By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

See also:

• Women’s classes #9-12
• Women’s classes #1-4 (coming soon)
• Men’s classes #9-12
• Men’s classes #5-8
• Men’s classes #1-4
• Individual recruit rankings – Girls final rankings (June 2019)
• Individual recruit rankings – Boys final rankings (June 2019)

After a whirlwind of a summer season, it’s time to shift gears and start preparing for NCAA season. To help out, we’re launching our yearly series ranking the top 12 recruiting classes in the nation – these swimmers will be starting their freshman seasons in the next month.

Here are a few important notes on our rankings:

• The ranking numbers listed for individual recruits are from our Class of 2019 Re-Rank, which was done this past spring. Certainly, some of those ranks would change after this summer’s season. “HM” refers to our honorable mentions.
• Like most of our rankings, these placements are subjective.  Rankings are based on a number of factors, including prospect’s incoming times, team needs filled, prospect’s potential upside, class size, and potential relay impact. Greater weight is placed on known success in short course yards, so foreign swimmers are slightly devalued because of their inexperience in SCY.
• Transfers are included, and there are lots of big ones.
• For the full list of the 1200+ committed athletes, click here. A big thank-you to SwimSwam’s own Anne Lepesant for compiling that index – without it, rankings like these would be far less comprehensive.

Here are the classes ranked 8th through 5th:

#8: UCLA BRUINS

Top-tier additions: Gabby Dang (WA – free/fly), Sophia Kosturos (CA – back/fly/free), Brooke Schaffer (CA – sprint free), Rachel Rhee (CA – free/breast), Daniella Hawkins (CA – distance free)
The rest: Stephanie Su (CA – distance free), Lauryn Johnson (NY – distance free/fly), Lindsay Stenstrom (CO – sprint free), Katelynn Shaheen (CA – diver), Hannah Butler (NY – diver_

In her first head coaching gig, former Ohio State associate head coach Jordan Wolfrum will have a lot of new talent to work with. This class has a wealth of freestyle talent through the whole distance spectrum, with a couple key stroke specialists to bring new medley relay options.

Gabby Dang, who was in our earlier top 20 rankings as an HM but was bumped out in the most recent ranks, is one of two incoming Bruins already very close to an NCAA invite time with her 52.58 in the 100 fly. She’s been 22.9/49.8 in freestyle, and she’s a dangerous medley option with bests of 24.0 in the 50 fly and 25.0 in the 50 back. She pairs nicely with Sophia Kosturos, the other near-NCAA invite swimmer, who comes in with a 52.92 in the 100 back. Kosturos is a bit of a better sprint freestyler at 22.9/49.2, while she’s also 53.5 in the 100 fly and her 50 back, at 24.77, makes her a perfect newcomer as the Bruins graduated medley backstroker Emma Schanz (24.8/53.2 last year) and lost Mara Newman (53.7/1:53.7, their best 200 backstroker) to a transfer to Wisconsin.

In addition to Dang and Kosturos, there’s Brooke Schaffer (22.7/49.1/1:48.6) just ahead in the sprint free and also bringing in a 53.3 100 fly, Rachel Rhee (22.9/50.3/1:47.4/4:49.4) who boasts a 1:01.8 in the 100 breast, and Lindsay Stenstrom (23.5/50.7) to buff up the sprint group. On the other end of the distance spectrum, there’s Daniella Hawkins at 4:44.7/16:35, Lauryn Johnson at 1:48.5/4:47.9/16:44 (plus 54.8/1:59.1 fly), and Stephanie Su at 4:49.0/16:35.

The freestyle strength in this class is so important for the program. Last season, they had just four women under 23 (but led by the fast-improving Claire Grover, a rising sophomore, at 21.98) and only three under 50 (with nobody better than 48-mid). Sandra Soe led the distance group at 4:40 in the 500 and 16:02 in the mile, but she just finished her eligibility, while no other Bruin was under 4:50/16:40 last year. Now there are four women under 23 in the 50 free, plus Hawkins, Johnson, and Su fleshing out the D-group.

The cherry on top here is two diving additions in World Junior Trials platform finalist Katelyn Shaheen, who won the CIF SS-D2 diving title as a sophomore, and Hannah Butler, the reigning NY HS champion.

Fast riser to watch: At the end of her 2018 high school season, Kosturos was 54.7 in the 100 back and her 200 back was stuck at 1:59.5 from December of 2016. She’s now at 52.9/1:58.3, and she’s shaved several tenths off of her sprint free/fly events this past season, too.

#7: KENTUCKY WILDCATS

Top-tier additions: #8 Caitlin Brooks (FL – back), Gillian Davey (IA – breast/IM), Kaitlynn Wheeler (IL – IM/free), Lauren Poole (MD – IM/back)
The rest: Beth McNeese (TX – distance free), Ashley Neas (GA – distance free), Emily Baeth (IA – free), Tori McCullough (MD – distance free), Trinity Ward (PA – sprint free/fly), Maddie Deucher (TX – back), Morgan Southall (OH – diver)

This is a very big class for the Wildcats, with the Backstroke U legacy being continued with their top recruit, Caitlin Brooks.

Brooks has NCAA scoring potential in the 200 back, with her 1:52.01 in that event already fast enough to have made the 200 back B final in 2019 and place 11th. She’s also 52.26 in the 100 back, which would’ve gotten invited to NCAAs last year, too. With Asia Seidt (made A finals in both backstrokes) and Ali Galyer (made A final in the 200 back) finishing their collegiate careers after this season, Brooks will still find a training partner in Sophie Sorenson (53.0/1:52.9 at SECs last year, swam both at NCAAs but didn’t score). Lauren Poole, another top-tier addition, is also 1:56.3 in the 200 back, which should develop with the Wildcats who have been renowned for their 200 backstrokers especially.

Poole is also a great IM’er, with bests of 1:59.3/4:13.2 to pair nicely with the other top-tier additions, Kaitlynn Wheeler (1:58.9/4:14.5) and Gillian Davey (4:13.2). It’s Davey who shines as the second-best Wildcat newcomer, though, with a 2:10.48 in the 200 breast, not far off of what typically gets an NCAA invite. In the 100, Davey’s been as fast a 1:01.9. Wheeler is also a great freestyler (23.2/50.6/1:47.4/4:48.7) to pair with Emily Baeth (1:48.2), who is from the same high school and club as Davey in Iowa, and Trinity Ward (49.9).

The class also features a few distance prospects, with Beth McNeese at 4:50.1 in the 500 (she dropped a 4:16 in long course this summer), Ashley Neas at 4:51 and Tori McCullough at 4:52/16:36. The bonus add is Morgan Southall, the reigning Ohio D1 diving champion.

Fast riser to watch: Do not let Davey’s yards times fool you out of seeing the potential she brings (her breaststroke PRs are from 2017 and her 400 IM time is from March of 2018). She went best times in both breaststrokes and both IMs in long course this summer, highlighted by a 1:10.1/2:26.8 combo in the breast and 2:20/4:53 in the IM. That 200 breast, especially, is impressive.

#6: CAL GOLDEN BEARS

Top-tier additions: #9 Ayla Spitz (CA – multi), HM Chloe Clark (CA – multi), Rachel Klinker (KY – free/fly/IM), Sarah Dimeco (WA – free/fly/IM), Danielle Carter (CA – back), Ashlyn Fiorilli (TX – fly/IM)
The rest: Anna Kalandadze (PA – distance free), Eloise Riley (Australia – sprint free), Emma Davidson (CA – sprint free), Cassie Graham (MD – diver)

Having Isabel Ivey join Cal mid-year last season bumps this class down, but this one is still very stacked.

#9Ayla Spitzis the top 200 freestyler in the incoming NCAA class at 1:45.02, though that’s the only time of any of these incoming Bears that would’ve received an NCAA invite last year. Spitz is a jack of all trades: she has sprint free power (22.6/48.6) but can swim up to the 500 (4:45.9), she’s a capable backstroker (24.8/53.3/1:56.3), a strong flyer (53.5), and, unsurprisingly, a solid IM’er (1:58.6/4:15.3). The talent is there, and she is a sniper of a 200 freestyler, giving her big relay potential and the malleability to develop across a multitude of disciplines.

HM Chloe Clark is also a versatile get, with her 1:57.3 in the 200 IM the most eye-popping of her times. She has also been 22.6/49.2 in the sprint free, 25.2/53.2/1:56.7 in the 100 back, 1:02.6 in the 100 breast, and 4:13 in the 400 IM. The concern is that these are all from 2017 or earlier, except for the 50/100 back times which are from May of 2018; this past season she was 49.7 in the 100 free and 54.2 in the 100 back. Plus, Clark started classes at Cal in January with Ivey, and while she wasn’t racing with the team, she didn’t have the same senior spring as most of these incoming swimmers.

The rest of this class is very distance-oriented, an influx of distance talent for a program that has been very lacking in that department (Robin Neumann swam up to the 500 and logged a 4:39 last season, but Cal didn’t have a single swimmer race the mile once last year). Rachel Klinker andSarah Dimeco (both HMs in the first rank) and Ashlyn Fiorilli are all excellent in distance free/200 fly/400 IM. Klinker has the most front-end speed (49.9/1:46.0/4:44.1 free, 1:56.9 fly, 4:16 IM), with Dimeco close behind but better in the longer races (1:46.9/4:44.2/16:09 free, 1:57.2 fly, 4:12 IM), and Fiorilli strongest in fly/IM (4:49/16:23 free, 1:57.2 fly, 4:15 IM).

Danielle Carter is a backstroker with lots of potential at 53.5/1:55.4, and Anna Kalandadze adds even more distance strength (1:48.3/4:46.2/16:23). On the other end of the spectrum are sprinters Emma Davidson (22.9/50.3) and Australian Eloise Riley (25.9/57.8 LCM), with Riley’s 50 free especially intriguing.

Fast riser to watch: Spitz is on a hot streak, going lifetime bests in the 50/100/200 free and 100 fly in 2019, and in the 100/200 back at the end of 2018 (so, all this past season). 2019 also saw her break 23 in the 50 free for the first time in her career.

#5: GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Top-tier additions: #2 Zoie Hartman (CA – breast/IM), Ashley McCauley (NC – breast/IM)
The rest: Jillian Barczyk (LA – free), Mady Bragg (GA – free), Raquel Mason (FL – diver)

This class is on the smaller side, but the Bulldogs wrangled in the only swimmer in the entire class with three NCAA A-final worthy events: Zoie Hartman.

Hartman is the best 200 IMer and 200 breaststroker in the class, coming in at 1:54.62 in the 200 IM and 2:07.52 in the 200 breast. She’s also the second-fastest 100y breaststroker in the class with a 58.94, which makes her not only an immense overall gain for the program, but a sought-after elite breaststroker. UGA, for its national prominence as a traditional power, has not had a wealth of sprint breaststrokers of late; last year, UNLV transfer Sophia Carnevale was the program’s first sub-1:00 100 breaststroker since 2013-14, when Melanie Margalis was on the roster. The team record is a 59.05 from Kristy Kowal set in 1998, and Hartman is already faster than that.

Besides coming in as a potential triple NCAA All-American in her rookie debut, Hartman is also the second-fastest 400 IM’er in the class at 4:10.4, and her abilities in sprint free (22.9/49.1/1:47.1) are crucial for UGA, which only has a season left with top sprinter Veronica Burchill and only had two swimmers (Burchill and Gabi Fa’amausili) break 49.0 on their 400 free relay at SECs and NCAAs (they didn’t score at NCAAs). Georgia missed scoring in both medley relays at NCAAs, too, but Hartman should help them get back into the finals next year.

Ashley McCauley is a worthy breaststroke get, too. She’s more of a 200 breaststroker, with a best of 2:09.54 there; that would’ve qualified for NCAAs last year. She’s also 1:00.54 in the 100 and 2:00.4/4:14 in the IM, but the big takeaway here is that Georgia is building legitimate breaststroke depth.

Jillian Barczyk and Mady Bragg bring in freestyle speed, with Barczyk at 50.6/1:48.4/4:50.4 and Bragg at 50.7/1:49.3, while Raquel Mason is a diver who scored in the top 8 at the 2017 FHSAA 2A Champs.

Fast riser to watch: Barczyk had some nice swims this summer in long course, hitting bests of 26.3/56.5/2:02.3 in the 50/100/200 free.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ranking the 2019 Women’s NCAA Recruiting Classes: #5-8

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Coming out of the 2019 World Junior Championships, FINA’s World Junior records have been a hot topic of conversation, especially the fact that they don’t always reflect the fastest junior swim in history.

When FINA started tracking world junior records in 2014, previous swims were not retroactively awarded world junior record status. That had much to do with FINA’s policy of only ratifying world junior records if the swim had been properly verified – the pool checked for legal distance and the swimmer drug tested after the swim.

Swimming fans have noted plenty of pre-2013 swims by juniors that are actually faster than the standing world junior records. More and more of those marks have started to fall, but a few still remain. What follows is our best attempt at putting together ‘true’ world junior records – or the fastest swims our research could dig up by athletes who fit the WJR age brackets:

• For girls: age 14-17 as of Dec. 31 in the year of the swim
• For boys: age 15-18 as of Dec. 31 in the year of the swim

FINA tracks its juniors ages by birth year – that means if a boy turns 19 in December, his swims that year are not eligible for world junior record status, even if they are technically done while he is still 18. Same goes for a girl turning 18 at some point after her swim, but before the start of the next year.

It’s possible we’ve missed some in here – if that’s the case, please let us know in the comment section, and we’ll do our best to update these records to get the most comprehensive list possible. In some cases, national age records do not qualify, though, given FINA’s way of calculating ages compared to some federations.

You can see the official world junior records here, for boys and girls.

‘True’ World Junior Records, Long Course Meters

*Swims in bold are current official world junior records.

Girls

Boys

By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam

At the 2019 FINA World Championships, after losing the 400 free for the first time since 2013, Katie Ledecky announced she had a stomach virus, keeping her out of multiple races. Later in the meet, Ledecky bounced back winning the 800 free in a come-from-behind victory.

Ledecky swam fast over the 2019 season on the run-up to World Championships in South Korea, and she expects to swim faster over the 2020 season on the run-up to the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska next June.

Follow Katie Ledecky on Instagram here.

FOLLOW GOLD MEDAL MEL ON INSTAGRAM HERE. 

RECENT GMM EPISODES

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

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ledecky Explains World Championships Illness: GMM Presented By SwimOutlet.com

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

7TH FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2019

• 50-Meter Course
• Duna Arena, Budapest (Hungary)
• Pool swimming: Tuesday, August 20 – Sunday, August 25, 2019
• Live results

Several Championships Records and World Junior Records bit the dust before all was said and done in Budapest. Now that the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships have concluded, let’s take a look at the top 5 performances for both men and women.

Look for a follow-up post for the men’s swims.

Top 5 Female Races at 2019 FINA World Junior Championships

#1 – Alba Vazquez‘s 4:38.53 400 IM 

Nabbing Spain’s sole gold in Budapest, 17-year-old Alba Vazquez clocked not only a new Championships Record but a new World Junior Record in the women’s 400m IM. The teen dipped well under the 4:40 threshold for a new lifetime best of 4:38.53, laying waste to her previous PB of 4:40.65 she produced just weeks ago in Kazan to take European Junior Championships gold.

Vazquez’s new WJR time would have finished 7th in the stacked women’s 400m IM final in Gwangju this year, finishing ahead of Hungary’s Zsuzsanna Jakabos’ 4:39.15 and France’s Fantine Lesaffre’s 4:39.68.

#2 – Lani Pallister‘s 4:05.42 400 Free

Australian teen Lani Pallister swept the women’s 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events to wind up being named FINA’s Female Swimmer of the Meet. Her trio of victories all represented best times for the Cotton Tree athlete, but her 400m free was particularly impressive. Her winning effort of 4:05.42 overtook the previous World Junior Championships Record held by fellow Aussie Tamsin Cook and now ranks Pallister as the 3rd fastest 17-year-old female ever and 8th fastest female of any age from Australia.

Additionally, Pallister’s time would have rendered her the 7th place finisher in the women’s 400m free event in Gwangju.

#3 – Gretchen Walsh‘s 53.74 100 Free

American 16-year-old Gretchen Walsh dipped under the 54-second threshold in the women’s freestyle for the first time in her young career en route to World Junior Championships gold. She clocked a new personal best mark of 53.74, blowing away her previous career-fastest entering this competition of the 54.13 she notched at this summer’s U.S. Nationals. She also split 53.01 on the anchor of the women’s 400 medley relay, on the last day of the meet no less, to back it up.

With her swim, Walsh is aggressively inching closer to Olympic icon Missy Franklin‘s National Age Record of 53.63 set back at the 2011 U.S. Nationals, now sitting just .11 away. Walsh did overtake Olympic champion in this event, Simone Manuel‘s PB from this age group of 53.86 that was ranked #2 behind Franklin.

#4 – Erika Fairweather‘s 1:57.96 200 Free

At just 15 years of age, Erika Fairweather single-handedly delivered New Zealand’s only medal of these Championships, topping the women’s 200m free podium in a time of 1:57.96. That outing not only denied the aforementioned Pallister her 4th gold, but it represents the teen’s fastest-ever time and first performance ever under the 1:58 barrier.

Fairweather’s previous lifetime best sat at the 1:58.84 she clocked as lead-off on the Kiwi women’s 4x200m freestyle relay at this year’s senior World Championships.

With her performance in Budapest, Fairweather now ranks as the 2nd fastest New Zealand 200m freestyler ever, sitting only behind Olympian Lauren Boyle whose fastest swim checks in as the New Zealand National Record of 1:56.82 notched back in 2014.

#5 – Torri Huske‘s 57.71 100 Fly

Torri Huske of the United States powered her way to gold in the women’s 100m fly, earning a new personal best of 57.71 in the process. That performance sliced almost a tenth off of her old National Age Group (NAG) Record of 57.80 put up at this year’s U.S. National Championships.

When Huske first set the NAG, she broke a 38-year-old legendary record from Mary T. Meagher of 57.93. The teen’s time in Budapest would have barely missed out on this year’s senior World Championships final.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Top 5 Women’s Swims From 2019 World Junior Championships

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Grosse Pointe Gator Sophie Housey has verbally committed to the University of Michigan. She’ll join their class of 2024, staying in-state.

Dreams really do come true… humbled to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Michigan. Thanks to my family and coaches for getting me here! GO BLUE

TOP TIMES

• 50y free – 23.67
• 100y free – 50.47
• 200y free – 1:47.32
• 200y back – 1:57.64
• 200y fly – 1:58.73
• 200y IM – 1:59.23
• 400y IM – 4:15.58

Housey, a senior at University Liggett School, is a sprint freestyler and IM’er with potential in the 200 fly and 200 back. That versatility gives the Michigan coaching staff options as to where she’ll specialize, though her 200 free and 400 IM are her most impressive events, time-wise, right now.

With her best times, Housey would’ve been a B1G scorer in 2019 in the 400 IM, 200 fly and 200 free B final and the 200 IM and 200 back C final.

Michigan is completely overhauling its freestyle group after losing Siobhan Haughey, Catie Deloof, and Rose Bi to graduation. Those three teamed up with current junior Sierra Schmidt to place fourth in the 4×200 free relay at NCAAs.

The current freshman class has an outstanding distance presence thanks to Kaitlynn Sims and Sophia Kudryashova, both 1:47’s in the 200 free, and Housey will join next year’s class which is led by 22.8/48.8/1:45.9 sprinter Quinn Schaedler.

Also part of the class of 2024 are Claire Donan, Kalli Fama, Claire Tuttle, Sophia Tuinman, Casey Chung, Noelle Kaufmann, and Kathryn Ackerman.

View this post on Instagram

Dreams really do come true… humbled to announce my verbal commitment to the University of Michigan. Thanks to my family and coaches for getting me here! GO BLUE

A post shared by S O P H I E H O U S E Y (@sophiehousey) on Aug 12, 2019 at 6:48pm PDT

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.

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour 

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Michigan Adds In-State Talent Sophie Housey to Class of 2024

By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam

Niche, aap short film “The Swimmer” dekh sakte hai- Walter Strohmayer ke bare mein 2 minute ka video, 90 varsiya vyakti jo har subah tairta hai.

Puri tarah se Strohmayer dwara sunai gai, film “The Power Of Ritual” par dhyaan kendrit karne ke roop mein khud ko bill karti hai. Strohmayer samudra tatt par jaane aur tairne ke apne dainik anusthaan ke bare mein baat karta hai- jab se voh ladke the tab se unhone kuch kiya.

Yah film Blaise Hayward dwara directed hai, aur Hayward ke Vimeo profile mein post ki gai hai.

Blaise Hayward Ke Dwara THE SWIMMER A SHORT FILM ABOUT THE POWER OF RITUAL Vimeo Par.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: “The Swimmer” ek 90 Saal Ke Aadmi Ki Aisi Kahani Jo Daily Swim Krta Hai

By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam

Ye Story Hai Donna Hale Ke Dwara- Meri Beti Ke Longtime Club Coach Mein Ek Kahawat Hai. Maine Jitni Baar Yah Suna, Uski Sankhya Ki Mai Kalpana Bhi Nhi Kar Sakti: “Prakriya Par Bharosa Karo”. Yah Swimmers Ko Yah Batane Ka Unka Tarika Tha Ki Pratyek Race “Personal Best” Nhi Hogi,Aur Utaar-Chadaav Hoga Hi Hoga. Lekin Unka Manna Tha Ki Yadi Aap Kaam Mein Lag Jaate Hai, Toh Lambe Samay Takn Aap Apne Sabse Acche Dost Aur Best Swimmer Bann Jaate Hai. Meri Beti Apne Pahle Season Mein Ek Nai Team Ke Saath NCAA Me Apne 3rd Season Mein Pravesh Karne Wali Hai. Vah Diggazo Mei Se Ek Hogi Aur Jaanti Hai Ki Anand, Samman,Aur Anand Ki Sanskriti Ka Nirmaan Karne Mein Uski Bhumika Hai.

Use Pata Chala Hai Ki Coach Bill Sahi The. Halaki, Use Pata Chala Ki Uski Salah Aapko Ek Behtar Swimmer Banne Se Jyada Gahri Hai. Ek Khush Athlete Aur Safal Vyakti Banne Ke Liye, Aapko Yatra Ko Gale Lagana Chhaiye Aur Vishwas Karna Chhaiye-Raaste Mein Sabhi Moment Ko Pyaar Karna Sikhna Chhaiye.

Vah Kuch Aisa Banane Ke Liye Utsahit Hai Jo Dasko Aur Lambe Samay Tak Romanchit Karega, Jinhe Apni Peeth Mil Gai Hai Aur Jinke Liye Aap Safalta Aur Surprise Moment Ko Sunischit Karne Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karenge. Vah Antatah Apne Dil Aur Aatma Ko Pane Ke Liye Kya Kuch Paati Hai: Khud Se Badi Chiz Ka Hissa Hone Ke Liye Kuch Chhod Diya- Ek Team Jo Prerit Karti Hai Aur Utkrushta Deti Hai.

Ye Decision Tough Hai. Lekin Ve Parivartan Ke Layak Hai Yadi Aap Yatra Par Bharosa Karte Hai. Swimmers Ke Liye Ye Bahot Important Hai Aur Iska Unke Liye Kya Matlab Hai:-

1.    Din Ke End Mein, Apne Dil Ka Palan Karna Sabse Accha Hai. Yah Pahle Se Hi Jaanta Hai Ki Aap Kya Hona Chhahte Hai Aur Waha Kaise Pahuche. Apne Dil Ki Suno.

2.    Parivartan Hard Hai, Lekin Uplifting Bhi Hai. Easy Option Hamesha Voh Nahi Hote Hai Jo Aapko Mountaintop Par Le Jaate Hai. Kisi Ne Kabhi Promise Nahi Kiya College Athletics Aasan Hoga. Lekin, Agar Yah Aapka Bhagya Hai, Toh Yah Iske Layak Hai. Kamaal Ki Dosti. Atulya Yaaden. Ek Aisa Safar Jise Aap Kabhi Bhul Nahi Payenge.

3.    Past Ko Past Mein Hi Rahne Do. Sunischit Kare Ki Aapne Jo Kuch Bhi Sikha Hai Uska Upyog Karke Aage Badhna Important Hai. In Chhadbhangur Chhado Mein Aap Sabhi Ko Avsoshit Karne Wale Pal Mein Upasthit Hona Samaan Roop Se Anivarya Hai. Ek Din Pahle Aap Jaante Hai Ki Yah Chhade Yaade Hondi.

4.    Swimming Ke Ekaant Mei Kai Baar Basak Kare. Lane Lines Ke Beech Bitaye Gaye Ghante Aatm-Pratibimb Ke Chhado Ki Peshkash Kar Sakte Hai Jo Keval Swimmers Samajh Sakte Hai. Kabhi-Kabhi Maun Bolta Hai. Aur Isse Aap Apne Bare Mein Bahot Kuch Sikhte Hai.

5.    Vapas Dena. Seva Meri Beti Ki Tairaki Yatra Ke Saath Ek Nirantrata Rahi Hai. Aap Pool Mein Uplabdh Sabak Nahi Sikhenge. Seva Bhi Team Bonding Banati Hai-Khel Ke Mahaan Laabho Mei Se Ek.

6.    Lakshay Nirdharit Kare Aur Sapno Ka Picha Kare. Lekin Anand Ko Pakdo. Yah Aksar Samay Ke Liye 1200 IAM Ki Tarah Kadi Mehnat Ke Roop Mein Prasann Hai. Haan, Meri Swimmer Ladki Ne Aisa Kiya Hai. Ya Thanksgiving Ke Baad 10000 Gaz Ki Subah. Usne Aisa Kiya Hai. Ya Subah Ke Samay Vazan Tab Uthaye Jab Aapka Sarir Neend Se Chilla Raha Ho. Usne Bhi Yahi Kiya Hai Jaisa Ki Aap Athletics Mein Pratispardha Karte Hai Aur Ise Kai Varso Tak Karte Hai Aap Sabse Important Sabak Sikhte Hai. Aapki Yatra Sapna Hai.

About Donna Hale:

Donna Hale 16 Varsho Se Ek Swim Mom Hai. Unki Beti Hannah Dasko Se Pahle Season Mein Lynchburg Hornets University Ke Liye Is Girawat Ko Tairayegi.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Apni Swim Journey Par Vishwash Karna Sikho

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019

• 50-Meter Course
• Duna Arena, Budapest (Hungary)
• Pool swimming: Tuesday, August 20 – Sunday, August 25, 2019
• Meet site
• Live results

The FINA World Junior Championships have launched numerous future Olympic medalists onto the world stage since their inception. At the first version of the meet, then called FINA Youth World Championships, held in Rio de Janeiro in 2006, ten swimmers went on to medal for their countries at future Olympic Games. That 2006 meet included, among others, future gold medalists Camille Muffat of France, USA’s Tyler Clary (who competed as Scott Flowers until he changed his name at the age of 18), and Mireia Belmonte of Spain. Subsequent youth/junior meets featured future Olympic stars Caeleb Dressel (USA), BronteCampbell (AUS), Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), Kosuke Hagino (JPN), Ryan Murphy (USA), Simone Manuel (USA), Mack Horton (AUS), KyleChalmers (AUS), and Penny Oleksiak (CAN). (A couple of athletes, like Lithuania’s Rūta Meilutytė and Canada’s Taylor Ruck, competed at FINA Juniors *after* winning Olympic medals, but those cases are rare.)

So who’s next?

Taking into consideration all the medalists from 2017 (who haven’t yet had the opportunity to swim at the Olympic Games) and 2019, the most obvious World-Juniors-medalist-to-Olympics-medalist picks are USA’s Regan Smith and Hungary’s Kristóf Milák. While neither competed at 2019 World Juniors, both of them swam times at 2017 World Juniors that would have scored in Rio in 2016. Moreover, both Smith and Milak swam at 2019 World Championships this summer and set World Records in their respective events, putting them in good stead for medals at 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Smith set World Records in both the 100 back (57.57) and 200 back (2:03.35) at Gwangju while Milak took down Michael Phelps’s mark in the 200 fly (1:50.73). His recent PB of 50.62 in the 100 fly would have earned him a silver medal in Rio.

2019 Swimmers of the Meet Andrei Minakov of Russia and Lani Pallister of Australia, and Croatia’s FrankoGrgic emerged as the most promising talents from Budapest. Minakov won the 100 free and 100 fly and was runner-up in the 50 fly. His 100 fly time was only .11 off the silver medal-tying performance of Michael Phelps, László Cseh, and Chad le Clos (51.14) in 2016.  Furthermore, he won silver in the 100 fly at 2019 World Championships in Gwangju. His 100 free time in Budapest was 9/10 out of bronze-medal territory but only .05 off the leadoff split of Russia’s 4×100 free relay.

Grgic dominated the 800/1500 free races and set a World Junior Record in the latter by more than 10 seconds. His 1500 free time (14:46.09) is just over 5 seconds off the bronze-medal time from Rio (14:40.86). Pallister broke meet records in the 800/1500 free and wound up 7th/13th for the year in the respective events. As her compatriot Ariarne Titmus proved with a win over Katie Ledecky in the 400 free in Gwangju, on any given day, it is entirely possible to do the impossible and given Pallister’s progression over the last year, she may be on her way to a podium in Tokyo.

The entire cadre of 200 breaststrokers put on an impressive show in Budapest. Josh Matheny’s winning 2:09.40 set a Championships Record and was just 1.7 seconds off the third-place time from Rio. Japan’s Shoma Sato finished only .16 behind Matheny (2:09.56). On the women’s side, Russians EvgeniiaChikunova (2:24.03) and Anastasia Makarova (2:24.39) and Mei Ishihara of Japan (2:24.99) could all be medal contenders in Tokyo. Third place in Rio was 2:22.28.

Gretchen Walsh is inching her way into medal contention territory in the 50 free and 100 free. She won both events in Budapest going 24.71 and 53.74. Belarus’s Aliaksandra Herasimenia won bronze with 24.11 in the former and Sarah Sjöström placed third with 52.99 in the latter. Butterflyers Torri Huske of USA (57.71) and Anastasiya Shkurdai of Belarus (57.98) were 1-2 in the 100 fly, still 1.3 seconds away from Dana Vollmer’s bronze-medal time in Rio of 56.63, but they are both improving rapidly.

2017’s 50 free winner, Michael Andrew, has dropped his time to 21.46, which is .03 faster than NathanAdrian’s bronze medal-winning performance in 2016. Luca Urlando, who won the 200 free and 200 fly at World Juniors, although not with best times, is a contender for medals in both events in 2020. His 1:46.51 in the 200 free is .1.28 seconds off the 1:45.23 it took to win bronze in Rio; his 1:53.84 is only .22 away from the 1:53.62 that Hungary’s Tamás Kenderesi swam to score the bronze in 2016. ApostolosPapastamos of Greece won the 400 IM with a World Junior Record of 4:11.93. Japan’s Daiya Seito went 4:09.71 for bronze in 2016.

By Olivier Poirier-Leroy on SwimSwam

How did the greatest swimmer in history prepare on the day of his biggest performances? Here is what swimmers can learn from Michael Phelps’ full race day routine.

On the morning of the big race we wake up with a mixture of nerves, excitement, and possibly even dread. (But hopefully mostly excitement!)

With all the hard work in swim practice behind us—all those two-a-days, the reps on reps of 400s pull, the timed kick sets—now it’s time to see what we are capable of.

Although the training is behind us, and the taper has been completed, for a lot of us chlorinated athletes it’s the race day part that causes us the most problems: keeping our head straight and our thoughts positive long enough to compete at our best.

For the greatest swimmer of all time, Michael Phelps, a pre-race routine was fundamental to helping him feel in control, stay calm in the face of insane amounts of pressure, and remain laser-focused on his own performance.

Here’s what Michael’s race day routine looked like.

Phelps’ Race Day Routine

In Charles Duhigg’s book The Power of Habit (Amazon), he outlined the race day routine that Phelps used during his remarkable 8-gold medal winning performance in Beijing.

To fuel himself for the grueling days of competition, Phelps started off each day eating the same race-day breakfast of eggs, oatmeal and four energy shakes.

When he arrived at the pool he would do the same well-worn stretching routine that limbered him up to help feel ready while warming up. Arms, back, chest, ankles, hamstrings—he’d target each systematically, checking them off one by one.

His meet warm-up was the same each day. (And not that different from what most of us mortals do in our own meet warm-up.) He’d start with 800 swim, mixing it up. 600 kick to get his legs warm. 400 pull. 200 drill. And then a series of 25s at race pace to wake up his nervous system and get those fast twitch muscles primed.

After that he was out of the water, wrestling himself into his racing suit. Strapped to his head were his headphones blasting his choice tunes of the moment (in Athens 2004 Eminem’s “Till I Collapse” was a favorite; in Beijing there was a mix of Jay Z, Lil Wayne and some good old fashioned EDM).

The approach was simple—maybe not as complicated or as crazy as we’d imagine from the GOAT—but it’s purpose was clear: to give Phelps a sense of control. By having a set procedure to follow he could box out what was happening around him and focus solely on executing his best possible performance.

It’s hard to imagine what the pressure cauldron would have been like on that stage. Combine that with Phelps being a hyperactive and anxious child, and you can see how this could have gone far differently.

His long-time coach Bob Bowman, having recognized the talent inherent in the gangly kid from Baltimore a decade earlier, knew that strong mental habits would be the real game changer for Phelps.

“He (Bowman) designed a series of behaviors that Phelps could use to become calm and focused before each race, to find those tiny advantages that, in a sport where victory can come in milliseconds, would make all the difference.”

Phelps Behind the Blocks

In Michael Phelps’ 2009 auto-biography “No Limits” (Amazon)—where he gives plenty of background to his Beijing performances—he went into even more detail about what his routine behind the blocks.

On the first day of the meet he had two big races—the 400m individual medley, where he was the world record holder, and the 4x100m freestyle relay (which is a separate and epic story altogether).

Phelps describes walking out for the final of the 400m IM:

“After we walked out to behind the blocks, I did what I always do there. I stretched my legs on the blocks, two different stretches, one a straight-leg stretch, the other with a bent knee, left leg first. I took the right headphone out. Once they called my name, I took the left headphone out, the parka off. It’s my routine to stand on the left side of the block and get onto it from that side.”

Once he got up on the blocks he did something that any casual swim fan would recognize, the double arm swing behind the back.

In response to those who might consider it distracting or even bad sportsmanship, Phelps says:

“It’s just a routine. My routine. It’s the routine I’ve gone through my whole life. I’m not going to change it.”

From there, there’s a clearing of the mind, the starter’s gun, and off we go.

Building Your Own Pre-Race Routine

Now, I know what you are probably thinking: that is a lot of stuff. When you break it down item by item Phelps’ race day prep starts to look more like a NASA space shuttle launch list than a recipe for fast swimming.

But your race day/pre-race routine doesn’t need to detail every moment of the big day. Just a handful of things you know give you confidence and calm.

Here are some questions to help get you started on your own pre-race routine:

• Do the things on your pre-race routine depend on the actions of others? (Hint: They shouldn’t.) The sneaky power of a pre-race routine is that it’s something you 100% control. One of the benefits of a routine that you control is that it instills confidence and motivation. That motivation and focus slips away the more control you give up.
• Does your pre-race routine prepare you mentally and physically? Warming up in the pool is one thing, but make sure that you include mental prep as part of your pre-race routine. This could include finding ten minutes before your race to close your eyes and visualize the way you want to swim. Or some simple breathing exercises. Or using self-talk to rephrase feelings of nervousness as excitement.
• What are the things in the past that have helped you in the past? Here’s where your pre-race routine becomes uniquely yours. Search out your own performance history for the things that have helped you swim at your best. Write down what works, and if you’re feeling particularly ambitious, write down the things to steer clear of as well.

ABOUT OLIVIER POIRIER-LEROY

Olivier Poirier-Leroy is a former national level swimmer. He’s the publisher of YourSwimBook, a ten-month log book for competitive swimmers.

He’s also the author of the recently published mental training workbook for competitive swimmers, Conquer the Pool: The Swimmer’s Ultimate Guide to a High Performance Mindset.

It combines sport psychology research, worksheets, and anecdotes and examples of Olympians past and present to give swimmers everything they need to conquer the mental side of the sport.

Ready to take your mindset to the next level?

Click here to learn more about Conquer the Pool.

COACHES: Yuppers–we do team orders of “Conquer the Pool” which include a team discount as well as complimentary branding (your club logo on the cover of the book) at no additional charge.

Want more details? Click here for a free estimate on a team order of CTP.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Here’s What Swimmers Can Learn from Michael Phelps’ Pre-Race Routine

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Chinese media are reporting that the doping control chaperone involved in the disputed test of Sun Yang last fall was an untrained, unauthorized high school classmate of the main doping control officer. The report quotes – anonymously – the chaperone himself, who says he was called to help on the night of the test.

China’s XinhuaNet, the official state-run news outlet of the Chinese government, published the story, quoting both Sun’s lawyer Zhang Qihuai and the doping control chaperone, who wishes to remain anonymous.

Zhang says that of the three-person testing team who arrived to perform an out-of-competition anti-doping test on Sun on September 3, 2018, only one was trained to perform the tests. Zhang says that the other two were “temporarily found and not trained,” in a rough translation of the Chinese.

Zhang goes on to say that the ‘blood test officer’ was a friend of the Doping Control Officer and had no professional nurse’s practice certificate. The ‘urine test officer’ was a high school classmate of the Doping Control Officer, according to Zhang. As DCO’s at the testing agency in question (IDTM) are required to be 21 or older, it appears the two were former, not current, high school classmates, though the translation isn’t entirely clear.

Those titles are a little different, but roughly correspond to the three people noted as present in the anti-doping panel’s investigation and decision to clear Sun of wrongdoing. That panel listed a DCO (an unnamed woman, the main testing officer), a DCA (‘doping control assistant’ or ‘chaperone’, noted in the XinhuaNet account as the ‘urine test officer’ and still anonymous) and a BCA (‘blood collection assistant’ or ‘blood test officer’ in the XinhuaNet story, named in the anti-doping panel document).

Urine Test Officer: ‘I was temporarily called to help, and somehow involved in this matter’

XinhuaNet quotes that ‘urine test officer’ anonymously later in the story, essentially confirming Zhang’s allegations.

“My high school classmate temporarily called me to help, because I am a man,” the urine test officer explained. “When taking a male urine sample, it is more convenient for a man to be present. My classmate told me that this matter should be kept confidential.”

The urine test officer said he did not know what to do in his role, and wasn’t clear on the importance of the test. As the test was in summer, he wore shorts and sandals, and wonders aloud in the story if that was part of why Sun challenged his authorization. The urine test officer admits to being excited to see Sun and taking out his phone to take a video of Sun.

The officer did say sun was “warm and polite” to him, and reiterated that he didn’t know what was required of him in the ‘urine test officer’ role, nor what qualifications or documents he needed.

Blood Test Officer credentials also questioned

XinhuaNet also reports that the blood test officer did not have all the required credentials. Per XinhuaNet, the blood test officer provided a “professional technical title certificate” (again, a rough translation of the original Chinese), but did not have a “nurse license.” Regulations on nursing practice say that those with the certificate but not the proper license should not “engage in… nursing activities”, according to XinhuaNet.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Chinese Media: Tester In Sun Yang Case Was Untrained Classmate of Main Officer

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Verbal commitments for the high school class of 2021 have begun to trickle in, but there are still a number of 2020 graduates (who are starting their senior year in high school) to chase this fall for collegiate programs. Among the latest commitments is Daniel Seabaugh from Cape Girardeau, Missouri, near the state’s border with Illinois. He has committed to the University of Missouri, which shares a Tiger mascot with Central High School that he currently attends.

View this post on Instagram

I’m very excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at the University of Missouri! I’d like to thank my family, the amazing coaches that I’ve worked with, and everyone who has helped me get to this point in my life. Once a tiger always a tiger

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Jacob Rosner, a senior at the Landon School in Bethesda, Maryland, has announced his verbal commitment to Northwestern University’s class of 2020.

“Extremely excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swim career at Northwestern University! I would like [to] thank my family, coaches, and friends who have supported and helped me get here. Go Cats!”

Rosner swims under Bruce Gemmell at Nation’s Capital Swim Club. He specializes in mid-distance freestyle and was runner-up in both the 200 free (1:38.70) and 500 free (4:33.75) at 2019 Washington Metro Championships. He also split 21.00 on the end of the Landon 200 free relay and anchored the 400 free relay in 47.18. This summer, Rosner competed at Speedo Junior Nationals, placing 12th in the 400 free with a PB of 3:58.78. He also picked up new LCM best times this summer in the 800 free, 200 back, 100 fly, and 200/400 IM. He wrapped up 2018-19 short-course season with an outstanding meet at 2019 NCSA Spring Championship. He was runner-up in the 500 free and fifth in the 1000 free and finaled in the 200 free, 200 fly and 200 IM. He left the meet with PBs in the 200/500 free, 100/200 fly, and 200 IM.

Rosner would have been Northwestern’s top 500 freestyler last season and would have joined then-sophomore Liam Gately in the B final at B1G Championships. He would have ranked third in the 200 free behind Gately and his classmate Robert Cecil.

• 200 free – 1:38.55
• 500 free – 4:21.32
• 1000 free – 9:11.32
• 1650 free – 15:59.99
• 200 fly – 1:48.99

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1e59KvlnOJn-1dwSFduT-72gzD3RlK_Ycb9NI0/

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.

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram –@fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: NCAP Mid-distance Freestyler Jacob Rosner Verbally Commits to Northwestern

By Tomas Rodriguez ES on SwimSwam

Se espera que la olímpica mexicana Lili Ibáñez reciba el alta de su rehabilitación este viernes tras pasar por el ser operada del hombro a principios de este año con la mirada puesta para volver a la competición en 2019, según confirmó a SwimSwam esta semana.

Ibáñez afirma que ha ido incrementando progresivamente el volumen y la intensidad de sus entrenamientos a lo largo del último mes y que estará de vuelta por completo en los entrenamientos hacia octubre. Mientras no ha confirmado cuál será el campeonato que marque dicho retorno, sí confía en que su retorno a la competición sea en este 2019.

En marzo Ibáñez fue operada de su hombro izquierdo para reparar tres tejidos: uno en su tendón supraespinoso, otro en el manguito rotador, y  el último un tejido de segundo grado en el labro, en un proceso quirúrgico conocido como SLAP.

Incluso mientras luchaba contra la lesión, Ibáñez consiguió tener el mejor año en 2018 en lo que lleva de carrera deportiva. Batió sendos récords mexicanos en 50 libre (25.15) y 100 libre (55.39) en piscina larga, y 50 libre (24.56) y 100 libre (53.19) en piscina corta. En total, ostenta o comparte trece récords nacional de México en natación.

La nadadora de 28 años de edad, que compitió a nivel universitario en Estados Unidos representando a Texas A&M, tiene  a su nombre una medalla panamericana de bronce que ganó como parte del relevo mexicano de 4×200 libre en 2011. Además ha sido seis veces campeona en los Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe, con un total de quince metales conseguidos en dicho campeonato desde el año 2006.

En el vídeo que podrás ver a continuación y que la misma Ibáñez publicó en su cuenta de Twitter, muestra lo que parece ser un amplio rango de movimiento en el hombro afectado:

23 semanas después…

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

eBay is a veritable trove of unique items both old and new being sold from as close as your next-door neighbor to as far away as the other side of the world.

With such a vast universe of random memorabilia, consumer goods and pre-loved trinkets looking for a new home, it’s no surprise that one of the largest e-commerce sites even has its share of swimming-specific hidden gems available for sale.

Below are just 5 unique listings on eBay, each with a particular connection to the world of aquatics. Check them out and see if any of them speak to your inner-swimmer.

courtesy of eBay,

Swim Now, Pee Later

We’ve all done it, whether we admit it or not, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still tease our teammates about it. Why not take your friendly torment to the next level by giving your lane mate this silly patch? It’s a great reminder that the pool is for swimming.

courtesy of eBay

Presidential Swim

Ronald Reagan, President of the United States from 1981-1989, served as both a lifeguard and coach in his early years and received an athletic scholarship for both swimming and football. Attending Eureka College, Reagan never lost a swimming race his freshman year and he even took on the role of college swim coach while competing until his graduation in 1932. He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1988.

Re-live some of this Presidential swimming past with a photo of Reagan in a different kind of suit. The available image is one of Reagan poised to dive in, circa 1930.

Summer Swim Club Memories

courtesy of eBay

Summer swimming is the stepping stone for many aspiring athletes who go on to do great things in our sport. Even if a swimmer doesn’t move on in their careers past playing around at their neighborhood pool, the memories made at summer swim are priceless and thought of often as the time passes.

Why not keep a little of that swimming spark alive with special swim club memorabilia, such as this vintage ticket book? This particular piece of history is from Salina Municipal Swimming Pool in Salina, Kansas. Although the date of the book isn’t specified, each ticket was valued at just 10 cents to give us an idea of how far back it may go.

courtesy of eBay

Send Inge De Bruijn Around the World

Retired Olympian Inge de Bruijn is a Dutch swimming legend, having amassed 8 medals across 2 Games appearances in 2000 and 2004. In Sydney, de Bruijn claimed Olympic gold in the trifecta of the 50m free, 100m free and 100m fly and repeated as 50m free Olympic champion in 2014. In Athens, she also collected silver in the 100m free and bronze in the 100m fly to add her to her relay medals.

De Bruijn is the 2nd most decorated Dutch Olympian of all time and her image was presented on mailing stamps in her heyday as a way to commemorate her aquatic feats. Framing the stamps with this icon’s image would be a special addition to any swimming memorabilia collection.

courtesy of eBay

Just because records from the supersuited era have been going down left and right in recent years, it doesn’t mean these full-body garments are fully eradicated from the face of the Earth. Get your hands on one of these head-to-toe beauties and party like it’s the 2009 World Championships.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Get Your Swimming Memory Fix With eBay’s Hidden Gems

By SwimSwam Contributors on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Elizabeth Wickham

My 10-year-old daughter is fast at freestyle and likes to swim it at meets. The coach keeps entering her in different events even though she doesn’t like to swim them. I want her to enjoy swimming but she dreads the butterfly and especially breaststroke. She gets stressed out before those events. Do you have any advice on if we should talk to the coach about this and ask him to not enter her in those events?

—Freestyle Mom

________________________

Dear Freestyle Mom,

We went through the same thing with our daughter who was better at freestyle than her other strokes at age 10. When she reached a plateau in freestyle later on, she saw improvement in her off strokes which helped keep her excited about swimming. At age 10, there is so much to learn and improve on.

Most coaches will want 10-year-old swimmers learning and developing all their strokes. You never know what her best stroke will be years from now. If she focuses on freestyle at age 10, she’s limiting her swimming future.

I know it’s too early for your swimmer to think about college, but keep in mind that college coaches like swimmers who can swim several events. A distance freestyler who can swim the 200 fly and 400 IM will find more interest from college coaches than a freestyle specialist.

It sounds like your daughter is competitive and may not like getting beat in her off strokes. As she grows and improves her technique, she’ll get stronger and faster. She may find she loves breaststroke after all. After she swims an off event, compliment her for effort and don’t focus on her results.

Maybe her coach can explain why he wants her to swim all four strokes and improve her technique. It’s a conversation better coming from the coach than parents.

What would you tell Freestyle Mom about her daughter being entered in races she’s not happy to swim?

If you have a question for “Ask Swim Mom,” please email Elizabeth Wickham at ewickham@me.com.

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

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ask Swim Mom: Should My Child Specialize?

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Clinics is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.

Victoria Ireland from Middletown, New Jersey has become the latest verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina in the class of 2020 as Mark Gangloff begins to pick up recruiting steam as the team’s new head coach. She is the program’s 3rd announced commitment on the women’s side and will give the class some diversity while joining 1:56.0 200 backstroker Grace Kayal and 1:57.8 200 backstroker Katie Wright.

Ireland is primarily a breaststroker whose best time last season would have ranked 4th among varsity Tarheels, behind a freshman and 2 sophomores. That breaststroke group right now is a strength talent-wise for Gangloff and his new program, which meshes well with his specialty as a competitor (he won 2 Olympic gold medals as a medley relay breaststroker).

I am super excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim at the University of North Carolina!! I can’t wait to be challenged by the school’s amazing academics and the team’s outstanding coaching staff. Thank you so much to my coaches, teammates, and family who helped me get through everything along the way. #goheels

Ireland is progressing at a rapid rate: as a sophomore, she improved her 100 breaststroke best from 1:08.7 to 1:04.4, as a junior, she improved her 100 breatstroke best from 1:04.4 to 1:02.2, which earned her 3rd place at the YMCA National Championships. Her jumps in the 200 have been even more substantial: as a junior she improved from 2:23.8 to 2:16.2. This comes after a bit of a focus shift from butterfly to breaststroke swimming, though she still showed improvement in the 100 fly as a junior, cutting over a second from her best time.

Technique Video:

Middletown South’s Victoria Ireland’s record-setting swim in the 100 breast at the Monmouth County Championship pic.twitter.com/UoGmtJss7P

— EvanSlavitHS (@EvanSlavitHS) January 5, 2019

Best TImes in Yards:

• 100 breast – 1:02.22
• 200 breast – 2:16.24
• 100 fly – 55.73

Ireland swims for Middletown High School South in Middletown, New Jersey and for the Red Bank YMCA.

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.

About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour

The Fitter & Faster Swim Tour produces swim clinics featuring elite stars of the sport and the most innovative teaching platforms. FFT Swim Clinics can be customized to meet age and skill level of every team and community. Call 786-837-6880 or visit http://www.fitterandfaster.com/ to learn more.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram –@fitterandfasterswimtour

Facebook – @fitterandfastertour

Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Victoria Ireland Brings Diversity to UNC Class of 2020 With Verbal Commitment

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.

Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers to pick the top American men’s breaststroker one year from now:

RESULTS

Question: Who will be the finals breaststroker on the American men’s medley relay at the Tokyo Olympics?

• Andrew Wilson– 63.6%
• Cody Miller– 11.9%
• someone else – 10.5%
• Michael Andrew– 6.9%
• Ian Finnerty– 4.8%
• Devon Nowicki– 2.3%

Andrew Wilson has been #1 among Americans in the 100 breast for the past two years, so it’s not terribly surprising to see him dominate this poll. Wilson ran away with it, though, earning 63.6% of the votes – more than 50% more than anyone else.

2016 U.S. Olympian Cody Miller was second with 11.9%, coming off an up-and-down Pan American Games in which he took a silver medal but ended up disqualifying the American mixed medley relay team.

Maybe the most surprising outcome of this poll? Swimmers not named in the poll gained more votes than anyone but Wilson and Miller. “Someone else” took in 10.5% of the votes, more than 2018 national champ Michael Andrew (6.9%) and World University Games champ Ian Finnerty (4.8%).

Usually, SwimSwam voters tend to like younger swimmers, but the 19-year-old Andrew finished only fourth in this poll. No doubt, though, the “someone else” category for many probably included 16-year-old Josh Matheny, the World Junior Championships breakout star.

Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters which World Junior champ on the boys side is most likely to win an Olympic medal next summer:

ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE

The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner

Read the full story on SwimSwam: SwimSwam Pulse: Wilson Leads Poll Of US Medley Relay Breaststroke Hopefuls

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

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

Croatia’s Franko Grgic won the 2019 World Junior title in the 1500 free by more than 13 full seconds. The young distance sensation is putting distance between himself and the rest of the junior world in that race, and hit the best junior swim in history.

While not all world junior records are the fastest swim ever by a junior (due to a quirk in when the records were first compiled), Grgic’s is. And he tops some pretty big names from history.

Based on FINA junior eligibility (based on birth year rather than specific date), Grgic is much faster than Australian Grant Hackett (14:50.92) was back in 1998. He’s also faster than Sun Yang was in 2009 (14:46.84)

Grigic’s time would have been 6th at the senior world championships, and he finishes the year ranked #6 worldwide. Oh, and Grgic is just 16 – meaning he has all of 2020 and all of 2021 to continue lowering his true world junior record.

About Dolfin Swimwear

Dolfin Swimwear represents quality and value. We are committed to supplying our customers with a durable swim suit and an affordable price. We also will continue to be the innovaters for fun and unique practice/training suits which gives swimmers something to smile about…even during grueling workouts.

About Dolfin’s Tech Suit LightStrike

LightStrike^TM was developed after years of research in biomechanics, active drag analysis, fabric innovation, and compression analysis. This new FINA approved suit is supported by Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas, PhD in Biomechanics and former Performance Director with USA Swimming and Styku® 3D Biomapping Engineering.

Visit Dolfin to learn more.

Instagram @DolfinSwimwear

Twitter: @DolfinSwim

Facebook: DolfinSwimwear 

Dolfin is a SwimSwam partner.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Dolfin Swim of the Week: Grgic’s True WJR Caps World Juniors

By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam

Australian swimwear brands Funky Trunks and Funkita are excited to announce the release of the APEX Predator Tech Suit in the new dynamic Cyclone print.

Combining the hours of testing with numerous international and national appearances on Funky Trunks and Funkita sponsored athletes, including gold at World Championships on Australian distance swimmer Jack McLoughlin and gold at FINA World Cup on Australian Commonwealth Games medalist Holly Barratt, the APEX Predator has developed a loyal and committed following amongst elite-level swimmers.

Funky Trunks athlete Jack McLoughlin chooses to race in the APEX Predator Cyclone.

As part of the SwimOutlet Tech Suit Review, former NCAA swimmer Julie Stupp described the Predator as lightweight and flexible while also providing even compression throughout the entire suit. She said it felt ‘amazing in the water’ and allowed her to ‘slip through the water at high speeds without feeling hindered in any way.’ Overall, she felt that it was one of the top suits that she tested, giving it an A Grade.

The Predator has made appearances at Pan Pacific Championships, the FINA Champions Swim Series, Commonwealth Games, FINA World Cup and World Championships and is ready for athletes to take with them to the new International Swimming League events.

This suit utilizes rigid stretch fabric technology to allow the Cyclone to mold to the body with maximum compression, providing fluid body movement through every stroke. With the ultrasonic bonding, the APEX Predator Cyclone has the ability to withstand immense tension on key muscle groups to achieve enhanced speed through the water.

To celebrate Labor Day and the launch of the new APEX Predator Cyclone, Funky Trunks and Funkita are giving you the chance to win a new APEX Predator Cyclone Tech Suit.

Click here to enter.
– Follow @funkitaswimwear@funkytrunks and @SwimSwam
– Tag three of your friends
Funky Trunks and Funkita will randomly select the winner.
PRIZE: One New APEX Predator Cyclone
The contest runs from today August 29 through Sept 2nd (2019).
SwimSwam will DM the account and put you in touch with Funky Trunks and Funkita to receive your prize. 

For more information about the Funky Trunks APEX Predator Cyclone Suit click here.

For more information about the Funkita APEX Predator Cyclone suit click here.

If you’re an athlete and want to hear more about joining the Funky Trunks and Funkita F-Team send an email to .f-team@wayfunky.com to introduce yourself.

Follow Funky Trunks and Funkita on social media to keep up with the news!

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/Funkita/

https://www.facebook.com/FunkyTrunks/

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/funkitaswimwear/

https://www.instagram.com/funkytrunks/

Swimming news is courtesy of Funky Trunks & Funkita, a SwimSwam partner. 

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Funky Trunks and Funkita Announce the APEX Predator Cyclone Tech Suit