By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
Katie Ledecky and Leon Marchand were awarded Female and Male Swimmer of the Meet honors, respectively, upon the conclusion of the pool swimming portion of the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest.
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
As diving, water polo, and open water competitions continue in Budapest, we are in the thick of the prophisized chaotic summer of 2022 in competitive pool swimming.
While the cancellation of the ISL season and the postponement of the Asian Games took some of the load off that calculation, there is still a lot more swimming to look forward to this year.
There are only 30 days until the Commonwealth Games open in Birmingham, with the swimming beginning a day later (July 29-August 3). There, top swimmers from the UK, Australia, South Africa, and Canada will battle a handful of spoilers from smaller nations in a funny multi-regional competition that means so much to those inside of it, and is so perplexing to those outside of it.
Names like Emma McKeon, Ariarne Titmus, Adam Peaty, and Duncan Scott, are showing up for the Commonwealth Games and not the World Championships. Several more Australians have proclaimed their focus on Birmingham even if they raced in Budapest. We ran the math – is it going to be bigger than Budapest? No. But it’s probably going to be the best Commonwealth Games competition we’ve seen in a long time.
It is also just 44 days until the start of the European Aquatics Championships in Rome, and specifically the swimming competition, that runs August 11-17.
Nobody has really come out and said blatantly that they’re focusing on the European Championships, though surely the Italians, after a breakthrough World Championship meet, will want a strong showing in front of a home crowd.
It is only 63 days until the World Junior Swimming Championships begin in their new home in Lima, Peru. The United States won’t be there, but many other nations will. This event has really grown into a key canary for future swimming greatness, with swimmers like Thomas Ceccon, Andrei Minakov, Carson Foster, Benedetta Pilato, Torri Huske, and Lani Pallister leaping from 2019 junior podiums to 2021 and 2022 senior podiums.
It is only 168 days until the 2022 World Short Course Championships, which have moved to Melbourne, Australia. That meet will be held from December 13-18. Given the home turf for the Australians, the world’s second-best swimming nation, and the fact that it will be summer in Melbourne but winter for most of the world’s top swimming nations, we’re expecting a much better meet than the COVID-marred 2021 edition.
And then the next big one, it is now only 381 days until the next World Aquatics Championships take place in Fukuoka, Japan. Originally scheduled for 2021, then pushed to 2022 by the Olympic move, then pushed to 2023 because of the lingering COVID-19 situation in Japan, the meet will now be the centerpiece of the 2023 calendar rather than a part of a crowded 2022 schedule.
We don’t even yet know all of the storylines that 2023 meet will hold, even just a year away. We know there will be a flood of young talent like David Popovici and Summer McIntosh building off successful 2022 World Championships, but we also know that a whole host of things we haven’t even thought of yet will wind up shaping that meet.
It is only 757 days until we get to see another Olympic Games, the shortest (recognized) intra-Olympic period in modern Summer Games history (with respect to the Intercalated Games, may they rest in peace). What appears to be a golden generation of swimmers globally on a crash-course with the Arena la Defense, including a handful of French swimmers like Leon Marchand and Maxime Grousset and Emma Terebo who could bring the roof down in Nanterre.
Sometime between days 381 and 757, we’ll allegedly get another World Aquatics Championships to boot – the Qatar event that was originally supposed to be in 2023.
All spring long, I sort of dreaded that chaos, not knowing how we were going to organize and arrange it all for a sport that is all about orderly arrangements. But now that we’re in the midst of it, I love it. It’s different, it’s accidentally novel, it creates drama and existential debate and an excess of celebration and all of those things that make sports great.
No athlete has to stew too long in their successes or simmer too long in their failures. The next opportunity for a statement, the next goal, the next podium is not beyond the horizon.
And that’s not to mention all of the other things that will go on in between, with NCAA swimming, World Cups, Pro Swim Series, national championships, Pan American Games, and junior meets of all scales and sizes.
The cat is officially among the pigeons. Hold on tight and enjoy the ride.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: The Cat Is Among the Pigeons: Let the Chaos of the Calendar Begin
By Madeleine 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.
Mid-distance freestyler Carson Smith has announced his decision to continue his academic and athletic careers at the United State Naval Academy beginning in the 2022-23 season. He was a Jerome High School swim team captain his senior year. He was also on the Track & Field and Cross Country teams all four years. He was Jerome’s Valedictorian, was a member of the National Honor Society, and was a CAP mentor.
Smith is a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and a 3-time NISCA All-American. He swims club with the Dublin Community Sea Dragons.
The Brigade of Midshipmen is a dedicated brotherhood that I am honored to join. The unparalleled experiences and opportunities within The Naval Academy make me proud to join this culture of excellence. Go Navy! Beat Army!
In February, Smith competed at the 2022 Ohio State Division I Championship. He swam the 200 and 500 free, making it back in the A-final of both races. He was 5th in the 200 and 3rd in the 500. He improved his best time and school record in the 500 free, setting a new benchmark of 5:31.48.
He and his teammates were state runners-up in both the 200 and 400 free relays.
He has held the Jerome school records in the 200 and 500 free since his freshman year. He also has his name on the record board for the 200 free and 400 free relays. He is a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and a 3-time NISCA All-American.
Smith has had an equally successful high school career as a runner. He was a 2-time Cross Country team captain and was a member of the State qualifying team. His track team awarded him with the Newcomer Award his freshman year and he was recognized as the MVP for distance running his junior year.
The US Naval Academy will welcome Smith to Annapolis in the fall of 2022. Once there, he plans to study Aerospace Engineering with the intention of graduating as a naval aviator.
Navy took home the 2022 Patriot League Championship title. Smith’s personal best times would have placed him in the A-final of the 200 free and the B-final of the 100 and 500 free. He would have been the team’s third-fastest 200 freestyler last season, likely putting him on the A relay.
Zach Stump, Gio Aguirre, Mitch Dubey, Jack Lambert, George Brooker, and Charlie Krone have already sent in their verbals for the US Naval Academy’s class of 2026.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Navy Secures Commitment from Ohio HS Division I State Finalist Carson Smith
By Nicole Miller on SwimSwam
Karina Manrique and Chloe Convis have announced their commitments to swim at NAIA school St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida for the fall of 2022.
Manrique is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida and is a senior at Cypress Bay High School. She competes for Midtown Weston Aquatics, where she specializes in the sprint freestyle and breaststroke events.
“I’m so blessed and excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic career at St. Thomas University! So grateful for my coaches at MWA who have helped me get to where I am today. Also wanted to thank my family and friends for all the love and support. Thank you to Coach Ceasar for this amazing opportunity and I can’t wait to see what these next four years has to offer! GO BOBCATS
By Riley Overend on SwimSwam
Women’s 10-Meter Platform Final
The battle for gold in the women’s 10-meter platform diving final between Chinese teens Yuxi Chen and Hongchan Quan came down to the wire at Monday’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Chen (417.25 points) edged Quan (416.95 points), the defending Olympic champ, by just .30 points to secure her second world title in a row and avenge a runner-up finish to her teammate last summer in Tokyo.
The 15-year-old Quan was the top scorer among the 12 finalists in four of the five dives — including three perfect scores compared to Chen’s one — but a faulty back 3½ somersault tuck just barely cost her the crown in her Worlds debut. Quan scored just 61.05 points on that fateful dive, entering the water diagonally after a vertical takeoff hindered her momentum in the air.
China has now claimed a medal in the event at the past 16 Worlds dating back to 1982. It’s the 12th time during that streak that they’ve placed two women on the podium.
Following the 1-2 finish, the Chinese duo both hailed the environment inside Duna Arena.
“It is an honor to see this many Chinese fans in the arena,” Chen said. “It was a glorious feeling.”
“The fans gave me so much power, I felt the energy coming from the stands,” added Quan, who won Olympic gold at age 14 last year. “I am very happy and proud to be on the podium with my teammate, but next time I’ll try to get gold.”
Earning bronze was 29-year-old Malaysian Pandelela Pamg, who returned to the podium after placing 5th in 2019. The four-time Olympian qualified seventh in the semifinals, then improved on that score by more than 35 points in the finals to snag the last medal. It marks Pamg’s first podium finish in the event since 2015 and her sixth medal overall at Worlds.
“I guess we can say it was my redemption,” Pamg said. “I see every success and every failure as a motivation. This medal shows me that I can still compete individually.”
Diving action continues Tuesday with the men’s 10-meter synchro prelims, followed by the men’s 3-meter finals and the men’s 10-meter synchro finals. In the men’s 3-meter semifinals on Monday, China again boasted the top two qualifiers in Zongyuan Wang (547.95 points) and Yuan Cao (482.50 points). Each is eyeing a second gold medal in Budapest after the pair won the first diving gold of the week on Sunday in the men’s 3-meter synchro finals. Great Britain’s Jack Laugher qualified third (469.65 points) after earning the second spot in prelims.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Chinese Teens Separated by .3 Points in Thrilling Women’s 10-Meter Platform Final
By Riley Overend on SwimSwam
Two-time Olympian Marcelo Acosta, one of the greatest swimmers in El Salvador’s history, announced his retirement from swimming earlier this month in an Instagram post.
The 25-year-old distance freestyle specialist is the only El Salvadoran swimmer to qualify for the Olympics with an “A” cut. Acosta’s seven individual national records at the long course level are the most by anyone from his country.
“Enjoy and cherish every moment of the journey… just like I did!” he wrote. “Be grateful for the opportunities you have been given, the people around you, the good and bad races, the cold pool at 6 a.m. and the forever lasting friends you have made along the way.
“Thank you swimming! It has been one hell of a ride! Onto bigger and better things.”
Acosta’s Instagram bio now lists him as a coach at Cardinal Aquatics, a Bronze Medal Club based out of Louisville, Kentucky. He competed collegiately for the University of Louisville, where he graduated from in 2020. There, he broke school records en route to an ACC title in the 1650-yard free as a sophomore before earning All-American honors as an upperclassman in 2018 and 2019.
Acosta told ElGrafico.com that he reached his decision to retire after talking through it with his trainers, Gianluca Alberani from Azura Florida Aquatics, and Arthur Albiero and Kameron Chastain from the University of Louisville.
“We came to the conclusion of just why go on, every time a year went by I was in automatic mode thinking about the next and the next,” Acosta said. “Now I have bigger duties, I am an American resident, I will have to pay taxes. To be completely honest, it is not an attack on the Salvadoran Swimming Federation (FESNAT), nor on the National Institute of Sports of El Salvador (INDES) nor on the Olympic Committee of El Salvador (COES), but simply the support is not the enough for me to continue competing and training at that level, I need a little more to save for the future. Also at my age it becomes more difficult for me to stay in shape, the body no longer reacts the same.
“I wanted to continue, but after talking with my coaches we saw that it would be something very difficult in which it reaches a point where you give a lot to the sport and you barely receive a quarter of what you gave,” he explained. “If I hit a better mark in the 1500m or 800m all I would get would be a pat on the back, I wouldn’t get any bigger recognition. And the decision was made more with a view to my career as a coach in which I am having a great time.”
Acosta burst onto the international scene at the 2014 Youth Olympics by taking silver in the 800-meter free with his first national record at just 18 years old. After debuting at Louisville during the 2014-15 season, he decided to sit out the following year to prepare for the 2016 Olympics. The move paid off in March of 2016 when Acosta became the first El Salvadoran to achieve an Olympic “A” cut with a 1500 free national record 15:13.09 at the third stop of the Arena Pro Series in Orlando. That summer in Rio, he went on to lower that mark to 15:08.17, placing 22nd. He also placed 22nd in the 400 free with another national record of 3:48.82. His breakout performance earned him the 2016 Swammy Award for Caribbean/Central American Male Swimmer of the Year.
At the 2017 World Championships in Budapest, Acosta reset his own El Salvadoran record in the 1500 free again with a 15:04.79 that placed 14th. The following year, he broke the Central America and Caribbean Games record in the 400 free with a 3:50.61, about two seconds off his personal best. He entered into just one event at the 2019 World Championships, the 400 free, and placed 31st. At the Tokyo Olympics last summer, Acosta was more than 22 seconds off his personal best with a 15:27.37 that placed him 25th.
“I really enjoyed it, a very long career of 20 years,” he said. “I met so many amazing people. It was something so beautiful that it brought me to tears when I made my retirement official. I had a good time and I don’t regret anything. It was a great race.”
Long Course
Short Course
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Two-Time El Salvadoran Olympian Marcelo Acosta Announces Retirement
By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam
Courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner.
What makes PHENOM, by A3 Performance, faster and more unique than any other tech suit in the water is SlipStream®, PHENOM’s proprietary Water Management Technology. SlipStream® is the first-ever hydrophilic water treatment used in technical racing swimwear. What’s hydrophilic and how is it different from hydrophobic? Let’s start with some basic definitions.
Hydrophobic:lacking affinity for water
Hydrophilic:of, relating to, or having a strong affinity for water
The two treatments are polar opposites. Hydrophobic treatments repel water off the suit and off the body, while Phenom’s hydrophilic treatment allows the suit to unite with the water. How is hydrophilic faster?
SlipStream® creates a boundary layer around the suit called the slip layer. This slip layer works synergistically with the micro-roughness of the surface of PHENOM’s fabric that generates micro-vortices, and this helps to reduce the friction of the swimsuit. The surface layer of the swimsuit is no longer a water repellent barrier, but rather it is now an actual layer of water, gliding through the water.
Think of dolphins and sharks, some of the fastest animals on the planet and easily the fastest swimmers. Not everyone has had the opportunity to touch these animals, but if you were to touch them, their skin feels wet and somewhat slippery, even after removing them from the water. This is a real-life example of a hydrophilic surface, and it’s no coincidence that some of the world’s fastest swimmers have this natural layer on the outer surface of their bodies.
Nothing in the pool is faster than SlipStream ® Water Management Technology, and nothing is faster than PHENOM!
Follow along for your chance to WIN a new PHENOM technical racing suit in the coming weeks! One lucky swimmer will win a PHENOM tech suit of their choice to take their summer racing to the next level!
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: What Makes PHENOM the Best? Pt. 1 – SlipStream®
By Annika Johnson 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.
Wisconsin native Jack Madoch of Verona Area Swim Team has decided to stay in-state and verbally commit to the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the fall of 2023.
“I’m beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim at The University of Wisconsin for the class of 2023. Thank you to all my coaches, teammates and family who have helped me along this path.”
Madoch is entering his senior year at Middleton High School which is less than seven miles away from his future campus. He placed 2nd in the 50 free at the 2022 Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Boys Division 1 State Championship in February with a time of 20.42. The first time he broke the 21.00 barrier was at the Division 1 Verona Sectionals one week earlier with a time of 20.46, his first Summer Juniors cut. At the State Championships, Madoch also placed 2nd in the 100 free with a time of 45.48. He was about one-third of a second off his best time. a Winter Juniors qualifying time, which he also swam at the Verona Sectionals in February.
Since the State Championships, Madoch lowered his lifetime best 50 free time by .12 by posting a time of 20.34 at the Wisconsin LSC 13&O Championships in March. There, he also swam a lifetime best time in the 200 free with a Futures cut of 1:41.04 to place 2nd.
Top SCY times:
Madoch would have been the closest to making it back to the finals at the 2022 Big Ten Conference Championships in the 200 free where his fastest time would have placed 27th, missing the ‘C’ final by three spots. His best times also would have placed him 35th in both the 50 and 100 free.
The Badgers have a sturdy 200 free training group led by rising junior Jake Newmark who placed 3rd in the finals at last season’s championship meet. They also had two ‘B’ finalists and two ‘C’ finalists. Rising junior Isaac Casey-Hrenak was their highest finisher in the 50 free in 23rd place while rising sophomore Nico Butera was their fastest 100 freestyler in 20th place.
Wisconsin men are coming off a 4th place finish at the 2022 Big Ten Conference Championships under head coach Yuri Suguiyama.
Madoch joins Isaac Fleig, Brayden Henkel, Nathan Welker, Luukas Vainio, and Lance Swanepoel in the Badgers’ class of 2023 verbal commitments.
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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Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Summer Juniors Qualifier Jack Madoch Stays In-State, Commits to Wisconsin Badgers
By Anya Pelshaw 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.
Lucy Thomas of Brookfield, Wisconsin has announced she will be continuing her academic and athletic careers at Stanford beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. Thomas is the #8 ranked recruit in the SwimSwam girls class of 2023.
“I couldn’t be more excited to finally announce my verbal commitment to continue my athletic and academic journey at Stanford University!! I couldn’t have done this without the help of my family, friends, coaches, teachers, and teammates who have made this possible!! GO TREES
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.
4 x 100 on :10 rest – 50 derek drill, 50 swim
1 x 500 on 10:00 – twelves routine
3 x
1 x 100 kick on 2:20 mod
3 x 50 kick descend on 1:10
6 x 25 kick sprint prk on :40
1st set free, 2nd fly, 3rd breast
20 x 25 breast drills with instruction
20 x 25 on :40 – 2 fast, 1 ez
4 x 50 ez cool down
The swim coach was asked to define any shorthand he or she used in this workout. Their notes should provide some additional context to this swimming workout.
derek drill – swim with kickboard between legs
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 #700
By Jack McCormick 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.
After being forced to change clubs twice during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to continue training, Calista Oyerly of Hershey Aquatic Club has announced that she will be joining Georgetown University to continue her swimming career in the fall of 2023. Oyerly has bounced between Hershey Aquatic Club and Keystone Aquatic Club since the start of the pandemic and only just returned to training with Hershey. She is entering her senior at Hershey High School.
“I am grateful to announce my commitment to further my academic and swimming career at Georgetown University. Georgetown’s tradition of cura personalis, or care for the whole person, is exactly what I am looking for as I begin my next chapter as a student-athlete. I feel blessed to have had endless support from my family, coaches, teachers and friends. Thank you to Coach Jack for this opportunity. I can’t wait to compete as a Hoya on the Hilltop! HOYA SAXA!”
Oyerly specializes in the sprint freestyle and backstroke events, and has been a finalist at the PIAA Swimming and Diving State Championships on eight occasions. In 2022, she made it into the A-final of the 50 free, finishing 7th in a time of 23.73. She also added a B-finals appearance in the 100 free, taking 14th in 52.18.
Last summer, Oyerly finished her long course season with an appearance at the Futures Championships in Richmond. There, she swam well enough to earn a C-finals appearance in the 50 free, taking 23rd in 27.51. She was slightly faster during prelims of the event, swimming a lifetime best of 27.14. She also added lifetime bests in the prelims of the 100 back (1:07.68) and 100 fly (1:06.89).
The Hoya women are coming off a season that ended with a 4th place finish at the 2022 Big East Swimming and Diving Conference Championships. Last season the team’s sprint freestyle group was led by a pair of underclassmen, with Erin Hood leading the team in the 100 and 200 and Tia Thomas leading the team in the 50. Thomas was just a freshman last season, while Hood was a sophomore.
Oyerly will be a huge addition to the team when she arrives on campus next fall, with times that would have been among the Hoya’s best last season. Last year, Georgetown didn’t have any woman below 51.0 in the 100 free and only one faster than 1:50.50 in the 200. Oyerly’s lifetime bests are already fast enough to rank in Georgetown’s all-time top-10.
Beyond making an impact on the team, Oyerly will also be among the conferences best swimmers in her events. With her lifetime best, she would have finished in fourth in both the 100 and 200 freestyles at the 2022 Big East Conference Championships.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: PIAA Finalist Calista Oyerly Commits to Georgetown for 2023
By Jack McCormick 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.
Making the trip to Boca Raton, Florida all the way from Denmark, David Arneskov has announced he will be joining the Florida Atlantic roster this fall to continue his swimming career.
Arneskov has had great success competing in his home country of Denmark, medaling on multiple occasions at Danish junior and senior championship meets. In 2019, he made a pair of A-finals appearances at the Danish Long Course Championships. There, he finished 6th in the 200 IM (2:11.29) and 5th in the 400 IM (4:36.71). He also added an appearance in the B-final of the 200 back, taking 15th in 2:14.70.
More recently, Arneskov earned his first medal at a senior level national meet, picking up a bronze medal at the 2020 Danish Senior Short Course Championships. He was also named to the countries Junior National team that year.
Last season, Florida Atlantic finished in second place at the 2022 CCSA Swimming and Diving Championships. The Owls roster featured the 2022 CCSA Men’s Swimmer of the Year, junior Rateb Hussien. Hussein had a hand in four CCSA Championship gold medals, winning the 100 free, 100 fly, and 200 fly as well as helping the 400 free relay to a conference title. Hussien won the conference title in the 200 fly by over a second, finishing in 1:44.94.
The addition of Arneksov will go a long way to bolster FAU’s depth, IM and stroke groups this coming fall. Alongside sophomore Nick Shaffer, he will help to lead the program’s IM group, with times that would have put him on the cusp of medaling at the conference championships last season. Shaffer medaled in both last year, taking second in the 400 IM and third in the 200 IM.
Arneskov will be part of a pair of Denmark natives making the trip to Florida this fall. He will be joined by ChristofferWeiss at FAU next season. Bennett Balogh, Gianni Carlino, Payne Smith will also be FAU freshmen this fall.
While FAU doesn’t have the word “international” in their name like cross-town rivals FIU, they still have a very international roster. Next fall, there are six internationals listed on their roster of 25 male swimmers.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
About the Fitter and Faster Swim Tour
Fitter & Faster Swim Camps feature the most innovative teaching platforms for competitive swimmers of all levels. Camps are produced year-round throughout the USA and Canada. All camps are led by elite swimmers and coaches. Visit fitterandfaster.com to find or request a swim camp near you.
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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Florida Atlantic Adds Denmark’s David Arneskov for 2022
By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam
2020 Tokyo Bronze Medalist in the men’s 100 butterfly Noe Ponti has announced via Instagram that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Ponti recently competed at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest.
“After the adventure of the World Championships in Budapest, I arrived home very tired on Sunday night. Monday morning when I woke up, I found myself with a sore throat and some fever. I ended up testing positive for COVID and therefore I have to take a forced break from training. However, I am quite well now and hope to return to the pool soon, given the short time until the European Championships in Rome. Let us all look forward with positivity…”
Ponti has a tight schedule between now and the European Championships as those are scheduled to begin in 43 days in Rome. This means that there is not a ton of time to recover. As seen with the World Championships with athletes like Lilly King and Duncan Scott, it can take some adjusting to high-intensity swimming again after a COVID-19 diagnosis.
At the 2022 World Championships, Ponti competed in the 50, 100, and 200 butterflies. He finished fourth in the 200 butterfly (1:54.29), eighth in the 100 butterfly (51.51), and 13th in the 50 butterfly (23.29).
Ponti is not the only swimmer from Worlds to test positive for COVID-19 as at least eight athletes total tested positive as of June 23rd. Among those eight was Australia’s Lani Pallister.
Not many masks were seen in the arena of the World Championships. FINA’s protocols for COVID-19 allowed for masks to be optional after showing a negative PCR and antigen test upon arrival. FINA also did not require isolation for close contacts, as long as those close contacts were vaccinated. FINA did not require vaccines for credentialing and these rules apply only to credentialed individuals such as coaches and athletes. These rules did not apply to spectators.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Noe Ponti of Switzerland Tests Positive for COVID-19 43 Days before Euros
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam
The University of Louisville has hired Aaron Bell as a new associate head coach of swimming & diving. Along with the hiring of Bryon Tansel for a similar role earlier this year, the Cardinals appear to have completed their coaching staff for the 2022-2023 season.
Bell most recently served as an associate head coach with the swimming & diving program at Notre Dame. Bell coached at Notre Dame, another ACC program, for five full seasons. In October of 2021, Bell resigned from that position shortly after Mike Litzinger resigned as the program’s head coach mid-season.
Neither coach, nor the university, gave an official explanation for those resignations.
“I have known Aaron for some time and I have always admired his recruiting efforts and his coaching,” said Louisville head coach Arthur Albiero. “His proven track record as premier distance coach is well-documented in his long coaching career. I am thrilled to welcome Aaron and his family to our program.”
Bell served as the men’s recruiting coordinator at Notre Dame, where the program’s class rankings began as honorable mention in 2016, a class he didn’t recruit, and eventually rose to 11th in 2020.
His work with the Irish men helped contributed to a 29-12 dual-meet record over his tenure, also helping the women to a 40-6 dual-meet record. Thirty-four Notre Dame swimmers have earned outright All-American status during Bell‘s tenure, with multiple others receiving honorable mention recognition.
Bell is credited as the lead coach at Notre Dame of two of the best distance swimmers in college swimming: All-American Zach Yeadon, a two-time ACC Champion who represented the US at the World University Games before transferring to Cal; and the 2021 ACC Championships Swimmer of the Meet Jack Hoagland, who won the 500 free, 400 IM, and 1650 free at the 2021 meet.
Prior to his stint with the Irish, Bell served as the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Virginia Tech from 2011-14 and the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator from 2014-16. The Hokies experienced success during Bell‘s five years with the program, as the men’s squad finished in the top four at the ACC Championships all five times, including bringing home an ACC team title in 2014 and a pair of runner-up finishes in 2012 and 2013. Meanwhile, the women’s team placed in the top five each year and posted a runner-up showing in 2013.
A combined 79 school records and four ACC marks fell while Bell coached at Virginia Tech.
Prior to Virginia Tech, he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Buffalo from 2007-2011, including the last year as assistant head coach. In that final year at Buffalo, the men’s team won a MAC conference title. He also spent a year as a volunteer assistant at Ohio in 2007, the head assistant coach at the University of Miami in 2006, and a graduate assistant at Ohio from 2004-2006.
Bell had a standout career at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania, earning 20 All-America scrolls at the Division II institution. He was a senior national qualifier in 2003 and 2004 and left school as the program record holder in the 100- and 200-yard backstroke.
Bell graduated from Clarion with a Bachelor of Science in liberal studies in May 2004. He then completed the prestigious coaching education program through Ohio’s School of Recreation & Sport Sciences department in June 2007.
Bell and his wife, Courtney have two sons, Brody and Landon and a daughter, Lucy.
This amounts to a bit of a coaching exchange between the two ACC programs. Notre Dame hired former Louisville assistant Chris Lindauer as its new head coach. He took with him Louisville assistant Kameron Chastain and Louisville school record holder, NCAA Champion, and Olympic gold medalist Kelsi Dahlia in her first career coaching appointment.
The Cardinals return two assistants from last year’s staff: associate head coach Stephanie Juncker and assistant coach Nick Zorn. Juncker was hired as an assistant at Louisville in 2014 and was elevated to associate head coach before last season. Last year was Zorn’s first season on staff after spending the prior three seasons with another ACC program, Florida State.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Louisville Adds Former Notre Dame Coach Aaron Bell to Swimming Staff
The full list of nominees for the 2022 ESPYs (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards) has been released, with swimmers being nominated for five different awards. These accolades are presented by TV network ABC every year to recognize individual athletes and sports teams for their achievements from the past year.
Ten-time Olympic medalist Katie Ledecky headlines this list taking two nominations, having been nominated for the “Best Athlete—Women’s Sports”and “Best Olympian—Women’s Sports” awards.
In the running for the Best Women’s Athlete award, Ledecky will be up against 2020 Olympic all-around gymnastics champion Suni Lee, WNBA All-star Candace Parker, and multisport summer and winter Paralympic gold medalist Oksana Masters. Nominees for the Best Women’s Olympic athlete include Ledecky, Lee, Masters, and 11-time Olympic medalist track star Allyson Felix.
At the 2020 Olympic Games, Ledecky won gold in the 800 and 1500 free and silver in the 400 free and 4×200 free relay. Her six individual Olympic titles are the most out of any female swimmer.
More recently, at the 2022 FINA World Championships, Ledecky took home gold in the 400, 800, and 1500 free, as well as the 4×200 free relay. She won her 21st and 22nd World Championships medals at that competition, passing Natalie Coughlin as the most decorated female swimmer in the meet’s history, and becoming the third-most decorated swimmer overall.
Ledecky has been nominated for ESPY awards in the past, being named as a finalist for the 2016 and 2017 Best Women’s Athlete and the 2018 Best College Athlete awards. However, she has yet to win an ESPY.
Caeleb Dressel was another swimmer nominated for an ESPY, being in contention for the “Best Olympian—Men’s Sports” award. He will be competing against 2022 Olympic figure skating singles champion Nathan Chen, track and field Paralympic champion Nick Mayhugh, and Paralympic sled hockey champion Declan Farmer.
Dressel was the most decorated athlete of the 2020 Olympic Games, winning gold medals in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 fly, 4×100 free relay, and 4×100 medley relay. He broke world records in both the 100 fly and the 4×100 medley relay at that meet.
Other swimmers in the conversation for ESPY awards include paratriathlon athlete Brad Snyder and 29-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long, who were nominated for the men’s and women’s editions of the “Best Athlete With A Disability” awards respectively. Long previously won the Best Female Athlete With A Disability award twice.
Winners for ESPY awards are decided entirely by fan voting, and will be announced on July 20, 2022 at 7:00 PM Central Time on ABC Network. To vote for your favorite swimmers, check out the links below:
Other swimmers who have won ESPYs in the past include Michael Phelps, Missy Franklin, Dara Torres, Erin Popovich, Mallory Weggemann, and the U.S. Men’s 400 free relay from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Dressel, Ledecky, Snyder, And Long Nominated For 2022 ESPY Awards
In the women’s 400 IM final at the 2022 FINA World Championships, 15-year-old Summer McIntosh made headlines by winning in a world junior record time of 4:32.04. However, silver medalist Katie Grimes also broke a record of her own. The 16-year-old clocked a time of 4:32.67, taking down Elizabeth Beisel‘s 15-16 U.S. Girls’ National Age Group Record time of 4:32.87 from the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Girls’ 400 IM, U.S. 15-16 Age Group Rankings:
Compared to Beisel, Grimes is much stronger on fly and free—especially on fly when she took out her race in almost under a minute. In fact, Grimes being nearly four seconds faster than Beisel in her butterfly leg was what gave her the edge to break this record. However, Beisel had a slight advantage over Grimes on backstroke and a significant advantage on breaststroke.
Splits Comparison, Katie Grimes vs. Elizabeth Beisel:
| Katie Grimes, 2022 World Championships (current 15-16 NAG) | Elizabeth Beisel, 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials (former 15-16 NAG) | |
| Fly | 1:00.22 | 1:04.11 |
| Back | 1:09.08 | 1:08.55 |
| Breast | 1:22.48 | 1:17.79 |
| Free | 1:00.09 | 1:02.42 |
| Total | 4:32.67 | 4:32.87 |
Beisel went on to become a 2011 World Champion and 2012 Olympic silver medalist in the 400 IM, and ended up lowering her best time to 4:31.27. If Grimes continues to improve, she could be on a similar, or even better trajectory than Beisel. As the Sandpipers of Nevada swimmer does not turn 17 until January 8, 2006, she will have over half a year to drop more time and reset this NAG.
Grimes was previously ranked #3 in the 15-16 U.S. girls’ rankings for the 400 IM with her time of 4:36.17 from the 2022 U.S. International Team Trials.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Katie Grimes Breaks Elizabeth Beisel’s 15-16 NAG In 400 IM At World Championships
By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam
Set of the Week is courtesy of FINIS, a SwimSwam partner.
This week’s set of the week comes from Kat Wickham, former swimmer at the University of Utah (SKO Utes).
This week’s set was designed for those who are trying to add a little bit of IM into their workouts, but want to do it in moderation.
300 warmup (100 swim, 50 kick)
4 Rounds:
150 fl-bk-br rest 15
200 fr rest 10
100 ez
For more tips and inspiration, visit the FINIS Community page today!
About FINIS, Inc.
John Mix and Olympic Gold Medal swimmer Pablo Morales founded FINIS in Northern California in 1993 with a mission to simplify swimming for athletes, coaches, beginners and lifelong swimmers around the world. Today, FINIS fulfills that mission through innovation, high-quality products and a commitment to education. FINIS products are currently available in over 80 countries. With a focus on innovation and the fine details of swimming, FINIS will continue to develop products that help more people enjoy the water.
Set of the Week is courtesy of FINIS, Inc., a SwimSwam partner.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: FINIS Set of the Week: IM Free For All
By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam
Courtesy of Omnify, a SwimSwam partner.
Swim coaching is an art as much as it is a science. As you set about helping your team perfect their in-water skills, you are called upon to rely on more than the stats and the strokes that make up this exciting sport.
In the words of one of the greatest coaches in the history of American football:
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.
– Vince Lombardi
As important as it is to understand the mechanics behind the techniques in swimming, what truly separates the best swim coaches from the rest is their ability to understand their swimmers and work with them to optimize their potential in the pool.
If you want to lead a team of coaches who can get the most out of their classes, your plans will need to revolve around the strategies that will make your coaches more efficient and receptive to their students.
There are a number of strategies that can be adopted to support your coaches in their role:
Let us now take a closer look at each of these strategies in detail and how they can help improve your coaching team.
A coach certified in USA Swimming Foundations of Coaching adds greater value to your swim facility
Swim coaches come in all shapes and sizes, but the one thing that sets the best apart is their expertise as a coach. So, how do your coaches gain this expertise in the field?
Every professional coach in a USA Swimming program is required to be certified by the American Swimming Coaches Association (ASCA) following a professional course on Foundations of Coaching developed jointly by the ASCA with USA Swimming. After they successfully c the first level of this course is essential for every coach and will provide them with a basic swim coaches’ certification from the association.
There are also safety training requirements to becoming a USA Swimming coach. Your coaches will need to finish safety training courses including the Red Cross’ Safety Training for Swim Coaches course or a lifeguard training course and also equip themselves with first aid and CPR training.
You can encourage further training for swim coaches through any additional certification course like the ASCA’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) that will equip them with skills not easily available in the market. This will attract more swimmers to your facility and allow you to organize a wider variety of programs.
Planning one-on-one with each coach will help them optimize their programs
As your swimming coaches grow in knowledge and expertise, they will begin to shape their own coaching outlooks and training programs with swimmers. This will allow them to make the best use of their individual abilities as coaches and leaders as they teach their students.
When you’re working with a team of coaches conducting a variety of drills, training programs, and other practices to support swimming performance, keeping track of how each coach is going about their process is important. You would be able to offer a bird’s eye perspective on their plan and with the context you pick up from the rest of your team, you would be best placed to help them improve their program.
Understanding what students are looking for will help coaches set more impactful programs
Even as you plan with your swimming coaches to optimize and refine their programs, you will need to watch out for what your swimmers are looking out for. Keep an eye on the programs and coaches who are doing well and those who aren’t. This will allow you to work more closely with them to identify what needs to change and what can be improved further.
Make sure you are actively taking feedback from students on their programs and coaches and what they would like to be doing more of. This will make you and your coaches more accessible to the students and encourage more people to sign up for your programs.
Synchronized schedules by organizations will help coaches plan their sessions more effectively
For coaches to work effectively in a team, it is important for all of them to be in sync with each other’s schedules. This will allow them to avoid overlaps and provide more opportunities for students when they’re picking the program of their choice.
With a bigger team of coaches, however, coordinating calendars is easier said than done. It’s easy to miss classes taking place at the same time and it would also be harder for swimmers to pick the classes of their choice.
This is where technology can be brought in to support the coaches as they plan their schedules. Online scheduling software like Omnify will not only help your team organize their calendars on the cloud, but it would also keep each coach updated on other classes taking place at any given time slot.
More importantly, using a smart, cloud-based pool reservation system will allow students to book the classes and time slots of their choice depending on their real-time availability. This will minimize the work that your coaches need to do and allow them to spend more time on their programs and students.
Automated communication will make life simpler for your coaches and students
Another key element that contributes to your coaching team’s growth is effective communication. Your coaches need to be able to have healthy channels of communication within the team and with their students.
This will allow them to keep themselves updated on any changes to the team’s schedules and also help them stay in touch with their students and form better relationships over time. This is where you can support your coaches again with technology.
With an all-in-one solution like Omnify, your coaches will be able to receive regular updates on their classes and stay updated on any changes. They can also reach out to their students directly and maintain a personal connection with each of them. With faster and smoother communication, your team will be able to deliver better results to their students over time.
When you’re working with a larger group of swim coaches, it can be difficult to stay organized at all times or to keep track of everyone’s classes at the same time. This is where a solution like Omnify can make all the difference for your team. Omnify’s intuitive solution is designed to help you streamline bookings for your coaches, automate and personalize communication, and store and analyze student information so you can deliver a better experience at your swim facility over time. If you’d like to know how Omnify fits your needs, sign up for a FREE TRIAL and get started today!
This article was first published on getomnify.com. You can read the original post here.
Get in touch with Omnify anytime for a lot more information that has not been covered in this piece. You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: How to Lead Your Swim Coaches to Success
By Spencer Penland on SwimSwam
The 2022 CA SCS/RMDA June Age Group meet was held from June 16-18 in La Mirada, CA, while Irvine Novaquatics hosted their own meet in Irvine. It featured some fast age group swimming, including stellar performances by Beach Cities Swimming 11-year-old Gabi Brito. A young sprinter, Brito clocked new personal bests in the 50 free and 100 free. In the 50, Brito swam a 27.70 leading off a 200 free relay, and she posted a 1:01.46 in the 100 free.
The younger Brito also swam a lifetime best in the 200 free (2:14.78) and 100 back (1:11.16). With her swims at this meet, Brito is currently the 2nd-fastest 11-year-old in the country this year in the 50 and 100 free.
Gabi’s older sister, Bella Brito, a 14-year-old, had an impressive performance herself. Bella swam a 1:12.14 100 breast, marking a new personal best. She also clocked a 57.33 100 free, again a personal best. The older Brito posted two other personal bests, coming in the 100 fly (1:02.54) and 200 IM (2:22.08).
Another 14-year-old, Kayla Han out of host La Mirada Armada, swam well at the meet. Han, who famously qualified for the last Summer’s Olympic Trials Wave I meet at the age of 12, swam a 57.76 100 free at this meet, establishing a new personal best. Although her other races weren’t personal bests, Han clocked some quick times. She posted a 2:17.76 200 IM, 4:50.21 400 IM, 2:03.46 200 free, and 4:15.83 400 free.
Rising star Teagan O’Dell, an Irvine Novaquatics 15-year-old, swam a new personal best in the 200 free. O’Dell finished the race in 2:00.84, undercutting her previous best of 2:01.50, which was set at the beginning of the month at the Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series. O’Dell also clocked a 29.04 leading off a 200 medley relay, coming in just off her personal best of 28.84 in the 50 back.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Teagan O’Dell Posts Personal Best 2:00.84 200 Free at SCS June Age Group Meet
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.
Gillian Tu from Issaquah, Washington has announced her verbal commitment to the application process* at Brown University where she will begin in the fall of 2023.
“I am very honored to announce my verbal commitment to the application process at Brown University! I am extremely grateful to my family, coaches, and friends for their endless support. I can’t wait to join the BWSD family and be a part of this amazing team! #GoBRUNO
