By Giusy Cisale on SwimSwam

Dopo aver partecipato con successo agli Europei di Glasgow la stella russa Kliment Kolesnikov  ha rilasciato un’intervista ad un organo di stampa russo (Sport-espresso).  Gli argomenti toccati sono molti, e potete leggere l’intervista in lingua originale al link in fondo al presente articolo.

Kliment Kolesnikov

Il 18enne Kliment Kolesnikovè esploso a livello internazionale nel 2017 quando ha frantumato il World Record Junior nei 200 mt dorso con il tempo di 1: 55.49 ai Campionati Nazionali Russi (aprile 2017).

Si qualificava dunque per i Mondiali di Budapest, dove finì quarto con il tempo di 1: 55.14.

Nuovo WJR che ancora oggi rimane.

Nel mese di dicembre, stabiliva il Record del Mondo in vasca corta (assoluto) nei 100 metri dorso.

Nel 2018 Kolesnikov si è concentrato sulla preparazione delle gare dei 50 e 100 metri.

A Glasgow ha stabilito il Record del Mondo nei 50 dorso con il tempo di 24.00. Ha anche vinto l’oro nei 100 metri, con il suo personal best, 52.53, abbassando il suo stesso Record del Mondo Junior, stabilito il giorno prima a 52.95.

Nei 200 invece, ha mancato la finale (e semifinali) a causa della regola che vuole soltanto due atleti per nazione ai turni successivi alle qualifiche. Nelle batterie, Kolesnikov aveva nuotato un 1: 57.31. I compagni di squadra  Evgeny Rylov  (Campione del Mondo 2017) e  Grigory Tarasevich  sono stati più veloci con con un 1: 57.07, e 1: 56.67.

L’Intervista

Nell’intervista con Sport-Express, Kolesnikov ha risposto ad una vasta gamma di questioni, tra cui: i suoi pensieri sul WR, il test anti-doping agli Europei, la rivalità pubblica tra la russa  Yulia Efimova  e l’americana  Lilly King. Ha inoltre parlato del dorsista  Ryan Murphy , della possibilità di andare al college negli Stati Uniti, e molto altro ancora.

Si prega di notare: tutte le risposte di seguito sono state tradotte dal russo all’inglese utilizzando Google Translate. Il contesto potrebbe essere alterato.

SUL WORLD RECORD DEI 50 DORSO:

“Mi sono sentito travolto dalla gioia. Perché, in realtà, non volevo battere il record del mondo. Ed è per questo che non ho capito appieno ciò che stava accadendo in un primo momento. E solo dopo 5-6 secondi, quando ho capito quello che era successo, sono stato travolto dalla gioia”

SU TEST ANTI-DOPING AI CAMPIONATI EUROPEI:

“Sono stato convocato cinque volte nei test antidoping durante il campionato Europeo. Nessuno è venuto alle 5 del mattino e nessuno ha interrotto i miei allenamenti. Per tutti gli sportivi v’è stato un atteggiamento assolutamente uguale.”

SULLA RIVALITÀ EFIMOVA / KING – IN PARTICOLARE NON STRINGERE LA MANO SUL PODIO A RIO:

“Credo che questa storia è il risultato di antipatia personale. Questa è umiliazione dell’avversario. È disgustoso guardare questo comportamento. Ogni avversario dovrebbe avere rispetto, perché fa esattamente lo stesso lavoro. E la tua antipatia personale in pubblico non vale la pena di essere mostrata”

SU RYAN MURPHY :

“Sì, ho visto la sua nuotata. Ho visto le gare alle Olimpiadi di Rio, dove ha stabilito un record mondiale nella staffetta. Ora l’ho guardato ai Pan Pacific, dove ha nuotato i 100 a 52 secondi – il miglior risultato della stagione al mondo. Murphy è un dorsista eccezionale del nostro tempo. Sto già pensando a quando ci incontreremo io e lui. Se ovviamente  tutto andrà bene, il prossimo anno ai Mondiali e poi alle Olimpiadi di Tokyo.”

SULLA FORMAZIONE NEGLI STATI UNITI:

“Nella squadra russa, molte persone hanno avuto offerte per studiare ed allenarsi negli Stati Uniti. Loro ci seguono da vicino. Ho avuto tali offerte. C’erano pensieri su questa cosa. Ma dal momento che ci sono ancora due anni prima delle Olimpiadi, non mi piace cambiare qualcosa nel mio modo di vivere. Inoltre, è un cambiamento cruciale andare in un altro paese. Un altro allenatore, una nuova società. Io preparerò Tokyo in Russia nelle condizioni che sono adesso. I risultati ci sono, il progresso ed il miglioramento anche. Non voglio cambiare nulla “.

Potete leggere il resto dell’intervista nella sua interezza qui .

A cura di Maclin Simpson. Tradotto dall’inglese. L’articolo originale al seguente link:

Kolesnikov Speaks On WR, Euros Drug Testing, Efimova/King, & More

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kliment Kolesnikov Parla Del WR, Del Test Antidoping e Di Efimova/King

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Fiji Airways, the flag-carrier airline of Fiji, hit the USA Swimming Jr. Pan Pacs team with a rousing sendoff late Friday night when they departed for Fiji to race at the 2018 Jr. Pan Pac Championships.

The almost-11 hour flight (which crosses the international dateline, so the swimmers actually arrived in Fiji on Sunday) will bring the team a day closer to the start of competition at the meet, which runs from August 23rd to 26th.

The best airline experience I’ve ever had! @FijiAirways for the win!
Not only was the staff friendly and kind, look how wonderfully they decorated the counter upon our arrival for check-in!

Next stop Fiji! #jrPanPacs2018#Fiji

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

2018 Jr. Pan Pac Swimming Championships

• June 23rd-26th, 2018
• Suva, Fiji
• Psych Sheets/Live Results

While not in a single, easy-to-parse document, the psych sheets for the 2018 Jr. Pan Pac Swimming Championships have been released in the form of live-results-with-event-entries.

Much like the format of the open version of the Pan Pac Championships, which happened last week in Tokyo, Japan, the rules for Jr. Pan Pacs limit the number of swimmers from a given country that can advance to the finals. Much like the tweak to the rules for Pan Pacs, that now means that 2 swimmers per country can qualify for the A final, and if a country has 1 or 2 swimmers in the A final, they can also have 2 in the B final. Countries with 0 swimmers in the A final can qualify 3 swimmers to the  B final.

Countries are allowed to enter as many swimmers as they want in preliminaries (up to the roster caps of 20 women and 20 men), meaning that swimmers will often race more events than just what they explicitly qualified in.

Two of America’s most versatile young swimmers, Texas commits Jake Foster (turning 18 on September 6th) and Carson Foster (16) will be racing relatively-limited lineups this week after taking on bigger schedules at both Nationals and Junior Nationals. Jake will race the 100 fly, 200 IM, and 200 breast, which means he’s not racing the 100 breaststroke – a race that he placed 3rd in at Juniors.

Carson will be racing the 200 free, 200 IM, 400 IM, and 200 back which means no 100 back (he was 2nd at Juniors in both backstroke events).

The brothers took 1st and 2nd in the 200 IM at Juniors, with the younger Carson winning ahead of his brother Jake. They’ll be the 1st and 5th seeds, respectively, in that event at Pan Pacs (the top seed on the live results page is an error).

14-year old phenom Claire Tuggle has also pared-back her schedule to just one event per day: the 200 free, 400 free, 200 IM, and 400 IM. That’s a more focused schedule that should allow her to better prepare for the biggest international meet yet of her career.

The most-entered American swimmer is Gianluca Urlando, who took the U.S. by storm at Nationals with a 3rd-place finish in the 200 fly on day 1 of the meet. He very nearly made the open Pan Pacs team, and actually was declared a member of that team before an error was discovered. His 6 entries at Jr. Pan Pacs is more than most of the American team is scheduled to take on, with the Americans generally taking a fairly conservative approach to entries.

Canadian swimmer Maggie MacNeil, who declined an opportunity to race at Pan Pacs in favor of Jr. Pan Pacs (meet rules prohibit swimmers from participating in both in the same calendar year), will swim 5 races, including her specialty the 100 fly – where she swam a 58.44 at Canadian Nationals earlier this summer. She was on Canada’s team in 2016 in Maui as well, where she finished 5th in the 100 fly.

Select other entry lists are below:

• Carson Foster, USA – 200 free, 200 IM, 400 IM, 200 back
• Jake Foster, USA – 200 fly, 200 IM, 200 breast, 400 IM
• Claire Tuggle, USA – 200 free, 400 IM, 400 free, 200 IM
• Michaela Ryan, Australia – 200 free, 200 fly, 100 free, 100 fly
• Maggie MacNeil, Canada – 200 free, 100 back, 100 free, 100 fly, 50 free
• Drew Kibler, USA – 200 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 50 free
• Keisuke Ishizaki, Japan – 200 free, 100 free, 50 free
• Sebastian Somerset, Canada – 100 back, 200 back, 50 free
• Gianluca Urlando, USA – 100 back, 200 fly, 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 back, 200 IM
• Gretchen Walsh, USA – 200 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 50 free,
• Alex Walsh, USA – 100 back, 100 free, 100 breast, 200 back, 200 IM

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2018 Jr. Pan Pacs Entry Lists Released

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Much like Typhoon Shanshan approaching Tokyo wound up being nothing more than a solid rainstorm before the Pan Pac Championships, a massive earthquake off the coast of Fiji isn’t expected to interfere with the Jr. Pan Pac Championships either.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), a magnitude 8.2 earthquake shook the floor of the Pacific Ocean on Sunday, just as the American team was arriving for the meet. Experts believe, however, that it was too deep to cause any damage.

“I would not expect any damage. People will feel it but it’s so deep that I would not expect any damage,” USGS geophysicist Jana Pursley told Reuters.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Tweeted out that while the earthquake is causing tsunami waves, they are not considered dangerous, in spite of the earthquake’s proximity to Suva, where the meet is being held.

UPDATE: Fiji #earthquake magnitude revised to 8.2 and small, non-dangerous #tsunami waves have been observed. While no hazard is expected for any coastline, but please be observant and exercise normal caution.https://t.co/Af5aJJKIIB

— NWS PTWC (@NWS_PTWC) August 19, 2018

An earthquake of magnitude 8.2 on the Richter Scale is extremely rare. According to the USGS, there have only been 11 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 8.0 in the last 11 years. It is also the highest-magnitude earthquake recorded so far in 2018. The earthquake that caused the 2011 tsunami that devestated Japan was measured at 9.0.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: No Danger Expected from Magnitude 8.2 Earthquake Near Fiji

By Lauren Neidigh on SwimSwam

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results

The 2018 Asian Games kicked off this morning in Jakarta, and swimmers are now gearing up for the first finals session of the Games. Tonight. we’ll see them compete for medals in the men’s 200 free, 100 back, and 200 fly, as well as the women’s 1500 free, 200 back, 100 breast, and 400 free relay.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREE:

1. GOLD: Wang Jianjiahe, CHN, 15:53.68
2. SILVER: Li Bingjie, CHN, 15:53.80
3. BRONZE: Waka Kobori, JPN, 16:18.31

China’s Wang Jianjiahe led teammate Li Bingjie by a few seconds to set the pace, but it ended up being a very close finish. Bingjie made a big push on the last 100, closing the gap by nearly 2.5 seconds, but she came up just short as Jianjiahe touched in 15:53.68. That topped Bingjie (15:53.80) by a tenth. They were well ahead of the rest of the field as Japan’s Waka Kobori (16:18.31) was about 25 seconds back to take bronze.

Jiajiahe’s time was about half a second shy of her season best from Chinese Nationals. She’s the 3rd fastest swimmer in the world this year. Bingjie cut almost 5 seconds from her Chinese Nationals performance to move from 6th to 4th in the world rankings.

MEN’S 200 FREE:

1. GOLD: Sun Yang, CHN, 1:45.43
2. SILVER: Katsuhiro Matsumoto, JPN, 1:46.50
3. BRONZE: Ji Xinjie, CHN, 1:46.68

Japan’s Naito Ehara (1:47.66) set the pace up front as he flipped in 51.58, butSun Yang took off on the 3rd 50 to lead the pack. Sun was dominant on the back half to win by over a second in 1:45.43, earning his first ever Asian Games gold in this event after taking silver in 2010 and 2014. That was Sun’s first sub-1:46 of the year and lands him 3rd in the world rankings.

Japan’s Katsuhiro Matsumoto (1:46.50) and China’s Ji Xinjie (1:46.68) were neck-and-neck into the finish in the battle for silver, with Matsumoto slightly outpacing Xinjie on the back half to clip him at the touch. Jordan’s Khader Baqlah, an SEC champion for the Florida Gators, was a tenth shy of the podium in 1:46.77.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK:

1. GOLD: Liu Yaxin, China, 2:07.65
2. SILVER: Natsumi Sakai, Japan, 2:08.13
3. BRONZE: Peng Xuwei, China, 2:09.14

The defending Asian Games champion Akase Sayaka, still only 23-years old, was left off the podium, shut out by the Chinese pair and her countrymate Natsumi Sakai, in the women’s 20 backstroke final.

19-year old Liu Yaxin won the race in 2:07.65, using a strong back-half to run from 4th to 1st on the 3rd 50 meters. Her splits were 1:03.41/1:04.24, as compared to Natsumi Sakai, who led at the halfway mark but faded to silver (1:02.45/1:05.68).

15-year old Peng Xuwei placed 3rd in 2:09.14 for China, followed by Sayaka in 4th in 2:10.35.

South Korea’s Dasol Im was 5th in 2:13.66. That’s an add of more-than-a-second from the prelims time that had her ranked 3rd after Sunday morning.

MEN’S 100 BACK:

1. GOLD: Xu Jiayu, China, 52.34 (AG =)
2. SILVER: Ryosuke Irie, Japan, 52.53
3. BRONZE: Juho Lee, South Korea, 54.52

28-year old Japanese swimmer Ryosuke Irie opened in exactly the same split that he used en route to the 2014 title in the men’s 100 backstroke, but he didn’t have quite enough to run-down the fast-starting Xu Jiayu and claim a 3rd-straight title.

Instead, Xu used a nearly-half-second advantage at the turn to win his first-ever individual Asian Games title in 52.34. That swim tied the Asian Games record that Irie set when he won the 2014 title.

Japan, for just the second time since the first Asian Games in 1951 (where they didn’t compete), failed to put two swimmers on the men’s 100 backstroke podium, with the other occasion coming in 1998, where they had no medals in the event. It wasn’t China, however, that locked them out. There was a huge gap between Irie for silver and the rest of the field, but South Korea’s Juho Lee was the best of the bunch, taking bronze in 54.52. Japan’s Masaki Kaneko was 3rd in 54.61. Kaneko was about three-tenths better at Pan Pacs a week ago.

China’s Li Guangyuan was 5th in 55.01 followed by Vietnam’s Paul Nguyen in 6th at 55.72. Li added seven-tenths of a second from his prelims swim.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST:

1. GOLD: Satomi Suzuki, Japan, 1:06.40 (AG Record)
2. SILVER: Reona Aoki, Japan, 1:06.45
3. BRONZE: Shi Jinglin, China, 1:07.36

The Japanese duo of Satomi Suzuki and Reona Aoki both were under the old Asian Games Record in the women’s 100 breaststroke, but Suzuki came away with the title by a margin of .05 seconds.

Suzuki swam a 1:06.40, Aoki swam 1:06.45, and the record was a 1:06.67 set by China’s Shi Jinglin in 2014.

Comparative Splits:

• Suzuki – 30.96/35.44 = 1:06.40
• Aoki – 31.08/35.37 = 1:06.45
• Shi ’14 – 31.85/34.82 = 1:06.67

Shi was 3rd in Sunday’s final, swimming a 1:07.36, followed by her countrymate Yu Jingyao in 1:07.44. China had won this event in 7 of the last 8 Asian Games, but Japan has now won the other 9 titles in total, for the most-ever by nation since the race was added to the 1958 Games.

Aoki was the faster of the two Japanese swimmers at the Pan Pacific Championships, where they swam this race 10 days ago. At that meet, she took bronze in 1:06.34 while Suzuki was 4th in 1:06.51, but Suzuki was able to carry forward to the 2nd meet better, dropping time to win  gold.

MEN’S 200 FLY:

1. GOLD: Daiya Seto, Japan, 1:54.53
2. SILVER: Nao Horomura, Japan, 1:55.58
3. BRONZE: Li Zhuhao, China, 1:55.76

After a slow start to the session, Japan finished strong with a second-straight gold-silver performance, this time in the men’s 200 fly. Daiya Seto repeated as champion in 1:54.53, which is about half-a-second slower than he was for his 2014 win; while Nao Horomura took silver in 1:55.58.

Both swimmers have been faster this year, and rank in the top 5 in the world in the event, but the story of this meet so far has been the lack of lifetime-best, or even season-best, times for the participants. Horomura has been 1:53 already in 2018, for example.

2017-2018 LCM MEN 200 FLY

KristofHUN
MILAK

03/28
1.52.71

2	Nao HOROMURA	JPN	1.53.79	04/06
3	Chad LE CLOS	RSA	1.54.00	04/07
4	Tamas KENDERESEI	HUN	1.54.14	03/28
5	Daiya SETO	JPN	1.54.34	08/10

View Top 26»

China’s Li Zhuhao took bronze in 1:55.76, followed by countryman Wang Zhou in 1:56.75. Sajan Prakash from India was 5th in 1:57.75, while American-trained Zheng Quah was 6th in 1:57.95 – the same position he took at the 2018 NCAA Championships in this event.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE RELAY:

1. GOLD: Japan, 3:36.52 (AG, Japan Records)
2. SILVER: China, 3:36.78
3. BRONZE: Hong Kong, 3:41.88

18-year old Rikako Ikee led off Japan’s relay in a new Asian Games Record of 53.60, and ignited the relay as a group to new Asian Games and Japanese Records in the event.

The old Meet Record in the event was a 3:36.88 done by China at the 2010 edition, which included anchor Tang Yi, whose individual record Ikee broke with her leadoff. The old Japanese Record of 3:36.74 was done in prelims at the 2016 Olympic Games.

This race was another streak-buster, with China having won the last 5 editions, dating back to 1998. On Sunday, they too were under the Meet Record, but with only one 53-second split (a 53.68 from 16-year old anchor Yang Junxuan), China couldn’t run-down the early Japanese lead.

Hong Kong took bronze in 3:41.88. That put them on an island of sorts, 5 seconds behind China for silver, but two-and-a-half clear of Singapore for 4th. Hong Kong got that medal without their top freestyler Siobhan Haughey, who has been dealing with a foot injury.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2018 Asian Games: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results
• Day 1 recap

Japan and China traditionally dominate the medals tables in swimming at the Asian Games, at a fairly consistent rate. Over the last 8 versions of this event, the two countries have combined for between 71 and 86% of the medals awarded at the event. The low-water mark was in 1998, where there was an unusually-strong contingent of swimmers from Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) and a number of other countries that aren’t traditonal Asian powers (Thailand, for example, won 5 of their 17 medals all-time that year).

China & Japan Combined Medals Table Dominance, Swimming at the Asian Games, 1986-2014

• 2014 – 93/114 – 81.6%
• 2010 – 93/114 – 81.6%
• 2006 – 91/114 – 79.8%
• 2002 – 81/96 – 84.4%
• 1998 – 70/98 – 71.4%
• 1994 – 70/93 – 75.3%
• 1990 – 80/93 –  86.0%
• 1986 – 70/87 – 80.5%

2018 looks no different, and if anything, the divide has deepened (in spite of anecdotal evidence leading to the belief that regional swimming abilities in Asia are growing). On day 1, China and Japan won 19 out of 21 medals, with only South Korea’s Lee Ju-Ho’s bronze in the 100 backstroke stealing a medal that the two superpowers could have won.

That’s a combined 90.5% of the medals on the first day (because each nation can only have one relay, the maximum possible so far would be 95.2%).

Hong Kong snuck in for that 3rd relay medal in the women’s 400.

Day 1 Records:

• Asian Games Record, W. 100 free, Rikako Ikee – 53.60
• Asian Games Record,  W. 400 free relay, Japan – 3:36.52
• Japanese Record, W. 400 free relay, Japan – 3:36.52
• Asian Games Record, W. 100 breast, Satomi Suzuki, 1:06.40
• Asian Games Record (TIED), M. 100 back, Xu Jiayu – 52.34

Day 1 Medal Table, Swimming at the 2018 Asian Games

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	China	4	2	4	10
2	Japan	3	5	1	9
3	South Korea	0	0	1	1
3	Hong Kong	0	0	1	1
Total		7	7	7	21

Read the full story on SwimSwam: China and Japan Dominate Day 1 Medals Table, Again

By Giusy Cisale on SwimSwam

Per gentile concessione di Gary Hall Sr., dieci volte record mondiale, atleta Olimpico, allenatore e co-fondatore del Race Club .

LA TRACK START

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Tecnica: Come Migliorare La Partenza Con La Track Start

By Torrey Hart on SwimSwam

2018 WORLD PARA SWIMMING ALLIANZ EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 13th-19th, 2018
• National Aquatic Centre, Dublin, Ireland
• LCM
• Live Results

The penultimate day of the 2018 Para Swimming European Championships featured even more record-breaking swims than the first five.

Italian Antonio Fantin kicked off night six with another world record, going 1:07.73 to win the S5 100 back. The previous record of 1:09.44 was set earlier this year by Francesco Bocciardo.

Later, Great Britain’s Jessica Applegate broke her own world record in the S14 100 fly, going 1:013; her previous record was 1:04.46. She led the British sweep of the podium, with Bethany Firth taking silver in 1:05.43 and Louise Fiddes third in 1:05.47.

The Netherlands’ Liesette Bruinsma took down yet another world record, this time in the S11 100 free. She went 1:05.14 to break her own previous record of 1:05.81.

In the men’s S13 100 free, world record holder Ihar Boki, of Belarus, lowered his own mark to 50.65 (record was previously 50.85).

Shortly after, the Ukraine’s SM10 swimmer Denys Dubrov took over a second off his own world record in the 200 IM, winning in 2:05.63 (previous record 2:06.87). His teammate Maksym Krypak took second in 2:07.32. The Netherlands’ Lisa Kruger took down her own European record in the women’s event in 2:27.89, over a second under her previous time.

To close out the night, the Italian mixed 20-point 4×50 free relay shattered Ukraine’s European record, going 2:22.87 (previous record 2:30.26).

Top 5 Teams After Day 6

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Fantin, Bruinsma, Boki Continue WR-Setting Swims at Para Euros Day 6

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results

After China and Japan dominated the first two days of swimming at the 2018 Asian Games, and with a few exceptions, Monday should be a similar run.

The day’s events will include prelims and finals of the men’s  800 free, women’s 50 fly, men’s 50 back, women’s 100 free, men’s 200 IM, women’s 200 breast, men’s 800 free

Day 2 Storylines to watch:

• Japanese 18-year old Rikako Ikee, the most exciting thing to happen to the nation’s swimming scene since Kosuke Hagino looked like he might become the next Michael Phelps, will take on two races: the 50 fly and 100 free. She’s the top seed and heavy favorite in both races. In the 50 fly, that’s by almost a full second (.99) ahead of #2 seed Wang Yichun. The 100 free sees an even bigger margin: Ikee is seeded 1st in 53.03, and China’s Yang Junxuan is 2nd in 54.26. So, Ikee might be racing the clock on Monday. In the 50 fly, that’s a race to join Sarah Sjostrom under the 25-second barrier. In the 100 free, it’s a race against her 53.60 relay leadoff from Sunday for the Asian Games Record in the race. She’s usually faster in individual races than in relays.
• The China-Japan bloc might be rattled a little in the men’s 50 back. Xu Jiayu is the top seed in 24.57, and while he did win the 100 back, he wasn’t close to his best. The next 4 seeds are all from smaller Asian nations: Jiseok Kang from South Korea, I Gede Siman Sudartawa from Indonesia, Paul Nguyen from Vietnam, and Zheng Quah from Singapore. The 2014 silver medalist Ryosuke Irie is also lurking, and while his finishing speed on the 100 back on Sunday was off, his opening speed was on-par with his 2014 swim. That gives hope for a good 50. Three-time defending champion Junya Kogatested positive for a banned substance twice in March. No full sanction has been announced yet, but he’s not racing at this meet.
• The 800 free is being raced at this meet for the first time since 1951 (the very first edition of the Asian Games, where Singapore’s Neo Chwee Kok won it as part of a four-gold-medal haul). His time was 11:02.2 (which even at the time was 91 seconds slower than the World Record). China’s Sun Yang is the top seed in the event at 7:48.87. Lately, the 800 has been as long as he goes, if even that far, but he’s entered in the 1500 free too (where he’s the World Record holder). There’s nobody in the field that’s in Sun’s class in the distance freestyles when he’s on form.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2018 Asian Games Day 2 Preview: Rikako Ikee Gunning for Double Glory

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

Tulane has named Leah Stancil as the new head coach for its women-only swimming and diving program. She replaces Katie Robinson, who accepted an associate head coach position at Northwestern University this summer after five seasons leading the Green Wave.

Stancil brings a wealth of experience working with top athletes at a powerhouse program — she just finished up her tenth season as an assistant for the University of Florida. Stancil was credited by current UF men’s head coach, Anthony Nesty, for recruiting 20-time NCAA All-American and three-time SEC champion Natalie Hinds to the UF program.

“Congratulations to Leah Stancil for becoming the new Head Coach at Tulane University,” said Nesty. “In her tenure here at Florida – Leah was an instrumental part of our program as an athlete and as a coach. She was instrumental in the recruitment of school record holder, Natalie Hinds. She will be a great asset to Tulane University moving forward. I am proud of her and wish her all the best with her new endeavor at Tulane University.”

Hinds, who finished up her UF career in 2016, added, “I’m so happy for her. Leah’s knowledge and experience in the sport really makes her an amazing coach, but what makes her even better is her attention to detail.”

Stancil was a fantastic swimmer during her own competitive career. She is a Barbados national record holder and was a 12-time NCAA All-American when she swam at UF.

In addition to her time at UF, Stancil has also served as an assistant for South Carolina and SCAD.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Leah Stancil Takes Over as Head Coach at Tulane University

By Torrey Hart on SwimSwam

We’re back with swimming’s TopTenTweets, where we round up the best of the swimming Twitterverse. From the essence of water to the #struggle of open water finishes, scroll to see what made the cut!

#10

At what age should a baby take swim lessons? I see so many tiny babies learning to swim now. Personally, I think that’s very smart. Thoughts?

— Khloé (@khloekardashian) August 14, 2018

99% sure this is the first Kardashian tweet to ever grace TopTenTweets – but it’s an important one.

#9

Photos! https://t.co/29RhWcuELGpic.twitter.com/48EdESwPda

— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) August 16, 2018

10 years ago…

#8

I’ve been #TeamSpeedo since the clear goggle days, but so excited to make it official!! This partnership is a dream come true pic.twitter.com/GSa17fNNok

— kathleen baker (@KathleenBaker2) August 19, 2018

Clear goggles, full hearts…

#7

Usher was on our flight back from Tokyo and I may or may not have geeked out too much when I saw him pic.twitter.com/GM0DHe0Rz3

— Lilly King (@_king_lil) August 13, 2018

Olympians: they’re just like us.

#6

Can I come to swim night?? @katieledecky@Nationalspic.twitter.com/CZ7zL5Je72

— Katie Meili (@Katie_Meili) August 19, 2018

Idea: this, but with the Diamondbacks, who have a pool in center field.

#5

You ever get tired of the taste of water… like there’s so much emptiness behind it.

— Simone Manuel (@simone_manuel) August 13, 2018

pic.twitter.com/brZ4f8MIci

— Leah Smith (@lgsmith19) August 15, 2018

This got deep reaaaallll quick.

#4

Summer champs are pretty much over…. who else is ready for NCAA szn to pick back up

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results

By winning the first heat of the men’s 800 free, Indonesia’s Aflah Prawira gave the home-crowd at the 2018 Asian Games a thrill. This is just the 2nd time that the men’s 800 free, which will be an Olympic event for the first time in 2020, has been held at the games. In spite of including the 50 meter stroke races (which are still not Olympic events) in the last 3 editions of the Asian Games, the ‘other’ distance races weren’t added until Tokyo.

Prawira was the fastest swimmer in the first heat of the race in 8:03.87. The old Meet Record was set in 1951, when Singapore’s Neo Chwee Kok won in 11:02.2.

In Sunday’s timed-final race, the fastest swimmers (including Sun Yang will swim in the evening, and all 8 of the swimmers in that fastest heat are seeded faster than Prawira’s record. In other words: his hold on that mark will probably be short-lived.

It wasn’t the only mark that went down in the race, however. It also took nearly 3 seconds from his own Indonesian National Record that was set at 8:07.50 in June at the Singapore Championships. The 20-year old also holds long course National Records in the 400 free (3:54.15), 1500 free (15:28.69) and 400 IM (4:22.73) that are in danger later in this meet.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Aflah Prawira Breaks 67-Year Old Asian Games Record in Men’s 800 Free

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results
• Day 1 full recap

Select finals races from day 1 of swimming at the 2018 Asian Games are leaking out onto YouTube, including the men’s 200 free, where China’s Sun Yang won his first Asian Games gold in the event; the men’s 200 fly, where Japan’s Daiya Seto repeated as champion; and a piece of the women’s 1500 free, where Chinese swimmers Wang Jianjiahe and Li Bingji battled, before Wang eventually took the title.

Men’s 200 Free – FINAL

Men’s 200 Fly – FINAL

Women’s 1500 Free – FASTEST HEAT

Read the full story on SwimSwam: WATCH: Sun Yang Win His First Asian Games Gold in 200 Free

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Schedule & Results

The second day of the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta will feature seven different events, with the 800 free, 50 back, 200 IM and 4×200 free relay for men, and the 50 fly, 100 free and 200 breast for women.

18-year-old Japanese star Rikako Ikee will be the highlight of the day as she competes in both the 50 fly and 100 free. She holds the Asian Record in both events and set the Games Record on day 1 in the 100 leading off Japan’s relay in 53.60. Her Asian Records, both set in 2018, stand at 25.11 and 53.03 in those events.

The day will also feature a stacked men’s 200 IM field that includes 2016 Olympic and 2017 World Championship silver and bronze medalists Kosuke Hagino and Wang Shun, Junior World Record holder Qin Haiyang, and two-time 400 IM World Champion Daiya Seto.

For the men’s 800 freestyle, only the slower seeded heat will swim with prelims and then the top-seeded heat will go with finals. That one will include China’s Sun Yang, the three-time World Champion in the event who won the 200 free on day 1. For a full preview of day 2, click here.

Men’s 800 Free Timed Final (Early Heats)

• Asian Record: 7:32.12, Zhang Lin (CHN), 2009
• Asian Games Record: 8:03.87, Aflah Fadlan Prawira (IND), 2018

1. Aflah Fadlan Prawira, IDN, 8:03.87
2. Ming Ho Cheuk, HGK, 8:07.76
3. Advait Page, IND, 8:09.13
4. Jun Wei Glen Lim, SGP, 8:11.59
5. Cho Chengchi, TPE, 8:16.63
6. Chak Hang Lam, SGP, 8:26.07

Aflan Fadlan Prawira put up the top time in the lone early heat of the men’s 800 free, clocking a new Games and Indonesian Record in 8:03.87. Ming Ho Cheuk set a new Hong Kong record in 8:07.76 for 2nd, and Advait Page of India sits 3rd in 8:09.13. Page broke his Indian Record by one second.

Women’s 50 Fly Prelims

• Asian Record: 25.11, Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2018
• Asian Games Record: 25.83, Lu Ying (CHN), 2014

1. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 25.91
2. Lin Xintong, CHN, 26.56
3. Wang Yichun, CHN, 26.68
4. Park Yerin, KOR, 26.72
5. Meichien Huang, TPE, 26.98
6. An Sehyeon, KOR, 27.01
7. Chan Kin Lok, HKG, 27.24
8. Ting Wen Quah, SGP, 27.28

Rikako Ikee cruised to the top seed in the women’s 50 fly, clocking 25.91 to narrowly miss Lu Ying‘s Games Record of 25.83 from 2014.

Lin Xintong and Wang Yichun of China occupy the 2nd and 3rd seeds, while Park Yerin of Korea and Meichien Huang of Chinese Taipei were also sub-27. Ikee’s teammate Ai Soma missed out on the final with a swim of 27.40.

Men’s 50 Back Prelims

• Asian Record: 24.24, Junya Koga (JPN), 2009
• Asian Games Record: 24.28, Junya Koga (JPN), 2014

1. I Gede Sudartawa, IDN, 25.01
2. Xu Jiayu, CHN, 25.12
3. Ryosuke Irie, JPN, 25.25
4. Kang Jiseok, KOR, 25.29
5. Wang Peng, CHN, 25.33
6. Zheng Wen Quah, SGP, 25.54
7. Lee Juho, KOR, 25.67
8. Merdan Atayev, TM, 26.08

Indonesia’s I Gede Sudartawa reset his own National Record to take the top seed into the men’s 50 back final, putting up a time of 25.01 to take down his 25.04 from the 2017 World Championships.

Sudartawa was the winner in heat 3, and his time held up over heat 5 heavy hitters Xu Jiayu (25.12) of China and Ryosuke Irie (25.25) of Japan. Korean Kang Jiseok won heat 4 for the 4th seed overall in 25.29. Zheng Wen Quah, who swims for Cal in the NCAA, qualified 6th.

Women’s 100 Free Prelims

• Asian Record: 53.03, Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2018
• Asian Games Record: 53.60, Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2018

1. Zhu Menghui, CHN, 54.32
2. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 54.33
3. Tomomi Aoki, JPN, 55.57
4. Ko Mi-so, KOR, 55.72
5. Yang Junxuan, CHN, 55.78
6. Jasmine Alkhaldi, PHI, 56.38
7. Christie May Mun Ee Chue, SGP / Camille Cheng, HGK, 56.47
8. –

China’s Zhu Menghui and Ikee were the only two swimmers sub-55 in the women’s 100 free prelims, coming just .01 apart in showings of 54.32 and 54.33 respectively. That swim actually matches Zhu’s season-best, done at the Chinese National Championships, while Ikee has been a full 1.3 seconds faster in 53.03 back in April.

Tomomi Aoki of Japan, Ko Mi-so of Korea and Yang Junxuan of China were separated by two-tenths in 3rd, 4th and 5th, and will have a very close battle for bronze in the final.

Men’s 200 IM Prelims

• Asian Record: 1:55.07, Kosuke Hagino (JPN), 2016
• Asian Games Record: 1:55.34, Kosuke Hagino (JPN), 2014

1. Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 1:59.76
2. Qin Haiyang, CHN, 2:00.40
3. Wang Shun, CHN, 2:01.34
4. Daiya Seto, JPN, 2:01.57
5. Wang Hsinghao, TPE, 2:02.18
6. Kenneth To, HKG, 2:02.50
7. Sheng Jun Pang, SGP, 2:02.64
8. Triady Fauzi Sidiq, IDN, 2:03.32

Kosuke Hagino cruised down the final 50 of the men’s 200 IM with a leisurely 30.68 free split as he claimed the top seed of the morning in a time of 1:59.76. In the 3rd and final heat, he topped teammate Daiya Seto (2:01.57), who ended up with the 4th-fastest time.

China’s Qin Haiyang (2:00.40) and Wang Shun (2:01.34) won heats 1 and 2 for seeds 2 and 3.

Women’s 200 Breast Prelims

• Asian Record: 2:19.65, Rie Kaneto (JPN), 2016
• Asian Games Record: 2:21.82, Kanako Watanabe (JPN), 2014

1. Kanako Watanabe, JPN, 2:27.05
2. Zhang Xinyu, CHN, 2:28.48
3. Reona Aoki, JPN, 2:29.16
4. Yu Jingyao, CHN, 2:29.76
5. Back Su Yeon, KOR, 2:30.63
6. Jamie Zhen Yeung, HKG, 2:32.05
7. Samantha Yeo, SGP, 2:33.74
8. Lin Peiwun, TPE, 2:35.16

Japan’s Kanako Watanabe and China’s Zhang Xinyu went 1-2 in the second of three heats in the women’s 200 breast to establish the top two times of the prelims in 2:27.05 and 2:28.48 respectively. Their teammates Reona Aoki (JPN) and Yu Jingyao (CHN) were the only two others sub-2:30.

Aoki is the 2nd-fastest swimmer in the world this year with a time of 2:21.85, and Watanabe sits 7th with a 2:22.88.

Men’s 4×200 Free Relay Prelims

• Asian Record: 7:02.26, Japan, 2009
• Asian Games Record: 7:06.74, Japan, 2014

1. China, 7:20.80
2. Korea, 7:24.32
3. Singapore, 7:25.62
4. Japan, 7:25.73
5. Vietnam, 7:30.37
6. Chinese Taipei, 7:31.61
7. India, 7:34.69
8. Hong Kong, 7:43.57

With only ten countries showing for the men’s 4×200 prelims (eleven were entered, but Indonesia was a DNS), most of the teams cruised through the heats knowing they could keep their star power in the holster for finals.

China took the top seed in 7:20.80, not using Sun Yang, and Japan, who are the gold medal favorites, sit back in 4th in 7:25.73.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2018 Asian Games: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

By Loretta Race on SwimSwam

SWIMMING AT THE 2018 ASIAN GAMES

• August 19th-24th, 2018
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Day 2 Recap
• Schedule & Results

With the help of 2 gold medals from Olympian Rikako Ikee, the nation of Japan now tops the medal table, claiming 17 in all with 7 gold, 8 silver and 2 bronze. With a higher number of silver, Japan is able to stay ahead of China, our day 1 leader, who has 7 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze for 20 total. Rounding out the top 3 is Korea, who is feeling the pain of not having its top gun Park Tae Hwan here in Jakarta, claiming just 2 bronze medals thus far.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Japan	7	8	2	17
2	China	7	6	7	20
3	South Korea	0	0	2	2
4	Hong Kong	0	0	1	1
	Singapore	0	0	1	1
	Vietnam	0	0	1	1
Total		14	14	14	42

Day 2 Records:

• Asian Games Record, M. 800 free, Sun Yang (CHN) – 7:48.36
• Vietnamese National Record, M. 800 free, Nguyen Huy Hoang – 7:54.32
• Malaysian National Record, M. 800 free, Welson Sim – 8:12.46
• Asian Games Record, W. 50 fly, Rikako Ikee (JPN) – 25.55
• Indonesian National Record, M. 50 back, Gede Sudartawa – 25.29
• Asian Games Record, W. 100 free, Rikako Ikee (JPN) – 53.27
• Asian Games Record, M. 4 x 200 free relay, Japan – 7:05.17

Day 2 Medalists:

Men’s 800 free:

• GOLD: Sun Yang (CHN) – 7:48.36
• SILVER: Shogo Takeda (JPN) – 7:53.01
• BRONZE: Nguyen Huy Hoang (VIE) – 7:54.32

Women’s 50 fly:

• GOLD: Rikako Ikee (JPN) – 25.55
• SILVER: Wang Yichun (CHN) – 26.03
• BRONZE: Lin Xintong (CHN) – 26.39

Men’s 50 back:

• GOLD: Xu Jiayu (CHN) – 24.75
• SILVER: Ryosuke Irie (JPN) – 24.88
• BRONZE: Kang Jiseok (KOR) – 25.17

Women’s 100 free:

• GOLD: Rikako Ikee (JPN) – 53.27
• SILVER: Zhu Menghui (CHN) – 53.56
• BRONZE: Yang Junxuan (CHN) – 54.17

Men’s 200 IM:

• GOLD: Wang Shun (CHN) – 1:56.52
• SILVER: Kosuke Hagino (JPN) – 1:56.75
• BRONZE: Qin Haiyang (CHN) – 1:57.09

Women’s 200 breast:

• GOLD: Kanako Watanbe (JPN) – 2:23.05
• SILVER: Yu Jingyao (CHN) – 2:23.31
• BRONZE: Reona Aoki (JPN) – 2:23.33

Men’s 4 x 200 free relay:

• GOLD: Japan – 7:05.17
• SILVER: China – 7:05.45
• BRONZE: Singapore – 7:14.15

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2018 Asian Games: Japan And China In Dead Heat Through Day 2

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

As students prepare to resume classes for the fall semester on Wednesday at NC State, the men’s and women’s swimming and diving program will be jumping back into the hiring pool after the resignation of assistant coach Mallory Houchin.

Houchin announced her decision via Instagram on Monday afternoon, saying:

“After 10 years in college swimming, I have decided to put my coaching career aside to spend more time with my kids and family. I can’t put into words how much NC State and coaching has meant to me over the last 7 years, but I can tell you it was an incredibly hard decision to make. I will miss this team and the profession, but I’m very excited for this next chapter for me and my family! We will never be far from the pool deck and will always cheer for The PACK!!”

After 10 years in college swimming, I have decided to put my coaching career aside to spend more time with my kids and family. I can’t put into words how much NC State and coaching has meant to me over the last 7 years, but I can tell you it was an incredibly hard decision to make. I will miss this team and the profession, but I’m very excited for this next chapter for me and my family! We will never be far from the pool deck and will always cheer for The PACK!!

A post shared by Mal Houchin (@malhouchin) on Aug 20, 2018 at 9:33am PDT

Houchin joined the NC State staff as an assistant in August of 2011 and worked primarily with middle distance and stroke training. She also “focuses on women’s recruiting and provides a mentoring role for the women’s squad,” according to her official bio.

Prior to joining NC State, Houchin served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in 2010-2011 in the inaugural season for Queens University swimming, are now the four-time defending NCAA Division II Champions in both men’s and women’s swimming.

Houchin also served as an assistant at the now-defunct Clemson program from 2008-2010, where she coached mid-distance and butterfly; in 2008 she was an intern with Club Wolverine, and in 2007, she was an intern as a race analyst and administrator for the USOC. As an athlete, she swam at YOTA in North Carolina and George Mason University.

Houchin, the only female coach on NC State’s staff before her resignation, is the sister-in-law of former US National Teamer Charlie Houchin.

NC State has had to make quite a few hires in the last 2 years after several seasons of stability in their staff. Already this off-season, they’ve hired Mark Bernardino to replace Gary Taylor, who left to take over as the head coach at Auburn; along with hiring Brandt Nigro to replace Todd DeSorbo last off-season when DeSorbo took over as head coach at Virginia.

The NC State men have won the last 4 ACC titles in swimming and placed 4th at NCAAs in each of the last 3 seasons. The NC State women were ACC champions in 2017, and had back-to-back NCAA top 10 finishes in 2016 and 2017 until a run of injuries last year left them 3rd in the conference and 18th in the country.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Mallory Houchin Resigns as Assistant Coach at NC State

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

This week, the oldest USA Swimming National Age Group Record for girls will turn 40, an almost-unfathomable feat, given the rate at which the sport in general has improved since then.

At the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in West Berlin, Sippy Woodhead, who at the time was just 14-years old, won gold in the 200 free and silver in the 400 free in times of 1:58.53 and 4:07.15, which remain to this day the fastest ever done by an American 13-14 swimmer.

The 200 free will officially hit its 40th birthday on Wednesday, August 22nd, while the 400 free hit its birthday on Friday, August 24th. In that 400 free, Woodhead lost to Australian Tracey Wickham, who wasn’t much older: only 15.

At the time, Woodhead’s 200 free was a new World Record, as was Wickham’s winning 400 free. While that global standard has come down by 5-and-a-half seconds in the 200 and almost 10 seconds in the 400, no American swimmer has yet been faster before her 15th birthday.

The late 1970s and early 1980s were a golden era of sorts for young American female swimmers. Besides her, that 1978 World Championship team had a 15-year old Tracy Caulkins win 5 gold medals, and not long after, a young Mary T. Meagher would put up teenage times that also stand untouched to this day.

Even in a rubber suit, Missy Franklin, who in spite of her current battles with injury is and was one of the best teenage swimmers in history and the 15-16 record holder, couldn’t get Woodhead’s mark.

Woodhead’s records are just now becoming in danger again, with Claire Tuggle’s 1:58.59 from US Nationals now just .06 seconds a way from the record. Tuggle doesn’t turn 15 until July of next year, so there’s a very real chance that the 200 won’t survive to its 41st anniversary.

As for the 400 free, it might stand a little longer. Tuggle is the next-closest current competitor in that race as well: she ranks 4th all-time in the age group with a 4:10.11. Becca Mann swam a 4:08.65 in 2012, and Katie Ledecky swam a 4:09.30 at the 2012 Missouri Grand Prix. Ledecky aged up a month after that swim and was already 15 by the time she swam 4:05.00 at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials.

The oldest boys’ record still on the books is Bobby Hackett’s 1976 mile, where he swam 15:03.91 at only 16. Decades later, that swim still would have been good for 4th at US Nationals.

Reaching around the world, the fastest-ever female 13-14 200 freestyler in Australia is Ellese Zalewski, who swam 2:00.51 in 2006; the fastest 400 freestyler is Remy Fairweather, who swam 4:08.63 in 2012. The current World Record holder in the 200 free (and pre-Ledecky record holder in the 400), Federica Pellegrini, wasn’t even on the same planet as Woodhead at 14: her first sub-2 minute swim in the 200 free didn’t come until she was 16.

On average, long course records are much older than their short course equivalents, probably due to the advancements in underwater swimming having a bigger impact on short course racing than long course. The oldest SCY national age group record still standing is Mary T.’s 1981 mark of 1:52.99 in the 200 yard fly.

The enormity of the mountains that these swimmers built that have, in many cases, yet to be climbed can’t help but make one wonder what they would have down with modern suits, goggles, nutrition, pool designs, and training techniques. Or, if there’s something from that generation that is lost, that doesn’t fit the mold of the 21st century athlete, be it the coaching style, or some other immeasurable quality that played into the hands of these young athletes, where they wouldn’t necessarily catch the same spark in a 2018 swim team.

Watch highlights from the meet, including the last 50 of Woodhead’s 200 free, below:

Whatever the case, this week, as the Jr. Pan Pac Championships kick off in Fiji, we can sit in awe, and imagine what it would’ve been like to see a 14-year old girl swim times that still qualify as world class today, but set in the late 1970s. The records will, eventually, be broken, but how long they’ve stood will always be remembered.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Sippy Woodhead’s 13-14 National Age Group Records Turn 40

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has lifted a lifetime ban on taekwondo coach Jean Lopez and replaced it with temporary restrictions, reports indicate. A lawyer for women who say Lopez sexually assaulted them indicated that the ban was lifted because the alleged victims wouldn’t testify in person, though SafeSport has denied that claim.

Lopez and his brother, three-time Olympian Steven Lopez, have been at the center of a major taekwondo scandal. Multiple women have claimed that the Lopez brothers drugged and assaulted women, physically abused women, groomed young athletes for sexual abuse and used their positions of authority to victimize athletes who felt they couldn’t say no to them. The brothers were the subject of a lawsuit this spring complaining that the USOC failed to address complaints about the Lopez’s while profiting of of their status, and comparing that situation to knowingly participating in sex trafficking.

Now, USA Today reports that a previous lifetime ban on Jean Lopez has been lifted by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Attorney Stephen Estey, who represents several alleged victims of Jean Lopez, told USA Today that the Center was requiring those victims to testify in person in order to maintain the ban. The Center says it offered Estey’s clients other options, “including offsite questioning by video or telephone, as well as an opportunity for reporting parties to be questioned only by the arbitrator, without direct cross-examination by the responding party or their lawyer, in accordance with the SafeSport Code,” but Estey says his clients will already have to testify in a civil trial and doesn’t want them to have to testify twice.

Jean Lopez’s ban on the SafeSport website is now listed as an “intermediate measure – restriction,” though it’s not clear what those specific restrictions are. Lopez’s lawyer told Deadspin that Lopez would be allowed to coach again, with the only restriction being that he is disallowed from having contact with his accusers. We’ve reached out to the Center for SafeSport for specific restrictions, but haven’t yet received response.

The story is relevant to all Olympic sports as it’s an early wrinkle in the Center for SafeSport system, which now oversees investigations and bans on allegations of coaching abuse in Olympic sports, rather than the individual sporting federations themselves.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: SafeSport Lifts Lifetime Ban On Taekwondo Coach Lopez

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

An assistant district attorney said in court this week that the prosecution has “photographic evidence” and a confession from former Marlins of Raleigh coach Nicholas Walkotten, accused of improprieties with an child.

Walkotten was arrested last week and charged with five sex offenses: one felony count of indecent liberties with a child and four counts of statutory sex offense with a child under 15. The 32-year-old was a college swimmer at Indiana and South Carolina, and had also coached for UNC – Wilmington and YMCA of the Triangle.

WRAL reports that at Walkotten’s first court appearance, Wake County Assistant District Attorney Katy Pomeroy said prosecutors had photographic evidence to back their case, and had evidence that Walkotten tried to destroy evidence.

“There is a text message chain between the victim and this defendant in which he does encourage her to delete a lot of their correspondence,” Pomeroy said in the WRAL story.

The Marlins of Raleigh say Walkotten was fired two weeks ago, when the allegations came to the club. Walkotten now appears in the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s database of disciplinary records. He is currently listed with an “interim measure – suspension” as of August 2nd.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Prosecutor Says State Has Photographic Evidence Against Walkotten

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

2018 RCP Tiburon Mile

• August 18th, 2018
• Bay Area, California
• Full Results (Including Age Group & Wetsuit Divisions)

The 2018 edition of the RCP Tiburon Mile is the 17th version of the annual open water swim in the San Francisco area where elite and recreational open water enthusiasts alike take to the water for a one-mile race between Angel Island and Tiburon at the entrance to the bays that give the region its name.

After taking a year off, the race returned for 2018, and in the women’s event, Ashley Twichell won her 4th-straight Tiburon Mile women’s elite title.

This year’s race was a particularly fast year, and Twichell finished in 21:56, which was over 3 minutes ahead of her pace from the 2016 race.

Twichell was so fast, in fact, that she almost beat all of the men’s competitors, instead of the usual ‘most of them.’ She finished just a few steps (the Tiburon mile finishes with a very short run through the finish line) behind Zane Grothe, who won Pan Pacs gold in the 800 and silver in the 1500 in Tokyo two weeks ago, and has now twice dipped his toe into open waters (he also swam the 10k at Pan Pacs).

A video of the finish, with Twichell in the blue cap in the lead pack with the men:

They told me this was a swimming race #SCNotTop10pic.twitter.com/0Y1HwD9dZn

— Zane Grothe (@zane_growth_ee) August 19, 2018

Twichell was only another few seconds behind the men’s race winner Ferry Weertman of the Netherlands, who completed the mile 1st in 21:50, ahead of US National Teamer David Heron (21:51) and Ricardo Vargas (21:52). Earlier this month, Weertman won the European Championships in both the 10km open water swim and the team open water swim.

In addition to the winners, there were a few fun entries in the elite classification. That includes Kelsey Ditto, a former Stanford and Georgia All-American in the distance freestyle races and the 2010 Pac 10 Scholar Athlete of the Year; and Dutch sprinter Ranomi Kromowidjojo, the 5th-fastest woman ever over 50 meters.

Besides the elite competition, there were winners declared by age group, in both wetsuit and non-wetsuit competitions. The whole event was designed to race money for the charity Lifehouse, which has served the developmentally disabled since 1954. A mile is about 1609 meters, so needless to say Kromowidjojo didn’t place as highly here as she normally does in the 50, but it’s still fun to see athletes outside of their comfort zones.

Elite Race Results

Women’s mile – Top 10

1. Ashley Twichell, 21:56
2. Becca Mann, 22:09
3. Rachele Bruni, 22:14
4. Martina Dememme, 22:18
5. Caroline Jousse, 22:46
6. Steffanie Gillespie, 23:37
7. Arianna ridi, 23:38
8. Ceri Edwards, 26:29
9. Kelsey Ditto, 27:13
10. Ranomi Kromowidjojo, 27:25

Men’s mile

1. Ferry Weertman, 21:50
2. David Heron, 21:51
3. Ricardo Vargas, 21:52
4. Zane Grothe, 21:56
5. Alex Meyer, 23:26
6. Akira Iomvardas, 23:40
7. Michael Sheil, 23:44
8. Gavin McGee, 23:51
9. Sean Percin, 25:00
10. Bobby Yribarren, 25:34

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ashley Twichell Almost Beats the Boys at the 2018 Tiburon Mile