By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

FINA, the international governing body for swimming that regulates most of the world’s swimming competition says that it will accept World Record swims from some of the meets of the International Swimming League calendar.

Specifically, FINA will recognize results and records set in the series’ last 5 meets, starting in Lewisville, Texas from October 18th to 19th, presuming all other FINA guidelines are followed.

This means that the American Record, and near-World Record, set by Katie Ledecky of the DC Trident last week in Indianapolis, won’t be recognized by FINA. USA Swimming says that it will recognize Ledecky’s swim as an “American Record” if all paperwork is properly filed, in addition to another American Record set by Melanie Margalis, referring to the “United States Records.” FINA keeps a separate list of “Americas Records,” which refers to the totality of North, Central, and South America, plus the Caribbean islands. Ledecky’s time is faster than the FINA-recognized “Americas Record,” which generally have a lower threshold for recognition. We have asked FINA if Ledecky’s swim will be recognized as a continental record.

If Ledecky were to drop another .15 seconds to break the World Record in Naples this coming weekend, FINA would not recognize that swim either.

To help bring greater clarity to meets that FINA will and will not recognize World Records at, the organization has set up a calendar that includes FINA and non-FINA events that it will acknowledge. In addition to ISL meets, other non-FINA events listed include, for example, the European Short Course Championships in early December. You can see that calendar here.

Ledecky swam a 3:54.06 in the 400 free on Sunday in Indianapolis, her first short course meters meet in 6 years, which just missed the World Record of 3:53.92 held by Ariarne Titmus. While rumors have circulated that FINA has refused to recognize World Records set in ISL meets, what FINA actually said this summer is that it would not recognize World Records unless the meets were held in compliance with FINA rules. Those rules include seeking approval 6 months prior to competition and the presence of drug testers to collect samples from any record breakers.

• Watch: Katie Ledecky Break American Record in Women’s 400 SCM Freestyle

ISL is employing an anti-doping protocol at their meets, though it’s being managed by the national anti-doping organization of the host nation rather than the league itself. We have asked a follow-up to FINA about where the difference lies between the series’ first 2 meets and the last 5, and will update if they provide a response. The 6 month approval period was an early point of emphasis by FINA in the records conversation, and may be to blame for non-recognition of the first 2 meets.

Ledecky, in post-meet interviews, said that she thinks “all times should count.” ISL wouldn’t be the first time that World Record swims have gone unrecognized: several swims that seemed to have broken World Junior Records have not been acknowledged by FINA, including times done in Hungary and China. There hasn’t been an explanation given for why some of those swims weren’t recognized. World Junior Records and World Records generally follow the same approval process.

ISL meets where FINA won’t recognize World Records:

• Indianapolis, IN, USA  – October 5-6
• Naples, Italy, Europe – October 12-13

ISL meets where FINA will recognize World Records, if rules are followed:

• Lewisville, TX, USA – October 19-20
• Budapest, Hungary, Europe – October 26-27
• College Park, MD, USA – November 16-17
• London, England, Europe – November 23-24
• Las Vegas, NV, USA – December 20-21

Read the full story on SwimSwam: FINA Says They Will Recognize World Records from 5 of 7 ISL Meets

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Three rounds are behind us, and the 400 IM and 200 fly have made the final by identical 71-29 margins in the semis.

• Round 1
• Round 2
• Round 3

Round 3 Recap

200 Fly (71%) over 200 Free (29%)

The 200 fly actually faced a tougher test in round 2, only getting 68% of the votes against the 200 breast. The 200 free had barely scraped by in its first two matchups (55% against the 200 IM and 52% against the 500 free) and the Cinderella story finally ends in the final four.

400 IM (71%) over 1650 Free (29%)

The 400 IM got slightly more votes than the 200 fly, though the total percentages were about the same – this semifinal had a few more total votes. This was definitely the toughest test for the 400 IM so far, though, after it got 96% and 92% in the first two rounds.

Consolation Bracket: 5th-8th

5th Place: 200 Backstroke (38%)

6th Place: 200 Breaststroke (32%)

7th Place: 500 Freestyle (26%)

8th Place: 50 Freestyle (4%)

The 200 back and 200 breast were the clear favorites, with the 500 free holding its own. The 50 free, predictably, fell to the bottom of this consolation poll.

Consolation Bracket: 9th-16th

9th Place: 1000 Freestyle (42%)

10th Place: 200 IM (40%)

11th Place: 100 Butterfly (6%)

12th Place: 100 Backstroke (4%)

13th Place: 100 Freestyle/100 Breaststroke (tie – 4%)

15th Place: 100 IM (0%)

Updated Bracket

Final Round Matchups

The Championships Matchup: 200 Butterfly vs 400 IM

Bronze Medal Consolation Match: 200 Freestyle vs 1650 Freestyle

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Hardest (SCY) Event Bracket: 400 IM vs 200 Fly In the Final

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

2019 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE: GROUP A, MATCH 1

• Saturday, October 5th – Sunday, October 6th
• 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST
• Indianapolis, IN
• Indiana University Natatorium (IUPUI)
• Short Course Meters (SCM)
• Group A: Cali Condors, DC Trident, Energy Standard, Aqua Centurions
• Full Meet Results

Select race videos from meet 1 of the 2019 International Swimming League series, hosted in Indianapolis, are now available via the ISL YouTube channel. That includes a video of the American Record set by Katie Ledecky in the women’s 400 meter free that narrowly-missed the World Record as well.

Ledecky’s swim of 3:54.06 was easily under the American Record set by Katie Hoff in 2010 at 3:57.07. Ledecky last swam in short course meters at the 2013 Duel in the Pool, where she was a 4:02 in the 400 free. USA Swimming has confirmed that they will recognize Americans Records set at ISL meets.

The win was Ledecky’s only one of the meet for the DC Trident.

Also available are the finals of the skins races. While there was still significant money on the line, neither final had a particular point pressure, as both finalists of both the men’s and women’s races swim for Energy Standard. In the women’s finale, Sarah Sjostrom beat Femke Heemskerk. In the men’s final, Florent Manaudou took a gigantic breath off the start (and about a dozen more thereafter), while Ben Proud finished the 50 safely.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: WATCH: Katie Ledecky Break American Record in Women’s 400 SCM Freestyle

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

Two and a half months after adding her name to the NCAA transfer database, thus signaling her intention to leave the University of Georgia after one year, All-American Olivia Carter has announced her new home: the University of Michigan. In July, she had told SwimSwam she was taking an Olympic redshirt year to train with her team, Enfinity Aquatics. But by entering the transfer portal it was clear she was planning to look at other options, as well. Today she announced her move to Michigan and confirmed to SwimSwam that she plans to begin as a mid-season transfer in January 2020.

Carter wrote on social media: “I’m elated to announce my decision to continue my collegiate swimming career at The University of Michigan. A special thank you to my parents for their continual support and encouragement-thank you for believing in me. GO BLUE

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

World Championships gold medalist Ariarne Titmus has been nominated for one of the most prestigious sporting awards, the Don Award, presented by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

The award is widely regarded as Australia’s leading contemporary sporting award and is named in honour of Australian sporting legend and first Sport Australia Hall of Fame Inductee, Sir Donald Bradman. The honor is bestowed upon Australian athlete or team who, by their achievements and example over the last 12 months, are considered to have had the capacity to most inspire the nation.

19-year-old Titmus achieved Australian legend status when she defeated American Katie Ledecky in the women’s 400m freestyle at this year’s World Championships. Conquering Ledecky with a winning time of 3:58.76 to the American’s 3:59.97 in Gwangju, Titmus became the only woman to have ever beaten Ledecky in a distance event at a major international competition.

The award will be handed out this Thursday, October 10th at the 35^th Induction and Awards Gala Dinner in Melbourne.

This year’s nominees also include tennis grand slam champions Dylan Alcott OAM and Ashleigh Barty, 2018 NRL premiership hero Cooper Cronk, three-time Tour de France stage winner Caleb Ewan, 2018 world surfing champion Stephanie Gilmore, Bathurst 1000 2018 winner Craig Lowndes OAM and Ashes winners Ellyse Perry and Tim Paine.

Titmus said of her nomination, “I swim because I love it, and representing our country is an honour I hold very high.

“As little as two years ago, I never thought I would be in this position nominated alongside some of Australia’s greatest athletes. To me, being nominated for the Don Award means that not only am I doing myself and my family proud, I am inspiring the people of Australia which completely humbles me.

“Sir Donald Bradman pushed the boundaries in the game of cricket and has since inspired generations of athletes and sport lovers. For this award to be named after him, I believe he is arguably Australia’s greatest sporting hero. His achievements will continue to inspire our country for many, many years.”

Swimming Australia CEO Leigh Russell commented, “Swimming Australia is thrilled to hear that Ariarne has been nominated for the prestigious Don award, it is a huge honour her and our sport.

“Ariarne’s performances this year have been incredible, and she should be immensely proud to be nominated in the company of some of Australia’s most inspiring sporting stories and athletes of 2019.”

Quotes courtesy of Swimming Australia.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: World Champion Ariarne Titmus Nominated For Aussies’ Don Award

By Tomas Rodriguez on SwimSwam

Benedetta Pilato, the 14-year-old Italian breaststroke sprint ace, has sparked controversy and mixed reactions after reportedly joining Circolo Canottieri Aniene–the same team that renowned Italian swimmers Federica Pellegrini, Margherita Panziera, or Simona Quadarella swim for. The news has generated controversy in Italy, as Pilato is only 14 years old.

Pilato, who lives with her parents in the Italian town of Taranto, in Southern Italy, would have to travel approximately 500 kilometers (an estimated 310.7 miles) in order to train with the CC Aniene swim team, located in the Italian region of Puglia.

• Click here to read the original report by SwimSwam Italia.

Consequently, Pilato’s possible affiliation with CC Aniene has sparked controversy and mixed reactions, leaving many wondering whether the young Italian Olympic hopeful would indeed move to Rome and leave her home and family in order to pursue her athletic career.

However, Pilato’s coach, Vito D’Onghia, confirmed that the teenager would not be moving to Rome, but rather stay in Puglia and train with her club team.

Last Thursday, Oct. 4, CC Aniene issued a statement in regards to the current situation. In the statement, the team clarified that Pilato would not have had to leave her hometown.

Per the statement, given the swimmer’s early age, their intent was for her to remain in Taranto with her family.

• The full original statement issued by CC Aniene can be viewed here.

In response to the issue, Italian Swimming Federation president Paolo Barelli, too, issued a statement through Italian news outlet La Gazzetta del Mezzogiorno. His full statement can be accessed below:

“The Italian Swimming Federation is very upset about what is happening. Troubled and sorrowful.

What is the benefit of registering a 14-year-old girl for a company in another region who remains (obviously) at home by continuing to train in her same home pool? The Federation does not like the way this is being handled.

Italy’s swimming federation has a duty to express its disappointment when the hunt for an athlete becomes a competition. Our community considers this attitude misleading.

Benedetta Pilato is only 14 years old and if she has reached world goals, it means that swimming in Taranto to date has not been so negative. And the Federation was willingly available to support the swimmers’ best local choices,” said Barelli in the statement.

Benedetta Pilato is the current Italian record holder in the 50-meter breaststroke as she became Italy’s first-ever female swimmer to break the 30-second-barrier in the event after clocking a 29.98 during the FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea last summer.

Her personal best in the 100-meter breaststroke lies in 1:08.21, which she achieved during the FINA World Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary, also last summer.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Benedetta Pilato Sparks Controversy In Italy Over Rumors Of Switching Teams

By Ben Dornan on SwimSwam

The World Anti-Doping Agency has released the 2020 update to their prohibited list. The list is one of six documents that the agency uses to communicate their strict regulations on banned substances, practices, testing, investigations, etc. in sports. The full set of governing documents can be accessed here.

• 2019 List
• 2020 List

Each year, WADA’s Medical and Research committee prepares and releases the list by early October in preparation for the changes to take effect by January of the following year. While the majority of the 2020 list remained the same as last year’s, a few notable changes occurred.

A slight change was made to the “prohibited in-competition list” under the ‘cannabinoids’ heading. In 2019 WADA set out a list of which cannabinoids were prohibited, whereas this year they used the all encompassing “all natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited.” The one exception to the rule in 2020 is cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, which is a non-psychoactive substance found in the same plant that produces marijuana.

2019:

“The following cannabinoids are prohibited:

• Natural cannabinoids, e.g. cannabis, hashish and marijuana,

• Synthetic cannabinoids e.g. Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabimimetics.”

2020:

“All natural and synthetic cannabinoids are prohibited, e.g.• In cannabis (hashish, marijuana) and cannabis products• Natural and synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols (THCs)• Synthetic cannabinoids that mimic the effects of THC,Except: • Cannabidiol.”

Furthermore, Bazedoxifene and Ospemifene were both added to the list of ‘selective estrogen receptor modulators’ (SERMS) to be banned at all times. SERMs are a class of drugs commonly used to treat and prevent osteoporosis, mainly in postmenopausal women. Bazedoxifene and Ospeminefene join Raloxifene, Tamoxifen and Toreminifene on the list of banned SERMs.

The only update to the ‘prohibited methods in-competition’ came in the form of a re-write of the ‘gene and doping control’ rules.

2019:

The following, with the potential to enhance sport performance, are prohibited:

1. The use of polymers of nucleic acids or nucleic acid analogues.

2. The use of gene editing agents designed to alter genome sequences and/or the transcriptional, post-transcriptional or epigenetic regulation of gene expression.

3. The use of normal or genetically modified cells.

2020:

The following, with the potential to enhance sport performance, are prohibited:

1. The use of nucleic acids or nucleic acid analogues that may alter genome sequences and/or alter gene expression by any mechanism. This includes but is not limited to gene editing, gene silencing and gene transfer technologies.

2. The use of normal or genetically modified cells.

These new policies deal with what is referred to as “genetic doping.”

While WADA doesn’t update its anti-doping code annually, it does release annual updates to its prohibited substances and methods lists as enforcement tries to keep up with developments in medical science. On occasion, the late announcement of these updates have caused enforcement issues: most famously, in 2016 WADA added meldonium to the banned list, and there was some controversy about whether athletes had enough warning for the substance to fully leave their systems. Ultimately, many positive tests for meldonium, including in Olympic-caliber swimmers like Yulia Efimova, were waived.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: WADA Releases 2020 Prohibited List

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

FINA WORLD CUP SERIES – BERLIN

• Friday, October 11th – Sunday, October 13th
• Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark (SSE), Berlin
• LCM
• Entries
• Results

The 2019 FINA World Cup Series continues, with the 2nd stop of cluster #2 taking place this weekend in Berlin, Germany.

As with the previous stop in Budapest last weekend, this World Cup meet runs concurrent to an International Swimming League (ISL) meet, meaning a noticeable contingent that could have competed here will instead be representing their squads in Naples, Italy. The ISL teams included in this weekend’s Italian meet carry over from Indianapolis and include the Aqua Centurions, Energy Standard, Cali Condors and DC Trident.

As far as the World Cup Series goes, this 2nd cluster consists of just 2 stops, which means swimmers need to step it up if they want to get on top of the point standings to earn this cluster bonus.

Entering this Berlin stop, we see Katinka Hosszu of Hungary in the lead for the women’s World Cup standings, holding a total of 204 points through Budapest. That carries just a 12 point advantage over Australia’s Cate Campbellwho is also set to compete this weekend.

As for the men’s points standings, it’s Russia’s Vladimir Morozov who is getting it done in dominating fashion. He carries a total of 210 points through the Budapest stop, with the next closest competitor represented by Lithuanian Danas Rapsys, who holds 144 points. American Andrew Wilsonis positioned 3rd but is missing from the entry lists due to the Cali Condors.

You can find the points standings at the bottom of this post.

Among the swimmers who are entered here that did not swim in Budapest include Algeria’s Oussama Sahnoune; Germany’s Christian Diener, Fabian Schwingenschloegl, Angelina Kohler; Czech Rebublic’s Barbora Seemanova, France’s Clement Mignon and Jordan Pothain, Italy’s Federico Burdisso and Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches.

Update: American Anthony Ervin is on the psych sheets, but says that he won’t race in Berlin. We’ve been told that he has returned home to Charlotte to be with father, who has been hospitalized.

He plans to swim through the Olympic quad with his goal specifically being to make the 50 free final at 2020 Olympic Trials and recently posted on Instagram after completing a sprint triathlon that he’d be shifting his focus back to swimming.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2019 FINA World Cup Psych Sheets (Berlin)

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Editor’s Note: SwimSwam is not on the voting panel for the CSCAA Dual Meet Rankings, but the rankings are posted as a courtesy to the CSCAA. See our most recent women’s Power Rankings here and men’s Power Rankings here.

The defending champs sit #1 in both the women’s and men’s preseason CSCAA (College Swimming & Diving Coaches Association of America) polls, but maybe the biggest change from last year are the Virginia women all the way up to #2.

Women’s Rankings

Also receiving votes: Akron 22, Louisiana State 19, North Carolina 19, Utah 9, Northwestern 4, Arizona 3

Women’s Poll Committee:

Dan Colella, Duke; Niko Fantakis, Brown;  Chris Hansen, CSU Bakersfield; Neil Harper, Arkansas; Naya Higashijima, Southern Methodist;  Nathan Lavery, Texas Christian;   Matthew Leach, Washington State; Sergio Lopez, Virginia Tech; Christine Mabile, Boise State; Jonathan Maccoll, Rutgers; Jesse Moore, Minnesota;  Jeff Poppell, Florida; Jos Smith, Utah

Men’s Rankings

Also Receiving Votes: Navy 11, Kentucky 8, Georgia Tech 6, Minnesota 5, Utah 3, Harvard 2, Purdue 2,William & Mary 1

Men’s Poll Committee:

Steve Barnes, Penn State;  Chase Bloch, Southern California; Jason Calanog, Texas A&M; Chad Cradock UMBC; Daniel Dozier, West Virginia; John Hargis, Pittsburgh; Jamie Holder, Dartmouth;  Lars Jorgensen, Kentucky; Craig Nisgor, Seattle; Bill Roberts Navy; Rachel Stratton Mills, Arizona State; Neal Studd, Florida State .

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Defending Champs Stanford, Cal Top Preseason CSCAA Polls

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

KENTUCKY VS. INDIANA, NOTRE DAME

• October 9, 2019
• Lexington, KY
• Short Course Yards
• Meet results

WOMEN’S MEET

• Kentucky – 161, Indiana 139
• Kentucky – 184.5, Notre Dame – 115.5
• Indiana – 172, Notre Dame – 128

Indiana and Kentucky really battled this one out, with Notre Dame coming through with several nice swims as well. It was #19 Kentucky, though, with the big upset over #9 Indiana and a handy defeat of #16 Notre Dame. This was the Wildcat women’s first dual meet victory over the Hoosiers in over a decade; their last win was in 2007, and before that, it came in the 1999-2000 season.

Kentucky’s backstroke excellence shone through, as freshman Caitlin Brooks (54.20) collected the win in the 100 before finishing second (1:57.24) behind teammate Asia Seidt (1:56.26) in the 200. IU had nobody in the top four of either backstroke, again showing their lineup gap in that discipline.

Kentucky also earned big points on the diving boards, with Kyndal Knight winning both 1-meter (155.70) and 3-meter (166.30) and leading a 1-2-3 on the 1-meter. The Wildcats, while not winning a ton of events, were able to out-do Indiana in events like the 100 fly and 200 IM, where Notre Dame swimmers found the wall first, which ultimately led to their victory.

Freshman Cora Dupre is just what the doctor ordered for Indiana — a strong sprinter who can do the 200 free. Her debut was a resounding success: she first won the 200 free in 1:46.66 over a tie between Kentucky sophomore Riley Gaines and Notre Dame senior Abbie Dolan (1:47.67) plus fourth place Wildcat Ali Galyer (1:48.15). Dupre finished on top in the 100 free, too, at 49.43 ahead of Dolan (50.25), Gaines (50.36), and Galyer (50.87).

Notably, Dupre’s 200 free time of 1:46.66 ranks her second in the NCAA right now. While it is early, and some teams have yet to race at official meets, several top teams have already worn tech suits in October meets, making Dupre’s time really stand out.

Dupre led off IU’s 200 medley relay in 25.98, which touched second (1:42.40) behind Kentucky’s victorious 1:40.67. Freshman Emily Weiss was 28.16 for IU, but Kentucky was untouchable with Brooks going out in 25.20 and Bailey Bonnett at 28.43 on breast. Neither the Hoosiers nor the Fighting Irish had the back-end to keep very close to Kentucky, who finished with Izzy Gati (24.22) and Gaines (22.82).

Indiana’s Cassy Jernberg was the only sub-10:00 finisher in the 1000 at 9:55.29 ahead of Notre Dame distance specialist Lindsay Stone‘s 10:05.51. Kentucky freshmen Beth McNeese (10:06.51) and Ashley Neas (10:19.23) were third and fifth, respectively, leading the way for the Wildcats in distance now that Geena Freriks is graduated. McNeese dropped over 15 seconds from her previous best time. Jernberg took control of the 500 free, too, posting a 4:50.82 there to take the win over Galyer’s 4:52.88, her third individual of the day.

Noelle Peplowski was another strong point for the Hoosiers. The sophomore went 1:01.35 to win the 100 breast by a hundredth over Weiss (1:01.36) before going 2:12.30 to take the 200.

Down the final few events, Notre Dame pushed into the win category twice thanks to standout freshman Coleen Gillilan. The versatile rookie was 53.11 to win the 100 fly by over 1.5 seconds, then dominated the next event, the 200 IM, with a 1:58.57 to knock off Seidt, one of the best IM’ers in the country (2:01.49). That time moves her to #3 in the 2019-20 NCAA rankings, an impressive feat for the first year.

The Hoosiers combined for a 3:22.83 in the 400 free relay to win by over a second over Kentucky (3:23.95) and ND (3:26.75). IU’s Dupre (48.98) and Kentucky’s Seidt (49.65) were the only sub-50 swims.

MEN’S MEET

• Indiana – 204, Kentucky – 96
• Indiana – 219, Notre Dame – 81
• Kentucky – 176, Notre Dame – 124

Indiana flew out of the gates hot in their dominant win over Kentucky and ND, winning the 200 medley relay with a 1:27.55 (Gabriel Fantoni– 21.80, Zane Backes– 24.42, Brendan Burns– 21.46, Brandon Hamblin– 19.87) before securing wins in almost every individual event until the 50 free.  There, Kentucky’s Peter Wetzlar clocked a 20.11 to edge a trio of Hoosiers in the 20-mid range: Hamblin (20.39), Jack Franzman (20.41), and Bruno Blaskovic (20.46). Wetzlar would go on to take third in the 100 free (44.51) with Blaskovic second (44.40).

Fantoni scorched the field in the backstrokes, first dropping a 47.22 in the 100 and returning for a win in the 200 (1:45.26). The Hoosiers went 1-2 in the 100 and 1-2-3 in the 200 in an impressive showing of depth. Fantoni returned for his third individual, ripping a 47.96 to take the 100 fly over teammate Van Mathias (48.66). With those swims, Fantoni moves up to third in the country in both backstrokes.

Also turning in a triple for IU was Mohamed Samy, who was victorious in the 200 free (1:37.59), 100 free (43.88), and 200 IM (1:47.36), while sophomore Backes swept the breaststroke events (55.26 and 2:01.39). Samy now sits at #2 nationally in the 100 free and #3 in the 200 IM.

Freshman Burns swam quite well in his IU debut, notching a win in the 200 fly at 1:46.73 to lead a 1-2-3 finish with Corey Gambardella (1:48.48) and Mathias (1:48.54). Kentucky’s Mason Wilby touched at 1:48.65 for fourth. Burns now ranks third in the country in the 200 fly, just over a tenth behind current leader Miles Smachlo of Michigan (1:46.59).

Zach Yeadon was big for the Fighting Irish, taking home wins in the 1000 (9:01.58) and 500 (4:23.73). Yeadon was the winningest non-Hoosier individually with his two first-place finishes, while he and Kentucky’s Wetzlar combined for the only non-Hoosier wins of the entire competition on the men’s side individually.

Indiana couldn’t close it out with another win, though, despite Samy’s 43.17 anchor leg on the 400 free relay. IU was 2:58.71, just ahead of ND (2:58.85), while it was Kentucky (led by Wetzlar’s 43.96 second-leg split) who cruised to the win at 2:57.69.

Despite being known for its diving program, Indiana did not come out on top in either diving event on the men’s side: Kentucky’s Ming Zhang won the 3-meter (189.75) and his teammate Chase Lane owned the 1-meter (170.90).

This was the Hoosier men’s 32nd-straight dual meet win. Their last loss was to Michigan in January of 2016.

PRESS RELEASE – INDIANA

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Indiana University men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams opened the 2019-20 season with three wins in a tri-meet with Kentucky and Notre Dame at the Lancaster Aquatic Center on Wednesday.

TEAM SCORES
Men
Indiana 219, Notre Dame, 81
Indiana 204, Kentucky 96

Women
Indiana 172, Notre Dame 128
Kentucky 161, Indiana 139

HOOSIER WINNERS
MEN
Zane Backes – 100 breaststroke (55.26); 200 breaststroke (2:01.39); 200 Medley Relay (1:27.55)
Brendan Burns – 200 butterfly (1:46.73); 200 Medley Relay (1:27.55)
Gabriel Fantoni – 100 backstroke (47.22); 100 butterfly (47.96); 200 backstroke (1:45.26); 200 Medley Relay (1:27.55)
Brandon Hamblin – 200 Medley Relay (1:27.55)
Mohamed Samy – 100 freestyle (43.88); 200 freestyle (1:37.59); 200 IM (1:47.36)

WOMEN
Cora Dupre – 100 freestyle (49.43); 200 freestyle (1:46.66), 400 freestyle relay (3:22.83)
Laurel Eiber – 50 freestyle (23.47); 400 freestyle relay (3:22.83)
Maria Paula Heitmann – 400 freestyle relay (3:22.83)
Cassy Jernberg – 500 freestyle (4:50.82); 1,000 freestyle (9:55.29)
Noelle Peplowski – 100 breaststroke (1:01.35); 200 breaststroke (2:12.30)
Ashley Turak – 400 freestyle relay (3:22.83)

NOTABLES
• The Indiana men’s team has won 32-consecutive dual meets dating back to Jan. 16, 2016 against the Michigan Wolverines.
• The men’s team won 10-of-16 events in the meet and went 1-2 in six total events.
• The women’s team took first in eight of the 16 events contested.
• Eight Indiana swimmers won at least two events, with three swimmers claiming three-plus event victories.

NCAA CUTS
A: None.
B: Cora Dupre (100 free, 49.43); Gabriel Fantoni (100 back, 47.22); Noelle Peplowski (100 breast, 1:01.35/200 breast, 2:12.30)

UP NEXT
The Indiana Hoosier swimming and diving teams will host a tri-meet against Big Ten opponents Iowa and Michigan on Nov. 2 at the Counsilman Billingsley Aquatic Center in Bloomington, Ind.

@IndianaSwimDive
Be sure to keep up with all the latest news on the Indiana men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams on social media – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

PRESS RELEASE – NOTRE DAME

he Notre Dame Swimming and Diving team (M-12, W-16) fell to Kentucky (M-RV, W-18) and Indiana (M-6, W-9) at the first road meet of the season Wednesday. The Irish earned impressive individual victories over the two highly-ranked squads, including consistent veteran junior Zach Yeadon and freshman Coleen Gillilan, as well as multiple top-three finishes.

“We swam against an IU team that won a B1G championship one year ago and a UK team that, like us, is on the rise,” Notre Dame head coach Mike Litzinger shared. “While the time [10 a.m.] was a bit unconventional, the competition is the same, and it took us awhile to adjust.”

FINAL SCORES  |  RESULTS

Men

• Kentucky – 176, Notre Dame – 124
• Indiana – 219, Notre Dame – 81

Women

• Kentucky – 184.5, Notre Dame – 115.5
• Indiana – 172, Notre Dame – 128

The Irish held their own in the opening event, the women’s 200 Medley Relay, with the Notre Dame team of Carly Quast, Coleen Gillilan, Cailey Grunhard and Rachel Wittmer claiming a third-place finish (1:42.92). Lindsay Stone placed second in the women’s 100 freestyle (10:05.51), while Zach Yeadon claimed his second win of the season in the 1000 free (9:01.58). Yeadon later won the 500 free, with a 4:23.73 time.

Freshman Gillilan earned a win in the 100 Fly (53.11) by more than 1.5 seconds, cruising to a nearly three-second win in the 200 IM (1:58.57) and earning NCAA B-cut times in both.  Gillilan also placed third in the 100 breast (1:01.97).

“Coleen has been very consistent in the practice pool, and that helps translates to performance. But, what makes her special is her competitiveness,” Litzinger said. “She likes to win. That is something that is built-in for her.”

Junior Cailey Grunhard also reached the top three in the women’s 100 Fly, placing third with a 54.99 time. Abbie Dolan posted two second-place finishes in the 200 free (1:47.67) and 100 free (50.25). Bailey Stewart touched the wall second in the women’s 100 back (55.24) and third in the women’s 200 back (1:57.55), while Luciana Thomas placed third in the women’s 200 Fly (2:02.69).

Both Notre Dame 400 Free Relays placed third in their heats, with the men touching the wall with a time of 2:58.85 and the women in 3:26.75.

The Notre Dame divers continued their success this week, with sophomore Austin Flaute placing second in the men’s 1-meter (151.70) and third in the men’s 3-meter competition (172.85). On the women’s side, senior Erin Isola earned a second-place finish in the women’s 3-meter (164.55), trailed by Irish teammate junior Kelly Straub (160.20).

“We have a very strong diving program, and these women have made it so,” Litzinger expressed. “Like the rest of us, they ran into two teams that were very tough.”

CSCAA preseason rankings, announced today, place the Notre Dame Men at 12th in the nation, with the Women at 16th. Up next, the Irish will return home to prepare for their next road meet at Purdue on October 25.

“Rankings are nice, as it shows how your peers perceive you,” Litzinger explained “However, our concern is how we perform at the end of the ACC and NCAA championships. It’s early in the season, and there is much more work ahead of us.”

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kentucky Women Beat Indiana for the First Time Since 2007

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

Swim England announced that Talent Officer Lindsay Trimmings has been promoted to Coaching Development Manager within the organization. After having been in her current position for over five years, Trimmings will be taking over the CDM position from Joanna Jones, who moved to a new role with UK Sport.

Trimmings is a former British long-distance swimming junior champion whose achievements include having completed the English Channel swim solo.

Per Swim England, she joined Swim England in February 2014 from her previous post as deputy director of swimming and head of sports science and medicine at Plymouth Leander and Plymouth College. There, she helped coach now-retired Lithuanian Olympic champion Ruta Meiluttye, as well as British World Championships multi-medalist Ben Proud.

So excited with my new role! https://t.co/hURFLsPziZ

— LIndsay Trimmings (Dunn) (@Linz_e_dunn) October 8, 2019

Also making moves is Stockport Metro Head Coach Richard Blackshaw, as he is leaving his coaching role at the end of October to fill Trimmings’ previous position. Blackshaw’s departure was announced to Stockport Metro swimmers on September 29th, with the club having accepted applicants to fill his role through October 8th.

It’s been one of the biggest honours of my life to be Head Coach @StockportMetro. At the end of the month I will be moving onto the the next honour, I can’t wait to get started as Swim England National Talent Officer supporting swimmer and coaches: https://t.co/AIYgSaU2O3

— Richard Blackshaw (@richswim79) October 8, 2019

Current swimmers at Stockport Metro include Katie Matts and Holly Hibbott, the latter of which took bronze in the women’s 400m freestyle at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Blackshaw Departs Stockport Metro, Trimmings Takes On Coaching Dev Manager

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

ISL GROUP A – Match 2 in Naples

• Saturday, October 12th – Sunday, October 13th
• 8:00 pm – 10:00 PM, local time (UTC+2), (2:00 pm – 4:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time)
• Naples, Italy
• Piscina Felice Scandalone, Via Giochi del Mediterraneo
• Short Course Meters (SCM)
• Group A: Cali Condors, DC Trident, Energy Standard, Aqua Centurions

LINKS

• Live Stream (USA): ESPN3
• Live Stream (Canada): CBC
• Live Television (Australia): Channel 7
  • ISL Highlights on 7TWO and 7plus
• Live Television (Latin America): Claro Sports
• Live Television (Brazil): TV Globo
• Live Television (Europe): Eurosport
• ISL Technical Handbook
• Buy Tickets
• Season Schedule

WHERE TO WATCH BY REGION

• United States: ESPN3
• Europe and Asia-Pacific: Eurosport
• Australia: 7plus
• New Zealand: Spark
• Canada: CBC
• Latin America: Claro Sport
• Brazil: TV Globo
• Caribbean: FlowSports
• Israel: Sports 1
• Middle East/North Africa: Bein Sport

Teams Competing

This weekend will feature ‘Group A’ in a rematch of last weekend’s meet. The teams are below with some of their key roster moves for Naples. Links will go to full announced rosters, if available:

• Energy Standard: skins race winners Sarah Sjostrom and Florent Manaudou will return, along with standout Chad le Clos. Energy Standard will return its entire winning roster from the Indy meet, but will add Fantine Lesaffre.
• Cali Condors: the roster with the most turnover so far. The big news is that Cali will get star sprinter Caeleb Dressel, the best hope of breaking up Energy Standard’s stranglehold on the triple-point skins races. On the other hand, the roster will lose major scorers Hali Flickinger, Townley Haas and Kelsey Wog from Indy.
• DC Trident: DC will also see significant turnover from the Indy meet. Distance star Katie Ledecky and Olympic icon Natalie Coughlin are out, though Kevin Cordes will join the team on the men’s side.
• Aqua Centurions: we have no official roster for the Aqua Centurions at this point.

Event Lineup

Here’s a look at this weekend’s event schedule. Each session is broken into three blocks, each of which ends in a relay event, which is then followed by a break, though the exact length of the breaks has not been specified.

SCORING & POINTS BREAKDOWN

Scoring for each event will be as follows:

Relays count for double, and skins races effectively triple if you make it to the third round; if eliminated in the second round, an athlete earns double points, but if knocked out in the first round, the point totals are the same as a normal race.

PRIZE MONEY FORMAT

Athletes and relays earn money for top-4 finishes under the following system, which we’ve simplified based on the ISL ‘money point’ system:

Regular season:

Current prize money lists.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: A Viewer’s Guide To the International Swimming League’s Naples Stop

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

The United States’ 2 open water entries for the inaugural ANOC World Beach Games, which are to be held from October 12th-16th in Doha, Qatar, have withdrawn. Ashley Twichelland Haley Anderson, who are also qualified to represent the US in open water at next summer’s Olympic Games, were announced less than 2 weeks ago as part of a 69-athlete American roster for the new multi-sport event.

In a statement, USA Swimming said that the withdraw was the result of safety concerns after reviewing water temperature data.

“Based on water temperature data and USA Swimming’s recommendations concerning athlete health and safety, National Team athletes Haley Anderson and Ashley Twichell have made the decision not to attend the ANOC World Beach Games Qatar 2019.”

The swimming events are scheduled to take place in the Persian Gulf, which is the same body of water (and at approximately the same latitude) where American open water swimmer Fran Crippen died during a race in 2010.

Over 1,400 athletes are expected to compete in 14 sports and 16 disciplines at the first edition of the Beach Games in 2019. At least 97 countries are currently committed to compete. The event was originally scheduled in San Diego, but in May, after the city failed to generate enough private funds, the event was moved to Qatar.

The open water races, which will both be 5km swims hosted at Katara Beach, will be held at 6AM on Sunday, October 13th. No American men are scheduled to compete either, and no start lists have been released yet. Surface sea temperatures in Doha given by seatemperature.org had today’s maximum water temperature at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit (similar to the air temperature), which is among the warmest recorded temperatures recorded for this time of year. FINA rules mandate that water must be between 16 and 31 degrees Celsius, or 60.8 and 87.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Average water temperatures for this time of year in Doha are around 86 degrees Fahrenheit, just within the upper edge of that limit.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Haley Anderson and Ashley Twichell Withdraw from Inaugural Beach Games

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

2019 International Swimming League: Group A, Match 2 – Naples

• Saturday, October 12th – Sunday, October 13th
• 8:00 pm – 10:00 PM, local time (UTC+2), (2:00 pm – 4:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time)
• Naples, Italy
• Piscina Felice Scandalone, Via Giochi del Mediterraneo
• Short Course Meters (SCM)
• Group A: Cali Condors, DC Trident, Energy Standard, Aqua Centurions
• Live stream, event schedule & viewer’s guide

One fun quirk of the ISL format: back-to-back weekends provide rematches between the teams in each group, allowing all teams and swimmers to make adjustments and put them into practice very quickly. In this week’s preview, we’ll run down the top avenues each team has at its disposal to improve the overall finish from last weekend’s Indianapolis event.

Energy Standard

Energy Standard won in Indy, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have areas that could improve. We start with them:

Split some relays: Energy Standard has so much sprint talent on its roster and won 4 of 5 relays. But they could dig into a high school/NCAA playbook to further press that advantage: splitting talent between some top relays to maximize points. Last week was riskier, without knowing how fast everyone would be. But this week, there are a couple prime splitting options:

• Men’s medley relay: Energy Standard’s A team won by almost four seconds. The Cali Condors do add Dressel, but Energy Standard can still probably win this event even while flip-flopping their backstrokers or freestylers, improving the B relay by about half a second and challenging for third.
• Men’s 4×100 free relay: Energy Standard went 1-3 in Indy and almost unintentionally split their teams when Evgeny Rylov led off the B in a surprising 47.4. Splitting talent right in that one could lead to an easy 1-2 finish, especially if each relay has a stud anchor to run down the Aqua Centurions.
• Mixed 4×100 free relay: Same goes in this one, where Energy Standard went 1-3 and won by 2.6 seconds. Throw Penny Oleksiak onto your B relay as the anchor and let her run down the field and you could have another 1-2 punch.

Let Penny Fly: Speaking of Oleksiak, the Canadian was used sparingly in Indy but made the most of her swims. She was 52.8 for fourth in the 100 free, matched that time on a relay leadoff and split 52.6 on a relay. Why not try her in the sprint fly races, where second entrant Anastasiya Shkurdai was only 4th and 5th?

Extend breaststroke dominance to the 50: Energy Standard’s men went 1-2 in the 200 breast and 1-3 in the 100 breast, but only 3-5 in the 50 breast on opening day. If the breaststrokers can be more primed for the opening event, they could move up and knock off the Aqua Centurions 1-2 punch in the 50. Ilya Shymanovich in particular seems like a real contender to move up in the 50 – he was .13 out of first in Indy.

Cali Condors

Break up the Skins Race logjam: The real reason Energy Standard won the season opener was the meet-ending skins races. With triple points on the line, Energy Standard went 1-2 in both, outscoring Cali 96-29 – that included a 48-7 split on the men’s side. In other words, Energy Standard won the meet by 73 while outscoring Cali by 67 in the skins. Caeleb Dressel is the best hope of changing that. The fear is that Dressel isn’t usually a great in-season swimmer. He probably has the ability to flip the meet this weekend, but it seems unlikely he’ll take enough rest to be at his peak. It just depends how well he can fight the Manaudou-Proud duo from Energy Standard in the skins race.

Win more touchouts in women’s fly: The Condors came out on the wrong end of close finishes in both of the womens sprint fly events. Kelsi Dahlia was two tenths out of first in the 100 fly and .01 out of second in the 50 fly. The 100 fly, in particular, would have been a 4-point swing if Dahlia had passed Energy Standard’s Sarah Sjostrom. Second entrants Mallory Comerford and Natalie Hinds were also within tenths of solid point swings.

Fix the men’s relays: Dressel should go a long way in addressing this, but the Condors struggled for relay points. Their men’s 4×100 free teams took 5th and 6th – both Energy Standard teams beat both Cali teams by more than a full second. Townley Haas had a rough 48.1 split to doom the A relay. He’s absent in Naples and Dressel should take his spot. John Shebat (47.2 split) might be worth moving up from the B as well. But the 12-30 deficit against Energy Standard cannot continue in that race.

DC Trident

Get into the later rounds of the skins: Only 1 of 4 entrants in the skins races moved on to the second round, where the point values surge. The biggest hurt was in the women’s race, where Madison Kennedy was 5th by .03 and Siobhan Haughey 6th and only .14 out of the top four. They’ve got to knock one of the top four out for the points bonuses. And Zach Apple has to look more like himself, though the men’s sprints are going to be brutal with Dressel now in the mix.

Improve relay depth: the Trident’s B teams finished 7th or 8th in every single relay. That nets points more like an individual event (2 or 4 points) in a race where the top teams are earning 10+. Some relays with avenues to move up: the men’s B 4×100 free relay was sunk by a 49.6 leadoff from Jay Litherland, but was only four tenths from 6th despite losing more than a second on the opening leg. Time to kick the tires on some unorthodox options, like breaststroker Ian Finnerty (who has been a very good 200 freestyler for Indiana in the past) or IMer Abrahm DeVine. The women’s medley was a half-second from 6th, and anchor Annika Bruhn wasn’t at her best.

Press the breaststroke advantages: DC struggled in the breaststrokes despite a solid amount of talent on the roster. Cody Miller was 7th/8th/4th and Ian Finnerty 6th/6th/8th in the 50/100/200 breast. Both have been short course yards standouts who should excel in this SCM format. Adding Kevin Cordes gives more options, especially in the 200, where Finnerty tends to really struggle mid-season. This breaststroke group has a shot to finish in the top half a lot more than it did in Indy.

Aqua Centurions

Use Pellegrini more: Italian star Federica Pellegrini is the captain and headlining member of the Aqua Centurions, but she only hit the pool three times in Indy. The idea was probably to keep the 31-year-old fresh and focus on the double-point relays, but her impact was severely limited. She split 52.6, 53.2 and 53.5 in 100 frees – those times could have led to a top-5 finish in the individual 100 free. Instead, the Aqua Centurions finished 7th and 8th in that event.

Swim to potential in men’s sprints: this is too talented a sprint roster (Condorelli, Correia, Dotto, Miressi) to be dead last in the group. A second place in the men’s 4×100 free relay was the high point, but taking 3rd and 8th in the 50 free skins race just won’t cut it. Getting Greek star Kristian Gkolomeev active in Naples would help, though there’s no word on what the roster looks like yet.

Win breaststroke touchouts: the close finishes weren’t kind to the Aqua Centurion breaststrokers, but the good news is that there are easy avenues to move up. Martina Carraro (5th in the 50, 4th in the 100) was tenths out of second in both the 50 and 100. Georgia Bohl (7th in the 50, 8th in the 100, 7th in the 200) lost a 200 touchout by .01.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2019 ISL Naples Preview: Avenues of Opportunity for All 4 Teams Explored

By Tomas Rodriguez on SwimSwam

Originally reported in Italian by SwimSwam Italia’s Giusy Cisale

Lorenzo Marinelli and Daniel Bazzano, convicted of the shooting of elite Italian swimmer Manuel Bortuzzo, have been both sentenced to 16 years in prison. Marinelli and Bazzano were accused of attempted double murder of Manuel Bortuzzo and his girlfriend. Both suspects have been imprisoned in Rome since February of this year.

As reported by SwimSwam previously, the public prosecutor had asked for 20 years in prison, although charges of double attempted homicide were added to those of possession and use of firearms.

However, the judge did not recognize the aggravating circumstance of the charges and ordered a provisional payment of €300,000 (an approximate $329,230). Furhter compensation for damage must then continue in the form of civil proceedings.

Italian news outlet Ansa.it reported that Manuel’s attorney defined the sentence as “fair.” The defendants’ lawyers, however, have declared that they will appeal the decision.

Manuel Bortuzzo, born in 1999, moved from the city of Treviso to train at the Center of Ostia, along with the group coached by Stefano Morini. A mid-distance specialist himself, he dreamed of the Tokyo Olympics while training with his idols, world-class athletes Gregorio Paltrinieri and Gabriele Detti.

In the night between Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd of Feb. of this year, Manuel was headed for a pub where a dispute broke out. Shortly thereafter, shots were fired into the street from a scooter, striking the swimmer. A direct blow to Manuel’s back caused a complete spinal cord severing.

The two suspects were sentenced to prison on Feb. 6th, making use of their right to not answer investigators’ questions.

Manuel Bortuzzo, initially operated at the San Camillo hospital in Rome, was later transferred to the Santa Lucia Foundation to continue with the rehabilitation process. While his lower extremities are paralyzed, Bortuzzo has been able to return to swimming, albeit in a very different capacity before his injury.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Suspect In Manuel Bortuzzo Shooting Sentenced To 16 Years

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Jared Anderson contributed to this report.

Niagara University head swimming coach Ben Nigro is out of a job 2 weeks after being accused of mishandling sexual harassment allegations made by 3 female members of the school’s swim team.

The school declined to say whether Nigro was fired or resigned, citing the lawsuit.

The 47-year old Nigro had been the head coach of the men’s and women’s swimming teams at Niagara for 13 seasons. 2nd-year head diving coach Josh Larcom is the only coach currently listed on the team’s roster. While one diver is among the 3 women who filed the lawsuit, Larcom was not named in the case.

3 current or former members of the women’s swimming & diving team are suing the school, saying that they were sexually harassed by members of the school’s men’s team, and that Nigro didn’t properly address the issue.

The three women filed a federal suit through the U.S. District Court in Buffalo. The suit also claims the women’s team was treated unequally in coaching and equipment, a violation of federal law. Specifically, the suit points to a lack of a female coach or athletic trainer on staff.

The women say members of the men’s team ranked the women by physical appearance, made fun of their bodies and gave them hurtful or vulgar nicknames. Per The Buffalo News, one woman was allegedly called a “water buffalo” and another “Princess Thigh Gap.”

The women say their coach, Ben Nigro, didn’t intervene, but rather told the women to ignore the behavior. The lawsuit says Nigro told the women that “boys will be boys,” and that “90% is how you react and 10% is what they do.” The unnamed diver in the lawsuit also says she made a complaint to an assistant athletic director in 2016, when a member of the men’s team allegedly had sex with a female recruit. The lawsuit says Nigro joked about the situation, saying “he must not have been very good, since she is not coming to NU.”

The lawsuit also says the school delayed the process of a formal complaint that was filed last December, allowing some of the male swimmers to graduate before the school decided whether to punish them or not.

Niagara was scheduled to swim its first meet, the annual purple vs. white instrasquad, on September 28th, but there’s no indication as to whether that meet happened. Their first intercollegiate event is scheduled for October 19th on the road against Binghamton.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ben Nigro Out as Head Coach at Niagara after Lawsuit

By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam

This case study courtesy of Commit Swimming.

” Commit Swimming definitely improves the quality of my workouts and helps me be more efficient with my time.”

Stephen Clendenin,
Head Coach Nation’s Capital Swim Club, Dulles South Site

The Customer

Nation’s Capital Swim Club

Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP) is dedicated to developing the full swimmer. It has won numerous USA Swimming Virtual National Championships and it is known for its rich Olympic Tradition. There are now 14 different sites throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

The Dulles South Riding location is NCAP’s newest location. It offers year-round competitive swim teams and a Stroke School devoted to competitive stroke instruction. Stephen Clendenin is its head coach.

The Challenge

“The main challenge was time management. With so many different groups, sometimes my workouts ended up being too long or I mixed up what different groups needed to focus on.”

Juggling numerous practices for multiple age groups
In 2017, Stephen was personally coaching four or more different groups of swimmers each and every week. His main group, comprised mainly of 13–14 year olds, met up 6 days a week. His other groups included kids of all different ages and skill levels, and they met up a few times each week.

But with so many groups on the go, Stephen’s workout plans were getting jumbled. Timing out how long each session should take or what they should focus on was becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

Before Commit, Stephen was planning practices by hand, with a pen and notepad. But this made sharing plans with other coaches difficult and left Stephen with a stack of notebooks that he never seemed to revisit.

 The Solution

“The best part of Commit is its functionality. The planning process is the same but it helps me keep things organized and keep a record of past workouts. I like that when I finish writing a workout, it shows me stats like yardage and what percentage is stroke versus freestyle.”

Intuitive time tracking and workout management software
Commit Swimming helps streamline Stephen’s workout management.

With Commit, he can easily track how long a workout will take and how much yardage they’ll cover. He can review the progress each group made during past sessions. And he can benchmark their progress and show them how much they’ve improved since they started.

What he likes about Commit is that it doesn’t force him to fill out a form that might not suit his session prep. He can write out his workouts the same way they would appear on paper and easily send his workout plans to other coaches or share them with new coaches during training.

The Result

“Commit saves me time every day. When I’m planning my workouts, I can easily look back and see what we’ve worked on previously, how my swimmers are progressing, and what we should be focusing on next.”

Time and activity management made easy
Commit helps Stephen save time during workout prep but he says that’s not its biggest benefit. What he likes is how it has made a measurable impact on his groups’ growth.

For example, now that he’s using the app to track intervals, he can figure out exactly when to push his groups to strive for faster intervals.

Commit has also helped him stay better organized. Now, instead of scrambling to put together a plan first thing in the morning, he’s planning ahead and using past practices as building blocks to help his groups improve.

Today, Commit Swimming is used in half of all NCAP locations, and Stephen is just one of a dozen coaches who rely on the software daily.

Spend less time planning workouts. See more results.

•  *No credit card required
•  *Customize your own training terminology
•  *4 different plans. If you coach high school, club, college, elite, age-group, it doesn’t matter – Commit has a plan for you.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Learn How NCAP Coaches Save Time, Organize Workouts

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Three-time U.S. Olympian Elizabeth Beisel is part of the cast of the 39th season of CBS’s reality TV show ‘Survivor.’ We’ll be recapping her game weekly… as long as she survives. ‘Survivor‘ is, of course, an edited, pared-down television program that condenses roughly three full days of on-island time into a one-hour program. There’s always more context to what we see, but our commentary is merely to have fun with what we’re shown, not to drag on any specific contestants. 

Episode link here

Previous recaps:

• Episode 1
• Episode 2

Opening: Women’s Alliance Crumbling

Purple tribe deals with the fallout of last week’s blindside. We don’t really care. Beisel is presumably sleeping soundly at the other tribe’s camp.

The women’s alliance (left to right): Elaine, Chelsea, Elizabeth, Missy. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

When we rejoin the orange tribe in the morning, there’s some moderately bad news for Beisel: the women’s alliance has a clear 5-4 majority in the tribe… but the men are onto them. And the fifth vote, personal injury lawyer Karishma, is feeling some doubts about the alliance.

As the women suplex each other in the shallow water (no kidding, that’s how they’re choosing to pass the time), Karishma talks about not fitting in with the younger crowd – the core of that alliance is Beisel (26), Missy (24), and Chelsea (26), and 41-year-old Elaine seems to be adapting well, leaving the 37-year-old Karishma on the outs.

As worry starts to set in for some castaways, others are feeling their bond strengthen. Make sure your evening is free. #Survivor starts at 8/7c on @CBS: https://t.co/6gmDVpTTZFpic.twitter.com/ZCabU5B7Ha

— SURVIVOR (@survivorcbs) October 9, 2019

Later on, disaster strikes as Karishma slices her hand while cutting a coconut. There’s definitely some weird editing going on that makes this scene hard to parse. Karishma is very freaked out by the cut – “I can see my bone,” she says – and actually winds up on her hands and knees on the beach. Meanwhile the rest of the tribe is having casual conversation behind her and no one is shown even asking if Karishma is OK.

It’s hard to imagine the whole tribe completely ignoring her (maybe it was a fairly muted response that was edited to look like total indifference), and Karishma might be acting a little overly-dramatic about the whole thing. “If I would have chopped my head off, they wouldn’t have flinched,” she says. Which seems… extreme.

Either way, this women’s alliance seems to be in shambles. “Each and every person on this tribe is dead to me,” says Karishma, reasonably.

Island of the Idols: Beisel’s Deal Continues to be the worst deal in the history of deals

Orange tribe sends its second member to the Island of the Idols this week, which means Beisel’s week 1 lie about what happened there could be in danger of being exposed. On the other hand, it could give her an instant ally if that person also lies about what happens.

Admissions counselor Vince is randomly chosen, and in a stroke of good fortune for Beisel, the whole tribe immediately decides to vote him out. Like, immediately. The boat has barely left the shore by the time the group has agreed to target Vince.

There’s a guy on this season named Dean, which is apparently a name SwimSwam commenters love. This Dean is clearly not a Harvard student, though, as he makes a huge blunder, suggesting that the tribe split the vote to flush out any immunity idols Vince could find. The problem with that is that splitting the vote requires two targets – Vince and a backup target in case he plays an idol and nullifies all votes against him. And every other tribe member is right there on the beach when Dean suggests it.

“Everyone else is here,” Chelsea says quietly.

“Huh?” Dean says. “Huh?”

Beisel is playing with a bunch of geniuses here.

Karishma pretty much figures out she’s the secondary target. And then Vince does indeed get an idol. His challenge is sneaking into the opposing tribe’s camp late at night and toilet papering their camp stealing fire. K. We’re finding out that Beisel really got the worst deal in week 1. No one could beat Boston Rob at firemaking. Kellee basically got the world’s easiest quiz and Vince gets to pretty much play Capture the Flag against 9 people who don’t know they’re playing.

Side note: it is fun watching Vince learn how to army crawl from Sandra, noted challenge liability who famously faceplanted while trying to walk on the beach in Season 20. If you can handle some explicit language, this recap does a pretty good job of capturing the moment.

Challenge: Olympic swimmer vs Lifeguard instructor

The immunity/reward challenge is once again in the water. And it sure feels like they built the swim to be longer than usual just so Beisel could show off.

When you hear about this week’s reward… #Survivorpic.twitter.com/SwJNDkB0bg

— SURVIVOR (@survivorcbs) October 10, 2019

And she does. She’s up against lifeguard instructor Janet, who is also a very solid swimmer. But Beisel crushes the overkick in what must feel like the shortest sprint of all sprints to a former 400 IMer. What really builds the lead, though, is how fast Beisel can dive down and untie the tribe’s key. Beisel does it in one attempt, the second-straight week she’s dominated in underwater-untying. Too bad they never added that as an Olympic event.

Oh it’s time for a swim?! THATS MY TYPE OF CHALLENGE BABYYY https://t.co/d6UCrISzcT

— Elizabeth Beisel (@ebeisel34) October 8, 2019

The challenge is one of the coolest Survivor has done in a long time, with the tribes balancing on teeter-totters to untie bags of puzzle pieces at either end. Beisel’s lead allows her tribe to figure out the balance portion first, but they choke hard on the puzzle again.

“It’s never over until it is over, and this is far from over.”-@JeffProbst#Survivorpic.twitter.com/NEe2iybfz1

— SURVIVOR (@survivorcbs) October 10, 2019

It’s Karishma who is mostly panicking. Beisel actually seems to have a bead on the puzzle from the sidelines, suggesting they focus on the colors of the pieces rather than their shape. But she and BFF Missy are dangerously close to the pitfall most overly-competitive types fall into: burning bridges with tribemates in frustration during challenges.

Tribal Council:

There’s a lot of planning and counterplanning going on at orange beach. Beisel is mostly staying out of the center of it. She’s locked in with Missy, who is kind of pushing things strategically. Being the quieter player in a tight twosome is often ideal in Survivor. Missy gets to do most of the dirtywork in setting up boots, and if things ever flip on that duo, Missy is probably the first one who gets booted.

Things boil down to two major plans:

• Plan #1: The majority splits their votes between Vince and Karishma, hoping to boot Vince, but taking out Karishma if Vince plays an idol.
• Plan #2: The women’s alliance stays strong and votes out former NHL player Tom.

“Honesty Would Be Chill” – Elizabeth Beisel on the third episode of SURVIVOR: Island of Idols airing Wednesday, Oct. 9th (8:00-9:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS Entertainment ©2019 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Beisel gets a key confessional talking about how she wants to keep Tom around. As professional athletes, they connect on a different level. And Tom is pretty unthreatening strategically. Old guys tend to get into an alliance and be fiercely loyal to it. For Beisel, a long-term alliance with Tom and Elaine is almost a dream scenario.

And it’s kind of underplayed through some tribal council drama, but Beisel does get her way. Tom stays, and the majority splits their votes between Vince and Karishma. They do an excellent job keeping that plan a secret, too, and Vince doesn’t play his idol, going home with the game-breaking advantage in his pocket. Well played this week, Beisel.

There has to be a tribe swap coming in the next few weeks, but Beisel has pretty good connections to weather it. She seems close with Tom, but also has a good bond with Missy, Chelsea, and Elaine. Karishma is the obvious wild card after taking a lot of votes this week.

Next Time on Survivor

Next week appears to be a Survivor classic: the ‘walk around blindfolded in a field of objects at crotch level’ challenge. Beisel gets to be the caller, which can be a strategically dangerous position (if you lose, you take most of the blame), but is certainly less dangerous physically.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Elizabeth Beisel on Survivor, Episode 3: The Coolest Water Challenge Ever

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

You can read the SwimSwam Italia article here.

With the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan less than a year away, the Italian Swimming Federation (Federnuoto) has revealed its selection policy for next year’s international competition.

Italian Swimming 2020 Olympic Games Selection Policy

Italian qualification for Tokyo occurs in two parts, with the first represented by the Italian Long Course Open Championships. The meet is slated for December 12th-14th and offers the first opportunity to punch a time to be considered for the Olympic squad. Athletes will be considered if they meet or exceed times in the first table below.

A sampling of the times below reveals that they sit anywhere from .1% to 2.6% faster than the FINA A cuts.

Although on the surface the times don’t seem too terribly out of reach, it’s worth noting the scarcity of attainment of these marks by Italian swimmers this year, a year of a World Championships. For instance, no Italian man managed to dip under the 22-second mark in the 50m free. Andrea Vergani held the fastest time for the nation at 22.02.

The same holds true for the men’s 100m free, where the fastest Italian thus far this year is represented by Alessandro Miressi and his World Championships semi-final time of 48.36.

The 200m free for the men is looking better, with Filippo Megli‘s time of 1:45.67 sitting just .1 outside of the initial QT listed below. The men’s initial QT for the 100m back of 52.8 is well ahead of the Italian National Record of 53.34, while the 200m breast initial QT of 2:07.5 is also well ahead of the NR of 2:08.50 that’s been on the books since 2009.

For the women, Federica Pellegrini‘s 200m free mark from Gwangju (1:54.22) dips under the 1:55.4 early QT, while Simona Quadarella was also able to achieve the 800m and 1500m free marks that will be needed this December with her 8:14.99 and 15:40.89 times at Worlds.

Margherita Panziera will need to replicate her national record-setting mark of 58.92 in order to qualify in December, but she has more wiggle room in the 200m back as long as she’s able to get near her 2:05.72 2019 best.

The second opportunity for qualification will come at the Italian Absolute Championships slated for March 17th-21st. There is a different qualifying time table that applies to this meet, which can be seen below. The SF and SM notations pertain to relay minimum qualification times.

Overall, the times are slower than the December meet’s QT’s. For example, men’s 50m free QT is 21.5 in December, but 21.7 in March. The women’s 200m back is 2:07.50 in December, but 2:08.50, reflecting the stiffer mark to meet in order to assure one’s qualification as early as possible.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Italy’s Swimming Federation Publishes 2020 Olympic Qualifying Times