By Fernando Cicutti on SwimSwam

XX CAMPEONATO DE EUROPA LEN EN PISCINA CORTA 2019

• Miércoles 4 diciembre – Domingo 8 de diciembre
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre, Glasgow, Escocia
• Series matinales 09:30 hora local (10:30 España), semifinales y finales 17:00 hora local (18:00 España)
• Piscina corta (25 metros)
• Listas de entrada
• Resultados
• Retransmisión en directo
• Día 1: Morozov brilla, récord español en 50 braza
• Día 2: Récord mundial de Rusia en la posta mixta 4×50
• Día 3: doblete de Hosszu en menos de una hora
• Día 4: Freya Anderson y Katinka Hosszu, figuras del día

En la última jornada del Campeonato Europeo Glasgow 2019, Rusia se recuperó de un sábado no tan próspero en cosecha de medallas y se erigió finalmente como el máximo ganador del torneo, con 13 doradas, 5 plateadas y 4 de bronce. En el total de podios, los rusos también se impusieron con 22 metales por delante de las 20 medallas que se llevó la delegación italiana, de gran actuación en las pruebas femeninas, con 6 títulos en su haber. Holanda, con 5 primeros puestos, culminó en el tercer escalón de los países más ganadores.

Entre los rusos, con un brillante Vladislav Morozov, este domingo se destacó un magnífico Kliment Kolesnikov para llevarse dos oros individuales en 50 espalda y 100 estilos, y luego aportar un nuevo récord de campeonato en el inicio del relevo combinado que también ganaría Rusia para cerrar un campeonato tan efectivo en resultados como resonante en la mayoría de las presentaciones de sus nadadores.

200 BRAZA FEMENINO

1. TEMNIKOVA Mariia 2:18.35
2. RENSHAW Molly 2:19.66
3. CARRARO Martina 2:19.68

Rusia se llevó el primer título europeo del día, en una jornada clave para confirmar su liderazgo en la tabla de medallas del torneo. Mariia Temnikova tuvo una fantástica actuación en los 200 braza, con un mejor tiempo personal de 2:18.35, medio segundo más rápida que el año pasado en los Campeonatos Nacionales de su país.

El segundo puesto fue para Molly Renshaw, con un tiempo de 2:19.66, tras perder esta semana su propio récord nacional británico en manos de su compatriota Jocelyn Ulyett.

Y la italiana Martina Carraro, bronce con 2:19.68, batió el récord nacional de Francesca Fangio y se convirtió en la primera nadadora de Italia en bajar los 2:20 en los 200 braza.

100 LIBRE MASCULINO

1. MOROZOV Vladimir 45.53
2. MIRESSI Alessandro 45.90
3. GRINEV Vladislav 46.35

Vladimir Morozov fue el ganador de la batalla entre los rusos, ante su compatriota Grinev, para llevarse la segunda prueba más rápida del torneo, luego de ser campeón en los 50 libre. Este domingo, en los 100 libre, tocó la pared en 45.53 para festejar el título.

Con parciales de 21.52 y 24.01, Morozov no quedó tan lejos de su mejor registro personal de 44.95. Y confirma que sigue pasando por una gran temporada 2019.

Alessandro Miressi, primer italiano por debajo de los 46 segundos en los 100 libre de pileta corta, y el ruso Vladislav Grinev completaron un podio que no tuvo al subcampeón de los 200 libre, Duncan Scott, figura local con un nuevo récord nacional para Escocia que no alcanzó para escalar más allá del 5° puesto en la final.

100 MARIPOSA FEMENINO

1. SHKURDAI Anastasiya 56.21
2. DI LIDDO Elena 56.37
3. NTOUNTOUNAKI Anna 56.44

Una final totalmente impensada vio ganar a la joven Anastasiya Shkurdai, de tan sólo 16 años, por delante de un plantel de nadadoras experimentadas, con un nuevo récord europeo juvenil de 56.21. Este registro también se convirtió en récord nacional para Bielorrusia, en su primera y única medalla dorada en el torneo.

Shkurdai ya había batido otro récord europeo juvenil en Glasgow, cuando finalizó en el 5° puesto en la final de los 50 metros mariposa. Sin dudas, se trata de una nadadora que puede hacer ruido a nivel mundial en este estilo.

Detrás de la bielorrusa quedaron la italiana Elena Di Liddo, líder en los tiempos de clasificación, finalmente con 56.37 en la final; y la griega Anna Ntountounaki, con una mejor marca personal de 56.44, en su primera carrera por debajo de los 57 segundos, que también reportó un nuevo récord nacional para su país. Justamente la natación de Grecia logró así su primera medalla femenina en Campeonatos Europeos de piscina corta.

100 COMBINADO MASCULINO

1. KOLESNIKOV Kliment 51.15
2. FESIKOV Sergei 51.59
3. VAZAIOS Andreas 51.62

Aunque el ruso Sergei Fesikov lideró hasta la marca de los primeros 75 metros, fue su compañero de equipo Kliment Kolesnikov quien mejor respondió en los 25 metros libre finales para consagrarse en los 100 estilos con un tiempo de 51.15. Y pese a obtener un registro más lento que hace un año en la obtención del título mundial de piscina corta con 50.63, su actuación este domingo en Glasgow alcanzó para ganar otro oro, el segundo en el torneo tras la victoria en los 100 espalda.

El griego Andreas Vazaios, héroe en los 200 combinado, se adjudicó el bronce en 51.62, solamente a 3 centésimas del segundo puesto de Fesikov. Y así bajó una vez más el récord nacional de su país, que ya había sido actualizado por él mismo en semifinales con un tiempo de 51.75.

400 LIBRE FEMENINO

1. QUADARELLA Simona 3:59.75
2. GOSE Isabel Marie 4:00.01
3. KESELY Ajna 4:00.04

La campeona del mundo de los 1500 libre en Gwangju 2019, en pileta olímpica, amplía su panorama de pruebas de largo aliento con el título que obtuvo este domingo en piscina corta en Glasgow. Se trata de la italiana Simona Quadarella, flamante campeona europea de los 400 metros libre, en una final con podio completamente sub 21.

Al detener el cronómetro en 3:59.75, la joven de todavía 20 años fue la única en completar las 16 vueltas a la piscina en menos de 4 minutos, algo también inédito para su todavía corta carrera internacional. Entre sus próximos desafíos en esta distancia aparece el récord nacional de Federica Pellegrini, con 3:57.59.

La alemana Isabel Gose, dueña del récord europeo juvenil, registró 4:00.01 para llevarse la medalla plateada, en una temporada que la tuvo como campeona continental junior de los 100, 200 y 400 libre en Kazán, Rusia.

Y sólo 3 centésimas detrás logró acceder a otro podio Ajna Kesely, la húngara que viene de una gran campaña juvenil, hoy compartiendo equipo con la última campeona europea de 2017, Boglarka Kapas, que por la mañana había quedado eliminada en la búsqueda por defender su corona.

200 MARIPOSA MASCULINO

1. VAZAIOS Andreas 1:50.23
2. KLENZ Rmon 1:51.51
3. GUY James 1:51.73

Tan sólo dos carreras después de ganar el bronce en los 100 estilos, el fenomenal griego Andreas Vazaios se consagró como una de las figuras del Campeonato Europeo de piscina corta, al triunfar en la final de los 200 mariposa.

Un formidable arranque con 53.51 en los primeros 100 metros ayudó para el segundo tramo de la carrera, que dejó un parcial de 56.72 para el griego de 25 años, nuevamente dueño de un récord nacional para su país. Con el cronómetro clavado en 1:50.23, Vazaios perforó su propia marca por exactamente un segundo de ventaja con respecto al tiempo que le había permitido ser subcampeón europeo de esta prueba hace dos años en Copenhague.

En segundo lugar, el alemán Ramon Klenz, de 21 años, también redondeó una buena presentación en Glasgow, ya que mejoró su registro personal en 37 centésimas para tocar la pared en 1:51.51.

El bronce quedó en casa, gracias a la tarea de James Guy, otro nadador que bajó su propio tiempo personal para llegar en 1:51.73, su primera vez por debajo de la barrera de 1:52.

50 LIBRE FEMENINO

1. KAMENEVA Maria 23.56
2. HENIQUE Melanie 23.66
3. BLUME Pernille 23.73

Mariia Kameneva sabía que le alcanzaba con repetir su performance de semifinales para llevarse la medalla dorada de los 50 libre y lo hizo a la perfección, sólo 1 centésima por arriba del tiempo de clasificación, que con 23.55 había quedado anotado como nuevo récord nacional para Rusia. En la final fue 23.56 para la flamante campeona europea de 20 años, que ya se había colgado dos medallas plateadas esta semana en los 100 libre y los 100 estilos.

La subcampeona Melanie Henique actualizó con sus 23.66 el récord nacional de Francia que ostentaba esta misma temporada Beryl Gastaldello con 23.81 registrados en la ISL.

Y la medalla de bronce quedó en manos de la vigente campeona olímpica de esta prueba, Pernille Blume. La danesa de 25 años cronometró 23.73, unas 24 centésimas por arriba del tiempo que le había permitido también subir al podio en el tercer lugar hace dos años en Copenhague, una marca de 23.49 que sigue siendo su mejor actuación histórica en piscina corta.

50 ESPALDA MASCULINO

1. KOLESNIKOV Kliment 22.75
2. DIENER Christian 23.07
3. RYAN Shane 23.12

En su segunda final de esta noche de domingo, Kliment Kolesnikov repitió el resultado: llegó primero para consagrarse campeón europeo de los 50 espalda, tras la victoria en los 100 estilos pocos minutos antes.

El ruso de 19 años fue el único en bajar los 23 segundos, para ganar en 22.75, delante del alemán Christian Diener (23.07), que fue subcampeón en las tres distancias del estilo espalda en este Campeonato Europeo de pileta corta.

Irlanda, gracias a la actuación de Shane Ryan (23.12) para quedarse con el bronce, se aseguró así su segunda medalla en este torneo, tras el otro bronce de Mona McSharry en 50 braza.

4X50 COMBINADO FEMENINO

1. POLONIA 1:44.85
2. ITALIA 1:44.92
3. RUSIA 1:44.96

En un electrizante final, Polonia fue la grata sorpresa de una carrera muy pareja que sólo por 11 centésimas separó a cada uno de los integrantes del podio.

Lideradas por Alicja Tchorz en su primer paso de 26.29, las polacas mantuvieron la ventaja con un parcial de 29.55 de Dominika Sztandera en mariposa. Kornelia Fiedkiewicz respondió firmemente en 25.75 para su tramo de braza antes del cierre de Kasia Wasick en los 50 libre finales, en 23.26. Polonia completó el recorrido en 1:44.85, nuevo récord nacional por un segundo de diferencia.

Italia también mejoró su tiempo histórico con una gran performance en 1:44.92, con una brillante Elena Di Liddo en brazas, clave en su parcial de 25.02 para mantenerse en pelea hasta el final.

Rusia, sólo 4 centésimas por detrás de las italianas, se tuvo que conformar con el bronce, logrado por Mariia Kameneva, Nika Godun, Arina Surkova y Daria S. Ustinova.

4X50 COMBINADO MASCULINO

1. RUSIA 1:30.63
2. HUNGRÍA 1:32.10
3. BIELORRUSIA 1:32.29

La última carrera del certamen encontró ganador al país que más medallas sumó a lo largo de estas cinco jornadas: Rusia también capturó el oro en los 4×50 estilos, una especialidad que dominó ampliamente en el último tiempo, con título y récord mundial incluido en la pasada edición de Copenhague 2017. El actual equipo ruso quedó a dos décimas de aquella plusmarca, al registrar 1.30.63 en la final.

Para llegar a esa coronación fue clave el aporte de Kliment Kolesnikov, que con un parcial de 22.64 en espalda estableció un nuevo récord de campeonato en este estilo. Y llegaba a nadar por última vez en Glasgow después de una noche súper efectiva, con otros oros en 100 estilos y 50 espalda. Los 25.53 de Vladimir Morozov en braza, los 21.61 del flamante campeón de 50 mariposa Oleg Kostin y los 20.85 de Vladislav Greinev para los 50 libre finales redondearon una actuación notable de todo el equipo.

Hungría tocó segundo en 1:32.10, en gran parte debido a otra gran carrera de Szebaszian Szabo en 21.77 de mariposa y al cierre de Maksim Lobanovskij en un parcial majestuoso de 20.27 en 50 libre.

El equipo bielorruso completó el podio con un tiempo total de 1:32.29, unas 23 centésimas más rápido que su vigente récord nacional.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Europeo día 5: Rusia gana el medallero con un triplete de Kliment Kolesnikov

By Dan Dingman on SwimSwam

SwimSwam’s daily swimming workout series is a collection of workouts written by coaches from a variety of backgrounds. All daily swimming workouts have been written using Commit Swimming. The workouts themselves are not indicative of SwimSwam’s or Commit’s views on training. They strictly reflect the opinions of the author swim coach.

Workout Context

• Purpose:  In-Season Recovery
• Target age group:  19-22 years old
• Target level:  National/ Collegiate Level
• Weeks until target meet:  14 weeks
• Team Location:  United States
• Course:  25 Yards
• Shared workout link:  Click here to view this workout on commitswimming.com

The Workout

Warm Up 3x
200 Swim
4×25 @ :35 – Drill
4×25 @ :30 – Swim w/Overkick

2:00 Rest

Set #1 – 2x
4×75 @ 1:30 – 50 FAST / 25 Recover Dbl Arm Back EZ
1×100 @ 2:00 – Long & Strong w/Paddles

2:00 Rest

Main Set
5×100 @ 1:25 – 70% – EZ
1:00 Rest
4×100 @ 1:30 – 80% – Moderate
1:00 Rest
3×100 @ 1:35 – 90% – Fast
1:00 Rest
2×100 @ 1:40 – 100% – Sprint
1:00 Rest
1×100 @ 2:00 – SPRINT WHATEVER IS LEFT IN THE TANK!

12×25 @ :35 – 3-2-1 Hypoxic Cooldown

R.C. Weston
Head coach, William Smith College

SwimSwam’s daily swimming workout is powered by Commit Swimming.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Daily Swimming Workout #4

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

2019 MINNESOTA INVITATIONAL

• Wed. Dec. 4 – Sun. Dec. 8, 2019
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center / University of Minnesota / Minneapolis, MN
• Wed. Timed finals 6 PM
• Thu.-Sat. Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM / Diving 12 Noon
• Short course yards (SCY) format Wed.-Sat. (LCM format Sunday)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream (days 2-4)
• Live results
  • Also on Meet Mobile. Search “Minnesota Invite 2019”

Harvard freshman Felicia Pasadyn pulled the “dirty double” on Saturday night of the Minnesota Invite, swimming in the A final of both the 200 back and 200 fly. In the former, she placed 4th in a time of 1:53.96, while in the fly she touched for 5th in 1:56.86.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Felicia Pasadyn Takes us Through 2Fly/2Back “Dirty Double” (Video)

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.

Loudonville, Ohio-native Britney Sage has announced her verbal commitment to Youngstown State University for 2020-21. She’ll join Andrea Lindemann and Aubrey Whitaker in the class of 2024. Sage is a senior at Loudonville High School; she swims year-round for Ohio State Swim Club with coach Anthony Russo.

“I’m so excited to announce my verbal commitment to Youngstown State University! The team was so welcoming and I felt right at home on my visit. I would like to thank all the coaches at YSU for this opportunity to pursue my athletic and academic goals! Go penguins!”

Sage played soccer for her high school team as a freshman and a sophomore but decided to focus on swimming as a junior. She became the first swimmer in Loudonville High School history to qualify for the Ohio High School Athletic Association state swimming tournament when she clocked a 1:05.41 in the 100 breast at the district meet last February to qualify for states. At the 2019 OHSAA Division 2 Championships she went 1:06.54 to make second alternate but did not swim in the final. Sage went from a 1:17 as a freshman to a 1:05 as a junior. She holds 17 Loudonville team records and 15 league records in the All-Summer Aquatic Conference.

In club swimming, she competed at Geneva Futures in the 100 back, 100 breast and 200 breast. She snagged a PB in the 200 breast with 2:47.91. Earlier in the summer she improved her LCM times in the 50/200 free, 100/200 back, 100 breast, 50/100/200 fly, and 400 IM. So far this fall she has notched PBs in the SCY 100/200 back, 50/100/200 breast, and 200/400 IM.

The Horizon League only scores an A final and a B final at the conference meet. Sage would have been an asset for the Penguins last year, as her best 100 breast time would have scored in the B final. She would have been .04 off in the 200 breast.

Top SCY times:

• 50 breast – 30.83
• 100 breast – 1:05.90
• 200 breast – 2:25.37
• 200 IM – 2:19.27
• 400 IM – 4:43.38

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.

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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Youngstown State Adds Commitment from OSSC’s Britney Sage

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

The Cali Condors have finalized their roster for the 2019 International Swimming finale in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 20th and 21st. With rumors swirling about teams that might pick up the remaining ‘impact’ swimmers who have not yet committed to ISL teams for the inaugural season, there are no real surprises on the Condors’ roster.

That’s in line with what we’ve seen from them all season. While other clubs have scrambled to pick up pieces as swimmers dropped out, got injured, or had to miss meets for various reasons, the Condors have held a pretty stable roster throughout the season.

The only swimmer on their ‘extended roster’ who won’t attend the meet will be Australian Jack Cartwright. They had to leave 1 male swimmer home to reduce their roster to the requisite maximum of 14 men and 14 women, and Cartwright was the odd man out – which is not a big surprise given that he didn’t swim at any of the team’s regular season meets either. His participation felt like a long shot anyway after injuries kept him out of the summer championship season.

The Condors won the first 2 meets of the 2019 ISL season in Indianapolis and Naples, but were ultimately upended in a down-to-the-wire win by the LA Current at the U.S. Derby meet.

Still, with Caeleb Dressel, who is the frontrunner to win the MVP Award in the finals meet (he missed Indianapolis, which pretty well eliminates him from season MVP), the Condors will be in contention at every meet. Dressel is a heavy favorite to win the triple-points skins race at the end of the meet. The Condors also have an ‘ace’ in Lilly King, who has not yet lost an individual race this season, going 9-for-9 in the breaststrokes through 3 meets.

Cali Condors Roster, 2019 International Swimming League Championship Meet

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Cali Condors Unveil Roster for 2019 International Swimming League Finale

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

2019 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – WEST

• December 11th-14th, 2019
• King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, Washington
• SCY (25y) Course (daily long course time trials)
• Qualifying Times
• Psych Sheets

Last week it was the seniors. Now its the juniors who are up in twin Winter Championships meets on the East and West Coasts. Here are six swimmers to watch at the West edition:

Isabelle Stadden, 17, Aquajets (MN)

One of the better junior backstrokers in the nation (and that’s saying something with the current crop of elite juniors), Isabelle Stadden is far-and-away the top seed into both backstroke races this week. Stadden was a silver medalist in the 200-meter back at Pan Ams last summer. Now only about five months into the 17-18 age group, Stadden has a great shot at moving immediately into the top 10 American backstrokers of all-time in that age group.

Her career-best 200 back (1:50.37) would already rank 7th in 17-18 age group history, and that’s even without a time drop. And her lifetime-best 100 back (51.23) would be 12th. She’s got a shot to become the 6th 17-18 ever (and just the 16th American of any age) to break 1:50 in the 200 back.

The versatile California signee (and high school senior) will have a shot at a few more wins this week as well, swimming the 200 IM (5th seed), 50 free (5th), 100 breast (20th), and 100 free (24th).

Aiden Hayes, 16, Sooner Swim Club (OK)

Arguably the best swimmer to come out of Oklahoma since Olympian David Plummer, Aiden Hayes is looking to move up the list of all-time sprinters in the 15-16 age group. Hayes is already part of a select group to break 20 seconds before the age of 16 – only 17 swimmers have done so, per USA Swimming’s rankings. Hayes currently sits #10 all-time at 19.73, but could move up into the top five with a drop of just over a tenth of a second.

Hayes is also #7 in age group history with a 46.64 in the 100 fly, and is only about a second off of the National Age Group (NAG) record. A drop of four tenths of a second would move him to #2 all-time, and only one swimmer in age group history (Luca Urlando) has broken 46 in the event.

Hayes is also the top seed into the 100 back, and is entered into the 100 free and 200 fly. He should be especially primed for a big drop in the 100, where his lifetime-best (45.15) is not at all in line with his times in the 50 free (19.73), 100 fly (46.64) or 100 back (47.26). He’s an NC State verbal commit for the fall of 2021.

Coby Carrozza, 18, Longhorn Aquatics (TX)

18-year-old Texas Longhorns signee Coby Carrozza has a chance to sweep the 100, 200, and 500 frees in a dominating show of mid-distance strength. Last year at Winter Juniors, Carrozza missed the sweep by two tenths of a second, winning the 200 and 500 but missing out in the 100. He’s the top seed in all three this time, and 2018 champ Jack Armstrong is gone in the 100 free.

It’s fair to watch for some massive time drops, based on Carrozza’s swims last year. At 2018 Winter Juniors, he cut from 4:23 to 4:16 in the 500, 1:36.7 to 1:34.6 in the 200, and from 45.2 to 43.5 in the 100. Age group history is awfully fast in those events, but Carrozza could be in line to join some elite groups: only 16 boys in the 17-18 age group have broken 1:34 in the 200. Only 20 have broken 4:16 in the 500, and only 16 have been under 43 in the 100.

Lucy Bell, 15, Fort Collins Area Swim Team (CO)

The girls age group 200 fly ranks have been under assault lately from a dominant class of swimmers – one of them Colorado’s Lucy Bell (sometimes listed as Lucerne Bell). Bell moved into the top four all-time in the 13-14 age group last year, and is now aged up to the 15-16s.

Just repeating that time would move Bell into the top 25 of all-time for 15-16s. But consider that she dropped from 2:01 to 1:55.8 last March – that suggests Bell could be in line for even more time drops as she gets more experienced in the event. The NAG record is a 1:51.2 from standout Regan Smith, but Bell could have a shot over the next year and a half or so to best Mary T. Meagher’s 1:52.99, the former NAG record that stood from 1981 until last December.

Bell has a busy week, with entries into that 200 fly (she’s seeded 3rd), the 400 IM (2nd), 200 IM (2nd), 100 fly (4th), and 100 free (43rd). Bell is currently a high school sophomore.

Justina Kozan, 15, Brea Aquatics (CA)

One of the other 15-16 standouts here is Justina Kozan, a sophomore out of California. Kozan won four gold medals at last summer’s World Junior Championships, and is among the top rising U.S. talents in short and long course. She’s also got a very busy schedule this week: she’s entered in the 400 IM (1st seed), 100 fly (3rd), 200 free (3rd), 200 back (2nd), 100 free (3rd), and 200 fly (4th).

Kozan is almost 16 and is about halfway through her time in this age group. She’s currently 16th all-time in the 100 fly (52.42), and cracks the top 100 in the 200 back, 200 fly and 400 IM.

Ethan Hu, 18, Peak Swimming (CA)

Arguably the top flyer in the meet, California’s Ethan Hu is looking to become the 14th American 17-18 to break 46 in the 100 fly. At this meet last year, Hu moved into a tie for #3 all-time among 15-16s, going 46.25. He hasn’t equaled that time yet in the 17-18 age group, but just past his 18th birthday, Hu could move to #20 in the 17-18 age group just by matching his personal best.

Hu dropped about six tenths in his 100 fly at this meet a year ago, so a 45 isn’t out of the question. The NAG record is a 44.9 from Olympian Tom Shields, but most of the top 10 are clustered in the 45-mid range.

Hu also has a chance to win the 200 fly (where he’s seeded 3rd) and 200 IM (3rd), and is entered in the 50 free (8th) and 100 back (22nd). Hu is a Stanford commit for next season.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 6 Swimmers To Watch At 2019 U.S. Winter Junior Championships West

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

2019 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

• December 11th-14th, 2019
• Georgia Tech Campus Recreation Center, Atlanta, Georgia
• SCY (25y) Course (daily long course time trials)
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

Last week it was the seniors. Now it’s the juniors who are up in twin Winter Championships meets on the East and West Coasts. Here are six swimmers to watch at the East edition:

Jake Magahey, 18, SwimAtlanta (GA)

One of the best junior distance swimmers in the country, Jake Magahey is entered in every single freestyle event this week: the 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1650. He supplements that with the 400 IM, 100 back, and 200 back.

The Atlanta prospect hit lifetime-bests in the 200, 500 and mile at this meet a year ago, most notably dropping from 4:16 to 4:14 in the 500. He’s got a shot at a Winter Junior Championships record this year – it currently stands at 4:14.40 from Jack LeVant in 2017, and Magahey was 4:14.61 a year ago. He could also improve his standing as the 11th-fastest 17-18 500 freestyler in USA Swimming history – the next three names ahead of him on the list are Drew Kibler, LeVant and Townley Haas.

Claire Curzan, 15, TAC Titans (NC)

15-year-old Claire Curzan won four medals at the 2019 World Junior Championships, and comes into this week’s meet as the top seed in no less than six individual events. The TAC Titan could be in line for multiple meet records, and could start closing in on 15-16 National Age Group (NAG) records after leaving the 13-14s with three short course NAGs.

Curzan’s events in Atlanta: 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, 100 back, and 200 back. She’s the 13-14 NAG record-holder in the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly. Repeating her bests in those events would move her to 9th (21.89 in the 50 free), 6th (47.67 in the 100 free) and 4th (50.64 in the 100 fly) in the 15-16 age group, even without a time drop.

NAG records are on high alert:

• 15-16 50 free: 21.82 from Gretchen Walsh in 2018
• 15-16 100 free: 47.49 from Gretchen Walsh in 2019
• 15-16 100 fly: 51.08 from Beata Nelson in 2014

In fact, Curzan’s 13-14 NAG in the 100 fly is currently faster than the 15-16 NAG. The backstrokes and 200 fly will be a little tougher (someone named Regan Smith owns all three 15-16 NAGs), but Curzan could realistically come out of this week with 6 wins and 3 NAG records.

Carson Foster, 18, Mason Manta Rays (OH)

It’d be hard to preview this meet without mentioning Carson Foster, the longtime age group standout who is just wrapping up his final year of high school. The Texas commit swam the senior-level U.S. Open last week in meters, but is also entered in a bunch of yards races in his final Juniors. Foster is entered in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 500 free, 200 free, 200 back and 200 fly, though he could scratch a few of those races to focus on others.

The 17-18 NAG records in those events are pretty ridiculous, but here are a few to keep an eye on:

• 200y IM:
  • NAG: 1:41.39 from David Nolan in 2011
  • Foster’s best: 1:42.54 from this meet last year
• 400y IM:
  • NAG: 3:37.52 from Andrew Seliskar in 2015
  • Foster’s best: 3:40.86 from this meet last year
• 200y free:
  • NAG: 1:32.18 from Maxime Rooney in 2017
  • Foster’s best: 1:32.99 from last February
• 200y back:
  • NAG: 1:37.35 from Ryan Murphy in 2014
  • Foster’s best: 1:40.07 from last March

There’s a strong possiblity at least one of those records falls, especially given Foster’s improvements to his long course times in comparable events since last year: Foster went from 1:59.4 to 1:57.4 in the long course 200 IM and from 1:48.5 to 1:47.4 in the long course 200 free since last winter.

Jake Mitchell, 17, Carmel Swim Club (IN)

Carmel’s Jake Mitchell was one of the breakout stars of last summer, surging his way onto the World Juniors team with some massive time drops. A few of those notable drops from January 2019 through August 2019:

• 200m free: 1:50.9–>1:48.9
• 400m free: 3:52–>3:47
• 800m free: 8:08–>7:54
• 1500m free: 15:36–>15:11

It’s fair to wonder if similar drops are coming in short course as well. Mitchell went from 1:36.8/4:21.6 in the 200/500 frees at 2018 Winter Juniors to 1:34.2/4:16.7 just a few months later in Indiana’s high school postseason. The 17-year-old Mitchell is a candidate to move into the top 10 all-time for the 17-18 age group in all three distance free races (200y, 500y, 1650y freestyle) and should give Magahey some great races as well.

Abby Arens, 17, Marlins of Raleigh (NC)

North Carolina’s Abby Arens left the 15-16 age group as the #4 all-time performer in the 200 breast (2:08.46) and #11 all-time performer in the 100 breast (59.76). Within a few months, she had already checked in at #15 all-time in the 200 breast for the 17-18 age group. Still on the younger end of that age group, Arens is the top seed into both breaststrokes and has legitimate shots at the top 10 in the all-time rankings.

It’d take about six tenths in the 200, where Arens was 2:08.06 last March. It would take almost the same margin in the 100 breast, where Arens could challenge to become the 10th 17-18 of all-time to break 59 seconds.

Adam Chaney, 17, Mason Manta Rays (OH)

Recently announced as a signee for the University of Florida, standout high school sprinter Adam Chaney could be pushing up the 17-18 all-time ranks in the 50 and 100 frees. Chaney leaves the 15-16s ranked 6th all-time in the 50 free (19.64) and 3rd all-time in the 100 free (43.00).

Just repeating that 100 free time would move him to #17 in the 17-18 group, and he could join rare company as a 42-second high school sprinter with a time drop. Chaney is also chasing the 50 free ranks, where three 17-18 boys have broken 19 seconds (Caeleb Dressel, Ryan Hoffer, and Michael Andrew), but no one else has broken 19.3.

Chaney has also been an oustanding relay swimmer over his career, and maybe the biggest fireworks will be seeing if he can split 18 or 42-low on some of the Mason Manta Rays loaded relays.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 6 Swimmers To Watch At 2019 U.S. Winter Junior Championships East

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

2019 MINNESOTA INVITATIONAL

• Wed. Dec. 4 – Sun. Dec. 8, 2019
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center / University of Minnesota / Minneapolis, MN
• Wed. Timed finals 6 PM
• Thu.-Sat. Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM / Diving 12 Noon
• Short course yards (SCY) format Wed.-Sat. (LCM format Sunday)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream (days 2-4)
• Live results
  • Also on Meet Mobile. Search “Minnesota Invite 2019”

^{Reported by Karl Ortegon.}

MEN’S 200 FLY FINALS

1. Sam Pomajevich (Texas) – 1:39.35
2. Trenton Julian (Cal) – 1:41.14
3. Brooks Fail (Arizona) – 1:42.13

Taking his swim out with a 21.8 leading 50, Sam Pomajevich looked like a greyhound, loping through the race with long, low, powerful strokes. He got to the wall well ahead of the field, and ended up tying his personal best and nation-leading time of 1:39.35 that he’d done on Wednesday night in a time trial.

Cal’s Trenton Julian swooped in for second, going 1:41.14 to claim the #3 time in the nation this year, just two-tenths off of Maxime Rooney‘s 1:40.94 from this morning, which is the #2 time. That gives context to how far ahead Pomajevich is right now; no other NCAA swimmer has been within 1.5 seconds of him in this event.

After winning the mile at the beginning of tonight’s session, Brooks Fail got back in for another grueling race and managed to race to third in 1:42.13, just a tenth off of his morning swim. Those two swims are his only sub-1:46 performances in history. Michigan’s Miles Smachlo was also under 1:43, going 1:42.74 for fourth.

Rooney (and Alvin Jiang) were both qualified to swim the A-final here (Jiang went 1:43.89 in prelims), but they both scratched the race tonight.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Miles Smachlo Describes How Swimming 2 Very Different Races Got the Same Result

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

2019 BIG AL PRINCETON INVITE – LCM TRIALS

• Monday, December 9th, 2019
• Princeton, NJ
• Results on Meet Mobile
  • ‘PRINCETON SWIMMING BIG AL LCM TIME TRIAL MEET’

Like most of the winter invitationals we’ve covered this NCAA season, Princeton ended theirs with a long course time trial session today for anyone looking to snag Olympic Trials cuts or get some LCM racing in.

Among those competing yesterday was Johns Hopkins assistant coach Austin Surhoff, the 2010 NCAA 200 IM champion and University of Texas alumnus. Surhoff, a Baltimore native (his father played for the Baltimore Orioles in the MLB), graduated from Texas in 2014, then coached at Johns Hopkins for 2017-18, the University of Virginia for 2018-19, and then moved back to JHU for this season.

Today, Surhoff swam to a 22.87 in the 50 free, going a lifetime best by over two seconds (he had only raced it once since high school, a 24.91 at a June club meet in 2011 at age 20). Moreover, it was an Olympic Trials cut, easily getting under the standard of 23.19. He was also 51.29 in the 100 free, within a second of his best time of 50.40 from the 2013 U.S. Summer Nationals.

Surhoff has not logged an official race since the 2016 Olympic Trials. Specifically, his last swim was the 200 IM final at that meet, where he went a 2:00.33 to finish eighth overall. That was July 1st, 2016, over three years ago. Surhoff’s first Olympic Trials were in 2008, where he placed 13th in the 200 IM, and his best finish came in 2012, where he was 4th at 1:59.58.

As far as the 50 free rankings go this season (starting September 1, 2019), Surhoff ranks 17th amongst Americans.

At the time trials this morning, two Denver standouts were a bit quicker in the 50 free. Junior Cameron Auchinachie hit an OT cut of 22.53, erasing his old best of 22.71 from the 2019 U.S. Summer Nationals. Auchinachie’s first time under 23.0 came almost exactly a year ago when he went 22.81 at the LCM time trial after the Tennessee Invitational, and he’s been faster than that in all three swims since then.

Redshirt junior Sid Farber, meanwhile, was 22.60 to snag second ahead of Surhoff. He was just off of his 2018 best of 22.55. In the 100 free, meanwihle, Farber broke 50.0 for the first time ever, winning the time trial in 49.93. Auchinachie didn’t race; Princeton alumnus En-Wei Hu-Van Wright was 50.60 to take second.

On the women’s side, Penn State’s Maddie Cooke and Princeton freshman Nikki Venema both snagged an OT cut each. Cooke won the 50 free time trial in 25.74, while Venema tied the OT cut with a 25.99. Cooke came in with a best of 26.04, and Venema had been 26.52.

Venema also lowered her 100 free best from a 57.59 to her time of 56.83 today.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Austin Surhoff Hits Personal Best and OT Cut in First Race Since 2016 Trials

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.

Sophie Fiske, a USA Swimming Academic All-American from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, has announced her verbal commitment to the University of Wisconsin for 2021-22.

“I am so excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the University of Wisconsin. I would like to thank my friends, family, and coaches for the support and encouragement throughout this process. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and I cannot wait to be a Badger!”

Fiske is a junior at Sun Prairie High School who specializes in sprint free. She has won back-to-back Wisconsin WIAA state titles in the 50 free, 100 free, and 400 free relay and she was on the winning 200 free relay this season. At the 2019 WIAA Division 1 State Meet last month, she won the 50 free in 22.93 and the 100 free in 49.82 and anchored Sun Prairie’s 200 free relay in 22.43 and the 400 free relay in 49.11. As a sophomore those times were 23.20, 50.35, 22.63, and 49.36, respectively.

In club swimming, Fiske attended USA Swimming’s 2019 National Diversity Select Camp. She competed at 2019 Speedo Junior Nationals in the 50m free and 100m free and finaled (23rd place) in the 50. Her best times in those events (26.45 and 57.29) date from the summer of 2018.

Fiske will suit up for the Badgers with fellow class of 2025 verbal recruits Abby Carlson, Katie McClintock, Mackenzie McConagha, Natalie Bercutt, and Paige McKenna. Wisconsin turned over most of its sprint crew this season. Fiske will overlap with Alana Palmer, Lillie Hosack, Isabel Cortina, Julia Stupar, and CarlyZlotnikoff.

Top SCY times:

• 50 free – 22.93
• 100 free – 49.82
• 200 free – 1:51.20
• 100 breast – 1:04.74
• 200 breast – 2:24.78
• 200 IM – 2:05.61

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.

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Read the full story on SwimSwam: 7x Wisconsin HS Champ Sophie Fiske (2021) Verbally Commits to In-state Badgers

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Queensland, Australia will bid to host the 2032 Olympic Games after the state government signed off on a plan on Monday morning. The official bid will be launched once the Federal Government gives the plan its final blessing, according to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

That final approval is viewed as a rubber-stamp, given that the Prime Minister’s representative on the delegation, Ted O’Brien, welcomed the decision.

Queensland’s bid, if successful, would be unique, in that hosting would go to the state as a whole, rather than to a single city – though in practice, most Olympic Games are hosted in multiple cities because of the enormity of staging. Queensland recently hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

The state says that they will spend the next 6 months evaluating which existing venues could be used for the event, with an initial plan of using the Gabba in Brisbane to host the opening ceremony. That venue is currently a 42,000 seat cricket ground, but as an outdoor venue could be easily expanded.

Queensland is the firmest of the potential 2032 bidders. While at this point, most bids are speculative and in very early stages, a few other countries and/or cities have expressed some interest publicly about hosting. That includes:

• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Mumbai, India
• Madrid, Spain
• a 13-city bid in Germany
• a joint bid between South Korea and North Korea
• Florence and Bologna, Italy
• London, UK (mayor Sadiq Khan said that 2032 is possible, but 2036 is more likely)
• St. Petersburg, Kazan, and Sochi, Russia (though a list of WADA sanctions announced on Monday includes a request not allowing them to bid on the 2032 Olympics)

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Queensland, Australia Announces Bid for 2032 Olympic Games

By Wendy Mayer on SwimSwam

NCAA men’s water polo runnerup Pacific not only made the top stage in the sport as one of seven teams in the NCAA Championship field, but the Tigers also boasted the player with the highest cumulative grade-point average among the final six teams.

Senior Andrea De Nardi was named the recipient of the Elite 90 Award, which was created by the NCAA to recognize the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.

This is de Nardi’s 2nd award – he also was named the Elite 90 Award winner as a sophomore in 2017.

An engineering management major, De Nardi boasts a 4.0 cumulative GPA. The Nice, France, native also garnered the Elite 90 Award at the 2017 NCAA Championships.

In the pool, De Nardi scored 25 goals and added six assists, while chipping in 20 steals and 10 drawn exclusions as Pacific won the Golden Coast Conference regular season crown and advanced to the NCAA Championships title match. The Tigers went 17-6 overall and 5-0 in the GCC in 2019.

De Nardi received the Elite 90 Award at the NCAA Championship Banquet on December 6 at Stockton Arena in Stockton, California.

To be eligible for the Elite 90 Award, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore who has participated in their sport at least two years at their current institution.

A full list of Elite 90 Award winners is here.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Pacific’s Andrea De Nardi Receives Men’s Water Polo Elite 90 Award

By Ben Dornan on SwimSwam

Swimming New South Wales has announced that Matt Brown will be taking over as head coach of the SOPAC team based at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. Brown will assume this new position on January 6th, 2020, succeeding Job van Duijnhoven. Previously a Dutch age group coach, van Duijnhoven lead SOPAC swimming for two years. At 2019 Australians Swimming Championships, SOPAC did not crack the top 10 as a team, but team member Matt Wilson took home gold in both the 100 and 200 breast.

Brown will join the SOPAC coaching staff after 17 years at Grammar School – serving as Director of Swimming from 2002 until 2016 when he was promoted to High Performance Swimming Coach.

Trinity Grammar School is an independent all-boys boarding school with various locations across Australia. During his 17 years with Trinity Grammar School, Brown led the team to a record 13th straight victories at the Combined Associated Schools (CAS) Championships between 2003 and 2016. To add to his legacy at Trinity Grammar School, Brown also coached his swimmers dozens of podium finishes at Australian Age Swimming Championships, including 55 gold medals.

Commenting on Brown’s coaching success at the school, a representative from Swimming NSW said: “Many clubs go through ups and downs over time as athletes enter and leave the program and it is has been a testament to Matthew’s coaching ability and his strong focus on the pathway that the Trinity Grammar School Swimming program has been resistant to this and has performed consistently year after year.”

Brown also previously coached Kenneth To, who moved to Australia from Hong Kong when he was 2. To was on several Australian junior and national teams between 2010 and 2014 and swam under Brown for several years before deciding to switch his international representation to Hong Kong. In 2017, he moved back to his home country and in 2019, moved to Gainesville, Florida to train with the Gators Swim Club. Earlier this year, To died during a practice while attending at training camp in the Florida Keys.

SOPAC has also stated that they are still is the process of searching for three more coaches to work with Brown.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Matt Brown Named New Head Coach at SOPAC in Australia

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2019 SOUTH ASIA GAMES

• December 1st – December 10th
• Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal
• LCM
• Results

While the 2019 Southeast (SEA) Games wrapped up on New Clark City, Philippines, the entirely separate South Asian Games saw its swimming competition conclude tonight in Nepal. Athletes spanning the nations of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka descended upon the International Sports Complex, Satdobato, Lalitpur for 4 days’ worth of aquatic action.

When all was said and done, the nation of India came away with the most number of medals across the men’s and women’s swimming events, hauling home 16 gold, 12 silver and 2 bronze for 30 in all. Runner-up was Sri Lanka who reaped 13 medals, including 4 gold, while the nation of Nepal rounded out the top 3 nations with 5 medals in total.

Meet Highlights:

22-year-old Matthew Duncan Abeysinghe of Sri Lanka wreaked havoc across the men’s events, taking individual gold across the 50m free, 100m free and 200m free, as well as the 50m fly, 100m fly, and 200m IM.

The national record holder topped the 50m free podium in a time of 22.16, edging out India’s superstar Virdhawal Vikram Khade by .06. In the 100m free, Abeysinghe produced the only sub-50 second outing of the field with a gold medal-worthy swim of 49.27.

Abeysinghe’s time in the 50m fly was 24.00, while his 100m fly winning effort checked in at 53.65 and he took the 200m IM in 2:01.66.

His 100m free win came in the form of his 1:48.92, one of only two sub=1:50 marks of the final. Joining him on the podium in silver was India’s Kushagra Rawat, who punched a time of 1:49.64 as runner-up.

Rawat also claimed the 1500m freestyle title in a time of 15:08.83 to win by well over a minute and a half. He rounded out his medal haul with a 400m free gold in 3:49.76.

The women’s races saw 16-year-old Gaurika Singh make her mark on the meet, producing a winning 200m free time of 2:05.06 to win by over 2 seconds. She paired that with a 100m free result of 58.13, while also taking the 400m distance in a podium-topping swim of 4:25.28. The 200m back wasn’t safe from Singh either, as the teen busted out a winning effort of 2:17.73.

The women’s 400m IM saw a span of 22 years separate the winner and silver medalist, as 35-year-old Richa Mishra of India got to the wall first over 13-year-old Apeksha Fernandes. The former won gold in 5:03.36, while the latter clocked 5:09.74 to earn runner-up status. Mishra was also the 200m IM gold medalist here in 2:25.11.

India’s backstroking ace Srihari Nataraj made a clean sweep of gold across his discipline, taking the 50m in 24.78, the 100m in 53.63 and the 200m in 1:59.69.

Teammate Likith Selvaraj notched double wins for himself in breaststroke, beating the 50m field in a time fo 28.06, while clinching 100m breast gold in 1:00.42.

Finally, 23-year-old Rujuta Deepan made it happen in the women’s 50m free, earning a winning time of 26.34 to get the job done.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: India Races To Overall Top Medal Count At 2019 South Asia Games

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

Russian swimmer Yulia Efimova says she shouldn’t be punished a second time for a doping ban she served five years ago, and that Olympic bans should be applied equally to non-Russian athletes with prior doping violations.

Efimova spoke to Russia’s state-sponsored news outlet RT in the wake of WADA’s decision to consider Russia non-compliant for a four-year period. The ruling by WADA will keep Russia as a nation out of major international competitions for the next four years. However, individual Russian athletes will be able to compete, if they can demonstrate they aren’t implicated in the ongoing scandal over a state-run doping program within Russia.

Specifically, WADA says that athletes must show “that they are not mentioned in incriminating circumstances in the McLaren reports, there are no positive findings reported for them in the database and no data relating to their samples has been manipulated.”

Efimova was never reported among those named in the McLaren report. However, she did test positive for DHEA in 2013 and served a two-year ban. She also tested positive for meldonium in 2016, but wasn’t suspended because meldonium was legal through December 2015, and could conceivably have remained in her system through her positive tests in 2016.

It’s not clear in the wording of WADA’s release whether a “positive finding… in the database” refers to any positive test in the past, or merely a positive test in the specific Moscow anti-doping lab database where WADA says data was manipulated. However, if her 2013 positive test is grounds for an Olympic ban under WADA’s policy, the two-time Olympic silver medalist Efimova says she will fight that in court.

“There is a rule that a person can’t be punished twice for the same offence,” Efimova told RT. “If you violate a driving code or instigated a brawl, you will not be punished twice for that.” Efimova says she’s already hired a lawyer to make that case if there is an attempt to ban her from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Efimova also said that if 2020 Olympic bans are being handed out for past violations, the same rules should apply to athletes from every nation, not just Russia:

“If you introduce those rules, they must be applied to all athletes,” Efimova said. “Yes, long ago I made a doping violation and I was disqualified for almost two years. But there are a great number of US and European athletes who have a similar situation regarding doping and they are competing without any restrictions. If you want to introduce those regulations, they must be equally applied to all athletes, not only Russian competitors.”

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Efimova: ‘Rules Must Be Applied Equally To All Athletes, Not Just Russians’

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2019 SCOTTISH OPEN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, December 13th – Sunday, December 15th
• Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh
• SCM
• Entry List
• Live Results

The 2019 Scottish Short Course National Championships are almost upon us, with the nation’s elite and amateur talent hitting the Royal Commonwealth Pool beginning on Friday, December 13th.

The decorated Scottish athlete ever at a Commonwealth Games, Duncan Scott, is expected to race in Edinburgh, with the 22-year-old having just earned the 200m free silver medal in Glasgow at this year’s European Short Course Championships. He was a member of the silver medal-winning mixed 4x50m freestyle relay for Great Britain, while the Stirling star also notched Scottish records in the 50m free and 100m free to add to his 200m IM British national record from the meet.

Both Scott McLay and Freya Anderson were on that relay as well, with both athletes set to compete at these Short Course Championships. Anderson was especially remarkable in Glasgow, having taken the 100m/200m free double gold ahead of such stalwarts as Italian Oykmpic icon Federica Pellegrini and Dutch record holder Femke Heemskerk.

Among the additional European Short Course Championships medalists set to compete in Edinburgh is Tom Dean, the relative newcomer who busted out the swim of his life to take 400m free silver in Glasgow. That represented the first senior international medal for Dean who placed 11th in the 200m IM at this summer’s long course World Championships in Gwangju, Korea.

Additional key athletes set to rock this weekend at these Scottish Championships include Ross Murdoch, Aimee Willmott, Craig Benson, Tain Bruce, Keanna MacInnes, Hannah Miley, Calum Jarvis, Stephen Milne, Cameron Kurle, Lucy Hope, Zak Aitchison, Katie Robertson, Kathleen Dawson, Cassie Wild, Tom Derbyshire, Kieran Bird, Danielle Huskisson, Emily Large, Nick Pyle,Mark Szaranek and Chloe Tutton.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: From Glasgow To Edinburgh, Anderson, Scott, McLay & Dean Take On Scottish Nats

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

There were several high-profile meets around the world last week/end, and we’ll be honest; it’s no easy feat to keep up with it all.

Inspired by this tweet, here’s a review and summary of what impressed us the most from the recent action.

What swim or swimmer impressed you the most this weekend? Lots to choose from…

— swimnerd (@SwimNerds) December 9, 2019

This list is not objective, but rather is what this writer was impressed by most over the weekend. What this writer is impressed by is different from what Rowdy Gaines is impressed by which is different from what your 10-year-old age group-er is impressed by. Some of these are doubled up as it made sense to do so, and that technically makes this a list of 11! Sorry.

Let’s get into it.

PHOEBE BACON

The United States backstroke legacy is incredibly strong. And, just as Regan Smith is re-writing history, her 17-year-old contemporary Phoebe Bacon isn’t all that far behind her in the 100 back.

Bacon, who has been a notable name (among several) to follow Smith’s when it comes to the next wave of U.S. junior talent, solidified herself as a heavy contender for a 100 back spot on the 2020 Olympic Team over the weekend. Defeating Smith at the 2019 U.S. Open, as well as 2016 Olympian Olivia Smoliga, Bacon rocked a 58.63 for her first venture under 59 seconds and the title.

Not that this predicts anything, but Smith was 58.45 and 58.55 six weeks before blasting her WR 57.57. Besides that 57, she has never been under 58.4. Bacon has a whole half-year to work towards the Olympic Trials and, potentially, the Olympics. She’s on the right track. A 58.63 is a great swim for any female backstroker at any point in the year; at this point in Bacon’s career, it’s outstanding.

ALVIN JIANG

Do we see transfers making big gains at their new school? Certainly. Do we see them drop full seconds in a 100 and become one of the fastest relay swimmers in history? Not quite as often. And rarely in half a year’s time.

After two seasons at UNC, Texas native Alvin Jiang relocated closer to home, and the move looks to be paying off in the best way. Among a flurry of best times, Jiang leaped into the upper echelon of 400 medley butterfly splits this weekend, becoming one of some six or so men (it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact number) to have ever split sub-44 seconds with a 43.82. A look at his astounding progressions this semester:

FREYA ANDERSON/ANNA HOPKIN

The talk of British swimming has long been breaststroke, especially on the men’s side, most recently thanks to Adam Peaty‘s revolutionary stroke, tempo, and speed.

On the women’s side, the sprints have fallen off since the height of Fran Halsall‘s career. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. Teenager Freya Anderson and current NCAA title contender Anna Hopkin packed a powerful one-two punch at the 2019 European Short Course Championships, felling records and snagging medals.

Anderson set a new British mark in the 200 freestyle (1:52.77) to clinch gold against a star-studded field that included the best long course 200 freestyler in history, Federica Pellegrini. She took down the field for gold in the 100 free, too, hitting a 51.49 as Hopkin finished fourth there in 51.90, a great showing for the Brits. Anderson was three-tenths from Halsall’s national record, while Hopkin was also sixth in the 50 free (23.86).

Things really heated up in the 200 free relay, where Anderson, Hopkin, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, and Georgia Davies combined for a 1:36.18 for fifth overall, re-setting their national record from prelims, which had smashed the 19-year-old record from 2000 by over two seconds.

ALLISON SCHMITT

Allison Schmitt, one of the veterans of Team USA, has preserved her career admirably. While her summer 2019 was not up to the standard we’d expect from her, Schmitt showed at the 2019 U.S. Open that she will still be very much a factor at the 2020 Olympic Trials.

Winning the A-final in the 200 free in Atlanta, Schmitt notched a 1:56.47, albeit a tad slower than Katie Ledecky‘s 1:56.29 in the B-final. Nonetheless, Schmitt’s time checks in within her top 20 performances ever, and it’s actually faster than she was at the 2015 U.S. Winter Nationals (1:56.77) before she’d go on to make the 2016 Olympic team individually in this event.

GUILHERME DA COSTA

The best distance swimmer on the men’s side at the 2019 U.S. Open wasn’t an American. Brazilian Guilherme da Costawas a revelation in Atlanta, taking U.S. Open titles in the 400 free, 800 free, and 1500 free. He won the 400 (3:46.57) by over a second, the 800 (7:47.37) by over two seconds, and the mile (14:55.49) by over seven seconds. For his hard work, he was rewarded with new South American continental records in all three events.

Also impressive was Team Santa Monica’s Zhang Ziyang. The teenager was third in the 400 free (3:48.21), sixth in the 200 free (1:47.71), sixth in the 1500 (15:13.29) and seventh in the 800 (7:58.57).

THOMAS HEILMAN

This is one fast 12-year-old. Swimming at the 2019 YOTA/Arena Capital Classic in Cary, NC, Heilman smashed five SCY 11-12 NAG records. He hit times of 21.50 in the 50 free, 47.15 in the 100 free, 1:44.28 in the 200 free, 22.87 in the 50 fly, and 1:53.66 in the 200 fly, all setting new NAG marks. The old marks were 21.78 (Vinny Marciano, 2014), 47.89 (Vinny Marciano, 2014), 1:45.43 (Winn Aung, 2015), 23.49 (Jarrett Payne, 2019), and 1:55.39 (Dean Jones, 2018). Those are all huge improvements to the old NAGs, especially in the fly events.

Heilman, who already holds the 100 fly NAG record with a 51.44 done in November, was also 1:59.69 in the 200 IM, 4:14.68 in the 400 IM, and 4:49.76 in the 500 free.

ABBEY WEITZEIL

One of the most impressive things a swimmer can do is break a second barrier in a 50 free (for example, breaking 20 in the 50 free for the first time, or 19, or even 18). Cal senior Abbey Weitzeil did just that, becoming the first female 20-point 50 freestyler in history. She won the 50 free at the 2019 Minnesota Invitational with a 20.90 to a raucous reception from the crowd and her Golden Bear teammates, a feat of pure speed, strength, and power. And, while her other freestyle swims were very fast, this writer was second-most impressed by her 51.66 in the 100 back.

ALEX WALSH

It feels like Alex Walsh has been an age group phenom for years, which she has been. But as versatile as she is across stroke and distance, it was in the 200 IM final at the 2019 U.S. Open that Walsh became truly great in the big pool. Her 200 IM has always been explosive, but Walsh’s final 50, where she nearly out-split American star Melanie Margalis, notorious for her fantastic back-half, was something to marvel at.

Her best swim before this weekend? A 2:11.24 from last summer with a 31.87 free leg. Now? A 2:09.01 with a 30.30 free leg. Talk about putting it together. While Margalis got to the wall first by a couple of tenths in Atlanta, Walsh’s youthful energy is translating to real-deal power; the future is bright.

STEPHAN STEVERINK/STEPHANIE BALDUCCINI

While da Costa was tearing it up in the States, two Brazilian teenagers were setting marks of their own in the southern hemisphere. Stephan Steverink and Stephanie Balduccini, both born in 2004, combined for seven Brazilian age records at the 2019 Brazilian Summer Championships. Steverink re-wrote age records in the 800 free (8:07.21), 1500 free (15:26.77), 200 IM (2:04.97), 400 IM (4:21.35), and 200 breaststroke (2:18.44). Balduccini, for her part, set age records in the 100 free (56.00), 100 fly in prelims (1:01.63) and then again in finals (1:00.58), a massive performance in the fly.

Brazil’s youth stars were out in force; Raphael Windmuller set age records for 16-year-olds in the 100 breast (1:02.41) and 200 breast (2:15.40), while Francisco Saldo did so in the 100 fly (53.81).

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Here Are the 10 Swimmers Who Impressed Us Most Last Weekend

By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Destro Machines, a SwimSwam partner. 

Destro Machines is excited to announce the release of its long requested, Destro Double Swim Tower. The DDST offers the same reliability, quality, portability, and resistance as our original tower, but with several added benefits.

The Destro Double Swim Tower’s adjustable resistance allows coaches to tune their training to an athlete’s specific needs. Higher resistance training will benefit a swimmer’s explosiveness, athleticism, power and speed. While, lower resistance will benefit an athlete’s endurance, technique, and feel. Swim towers also create a fun and exciting atmosphere for athletes and allow greater flexibility in a coaches practice strategy.

The DDST is beneficial for all types of swimmers.

Distance Swimmers – Create muscle confusion and additional fatigue on the swimmer to increase endurance.

Middle Distance Swimmers – Develop a more efficient kick & stroke for improved endurance and speed in races

Sprinters – Develop massive explosive power for dolphin kicks, pulling, flutter kicks, and flip turns

Performance

*NEW* Double the Power: Now you have the option to use two swimmers per frame, or one swimmer with two buckets.

*NEW* Portability: Collapsed (29 L x 43 W x 45 H) Inches Extended (29 L x 43 W x 69 H) Inches, 40 Lbs

Smooth Resistance: Our unique design provides the smoothest resistance on the market.

Quality: No worn out pulleys—designed and tested to resist thermal fatigue, UV exposure, mechanical wear, and chemical resistance

No Rust: We used only ultra corrosion resistant hardware and aircraft aluminum to build our tower

Rope Kicking: By changing the rope height, your feet are free to kick water- not rope

Resistance: Up to 25m of consistent resistance

Value

*New* Price: The lowest price on the market is now even lower at just $1050 – $1150 per bucket

*NEW* Shipping: The lowest shipping cost on the market is now even lower at $20 – $50 per bucket US

*NEW* International: Even lower international shipping costs, contact us for a quote.

Storage: The tower is super easy to transport or store in small spaces, like an SUV.

I graduated from Purdue University in 2014 as a mechanical engineer and swimmer. I was lucky enough compete against and practice with some of the best athletes in the world at the 2012 & 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, and NCAA Div I Championships. Afterwards, I spent several years as a machine designer in automotive and manufacturing facilities. What I learned is that making an athlete is a lot like making a machine. When we build a machine, we use exact measurements, designs, plans, schedules, and conduct trials. After each revision, we quantify performance and make the appropriate changes until we have the perfect performance. This is how swimmers should be training, but we don’t yet have the technology available to train this effectively. I founded Destro Machines so that I could develop the tools our sport needs to escape the dark ages of training. It is my promise to develop the best training technology that the swimming world has ever seen. Machines aren’t just what we make, Machines are who we make.”

― Chuck Destro, Co-Founder

ABOUT DESTRO MACHINES

Destro Machines is a family and swimmer owned company. We were founded in 2015 when we realized that swimmers and coaches were lacking the effective and affordable training technology required for them to reach their goals. Our team of engineers, has spent years working with Division I College and top tier high school programs to develop equipment that’s not only less expensive, but also more effective than any other resistance training system available.

^{www.destromachines.com}

^{Swim training courtesy of Destro Machines, a SwimSwam partner.} 

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Destro Machines Releases All New Double Swim Tower

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

FORM is swim goggles with a smart display. FORM is a sports technology company with a simple mission: to break down the barriers between what swimming is and what it could be.

After the Pro Swim Series stop in Greensboro, SwimSwam embarked on the East Coast Pancake Tour 2019. This tour will be taking fans to various swimming programs along the east coast for Practice + Pancakes, Beyond the Pancakes, and maybe a few more pancake goodies thrown in.

The next stop on our tour was in Charlotte, North Carolina, where we went to a double with Division II Queens University. Queens has been the NCAA DII champs for the last 5 years, and has become known for producing talent that would challenge for DI national titles, so I was excited to see the kind of work they do for myself.

The men swam in the morning while the women swam in the afternoon, but they both did the exact same workout. The Queens coaching staff believes that when they separate the men and women, there are completely different dynamics, and both teams can develop their own identities as needed. Both teams had a “recovery” workout, but not in the sense that you might think.

The set was 3×75 strong, 3×25 breath control, and then a 400 easy, which they did 3 times with varying equipment. Head coach Jeff Dugdale explains that they believe recovery should be either completely off (not swim), or swimming that gets their heart rate to around 160, thereby flushing their systems and getting them ready for hard work the next day.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Practice + Pancakes: Queens University Works Through “Recovery” Day