By Reid Carlson on SwimSwam

Earlier this summer FINA celebrated the addition of three events to the Olympic swimming schedule for the 2020 Tokyo Games, finally bringing parity to the men’s and women’s line-ups, as well as tacking on the mixed 4 x 100 medley relay. While this increases the number of medals events in regular Olympic swimming from 46 to 49, finally surpassing athletics, the number of events for Paralympic swimming at the Tokyo Games will be smaller, despite the addition of two new mixed-gender events.

Though the details remain somewhat vague and we do not know which events have been eliminated, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced it will award medals to the top three finisher in 146 events in Paralympic swimming at the Tokyo Games–six events fewer than Rio 2016. Despite the reduction in events offered to Paralympic swimmers, the total number of athletes will remain steady at 620. It is fairly standard practice for events at the Paralympic Games to shift from year-to-year, depending on the level of competitiveness in different classes.

After reaching out to Tokyo 2020 for details, SwimSwam learned that the medal events will be broken down between 76 for men, 67 for women, and 3 mixed-gender events. Rio 2016 contested the mixed 4 x 50 meter freestyle relay (won by China), making only two of the mixed relays new additions for Paralympic swimming in 2020. The detailed swimming program will be announced later this year.

The three impairment groups Para swimming accommodates include physical, visual, and intellectual. There are ten different sport classes for athletes competing in Para swimming, numbered 1-10, with lower numbers indicating more severe physical limitations than a higher numbers. Common prefixes for these classes and the events swum in each class include:

• S: Freestyle, butterfly and backstroke events;
• SB: Breaststroke;
• SM: Individual Medley.

It appears as though some classes will lose events that others will retain, but which classes and which events are not certain. More details and specific event changes will be published later this year.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Swimming Events Reduced, Athlete Numbers Steady

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

If you don’t like the career you’re in, you might want to work in the swimming community and be a part of our big swimming family! Go here to see 1115 Swim Jobs.

UC SAN DIEGO SEEKS ASSISTANT SWIMMING AND DIVING COACH

The University of California, San Diego is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Assistant Swimming and Diving Coach, which is a part-time contract position with core benefits.

UC SAN DIEGO SEEKS VOLUNTEER SWIMMING COACH

The University of California, San Diego is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Volunteer Swimming and Diving Coach, which is an unpaid position with an opportunity for a tremendous experience with coaching and support for a highly competitive team.

ASSISTANT MEN’S & WOMEN’S SWIMMING COACH (PART-TIME)

Arcadia University is a top-ranked private university in Greater Philadelphia and promises a distinctly global, integrative, and personal learning experience that prepares students to contribute and lead in a diverse and dynamic world. A national leader in study abroad and international education, Arcadia has been named #1 in undergraduate study abroad participation by the Institute of International Education’s Open Doors Report for the past six years. Approximately 3,900 students attend Arcadia, and the University’s 2,500 undergraduate students choose from more than 65 fields of study.

ASSISTANT COACH

Currently seeking a part-time USA Swimming Assistant Coach at Boca Prep Swim Academy located in Boca Raton, Florida. Job will entail coaching middle school and high school groups, Monday-Friday 3:30-5:30pm, in addition to attending local swim meets once a month. Pay is $18/HR plus meet travel per diem. Candidate should have swimming background and some experience with coaching at a competitive club level. Please send resume submissions to kristin.gilliam@iesmail.com

UPPER MAIN LINE YMCA LEAD AGE GROUP COACH

The Upper Main Line YMCA (UMLY) swim team is seeking an experienced part-time lead coach for our 9-12 year-old age groups. The candidate will play an integral role in our team, which is nationally ranked in YMCA swimming and a USA Swimming Bronze Level team. The successful candidate will oversee the training and development of our age groups 2 and 3. This person will be responsible for some administrative duties in addition to leading 2-3 part-time assistant coaches. Hours will vary.

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF COMPETITIVE AQUATICS

Somerset County YMCA is currently seeking an Associate Director of Competitive Aquatics to assist with our highly successful Swim Team. Our team consists of over 260 swimmers which operates in Basking Ridge, NJ with a 6-lane lap pool and satellite facility. We strive to enable swimmers to grow as individuals, achieve their goals as swimmers, and expand their overall potential. Somerset Hills YMCA is looking for motivating individuals who share our commitment in strengthening the community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.

ASSISTANT AGE GROUP/DEVELOPMENTAL COACH

Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics – (Alpine Hills Site) in the Palo Alto, Ca area is looking for a coach to assist in our Age Group and Developmental Programs coaching mostly 12 and under swimmers. PASA-AH currently has 150 year-round swimmers on the team. Alpine Hills owns a 10-lane 25 yard/25 meter pool. Responsibilities of this position include coaching; assisting in dryland, as well as administrative duties related to the group and overall team operations. The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree, experience with swimming as a coach or athlete, excellent organization and communication skills, and a desire to study and progress as a coach and a professional. This is a great opportunity for with a competitive hourly rate with bonus opportunity.

HEAD AGE GROUP COACH SPOKANE WAVE

The Spokane Wave Aquatic Team (SWAT) is accepting applications for Head Age Group Coach/Age Group Program Director. This is a full time salaried position. Spokane Wave is a year round competitive USA Swim Team located in Spokane, Washington. SWAT competes in the Inland Empire (IE) LSC and averages 175 swimmers per year. SWAT is looking for a professional, self motivated coach with experience developing, recruiting for and maintaining competitive age group programs. Under the direction of the Head Coach the qualified candidate would oversee and be responsible for all aspects of the SWAT age group program.

HEAD LIFEGUARD

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC), serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for fifty years, offers over 90 associate degrees and certificates, customized training and continuing education. The College’s 240-acre campus lies at the crossroads of central New Jersey in North Branch. RVCC is committed to being a learning-centered college that works closely with the community to develop and offer new and innovative programs to meet the needs of a growing diverse community and student population.

ASSISTANT COACH – STAFFORD AQUATICS TEAM

STAT Swimming is seeking hard working, enthusiastic coaches, who are interested in working with swimmers of various ages with an emphasis on technique and keeping it fun and interesting for the athletes. The successful candidate will work closely with the Head Coach and Head Age Group Coach in creating a positive team environment and program that develops personal, and competitive growth in the sport.

HEAD COACHING POSITION WITH THE SIERRA MARLINS SWIM TEAM

We are currently interviewing for our Head Coaching Position of the Sierra Marlins Swim Team.  This is a program with a proud history of developing young swimmers from 6-Unders and Age Group kids to High School Champions, Collegiate Athletes and Olympic Gold Medalists.  We are looking for a passionate coach to mold and inspire some amazing kids and swimmers.  Someone who wants to create a sport culture in which he/she is viewed by the swimmer as a mentor, educator and role model.

ASSISTANT COACH

The Calabasas Waves Swim Club, a year-round swim club with 100 swimmers, located in Calabasas, CA is seeking an Age Group Coach for our developmental level groups. We are looking for candidates who have a passion for teaching, coaching and are able to work with children of all ages. Applicants must be certified in Water Safety and it is preferred if applicants have the following certifications through USA Swimming: Coaches Safety Training, CPR and First Aid, Background Check, and Athlete Protection Training. This position will consist of 10-15 hours a week. Pay is commensurate with experience.

FULL TIME ELITE COACH FOR DENMARKS LEADING SWIM ENVIRONMENT

Sigma Swim is an elite swimming cooperation since 1998, joint by two swimming clubs, Sigma Swim Alleroed and Sigma Swim Birkeroed, both situated in the North of Zealand in Denmark (20 min from Copenhagen). The main focus of Sigma is our sporting venture for senior, junior and age group swimming. Our vision is to be the leading culture in danish elite swimming. Our dedication is towards qualifying swimmers to international championships and to reach top 3 of the danish team championships. To achieve these goals we constantly work on improving the environment for the swimmers. It is our mission to maintain and develop the best motivational environment as possible for our swimmeres, coaches and other staff members.

HEAD SENIOR COACH

Highland Park Aquatics Club (HPAC) Full Time Head Senior Coach. HPAC in Highland Park, IL is looking for an experienced coach to train and inspire our Senior and Senior Elite swimmers to reach their potential.  HPAC trains 160 swimmers in a brand new 15 lane pool at Highland Park High School.  We currently have 1 Junior National qualifier, 1 Futures qualifier and several Speedo Sectional qualifiers at the senior level.

HEAD AGE GROUP COACH

HPAC trains 160 swimmers in a brand new 15 lane pool at Highland Park High School. We currently have 2 Central Zones qualifiers, 2 Illinois Age Group Champs finalists and several Illinois Age Group Championship qualifiers. At HPAC we believe in focusing on the positive and building team camaraderie. We are looking for someone who is passionate about swimming and excited to serve as a mentor, educator and role model.

HEAD AGE GROUP COACH- NEW ORLEANS, LA

The NU WAVE Swim Club is seeking a full-time Head Age Group Coach (ASCA Level 2 or higher preferred) to lead our 12&U High Performance training groups. The NU WAVE Swim Club is a Board-supported/Head Coach led USAS swim program based in New Orleans, Louisiana. NU WAVE was established in 1985. We currently have 140+ swimmers training at three sites. Our training facilities include the University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena, Tulane University Reily Center, and the Isidore Newman School. Nu Wave swimmers range from 5 year-old swimmers in our Stroke School to National Select Camp attendees.

AGE GROUP COACH – SANTA CLARA SWIM CLUB

Santa Clara Swim Club, the Premier Swim Club in the Bay Area is looking for age group coaches at our Santa Clara, Milpitas and Morgan Hill Sites. Hours are in the afternoons and Saturday mornings. Attending swim meets is required. The ideal candidate will possess the following qualities: Ability to learn and adapt, A thorough knowledge of all four strokes, starts and turns, High level of enthusiasm as well as a desire to grow as a coach, Loyalty to the program. Compensation is competitive and will be based on experience and performance.

MASTERS SWIM COACH

Asphalt Green is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to assisting individuals of all ages and backgrounds achieve health and fitness. Located on the Upper East Side and Battery Park City, Asphalt Green is one of New York City’s most valuable resources providing unparalleled programs and expertise. We offer medical, dental and vision along with a 401K Plan and pension plan. All employees have free access to our facilities including our 50M pool and fitness center.

ASSISTANT SWIMMING COACH

Chowan University, a NCAA Division II institution rich in athletic tradition, Chowan University is amongst the top growing schools in the country, having doubled in student population over the last ten years.

HEAD LIFEGUARD

Raritan Valley Community College (RVCC), serving Somerset and Hunterdon County residents for fifty years, offers over 90 associate degrees and certificates, customized training and continuing education. The College’s 240-acre campus lies at the crossroads of central New Jersey in North Branch. RVCC is committed to being a learning-centered college that works closely with the community to develop and offer new and innovative programs to meet the needs of a growing diverse community and student population.

HEAD COACH

Monterey Park Manta Rays located in Monterey Park, California is seeking a Head Coach for our year round competitive swim team. MPMR is a nonprofit, board run swim team with 70+ families ranging in skill from novice swimmers to futures qualifiers. The Club trains at a 50 meter facility with 4 training groups (Development, Competitive Development, Age Group, Senior).

ASSISTANT SWIM COACH/AQUATICS DIRECTOR

Brandeis University is currently seeking applicants for a full-time Assistant Men’s & Women’s Swim Coach/Aquatics Director. Brandeis is a member of NCAA Division III and the University Athletic Association. Responsibilities for this position include managing the recruitment of academically qualified student-athletes, and assisting the head coach in all aspects of running the University swimming and diving program. Additional responsibilities include managing the operation of the Linsey Pool.

FULL TIME COACH

The FISH Swim Team is a USA Swimming Club, founded by Executive Director Ray Benecki. Coach Ray started the team in 1991 at Spring Hill RECenter in McLean, VA. Spring Hill has been the home of the FISH ever since. Our second site, Audrey Moore at Wakefield Park, was added in 2009. Since then, the team has grown to over 350 members. Most families live in Northern Virginia.

HEAD COACH SAARLAND SWIMMING FEDERATION

This position requires a Bachelor or equivalent degree in Sport Science, Coaching or a closely related discipline. An international coaching certification is also acceptable. The position requires a minimum of 3 years of successful coaching experience on a national or international level. Preference will be given to motivated candidates with strong interpersonal skills who demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate and maintain strong relationships with athletes and parents, and are willing to work flexible hours.

SINGAPORE HIGH PERFORMANCE PARA-SWIMMING COACH

To coach swimmers in Singapore Disability Sports Council (SDSC) swimming programme to hit agreed performance targets in international competition and major games. This programme includes athletes targeting the Asian Para Games in 2018 and preparing for the 2020 Paralympic Games.

GLENBROOK AQUATICS FULL TIME HEAD DEVELOPMENTAL COACH

This is a full time position for our developmental groups. This person will assume a shared role of leadership with the Head Coach, Head Age Group Coach and the Head Senior Coach. Their focus will be on creating and implementing a program designed to introduce and properly instruct the basic principles of competitive swimming to the introductory groups of our program.

ANDERSON BARRACUDAS/ME LYONS YMCA – FULL TIME SENIOR COACH

ME Lyons YMCA/Anderson Barracudas is a YMCA and USA swim club located in Cincinnati, Ohio. ABLY placed 10th at this past Long Course YMCA Nationals, as well as swimmers entered at LC Junior Nationals. ME Lyons YMCA has an outdoor 50 meter pool that is Domed in the winter months. A bulkhead allows 2 x 25 yd pools in winter in addition to 2nd 25 yard indoor pool.  We are accepting applications for someone to coach our Senior II group.  This group is made up of 35 2nd level senior swimmers and includes some advanced age group kids, 900 and above power points value.  The coach will also assist in travel and working with the Senior I group.

ASSISTANT SWIM COACH – ALDERSON BROADDUS UNIVERSITY (WV)

Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia seeks an assistant swimming coach for it’s NCAA D II swimming program. This position reports directly to the head coach. Ideal candidate would have experience in recruiting, on deck management and an organized approach to administration.

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH

The Winter Haven Stingrays Swim Team (WIN – FL) is seeking an Assistant Head Coach for our year-round club. As a non-profit swim club, the team is community supported and overseen by our elected Stingrays Board of Directors. We take great pride in the accomplishments of our coaching staff.  For information on our team, please visit our team’s website: Winter Haven Stingrays.

ASSISTANT AGE GROUP COACH

The Greenknoll Branch of the Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut is seeking a creative and highly energetic individual with a passion to help foster the YMCA’s mission in our young

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

Time standards have been released by USA Swimming for their biggest events in the summer of 2018, including Nationals, Junior Nationals, Futures and Sectionals.

For Junior Nationals, all of the time standards have gotten proportionally faster than last year. The 50 free standard for both men and women is one tenth faster (metres and yards), all 100s are two tenths, 200s four tenths, 400/500s eight tenths, etc.

Junior National Standards (Click Here)

Futures Standards (Click Here)

Sectionals Standards (Click Here)

Additionally, you can find the standards for Nationals here. You can check out all USA Swimming Time Standards from the last two years on their website here.

The various Sectional competitions typically take place throughout July, while Junior Nats and the Futures meet come in August.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Time Standards Released For Junior Nats, Futures & Sectionals

By Robert Gibbs on SwimSwam

We’ll be previewing the top 12 men’s and women’s programs from the 2017 NCAA Championships – stay tuned to our College Swimming Previews channel to catch all 24. Can’t get enough college swimming news? Check out the College Preview issue of SwimSwam Magazine for some inside looks at the life of a college swimmer as told by college swimmers themselves, plus full-length profiles of a few of college swimming’s biggest names, including our cover athlete, Simone Manuel.

GRADING CRITERIA

We’ve tightened up our criteria from last year, where our first stab at a letter grading system got hit by a little bit of classic grade inflation. Again, bear in mind that all of these grades are projections more than 6 months out – and as none of us has a working crystal ball, these projections are very subjective and very likely to change over the course of the season. Disagreeing with specific grades is completely acceptable; furiously lashing out at a writer, commenter, or specific athlete is not.

• A = projected to score significant (10+) NCAA points per event
• B = projected to score some (3-10) NCAA points per event
• C = projected on the bubble to score likely only a few (1-2) or no NCAA points per event
• D = projected to score no NCAA points

Key Losses: Marwan El Kamash (12 NCAA points, 1 NCAA relay), Bob Glover (2 NCAA relays), Sam Lorentz (2 NCAA relays), Anze Tavcar (1 NCAA relay)

Key Additions: Bruno Blaskovic (Croatia – sprint), Nikola Miljenic (Croatia – sprint), Gabriel Fantoni (Brazil – back), Corey Gambardella (CT – fly), Spencer Lehman (IN – IM)

Lookback

The Hoosiers had been holding steady heading into the 2016-2017 season, finishing between 9^th and 12^th at each NCAA championships from 2012 to 2016.  Indiana opened up the season with a big win over Texas and Florida in their annual LCM/SCY tri meet, and kept the momentum going through the Big Ten conference championships in February, where they won by a comfortable margin over Michigan and Ohio State.  That was the first conference championship for the Hoosiers since 2006, and just the second since 1985 when the legendary Doc Counsilman was still the head coach.

Although the relays and several of the top swimmers couldn’t quite match the times they put up at Big Tens, Indiana still moved up to 7^th overall at NCAAs on the strength of three top 8 relays, a strong pair of divers in Michael Hixon and James Connor, and a great showing by newly-minted Olympic gold medalist Blake Pieroni.

Indiana as a whole continued the momentum through this past summer. Pieroni, current women’s team member Lilly King and post grads Cody Miller and Zane Grothe all earned medals at the World Championships in Budapest, and several of the Hoosiers’ international swimmers represented their countries as well.  Additionally, the Hoosiers are bringing in a couple of big name assistant coaches in Coley Stickels, formerly head coach of the Canyons Aquatic Club, and Mark Hill, who was one of Michigan’s assistant coaches when they won the 2013 NCAA championships.

Sprint Free: A-

At last year’s NCAAs, rising seniors Ali Khalafalla and Blake Pieroni combined for 33.5 points across the 50/100/200 freestyles.  Khalafalla was one of five competitors in the 50 free who came into the meet with a sub-19, and slipped to the B-final after an incredibly tight prelims, but finished 11^th overall.  He should be right on the edge of championships/consolation finals once again.   He could probably score in the 100 free, as well, but last year scratched that event to focus on the 400 free relay.

Similarly, Pieroni was one of five men swimming the 100 free who had broken 42 prior to NCAAs, and while he couldn’t match his 41.44 from Big Tens, he comfortably  made the championship final before finishing 8^th against a stacked field.

Since Pieroni trends toward the sprint side of things, we’ve included the 200 free here as well.  In one of the more memorable races of a meet that was full of memorable races, Pieroni raced stroke-for-stroke with Townley Haas and Dylan Carter, ultimately tying with Carter for 2^nd.

Indiana made the A-final in both the 200 and 400 free relays, and while they’ve lost sprinter Sam Lorentz to graduation, they’re bringing in a number of sprinters who should be able to ably fill in that gap.  The big names here are Bruno Blaskovic and Nikola Milienic, both from Croatia, and who both sport lifetimes bests in the low 22s in the long course 50 free.  It’s never easy to estimate exactly how long course times will translate to the short pool, but it’s probably safe to assume that at least one of the two will be able to fill in the gap left by Lorentz.

Distance Free: D

The Hoosiers take a big hit here with the loss of three seniors.  El Kamash placed 7th at NCAAs, and he and fellow graduates Jackson Miller and Max Irwin were the only three men on the team under 4:20 in the 500.  While there were another four returners with ‘B’ cuts, and they’ve all been steadily chipping away at their times the past few years, there’s nothing readily apparent to suggest that any of them is poised for the kind of drop that would score points at NCAAs.

The situation is similar in the 1650, where no returner has cracked the 15 minute mark.  Of course there’s always a chance that someone makes a big move, but even allowing for that, there’s a ways to go before anyone currently on the team figures to score in the longest event in college swimming.

Incoming freshman Spencer Lehman has been 4:23 in the 500, but also has a very strong 200 IM, so it’s too early tell which event he’ll end up focusing on at the collegiate level.

IM: B-

Indiana crushed it at Big Tens, but putting the focus on the conference meet may have taken some focus off of NCAAs, and nowhere was that more apparent than in the 200 IM.  Vini Lanza and Ian Finnerty both blasted 1:41s at Big Tens, good for the 5^th and 6^th seeds on the NCAA psych sheet.  However, neither swimmer was able to come close to matching that time at NCAAs.  Lanza managed to make the B final after posting a 1:42.44 in prelims, while Finnerty faded to 25th.

The Hoosiers didn’t even qualify anyone for NCAAs in the 400 IM, with freshman Brian Valedon’s 3:53.04 from December the fastest time on the team.  The previously-mentioned Lehman comes in with a best time 3:49.57, so while that’s still a way long ways off from qualifying for NCAAs, much less scoring, he looks to be Indiana’s best chance in that event in the near future.

Butterfly: B

Last year, Lanza was the Hoosiers’ sole scorer in the butterfly events at NCAAs.  He was seeded 7^th in both butterfly distances coming into NCAAs, and made the A final in the 100 fly and the B final in the 200 fly.  Lanza has had a pretty incredible progression, after not making NCAAs as a freshman, and then placing 11th in the 100 fly and 10th in the 200 fly as a sophomore.

Lanza should be able to repeat his performance at NCAAs this year, but there’s not much depth behind him.  No one else on the team broke 47 in the 100 fly or 1:46 in the 200 fly.  However, incoming freshman Corey Gambaredella has a solid 1:44.76 lifetime best, so has a decent chance at qualifying this year, and scoring eventually.

Backstroke: C+

Just as in distance free, the Hoosier are taking a big hit here with Bob Glover’s graduation.  Although he didn’t score any individual points at NCAAs this year, he was a key part of both medley relays, and there’s no one on last year’s roster who was anywhere close to Glover.

Gabriel Fantoni could be the Hoosiers’ saving grace here.  He’s coming from Brazil, where he’s the junior national record holder in the 50 back (LCM).  His LCM backstroke times convert to roughly 21.4/46.7 in short course yards.  So, while LCM/SCY always have to be taken with a grain of salt, Fantoni certainly appears to have the ability to keep Indiana in the thick of things for relays, and possibly even score in the 100 back.

Breaststroke: B-

Rising junior Ian Finnerty had one of the fastest times in the country coming into NCAA (51.38), but placed 17^th in prelims.  Still, he provided the Hoosiers with a very strong 51.7 split in the 400 medley relay final.  His lifetime best 1:54.43 in the 200 breast suggests that he has the ability to score in that event, as well, but he’s been unable to replicate that time at NCAAs.

Continuing a theme we’ve seen across the strokes, Indiana doesn’t have a ton of readily apparent depth here, but Levi Brock has dropped time steadily over his three years at IU and was only a couple tenths of a second away from being invited to NCAAs in the 100 breast.

2017-2018 Outlook

The Hoosiers retain a solid core and the sprint additions (both swimmers and coaches) should help keep the momentum going.  It’s certainly reasonable to expect Indiana to win back-to-back Big Ten titles.  When it comes to NCAAs, Indiana’s still a ways off from they’ll need to mount a challenge for a national title.  Texas and Cal seem insurmountable, and the Hoosiers would need to get everyone to swim faster at NCAAs than at Big Tens.  But, if they can figure out how to make that happen, Indiana has the ability, especially with their divers, to at least move up a couple spots at NCAAs.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: College Swimming Preview #7: Indiana Men Building on Big Ten Success

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

This has to be said. College swimmers: stop hazing and initiation drinking events for new members of your teams. Or you’re not going to have a team much longer.

The issue is almost reaching epidemic levels in the sport of swimming over the past few years. This summer/fall alone, three Division I programs were in the news for hazing-related issues.

Dartmouth canceled its entire fall meet schedule and its winter training trip in response to a 2016 event in which the first-year team members were required to create a “sexualized PowerPoint” for their teammates. (Is there a dumber reason to give up half a college swim season than a sexualized PowerPoint? That’s the hill you want to die on?).

East Carolina’s teams went under investigation over alleged hazing activities just last week, and though the teams themselves have been cleared, the school said it could still dole out punishments for specific athletes.

Just this week, Bucknell put it teams back on probation after an initiation event supplied underage team members with alcohol. (Bucknell’s teams were just about to wrap up a previous two-year stint on academic probation for similar reasons, proving that alcohol-based initiation is apparently so important that team members didn’t have the self-control to survive two whole years without it).

And these teams got off relatively easy compared to what we’ve seen.

In 2014, five Virginia swimmers were suspended on allegations of hazing, and later all five were slapped with a lawsuit by a former teammate who says they hazed and threatened him. Drury’s head coach was forced to step back from coaching the team this past winter in response to a former swimmer who says he was hazed so severely it left him unable to swim while suffering from PTSD and Conversion Disorder.

And in 2015, Western Kentucky suspended its entire program for five years, terminating the positions of its entire coaching staff after a Title IX investigation into hazing concerns.

Swimming in a Precarious Position

That Western Kentucky program isn’t coming back, folks.

At least, that’s the sentiment among a number of onlookers. By 2020, the school will have a choice. Option 1: a lengthy search process to hire up to 6 new coaches, who will then start completely over with an entirely blank roster, hoping to recruit enough swimmers just to fill a lineup in year 1 and with at least three or four years before having any sort of competitive chances. Option 2: electing not to resurrect the program and saving a few million dollars in the process.

Swimming is in a horrifically dangerous position at the college level, and would-be hazers need to realize it. College swimming programs across the nation are dropping like flies. Athletic departments are hemorrhaging money. Most schools are losing money on almost every sport outside of football and basketball, and there’s not a swim program in the country making money for its athletic department.

Swimming is a notoriously expensive sport. Pools are effectively chlorinated money pits when you factor in maintenance costs on everything from pumps to tiles to air quality control systems to boilers to scoreboards to security. We need to understand this as a sport.

Typically, swimming has compensated by adhering very well to the NCAA’s student-athlete model. By and large, swimmers do well in school. We volunteer in the community in droves. We graduate on time and most importantly, we don’t cause headaches for athletic directors.

Well, that’s all of us except these knuckleheads who are so attached to forcing some 18-year-old kid to binge drink until he vomits that they refuse to give up these initiation rituals.

The facts are clear: NCAA schools are looking for any way they can to save money. Cutting swimming is a very easy way to save several million dollars a year. If you give your school a reason to cut or suspend its swimming & diving program, your school will take it. 

Everytime we cover a story like this, the comment section is flooded with connected individuals decrying “PC culture” or making bold statements about how hazing is the way it’s always been, that it’s an unavoidable part of our sport, or even that it’s somehow necessary for team-building purposes.

If hazing and alcohol-based initiation rituals are truly an integral part of our sport, then we’d better be prepared for our sport to exist no further than the club level. Because there will no longer be meaningful swimming at the NCAA level.

Bad Arguments

While it’s not typically our place as reporters to take sides or jump into comment-section arguments, many of the cases regularly made about these types of issues can be very, very trying on that policy. But here in our opinion section is the perfect setting to dispel some of these illogical counterarguments once and for all.

But hazing is the way it’s always been! – women not getting to swim the 1500 free at the Olympics used the be “the way it’s always been.” Heck, women being able to swim in college was at one point a change to “the way it’s always been.” In this case, “the way it’s always been” is bad. We can change it. Stop making this dumb argument.

People are too sensitive these days. PC culture is ruining everything. – People being sensitive to a college senior taking advantage of a scared, inexperienced 18-year-old freshman by forcing said freshman to drink themself out of consciousness, swallow a live goldfish or stumble around a basement blindfolded and wearing nothing but a diaper? That sounds like being a rational human being to me. Additionally, if your argument includes “PC culture” or “snowflake” in the derogatory, that’s a good sign you’re defending something objectively bad.

Drinking is part of the college experience. – Maybe it’s part of many peoples’ college experience right now. But it’s far from essential. The question is whether initiation drinking events with freshmen are more essential to the “college experience” than a winter training trip. Just ask Bucknell which they’d choose if they could do it over again. Or maybe the better question is whether hazing-related drinking is more “essential” than having a team, period. Ask the former members of WKU.

Let kids be kids. – This one, I actually agree with. Let kids be kids. Say, specifically 17- or 18-year-old kids in their first week at college who are nervous, out of their comfort zone and eager to do what they can to fit into a new environment. Let them be kids by giving them team bonding activities that won’t get them arrested (for underage drinking), kicked off the team (as some swimmers who receive minors find themselves) or worse, killed, something that happens to an estimated 1800 college students every year.

Related: Nothing Stays Secret in 2017

The raunchy and/or misogynistic e-mail chains and listservs (and that infamous sexualized PowerPoint) are a bit of a loose connection here, as they can often be disconnected from both hazing and alcohol. But it’s important to note that school athletic departments are prosecuting these activities just as harshly.

It’s valuable for us as swimmers to remember that in the modern era, nothing stays secret. Private e-mail chains are hardly private. Group chats are easily screenshotted, phones confiscated or computers left open. Anything you say or write in almost any online medium could be broadcast to the world tomorrow.

It’s a reminder to own what you say. If what you’re saying about your teammates, coaches, or the opposite-gender team from your same school could violate school or team policies (or simply cross ethical lines), be prepared to face the consequences of what you say. And know that, in the modern climate, those consequences could be a full-team suspension, a loss of meets or your training trip, or even a full-on elimination of your program. That’s not to mention the unwanted media attention and the lingering cloud over your program’s reputation, a cloud that can continue to smother recruiting efforts for years down the road.

Be Proactive – Find New Bonding Events

The important point in all of this is that we have to do more than just tell swimmers and divers to stop holding alcohol-centric initiation and bonding events. We as a sport need to be proactive and find new opportunities for team bonding that won’t get our programs axed at the NCAA level.

Get the leaders of your team together and brainstorm activities you can use to bring new swimmers into the fold without underage alcohol consumption. No one says this will be easy. But on a college campus, there are a wealth of event opportunities. You could ask your coach about booking an athletic facility to play games like Ultimate Frisbee or pickup football. You could organize mass video game tournaments or game nights or line up upperclassmen to cook massive team dinners. You could take over a movie theater or have NFL watch parties. One of the most fun memories I have of my college swim team is when we would pack the student section for volleyball matches and take great pleasure in heckling the opposing team.

If, as many proponents claim, the initiation drinking rituals are so essential from a team-building perspective, then there have to be ways to get the same team-bonding effect from an activity that won’t leave your team training at home in the cold when you should be in Hawaii. There have to be activities that shepherd in the younger swimmers without leaving them frantically looking for a transfer destination six months later when their program gets suspended in a hazing scandal. And there have to be events that help the upperclassmen show their new teammates the ropes without leaving both parties on opposite ends of a bitter and expensive lawsuit a year down the road.

Lets be proactive and take control of the future of our sport. College swimmers: you are carrying a torch once held by hundreds if not thousands of former athletes who built the programs you now lead. Don’t dishonor their legacy by allowing those programs to die in some sort of Mexican standoff meant to protect a tradition of orientation week binge drinking marathons.

Yes, maybe it’s true that for many years, this is what college swimming has been. But the headlines are proving that unless college swimming can evolve past this era into something better, then college swimming as a whole will die a quick and unceremonious death.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Opinion: Stop NCAA Hazing & Drinking Events Or NCAA Will Stop Swimming

By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam

Bahut Se Swimmers Ki Ye Dikkat Hoti Hai Ki Vo Stroke Ki Shi Technique Nhi Samajh Pate Jahir Si Bat Hai Ki Swimmer Khud Ko Pani Me Swim Kerte Hue Nhi Dekh Sekte Aur Sath He Sath Ye Bhi Nhi Ho Pata Ki Koi Bahar Khada Aadmi Usko Swim Kerte Wqt He Bole Ki Stroke Me Kya Kami Hai Lekin Agar Swimmer Apni Swimming Ki Video Bnwakr Uska Achhe Tarike Se Dekhe Aur Apni Galtiyo Ko Sudhare Or Iske Sath He Sath Vo Start,Turn Aur Baki Technique Ko Bhi Improve Kre. Ye Sb Kerne Ke Bad Ap Ek Achhe Swimmer Bn Sekte Hai.

Video Ki Help Se Aap Apne Stroke Ke Sath Sath Un Sare Factors Ko Bhi Dekh Skte Hai Jo Sayad Swimming Karte Wakt Aapko Pta Nahi Chal Pati Hai. Meri Taraf Se Best Advice Yahi Hai Ki Weekly Aap Apni Swimming Ka Ek Video Jarur Bnwa Le Aur Fir Usko Apni Purani Video Or Kisi Elite Swimmer Ki Video Se Compare Karke Ye Check Kre Ki Apne Phle Se Kitna Improve Kiya Hai Or Abhi Kitna Improve Karna Baki Hai.

Injuries Se Bacho

Kandho Me Chot Lagna Ek Galat Technique Ki Or Ishara Kerta Hai Galat Stroke Technique Kyi Swimmer Ke Kandho Me Hui Chot Ka Reason Hai Doctor Ke Pass Jane Se Bachne Ke Liye Sbse Shi Terika Hai Ki Swimmer Apne Stroke Technique Pr Dhyan De Jb Ap Apne Stroke Ki Analysis Kerenge To Apko Ye Baat Pta Chalegi Ki Apke Body Ka Kaun Kaun Sa Hissa Apke Stroke Me Shaamil Hota Hai Stroke Technique Me Choti Si Bhi Gadbadi Swimmer Ko Doctor Tk Le Ja Sekti Hai.

Knowledge Is Power:-

Jitna Jyada Ap Kisi Chij Ke Bare Me Janoge Utna Jyada Apke Pass Us Chij Ka Control Hoga Bhle He Vo Swimming Ho Ya Apki Jindagi Technique Pr Focus Kerne Me Thora Time Lg Sekta Hai Lekin Agar Apko Technique Ki Shi Jankari Hai To Apko Bakiyo Se Km Time Lgega Isliye Technique Pr Kaam Kerne Se Pehle Uski Jankari Lena Bahut Jaroori Hai Ki Us Technique Me Body Ki Kaun Kaun Se Mussels Kaam Me Aaynge Technique Ke Sath Swimming Kerne Pe Pani Ka Kitna Drag Apke Body Ko Jhelna Padega

Jitna Ap Sochte Ho Sayad Ap Utne Achhe Swimmer Na Ho:-

Ye Thori Ajeeb Tagline Hai Na. Lekin Yeh Har Level Ke Swimmers Par Sach Bhi Sabit Hui Hai. Agar Aap Swimming Background Se Ho To Iska Matlab Ye Nhi Hota Ki Aap Swimming Me Pure Perfect Ho. Agar Apko Samajh Nhi Ki Ap Kya Galat Kr Rhe Ho Ya Kaise Apka Stroke Improve Hoga To Apko Bahut Time Lgega Ek Achha Swimmer Bnne Me. Apki Ek Achhi Swimming Video Apko Swimming Me Ki Gyi Ya Ho Rhi Galtiyo Ko Achhe Se Dikha Sekti Hai. Aur Jiski Help Se Aap Sayad Double Speed Se Improve Karne Lge. To Chaliye Apne Next Session Se Iss Tips Ko Try Karke Dekhiye.  

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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Video Ki Help Se Swimmer Kaise Improve Kar Skte Hai ?

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Disclaimer: BlueSeventy Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The BlueSeventy Swim is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.

It’s been an excellent month for Sun Yang, who has blasted three elite level swims in both the 200 free and 400 free, including two more dominant efforts this week.

Swimming at the Chinese Student Games, Sun has shown remarkable consistency, rivaling some of his best times from summer season as a kickoff to the 2017-2018 competition season.

On Monday, Sun went 3:43.76 to win the 400 free. That’s the third time in two months Sun has gone sub-3:44 in the event. He was 3:41.38 to win gold at the World Championships in July, then 3:41.94 to win the National Games of China in late August. For reference, no man outside of Sun was sub-3:43 at all last season, and all three of Sun’s swims beat every other swimmer in the 2016-2017 world ranks outside of Italy’s Gabriele Detti (3:43.3 in April).

One day earlier, Sun’s 200 free was almost as impressive. Sun went 1:45.56 to win the Chinese Student Games, coming close to his 1:45.15 from the National Games and 1:44.39 from the World Championships. Sun’s swim this week is the fastest of the young 2017-2018 season and would have ranked 8th overall for all of last season. His 1:45.15 would have been faster than anyone last season besides Townley Haas (1:45.0 in June), and his 1:44.39 won the World Championships and topped the world ranks by seven tenths of a second.

WE MAKE SWIMMERS.

There isn’t a second that goes by when the team at blueseventy aren’t thinking about you. How you eat, breathe, train, play, win, lose, suffer and celebrate. How swimming is every part of what makes you tick. Aptly named because 70% of the earth is covered in water, blueseventy is a world leader in the pool and open water. Since 1993, we design, test, refine and craft products using superior materials and revolutionary details that equate to comfort, freedom from restriction and ultimately a competitive advantage in the water. This is where we thrive. There is no substitute and no way around it. We’re all for the swim.

Visit blueseventy.com/pages/swim to learn more.

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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Blueseventy Swim of the Week: Sun Starting Fall Out Hot

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

The University of Florida has given men’s and women’s swimming & diving head coach Gregg Troy a contract extension through June 2020, which will lead the Gators up until the Tokyo Olympics.

The 66-year old Troy is in his 20th season as the head coach of the Florida women’s team and 19th as the leader of the men’s squad. In that period, he has a combined 305-96-1 dual meet record, 7 SEC team titles, and 1 NCAA title (the women’s 2010 win).

“I am thrilled by the tremendous commitment this university has to our student-athletes,” Troy said. “We have a great group of Olympic-level athletes that I am excited to train for the 2020 Olympics.”

In addition to the team results, Florida has won 37 event national titles, 168 SEC event titles, more than 400 SEC Academic Honor Roll selections, and almost 1,000 All-America honors. He was also the head coach of U.S. Olympic the men’s team at the 2012 Summer Olympics and was an assistant at the most recent FINA World Championships for Team USA. He’s coached over 90 Olympians in his coaching career, with 14 gold and 29 total medals having been earned by Gator swimmers since the 2000 Olympic Games.

Troy’s current most high-profile swimmers are 12-time Olympic medalist Ryan Lochte, who has returned to Gainesville after a quad away training primarily in Charlotte; and Caeleb Dressel, a current Florida undergrad who had an unprecedented World Championship by winning 7 gold medals that included 3 in one day and the fastest-ever textile 50 free. Dressel is the defending NCAA champion and U.S. Open, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 50 and 100 yard freestyles and the 100 yard fly.

Financial terms of the new deal were not announced, but we have requested that information from the University of Florida.

Florida opens its season next weekend at the All-Florida Invite. The Florida men finished 3rd a the 2017 NCAA Championships, while the women’s team was scoreless at the meet for the first time ever.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Florida Extends Head Coach Gregg Troy’s Contract Through 2020

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Press release courtesy of the IOC:

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) elected a new Chair, and elected or re-elected four members of its Ethics Commission during the IOC Session today, following a proposal by its Executive Board in July.

“I believe that ethics is essential to the success of any organisation. That is why I did everything possible to strengthen the culture of ethics at the United Nations. I promoted transparency and accountability in every way I could, and I tried to lead by example,” said Mr Ban Ki-moon, the former United Nations (UN) Secretary-General and newly-elected Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission.

“I am truly humbled to serve the IOC through this role. […] Together let us do even more to harness the immeasurable potential of sport to foster a better world; a world which we all dream of where human rights are fully respected and protected.”

Achieving greater transparency, good governance, responsibility and strengthening ethics are some of the guiding principles of the IOC Ethics Commission under Olympic Agenda 2020, the IOC’s strategic roadmap for the future of the Olympic Movement.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Congratulations to Mr Ban on his election as Chair of the IOC Ethics Commission. The IOC is honoured that Mr Ban has accepted this responsibility. It shows the trust and standing this Commission enjoys within and outside the world of sport. When Mr Ban took office as Secretary-General of the United Nations, he committed the UN to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, accountability and transparency.”

Independent in its functioning, the Commission is charged with defining and updating a framework of ethical principles, including a Code of Ethics, based upon the values and principles enshrined in the Olympic Charter. In addition, it investigates facts raised in relation to the non-respect of such ethical principles within the framework of the IOC Code of Ethics and, if necessary, proposes measures or sanctions to the IOC Executive Board. Mr Ban replaces outgoing Chair Mr Youssoupha Ndiaye (former President of the Constitutional Court of Senegal).

Mr Ban was the eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations, from January 2007 to December 2016. One of Mr Ban’s first actions as Secretary General was to introduce a code of ethics to the organisation, which applies to all employees. An Ethics Committee was established to devise “a unified set of standards and policies” for the entire UN system.

Four members were also re-elected or elected to the Commission by the IOC Session for a four-year term: Samuel Schmid, re-elected for a final term (lawyer and former President of the Swiss Confederation); Hanqin Xue, People’s Republic of China, elected for a four-year term (judge at the International Court of Justice); and IOC Members Robin Mitchell and Angela Ruggiero.

Composed of nine members, the Commission includes four IOC Members, of whom one is a representative of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, and five independent personalities, including the Chair.

Previously elected members still on the Commission are: Patricia O’Brien (Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland in France); Geert Corstens (former President of the Supreme Court of The Netherlands); and IOC Members Pierre-Olivier Beckers-Vieujant and Yang Yang, the latter being elected as a representative of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: IOC Elects Former UN Secretary Ban Ki-Moon To Head Ethics Commission

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Meet Stats

• San Diego State def. San Diego 33-24
• Pentathlon, 25yard format
• San Diego, California (USD hosted)
• Final results (pentathlon format)
• Final results (by event)

San Diego State and San Diego opened their respective 2017-2018 women’s swimming campaigns on Friday with their annual Pentathlon meet, where each swimmer races a 100 free, 100 fly, 100 back, 100 breast, and 100 IM. Their times in each race are then aggregated and the swimmer with the lowest combined time wins.

The final score of 33-24 in favor of the Aztecs is identical to last year’s score. There were also 50s of each stroke, a 400 IM, and a 500 free swum, though they did not count toward the Pentathlon outcome.

The day, as it so often does, went the way of the breaststrokers. The top 3 finishers in the overall standings were also the three fastest breaststrokers – led by San Diego State senior Frida Berggren. She swam 1:07.38 in the 100 breast, almost 2 seconds better than the rest of the field, and had an overall time of 4:58.57 – averaging better than a minute per event. She also had the fastest 100 fly time (57.29) and the second-fastest 100 IM time (1:00.29 – just two-tenths behind McKenna Meyer’s win there).

Last year, Berggren and Meyer finished 1-2 in the meet with a nailbiter of a finish. Heading into the final race, the 100 IM, Meyer had about a half-second lead, and while Berggren was two-tenths faster, that wasn’t enough to make up the overall gap.

They both finished in 4:54s last season, 15 seconds clear of the field, while this year teammate Alma Thormalm was relatively close in 5:04.96. Thormalm’s total time was only 5:17 last year, representing about a 2.6-second-per-race improvement from last year to this. She dropped time in each of the 5 disciplines, but most noticeably in the breaststroke where she was 4 seconds faster this year (1:09.57) and the 100 IM where she was another 4 seconds faster (1:01.06). She won the 100 free in 52.83 and also placed 2nd in the 50 free in 25.14. She could be due for a big year for the Aztecs if those trends continue.

San Diego’s top finisher in the pentathlon was Mackenna Briggs in 4th place at 5:13.95 – 9 seconds behind Thormalm for 3rd. Briggs did have the fastest time in her specialty – the 100 backstroke – in 58.76 – and later also won the 500 free in 5:15.37.

San Diego State will next race in Reno, Nevada on September 30th at the Nevada Relays meet. The Toreros of USD next swim a two-day dual against USC on September 22nd and 23rd.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Frida Berggren Takes USD/SDSU Pentathlon Crown From McKenna Meyer

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Malaysian swimmer Khoo Cai Lin has announced her retirement at 28 years old. She represented her country at two Olympic Games, in 2008 and 2012, finishing at a peak of 30th in the 800 free in London.

Khoo is somewhat of a swimming icon in her native country, having been named the Malaysian Olympian of the Year in 2007. In her career, she won 16 medals, including 5 golds, at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games – a preeminent sporting event in her home country.

Her career ended short of competing for the first time at those SEA Games in front of a home crowd this summer in Kuala Lumpur. She underwent surgery on her spine in May to correct scoliosis – a condition where the spine is abnormally curved – a surgery that she put off for 12 years to continue competing. That held her out of training and unable to compete at the SEA Games – though she was still a very visible participant. She served as the media manager for aquatics at the event, maintaining a visible presence.

A favored story of Khoo, who competed at her first SEA Games in 2003 at just 15 years old, is that she actually made her debut two years early. At the 2001 event, when she was just 13, just participated in a demonstration to the crowd in synchronized swimming – the first time the now-regular sport appeared at the SEA Games.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Malaysian Swimming Hero Khoo Cai Lin Retires

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

This has to be said. College swimmers: stop hazing and initiation drinking events for new members of your teams. Or you’re not going to have a team much longer.

The issue is almost reaching epidemic levels in the sport of swimming over the past few years. This summer/fall alone, three Division I programs were in the news for hazing-related issues.

Dartmouth canceled its entire fall meet schedule and its winter training trip in response to a 2016 event in which the first-year team members were required to create a “sexualized PowerPoint” for their teammates. (Is there a dumber reason to give up half a college swim season than a sexualized PowerPoint? That’s the hill you want to die on?).

East Carolina’s teams went under investigation over alleged hazing activities just last week, and though the teams themselves have been cleared, the school said it could still dole out punishments for specific athletes.

Just this week, Bucknell put it teams back on probation after an initiation event supplied underage team members with alcohol. (Bucknell’s teams were just about to wrap up a previous two-year stint on academic probation for similar reasons, proving that alcohol-based initiation is apparently so important that team members didn’t have the self-control to survive two whole years without it).

And these teams got off relatively easy compared to what we’ve seen.

In 2014, five Virginia swimmers were suspended on allegations of hazing, and later all five were slapped with a lawsuit by a former teammate who says they hazed and threatened him. Drury’s head coach was forced to step back from coaching the team this past winter in response to a former swimmer who says he was hazed so severely it left him unable to swim while suffering from PTSD and Conversion Disorder.

And in 2015, Western Kentucky suspended its entire program for five years, terminating the positions of its entire coaching staff after a Title IX investigation into hazing concerns.

Swimming in a Precarious Position

That Western Kentucky program isn’t coming back, folks.

At least, that’s the sentiment among a number of onlookers. By 2020, the school will have a choice. Option 1: a lengthy search process to hire up to 6 new coaches, who will then start completely over with an entirely blank roster, hoping to recruit enough swimmers just to fill a lineup in year 1 and with at least three or four years before having any sort of competitive chances. Option 2: electing not to resurrect the program and saving a few million dollars in the process.

Swimming is in a horrifically dangerous position at the college level, and would-be hazers need to realize it. College swimming programs across the nation are dropping like flies. Athletic departments are hemorrhaging money. Most schools are losing money on almost every sport outside of football and basketball, and there’s not a swim program in the country making money for its athletic department.

Swimming is a notoriously expensive sport. Pools are effectively chlorinated money pits when you factor in maintenance costs on everything from pumps to tiles to air quality control systems to boilers to scoreboards to security. We need to understand this as a sport.

Typically, swimming has compensated by adhering very well to the NCAA‘s student-athlete model. By and large, swimmers do well in school. We volunteer in the community in droves. We graduate on time and most importantly, we don’t cause headaches for athletic directors.

Well, that’s all of us except these knuckleheads who are so attached to forcing some 18-year-old kid to binge drink until he vomits that they refuse to give up these initiation rituals.

The facts are clear: NCAA schools are looking for any way they can to save money. Cutting swimming is a very easy way to save several million dollars a year. If you give your school a reason to cut or suspend its swimming & diving program, your school will take it. 

Everytime we cover a story like this, the comment section is flooded with connected individuals decrying “PC culture” or making bold statements about how hazing is the way it’s always been, that it’s an unavoidable part of our sport, or even that it’s somehow necessary for team-building purposes.

If hazing and alcohol-based initiation rituals are truly an integral part of our sport, then we’d better be prepared for our sport to exist no further than the club level. Because there will no longer be meaningful swimming at the NCAA level.

Bad Arguments

While it’s not typically our place as reporters to take sides or jump into comment-section arguments, many of the cases regularly made about these types of issues can be very, very trying on that policy. But here in our opinion section is the perfect setting to dispel some of these illogical counterarguments once and for all.

But hazing is the way it’s always been! – women not getting to swim the 1500 free at the Olympics used the be “the way it’s always been.” Heck, women being able to swim in college was at one point a change to “the way it’s always been.” In this case, “the way it’s always been” is bad. We can change it. Stop making this dumb argument.

People are too sensitive these days. PC culture is ruining everything. – People being sensitive to a college senior taking advantage of a scared, inexperienced 18-year-old freshman by forcing said freshman to drink themself out of consciousness, swallow a live goldfish or stumble around a basement blindfolded and wearing nothing but a diaper? That sounds like being a rational human being to me. Additionally, if your argument includes “PC culture” or “snowflake” in the derogatory, that’s a good sign you’re defending something objectively bad.

Drinking is part of the college experience. – Maybe it’s part of many peoples’ college experience right now. But it’s far from essential. The question is whether initiation drinking events with freshmen are more essential to the “college experience” than a winter training trip. Just ask Bucknell which they’d choose if they could do it over again. Or maybe the better question is whether hazing-related drinking is more “essential” than having a team, period. Ask the former members of WKU.

Let kids be kids. – This one, I actually agree with. Let kids be kids. Say, specifically 17- or 18-year-old kids in their first week at college who are nervous, out of their comfort zone and eager to do what they can to fit into a new environment. Let them be kids by giving them team bonding activities that won’t get them arrested (for underage drinking), kicked off the team (as some swimmers who receive minors find themselves) or worse, killed, something that happens to an estimated 1800 college students every year.

Related: Nothing Stays Secret in 2017

The raunchy and/or misogynistic e-mail chains and listservs (and that infamous sexualized PowerPoint) are a bit of a loose connection here, as they can often be disconnected from both hazing and alcohol. But it’s important to note that school athletic departments are prosecuting these activities just as harshly.

It’s valuable for us as swimmers to remember that in the modern era, nothing stays secret. Private e-mail chains are hardly private. Group chats are easily screenshotted, phones confiscated or computers left open. Anything you say or write in almost any online medium could be broadcast to the world tomorrow.

It’s a reminder to own what you say. If what you’re saying about your teammates, coaches, or the opposite-gender team from your same school could violate school or team policies (or simply cross ethical lines), be prepared to face the consequences of what you say. And know that, in the modern climate, those consequences could be a full-team suspension, a loss of meets or your training trip, or even a full-on elimination of your program. That’s not to mention the unwanted media attention and the lingering cloud over your program’s reputation, a cloud that can continue to smother recruiting efforts for years down the road.

Be Proactive – Find New Bonding Events

The important point in all of this is that we have to do more than just tell swimmers and divers to stop holding alcohol-centric initiation and bonding events. We as a sport need to be proactive and find new opportunities for team bonding that won’t get our programs axed at the NCAA level.

Get the leaders of your team together and brainstorm activities you can use to bring new swimmers into the fold without underage alcohol consumption. No one says this will be easy. But on a college campus, there are a wealth of event opportunities. You could ask your coach about booking an athletic facility to play games like Ultimate Frisbee or pickup football. You could organize mass video game tournaments or game nights or line up upperclassmen to cook massive team dinners. You could take over a movie theater or have NFL watch parties. One of the most fun memories I have of my college swim team is when we would pack the student section for volleyball matches and take great pleasure in heckling the opposing team.

If, as many proponents claim, the initiation drinking rituals are so essential from a team-building perspective, then there have to be ways to get the same team-bonding effect from an activity that won’t leave your team training at home in the cold when you should be in Hawaii. There have to be activities that shepherd in the younger swimmers without leaving them frantically looking for a transfer destination six months later when their program gets suspended in a hazing scandal. And there have to be events that help the upperclassmen show their new teammates the ropes without leaving both parties on opposite ends of a bitter and expensive lawsuit a year down the road.

Lets be proactive and take control of the future of our sport. College swimmers: you are carrying a torch once held by hundreds if not thousands of former athletes who built the programs you now lead. Don’t dishonor their legacy by allowing those programs to die in some sort of Mexican standoff meant to protect a tradition of orientation week binge drinking marathons.

Yes, maybe it’s true that for many years, this is what college swimming has been. But the headlines are proving that unless college swimming can evolve past this era into something better, then college swimming as a whole will die a quick and unceremonious death.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Opinion: Stop NCAA Hazing & Drinking Events Or NCAA Will Stop Swimming

By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam

Courtesy of Gary Hall Sr., 10-time World Record Holder, 3-time Olympian, 1976 Olympic Games US Flagbearer and The Race Club co-founder.

3 Sets of Goals

Courtesy of The Race Club

We begin every camp at The Race Club by helping each swimmer in setting goals: a short term, medium term and a long term goal. The short term goal is what we want to accomplish while at the camp. Every swimmer has a greater need to improve on some facets of his/her race or on a certain stroke or strokes more than others. The swimmer and/or parents always seem to have a clear idea of what the weaknesses are.

Once the swimmer leaves the camp, or for those that do not attend, the short term goal should be what will be accomplished today. The focus of training is different nearly every single day. One day, the focus may be on butterfly or kicking or IM, while on another day the focus may be on strength/power training, turns, recovery or any number of other important techniques. The goal of that day should be to improve in a specific technique that was learned at our camp for whatever aspect of training is being emphasized. By doing so, the swimmer will reinforce the improvements gained from attending our Race Club camp. The swimmer will begin to shore up their biggest weaknesses.

Setting Specifics

The second or medium term goal is what we want to accomplish this season. As part of our discussion on mental training at our camps, we have every swimmer define specific goal times for the end of the season and write them down. We also ask the swimmer to know exactly when and where those goal times will be reached. One by one, we go over those goal times with each swimmer, offering suggestions if we do not feel they are appropriate. Then we ask the swimmer to take the approved goal times home and transpose them onto a large poster board that can be hung in their bedroom. We want the swimmer to see those goal times every single day of the season.

Specifically defined goal setting is an extremely important part of mental training and one that should be taken very seriously. It is surprising how many swimmers are not setting goals each season. It is remarkable how often our Race Club swimmers that do will achieve their goal times each season. If the goals are not written and visible to the swimmer each day, I doubt they would be as successful.

Valuable Experience

We like to think of each season as a chapter in the swimmer’s life; a book that is being written about the swimmer in real time. Once the season is over, regardless of the outcome, we close the chapter and start a new one. Some chapters seem better than others, yet from our perspective, every chapter is valuable, as each provides vital experience and education, some of which is tough. There are no bad chapters.

The swimmer’s long term goal may be the most important. Swimming is a challenging sport. Incredible amounts of work and dedication are required by both swimmers and parents in order to excel. For a swimmer to continue on this long journey, chapter after chapter, year in and year out, there needs to be a vision of where the journey is leading to. There needs to be something personally significant in setting goals for the swimmer.

For an old swimmer like me, a hot shower after practice and the release of a few endorphins may be enough to keep me coming back, but not so much for a young swimmer. The workload and expectations can sometimes be too great. There has to be more to it than socializing with team members, the occasional great practice or even achieving the goal times at the season’s end. There has to be a bigger reward.

Dream Big When Setting Goals

At The Race Club, we encourage every swimmer to dream big when setting goals. Whether the long term goal or dream is realistic or not does not matter. While every Olympian began with a dream to be there some day, not every swimmer that dreams of being an Olympian arrives there. This really doesn’t matter. It is the dream that kept him or her going through the most difficult chapters. The dream pushes the swimmer higher up the ladder of success. It could be making it to the Junior Nationals, Olympic Trials or getting a college scholarship or even achieving a personal best time. So long as there is a vision; a dream of where the path is leading to, the journey becomes doable.

The short term goal should be considered every day. The middle term goal should be established at the beginning of each season or chapter, with a friendly reminder on the bedroom wall each day. The long term goal should be considered every so often and tucked into the subconscious of the mind. It is kept there in a safe place and brought out whenever motivation is needed.

If you want to become a better swimmer today, this season and over your career, begin setting these three sets of goals. We guarantee that they will help you.

Yours in swimming,

Gary Sr.

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THE RACE CLUB

Because Life is Worth Swimming, our mission is to promote swimming through sport, lifelong enjoyment, and good health benefits. Our objective is for each member of and each participant in The Race Club to improve his or her swimming performances, health, and self-esteem through our educational programs, services and creativity. We strive to help each member of The Race Club overcome challenges and reach his or her individual life goals.

The Race Club provides facilities, coaching, training, technical instruction, video, fitness and health programs for swimmers of all ages and abilities. Race Club swim camps are designed and tailored to satisfy each swimmer’s needs, whether one is trying to reach the Olympic Games or simply improve one’s fitness. Our programs are suitable for beginner swimmers, pleasure swimmers, fitness swimmers, USA swimming or YMCA swimmers, or triathletes; anyone who wants to improve swimming skills. All of our Race Club members share an enjoyment of being in the water and use swimming to stimulate a more active mind and body.

Press Release courtesy of The Race Club, a SwimSwam partner.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Setting Goals: Short, Medium And Long Term

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Michael Phelps is among the rare swimmers, or Olympic athletes in general, who transcend the sports in which they compete and become a part of the broader cultural narrative. A symptom of that is becoming a punchline to trite pop-culture references on late night television.

Such was the case earlier this week, when Benedict Cumberbatch played a game of “Sentence Sneak” with actor Benedict Cumberbatch on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. In the game, the two engage in “casual conversation” and have to casually insert absurd sentences written on cards into their dialogue – an improv exercise of sorts.

One of the lines Cumberbatch had to work with was “Butt-Dialing Michael Phelps Changed My Life.” That parlayed into an exchange about how much Fallon loves swimming, especially the “hats” and “goggles” and “Speedos.”

Cumberbatch is a British actor who has received 4 Primetime Emmy Awards, including winning Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his performance in Sherlock. He also earned an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor for his performance in The Imitation Game.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: “Butt-Dialing Michael Phelps Changed My Life”

By Torrey Hart on SwimSwam

The Great Midwest Athletic Conference and the Mountain East Conference are partnering to offer swimmers and divers a championship meet to conclude the 2017-2018 season.

The new meet will draw from a combined 10 Division II teams, and take place from February 12th-14th at C.T. Branin Natatorium in Canton, Ohio. Malone University will serve as the inaugural meet host.

G-MAC teams: Alderson Broaddus University, Davis & Elkins College, Hillsdale College (women), University of Findlay, Malone University and Ursuline College (women).

MEC teams: Fairmont State University, Notre Dame College, Urbana University and West Virginia Wesleyan College.

The top 24 swimmers in each event, in each respective league, will advance to the combined championships.

The top eight finishers in prelims at the combined meet will advance to finals, with the exception of the 1,000 and 1,650, which will be swum at timed finals. At the conclusion, each conference will name a team champion, and an overall G-MAC MEC winner will be named.

Essentially, the meet will kill two birds with one stone while upping the competition level: each conference will still crown a champion, but one team will also claim the G-MAC-MEC title.

“We are confident the unification of the two leagues’ programs in the pool will provide a highly competitive atmosphere as student-athletes compete for their respective league titles,” G-MAC Commissioner Tom Daeger said. Click here for the full G-MAC announcement. 

With DII NCAA National Championship times getting ever-faster, the meet will offer a great opportunity for more athletes to have the full championship experience.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: G-MAC and MEC Announce Combined 2018 Championship Meet

By Torrey Hart on SwimSwam

Former Stanford swimming captain, 1991 Pan Am Games gold medalist, and Navy SEAL Clay Tippins is taking on a new challenge: politics.

On Thursday, Tippins, 44, filed his paperwork to run for governor of Georgia – in a bid to succeed current governor Nathan Deal, who is term-limited. Tippins is a late fifth addition to the race, where each of the other Republican candidates has experience in government work. This will be Tippins’ first campaign for an elected office, and critics note that he lacks the name recognition and funding of his cohort, but say he could gain favor as an outsider with a blank slate.

Tippins graduated from Stanford in 1995 and is currently tied for the 15th fastest 100 fly time in school history, at 47.61. His 1991 Pan Ams win came in the 4×200 free relay, alongside John Keppeler, Jim Wells, and Eric Diehl.

He joined the SEALs shortly after graduation, then moved back to Silicon Valley to work at a number of startups. Tippins reenlisted in the Navy in the mid-2000s and was dispatched for a tour in Iraq. Now, he is an executive vice president at international information technology consulting firm Capgemini, and resides with his wife and two kids in Atlanta.

The campaign was rumored in early August, and he is expected to make his official announcement in the coming weeks.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Former Stanford Swimmer Running for Governor

By Loretta Race on SwimSwam

72ND NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL OF JAPAN

• Friday, September 15th & Saturday, September 16th
• Matsuyama Pool, Central Park, Ehime Prefecture
• LCM
• Start Lists/Results (in Japanese)

The 2nd and final day of swimming competition at the 72nd National Sports Festival of Japan concluded with multiple meet records biting the dust once all was said and done. Although yesterday’s 200 IM ace Daiya Seto was out of the pool this evening, several other Olympians stepped up and made the most of their appearances in the Matsuyama center.

One of those shining stars was 17-year-old Rikako Ikee, the Japanese sprinting sensation who already holds all of her nation’s long course sprint free and fly national records. Tonight she blasted a mark of 24.33 in the women’s 50m freestyle to not only claim the Festival title, but also score a new meet record, national record and World Junior Record. Her time hacked a solid .15 off of her own old national record mark of 24.48 set at the 2017 Konami Open in February of this year that put her on the books as the fastest junior swimmer ever in the event.

Ikee doubled up on her 100m freestyle win yesterday, where she clocked a speedy 54.10 to earn the fastest time of the field yesterday and win that event by over a second.

Reigning World Junior record holder in the women’s 200m butterfly, Suzaka Hasegawa was also at it today, cranking out a huge 2:07.79 to win her pet event tonight. Her WJR stands at the 2:06.29 she produced at the 2017 Japan Swim, but the 17-year-old has been consistent with her swims, most recently having earned a solid 2:07.43 to finish 6th at the World Championships in Budapest.

Another young athlete, Miku Kojima, established herself as a new meet record holder, firing off a fast 4:39.33 to take the women’s 400m IM event. Kojima’s time erased the old mark of 4:39.47 by just .14, but was enough to check-in with the field’s only sub-4:40 mark of the evening.

Kojima recently made a name for herself taking the 400m IM title at the 2017 World Junior Championships in Indianapolis. There, she clocked a time of 4:39.14 to take gold and come within .13 of the World Junior Record in the event.

Finally, on the men’s side, the big highlight came in the form of Shinri Shioura‘s speedy victory in the men’s splash n’ dash event. Stopping the clock at 22.09, Shioura overtook the previous meet mark of 22.13, while also being able to hold off domestic rival Katsumi Nakamura. Nakamura, yesterday’s 100m freestyle winner, touched in 22.16 for silver tonight.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ikee Fires Off 50 Free Record, With Junior Champion Kojima Also Strong

By Loretta Race on SwimSwam

72ND NATIONAL SPORTS FESTIVAL OF JAPAN

• Friday, September 15th & Saturday, September 16th
• Matsuyama Pool, Central Park, Ehime Prefecture
• LCM
• Start Lists/Results (in Japanese)

While competing at this weekend’s National Sports Festival of Japan, 17-year-old sprinter Rikako Ikee lowered her own national record and World Junior Record in the 50m freestyle.

Entering the 72nd edition of this Festival, Ikee’s personal best and national record stood at the 24.48 she produced at the Konami Open earlier this year. At the time, that mark represented the World Junior Record, but Ikee hacked another .15 off of that outing to win the 50m free event tonight in a monster 24.33, the only sub-25 mark of the field.

At just 17 years of age, Ikee holds the Japanese national LCM records across the 50m/100m/200m freestyle and 50m/100m butterfly events. Her most recent international competitions include both the Senior and Junior World Championships this past summer. At the former, Ikee was able to score a sub-25 outing in the 50m free semi-finals with a mark of 24.94 to finish 16th in the event. Her highest finish in Budapest came in the form of her 100m butterfly time of 57.08 that rendered her in 6th place in that race final.

In Indy, Japan’s golden girl nabbed 3 individual World Junior titles, taking the top prize in the 50m fly (25.46), 100m butterfly (57.25) and the 50m freestyle in 24.59.

With the Tokyo Olympics now just over 1000 days away, Ikee’s trajectory has the teen on a path towards host country glory come 2020.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Rikako Ikee Nabs New 24.33 50 Freestyle World Junior Record

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Video courtesy of Guy Barnea.

It is a new concept for swimming in the ocean – feeling free and one with nature. Guy Barnea introduces a swimwear drop-off station that will allow for you to take a more freeing dip in the water.

Though, promoting his swim line, the swimwear drop-off station will show off the bathing suits worn by the swimmers spending their time in the water. Barnea comes off with the idea that people want to look good on the beach and show off their swimsuits but that they want to be one with nature as well.

It is the only swimsuit brand that wants you to take your swimsuit off.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: The Key To Happiness: Naked Swimming

USA Swimming today announced substantive governance restructure changes, created two new membersh...