By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2020 SOUTH AUSTRALIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, January 18 – Thursday, January 23rd
• SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park
• LCM
• Meet Site
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Live Results

The highlight of day 3 of these 2020 South Australia State Championships was Kaylee McKeown‘s performance in the 200m backstroke. The 18-year-old visiting Queenslander smashed a new personal best of 2:05.83 to now rank #1 in the world, as well as become the 2nd fastest woman ever from her nation. You can read more about the World Championships silver medalist’s feat here.

However, Kyle Chalmers also made his presence known at his home pool across his events, first topping the men’s 400m free podium in a new personal best of 3:53.66.

The last time Chalmers raced the 400m free was at the 2018 edition of these state championships, where he logged a time of 3:56.14. It was the year prior at the same meet where he produced his seed time of 3:55.29, a personal best.

The 100m free Olympic champion from 2016 managed to drop about one and a half seconds from that previous PB tonight, however, to now own a career-quickest of 3:53.66. That beat the field by over 20 seconds in essentially this one-man race.

Splits for Chalmers’ off-event race tonight are below:

21-year-old Chalmers logged another individual win before the night was through, with the Marion star notching a 50m fly winning effort of 23.48. That rendered Chalmers the champion by over 2 seconds in this blink-and-it’s-over event.

Chalmers punched a morning prelims time of 23.84 before hitting the wall this evening in 23.48, with both outings representing the man’s first results ever under the 24-second threshold. Chalmers entered this meet with a PB of 24.03 from 2014’s Australian Swimming Championships.

With his gold medal-worthy swim tonight, Chalmers checks-in among the nation’s fastest 50m fly performers in slot #7.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Chalmers Hits 400 Free & 50 Fly Personal Bests On Day 3 Of South Aussies

By Tomas Rodriguez on SwimSwam

Halfway through the first month of this Olympic year, news stories keep on surfacing in terms of next summer’s Games, creating a clearer picture as to what legacy the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games could leave behind.

From a hydrogen-fueled Olympic Flame to an Opening Ceremony calling for peace, the Games will be ones to remember. However, we will have to wait until the opening act of the Tokyo 2020 Nippon Festival in April, which will mark the beginning of celebrations for the 2020 Games.

HYDROGEN TO FUEL THE 2020 OLYMPIC FLAME

Per The Japan Times, organizers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics unveiled a plan to use hydrogen as the fuel for its Olympic flame cauldron at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee general session on Friday.

It would be the first time the next-generation fuel has been used for this purpose, and organizers are considering using fuel produced at a factory in Namie, Fukushima Prefecture, which was evacuated after the nearby Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered multiple meltdowns in March 2011.

The plan is in sync with Tokyo 2020 being branded as “the Reconstruction Olympics” in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami that devastated much of Tohoku.

In a similar nod to the use of clean energy, roughly 90 percent of the 3,700 vehicles provided for official use during the games by Olympic partner Toyota will be electric, with about 500 using hydrogen fuel cells.

2020 OPENING CEREMONY, AN APPEAL TO PEACE

According to Japanese news source Kyodo, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony will employ characters from Japan’s world-famous animation industry as part of its international appeal for peace, games sources told Kyodo News on Tuesday.

The ceremony’s theme will be coexistence among diverse races across the globe with animated characters delivering the powerful message of peace through sport in a way that is easily accessible.

One idea being considered is for rival characters to shake hands while calling for an Olympic cease-fire during the Games.

In keeping with recent custom, Japan proposed a resolution at the United Nations in December for an Olympic truce that was adopted unanimously.

U.N. CHIEF TO VISIT HIROSHIMA DURING 2020 GAMES

Tying back to the aforementioned headline, Japan’snews agency Kyodo is reporting that U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres has told Japan he intends to visit Hiroshima in August a few days before attending the Tokyo Olympics closing ceremony.

The plan reflects Guterres’ desire to push the U.N. call for a “nuclear-free world” by using the opportunity of the event aimed at building a peaceful and better world through sport.

U.N. chiefs have attended the opening ceremonies of every Summer Olympic Games since the 1990s.

TOKYO 2020 NIPPON FESTIVAL IN APRIL TO KICK OFF OLYMPIC CELEBRATIONS

Japanese news outlet Japan Todayreported that the art form of kabuki and Western-style opera will be the opening act of Tokyo 2020 Nippon Festival in April, to kick off celebrations for the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Titled “KABUKI x OPERA Luminous, The Lord,” this reimagining and fusion of two Eastern and Western theatrical traditions, will be staged on April 18 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Shibuya, setting the tone for upcoming festival events to welcome the Olympics and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Kabuki was named by UNESCO as an intangible heritage of humanity in 2005.

CHERRY BLOSSOM PINK SIGNS TO INDICATE DESIGNATED LANES FOR TOKYO 2020

Japan’s Kyodo news service reported that organizers have chosen cherry blossom pink as the color of road signs to designate Games lanes that will be used to transport key participants, like athletes and officials, to help ensure that they get to their destinations on time.

The cherry blossom is Japan’s unofficial national flower.

Transport disruptions are expected to be widespread in Tokyo, not only affecting spectators but commuters and residents as well.

Organizers are hoping the graphic signs will help reduce congestion during the Olympics between July 24 and Aug. 9, and during the Paralympics between Aug. 25 and Sept.6.

In order to keep traffic moving on the priority routes, Tokyo will implement temporary changes to the way some roads operate for the 2020 Games.

TOKYO ORGANIZING COMMITTEE TO CREATE KIMONOS INSPIRED BY OVER 200 COUNTRIES AND REGIONS

Per Japanese broadcaster NHK, a project is underway to create kimonos inspired by over 200 countries and regions around the world in light of next summer’s Games.

The Kimono Project, which aims to spread the wonders of the Japanese kimono tradition to the rest of the world, involves kimono makers and craftsmen arriving from different Japanese regions.

The kimonos are constructed using the technique of “squeezing,” which can be achieved by squeezing the dough with a small pinch thread and then coloring it.

ATHLETES’ VILLAGE TO BOAST ACCESSIBILITY IN LIGHT OF THE PARALYMPICS

Japanese news service Kyodo is reporting that details of the waterfront athletes’ village for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games were revealed earlier this month, with organizers emphasizing its accessibility and ease of use for para-athletes.

Some 21 buildings of between 14 and 18 stories will accommodate 18,000 beds for athletes and staff during the Olympics, and 8,000 during the Paralympics. Each of 3,800 condominiums can hold up to eight people, with up to two beds per room.

Air conditioners used in the village will be donated after the games to areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated northeastern Japan. The village’s residential buildings are planned to be renovated and converted to apartments after the Games.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Olympic Update: Hydrogen To Fuel Olympic Flame, Games To Appeal For Peace

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

If you don’t like the career you’re in, you might want to work in the swimming community and be a part of our big swimming family! Go here to see 2629 Swim Jobs.

ASSISTANT SWIM COACH – YANKEE CLIPPERS SWIM TEAM – SPRINGFIELD MA

The Yankee Clippers Swim Team is looking for multiple assistant coaches to assist at practice, and potentially at swim meets. Weekly commitment based off applicants availability. Ideally this would be for 3-4 days per week, however this can be adjusted due to circumstance and experience.

AQUATICS DIRECTOR

Huntington Crescent Club, located in Western Suffolk County, is a family oriented, privately owned country club with an 18-hole premiere golf course & 16 tennis courts. Our spectacular heated pool facility also features poolside & patio dining. This season will be especially exciting as we will be operating out of our brand new clubhouse !

AGE GROUP COACH — NOVAQUATICS

Novaquatics is a year-round swim club located in Orange County, CA serving over 1,000 athletes. We are currently looking for a coach to lead groups consisting of swimmers ages 9-12.

AQUATICS DIRECTOR – PEDDIE SCHOOL

The Peddie Aquatic Center at The Peddie School seeks an Aquatics Director. The Peddie Aquatic Center provides optimal training conditions for the school’s competitive swimmers and offers a variety of programs for the local community.

LEARN TO SWIM PROGRAM MANAGER

Duties include Plan the learn to swim scheme of work, Structure the lessons which will be delivered by all coaches, Ensure our LTS coaches are adhering to the developed scheme of work, Report on the progression of all children in the program.

PR & MARKETING INTERNSHIP W/CHAMPION’S MOJO PODCAST

Champion’s Mojo Podcast is seeking a team player to fill an unpaid position for a 6-8 month internship in PR & Marketing. The ideal person/intern will work approximately 10 hours per week (part-time) from home in exchange for gaining experience in Sports Journalism, PR and Marketing–and having some fun working with some of the greatest champions in our sport and beyond. Intern will help with various aspects of our elite Swimming Podcast.

YARROW FAMILY YMCA (HEAD COACH)

Provides direct leadership, coaching, encouragement, and motivation to YMCA swim team coaches and members. Collaborates with coaches and volunteers of other swim teams to establish league rules and coordinate swim competition events. Relates to members, parents, other coaches, and YMCA staff in a positive and professional manner at all times.

WATERFRONT DIRECTOR FOR SUMMER CAMP IN MAINE

Skylemar, located in southern Maine, offers top-notch instruction and enjoyment in aquatics and land sports for 200 boys, ages 7-17.  The setting is spectacular and well maintained, with 200 acres of fields and forest, and best of all, Trickey Pond.

AQUATICS/WELLNESS DIRECTOR

The Aquatics/Wellness Director is responsible for developing, implementation, administration and supervision of the Historic Cleveland Ave YMCA aquatics and wellness programs. This position will also oversee the Kershaw YMCA pool and summer camp aquatic programs and staff. Will directly supervise all employees in the Aquatic/Wellness Departments to include Safety around Water program.

HEAD COACH – HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SWIM AND DIVE TEAM

This position is for the Head Coach of the Snohomish High School Girls Swim and Dive Team. The Head Coach will be responsible for the Varsity Swimmers. Several of the student-athletes already have futures cuts. Head Coach will be tasked with helping the team achieve their district and state meet goals.

AQUATICS DIRECTOR

We are looking for a responsible and engaged leader who is excited to develop and manage our Aquatics team and programs. You thrive on serving children and families, are a certified lifeguard, display positive communication skills and can manage a dynamic team. You will ensure that day to day operations run smoothly and that members and program participants have an exceptional experience. Additionally, you will ensure compliance with health and safety laws. This position reports to the General Manager.

THE RACE CLUB SEEKS FULL-TIME SWIMMING COACH, SAN DIEGO LOCATION

The Race Club is seeking an ambitious, full-time swimming coach for its San Diego location. The focus of our coaching is on swimming technique for camps, private instruction and on-line coaching, using a science-based and technology approach. Must be capable of performing multiple functions, including computer skills, analysis, social media, and leadership.

FULL TIME MOBILE SWIMMING TEACHER ON GRAND CAYMAN ISLANDS

The Swim School is a small busy mobile swim school teaching swimming classes to babies up to adults for over 13+ yrs in sunny Grand Cayman Islands.

AQUATICS DECK SUPERVISOR (FLUSHING YMCA)

The YMCA of Greater New York is here for all New Yorkers — to empower youth, improve health, and strengthen community. Founded in 1852, today the Y serves a diverse population of more than half a million New Yorkers who learn, grow, and thrive through programs and services at our 24 branches. Community is the cornerstone of the Y. Together, we connect active, engaged New Yorkers to build stronger communities.

SHERIDAN SWIM TEAM HEAD COACH

Our head coach, with the aid of the parents and a solid coaching staff, will be responsible for the entire competitive swimming program including operations, administration, growth, and success.

LIFEGUARD (LTS PROGRAM) SUPERVISOR

The Lifeguard (LTS Program) Supervisor position will be responsible for supervising and scheduling activities for recreation therapy pool, professional development of staff, supervising all pool lifeguards, exercise and swim instructor staff; verify if certain certifications are current and scheduling routine skill trainings for staff.

ADJUNCT FACULTY – HEAD WOMENS WATER POLO

Ohlone College seeks to employ faculty members who have a passion for teaching and learning and a strong commitment to the missions and ideals of the community college. We are looking for excellent teachers who are student-oriented in their approach and dedicated to student success.

MSA SWIM – AGE GROUP COACH – CHARLOTTE NC

Mecklenburg Swim Association (MSA Swim) in the Charlotte, NC area is looking for a coach to assist in our Age Group and Developmental Programs coaching primarily 12 and Under swimmers. More information can be found at msaswim.com

HEAD SWIM COACH/ DIRECTOR OF HURRICANES

The Andover/North Anover YMCA is looking for a Head Swim Coach for their competitive swim team. The team averages about 180 swimmers and has swimmers of all levels. The team is a USA swim team, attends local and national level meets. We a looking for a dynamic individual who is ready for a role at the Y!

YMCA OF GREATER MONTGOMERY SEEKS HEAD SWIM COACH

The YMCA of Greater Montgomery Barracudas has been the premier swim team in the River Region since 1978.  We provide youth the opportunity to participate in a year-round competitive USA/YMCA Swimming sports team that is dedicated to building athletes who are committed, have strong character and show great attitude.  These are the same characteristics we seek in our Head Coach position.

FULL TIME HEAD COACH AACHEN GERMANY

As a swimming club ASV06 we would like to offer our active members competitive sport. It is important for us that we can lead swimmers to competitive sports and their personal top performances. Traditionally we attach great importance to a functioning team structure, therefore the annual DMS (German Team Championships, or league swimming) belong also to our highlights in the competition year.

PERFORMANCE COACH – DRYLAND SPECIALIST

RITTER Sports Performance helps swimmers go faster and coaches get better, worldwide. Through our programs for strength and dryland training along with coaching educational resources, RITTER is ready to help swimmers and coaches go to the next level. Are you?

HEAD SITE – MASTERS SWIM COACH, DFW AREA, TX

The O2 (http://www.o2performanceaquatics.com), serving three locations in the Dallas Forth Worth area, is a non-profit, 501c organization that provides high-quality aquatic programs for people of all ages. We operate out of the LISD Aquatics Center East at The Colony & LISD Westside Aquatics Centers at Lewisville  and North Lake College Aquatic Center on the campus of North Lake College Irving TX,

AGE GROUP SWIM COACH

Age Group Coach Swimming (reports to Head Coach). Interested in developing your coaching skills? Want to work with kids? Come work for a non-profit swim team in Arcadia!

RIVERSIDE SWIM CLUB SUMMER HEAD COACH

RSC Barracudas Swim Team is a summer recreational swim team with a long history of success.  We have approximately 150 swimmers ranging in age from 5-18 years old. The season kicks off with tryouts at the end of May and practices the first week of June.  We conclude with the Conference Swim Meet and Team Banquet the third weekend in July.

AGE GROUP COACHES

Sailfish Aquatics is seeking both full and part-time coaches to work with all ages and abilities. The ideal candidates are energetic, knowledgeable, passionate about swimming, and able to communicate with parents, coaches and athletes. Sailfish Aquatics practices at three locations in Concord, Huntersville, and Albemarle NC with approximately 500 swimmers.

AGE GROUP LEAD COACH – AUSTIN, TEXAS

Waterloo Swimming, LP (WS) is looking for an energetic, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable Swim Coach to direct/lead one of our age group swim groups at Waterloo Swimming. You will be responsible for working with an assistant coach helping you run this group.  Entering Waterloo Swimming you will be going through our Rotation Program…learning our swim lessons business, leading programs, assisting Lead Coaches and becoming a Lead Coach.

SUMMER LEAGUE SWIM COACH NEEDED IN MONTANA

The Bitterroot Swim Team (BST) is a member of the Montana State Swim Federation. This is a summer league of approximately 9 weeks starting the last weekend of May/early June through the first weekend of August. The Montana Swim Federation state meet is the final event of the season and scheduled for August 1 and 2, 2020.

ARGO VOICE OVER ANALYST

Looking for swim coaches and/or post-collegiate swimmers to perform voiceover analysis of underwater swim videos for training purposes. We will train you using Hudl Technique and the script we have developed. Our team works from home, making an average of $25 per hour. There are no limits to how many hours you may work. Quality is paramount.

ARENA SEEKS TEAM MARKETING LIAISON – NORTHEAST / POTOMAC VALLEY

Arena is currently hiring a Team Marketing Liaison position in the Northeast / Potomac Valley territory. This position is responsible for managing arena’s team relationships and assisting in the management of arena’s sports marketing activities in the region.

HEAD AQUATICS

Rugby School Thailand is blessed with a campus and sports facilities that are second to none. The School’s ambitious aim is to become the top sports school in Asia. By this we mean that we will provide top level coaching for all pupils – from young beginners, to those who are capable of competing at national level.

ENROLLMENT COACH AND HEAD MEN’S & WOMEN’S SWIMMING COACH

The Enrollment Coach is responsible for a caseload of prospective students, applicants and newly admitted students.  They will serve as the primary point of contact for students within their assigned territories. Position includes all responsibilities associated with coaching men’s and women’s swimming at the collegiate level including recruitment, training, academic support and instilling sportsmanship. Bachelor’s Degree in related area required; Master’s Degree preferred.

ASSISTANT SWIM COACH NEEDED IMMEDIATELY

FULL-TIME SWIM COACH AT BURLINGAME AQUATIC CLUB

Under the supervision of the Head Coach (HC), the Lead Age Group Coach (LAGC) is responsible for developing, organizing, and implementing a high quality training and education program to meet the needs of the assigned groups of the BAC Age Group Swim Team. Our goal is for our team to grow in quantity and quality as a competitive swim team within the Zone 1 North of Pacific Swimming and USA Swimming.

ASSISTANT SWIM COACH PART TIME

The assistant coach will lead our athletes during practices and meets, instructing and inspiring our swimmers in a fun and positive environment. Three to five evening shifts per week are required, which may range from one to three hours depending on the age group; there will also be regularly scheduled weekend meets that range from 8 to 12 hours each. Hours can be discussed based on groups that this position may coach.

HEAD AGE GROUP COACH – ALPHA AQUATICS

Alpha Aquatics is a nationally competitive swim team of 200+ athletes located in the El Segundo and Westchester areas of Los Angeles. The team focuses on creating a fun, energized, race paced training environment for all levels from beginner to Jr National and Sr National levels.

By Giusy Cisale on SwimSwam

PRO SWIM SERIES 2020 – KNOXVILLE

• Giovedì 16 Gennaio – Domenica 19 gennaio 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Vasca Lunga 50 metri
• Sito web
• Entry List
• Pagina Swimswam dedicata

La Pro Swim Series che è andata in scena a Knoxville lo scorso fine settimana ha regalato risultati molto interessanti per il periodo stagionale in corso.

Per I report completi ed approfondimenti (in inglese) potete visitare la pagina SwimSwam appositamente dedicata, cliccando qui.

La campionessa olimpica del 2016 Penny Oleksiak ha conquistato l’oro nei 100 metri stile libero femminili durante l’ultima sessione di gare a Knoxville. Con il tempo di 53.41 la Oleksiak ha anticipato il tocco della piastra nei confronti di Simone Manuel per due centesimi, mentre Erika Brown ha conquistato il bronzo con il tempo di 53.49.

Questo è il miglior tempo della velocista canadese dai Campionati del Mondo del 2017 e la pone all’ottavo posto nella classifica mondiale stagionale, dietro Federica Pellegrini.

Top 10 100 Stile Libero Donne 2019-2020

1. Cate Campbell (AUS)- 52.51
2. Michelle Coleman (SWE)- 53.04
3. Bronte Campbell (AUS)- 53.08
4. Fenke Heemskerk (NED)- 53.23
5. Siobhan Haughey (HKG)- 53.33
6. Ranomi Kromowidojo (NED)- 53.33
7. Federica Pellegrini (ITA)- 53.40
8. Penny Oleksiak (CAD)- 53.41
9. Erika Brown (USA)- 53.42
10. Simone Manuel (USA)- 53.43

Nei 200 metri dorso femminili, la detentrice del Record del Mondo Regan Smith ha conquistato l’oro con il tempo di 2:05.94, ponendosi al primo posto nel ranking mondiale stagionale e siglando il nuovo Record della Pro Swim Series.

TOP 5 WORLD RANKINGS – 200 metri dorso donne

1. Regan Smith(USA)- 2:05.94, 1/19/2020
2. Rio Shiari (JPN)- 2:07.87, 9/6/2019
3. Kaylee McKeown (AUS)- 2:07.92, 11/3/2019
4. Isabelle Stadden(USA)- 2:08.16, 11/8/2019
5. Taylor Ruck (CAN)- 2:08.21, 10/13/2019

La 17enne Smith a Knoxville ha partecipato a 5 gare, tutti con risultati da top ten mondiale stagionale:

• 200 metri stile libero: 1:58.67 (14sima al mondo)
• 100 farfalla 57.86 (6° al mondo)
• 200 farfalla 2:08.73 (10° tempo al mondo)
• 100 dorso 58.26 (primo Tampa al mondo 2019/2020) *PSS record
• 200 dorso 2:05.94 (primo tempo al mondo), *PSS record

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Pro Swim Series: Regan Smith 2:05 200 Dorso, Oleksiak 53.41 Nei 100 Stile

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• Thursday, January 16 – Sunday, January 19, 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Long course meters (LCM) format
• Thursday distance session: 4 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Fri-Sun.: 9:30 AM Prelims / 6:30 PM Finals
• Meet site
• Live Stream
  • All Prelims, B finals, Thursday & Sunday finals
  • Friday & Saturday A Finals
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

^{Reported by Lauren Neidigh.}

MEN’S 100 FREE

• PSS Record: Nathan Adrian, 2016, 48.00
• Trials Cut: 50.49

Top 3 Finishers

1. Zach Apple (MVN)- 48.98
2. Ryan Held (NYAC)- 49.09
3. Yuri Kisil (CAN)- 49.48

50 free champ Nyls Korstanje took it out with the lead, but World Champion Zach Apple and Olympic Champion Ryan Held pulled ahead to battle for the win. Apple had the closing speed to win it, out-touching Held 48.98 to 49.09.

Canadian Olympian Yuri Kisil touched 3rd in 49.48, while Korstanje landed 4th in 49.52. Mikel Schreuders was just a few hundredths back in 49.58. U.S. National Teamers Dean Farris (49.74) and Justin Ress (49.81) were 6th and 7th.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Dean Farris Was So Tight, He Needed to Get “Dry-Needled” (Video)

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2020 SOUTH AUSTRALIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, January 18 – Thursday, January 23rd
• SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, Oaklands Park
• LCM
• Meet Site
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Live Results

18-year-old Kaylee McKeown already made a statement at these 2020 South Australia State Championships with a lifetime best time of 58.52 in the women’s 100m back. That performance on day 2 marked her first occasion ever under the 59-second threshold in the sprint.

But the Sunshine Coast athlete was far from finished, as McKeown logged another career quickest outing on day 3, this time in the 200m backstroke distance. The teen produced a monster 2:05.83 to take gold at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, as well as now rank among the sport’s greats.

Composed of splits of 1:02.06/1:03.77, McKeown’s 2:05.83 effort marks the first time the teen has ever been under 2:06 in the event. Entering these Championships, the younger sister of Olympic finalist Taylor McKeown’s lifetime best rested at the 2:06.26 put up at the 2019 FINA Aquatic World Championships.

There in Gwangju, McKeown’s 2:06.26 included splits of 1:01.36/1:04.90 to give her the silver behind American Regan Smith. Smith snagged gold in the world’s 2nd fastest performance of all-time of 2:03.69. Smith had earlier taken down Missy Franklin’s World Record in the semi-finals, establishing the new standard at an other-worldly 2:03.35.

Speaking of Smith, the 17-year-old phenom also nailed a 2:05 time this week, hitting a mark of 2:05.94 at the Pro Swim Series in Knoxville. That checked-in with a new meet series record and, briefly, set the world rankings standard for the 2019/20 season.

With McKeown’s menacing 2:05.83, the teen from down under now takes over the world rankings top spot early on this year.

TOP 5 WORLD RANKINGS- WOMEN’S 200 BACK LCM (AS OF 1/20/20)

1. Kaylee McKeown (AUS) – 2:05.83
2. Regan Smith (USA)- 2:05.94, 1/19/2020
3. Rio Shirai (JPN)- 2:07.87, 9/6/2019
4. Isabelle Stadden (USA)- 2:08.16, 11/8/2019
5. Taylor Ruck (CAN)- 2:08.21, 10/13/2019

Although Smith’s 2:03.35 World Record clearly puts the American in a league of her own, McKeown’s massive time drop at this January meet shows she is anything but backing down heading into the 2020 Olympic Games.

Her PB now makes McKeown the 2nd fastest Aussie of all-time, positioned only behind national record holder Emily Seebohm. Seebohm owns the Aussie NR at 2:05.61, a result she produced in 2017.

McKeown becomes just the 2nd woman from her nation to ever dip under the 2:06 threshold, making the Olympic hopeful the 7th fastest 200m backstroke performer in history.

All-Time Women’s 200m Backstroke Performers

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Kaylee McKeown Crushes 2:05.83 200 Back Lifetime Best To Take Over World #1

By Bailey Duran 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.

Andrew Bowman, a current high school senior from Oceanside, California, has committed to swim for University of California at San Diego. Bowman will graduate from high school spring 2020 and join the Tritons’ class of 2024. The Tritons officially begin their 4-year transition to NCAA Division I competition in July of 2020, meaning that Bowman’s career will overlap with the 4-year period where the team isn’t eligible for NCAA Championship participation.

Bowman currently swims for San Clemente Aquatics under Coach Goran Westerlund and Brittany Vocke. This past year at the 2019 CA MVN Summer Junior Olympics, Bowman placed 1^st in the 100 butterfly with a long course meters time of 57.60.

Top SCY Times

• 50 freestyle – 21.57
• 100 freestyle – 46.73
• 200 freestyle – 1:42.99
• 100 backstroke – 54.27
• 100 butterfly – 50.30
• 200 IM – 1:58.49

With his current best times, Bowman would have placed 19^th in the 100 butterfly (57.60) at the MPSF Championships with the Tritons. At the MPSF Championships, the Tritons placed 6^th as a team – the Big West doesn’t currently sponsor men’s swimming, and are expected to continue to compete in the MPSF during their transition period.

Bowman will begin his swimming career at UC San Diego in the fall 2020.

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: CA MVN Summer JO’s Champion Andrew Bowman Commits to UC San Diego

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• Thursday, January 16 – Sunday, January 19, 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Long course meters (LCM) format
• Thursday distance session: 4 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Fri-Sun.: 9:30 AM Prelims / 6:30 PM Finals
• Meet site
• Live Stream
  • All Prelims, B finals, Thursday & Sunday finals
  • Friday & Saturday A Finals
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

^{Reported by Lauren Neidigh.}

MEN’S 100 FREE

• PSS Record: Nathan Adrian, 2016, 48.00
• Trials Cut: 50.49

Top 3 Finishers

1. Zach Apple (MVN)- 48.98
2. Ryan Held (NYAC)- 49.09
3. Yuri Kisil (CAN)- 49.48

50 free champ Nyls Korstanje took it out with the lead, but World Champion Zach Apple and Olympic Champion Ryan Held pulled ahead to battle for the win. Apple had the closing speed to win it, out-touching Held 48.98 to 49.09.

Canadian Olympian Yuri Kisil touched 3rd in 49.48, while Korstanje landed 4th in 49.52. Mikel Schreuders was just a few hundredths back in 49.58. U.S. National Teamers Dean Farris (49.74) and Justin Ress (49.81) were 6th and 7th.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Dean Farris Was So Tight, He Needed to Get “Dry-Needled” (Video)

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• Thursday, January 16 – Sunday, January 19, 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Long course meters (LCM) format
• Thursday distance session: 4 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Fri-Sun.: 9:30 AM Prelims / 6:30 PM Finals
• Meet site
• Live Stream
  • All Prelims, B finals, Thursday & Sunday finals
  • Friday & Saturday A Finals
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

^{Reported by Lauren Neidigh.}

WOMEN’S 100 FREE

• PSS Record: Sarah Sjostrom, 2016, 53.12
• Trials Cut: 56.29

Top 3 Finishers

1. Penny Oleksiak (CAN)- 53.41
2. Simone Manuel (ALTO)- 53.44
3. Erika Brown (TENN)- 53.49

Erika Brown flipped with a slight lead over Simone Manuel, but neither got their hand to the wall first. Penny Oleksiak, who was tied for 4th at the flip, came from behind to clip them at the finish in 53.41. Oleksiak and Manuel are no strangers to a close come-from-behind finish. The pair tied for Olympic gold in 2016 as they ran down the leaders.

Manuel was just 3 hundredths back for 2nd in 53.44. Brown settled for 3rd, just a few hundredths behind Manuel and a few hundredths shy of her lifetime best in 53.49. Canadian 17-year-old Kayla Sanchez was also under 54 to take 4th in 53.74.

Worlds medalist Margo Geer, who was tied with Oleksiak at the flip, finished 5th with a 54.49. NCAA Champion Mallory Comerford was a tenth back in 54.59. French Olympian Marie Wattel (54.79) and Olympic gold medalist Allison Schmitt (54.87) closed out the top 8.

Notably, SEC Champion Natalie Hinds, a postgrad training at Georgia, was just 2 hundredths shy of her lifetime best to win the B final. Hinds put up the 5th fastest time of the night in 54.36. Gretchen Walsh was behind her for 2nd in the heat at 54.78

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Gretchen Walsh Explains “Specialized” Holiday Training (Video)

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Townley Haas spent 2 weeks training with Gregg Troy, Caeleb Dressel, and the University of Florida post-graduate group. The connection came via the Cali Condors, where Troy was the head coach, Dressel was the team’s superstar swimmer, and Jan Switkowski was also on the Gator roster.

View this post on Instagram

Had a great two weeks of training down in Gainesville! Massive thank you to Caeleb, Coach Troy and all the guys for having me down and putting in some good work! Back to Austin to continue the grind! #injuredonatuesday #trainingtrip #boardgames

A post shared by Townley Haas (@townleyh) on Jan 19, 2020 at 11:14am PST

The largely-international group included Dressel, although he and Haas don’t overlap substantially in events – Dressel is the defending World Champion in the 50 fly, 100 fly, 50 free, and 100 free, while Haas specializes in the 200 free. Dressel can certainly swim the 200 free, though – his best time, unrested, of 1:47.31 means that if he swims the race at the Olympic Trials, he’ll probably earn at least a relay spot for Tokyo.

The group overall, though, has a significant middle-to-distance focus. Other swimmers Haas trained with include Tomas Peribonio, Enzo Martinez, Ivan Soruco, Mitch D’Arrigo, Santiago Corredor, and True Sweetser– a Gator collegian who is taking a redshirt season from Stanford to train in Gainesville.

Haas, who finished his college career at the University of Texas in 2019 with 18 All-America Awards, an NCAA Record in the 500 free (4:08.19), and 10 NCAA event titles, still trains primarily in Austin as part of the University of Texas post-grad group. As the 2020 Olympic Trials approach, more-and-more swimmers are taking trips and forming training super-groups

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Townley Haas Spent 2 Weeks Training with Caeleb Dressel in Gainesville

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

It’s a massive slate of duals this week, including NC State at Virginia for ACC supremacy. We’ve also got Arizona and Arizona State making swings through Cal and Stanford. Here are some of the standouts, with their ranks (w/m) in our latest Power Ranks:

• #5/#4 NC State @ #3/#12 Virginia – Friday
• #19/#13 Arizona State @ #2/#14 Stanford – Friday
• UNR/#9 Arizona @ #1/#2 Cal – Friday
• #19/#13 Arizona State @ #1/#2 Cal – Saturday
• UNR/#9 Arizona @ #2/#14 Stanford – Saturday
• #9/UNR Kentucky @ #15/#10 Louisville – Saturday
• #11/UNR Auburn @ #12/#8 Florida – Saturday
• #20 Arkansas @ #17 Texas A&M (women) – Saturday
• #4/#17 Tennessee @ #10/#15 Georgia – Saturday
• Northwestern @ #18w Wisconsin – Saturday

Below is a list of the D1 meets we’ll be covering at SwimSwam this week. If we missed any, please leave them in the comments and we’ll get them added.

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• Thursday, January 16 – Sunday, January 19, 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Long course meters (LCM) format
• Thursday distance session: 4 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Fri-Sun.: 9:30 AM Prelims / 6:30 PM Finals
• Meet site
• Live Stream
  • All Prelims, B finals, Thursday & Sunday finals
  • Friday & Saturday A Finals
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

Regan Smith used two wins, two silver medals and the prelims swim bonus to top all money earners at the Knoxville Pro Swim Series at $6,500.

Smith did not attend the series opener in Greensboro, but already sits #3 in overall series earnings. Distance man Zane Grothe added $5,000 in Knoxville and leads all series earners by $2,000. Simone Manuel is second, also hitting both stops so far.

Smith won the prelims bonus, given to the top prelims swim in FINA points. That’s worth $1500. The men’s bonus went to Nyls Korstanje.

Knoxville Prelims Bonuses

• Women: Regan Smith, 100 back, 59.00 (929 FINA points)
• Men: Nyls Korstanje, 100 free, 49.23 (865 FINA points)

PRIZE MONEY FORMAT

Full prize Money Format here

Individual events:

• First place = $1,500
• Second place = $1000
• Third place = $500

Top prelims swim (in FINA points) at each meet:

• $1500 to top woman and top man

Top overall swim (in FINA points) for the whole series:

• $10,000

Knoxville PRIZE MONEY LIST

Note: these lists track ‘money earned’, though not necessarily ‘money accepted.’ Athletes maintaining amateurism for high school or college swimming are under certain restrictions about how much prize money they can accept.

By Lydia Ferrari Kehoe on SwimSwam

2020 FINA Champions Series – Beijing

• January 18th-19th
• Beijing, China
• 50m (LCM)
• Meet Info
• Results (Shenzhen)
• Results (Beijing)

After tying her own Asian Record at the first FINA Champions Series meet in Shenzhen, China’sLiu Xiang has now downed the previous mark of 24.04 by the finest of margins, touching in 24.03. This new time was set at the second Champions Series meet in Beijing, just four days after she raced the event in Shenzhen.

She overcame a stacked field for the second time to take the win, defeating Ranomi Kromowidjojo (24.38) and Femke Heemskerk (24.79) of the Netherlands and Michelle Coleman (24.84) of Sweden.

Liu, 23, first set her record time of 24.04 at the 2017 Chinese National Games in Tianjin. She now moves into 11th position in the list of all time fastest swims in this event.

Liu set her first world record in the 50m backstroke in 2018, making history be becoming the first woman to go under 27 seconds. The previous world record had been held by her countrymate Zhao Jing for nine years and stood at 27.06.

She took 0.42 off her personal best from earlier in the year to break the world record, and had only one previous world championship medal to her name after she won bronze in the 50m backstroke at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russia.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: China’s Liu Xiang Breaks Own Asian Record in 50 Freestyle

By Daniela Kapser on SwimSwam

Die wichtigen Wettkämpfe stehen vor der Tür. Nach Monaten harten Trainings möchten alle Schwimmer nun beweisen, dass sich die harte Arbeit ausgezahlt hat – das frühe Aufstehen, schwere Trainingseinheiten, die dich an deine Belastungsgrenze gebracht haben.

Hier 6 Tipps die dir helfen sollen, dass alle Anstrengungen sich in guten Ergebnissen auszahlen:

1. Richtig packen.
   Zum wichtigen Gepäck für die Reise zum großen Wettkampf gehören ein zusätzlicher Rennanzug, Schwimmbrillen und Badekappen selbstverständlich dazu. Aber dann gibt es noch die erst einmal unwichtigen Dinge, die aber den Unterschied ausmachen: Für die einen ist es Musik – achte darauf, dass dein iPod oder Handy aufgeladen sind bevor du am Wettkampftag zum Pool fährst. Aber mit einigen Erfahrungen aus deinen Wettkampftagen wirst du wissen, was du brauchst und was nicht – auch für deine Vorbereitung vor deinem wichtigen Rennen.
2. Deine Energie richtig einsetzen.
   In den Wochen vor dem Saisonhöhepunkt, wirst du weniger trainieren und die Erfahrung machen, dass du unheimlich viel Energie hat. Diesen Energieschub richtig abzubauen ist wichtig – und zwar so, dass deine Taperphase nicht negativ beeinflusst wird.
3. Achte auf deine Ernährung.
   Auch wenn wir eine abwechslungsreiche Ernährung mögen, bleibt man meistens bei dem, was man mag. Ist die Ernährung während des Wettkampfes so, wie du es gewohnt bist? Kannst du auf bewährte Nahrungsmittel zurückgreifen, von denen du weißt, dass sie gut für dich sind? Fatal wäre, wenn du Probleme bekommst, weil dein Magen verrückt spielt. Also halte dich bei einem Wettkampf besser an die bewährte Ernährung, von der du weißt, dass sie dir Energie bringt und dein Körper sich wohl fühlt.
4. Plane deine direkte Rennvorbereitung.
   Was du kurz vor den Rennen immer wieder machst, soll deinem Körper signalisieren: Gleich geht es los, es ist Zeit für ein bisschen Rock’n and Roll. Plane diese Vorbereitung – dein Aufwärmen, wie lange du Stretchübungen machen wirst, welche Musik du hören möchtest und so weiter. Eine gewohnheitsmäßige Rennvorbereitung zu haben, hilft dir, dich wohlzufühlen – auch wenn du einen Wettkampf in einer anderen Stadt oder auf einem anderen Kontinent hast. Denke an das letzte Mal als du eine tolle neue Bestzeit geschwommen bist und versuche, diese Vorbereitung nachzuahmen. So machen/machten es z.B. Ranomi Kromowidjojo und Britta Steffen.
5. Setze dir Ziele für den Wettkampf.
   “Ach, echt?” wirst du jetzt denken. Aber du wärst überrascht wie viele Schwimmer sich keine genau definierten Ziele setzen. Keine Erwartung – also auch keine Enttäuschung. Falsch. Du musst deine langfristigen Ziele umsetzten in viele Einzelschritte und sehen, wie der nächste wichtige Wettkampf rein passt und was du auf dem Weg zu deinem Traum erreichen möchtest – sei es nun eine persönliche Bestzeit, Splitzeiten, die du erreichen möchtest und so weiter.
6. Visualisiere deinen Erfolg.
   Der 23-fache Olympiasieger Michael Phelps war immer ein Meister darin: er stellte sich alle möglichen Rennverläufe, Probleme, Hoch und Tiefs vor, so dass er im Falle, dass was nicht so gut lief, ruhig bleiben und darauf reagieren konnte. In den Monaten, Wochen und Tagen vor DEM wichtigen Wettkampf, solltest du dir ein bisschen Zeit nehmen, dir das perfekte Rennen vorzustellen – aber auch alles einzuplanen, was nicht genauso laufen könnte, wie du es erwartest:
   – Der Aufwärmpool ist hoffnungslos überfüllt.
   – Du bist zu spät.
   – Du hast nicht genug Zeit für dein übliche Aufwärmroutine.
   Auch auf mögliche Störfaktoren eingestellt zu sein, wird dir helfen, ruhig und fokussiert zu sein. Denn du hast die Gewissheit, auf (fast) alles vorbereitet zu sein.

Dies ist der englischsprachige Originalartikel von Olivier Poirier-Leroy.

Motivationszitate

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Sechs Tipps für die optimale Wettkampfvorbereitung.

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:  Base building
• Target age group:  19-22 years old
• Target level:  National/ Collegiate Level
• Weeks until target meet:  < 1 week
• Team Location:  United States
• Course:  25 Yards
• Shared workout link:  Click here to view this workout on commitswimming.com

The Workout

Practice focus
[NB 25’s] [37.5 sprint]
    
6×50 kick @1:05
6×100 smooth/count strokes [2 DK min] @1:45
150 UW flip turns [stay tight]
4×50 [3/2/1/0 breaths] @1:20

12×25 BO’s/Finish @35
8×25 odds SLDK UW @45
6×25 mid pool @40 [fast feet]

1x 200 broken [4×50@10 rest after each 50] [two heats]

3x
    5×25 sprint @30 [aim for 100 pace] [1st 25 from block]
    125 easy @4:30
    
3x
    37.5 sprint off the block @2:00 [don’t slow down into the turn]
        
8×50 easy @1:00

Matthew Moon
Head Men’s and Women’s, Bakersfiled College

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

Swimming news for swim coaches and swim teams, courtesy of Commit Swimming. Click here to view all daily swimming workouts on SwimSwam.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Daily Swim Coach Workout #45

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• Thursday, January 16 – Sunday, January 19, 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Long course meters (LCM) format
• Thursday distance session: 4 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Fri-Sun.: 9:30 AM Prelims / 6:30 PM Finals
• Meet site
• Live Stream
  • All Prelims, B finals, Thursday & Sunday finals
  • Friday & Saturday A Finals
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

^{Reported by Lauren Neidigh.}

MEN’S 100 FREE

• PSS Record: Nathan Adrian, 2016, 48.00
• Trials Cut: 50.49

Top 3 Finishers

1. Zach Apple (MVN)- 48.98
2. Ryan Held (NYAC)- 49.09
3. Yuri Kisil (CAN)- 49.48

50 free champ Nyls Korstanje took it out with the lead, but World Champion Zach Apple and Olympic Champion Ryan Held pulled ahead to battle for the win. Apple had the closing speed to win it, out-touching Held 48.98 to 49.09.

Canadian Olympian Yuri Kisil touched 3rd in 49.48, while Korstanje landed 4th in 49.52. Mikel Schreuders was just a few hundredths back in 49.58. U.S. National Teamers Dean Farris (49.74) and Justin Ress (49.81) were 6th and 7th.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Dean Farris Was So Tight, He Needed to Get “Dry-Needled” (Video)

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2020 LUXEMBOURG EURO MEET

• January 24th-26th, 2020
• Centre National Sportif et Culturel d’Coque, Luxembourg
• LCM (50m) Course
• SwimSwam Preview #1/Preview #2
• Meet Site
• Start Lists

This week’s marquee international swimming competition is the Euro Meet, set for January 24th-26th in Luxembourg. The annual event typically draws elite Olympic and World Championships talent from around the globe, with the 2020 edition being no different.

We’ve reviewed a handful of stars who have already committed to the meet, but now that the start lists have been published, we’re getting a better look at the match-ups to which spectators will be treated t Centre National Sportif et Culturel d’Coque this weekend.

Hungary’s Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu will be seen multiple times over the course of the meet, including being pitted against the likes of Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato and Great Britain’s Hannah Miley in both IM events.

In the longer IM’s field, 17-year-old Michaella Glenister will get an opportunity to hold her own, following up on the 400m IM bronze medal the Brit produced at the 2019 World Junior Championships.

Hosszu also leads the women’s 200m fly, which will see Cusinato, along with fellow Hungarian Liliana Szilagyi among the competitors. One of a small remaining core swimmers still training with Shane Tusup, Szilagyi topped Hosszu this past weekend in the 200m fly at the FINA Champions Series in Beijing.

Swedish Energy Standard team member Sarah Sjostrom is set to compete across her bread-and-butter sprint free and sprint fly events, but is also trying the 50m backstroke on for size.

Although not unheard of, Sjostrom’s racing the 50m back is a reltatively are occurrence. She contested the sprint at the Swedish Championships in June of 2019 where she notched a time of 28.52. She had previously raced the event at 2019’s Euro Meet, clocking a time 28.66 a year ago. She owns the Swedish NR with her lifetime best of 27.80 from 2017.

Sjostrom will see Danish Olympian Pernille Blume join her in the 50m fly event, along with French teen Naele Portecp and her veteran teammate Charlotte Bonnet. Sjostrom and Blume are also set to spar in the 50m free sprint.

On the men’s side, a huge showdown is in store in the men’s 50m fly, as British World Championships medalist Ben Proud and Ukrainian World Record holder Andrii Govorov are both entered in the event. They’ll be joined by fellow studs Florent Manaudou of France, Sergii Shevstov of Ukraine, as well as Jeremy Stravius of France, just to name a few in the field.

Brazilian mainstay Bruno Fratus will meet up with Proud and Manaudou in the 50m free, with Germany’s 17-year-old national record holder Artem Selin and Great Britain’s World University Games gold medalist David Cumberlidge joining the party. Selin took the European Junior Championships gold medal last year in a time of 21.83, while Cumberlidge also got under the 22-second threshold, stopping the clock in 21.87.

Sprinkled throughout the events is a young subset of the British competitors, including European Junior champion Matthew Richards. Richards has shown his prowess across the sprint free and fly events, taking down British age records left and right.

In Kazan last year, Richards took the Euro Jrs 200m free silver in a quick 1:47.23, while he topped the 100m free podium in a monster personal best of 48.88.

Another gold medalist from the European Junior Championships, British swimmer Kayla Van Der Merwe enters Luxembourg as the top seed in the 100m and 200m breaststroke events. More British competitors in the form of Brodie Williams, Elliot Clogg, Honey Osrin, Lily Booker and Chloe Golding appear within the entry lists.

Among the additional elite names to note include Ukraine’s 1500m freestyle World Championships silver medalist Mykhailo Romanchuk, with the Energy Standard ace adding the 400m IM to his usual mid-distance lineup.

Versatile Italian youngster Thomas Ceccon is sticking to a relatively smaller schedule, entered in just the 100m free, 100m back and 100m fly. A multi-medalist at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, the 18-year-old went on to collect 5 European Junior Championships medals last year in Kazan, including individual golds in the 50m and 100m backstroke.

Ceccon’s teammates Nicolo Martinenghi, Fabio Scozzoli and Luca Dotto are set to race this weekend as well, with the former pair just having wrapped up the Geneva International Challenge in Switzerland last weekend.

Marco Koch was also entered in the Geneva Challenge but wound up not swimming. His name appears on these entry lists here, so we’ll see if he is able to make the trip and get more racing under his belt.

More Notable Competitors:

• Barbora Seemanova (CZE)
• Velimir Stjepanovic (SER)
• Jordan Porthain (FRA)
• Mewen Tomac (FRA)
• Simonas Bilis (LTU)
• Freya Colbert (GBR)
• Viktoria Gunes (TUR)
• Zoe Vogelmann (GER)
• Nathalia Almeida (BRA)
• Arjan Knipping (NED)
• Alys Thomas (GBR)
• Ilaria Bianchi (ITA)
• Denys Kisil (UKR)
• Louis Croenen (BEL)
• Giulia Salin (ITA)
• Jan Micka (CZE)
• Wojciech Wojdak (POL)
• Daniel Jervis (GBR)
• Silas Beth (GER)
• Georgia Davies (GBR)
• Daniel Martin (ROU)
• Silvia Di Pietro (ITA)
• Jenna Laukkanen (FIN)
• Imogen Clark (GBR)
• Philip Heintz (GER)

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Proud, Fratus, Manaudou, Govorov Set To Spar At 2020 Euro Meet Luxembourg

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Townley Haas spent 2 weeks training with Gregg Troy, Caeleb Dressel, and the University of Florida post-graduate group. The connection came via the Cali Condors, where Troy was the head coach, Dressel was the team’s superstar swimmer, and Jan Switkowski was also on the Gator roster.

“I just treated it as a training trip,’ the 23-year old Haas said. “I’ve heard that sometimes a small change of pace can be good. Caeleb (Dressel) and coach (Gregg) Troy do great and I decided that Florida would be a good place to go and get some training in.”

Haas says that his first test of the training trip will likely be in March at the Pro Swim Series stop in Des Moines, Iowa.

View this post on Instagram

Had a great two weeks of training down in Gainesville! Massive thank you to Caeleb, Coach Troy and all the guys for having me down and putting in some good work! Back to Austin to continue the grind! #injuredonatuesday #trainingtrip #boardgames

A post shared by Townley Haas (@townleyh) on Jan 19, 2020 at 11:14am PST

The largely-international group included Dressel, although he and Haas don’t overlap substantially in events – Dressel is the defending World Champion in the 50 fly, 100 fly, 50 free, and 100 free, while Haas specializes in the 200 free. Dressel can certainly swim the 200 free, though – his best time, unrested, of 1:47.31 means that if he swims the race at the Olympic Trials, he’ll probably earn at least a relay spot for Tokyo.

The group overall, though, has a significant middle-to-distance focus. Other swimmers Haas trained with include Tomas Peribonio, Enzo Martinez, Ivan Soruco, Mitch D’Arrigo, Santiago Corredor, and True Sweetser– a Gator collegian who is taking a redshirt season from Stanford to train in Gainesville.

Haas, who finished his college career at the University of Texas in 2019 with 18 All-America Awards, an NCAA Record in the 500 free (4:08.19), and 10 NCAA event titles, still trains primarily in Austin as part of the University of Texas post-grad group. As the 2020 Olympic Trials approach, more-and-more swimmers are taking trips and forming training super-groups

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Townley Haas Spent 2 Weeks Training with Caeleb Dressel in Gainesville

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• Thursday, January 16 – Sunday, January 19, 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Long course meters (LCM) format
• Thursday distance session: 4 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Fri-Sun.: 9:30 AM Prelims / 6:30 PM Finals
• Meet site
• Live Stream
  • All Prelims, B finals, Thursday & Sunday finals
  • Friday & Saturday A Finals
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

The Knoxville Pro Swim Series featured the top three women’s swims and top four men’s swims of the series so far, with Regan Smith and Will Licon claiming series leads.

In Knoxville, Smith put up two of the top three swims of the entire PSS this season, taking over the series lead from Katie Ledecky. Smith’s 58.27 in the 100 back (worth 986 Power Points) will take over as the time to beat. And it’s going to be tough, even for Ledecky: in order to best that swim, Ledecky would need to be 1:53.4, 3:57.4, 8:06.9 or 15:24.5 in the distance freestyles. It would take 1:04.4/2:19.7 in the breaststrokes, 55.7/2:02.3 in the butterflys, 2:06.6/4:27.5 in the IMs or 23.7/51.9 in sprint free. That means Smith is in firm control of the series, unless someone else has an otherworldly swim later in the tour.

On the men’s side, Licon took over the lead with a 2:10.34 win in the 200 breast. Runner-up Anton McKee had the second-best swim of the series so far, and the top two 400 freestylers (Zane Grothe and Kieran Smith) also beat former series leader Grothe’s 889-point swim from Greensboro.

Licon scored 917 FINA points with his swim – that one is going to be much more approachable than Smith’s swim. For example, in freestyle, it would take 21.5/48.2/1:44.9/3:46.4/7:45.2/14:56.2 to pass Licon, with those sprint times a possibility for several Americans. It would take 53.3/1:55.1 in backstroke, 58.7 in breast, 51.2/1:54.7 in fly or 1:57.2/4:10.8 in IM. That makes the men’s title much more wide open at this point.

The winners will take home the $10,000 series title.

For comparison: it took a 947-point swim to win the men’s title last year and a 968-point swim to win the women’s.

TOP FINA POINT SWIMS – 2019-2020 PRO SWIM SERIES

Note: we’re using the 2019 FINA Power Points tables (here and here), as those were the tables specifically linked to by USA Swimming for the Greensboro Pro Swim Series last fall. FINA has updated its Power Points tables for 2020, but it appears the PSS will use the 2019 tables for consistency with the Greensboro meet.

Women:

Men:

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Penn State junior Jane Donahue has medically retired from collegiate swimming, she announced on Sunday on her Instagram feed. Donahue, who says that she’s been battling injury for 5 years, hasn’t raced since July.

After 5 years of battling with an injury, I have made the difficult decision to medically retire from the sport that has been my life for the past 15 years. I am so grateful for all the love and support I have received these last 2 1/2 years as a member of the Penn State swim team. I am hopeful to do bigger things outside of the pool and to support my team and coaches from the pool deck. Best advice for those who still get to do what they love- enjoy the ride because you never know when it will be over. Here’s to the start of my next journey… #weare

Donahue did not disclose the nature of the injuries.

Last season, as a sophomore, the breatstroker scored 4.5 points for the Nittany Lions individually, placing 23rd in the 200 breaststroke and tying for 22nd in the 100 breaststroke. Her best breaststroke times came as a senior in high school, where she swam 1:01.49 in the 100 and 2:12.00 in the 200. Her collegiate bests were 1:01.97 and 2:15.2, respectively.

In high school, Donahue trained with SwimMAC Carolina in Charlotte, where she was one of the club’s best-ever breaststrokers. She still ranks 7th in SwimMAC history in the 15-16 100 breast and 5th in SwimMAC history in the 17-18 100 breast, landing among names like Maija Roses, Lilly Higgs, and Kathleen Baker. Donahue was also a 3-time NISCA All-American and 2-time Scholastic All-American in high school. In total, she won 5 North Carolina 1A2A event titles, and as a senior led Christ the King High School to a North Carolina team championship.

She also scored a pair of A-final finishes as a prep at the Winter Junior National – East meet in 2016 (200 breast) and 2015 (100 breast).

Penn State has a deep breaststroke group that includes juniors Maddie Cooke (1:01.02) and Carly Hart (1:01.04), who are both having breakout seasons and rank 10th and 11th, respectively, in the conference in the 100 yard event. Sophomore Olivia Jack ranks 17th in the Big Ten this season (1:01.45).

Under the terms of NCAA medical retirement rules, Donahue can still receive any scholarship money from the athletic department without it counting against Penn State’s scholarship limit.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Former NC State Champ Jane Donahue Announces Medical Retirement at Penn State