By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

World Champion Michael Andrew has been confirmed as a participant for Energy for Swim 2018.

While competing at the World Cup stop in Beijing, Andrew was kind enough to take some time to answer a few questions about competing at Energy for Swim 2018:

1. What are you excited about coming into the Energy for Swim 2018 event?

The Italian Swimming Federation announced they will organize ENERGY FOR SWIM 2018 in collaboration with the City of Torino December 20-21. However, after announcing a massive roster of over 70 international athletes, including American swimmers such as Ryan Murphy, Simone Manuel, and Matt Grevers, FINA announced a rules interpretation that could outlaw the Energy for Swim meet entirely.

Much of the world’s swimming talented competed at ENERGY FOR SWIM 2017.  See highlights here:

See the full release courtesy of the Italian Swimming Federation:

The Italian Swimming Federation, in collaboration with the City of Torino, will organize ENERGY FOR SWIM 2018, that will be held in 20-21 December 2018 on Aquatic Stadium.

The contest will be attended by the greatest champions of swimming for two unforgettable days of entertainment and consists of a competition in a 25-metre pool according to all the rules of LEN and FINA.

The event includes all the individual events of the World Championship (except 800 and 1500) and the relays 4×100 freestyle, 4×100 medley, 4×100 mixed freestyle and 50 freestyle skins.

ENERGY FOR SWIM 2018 is an individual competition by invitation of national and foreign athletes that will be split in four groups and not representing the national teams of the country of their origin.

The format provides a points ranking and prize money for the athletes in each events.

The contest aims to enhance the image of the performance of participating athletes to be a real showcase after the World Championship in short course that will end in Hangzhou (CHN) a few days earlier.

The event will be sponsored by the Energy Standard Group.

SwimSwam is an Energy Standard Group partner. 

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Michael Andrew Answers Q&A on Energy for Swim 2018

By Loretta Race on SwimSwam

As we head into the 3rd and final cluster of the 2018 FINA World Cup Series in southeast Asia, a great battle-within-the-battle is developing between Olympic medalists Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden and Ranomi Kromowidjojo of Netherlands has been heating up over the circuit thus far.

Although they each race additional events, the common races between Sjostrom and Kromo have included the 50m free, 100m free and 50m fly. Comparing just the 3 aforementioned events through 4 stops, the momentum may be shifting in Kromo’s favor in the friendly rivalry.

Cluster #1 – Advantage Sjostrom

Sjostrom kicked off her World Cup campaign with incredibly fast times, including new World Cup Records in the 50m free and 50m fly in Kazan. The Swede beat Kromo in both races, with Sjostrom clocking 23.83 to Kromo’s 24.55 in the former and 25.39 to Kromo’s 26.09 in the latter. Sjostrom also carried home the 100m free gold in 52.99, while Kromo finished in 3rd with a time of 53.71.

In Doha, Sjostrom lowered her 50m fly WC time to 25.22 en route to topping Kromo again, and also beat the Dutch ace in the 50m free and 100m free at this stop.

Cluster #2 – Advantage Kromowidjojo

With a home turf advantage, Kromo started to turn the tide a bit in Eindhoven, the first stop of the second cluster. There, the 2012 Olympic double champion clocked 23.26 in the 50m free to top Sjostrom’s 23.67.

Although Kromo fell to Sjostrom in both the 100m free and 50m fly at this meet, the 2 women were even closer to one another in their results. In the 100m free, Sjostrom won in 51.21 to 51.42, while the sprint fly victory differential was even narrower, with the pair separate by only .06. Sjostrom produced 24.61 to Kromo’s 24.67.

Budapest is where the major transition happened, however, as Kromo went 3-0 against Sjostrom in the 2nd stop. The women’s 50m free saw Kromo take gold in 23.23 to Sjostrom’s 23.36, while the 100m free fell to Kromo 51.01 to Sjostrom’s 51.22. The 50m fly was also a close call, with Kromo finishing first in 24.65 to Sjostrom’s 24.82.

Of note, the first cluster was contested in long course meters, the format in which Sjostrom holds World Records across the 50m/100m free and 50m/100m fly events. Sjostrom does hold the 100m fly short course meters World Record, while Kromo is the fastest 50m freestyler ever in short course.

Both Sjostrom and Kromowidjojo are included in the start lists for this week’s stop in Tokyo, so we’ll see how the races shake out as they take to the pool November 9th-11th.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: The Kromowidjojo/Sjostrom Battle Is Set To Rage On at Tokyo World Cup

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

^{Reported by Spencer Penland.}

TEXAS VS TEXAS A&M (WOMEN’S MEET)

• Friday, November 2nd
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, TX
• Short Course Yards
• Live results

TEAM SCORES

WOMEN

1. Texas – 172
2. Texas A&M – 123

Texas won handily against Texas A&M in both the men’s and women’s meet on Friday, November 2nd. Texas’ men won 11 of 16 events, 2 of which they lost due to exhibitioning all their swimmers. The Longhorn women came away with wins in 11 of 16 events as well, one of which was lost due to exhibitioning all their swimmers. you can find our men’s recap here.

Claire Adams, Joanna Evans, and Remedy won 2 events apiece, leading the Longhorn women to a decisive victory. Adams kicked off her meet with a quick 23.82 fly split on Texas’ A 200 medley relay, which claimed victory in a time of 1:39.16. Julia Cook led off that relay in 25.08, followed by Olivia Anderson (28.14), and Grace Ariola Anchored in 22.12. Adams went on to post a 52.56 to win the 100 back, marking the 4th fastest swim in the NCAA this season. Ariola was the runner-up in that event, clocking a 54.25. Adams also won the 200 back, finishing in 1:55.54 for the 8th fastest time in the NCAA this season. Adams capped off the meet with a fast 48.75 anchor split on the Texas A 400 free relay. Cook led that relay off in 49.70, followed by Anelise Diener (49.44), and Remedy Rule (49.52). The relay noteably did not include Ariola, who has a personal best 48.3 in the 100 free. Despite that, the Longhorn women posted a nation-leading 3:17.41.

Joanna Evans took the 1000 free in a 9:47.68, marking the fastest time in the NCAA this season. Teammate Evie Pfeifer came in 2nd with a 9:49.02, clocking the 3rd fastest time nationally this season. Evans also went on to win the 500 free in 4:49.44. Remedy Rule won both butterfly events, clocking a 53.84 to win the 100 fly. In the 200, Rule swam a quick 1:56.68, coming in just .08 seconds off her season best.

Grace Ariola led a 1-2-3 Texas finish in the 50 free. Ariola swam a 22.52 for the 10th fastest time in the NCAA this season, touching out Julia Cook (22.67) and Anelise Diener (22.85). Claire Rasmus swam a fast 1:46.56 to claim victory in the 200 free, marking the 8th fastest time in the NCAA. Sydney Pickrem took the 200 IM with a speedy 1:58.30, clocking the 2nd fastest time in the NCAA this season. Pickrem also took the 100 breast in 1:00.88, the 8th fastest time nationally this season, while Anna Belousova came in 2nd with a 1:01.08, which ranks 10th.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Freshman Standout Julia Cook Having Seamless Transition into College (Video)

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

FINA’s refusal to approve the Energy for Swim 2018 meet could lead to bans of between one and two years to athletes who compete, sources say. And athletes are currently caught in the middle of the standoff, waiting for each other to make decisions on whether to compete in the unapproved meet.

Background: The skirmish revolves around a FINA rule interpretation which classified the Energy for Swim event as an international competition requiring FINA approval. But that interpretation happened only recently, leaving the meet unable to get approval six months in advance, as required by FINA rules. Meet organizers framed the move as FINA trying to “destroy” the meet, which has ties to the International Swimming League (ISL), an organization FINA has publicly opposed. The meet itself isn’t officially organized by the ISL, but is hosted by the Italian Swimming Federation, whose president Paolo Barelli ran against and lost to current FINA president Julio Maglione in a contentious election last year. You can read more about the political context and maneuvering around the event in the story we broke last week.

FINA Rules: 1- to 2-year bans

USA Swimming made a conference call to national team athletes last week to explain the situation. Sources say the call was led by Chief Operating Officer Mike Unger and also featured Managing Director Lindsay Mintenko and CEO Tim Hinchey. Unger said the call was purely informational, and that USA Swimming didn’t – and couldn’t – advise athletes either to compete or not compete at the event.

“The idea of the call was simply to talk to the athletes,” Unger said. “First and foremost, our priorities are to make sure that we offer as many opportunities as we can for our athletes… but we also need to follow the FINA rules and make sure that no one gets themselves in hot water.

“We do support the idea of this competition, but we also support FINA, and so we have to follow FINA rules.”

Unger said the call was prompted by a letter FINA sent out on October 30 informing the federation that the Energy for Swim was not approved. The letter referenced two sections of FINA rules, one (BL 12.3) governing FINA approval and the other (GR 4.5) spelling out sanctions for participation in unauthorized meets. GR 4.5 lays out the specific punishment: a minimum suspension of one year and a maximum suspension of two years. National federations will be responsible for handing out the specific suspension, but FINA can review the suspension and increase it to the maximum of two years.

“That’s the rule,” Unger said. “I hope we’d never get to that point.”

According to Unger, the decision to comply with that FINA rule would lie with United States Aquatic Sports (USAS), which is the overall umbrella governing USA Swimming, USA Water Polo, USA Synchro, USA Diving and USA Masters Swimming. But if a national federation refused to suspend its athletes, FINA would have power to sanction that federation. We’ve reached out to USAS for clarification on whether they’d comply with the rules, but have not yet received a response.

Most of the stakeholders we’ve spoken to understood USA Swimming’s predicament, and were quicker to place blame on FINA.

U.S. national teamer and 2016 Olympian Tom Shields said as much in an e-mail to SwimSwam: “USA Swimming has been great, but have their hands tied due to the nature of what their role is,” he wrote. “FINA is trying to stop the meet procedurally by both enforcing obscure rules after deadlines have passed and intimidating athletes through their NGB’s. I do not know the personal relationships on their end, but it looks like a now years long dream of true professional swimming is caught in development hell through this procedural gaming.”

That scenario has essentially left athletes in the lurch, deciding whether or not to compete if the meet does go forward next month.

“It would seem now everyone’s kind of waiting to see what happens next, who makes good on their word, and when,” Shields said.

Rob Chelle, who works with a number of top American swimmers, including representing Cody Miller and Blake Pieroni, said as much.

“I don’t think there’s enough information for the kids to make an informed decision yet,” Chelle said, adding that at this point, he’s cautioning swimmers that it’s too risky to participate in the meet (and risk suspension) unless something changes. “I feel like they’re all waiting for each other to make a decision before any of them commit.”

How Likely Are Suspensions?

We’ve reached out to FINA for comment on the matter, and if it truly intends to suspend athletes for attending the Energy for Swim meet, but haven’t received a response, though their inclusion of GR 4.5 in the October 30 letter did clearly inform federations of the potential for suspensions under FINA rules.

Some swimmers have wondered if FINA would follow through with suspending top-level athletes, thereby weakening the marketability of future World Championships and Olympic Games. It was only about three years ago that FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu told media that “it would be no problem for us” to create an extra place at the 2015 World Championships for then-suspended-by-USA-Swimming star Michael Phelps, though nothing ever became of the offer.

“I think the swimmers’ general take, though, is ‘even if we participate in this meet and it’s not sanctioned, is FINA really going to pull the trigger on suspensions?’,” Chelle said, though he made clear he still felt the risk of suspension was too high for athletes to risk competing. “I think it would be silly for the stars of the team to risk even the short-term suspension.”

Notably, world record-holding British breaststroker Adam Peaty – currently one of the top few swimmers in the world – announced his intent to compete at Energy for Swim after the news broke that FINA was not recognizing the event. The originally-announced meet lineup is good enough to raise serious questions as to whether FINA would suspend everyone involved. But the lineup would also probably shrink if the meet is indeed outlawed and suspensions threatened.

Others have said they don’t expect the meet to take place at all without FINA approval. Unger says USA Swimming has been working with both sides, encouraging a resolution between FINA and the meet organizers.

Legally, suspensions could run into their own issues. Dmitriy Kachurovskiy, an official with the ISL, said legal precedent should make it difficult for suspensions to stick.

“My personal understanding is that it’s absolutely impossible to disqualify a swimmer from participation,” he said, citing a 2017 European Commission decision. In that case, the European Commission rules that International Skating Union punishments on athletes participating in non-authorized competitions were in breach of European Union antitrust laws.

The other major wrinkle is that FINA’s rules specifically outlaw a “relationship with a non-affiliated or suspended body.” But the Energy for Swim meet is organized by the Italian Swimming Federation, currently a FINA member, even if the meet itself isn’t authorized.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Athletes Could Face 1-to-2-Year Bans If Energy For Swim Isn’t Approved

By Torrey Hart on SwimSwam

The United States Olympic Committee has filed an initial complaint seeking to revoke USA Gymnastics as the national governing body of its sport, the organization announced Monday.

“This is a situation in which there are no perfect solutions. Seeking to revoke recognition is not a conclusion that we have come to easily,” USOC CEO Sarah Hirshland said in a statement. “In the short-term, we have to work to ensure that USAG gymnasts have the support necessary to excel on and off the field of play. We are building plans to do just that. In the long-term, it will be the critically important responsibility of the recognized Gymnastics NGB, whether the existing organization or a new one, to lead gymnastics in the United States and build on the supportive community of athletes and clubs that can carry the sport forward for decades to come. We are prepared to identify and help build such an organization.”

In an open letter to the “gymnastics community,” Hirschland said athletes “deserve better,” and that USAG will have the option of “surrendering its recognition voluntarily.” She added that the next steps in the process of revocation are to assemble a review panel to hold a hearing, issue a report, and make a recommendation. Then, the USOC Board of Directors will vote on USAG’s status.

Should the board recommend it, the USOC would take over the sport’s operations.

USAG, then the US Gymnastics Federation, was established in 1963 as part of the Amateur Athletic Union, prior to the formation of the USOC under the Amateur Sports Act of 1978. It was formed as a response to American gymnasts performing relatively poorly on the international level and was intended to promote more gymnastics-specific governance, as opposed to general governance under the AAU.

In response to the USOC, USA Gymnastics issued the following statement:

“USA Gymnastics’ board was seated in June 2018 and inherited an organization in crisis with significant challenges that were years in the making. In the four months since, the Board has done everything it could to move this organization towards a better future. We immediately took steps to change the leadership and are currently conducting a search to find a CEO who can rebuild the organization and, most importantly, regain the trust of the gymnastics community. Substantial work remains — in particular, working with the plaintiffs and USA Gymnastics’ insurers to resolve the ongoing litigation as quickly as possible. We will continue to prioritize our athletes’ health and safety and focus on acting in the best interests of the greater gymnastics community.”

It added that it is “evaluating the best path forward for our athletes, professional members, the organization and staff.”

October was a turbulent month for USAG, which is faltering in the wake of the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal. Interim CEO Mary Bono, who held her position for just five days, stepped down October 16th after facing backlash for a tweet regarding former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Around the same time, former CEO Steve Penny, who resigned in 2017 amid the Nassar investigation, was arrested for allegedly tampering with evidence. His immediate successor, Kerry Perry, lasted only 10 months on the job.

USOC’s push to take over the organization comes just a day after Olympic champion Simone Biles, 21, became the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history by earning her 20th career gold medal last weekend in Doha – she also became the first American to medal in every discipline.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: USOC Files to Decertify USA Gymnastics as Sport’s Governing Body

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

Katie Capelli, a freestyler who swims with Club Wolverine in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has verbally committed to the University of California- San Diego for 2019.

Swimming for Pioneer High School at the 2017 Michigan Division I HS Champs, she was a finalist in the 500 free, placing 7th.

I’m so excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim for the University of California, San Diego! Go Tritons!!

TOP TIMES

• 100y free – 53.54
• 200y free – 1:53.56
• 500y free – 4:58.22
• 1000y free – 10:22.75
• 1650y free – 17:37.13

Capelli’s strength is freestyle, and she especially excels as a mid-range freestyler, with the 200 and 500 free being her top events.

Last year, Capelli would’ve been 3rd on UCSD’s top times list in the 500 free and 8th in the 200 free. She also would’ve been 4th on their top times list in the 1000 free. UCSD is about to graduate Reagan Eickert after this season — she was their top returner in the 500 free from last year’s roster.

The UCSD women won the 2018 Pacific Collegiate Swimming Conference Championships, but have since moved to the MPSF and are now Division I. The MPSF is a tougher conference than the PCSC, but Capelli would’ve still made the B final in the 500 free at last year’s champs. She’s also not far from scoring range in the 200 free, while she would’ve scored a couple of points in the mile.

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Freestyler Katie Capelli of Club Wolverine Sends Verbal to UCSD

By Adrian Mancebo on SwimSwam

La nadadora española Sarai Gascón, comunicaba hace pocos días en Twitter que se había enterado por la prensa de que su club, el CN Terrassa, no le renovará el contrato para la próxima temporada.

Gascón, de 25 años, es 6 veces medallista paralímpica, habiendo logrado también 13 medallas en campeonatos del mundo y 29 en campeonatos de Europa. La nadadora de Terrassa consiguió la plata en Pekín 2008 en 100 m braza SB9, la plata en 100 m mariposa S9 y el bronce 100 m libre S9 en Londres 2012; y tres platas más en 100 m mariposa S9, 100 m libre S9 y 200 m estilos SM9 en Río 2016.

La catalana afirma que la junta directiva la ha echado del club durante las negociaciones de su contrato, en las que pedía respeto e igualdad de derechos con los demás atletas, tengan discapacidad o no. Sarai ha hecho las siguientes declaraciones en su cuenta de Twitter: “El pasado 4 de octubre tuve una reunión con los responsables del club (…). Me dijeron que mi contrato no se renovaría ya que estaba contratada como trabajadora del club, (…). Así mismo me comunicaron en la reunión que la intención era hacerme un contrato legal como deportista profesional como el resto de mis compañeros, aunque no podían equipararme las condiciones a los deportistas no discapacitados. En la reunión estuvimos hablando de las condiciones del nuevo contrato y demás. Me afirmaron que se iba a realizar un nuevo contrato (…). Ayer cuando leo las noticias publicadas en la prensa me doy cuenta de que me han engañado y me han hecho creer que me valoraban profesionalmente sin ser verdad. En todo caso quiero dejar claro que las discrepancias con el Club es que se niegan a reconocerme los mismos derechos que otros nadadores del Club sin discapacidad, se me discrimina por este hecho.”

El Club CN Terrassa por su parte ha emitido un comunicado oficial sobre la no renovación de la nadadora: “la actitud de ésta durante la última temporada ha generado controversia y grandes dificultades en la relación de esta deportista con los entrenadores de natación del club (…)”. En el comunicado también acusan a Gascón de estar demasiado interesada en el tema económico, y sugieren que se propuso unas mejoras económicas de su contrato que no fueron suficientes para la nadadora.

Sarai ha recibido numerosas muestras de apoyo en las redes sociales y sus padres han salido a manifestarse a la puerta del Club. Los hechos han sacado a la luz las condiciones de desigualdad que probablemente sufren muchos deportistas con diversidad funcional. ¿Cómo es posible que una atleta tan exitosa como Sarai no tenga el mismo trato que tienen los demás? La polémica desatada debería servir como punto de inflexión que lleve a los clubes de España a alcanzar la igualdad de condiciones que merecen todos los atletas.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: La 6 veces medallista paralímpica Sarai Gascón, despedida de su club

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Swimming Canada has become the 2nd of North America’s major swimming national governing bodies to announce a change at the top of their marketing department in the last month. Alan Raphael has been announced as the organization’s new Director of Marketing & Business Development. Swimming Canada’s announcement follows the departure of USA Swimming CMO Matt Farrell in October.

See Also:

• USA Swimming CMO Matt Farrell Leaving USA Swimming for Executive Golf Channel Role.

The bulk of Raphael’s career came with TSN – Canada’s largest specialty channel that focuses on sports coverage (it is 80% owned by Bell Media and 20% owned by ESPN). That includes 7 years as the Director of Brand Partnerships. Raphael has spent the last 3 years working as an independent consultant.

He replaces Chris Wilson in the role, who left the organization in September to assume a new role as Senior Director for CBC Sports.

“Alan is a veteran of the sports and broadcasting industry and the sports marketing industry. He will be a great asset as we look to build upon the great base created by Chris Wilson,” said Swimming Canada CEO Ahmed El-Awadi. “Swimming Canada’s brand continues to grow and we look forward to Alan’s leadership to take us to the next level.”

“I’m very excited to join Swimming Canada bringing my passion for sports marketing and corporate partnerships,” Raphael said. “I look forward to working closely with existing and new partners, creating exciting and engaging programs to further grow the sport for participants and fans across Canada.”

Wilson worked as the Marketing Director at Swimming Canada from 2010-2008 (after a previous stint as an events manager). In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, which is the oldest available on Swimming Canada’s website, the organization reported $376,494 in sponsorships. In 2016-2017, the newest data available, sponsorships were almost twice that – $710,929. Events revenue has grown from $669,965 to $1,060,048 in the same period.

From 2010 through 2017, the number of registered age group swimmers in Swimming Canada’s membership grew from 33,577 to 50,160, which is a 49% increase. The number of registered Masters swimmers has fallen, however, from 10,046 in 2010 to 6,629 in 2017.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Swimming Canada Announces Former TSN Director as New Marketing Lead

By Steven Meyers on SwimSwam

Teenage Canadian swimming star Kayla Sanchez broke the short course 50m freestyle world junior record this past weekend at the NYAC Cup.

• Live Results

Representing the High Performance Centre-Ontario and Ajax Aquatic Club, Sanchez went a 23.94 to move past the previous mark of 24.00 held by China’s Menghui Zhu. Although the record was held by Zhu, the fastest ever performance by a junior swimmer since the records have been recognized (2015) was a 23.95 by Rikako Ikee in December of 2017. Despite swimming faster than 24.00, Ikee’s record was never ratified. Regardless, Sanchez’s time makes her the fastest junior swimmer on record by one one-hundredth of a second.

Sanchez only swam in the prelims on Saturday, scratching herself from the finals session. She swam the 50m freestyle first followed by the 100m backstroke (58.25) and the 200m IM (2:08.85).

Her 50 freestyle ranks her fifth in the world this year behind some of the fastest female sprinters in the world.

2018-2019 SCM WOMEN 50 FREE

RanomiNED
KROMOWIDJOJO

10/04
23.23

2	Sarah SJOSTROM	SWE	23.36	10/04
3	Femke HEEMSKERK	NED	23.67	10/04
4	Pernille BLUME	DEN	23.75	10/04
5	Kim BUSCH	NED	23.99	09/28

View Top 26»

Swimming under British sprint coach Ben Titley, Sanchez has managed to breakout onto the international scene. She’s coming off a breakthrough summer where she earned two bronze medals in the freestyle relays at the Pan Pacific Championships and two silvers in the freestyle relays at the Commonwealth Games.

With Sanchez’s record, Canadian junior swimmers now hold three freestyle world junior records. Penny Oleksiak holds the 100m freestyle record and Taylor Ruck holds the 200m freestyler record.

Other Significant Results from the Ontario High Performance Group

• Olympic breaststroker Kierra Smith didn’t swim any breaststroke, but did go 27.96 in the 50 free and 2:22.60 in the 200 IM.
• Penny Oleksiak swam in prelims of the 200 fly (2:10.87), 50 free (24.93), and 100 back (1:03.01).
• Yuri Kisil, the High Performance Center’s newest addition, swam 22.38 in the 50 free, 56.71 in the 100 back, and 2:08.46 in the 200 IM.
• Mack Darragh swam a 1:58.55 in the 200 fly, 2:01.41 in the 200 IM, and 24.10 in the 50 free.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Canada’s Kayla Sanchez Breaks World Junior Record In 50 Free

By Torrey Hart on SwimSwam

Two-time Olympic medalist David Plummer has been elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the United States Anti-Doping Agency as the athlete representative, the organization announced Tuesday.

Plummer, who retired after taking bronze in the 100 back and gold in the 400 free relay at 2016 Rio Olympics at the age of 30, replaces weightlifter Emmy Vargas. According to USADA, he currently serves as a leadership and performance consultant with JSA Advising and Premier Sport Psychology.

“David personified clean sport for almost 10 years while he pursued his Olympic dreams and we couldn’t be more pleased to welcome a board member whose perspective will help us better serve clean athletes,” said USADA Board Chair Edwin C. Moses in a release. “His insights and experience will be valuable additions to USADA’s work, both nationally and globally, to protect the integrity of sport.”

“I am very excited to join the USADA Board,” said Plummer. “Being part of an organization that is dedicated to protecting athlete’s rights is an honor and I am humbled to be able to support the anti-doping movement. I believe it is a critical time in the continued advocacy for fair sport and the rights of athletes.”

Plummer, now 33, was a 14-time All-American at the University of Minnesota and attended both  2008 and 2012 Olympic Trials (where he finished third in the 100 back by just .12) before making the team in 2016.

Plummer joins the 10-person board during a turbulent time in the anti-doping landscape. In September, the World Anti-Doping Agency decided to reinstate the Russian Anti-Doping Agency after its three-year ban for carrying out a state-sponsored doping scheme. The reinstatement has been adamantly opposed by athletes and officials worldwide. The US Athletes’ Committee and USADA specifically were among the organizations to release independent statements in opposition to WADA‘s decision, and just last week, US swimmers Katie Ledecky and Lilly Kingtook to the White House to speak on the need to reform WADA.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Olympic Medalist David Plummer Joins USADA Board as Athlete Rep

By Nick Pecoraro on SwimSwam

FHSAA 2A Regional Championships

• Nov. 7-10, 2018
• Meet Dates/Sites
• Results Index
• Region 1 Selection Sheet
• Region 2 Selection Sheet
• Region 3 Selection Sheet
• Region 4 Selection Sheet

The Florida 2A state series continues this week with the 4 regional championships beginning tomorrow, November 7.

Many of the stronger schools look to the state championships for their main dose of competition, however, some schools must begin their battles at this stage of the state series before thinking about the state finals. Here is what to expect at the 2018 edition of the FHSAA 2A Regional Championships:

Region 1

After winning last year’s regional meet, the girls of Mosley are looking to play a game of musical chairs with the Gulf Breeze girls, as they are expected to make a big impact this year. The Mosley team has many weak points, including the absence of a 200 free relay, when scoring out the meet.

After placing fifth last year, the Gulf Breeze girls are expected to win the meet by a comfortable margin. The team holds top seeds in 3 individual events as well as seeded first in the 400 free relay by 7 seconds.

On a very different note, the boys’ side of the meet will feature a very close battle between Mosley and Ponte Vedra. When scoring the meet, Mosley is predicted to out-score Ponte Vedra by only 1 point, 272-271.

Taking a closer look at the psych sheet, both Mosley and Ponte Vedra both have equal yet different advantages scattered throughout the psych sheet. Mosley has significantly faster seeds in the relay events that could make the difference between 1st and 2nd place much larger. Ponte Vedra, on the other hand, have stronger individual event presences.

Could the Gulf Breeze girls and Ponte Vedra boys topple Mosley, the defending regional champions?

Region 2
In the Region 2 circuit, resting strategies could ultimately shake up the psych sheets or even the final outcome at the state championships.

When scoring the girls’ meet, Eastside is expected to score 415 points, with their nearest competitor, Titusville, to score 223 points. The same outcome occurred at last year’s meet, yet the Titusville girls’ taper aided them to a place fourth at the state meet. Eastside finished in 18th.

Could the Eastside girls defend their title and continue their dominance to this year’s state meet?

In the boys’ meet, Lincoln Park and Rockledge are expected to have a very close meet when scoring the psych sheet.

Each school has different strengths and weaknesses that predominantly even out the chances.

• Rockledge Strengths
  • 3 number one individual seeds
  • Top seed in 200 Free Relay, second seed in 400 Free Relay
• Rockledge Weaknesses
  • Number 12 seed in 200 medley relay
• Lincoln Park Strengths
  • Top five seeds in all 3 relays
  • 4 top three individual seeds
• Lincoln Park Weaknesses
  • Four events with swimmers seeded well out of the top 8

Last year, Lincoln Park dominated the regional meet and defeated Rockledge by nearly 100 points. They also went on to place fourth at the state meet, Rockledge placed 21st.

With Rockledge’s odds in their favor, even with a poorly seeded medley relay, could they topple defending regional champion and top five state performer Lincoln Park?

Region 3

Dominating state powerhouses reign in Region 3, with the Holy Names girls returning from a runner-up finish at state and the Jesuit boys coming as the defending regional and state champions. When scoring the meet, both teams’ are expected to score way above their nearest competitors.

The Holy Names girls have a total of eight top 3 individual seeds, including top 2 seeds in the relays with the top seed in the medley relay. The Jesuit boys follow a similar suit. Three individual events have 4 Jesuit swimmers packed into the top 6, as well as taking top three seeds in the relays with a top seed in the 400 free relay.

Can the Holy Names girls and Jesuit boys continue their incredible dominance?

Region 4

Speaking of state powerhouses, Gulliver Prep also reigns in this region and are rivals with Jesuit and Holy Names at the state championship level. Last year, the Gulliver Prep girls were state champions over Holy Names while the Gulliver Prep boys settled for second to state champion Jesuit.

Until the state championships hit later this month, both Gulliver Prep teams are expected to cruise to comfortable victories at this year’s region 4 meet.

Can Gulliver Prep continue their dominance and face off their Region 3 foes at the state championships?

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Reading Into the FHSAA 2A Regionals Psych Sheets

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

At the 2018 NCAA Championships, the Texas A&M men scored a program high 14th, heavily on the backs of seniors Brock Bonetti, Mauro Castillo, Jonathan Tybur, and diver Tyler Henschel. Head coach Jay Holmes commented that it wasn’t a surprise that they would be graduating, but they were big shoes to fill. However, they are getting them filled a little faster than most may have expected.

With a huge incoming freshman class at the forefront of a growing team, the Texas A&M men may well just end up scoring more points at conference and NCAA’s this year than they did last year. The fall has certainly been a growing period for the young team, and assistant coach Jason Calanog expressed that while the team as a whole is still finding themselves and learning how to compete in season, come championships they will be ready to turn heads.

Freshman Clayton Bobo was excited to come to Texas A&M in it’s current state, saying that he’s enthusiastic about building something new and taking this next step with the TA&M men’s program. Junior Ben Walker has stepped into a bit more of a leadership role in competitions, confident that as the season progresses, the team will only get stronger and stronger. With men’s SEC mainstays such as Georgia and Florida also losing huge pieces to graduations this past year, the men’s title is relatively open, and the A&M men are preparing for their chance to take the throne.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: TA&M Freshman Bring New Energy, Scoring Potential After Big Graduations (Video Report)

By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam

Courtesy of CSCAA

The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association of America (CSCAA) is excited to welcome Matt Zimmer as Director of Operations. Zimmer comes to CSCAA with over 25 years of sales and marketing experience in the swim industry. This new role is part of the organization’s expansion and will allow CSCAA to further provide support and resources at every level of intercollegiate swimming and diving.

Greg Earhart, Executive Director expects Zimmer’s appointment to strengthen both the sport and the organization.  “I’ve known Matt for nearly twenty years and couldn’t be more excited about his joining our team. My excitement, however extends well beyond what Matt adds to the association.  I’m more excited for Matt because he gets to be a part of something (college swimming and diving) that has meant so much to him.”

The CSCAA’s mission to promote, defend, and expand opportunities for college swimming and diving student-athletes is one that Zimmer takes personal pride in. “Coming out of high school, I didn’t know what my next move should be in terms of education and career. I got a call from the University of Toledo and it changed my life.” Zimmer wants to ensure that college programs are not only stable but thriving and growing so that young swimmers will have the chance to have the same experience he did.

“I don’t know where I would be if I didn’t get that call.  My program doesn’t exist anymore, so in a different time I would have missed out on that chance. I’m driven to make sure that opportunity is still there for student athletes looking to compete and for coaches looking to coach.”

Part of keeping that window of opportunity open means making sure that programs are healthy and well-funded. Zimmer’s focus will be on creating value for all college programs through education and partnerships. Zimmer said, “We want to support colleges teams, coaches and athletes. It’s about expanding the sport, enhancing student-athlete experience, and supporting coaches.”

Throughout the world, intercollegiate swimming is seen as one of the pinnacles of the sport, a position recognized as one of USA Swimming’s two Elite Tiers.  Zimmer knows that his role in supporting college swimming is more vital than ever and is excited to take the reins in November. He said, “Supporting the CSCAA is supporting the future of competitive swimming and diving.”

Swimming news is courtesy of CSCAA. 

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Matt Zimmer to take CSCAA Director of Operations Role

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

FINA has announced almost a doubling in the prize money for the 2018 Short Course World Championships. Less-than-a-week after confirming that prize money would remain at $1,173,000 million, the same as 2016, FINA announced on Tuesday that the prize money will leap to $2,070,000 for December’s event in Hangzhou, China.

Now, all finalists will receive at least $2,000, while World Record prize money remains at $15,000.

This makes the event the largest-prized short course meters meet in history, with numbers approaching those offered at long course World Championships ($2,520,000 in 2017).

For an idea of what these numbers mean, for the biggest winner at the 2016 Short Course World Championships, Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, what was a $68,000 prize in 2016 would have been $86,000 in the new prize scheme. The lower placements see even bigger increases, with prize money for 8th-place finishers quadrupling.

We asked FINA if the change was in response to the Energy for Swim meet or the International Swimming League, but did not receive a response. FINA has moved to block participation in that meet, including threatening 1-2 year bans for athletes who participate. The announcement was made after many nations have announced their rosters, with several big-name swimmers declining to participate at the Short Course World Championships who may have been influenced by the increased prize money.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: FINA Nearly-Doubles Prize Money for 2018 Short Course World Champs

By Loretta Race on SwimSwam

As a Masters swimmer who added CrossFit to her training regimen just a few months ago, I am now getting even more attuned to how similar the multi-disciplined, land-based sport is to swimming. I already drew similarities between CrossFit and my aquatic love in terms of actual meets, but now that I’m in the groove of balancing training between the two sports, I can recognize elements common to both on a daily practice level, too.

#1 – Early AM Workouts

As much as we take pride in being one with the sunrise during our early morning workouts, several other sports also kick things off before 99% of the world. CrossFit is one of those, with most boxes offering workouts at 5am. These give folks of all ages a chance to get their sweat on before heading to school, work or home life.

#2 – The Clock is King

Just as with swimming where the clock drives our wall send-offs, pace times and set cycles, the clock is the underlying force behind all CrossFit WODs (workouts of the day). At the gym, or ‘box’ as CrossFitters call it, lifts can be done every-minute-on-the-minute or a WOD may have a 12-minute time cap as just 2 examples of how the clock sees all and is king of the workout.

#3 – Whiteboards Galore

Maybe your coach doesn’t use a whiteboard, but lots of pools have them on-deck on which workouts are written, techniques are illustrated out, or times are kept track of. Brackets are an especially frightening thing to see on a whiteboard sitting alongside a pool. CrossFit also uses white boards with frequency as well, logging personal bests, writing out the day’s WOD or listing everyone’s efforts for the class. You leave unattended markers at your own risk with both!

#4 – Acronyms, Acronyms, Acronyms

EMOM. WOD. ME. OHS. BP. Just as in swimming where we’re subject to abbreviations to the tune of IM, SKIPS, CH, RI and AFAP, CrossFit athletes suffer through figuring out acronyms in the beginning, too. I was fairly confused early on, but, like with swimming, one can figure out the most commonly used lingo after just a few practices.

#5 – Lane Buddies

You look forward to sharing the lane with your favorite teammates, swimmer usually with whom you share intervals and have similar abilities. The same goes with CrossFit as well, where I seek out fellow athletes who usually lift in the same range as I do. We’ll gravitate to the same rack and try to share stories and a few laughs in between our huffing & puffing.

#6 – Workout Structure

I can definitely see similarities between a general swimming workout and a CrossFit workout, even with the sports taking place in totally different surroundings. CrossFit starts with a warm-up of running, biking, rowing, stretching, etc., then moves on to a particular skill set that’s done deliberately, such as dead lifts, push presses, back squats, etc. Then, the intense portion of the CrossFit session involves max effort, pushing athletes to the point of puking. As a Masters swimmer I don’t hit that stage very often in the pool, but we’ve all seen many-a-team post a swimmer hugging an on-deck trash can.

#7 – It’s Technique-Driven

Just as you can go up and down a lane with poor technique, yet still say you’re a swimmer, you can risk injury and sloppily complete bench presses and clean-and-jerks and still say you’re a ‘CrossFitter.’ Seasoned swimmers know there is a right, efficient way to move your body through the water, just as CrossFitters know there is a correct way to generate power and momentum as you raise the barbel from the ground. In both sports it pays to learn, do it right and watch how the best of the best get it done.

#8 – You Look Like Crap Afterward

Ok, so maybe that’s a little harsh, but as much as I love rocking the swimmer bun and cozy parka, I wouldn’t go out to the club on a Friday night wearing in ‘swimmer chic’ mode. Such is the case with the ‘post-CrossFit look’ as well. My make-up isn’t nearly as on point, my hair frizzes up a few notches and my clothes are drenched to the point that I look as though I actually may have been swimming in them. Both sports kick your butt – if you put forth the effort – and both leave you heading for the showers.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: CrossFit & Swimming: They’re More Similar Than You Think

By SwimSwam Contributors on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Elizabeth Wickham

Our child’s performance is a touchy area to talk about when they aren’t doing well. When they’re dropping time and feeling great, it’s easy and wonderful to be their cheerleader. But, when things aren’t going well, should we talk about performance with them? When we do, we often get push back and defensiveness from our kids and it seems like we never say the right things. We may see something clearly that we want to share that will help them, but will it?

Sports parenting expert David Benzel from Growing Champions for Life discussed this topic in a webinar called “How to Discuss Performance Issues With Your Child and Remain Friends.” He gave good advice about when and how to talk about performance and the different roles of parents and coaches. Coaches talk about technical aspects of a performance and the ways athletes can improve. He said that parents have a bigger role—and that is as mentor.

Here’s how he described the roles of coach and mentor:

Coaching: Instructional, Inspirational, Analytical, Authoritarian, Organized and Encouraging.

Mentoring: Supportive, Exemplary, Compassionate, Authoritative, Empathetic, Loving.

In the two jobs there will be overlap. But according to Benzel, when parents wear the coaching hat, they end up confusing their kids.

Here are four reasons Benzel said our children are vulnerable when we act like a coach instead of a mentor:

1.    Number one fear is disappointing us.

2.    Our feedback can be viewed as criticism.

3.    Defensiveness is the only position left open because we’re on the offense.

4.    Child concludes “I’m never good enough to please my parents.”

I’m sure that’s not how we want our kids to feel. Our job as a mentor is to teach the many life lessons from swimming for the big picture of their lives, not a better streamline or faster turns—that’s the coach’s job. The life lessons Benzel said we’re responsible to help with include self-esteem, self-confidence, self-discipline, self-control, generosity, sacrifice, patience, personal responsibility, grit, optimism, handling emotions, humiliation, gratefulness, fairness and loyalty.

Benzel also gave some good tips for after a race or on the car ride home from a meet. First, it isn’t the time for a teachable moment. We’ll do better to talk about performance after we let 24 hours pass so we have a healthier perspective. It is the perfect time to say, “I love to watch you swim,” and “Are you hungry? Where would you like to go?” Ideally we listen more than talk and ask questions to open up a conversation like, “What part of the meet did you enjoy?” Also, wait to provide feedback until it’s asked for. In the meantime, we can offer love, support and empathy.

What tips do you have to talk to your kids about performance issues?

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

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Should Parents Talk About Performance?

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Big Ten Conference

Swimmer of the Week

Charlie Swanson, Michigan

Jr. – Richmond, Va. – St. Christopher’s School

Took first in three individual events against Iowa and Denver this weekend
Clocked 55.42 in the 100-yard breaststroke, 1:48.44 in the 200-yard IM and 3:53.40 in the 400-yard IM
Earns his first career Swimmer of the Week honor
Last Michigan Swimmer of the Week: Evan White (Feb. 7, 2018)
Diver and Freshman of the Week

Jacob Fielding, Ohio State
Los Angeles, Calif.

Won both the 1-meter (352.10) and 3-meter (379.45) diving events this weekend
Posted NCAA Diving Zone qualifying scores in both events
Earns the second Diver of the Week award of his career
Earns his first career Freshman of the Week award
Last Ohio State Diver of the Week: Jacob Fielding (Oct. 3, 2018)
Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Ruslan Gaziev (Oct. 3, 2018)

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Michigan’s Swanson, Ohio State’s Fielding Honored by Big Ten

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Anderson University head men’s and women’s swimming coach Conner Snare has resigned to take a job as the assistant coach at Michigan State, Anderson announced on Tuesday. Snare was hired as Anderson’s head coach in 2015: the first (and only) in program history.

Assistant coach Megan Wills will lead the program until an interim head coach is hired. Wills is an Anderson alum, graduating in 2014.

Snare replaces Nate Destree on the Michigan State coaching staff.

We have reached out to Destree and Michigan State to request more information about the timing of the departure, but have not received a response from either. Destree is still listed on the school’s “coaches” drop down, but his bio and names been removed from other parts of the Michigan State athletics website.

The Spartans finished 13th out of 13 women’s teams and 10th out of 10 men’s teams at last year’s Big Ten Championship meets. In their last meet, Michigan State swept another Division III team, the Kenyon men and women. This weekend, part of the team will head to Ohio for a dual meet with the Bowling Green women, while others will head to Purdue for the Big Ten – ACC Challenge All-Star Meet.

Anderson finished 3rd out of 5 teams at last year’s Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on the men’s side, and 5th out of 5 women’s teams.

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to athletics director Marcie Taylor, President Pistole and the university, for the opportunity to have led Anderson University swimming these last three years,” said Snare. “It has been an amazing experience and I’m honored to have had the privilege to work beside amazing people in the athletics department and the campus community. I will always view Anderson as my family and the sweetness of a new opportunity at Michigan State is countered by the bitterness of heartfelt goodbyes.

“One last time I’d like to say ‘thank you’ for the commitment of this campus in the creation and support of this program and for blessing me with the opportunity to lead a wonderful group of student-athletes. God Bless and Go Ravens!”

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Conner Snare Joins Michigan State as New Mid-Season Assistant Coach

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.

JOIN THE RACE CLUB HERE FOR HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEO

We provide video on swimming for all age groups, triathletes and competitive swimmers. Explore a breakdown of our prices for weekly videos and more below.

Part II

In 1996, shortly after the Olympic Games of Atlanta, I wrote an article that was published in Swimming World Magazine with the  same title as this one. In case you were wondering if you missed Part I, that was it.

Chuck Wielgus, former Executive Director of USA Swimming, once paid me a huge compliment by stating that that article in 1996 provided many of the ideas that he implemented during his 18-year tenure.

I will recap the original 10 suggestions now and provide an assessment of where we are today, some 22 years later, with new suggestions on how we might make swimming a bigger and better sport.

1.      Create a nine-month season for swimming.

Swimming is more of a year-round sport today than ever before, so that has not happened. Yet our sport still suffers from a large incidence of burn out; swimmers that quit the sport way too early. The impetus for this suggestion was to provide some time each year for young swimmers to not look at a swimming pool and to engage in other sports; to get a mental and physical break. I still believe that would be in swimming’s best interest over the long run.

2.      The age group workout limit

This concept of restricting both the number and duration of workouts was really designed for the 10 and under swimmers, yet might be a good idea for up to age 12 or so. The idea was to help prevent burn out, and also to help protect children from the overzealous parents that unknowingly contribute to their children’s early retirement from the sport. While this has not happened, I would say that most swimming coaches are pretty good about restricting the number and intensity of practices for children.

3.      Develop a three-hour age group meet format (one hour of warm up and two hours of competition)

Meets are run far better today than they were then, but we still run too many of those long, tiring 3 and 4 day meets that only the most dedicated parents or swimmers can tolerate. That meet format has not helped to grow the sport. While we may need a few of those types of meets each year, the majority of meets should be quick and fun.

4.      Minimize the conflicts between swimming’s governing bodies

The hope here was to coordinate and consolidate the seasons of school swimming programs to not conflict with the USA swimming schedule. Since the USA Swimming schedule is now year-round, that is no longer possible. School swimming seasons for high schools remain extremely variable. Collegiate swimming programs extend further than ever before, starting essentially as school begins and ending in the end of March. The biggest difference today is that the majority of our Olympic athletes today are post graduates and not affected by the school swimming schedule.

5.      Save America’s greatest resource, our swimming coaches

The concern here was that the majority our best coaches would take collegiate jobs, where their ability to coach post graduates or coach year-round would be restricted. Fortunately, that has not happened, as some of our best collegiate coaches today include post graduate programs. In addition, we have managed to develop an abundance of incredibly capable club coaches that continue to develop the talented pool of young swimmers in America.

6.      Marketing, Marketing, Marketing

Swimming had been and continues to be a poorly marketed sport in America. During the Michael Phelps era, the greatest Olympian of all time, membership in USA Swimming barely grew. That trend is not just in swimming. Nearly every Olympic sport has had declining membership.      The challenge is that we have a different generation of youth and parents in America; ones that are not so interested in having six dedicated days each week of training for anything, not just sports.

I believe that newly appointed CEO Tim Hinchey is on the right track in focusing on developmental swimming. Those are young swimmers that want to become proficient in swimming, but not Olympians, training once or twice each week for 45 minutes or so. That market has millions of potential members and hopefully, out of that pool of swimmers, will emerge our future Olympians that decide to go all in.

7.      Clinics, Clinics, and more Clinics

On this point, we have done well. While there were few clinics available in 1996, today there are hundreds throughout our country every year for both swimmers and coaches. Some focus on motivation, others on training and some, like The Race Club, focus on technique. In addition, there are now online resources available to help educate swimmers, coaches, and parents. In the education department, things have improved tremendously.

8.      Capitalize on the Olympic Games

It is curious that swimming goes from one of the most popularly viewed sports of the Olympic Games program, to a relatively obscure sport for the remaining 3 years in between. The World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Pan Pacific Championships, and all of the other major swimming competitions do not even come close to the same viewership. I am not certain what the solution is, but perhaps we have just not yet discovered the right format to show off our Olympic stars in a shorter, more digestible and entertaining competition. Out of sight, out of mind. We need to keep our Olympians in front of the camera and have people want to watch them.

9.      Recreate the international drama of the Olympic Games every year.

It is a bit frustrating to see golf and tennis each having four major international championships every year, while swimming has one every four years. Major events take time to build, but they must be built in the right format. All of the other major swimming competitions, including World Championships, Commonwealth Games, Pan Pacific Championships, European Championships etc. are either too regionalized or too long for the Olympic Games viewers to watch. It would be nice if swimming had at least one major international competition each year that captured the Olympic Games viewer.

10.  Increase the frequency of the Olympic Games and World Championships

In 1996, the Olympic Games and World Championships were held every four years. Today, the Olympic Games alternate every two years and there are both short course and long course World Championships. The IOC was smart to move the winter and summer Olympic Games (after 2000) to alternating two-year intervals, as viewers no longer need to wait four years to get their Olympic fix. The cost of running the Olympic Games has escalated so much, that few cities today are even capable or interested in hosting it. The solution will not be in having more frequent Olympic Games nor World Championships, but by creating sustainable, serious and entertaining international events that include the marquee names and that steadily grow in popularity.

This week, in Lanes 2-4 in our subscription, you can find great underwater video on one of the world’s fastest distance freestylers, American record holder Zane Grothe. You will also see one of our favorite drills on how to keep your head down, like Zane does so well.

Freestyle Head Position

Yours in swimming,

Gary Sr.

Gary Hall, Sr., Technical Director and Head Coach of The Race Club (courtesy of TRC)

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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.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ten Ways to Make Swimming a Bigger and Better Sport