By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

At one point during the 2019-2020 swimming season, Billy Cruz was tied as the fastest collegiate 50 freestyler in the country. And now, he’ll take that sprint speed to the famous sprint pool of the Uytengsu Swim Center at the University of Southern California.

Cruz announced late Sunday evening that he would be transferring from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa to USC, where he’s planning to arrive in January 2021. This makes Cruz the first public commitment to USC since announcing the hiring of new head coach Jeremy Kipp last week.

View this post on Instagram

IT'S OFFICIAL!!! I am very excited to announce that I will be attending The University of Southern California next January 2021, where I will continue my academic and swimming career in the NCAA Div 1. I would like to thank everyone for their support! A special thanks to my family,friends and coaches! I am beyond excited to start a new chapter of my life and being a Trojan. FIGHT ON!!! #usctrojans #uscswimming #usc

A post shared by Billy Cruz (@billycruz20) on May 24, 2020 at 7:25pm PDT

Prior to college, Cruz represented the Mexican National Team, but lived in Montreal, Canada. He matriculated to Iowa Central, a two-year community college that is part of the NJCAA. The NJCAA athletics system is designed for a stepping stone, sometimes athletically and sometimes academically, for swimmers to progress to four-year NCAA or NAIA institutions. The 2019-2020 season was Cruz’s first at Iowa Central.

At the NJCAA National Championship meet, the only collegiate national championship meet that was able to complete prior COVID-19-caused cancellations sweeping through the sport, Cruz led Iowa Central to a 3rd-place team finish. That included wins in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, and a runner-up finish in the 100 breaststroke. His results were among the most successful meets in recent memory for a non-Indian River swimmer at the NJCAA level, and included 2 Iowa Central relay wins.

Cruz’s Best Times:

The USC men are badly in need of building the base and depth of their team moving forward, and Cruz will join an incoming class for the 2020-2021 season that does that in a big way. Including the 13th-ranked recruit in the class of 2020 Ben Dillard, USC will bring in at least 7 swimmers in addition to Cruz next season.

While Cruz’s 50 freestyle time (and his 42.9 100 free relay split) are the standout results, he brings some versatility to USC’s lineup as well.

The Trojans finished 6th out of 6 teams at last year’s Pac-12 Championship meet. That includes a last-place 200 free relay, albeit a relay that is scheduled to return all 4 legs next season.

Incoming 2020-2021 Swimmers

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 19.10 Sprint Freestyler Billy Cruz Will Transfer to USC Next Season

By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam

Swimming Ke Baare Mei 40 Fun Facts

Swimming Different Tarah Ki Exercises Offer Karne Ke Saath Saath Summer Ko Pass Karne Ke Liye Ek Fun Activity Bhi Hai. Bahot Saare Log Ise Meditation Ka Form Bhi Samajhte Hai.

Swimming Ke Bahot Saare Fun Facts Hai Jo Shayad Swimmers Bhi Nahi Jaante Honge. Swimming Ki Starting Toh Bahot Saal Pahle Ancient Time Mei Ho Gai thi Aur Tab Se Ab Tak Swimming Mei Bahot Saare Innovative Aur Interesting Changes Aa Gaye.

Aise Hi Kuch Interesting Facts Share Kar Raha Hu Jisse Aap Is Sport Ko Aur Bhi Appreciate Karenge.

Swimming History:

• Waise Toh Aap Ne Swimming Karte Samay Swimming Goggles Ka Use Jarur Kiya Hoga. Par Kya Aapko Pata Hai Ki Swimming Mei Use Kiye Jaane Wale 1^st Goggles Tortoise Shells Se Bane The.
• Olympics Mei Pahli Baar 1896 Mei Swimming Introduced Ki Gait Hi.
• Benjamin Franklin Ne Swim Fins Ko Invent Kiya Tha Taaki Water Mei Aur Bhi Effectively Swim Kiya Jaa Sake.
• Abhi Toh Bahot Saare Swimming Pools Ban Chuke Hai. Par Kya Aapko Pata Hai Ki sabse Purana Swimming Pool Kab Aur Kaha Bana Tha? Sabse Oldest Swimming Pool Texas Mei 1915 Mei Bana Tha.
• Aaj Ke Time Mei Swimming Ke Bahot Saare Forms Use Kiye Jaate Hai But Kya Aapko Pata Hai Ki Breaststroke Form Swimming Ka Sabse Oldest Stroke Form Hai.
• Synchronized Swimming Popular Hui Thi 1940s & 1950s Mein By Actress Esther Williams Unke “Aqua Musicals” Mein.
• First Swimming Races Japan Mei Hui Thi 36 BC Mei.

Impressive Swimming Stats:

• Jyadatar Competitive Swimmers Ek Din Mei 6-12 Miles Swim Kar Lete Hai.
• Ek Olympic Pool 850,000 Gallons Water Store Kar Sakta Hai.
• Gertrude Ederle, 1926 Mei English Channel Swim Krne Wali First Woman Bann Gai Thi.
• Mark Spitz Ne Olympics Mei Ek Hi Din Mei Sabse Jyada Gold Medals Jeetne Ka Record Tod Diya Tha Jab Unhone Ek Hi Din Mei 7 Gold Medal Jeeta Tha 1972 Games Mei.
• Largest Swimming Pool Moscow, Russia Mei Bana Tha.
• Longest Swimming Pool Casablance, Morocco Mei Hai. Ye 480 Meters Long Hai Aur 75 Meters Wide Jo 8.9 Acres Cover Karta Hai.
• Iske Pahle Largest Swimming Pool U.S. Mei Tha (Fleishhacker Pool) Jo Ki San Francisco Mei Tha But Wo 1971 Mei Closed Ho Gaya Tha.
• Don Schollander First Swimmer The Jinhone 2 Minutes For The 200 Meter Race Ka Record Toda Tha.
• Freedivers Apni Breath Ko 10 Minutes Se Jyada Tak Hold Kar Sakte Hai.
• Malaysian Resort Mei 643 Different Swimming Pools Hai.
• Australian Ian Thorpe 1998 Mei Youngest World Champion Swimmer Bane The.

Weird Swimming Stuff:

• Jyadatar Professional Swimmers Compete Karne Ke Pahle Whole Body Ko Shave Karte Hai.
• Ek Space Shuttle Turbopump Ek Olympic Sized Pool Ko 25 Seconds Se Kam Mei Bhi Khaali Kar Sakta Hai.
• Competitive Swimming World War 1 Ke Baad Jyada Popular Hui Thi.
• Australia Aisi Country Hai Jo Swimming Ko Lekar Sabse Jyada Passionate Hai.
• First Topless Male Swimming Suits 1935 Mei America Mei Worn Kiye Gaye The.
• Japanese Samrai Ke Liye Swimming Ek Noble Skill Maani Jaati Hai.

Health & Fitness:

• One Hour Mei, Swimming 40% Jyada Calories Burn Karti Hai Biking Se.
• Swimming 30% Jyada Calories Burn Karti Hai Running Se Per Hour Mei.
• Swimming Heart Aur Lungs Ko Strengthens Karti Hai.
• More Than Half Of Competitive Swimmers Shoulder Pain Experience Karte Hai.
• Swimming Exercise-Induced Asthma Improve Karti Hai.
• Swimming Stress Aur Depression Kam Karti Hai.
• Saltwater Mei Swim Karne Se Skin Detoxify Karte Hai Aur New Cell Growth Bhi Hoti Hai.
• Swimming Jaisi Aerobic Activities Inflammation Reduce Karti Hai.

To Kaisi Lagi Ye Sabhi Swimming Fun Facts?

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Swimming Ke Baare Mei 40 Fun Facts

By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam

Agar summer fun ke synonymous koi chiz hai toh wo hai kisi thande pool ya lake mei dip lagana, kyu water ko often comforting aur energizing considered kiya jaata hai. Bahot logo ke liye, swimming sirf ek pastime or respite nahi hai scorching heat ke liye, but ek ritual hai body ko climatic woes se clean karne ka.

Halaki, Coronavirus pandemic ki wajah se na kewal amateur swimmers nahi balki elite swimmers mei bhi summer ka discontent hai. All-weather pools ko chhodkar, jo kuch hai wo dur ke beech hai, country mei swimming season begin hota hai March aur April mei aur end hota hai September-October mei.

Tamil Nadu State Aquatic Association ke liye biggest concern ye hai ki is period ke khatam hone ke baad swimmers ko phir se full fitness mei wapas laana. Complacency aur laziness swimmers ke dwara put in kiye gaye hardwork ko bhi undo kar dengi.

“Jab childrens ko itna long break milta hai toh fitness mei wapas aane ke liye time toh lagta hi hai. Unme se majority logo ne toh is summer mei ghar par kuch kiya bhi nahi hoga (in terms of fitness). Isliye shape mei wapas aana challenging part hoga. Sadayvel Kailasam ne kaha, jo ki TNSAA aur Madras District Aquatic Association (MDAA) ki president hai.

Swimmers ke liye aquatic complexes aur training facilities ko reopen karna is baat par depend karega ki Tamilnadu government kis tarh norms ko relax karegi. Sirf Chennai mei hi 10,000 positive cases hai, isliye Kailasam ko nahi lagta ki agle ek month mei situation jara si bhi change hogi.

TNSAA planning kar raha hai ek meeting hold karne ki jisme new guidelines ke bare mei discuss kiya jayega. “Hamara summer camps, training, aur sabkuch waste hoga. Humne June mei ek national level ka tournament conduct karne ka bhi plan kiya tha. But mujhe nahi lagta hai ki June ke end tal kuch bhi ho payega,” president ne explained kiya.

“Mujhe nahi pata ki wo kaise maintain karenge social distancing. Waha par spitting aur water infection honge. Hume caution ke saath start karna hoga. Hume probably entry ko limit karte huye start karna hoga, initially beginners aur kids ko na allow karte huye sirf competitive swimmers ko allow karna hoga. Ek baar hum jab new time table ke saath aayenge, toh bume pata chal jayega ki humara plans forward move kar raha hai,” unhone kaha. – NIE

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Tamil Nadu Aquatic Association ka biggest concern “Swimmers Ko Rakhna Hai Fit”

By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam

Professional Sports Ke Return Ka Eagerly Wait Kar Rahe Fans Ko Sunday Ko Brief Reprieve Mil Raha Hai, Jab Golfer Tiger Woods Aur Former NFL Quarterback Peyton Manning Ne Golfer Phil Mickelson & Current NFL Quarterback Tom Bardy Ko Florida Ke Medalist Gold Club Mei Charity Ke Liye Ek Golf Match Liya.

$10 Million Upfront Karne Ke Liye Warnermedia Aur Participants Combine Huye Hai, Aur Un Paiso Se Wo Log Un Places Ko Benefit Karenge Jaise American Red Cross and Small Businneses Ko Save Karne Mei. “The Match” Ka First Edition Ek Head-To-Head Golf Challenge Tha Jo Ki November 23,2018 Ko Khela Gaya Tha Between Woods And Mickelson At Shadow Greek Golf Course In Las Vegas, Nevada. Us Unofficial PGA Tour Event Ka Purse Tha $9 Million Aur Winner Ye Pura Amount Ghar Le Jaa Sakta Tha.

Halaki, Manning Aur Brady Hi Sirf Pro Athletes Nahi The Jinhone National Television Par Golf Ke Game Mei Try Kiya Tha.

Twenty-Three-Time Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps Khud Bhi Ek Avid Golfer Hai Aur October 2012 Mei Unhone Longest Televised Putt Banaya Tha. Ye Unhone Pro-am Of The 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship Ke Time Banaya Tha. Unhone Ek 159-Foot (53-Yard) Putt Ko Sunk Kiya Tha Jo Ki Ek Olympic Sized Pool Ki Length Se Thoda Hi Short Tha.

Dekhe Kaise Phelps’ Ke Putt Ne 53 Yards Ke Prior Televised Record Ko Tod Diya, Jo Ki Broadcaster Terry Wogan Ne Gleneagles Mei 1981 Mei Set Kiya Tha.

Is Samay, Phelps Ke Paas Abhi Bhi Yah Vishwas Tha Ki London Mei Four Gold Medal Jeetne Ke Baad Wo Retire Ho Gaye. Unke Comeback Ke Rumors Ghumna Start Ho Gaye The 6 Months Ke Baad, Aur April 2014 Mei Wo Pool Mei Racing Karne Ke Liye Wapas Aa Chuke The.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Michael Phelps Ne Toda 33 Yard Ka Record

By Jack McCormick on SwimSwam

Youngstown State University, located in Youngstown, Ohio, has announced that, in light of financial stresses put on the university due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will be reducing the athletics budgets of teams at the school, Director of Athletics Ron Strollo says.

The school says it won’t, however, cut any sports. Strollo says that intercollegiate athletics plays an important role in the school’s overall institutional mission.

“We’re obviously going to cut stuff,” Strollo said. “As far as us cutting sports, our approach toward intercollegiate athletics and our sponsorship (of sports) is part of the overall enrollment and admissions goal of our institution. In these times, not only do you not want to disrupt your current students and their families’ lives by dropping a sport, but we’re eager to maintain and build upon the current enrollment here at YSU.”

At least 3 other colleges in the state of Ohio have announced cutting sports, with Akron dropping men’s cross country, men’s golf, and women’s tennis; Bowling Green State dropping baseball; and Cincinnati dropping men’s soccer.

The school currently has 21 intercollegiate athletics programs, which is more than the minimum of 16 required to continue playing FBS football.

The school’s president, Jim Tressel, announced earlier this month that he would take a 15 percent pay cut in order to help reduce costs for the school. His salary was previously $309,575. Along with Tressel’s salary cut, other employees of the institution will take financial cuts as well. All employees who make more than $65,000 will see a reduction in their salary next year. While no set percentage was announced, each cut will range between two and ten percent for non-union members of the school’s staff. These cuts are expected to save the university roughly $675,000 next year. This decision will only affect 15 members of the athletic department’s staff.

Tressel was the former head football coach at Ohio State University, where he was paid $21.7 million over his 10-year tenure.

Youngstown State primarily competes in the Horizon League conference, with their football competing in the Missouri Valley Football Conference and women’s lacrosse, a team that will be starting in 2021, will compete in the Mid-American Conference.

The school recently finished its first year of competition with its men’s swimming and diving teams, who joined the women’s team under head coach Brad Smith. This marks the third time that the school has sponsored a men’s team, having previously had one from 1949-1951 and 1964-1984. They became the first school to add a Division I men’s swim team in two years when they began competition in 2019. Both the men’s and women’s teams finished 7th at the 2020 Horizon League Championships.

Youngstown State isn’t the only athletic department cutting costs in light of current financial situations. This week East Carolina announced it would be cutting both men’s and women’s swimming and diving, as well as both tennis teams, in order to reduce their athletics budget for next season.

Other conferences, such as the Mid-American Conference that Youngstown’s women’s lacrosse team will be joining, have found other ways to reduce athletic budgets. The conference announced they would be eliminating the conference tournaments for multiple sports, adjusted conference schedules, and changing the conference swimming championship meet from a 4-day format to a 3-day format.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Youngstown State Makes Athletic Department Budget Cuts, Won’t Cut Teams

By Jack McCormick on SwimSwam

On Friday, while speaking at a roundtable hosted by News Corp., one of Australia’s largest media groups, John Coates discussed the feasibility of going forward with the Olympic Games, currently scheduled to take place in July of 2021. Coates is the International Olympic Committee (IOC) inspectorate for the games, as well as serving as Australia’s Olympic chief.

According to Coates, the games face a serious problem in finding ways to manage public health as thousands of people from around the world converge on the city in Japan. “Yesterday there were 10,000 new cases in Brazil. Very few countries are as advanced in coping with this as us (Australia),” Coates said. The nation has currently seen only 7,114 cases of COVID-19, with only 102 confirmed deaths.

Global epidemiologists have warned that a second wave of the virus could hit sometime this fall in the northern hemisphere, around the time when Coates says is crucial for the IOC’s decision-making. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the United States’ lead coronavirus doctor, said recently that he is “almost certain it will come back.”

Coates said that, even if a vaccine for the virus is created in time, there is a chance that the games can still not occur as planned. He said that a further postponement of the games is impossible, and that the IOC must plan as if no vaccine, or a very limited amount of a vaccine, will be available next summer. IOC president Thomas Bach recently confirmed that pushing the games back further would not be possible however, he did not say whether or not a vaccine would be necessary for the games to occur.

Speaking on when a decision would have to be made by, Coates said that October will be a key time in the assessment of if Japan can safely host the games next year. Multiple experts on contagious diseases have predicted that the fall will likely bring with it a re-emergence of the virus, assuming it is gotten under control prior to that. Researchers at the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy predict that, among other possible scenarios, there is a strong chance the disease may surge again during the fall and winter, creating further confusion with the similarity between symptoms of the flu and COVID-19.

While the possibility of an Olympic Games without spectators is possible, the likelihood is very slim. Bach has previously stated that a key piece of the Olympic spirit is based in the uniting of fans from around the world.

Currently there have been 5.4 million confirmed cased of COVID-19, with 344,000 deaths.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: IOC Member Says October Key in Deciding Future of Olympic Games in 2021

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

At one point during the 2019-2020 swimming season, Billy Cruz was tied as the fastest collegiate 50 freestyler in the country. And now, he’ll take that sprint speed to the famous sprint pool of the Uytengsu Swim Center at the University of Southern California.

Cruz announced late Sunday evening that he would be transferring from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa to USC, where he’s planning to arrive in January 2021. This makes Cruz the first public commitment to USC since announcing the hiring of new head coach Jeremy Kipp last week.

View this post on Instagram

IT'S OFFICIAL!!! I am very excited to announce that I will be attending The University of Southern California next January 2021, where I will continue my academic and swimming career in the NCAA Div 1. I would like to thank everyone for their support! A special thanks to my family,friends and coaches! I am beyond excited to start a new chapter of my life and being a Trojan. FIGHT ON!!! #usctrojans #uscswimming #usc

A post shared by Billy Cruz (@billycruz20) on May 24, 2020 at 7:25pm PDT

Prior to college, Cruz represented the Mexican National Team, but lived in Montreal, Canada. He matriculated to Iowa Central, a two-year community college that is part of the NJCAA. The NJCAA athletics system is designed for a stepping stone, sometimes athletically and sometimes academically, for swimmers to progress to four-year NCAA or NAIA institutions. The 2019-2020 season was Cruz’s first at Iowa Central.

At the NJCAA National Championship meet, the only collegiate national championship meet that was able to complete prior COVID-19-caused cancellations sweeping through the sport, Cruz led Iowa Central to a 3rd-place team finish. That included wins in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, and a runner-up finish in the 100 breaststroke. His results were among the most successful meets in recent memory for a non-Indian River swimmer at the NJCAA level, and included 2 Iowa Central relay wins.

Cruz’s Best Times:

The USC men are badly in need of building the base and depth of their team moving forward, and Cruz will join an incoming class for the 2020-2021 season that does that in a big way. Including the 13th-ranked recruit in the class of 2020 Ben Dillard, USC will bring in at least 7 swimmers in addition to Cruz next season.

While Cruz’s 50 freestyle time (and his 42.9 100 free relay split) are the standout results, he brings some versatility to USC’s lineup as well.

The Trojans finished 6th out of 6 teams at last year’s Pac-12 Championship meet. That includes a last-place 200 free relay, albeit a relay that is scheduled to return all 4 legs next season.

Incoming 2020-2021 Swimmers

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 19.10 Sprint Freestyler Billy Cruz Will Transfer to USC Next Season

By SwimSwam Contributors on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Donna Hale

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Swim Mom Musings: The Assault On College Swimming

By Tomas Rodriguez on SwimSwam

As the number of new confirmed cases and deaths continues to decrease, Madrid and Barcelona have been allowed to move onto Phase 1 while other provinces are moving onto Phase 2 in the de-escalation process. In the scope of sports, the Spanish Sports Council (CSD) has outlined what that evolution will look like for each set of provinces.

During Phase 1, training centers allowed to resume include high-performance centers, specialized high-performance centers and technical training centers.

Last Monday, an exception was made for the high-performance centers located in Madrid and Barcelona, considered the two major hotspots for high-performance training.

The High-Performance Centers located in Madrid began welcoming athletes back on campus for training purposes while the residence halls and dining halls remain closed. Athletes must train in reduced groups for a maximum of two hours per day.

Under Phase 1, these sports epicenters will be allowed to receive athletes arriving from other provinces, although they will have to be given notarized permission from the respective training center. Training sessions must be carried out individually, maintaining the 2-meter (6-foot) social distance.

Facilities will only be allowed to house 30 % of their total capacity in order to ensure that social distancing guidelines are met.

While high-level athletes can still train anytime during the day, federated athletes are now allowed to train twice a day so long as they remain within the province – until now they were only allowed to train within a one-kilometer radius from their homes (roughly 0.6 miles).

Phase 1 will allow for high-performance centers to reopen their residence halls, so long they meet the sanitary guidelines established by the Spanish Health Ministry.

During the past 24 hours, according to Spanish outlet El Mundo, the nation’s Health Ministry accounted for 50 new deaths, bringing the toll to 26,834.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Spain: Madrid, Barcelona Move Onto Phase 1; Others Move Onto Phase 2

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

A handful of states could potentially see pools reopening this month, though most will depend on local authorities.

As we continue to try to keep tabs on which states have officially reopened pools and aquatic facilities, here’s an update on six states we haven’t yet reported on. Some of these states never issued stay at home orders, and others are beginning to lift restrictions in certain areas.

You can track our reporting on all states through our state-by-state pool reopening index here.

Pennsylvania

A swimming hotbed, Pennsylvania will allow pools to reopen as their counties move into “yellow” and “green” phases. Pennsylvania’s plan allows outdoor pools to reopen when a county moves to the yellow phase, and indoor pools can reopen at 50% capacity when a county moves to green.

On May 29, 17 of Pennsylvania’s counties will move to green status, and another eight will move to yellow. Governor Tom Wolf says that all remaining counties in the “red” phase are expected to move to yellow by June 5. Counties must remain in yellow for at least 14 days before transitioning to green.

Idaho

Idaho has begun moving into Stage 2 of its reopening plan. Indoor pools can reopen in Stage 2, with limits on the number of patrons in pools. Kiddie pools and slides will also remain closed.

Stage 3 has a target window of May 30-June 12, though the state still needs to meet certain criteria to move on to the next stage. In stage 3, outdoor pools and splash parks can open, though the number of occupants will still be limited. Swimming lessons that require direct contact between the instructor and swimmer will also be off-limits during that stage.

Tennessee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee increased the state’s limit on social gatherings to 50 in mid-May. The state’s “Tennessee Pledge” allows pools to reopen, provided group sizes and lane sharing are limited. At least a few of the state’s counties have begun opening public pools (here and here), though not all counties or cities have begun to reopen.

Vermont

Vermont began allowing outdoor pools to reopen as of May 19, provided they can comply with guidelines limiting gatherings to 10 people or less (in most cases) and prohibiting groups from gathering before and after activities. The state’s stay-at-home order ended on May 15, though it’s not clear yet when indoor pools will begin reopening.

North Dakota

North Dakota never issued a stay-at-home order. Recreational pools and water playgrounds are allowed to remain open, though they have to abide by a set of social distancing and hygiene guidelines.

South Dakota

South Dakota is much the same, without ever issuing a stay-at-home order. The Sioux City Journal does report that Sioux City pools remain closed, though there does not appear to be a state-wide order mandating closures of pools or aquatic facilities.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: COVID-19 Update: Pennsylvania & Others Could See Pool Openings This Month

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

After weeks with the sport more-or-less shutdown across the globe by the coronavirus pandemic, there’s been a flurry of countries and states starting to reopen pools and workout facilities. To help SwimSwam readers keep up, we’re presenting our index of U.S. states that have begun reopening pools in some form or another.

This is a fast-breaking, constantly changing piece of the swimming landscape at the moment. We’ll try to update this index whenever we learn new information, but we may not always be 100% up-to-date on the happenings in every state. If you know something we don’t, please let us know in the comment section so we can work on confirming and reporting it, plus updating the index.

As pools reopen, every state and/or local governing body will have various rules and guidelines in place to keep swimmers protected from the coronavirus and the associated COVID-19 illness. For the sake of brevity, we’ll try to roughly summarize the restrictions for each state in the index below. In every case, though, there will be much more nuance than we can fit in a brief sentence or two. For more full information, click on the name of the state to follow a link to our full report on that state’s reopening.

States With Pools Re-opening Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

A handful of states could see pools reopening next month, based on established phases for COVID-19 reopenings.

We’re tracking pool reopenings across the United States and the world. You can see our full state-by-state index of coronavirus reopening plans here.

The following states have tentative plans to reopen pools in the month of June, though much still depends on how fast these states move through their multi-phase coronavirus reopenings:

Hawaii

Hawaii’s governor has the state in Phase 2 of its four-phase reopening plan. That plan lists June as an estimated reopening date for indoor exercise facilities. Local mayors will have a lot of authority in making reopening decisions for their areas, with the governor’s approval.

Maine

Maine plans to move to Stage 2 of its reopening plan on June 1. That stage will include gyms, though they may not open immediately on June 1. The state’s website currently says fitness and exercise gyms will have an opening date “to be determined in June.”

As of May 20, the state’s checklist for community sports has some specifics for pools, when they do open: recommending “single swimming lanes” without “free/open swim times” for indoor pools.

Missouri

Missouri’s statewide stay-at-home order is set to expire on May 31 – and even the current plan allows “gyms and hotel swimming pools” to open under certain social distancing standards. At least one county, St. Louis County, says it plans to reopen summer camps in early June, and that county also hopes to open both public and private pools by early June.

Nevada

We should have more concrete answers on Nevada in the very near future. Governor Steve Sisolak said he would hold a news conference tomorrow (Tuesday, May 26) to announce whether Nevada hotels and casinos can reopen. The decision will largely hinge on whether there is a spike in COVID-19 cases over Memorial Day weekend, according to the LA Times.

If casinos open, they’ll also open their connected hotels and hotel swimming pools, potentially paving the way for gyms and other pools to reopen. The state is currently in Phase 1 of its reopening plan, though’s it’s not clear on the state website whether gyms and pools will be included with Phase 2 or a later phase.

Oklahoma

KOCO5 reports that Oklahoma will open pools with Phase 3 of its reopening plan. The state is currently in Phase 2, but could move to Phase 3 as early as June 1. You can read more of the state’s phase plan here.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: COVID-19 Update: HI, ME, MO, NV, OK Could Reopen Pools In June

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

Fitter and Faster Swim Camps 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.

Arkansas head coach Neil Harper has added another top-level British sprinter to the Razorbacks’ class of 2024. After signing Emily Barclay last week, he has brought in 17-year-old Macy Lawrence from Tavistock, England. “Macy Lawrence is one of Britain’s up-and-coming young sprinters. With the British Olympic Trials being postponed until next April she really has that extra year to make it count!” said Harper.

Arkansas has had tremendous success bringing in, and developing, British sprinters over the last several years under Harper, who hails originally from England. Anna Hopkin, for example, went from a decent sprinter and the top swimmer in Britain’s less-organized BUCS championship system to one of the best yards sprinters in history and an Olympic medal contender under Harper.

Like Hopkin and Barclay, Lawrence specializes in sprint freestyle. She placed 3rd in the women’s open 50m free at the 2019 Swim England National Winter Championships (25m) last December, touching in 24.88 to just touch out Barclay (24.93). She placed 7th in the 100 free with 55.45 (Barclay was 9th with 55.67). She also came in 3rd in the 18-and-under 100 IM (1:04.07). Lawrence was the top-ranked 16-year-old 100 freestyler (57.23) and the number 2 50 freestyler (26.43) at last summer’s British Summer Championships.

Unlike Hopkin and Barclay, who both attended university prior to arriving in Fayetteville and came in with two years of eligibility left, Lawrence is just wrapping up 11th grade and will have four full years of eligibility with the Razorbacks after graduating early from high school.

Lawrence has represented England and Great Britain on the junior level at various international meets. Her best SCM times of 24.88/55.42 in the 50/100 free translate to 22.31 and 49.83. Lawrence’s addition gives the Razorbacks four sub-22.7/49.9 sprinters for 2020-21.

Barclay joins a big class for Arkansas that is scheduled to arrive in the fall of 2019. Others in the class include Isabella Cothern, the fastest recruit out of Arkansas who split 48.9 relay at the Arkansas high school state championship meet this year; Hannah Cech, a 2:04 IMer from Ohio; Bradi Jones, a 1:03/2:18 breaststroker from Alabama; and an elite diver Jordyn Feiwell the best diver out of Indiana this year. Other future Razorbacks arriving in the Fall are Serena Gould, Anna Ervin and Abby Pfeifer from Texas, Lizzy Linartas from Florida and Grayson Payne from Tennessee.

Lawrence trains with Mount Kelly Swimming. Her top times are:

• 50 LCM free – 26.16
• 100 LCM free – 56.82
• 50 SCM free – 24.88
• 100 SCM free – 55.42

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: Razorbacks’ UK-to-UA Pipeline Thrives with Addition of Macy Lawrence for 2020

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

On SwimSwam Podcast, we’re giving you an in-depth listen at all things swimming. Host Coleman Hodges welcomes guests and guest co-hosts alike to get perspective on our ever-changing swimming universe and break down the past, present, and future of aquatic sports.

We sat down with world-record holder Aaron Peirsol, who is currently quarantining in Virginia. We spoke with Aaron about the past, present, and future of swimming, in terms of the sport itself as well as swimming as a business. Peirsol shared his experience of being a professional during the “super suit” era, and his thoughts on what they brought to the sport both in and out of the pool.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: SwimSwam Podcast: Aaron Peirsol Breaks Down The Super Suit Era

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

At one point during the 2019-2020 swimming season, Billy Cruz was tied as the fastest collegiate 50 freestyler in the country. And now, he’ll take that sprint speed to the famous sprint pool of the Uytengsu Swim Center at the University of Southern California.

Cruz announced late Sunday evening that he would be transferring from Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa to USC, where he’s planning to arrive in January 2021. This makes Cruz the first public commitment to USC since announcing the hiring of new head coach Jeremy Kipp last week.

View this post on Instagram

IT'S OFFICIAL!!! I am very excited to announce that I will be attending The University of Southern California next January 2021, where I will continue my academic and swimming career in the NCAA Div 1. I would like to thank everyone for their support! A special thanks to my family,friends and coaches! I am beyond excited to start a new chapter of my life and being a Trojan. FIGHT ON!!! #usctrojans #uscswimming #usc

A post shared by Billy Cruz (@billycruz20) on May 24, 2020 at 7:25pm PDT

Prior to college, Cruz represented the Mexican National Team, but lived in Montreal, Canada. He matriculated to Iowa Central, a two-year community college that is part of the NJCAA. The NJCAA athletics system is designed for a stepping stone, sometimes athletically and sometimes academically, for swimmers to progress to four-year NCAA or NAIA institutions. The 2019-2020 season was Cruz’s first at Iowa Central.

At the NJCAA National Championship meet, one of only two collegiate national championship meets that were able to complete prior COVID-19-caused cancellations sweeping through the sport, Cruz led Iowa Central to a 3rd-place team finish. That included wins in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, and a runner-up finish in the 100 breaststroke. His results were among the most successful meets in recent memory for a non-Indian River swimmer at the NJCAA level, and included 2 Iowa Central relay wins.

Cruz’s Best Times:

The USC men are badly in need of building the base and depth of their team moving forward, and Cruz will join an incoming class for the 2020-2021 season that does that in a big way. Including the 13th-ranked recruit in the class of 2020 Ben Dillard, USC will bring in at least 7 swimmers in addition to Cruz next season.

While Cruz’s 50 freestyle time (and his 42.9 100 free relay split) are the standout results, he brings some versatility to USC’s lineup as well.

The Trojans finished 6th out of 6 teams at last year’s Pac-12 Championship meet. That includes a last-place 200 free relay, albeit a relay that is scheduled to return all 4 legs next season.

Incoming 2020-2021 Swimmers

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 19.10 Sprint Freestyler Billy Cruz Will Transfer to USC Next Season

By SwimSwam Contributors on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Donna Hale

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Swim Mom Musings: The Assault On College Swimming

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

As some states have begun allowing pools to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic (and others never mandated a closure in the first place), we’re also tracking the states that don’t yet have a set date in the near future for the reopening of pools.

You can follow all state guidelines in our state-by-state pool reopening index here.

Some of the following states have pools listed in a specific phase of their reopening, but don’t yet have a tentative date for that phase. Others haven’t yet committed to reopening pools in a specific phase. Here’s the best info we could find on each of the remaining states we haven’t yet reported on:

Maryland

Maryland has classified outdoor gym and fitness classes in its “Low Risk” category, and indoor gyms and fitness classes in “Medium Risk.” The state moved into Stage 1 of its reopening on May 15, but does not have a set timeline for Stage 2, nor does it have any specific confirmation that gyms or pools will be included in Stage 2.

Michigan

Michigan remains under a stay-at-home order through June 12. That means gyms will be closed until at least that date.

Minnesota

Minnesota is currently in Phase 1 of its reopening. Phase 2 is set to begin on June 1, but gyms and pools will not reopen in Phase 2. The state currently includes pools in Phase 3 of its plan, which does not yet have a target date.

New Jersey

New Jersey is still under a stay-at-home order issued March 21 that has no specific end date. Most recently, Governor Phil Murphyincreased the limit on outdoor gatherings from 10 people to 25. Some outdoor recreational activities have reopened, but there’s been no announcement of when pools will be given the green light. An NJ.com story May 15 suggested that Murphy would have more information on pools in the near future.

New Mexico

KRQE reported that New Mexico would include swimming pools with other recreational facilities in its reopening plan. There’s no official date set yet, but that story said that City of Albuquerque Health Department inspectors would start to make rounds next week, making sure local pools are prepared to open when the governor allows it.

New York

New York won’t open its “recreation” industry until after Phase 4 of its recovery plan. As of today, only some of New York’s regions had even entered Phase 1 of the plan, and many still remain in the NYS on PAUSE stage.

Oregon

Oregon included gyms with its Phase 1 of reopening, but its plan specifically required gyms to keep pools “closed to recreational swim activities, swimming lessons, and all other aquatic activities.” Counties can potentially move to Phase 2 after spending at least 21 days in Phase 1. The first counties started Phase 1 on May 15, meaning none will move to Phase 2 until at least early June.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island has currently closed all recreational facilities. The state is working on “emergency regulations” for operating public swimming pools, like those in apartment complexes. But according to the state website, those regulations have not yet been published.

Washington

Washington State will allow outdoor pools and gyms to reopen at 50% capacity in Phase 3 of its plan, though it’s not clear if indoor pools will be opened in the same phase. At this point, the issue won’t be pressing for almost a month, as the state is targeting June 22 as its official date to move into Phase 3. Washington will move to Phase 2 on June 1.

Washington, D.C.

The nation’s capital lists pools in Stage 3 of its reopening plan. The district could begin Stage 1 of reopening on May 29, so the opening of pools is still a ways off.

California, Colorado & Illinois

Per our previous reporting, California hasn’t officially allowed pools to reopen. The state remains in Stage 2 of its four-stage reopening. However, some clubs, including the Mission Viejo Nadadores, have returned to training, albeit apparently outside the bounds of the statewide restrictions.

Colorado has released guidelines for some outdoor recreational activities, but not for pools. The local LSC submitted a letter to Governor Jared Polis, asking for expedited reopenings of pools.

The same is true of Illinois, which is on track to move into the next phase of reopening this Friday, but still won’t allow indoor pools to reopen.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: May 25 Update: States With No Set Date For Pool Reopenings

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

Swimming South Africa (SSA) has revealed its revised 2020-21 competition plan in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

South Africa Competition Structure 2020-21_revised

SSA says that the coronavirus situation has had a ‘serious impact on preparation for major continental and international swimming competitions’, with swimming clubs everywhere experiencing significant impact on their business operations.

At the time of publishing, the nation of South Africa has had 23,615 coronavirus cases reported, resulting in 481 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Center.

On May 25th, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that some national restrictions will be rolled back on June 1st, but specifics have not been unveiled.

Under an assumption that training can commence in at least July of this year, SSA has structured its competition program for the upcoming season into three distinct time frame windows of approximately 11-13 weeks.

Falling into window #1, which is defined by the months of September and November, are the following competitions:

• South African Short Course Nationals – September 24th-27th
• South African Junior Short Course Nationals – September 28th-October 1st
• Africa Championships – October/November, TBD

Window #2, which includes the month of December, is expected to include the following:

• South African Grand Prix Durban, December 7th-9th

The final window spans January – April 2021 and includes key Olympic qualifying competitions, including:

• South African Grand Prix Nelspruit, January 8th-10th
• South African Grand Prix Western Cape, OLY Qualifier, February 19th-21st
• South African Grand Prix Durban, OLY Qualifier, March 12th-14th
• South African Nationals, OLY Qualifier, April 7th-12th
• South African Junior Nationals, April 13th-17th
• CANA Zone IV Championships, End of April
• South Africa Grand Prix, TBD, OLY Qualifier, May 27th-29th

In the outline of its plan, SSA identifies the need to increase racing opportunities for swimmers that have missed out by the postponement/cancellation of events, including the 2019 South African National Championships.

Additionally, whereas the South African Nationals represented the sole qualifying opportunity in the past, SSA has now opened up several Grand Prix events later in the season that serve as qualifying competitions.

Below are the South Africans who have hit an Olympic-qualifying time (FINA A cut) since March 1, 2019:

• Brad Tandy, 50 free
• Chris Reid, 200 back
• Michael Houlie, 100 breast
• Chad Le Clos, 100 fly, 200 fly
• Ryan Coetzee, 100 fly
• Erin Gallagher, 100 free, 100 fly
• Tatjana Schoenmaker, 100 breast, 200 breast
• Kaylene Corbett, 200 breast

Read the full story on SwimSwam: South Africa Releases 2020-21 Schedule With More OLY Qualifying Meets

By Nick Pecoraro on SwimSwam

Long-time Michigan swimming coach Don Kimble died in hospice care on Monday morning at 60 years old. Kimble was first diagnosed with a metastatic melanoma in 2019, which led to removing the spot on his chest plus four lymph nodes in August that year. However in March 2020, doctors found a malignant tumor in his brain. On May 1st, Kimble returned home from hospital care, only to be surprised by his community and current/past swimmers with uplifting signs. On May 25th, Kimble died peacefully, surrounded by his family and loved ones.

Kimble has been a member of the West Michigan swimming community since 1980, racking up 6 total Michigan high school state championship titles, 5 state runner-up finishes, and 20 conference titles, and 31 individual state champions over his 34-year coaching career. Kimble’s first team was with the Holland Christian High School boys from 1980-1989, where led the squad to 3 conference titles and 2 state titles. From 1983-1987, Kimble also coached the Maroon girls to 4 conference titles. After taking a 9-year coaching hiatus, Kimble went on to lead the Holland High School boys and girls to matching state championships in 2002.

He was also renowned for his whistle, which still echo throughout the state’s pools.

• A Tribute to Don Kimble

Along with his high school impact, Kimble was also a club coach for many years with Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics, assisting in many swimmers’ successes at junior nationals, D1/D2 college programs, and qualifying for Olympic Trials. In 2012, Kimble was awarded with the Michigan Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association Matt Mann Award, the highest MISCA honor. In 2014, Kimble was then named to the Michigan High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, yet his coaching career was not done there.

Later in 2013, Kimble took over the struggling Byron Center High School swim program. Two years later, Kimble led the girls team to their first conference title along with breaking 10 of 11 school records. Kimble also coached Byron Center’s club program, where he built club membership from 25 participants to 150 participants. In July 2019, Kimble was named assistant coach to the Davenport University women’s swim program, which debuted in fall 2018. While his time was short at Davenport, he assisted the team to a 4th-place finish at the 2020 GLIAC Championships, one place better than 2019.

• Read more about Kimble’s legacy in Kalina Emaus’ tribute here.

We are devastated to share that Don Kimble, former swimming coach at HHS, passed away this morning. Don impacted the lives of countless student athletes in our programs. Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time. He will be missed by all who knew him. pic.twitter.com/zY4AvNMjeT

— Dutch Athletics (@HHSDutchSports) May 25, 2020

Read the full story on SwimSwam: MHSAA Hall of Fame Coach Don Kimble Dies After Battle With Cancer at 60

By Giusy Cisale on SwimSwam

Le Olimpiadi sono ancorate allo sviluppo del coronavirus.

Venerdì, nel corso di una tavola rotonda organizzata da News Corp., uno dei maggiori gruppi mediatici australiani, John Coates ha discusso la fattibilità dei Giochi Olimpici, attualmente previsti per il luglio 2021. Coates è membro del Comitato Olimpico Internazionale (CIO) e presidente del comitato olimpico australiano.

Secondo Coates, i Giochi devono affrontare un serio problema nel trovare il modo di gestire la salute pubblica. Migliaia di persone provenienti da tutto il mondo convergeranno in Giappone.

“Ieri ci sono stati 10.000 nuovi casi in Brasile. Pochissimi paesi sono così avanzati nell’affrontare questo problema come noi (Australia)”.

L’Australia ha attualmente solo 7.114 casi diCOVID-19, con solo 102 decessi confermati.

La prima ondata del virus non si è ancora affievolita in molti paesi e preoccupa la previsione da parte degli epidemiologi della seconda ondata che potrebbe colpire l’emisfero nord. Il dottor Anthony Fauci, il principale medico statunitense che si occupa di coronavirus, ha affermato infatti che è “quasi certo che tornerà”.

Secondo Coates anche se verrà creato un vaccino, c’è la possibilità che i giochi non si svolgano come previsto. Il CIO dovrà comportarsi nella preparazione dei Giochi come se il vaccino non sarà disponibile per la prossima estate.

Un ulteriore rinvio delle Olimpiadiè stato di recente escluso anche dal Presidente del CIO Thomas Bach. Secondo Coates, Ottobre sarà cruciale per valutare se il Giappone potrà tranquillamente ospitare i giochi l’anno prossimo.

Gli esperti sono concordi nell’affermare che il prossimo autunno il virus potrà ripresentarsi creando ulteriore confusione data la somiglianza dei sintomi con l’influenza.

Il più grande evento sportivo rimane dunque sospeso ancora nell’incertezza.

L’ipotesi di una Olimpiade senza spettatori è stata già scartata: il pubblico infatti è parte fondamentale dello spirito olimpico.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Olimpiadi Nel 2021: Ottobre Sarà Il Mese Cruciale Per Decidere