sich mehr als einmal am Buffet anstellen.
2. Ihr könnt zusammen Sport ansehen – na ja, vielleicht nicht jeden Sport. Sie wird sich beklagen, dass der Schwimmsport so wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommt im Vergleich zu Fußball z.B., aber wenn irgend jemand sich für sportliche Leistungen interessiert, dann deine Freundin, die Schwimmerin. Sie versteht, was Athleten antreibt, welche Leidenschaft dahinter steht – und sie wird auch verstehen, warum dich z.B. ausgerechnet Fußball begeistert.
3. Behaupte bloß nie, dass Schwimmen kein Sport sei und dass du auch tun könntest, was sie tut. Das wäre ein böser Fehler. Akzeptiere, was sie tut und dass sie einen wirklich trainingsintensiven und schwierigen Sport betreibt – und du bist auf einem guten Weg in ihr Herz.
4. Sie mag es nicht, zu verlieren. Wettkampfschwimmer sind schon sehr ehrgeizig. Ob sie nun versucht, mehr zu essen als du, dich bei deinem Lieblings-Computerspiel zu schlagen, bereite dich auf so einige Herausforderungen mit deiner Liebsten vor.
5. Sie macht ihr eigenes Ding. Sie hat ihre eigenen Ziele, Selbstvertrauen, ist motiviert und engagiert – aber wenn du Glück hast, mag sie dich genug, um mit dir zwischen ihren Trainingseinheiten Zeit zu verbringen. Und das wird sicher nie langweilig.

Hier ist der englische Originalartikel von Olivier Poirier-Leroy.

Weitere Artikel in Deutsch auf SwimSwam.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Warum Dates mit Schwimmerinnen vielleicht etwas anders sind

By Daniela Kapser on SwimSwam

Schwimmtrainer sind eine ganz besonderer Menschenschlag. Sie arbeiten viele endlose Stunden, oftmals müssen sie ihre Trainiertätigkeit mit einem anderen Beruf koordinieren. Sie sind Trainer, weil sie den Sport lieben und dafür lieben wir sie.

Hier mal ein Versuch, 10 verschiedene Trainertypen zu beschreiben, die wir überall auf den Pooldecks treffen:

1. Der Datenfreak. Das Mathematik- und Datengenie. Er hat Zahlen, Statistiken und Splits für alles, von deiner Wendegeschwindigkeit bis hin zur optimalen Schlagfrequenz beim Aufwärmen. Dieser Trainer arbeitet auf dem Niveau eines Raumfahrtwissenschaftlers und hat in Tabellenkalkulation promoviert.
2. Der Ex-Schwimmer. Er weigert sich zu glauben, dass seine eigene Schwimmkarriere ihren Zenit überschritten hat. Versucht bei jeder Trainingseinheit im Kraftraum mitzuhalten. Und er glaubt insgeheim, dass er die meisten seiner älteren Schwimmer im Wasser noch schlagen könnte, wenn er nur ein bisschen Zeit investieren könnte in sein eigenes Training – aber dummerweise sind da Hypotheken abzubezahlen, ein Baby ist auf dem Weg – und er ist ja auch noch mit den letzten Staffeln von „Game of thrones“ beschäftigt – gemütlich zu Hause auf dem Sofa.
3. Coach Cool. Ruhig , analytisch und ein bisschen unnahbar. Schwimmer fürchten ihn wegen seiner etwas eisigen Art, sein Blick sagt mehr als 1000 Worte. Und seine Ansage: „Ich bin nicht sauer, ich bin nur sehr enttäuscht.“ trifft uns mehr als etwas angeschrien zu werden.
4. Der Motivator. Eine aufmunternde Rede vor dem Einschwimmen. Vor jeder Trainingseinheit. Vor dem Ausschwimmen. Vor dem Stretchen. Manchmal bekommst du auch tagsüber noch ein motivierendes Zitate auf dein Handy geschickt. Oder fünf. Und vor dem Training sieht er sich gerne noch Sportlerfilme an, in denen ein Nobody zum Star wurde. Um EUCH dann wieder zu inspirieren.
5. Der Techniker. Dieser Trainer ist ein Magier, wenn es um die Schwimmtechnik geht. Jede noch so kleine Kleinigkeit wird bemerkt und korrigiert. Manchmal wirft er dir so 1-10 unterschiedliche Korrekturen auf einmal zu. Das kann bei dem einen oder anderen Schwimmer schon mal dazu führen, dass er kurzfristig komplett vergisst, wie man eigentlich schwimmt.
6. Der Historiker. Alles war besser – in den guten alten Zeiten. Alles war schwieriger und ihr habt es ja so gut … früher mussten die Schwimmer erst mal 10 km zu Fuß zum Training gehen, im Sturm und Regen. Hin und zurück. Er ist überzeugt, dass Schwimmen heutzutage im Vergleich zu früher eher was für Softies ist. Beklagst du dich, dann wirst du wieder eine Geschichte „damals als Schwimmen noch was für richtige Männer war“ hören. Zum hundertsten Mal.
7. Der Perfektionist (auch Erbsenzähler genannt). Trainingseinheiten sind auf eine sehr detaillierte und spezifische Art und Weise durchzuführen. Jede klitzekleine Abweichung reicht, damit alle die Einheit wiederholen müssen – äh, dürfen. „Wisst ihr was? Ihr dürft die 10 X 400 m Lagen noch mal schwimmen, weil euer Kollege Tim es nicht für nötig hielt, vernünftig nach dem letzten Satz anzuschlagen.“
8. Der Mathematiker. Die Trainingspläne, die dieser Trainer mit den besten Absichten auf die Tafel malt, sind so verschlüsselt mit runden Klammern, spitzen Klammern, noch einer Klammer, einem Bindestrich – dass die Schwimmer nach 50 oder 100 m immer mal stoppen müssen, um die Trainingseinheit zu mittels Google oder Wikipedia zu entschlüsseln.
9. Der Entspannte. Wenn alle Schwimmer im Wasser sind, schlägt er die Zeitung auf und liest oder löst Kreuzworträtsel. Er sieht höchstens mal hoch bei einem Feueralarm. Manche Schwimmer nutzen diese Gelassenheit des Trainers, um den einen oder anderen gemütlichen Stopp an der Wende einzulegen. Oder 25 Minuten zu duschen.
10. Das HB-Männchen. Es wird geschrien, getobt und noch mehr geschrien. Du vermisst deine Wasserflasche? Dann sieh mal im Sprungbecken nach, wo er sie wütend hin gekickt hat, nachdem du mal wieder ein Intervall nicht geschafft hast. Du solltest seinen Anweisungen besser folgen, wenn du verhindern möchtest, dass er auch noch vor Wut Schaum vor dem Mund bekommt. Und sollte er mal nicht rumschreien – mach lieber einen langen Tauchzug, denn vermutlich konzentriert er sich gerade darauf, dich mit einem Kickboard zu treffen.

Du kennst noch andere Trainertypen? Dann schreib uns doch einfach – unter diesem Bericht im Feedbackbereich hast du die Möglichkeit dazu!

Der englische Originalartikel ist hier zu finden, Autor ist Olivier Olivier Poirier-Leroy:

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 10 Trainer Stereotypen – erkennst du deinen Trainer wieder?

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy of  Elizabeth Wickham

As a swim parent, I’ve made my share of mistakes. Through the years, I’ve evolved and hopefully improved. For example, I am not the same swim parent today that I was 10 years ago. I still get nervous at meets, but I no longer compare my kids to other swimmers. I enjoy each moment as a swim parent, knowing that I won’t be in this role forever.

The New Year provides a golden opportunity to reflect on our swim parenting skills. Are we adding to the swim experience—or detracting from it? Here’s my list of 21 New Year’s Resolutions for all swim parents:

1

I will get my swimmer to practice consistently and on time.

2

I will talk positively about the coach and team to other swim parents.

3

I will sign up to volunteer at meets early and often.

4

I will not compare my child’s times with other swimmers.

5

I will not show my frustration when my swimmer has a bad swim.

6

I will cheer, not coach my child.

7

I will reach out to newer swim parents and be a positive role model.

8

I won’t rehash swim performances on the drive home from a meet.

9

I will let my kids mature and take charge of their lives.

10

I promise to not helicopter and hover at practices and meets.

11

I will praise my swimmer for good sportsmanship.

12

I will provide healthy food at meets and at home.

13

I will let my swimmers find their own heats and lanes.

14

I will cheer for other swimmers on our team.

15

I will not use bribery to motivate my child.

16

I will encourage my child’s effort and not focus on performance.

17

I will not engage in gossip on the pool deck.

18

I will not automatically take my child’s side if there’s an issue with the coach or teammates.

19

I will not stand behind the blocks while my child races.

20

I will not impose my goals on my swimmer.

21

I will subscribe to SwimSwam Magazine and read SwimSwam.com to become a better informed swim parent.

What is on your list of New Year’s Resolutions to be a better swim parent?

Elizabeth Wickham volunteered for 14 years on her kids’ club team as board member, fundraiser, newsletter editor and “Mrs. meet manager.” She’s a writer with a bachelor of arts degree in editorial journalism from the University of Washington with a long career in public relations, marketing and advertising. Her stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines including the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Parenting and Ladybug. You can read more parenting tips on her blog.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 21 New Year’s Resolutions for Swim Parents

Keith Barneshas this week's High School Swimming Notebook.

"Mt. Lebanon has gone head to head with North Allegheny for several years and knows just how good the Tigers' girls and boys teams are to swim against.

That doesn't mean the Blue Devils didn't take a lot out of their early season loss to North Allegheny as they move forward and prepare for the upcoming WPIAL and PIAA Class 3A meets.

"It was an awesome meet with a lot of pool records and a lot of school records set," Mt. Lebanon coach Tom Donati said. "The girls meet was a lot more exciting than the boys because, I've been doing this a long time and in 26 years I haven't seen a boys team, top to bottom, so strong as North Allegheny. I was really impressed."

Despite the losses in both halves of the meet, Mt. Lebanon is gearing up for a rematch with North Allegheny at Pitt's Trees Pool in early March. But despite a talented group, the Blue Devils will have a lot of work to do if they are to dethrone the boys team that has won five championships in a row and 10 of the past 11 and a girls squad that has racked up eight in a row."

The West Allegheny Christmas Invitational has proven to be one of the biggest dates on the WPIAL swimming and diving calendar. This year is no different. The diving portion of the competition was held on Thursday night. The Swimming Invitational will be held Dec. 30. Swimmers have been instructed to be on the pool deck by 8:30 a.m. and the meet is expected to end around 3:30 p.m.

Last year the West Allegheny girls won the meet with 303 points, finishing ahead of Grove City and Indiana High School. The meet also featured South Fayette, Moon Area, Quaker Valley and Highlands among others. The Grove City boys won the meet last year with 362 points, finishing ahead of the host Indians and Quaker Valley.

It is not unheard of for teams with the same nicknames to play each other. There are showdowns of the Indians anytime North Hills and West Allegheny get together. And of course they are not the only Indians in the WPIAL. Other nicknames are just as common like Bulldogs, Panthers, Raiders and on and on. The WPIAL's Hempfield has even seen a showdown of like-named teams. There could be a showdown of Spartans if they were to play Montour among others. But on Dec. 23, we had the rare meetings of schools with the same name. After years of confusion, Hempfield High School finally paid Hempfield Area a visit.

In a boys and girls swimming and diving dual meet, the Hempfield Black Knights of District 3 from Landisville in Lancaster County traveled nearly four hours to Westmoreland County to face the Hempfield Spartans of District 7. The teams have never swam against each other in a dual meet. Of course their swimmers have been in the same pool at the annual PIAA championships. That may have been where confusion reigned supreme when trying to search from psych sheets, results and team standings.

Some teams enter dual meets without any divers. They are at an immediate disadvantage but can still possibly find a way to overcome the diving deficit with strong relays and fast individual swims. Well, the Bethel Park boys have been entering some dual meets without a medley relay. That has not stopped their swimmers from having strong individual performances. On Dec. 9 against Moon, Constantine Kallaur placed second in the 200 freestyle with a time of 2:02.09, less than one second off first place. Steven Sell won the 200 IM and placed second in the 100 butterfly. Zephyr Griffore and Kallaur were 2-3 in the 100 freestyle. Bethel Park's two 200 and 400 freestyle relays scored points against Moon, taking second and third place. Sell, Constantine Kallaur, Paul Kallaur and Griffore combined to swim it in 1:40.55 to take second place in the 200 freestyle and posted a 3:43.84 to take second in the 400 freestyle relay. Despite no medley relay and no backstroker, Bethel Park notched 56 points in the meet.

Against West Allegheny, Sell won the 100 and 200 freestyle and Griffore won the 50 freestyle. The Black Hawks mixed up the 200 freestyle relay and Griffore, Constantine, Sell and freshman Anthony Will placed second.

North Allegheny has made a habit of taking a figurative eraser with it when it travels to opposing pools. Some pools, the records are harder to fall. One of those pools is Mt. Lebanon. Despite the pool being relatively new, it is home to some of the fastest WPIAL records thanks mostly to the host Blue Devils but also their section rivals Upper St. Clair. North Allegheny paid a visit to the Mt. Lebanon pool earlier this month for a non-section meet and the North Allegheny boys and girls left their mark, literally.

When it was all said and done, nine pool records came down. The girls broke four records and the boys broke five records while also picking up a pair of dual meet wins.

Lauren McGrath had a huge night. She set the pool record in the 200 freestyle (1:50.52), the 100 freestyle (50.62) and was part of a 400 freestyle relay with Kristine Mihm, Anna Verardi and Tori Buerger that set another pool record (3:30.05). Buerger made it four pool records for the Tigers with her 55.86 in the 100 backstroke.

The record breakers on the boys side were Mason Gonzalez, Andrew Zhang and Rick Mihm. Gonzalez swam a 1:40.26 in the 200 freestyle, Zhang swam a 51.35 in the 100 butterfly and Mihm swam a 4:41.14 in the 500 freestyle. North Allegheny now owns both freestyle relay records at Mt. Lebanon. Mason and Maxwell Gonzalez swam with Zhang and Eben Krigger on the 200 freestyle that now owns the pool record with a time of 1:25.49. The 400 freestyle relay featured Jack Wright, Mihm, Joel Songer and Krigger. Their record time was 3:07.76.

The West Allegheny boys and girls swimming and diving teams are adjusting to life in Class AAA just fine. The girls have been in the WPIAL's largest swimming classification for three years now while the boys moved up to Class AAA this year. Through both teams first four meets, the girls are 4-0 and the boys are 3-1.. Both teams competed against North Hills, Bethel Park, Canon-McMillan and Peters Township, some of the largest school districts in the WPIAL. The girls defeated North Hills 97-86, Bethel Park 95-90, Canon-McMillan 126-54 and Peters Township 93-92. The boys defeated North Hills 103-79, Bethel Park 106-76, Canon-McMillan 113-63 and fell 106-87 to Peters Township. The strong results give the Indians momentum as they prepare for their big annual Christmas Meet on Dec. 30. Following the Christmas meet, the teams will turn the calendar and prepare for a meet against Moon.

Central Catholic had an outside shot of competing with Mt. Lebanon in a recent dual meet. That much was evident right out of the gate as the Blue Devils utilized their depth and versatility to take first and second place in the 200-yard medley relay. But their inability to match up with Mt. Lebanon's numbers did not stop the Vikings from competing and enjoying success in individual events.

Adam Whisner won the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:49.30, edging Mt. Lebanon's Jack Cusick by 0.49 seconds. He went on to win the other distance freestyle event, this time with a time of 5:02.94 that was over seven seconds ahead of Cusick. Whisner made it a clean sweep with a 54 flat in the 100 backstroke to take first place in an event Central Catholic fared very well in. Whisner, John Guilinger and Aidan Demkee swept the top three spots.

Gennarino Conzemius showed his versatility when he won the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:05.83, over three seconds ahead of Mt. Lebanon's Petru Mihailescu. Speaking of versatility, Nolan Jacob took third in the 200 IM and also scored points for Central Catholic off the diving board with a score of 144.85. Conzemius went on to win the 100 breastroke (1:01.29). Guilinger finished second in the 100 freestyle with a time of 50.69.

Central Catholic ensured that Mt. Lebanon would not have all the relay fun. The Vikings put together the fastest 400 freestyle relay with Whisner, Galen Lovejoy, Guilinger and Conzemius clocking in at 3:27.32.