By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2025 ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Riccione – Swimming Stadium Pool
• April 13–17, 2025
• Prelims at 10am local (4am ET)/Senior Finals at 6pm local (12pm ET)
• World Championships Qualification
• SwimSwam Italia Event Page
• Entries
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Prelims Recap
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

While racing on the penultimate prelims session of the 2025 Italian Championships, 18-year-old Sara Curtis scorched a new lifetime best and Italian national record in the women’s 50m freestyle event.

The Centro Sportivo Esercito star stopped the clock at a time of 24.52, a result which sliced .04 off her previous Italian benchmark of 24.56 logged at last year’s edition of this competition.

The Italian Swimming Federation’s qualification standard for this year’s World Championships sits at 24.69 so Curtis has proven on more than one occasion she’s capable of achieving that goal come tonight’s final.

Capturing the 2nd seed behind Curtis this morning was 32-year-old veteran Silvia Di Pietro who notched 25.12 followed by 23-year-old Costanza Cocconcelli‘s outing of 25.29.

TOP 8

1. Sara Curtis – 24.52 ITALIAN RECORD
2. Silvia DiPietro – 25.12
3. Costanza Cocconcelli – 25.29
4. Emma Virginia Menicucci – 25.37
5. Viola Scotto by Carlo – 25.46
6. Agatha Ambler – 25.59
7. VeronicaQuaggio – 25.74
8. Matilde Biagiotti – 25.75

Curtis’ splash n’ dash performance is a follow-up to the head-turning 100m freestyle national mark she established yesterday.

En route to winning the event and qualifying for Singapore, Curtis overtook Olympic icon Federica Pellegrini‘s longstanding 1free record of 53.18 by throwing down a speedy 53.01.

These results are continuing the trajectory of this teenage prodigy. At last year’s European Junior Championships, Curtis claimed a trio of individual gold medals across the 50m free, 100m free and 50m back events in addition to earning a trifecta of relay medals.

Also last year she lowered the World Junior Record in the 50m backstroke first down to 26.08 in April then down to 26.03 at the Short Course World Championships.

Additional Top Seeds

• Alberto Razzetti led an onslaught of men’s 100m butterfly qualifiers, with the top 8 performers all delving under the 53-second barrier. He claimed the #1 seed in 52.18, slightly ahead of Edoardo Valsecchi‘s time of 52.33 and Olympic medalist Federico Burdisso‘s 52.36. Burdisso is still chasing his first World Championships qualification, having missed the mark in both the 50m and 200m fly. As for Razzetti, the 25-year-old World Championships medalist is already just .12 off his lifetime best of 52.06 from last year’s edition of this competition.
• Federica Toma was the quickest of the women’s 100m backstroke qualifiers, although it was a rather subdued series of heats with no one getting under the 1:01 threshold. Toma landed lane 4 in a result of 1:01.20, a time upon which she’ll need to greatly improve in order to clinch the QT of 59.89.
• The men’s 200m back saw Christian Bacico stake his claim on a potential sweep of the discipline. After already claiming titles in the 50m and 100m sprints, 19-year-old Bacico will try to get it done in the 2back, hitting a time of 1:59.08 as the only sub-2:00 swimmer this morning.
• Paola Borrelli topped the women’s 200m fly heats by well over a second, registering 2:10.64. She is the reigning Italian champion in this race, having earned a lifetime best of 2:09.11 at the 2024 Italian Championships.
• The men’s 200m breast saw Christian Mantegazza score the top spot in 2:12.95, the 6th-swiftest time of his career. Mantegazza just turned 20 years old last month and is a relay multi-medalist from the 2023 World Junior Championships and European Junior Championships. He already reaped 200m IM silver at this competition.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 Italian Championships Day 4 Prelims: Sara Curtis Blasts 24.52 50 Free National Record

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

American Olympic swimmer Jay Litherland is moving to Japan to pursue a career in music while keeping his options open for swimming.

Litherland, 29, is one of the three Litherland triplets who all swam collegiately at the University of Georgia. Triple citizens of the US, Japan, and New Zealand, Jay made the biggest splash internationally, winning a silver medal in the 400 IM at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the 2019 World Championships. He was also a Pan American Games Champion in 2023 and World University Games Champion in 2015 in the same event.

He finished 3rd in the event at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, missing the team behind Carson Foster and Chase Kalisz.

While he says he’s not done with swimming, his focus is shifting to his passion outside of the pool: music.

He joined a modeling agency in Tokyo called Stanford Label, which has also launched a music label. Jay, Mick, and Kevin have a musical group called TRiiiPSS that is now signed with that label as well.

The trio plans to release a few singles later this year and have some live shows lined up in Tokyo.

Jay Litherland previously represented the Tokyo Frog Kings in the now-defunct International Swimming League.

“We’ve been making music since college, but since we were all spread out (Kevin was in Japan, and Mick was in Cali) we would always just send each other voice tracks to make the song. So it was hard finishing project,” Jay said.

“But during that time, we each developed our own skills in what we can bring to this group. And now, it’s our first time since college being in the same room making music and the movement is so much faster. I’m just so excited to make music with my bros in an organic setting where we can feed off of each others energy, as well as having support from our music friends that give us a lot of inspiration creatively. It makes such a difference being in Tokyo right now when it comes to what we’re aiming for.”

As for his future in the pool, Jay says that he is “still very unsure.”

“I want to keep training because I do love the water,” he added. “It keeps me centered and it clears my mind.”

Whether that means competing or not, Jay says, is still up in the air – especially given the grueling nature of the 400 IM, which requires a certain level of commitment to training.

• See all of their links here.

Listen to their music on SoundCloud here:

TRiiiPSS·

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2025 AUSTRALIAN AGE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, April 10th – Friday, April 18th
• Brisbane Aquatic Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
• Live Results

An additional four records bit the dust as day five of able-bodied competition unfolded at the 2025 Australian Age Championships.

16-year-old Sienna Toohey impressed yet again, establishing a new lifetime best en route to capturing her fourth gold of the competition.

After already topping her age category’s podiums in the 100m breast, 200m breast and 200m IM, Albury Amateur’s Toohey added a 50m breast victory to her hardware haul.

Toohey stopped the clock at a speedy 30.73, easily overtaking the former Australian Age and All Comers Record of 31.28 retired Olympian Chelsea Hodges put on the books in 2018.

Sienna Toohey& Olympia Pope, courtesy of Nardia Mulkerrins (@photosbynardia)

Entering this competition, Toohey’s personal best sat at the 31.06 established at the NSW State Open Championships just last month. As such, this is her first time ever dipping under the 31-second threshold. Her effort here now renders her the 10th-swiftest performer in the world this season, tying a trio of other international athletes.

As we’ve mentioned, Toohey’s rise is coming at just the right time for Australian women’s breaststroking. The nation has struggled to find a consistent replacement for Jenna Strauch and Hodges who both missed the 2023 championship season due to injuries.

After claiming medley relay silver last year in Paris, 28-year-old Strauch recently announced her decision to retire while Hodges surprisingly revealed her retirement ahead of last year’s Olympic Trials.

Two records fell victim in the backstroke events, one in the 14-year-old boys’ 100m race and one in the 16-year-old boys’ 50m race.

Bryce Krause, courtesy of Nardia Mulkerrins (@photosbynardia)

Fairholme’s Bryce Krause produced a time of 57.07 in the former, ripping his former personal best of 58.44 from last months to shreds.

Krause opened in 27.78 and closed in 29.29 to beat his competitors by over 2 seconds. In doing so, the teen erased the former Australian Record of 57.53 Olympian Joshua Edwards-Smith held since 2018.

Bendigo East Swim Club standout Henry Allan cranked out another age mark in the latter race, turning in a time of 24.88 for his first performance under the 25-second barrier.

Allan’s outing surpassed Olympian Isaac Cooper‘s Australian and All Comers benchmark of 25.27 from 2020.

Allan has been on fire at these championships, including making a statement with the athlete’s 53.73 100m back stunner from day 3. His 50m back time this evening situates the teen just outside the list of top 10 performers worldwide on the season at the moment.

The final record of the evening went down in the boys’ aged 16-18 4x50m free relay. The Knox Pymble foursome of Jake Mitchell, Tristen Waugh, Daniel Seo and Dylan Zhou combined to put up a time of 1:33.66 to grab gold.

Additional Notes

• Rockhampton’s Amelie Smith won the 16-year-old girls’ 400m IM race in a stellar 4:45.49, dipping under the World Junior Championships qualification standard by 5 seconds. This gold is added to her 800m and 1500m free top finishes. Post-race Smith told Swimming Australia, “When I hit the wall, I was so stoked turning around and seeing that time. I did want to go a little bit quicker, but I was still really happy. My goal coming into this meet was to get a medal or make a final in each of them. I feel … like I might just have a bit more grit. Most people focus on a specific stroke but I kind of do everything. I even like open water.”
• Following in his Olympic swimming footsteps of father Matt Dunn, Lukas Dunn won the boys’ 15-year-old 100m back in a time of 57.11 and also reaped the top spot in the 50m fly in 24.74 to continue his success.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 Aussie Age Championships: 16-Yr-Old Henry Allan Blasts 24.88 50 Back

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam

Luke Stibrich has announced he will transfer to LSU for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. Stibrich spent one season at Texas and has three years of eligibility remaining.

Stibirch committed to Texas back in 2022 and was the #20 ranked recruit in the boys high school class of 2024 at the time. He fell out of the rankings by the time he graduated high school but still was a solid recruit for the Longhorns.

This past season, Stibrich swam numerous best times at midseason including a 1:45.85 200 fly, 1:44.69 200 IM, and 3:46.66 400 IM. He improved upon those best times at the Eddie Reese Showdown in January posting a 1:45.49 200 fly and 3:46.03 400 IM.

At the Sterkel Classic in February, Stibrich swam a best time 47.98 100 fly and a 1:36.25 200 free.

Stibrich’s Best SCY Times:

• 100 fly: 47.98
• 200 fly: 1:45.49
• 200 IM: 1:44.69
• 400 IM: 3:46.03

The LSU men finished 7th out of 11 teams at the 2025 SEC Championships and went on to finish 19th at NCAAs. Jere Hribar led the swimmers with 64 individual points at SECs. He was highlighted by a 4th place finish in the 50 free and 5th in the 100 free.

Although Stibrich was left off of the SEC roster for Texas, he has numerous best times that would have scored. His 200 IM and 400 IM would have made the SEC ‘C’ finals. Both events had little points from LSU as the team had no finalists in the 400 IM and only one ‘B’ finalist in the 200 IM. The team also had no finalists in either butterfly events.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Luke Stibrich Announces Transfer To LSU After Freshman Season With Texas

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

With the settlement in the NCAA v. House case inching closer to final approval, the power conferences have established a new legal entity to oversee the revamped athlete compensation rules in Division I.

According to Sportico, College Sports Commission LLC was registered as a limited liability company with the Delaware Secretary of State on Monday. Following final approval of the House settlement, it is expected to be the central body governing the new regulatory framework in the NCAA.

In February, Yahoo Sports reported that the power conferences would be establishing an LLC that was meant to serve as the “enforcement arm to police violators of the industry’s new salary cap and is expected to feature revenue-sharing policies and a corresponding penalty structure for violators.”

Sources confirmed to Sportico that College Sports Commission LLC is indeed that entity, with an official announcement expected within the next week.

The one-page LLC registration filed Monday did not provide additional details about the commission beyond its name.

In the near future, College Sports Commission LLC is expected to announce the hiring of a chief executive and, per Yahoo Sports, is also looking to hire a lead investigator who would be the arbiter of which athlete NIL deals over $600 align with the new guidelines imposed by the House settlement.

Deloitte, the accounting firm, has been retained by the power conferences to audit and manage the clearinghouse of NIL deals, while the tech company LBi Software has been hired to create a cap-management and reporting platform to track the money schools pay directly to their athletes, according to Sportico.

In terms of where the House v. NCAA settlement stands following the final approval hearing last week, plaintiffs and the NCAA filed a joint report on Monday addressing Judge Claudia Wilken‘s concerns from the hearing, though the parties will not be phasing in roster limits.

Sportico reported that attorneys “effectively doubled down on their prior position, arguing that implementing roster limits as part of the overall settlement compromise is both ‘fair and reasonable.’ They emphasize the lack of precedent where courts have blocked organized team sports from using ‘some form of roster limits,’ asserting that such limits are standard and appropriate within the sports context.”

They also argued that phasing in roster limits would “upset the settled expectations, enrollment decisions, and other preparations” made by numerous student-athletes and member institutions in preparation for the settlement to be approved.

Power conferences establishing the new LLC is an example of how the college sports industry is moving forward as if Judge Wilken will approve the settlement in short order and the new rules will be put in place for the 2025-26 academic year. However, Wilken is able to take as long as she deems necesaary to evaluate the settlement terms, so nothing is set in stone.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Power Conferences Establish Legal Entity To Enforce New Rules With House Settlement Pending

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

American Olympic swimmer Jay Litherland is moving to Japan to pursue a career in music while keeping his options open for swimming.

Litherland, 29, is one of the three Litherland triplets who all swam collegiately at the University of Georgia. Triple citizens of the US, Japan, and New Zealand, Jay made the biggest splash internationally, winning a silver medal in the 400 IM at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the 2019 World Championships. He was also a Pan American Games Champion in 2023 and World University Games Champion in 2015 in the same event.

He finished 3rd in the event at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, missing the team behind Carson Foster and Chase Kalisz.

While he says he’s not done with swimming, his focus is shifting to his passion outside of the pool: music.

He joined a modeling agency in Tokyo called Stanford Label, which has also launched a music label. Jay, Mick, and Kevin have a musical group called TRiiiPSS that is now signed with that label as well.

The trio plans to release a few singles later this year and have some live shows lined up in Tokyo.

Jay Litherland previously represented the Tokyo Frog Kings in the now-defunct International Swimming League.

“We’ve been making music since college, but since we were all spread out (Kevin was in Japan, and Mick was in Cali) we would always just send each other voice tracks to make the song. So it was hard finishing project,” Jay said.

“But during that time, we each developed our own skills in what we can bring to this group. And now, it’s our first time since college being in the same room making music and the movement is so much faster. I’m just so excited to make music with my bros in an organic setting where we can feed off of each others energy, as well as having support from our music friends that give us a lot of inspiration creatively. It makes such a difference being in Tokyo right now when it comes to what we’re aiming for.”

As for his future in the pool, Jay says that he is “still very unsure.”

“I want to keep training because I do love the water,” he added. “It keeps me centered and it clears my mind.”

Whether that means competing or not, Jay says, is still up in the air – especially given the grueling nature of the 400 IM, which requires a certain level of commitment to training.

• See all of their links here.

Listen to their music on SoundCloud here:

TRiiiPSS·

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

Union Commonwealth University in Barbourville, Kentucky has cut its men’s and women’s swimming program, students were informed last weekend. The school has not made any official announcements and has declined to respond to multiple requests for comment.

• The school was formerly known as Union College, but is currently undergoing a rebrand to Union Commonwealth University.

The announcement comes after a historic season for the program, with the men finishing 10th at the NAIA National Championships and the women finishing 9th.

The program has a long history of success at the NAIA level, including a national title on men’s 1-meter in 1965 from Bob Long, and three NAIA titles on the women’s side: Renata Cabral in the 100 free in 2012, Jessica Axford in the 200 free in 2018, and Jessica Axford again in the 50 free in 2019.

The program is led by Ryan Winders. He has been an assistant professor at Union since 2018, longer than his three-season tenure as head swim coach, working in the education department.

Prior to taking over as head swim coach in November 2021, he was the head coach of the Waterford Waverunners, an assistant coach with the Lexington Dolphins, and as the head swim coach at Lexington Christian Academy for 14 years.

The men’s team finished as high as 6th at the NAIA National Championships in recent seasons, repeating the feat in 2019, 2015, and 2014. They were also Appalachian Swimming Conference Champions in 2019. The women also have multiple top-10 finishes in the last two decades.

Union is a liberal arts school that lists a student body of approximately 1,000 undergrads and 200 grad students, with two-thirds of them coming from the state of Kentucky. This conflicts with federal data that shows undergraduate enrollment of 682.

In either case, this is a decrease from 15 years ago, when the school listed enrollment of almost 1,400, in line with the trend of small liberal arts schools across the country.

The school currently lists 16 men and 12 women on the swimming roster.

Prior to this cut, the school listed 10 men’s sports, 10 women’s sports, and 2 coed sports, making it one of the more robust NAIA athletics departments in the country.

Federal data shows that approximately 59% of the university’s undergraduates are varsity student-athletes.

The school has an on-campus 10 lane, 50-meter pool on campus that was opened in 2012 and renovated in 2018.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Union Commonwealth University (Kentucky) Eliminates Men’s, Women’s Swimming Programs

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

The University of Florida swimming & diving program is moving on from assistant coach Kristen Murslack, a school spokesperson confirmed to SwimSwam Wednesday.

Murslack served as an assistant coach with the Gators for the last four seasons, having been hired in May 2021 after two seasons as an assistant at Pitt.

The spokesperson said the program is “focused on the next steps with continuing to move the program forward” following Murslack’s departure.

“We are grateful for Coach Murslack’s work she put into the program,” the spokesperson said.

Although Murslack is officially listed as an assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s swim teams, she primarily worked with the women’s program and was the recruiting lead for the Gator women.

The Florida women steadily rose through the ranks during Murslack’s first three seasons with the program, placing 13th at the 2022 NCAAs, tying for 8th in 2023 and then producing a breakthrough 3rd-place finish in 2024, the team’s best finish in 14 years. The Gator women also won back-to-back SEC titles in 2023 and 2024.

However, the team fell to 6th place this past season at NCAAs, and were the runner-ups at the SEC Championships after Texas joined the conference and claimed the title in their debut season.

During her time at Pitt, Murslack primarily coached the individual medley and butterfly swimmers along with helping the mid-distance freestyle group. Like at Florida, she was the primary contact for women’s recruiting with the Panthers.

Prior to her coaching career, Murslack swam for Auburn from 2013 to 2017, earning SEC Honor Roll accolades twice and serving as a team captain.

She also worked as a graduate assistant coach for the Auburn women’s soccer program and spent time as a coaching intern at Auburn. She graduated with a Master’s in Higher Education Administration from Auburn in 2019 after earning her Bachelor’s in Exercise Science in 2017.

The Florida coaching staff, led by head coach Anthony Nesty, includes Whitney Hite as associate head coach and three other swimming assistants remaining with the departure of Murslack: Alex Dehner, Jack Szaranek and Annie Lazor.

Murslack did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: University of Florida Moving On From Assistant Coach Kristen Murslack

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam

Stanford just posted its job opening of Greg Meehan‘s former position, Paul A. Violich Director of Women’s Swimming. Under the posting, the estimated salary is listed as $160,000 – $195,000 per annum. It is unknown what Meehan’s contract was with Stanford as it is a private university.

• See the full job posting here

Last week, USA Swimming announced that former Stanford women’s head swimming and diving coach Greg Meehan would become the next National Team Director.

Although Meehan’s salary with USA Swimming will not be public until USA Swimming’s required tax filings are released sometime next year, the job posting gave an estimated salary of $300,000-$400,000 base plus bonus. Lindsay Mintenko, the prior National Team Director, had a base salary of $293,927 in reportable compensation plus an additional $52,951 in estimated other compensation.

To compare some of the top head coaching salaries in the NCAA, Bob Bowman had a base salary for his first season at Texas of $400,000. Bowman led the Texas men (as Director of Swimming and Diving) to an NCAA title. Todd DeSorbo of Virginia led the women to their 5th NCAA title in a row and as of the contract he signed in 2021 had a base salary of $140,000. DeSorbo leads both the men’s and women’s programs. Tennessee’s Matt Kredich also leads the men and women and has a base salary of $270,000.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Stanford Posts Women’s Head Coaching Position With Salary Range Of $160,000-$195,000

By Mark Wild on SwimSwam

2025 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 15th – Sunday, April 20th
• Prelims at 9:30am local (4:30am ET)/Finals at 7pm local (2pm ET)
• London Aquatics Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Aquatics GB World Championships Selection Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview
• Draft Entries
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1

Ok. So maybe the re-emergence of “Chunnel” as a term didn’t take off with our my coverage of the Aquatics GB Olympic Trials last year. And while QI might have taught me that a tunnel from London to Singapore would only take 42 minutes to travel, we haven’t yet developed said technology (or the tunnel for that matter) so there will be no subliminal messages this go around. That said, if someone can try to bring back the Worcester Sauce Twiglets, we all will be in your debt.

However, we are not hear to discuss our favorite discontinued snack and terms, but rather the second day of competition at the 2025 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships. Much like last year’s qualification meet, this meet wears many caps, nominating swimmers to the World Championships, Para-World Championships, as well as the European Aquatics U23 Meet, and both the European and World Junior Championships.

The competition this evening kicks off with the 50 breaststroke, where Max Morgan, the runner-up last night in the 100 breaststroke, will look to top the podium. Morgan, the British Junior Record Holder, was just .12 off that time this morning, but will have to ensure that he gets to the wall first, as Archie Goodburn is just .11 back.

From the shortest event of the evening, we move onto the longest event as the 1500 freestyle concludes with its fastest heat. Emma Price posted the fastest time in the early heats going 17:07.91, but all eyes will be on Amelie Blocksidge, who just turned 16 last week. Blocksidge is entered with a time of 16:10.04, seven seconds clear of Fleur Lewis, the exact order they finished in last year at Trials. Each will have their work cut out for them as they will be chasing the stiff consideration time of 16:02.39.

Ed Mildred will take center stage in the men’s 200 fly tonight. The 22-year-old posted a new personal best this morning of 1:57.02, a drop of nearly a full second. The Manchester-based swimmer, may be looking to add a new event to his repertoire, as while he did medal in the event at the 2019 European Youth Olympics, Mildred has found more success in the sprints, winning the 100 free at the 2023 European U23 Championships, as well as collecting two medals in the 4×100 free relays at the 2022 Rome European Championships.

While Mildred leads the field by nearly two full seconds, Henry IV’s “uneasy lies the head that wears the crown” has never more aptly fit as there is a trio of swimmers behind him hungry for the podium. Joshua Gammon, last year’s champion, sits 3rd this morning right in between  Olympic Gold medalists, Duncan Scott and James Guy. The pair, the 2nd and 4th seeds, will be next to one another in tonight’s final, occupying lanes 5 and 6 respectively. While competition to finish first will be fierce, the stiff 1:54.97 qualifying time will be a hard ask as only swimmers have ever been under the mark, are the National Record holder Michael Rock (1:54.58) and Guy in 2022 (1:54.91).

The men’s 200 fly qualifying time may be a Herculean task, but the women’s and men’s 400 IM sees at least two swimmers likely to qualify. Top seeds Freya Colbert and Max Litchfield swam smooth 4:44.79 and 4:17.33 this morning, but likely have much more in the tank. Colbert, who nearly rewrote the 200 free national record last night, is the reigning World Champion and placed 4th at the Olympics last summer. Litchfield, who won silver in this event in Doha, his first World’s medal, at the age of 28, like Colbert, placed 4th last summer at the Olympics, and like Colbert was within a second of the podium. The pair obviously have time to drop to reach the qualifying standard, but based on their performances last year, that feat should be well within their range of abilities.

The session concludes with the women’s 100 backstroke. European and British national record holder Kathleen Dawson made the final tonight, albeit in 5th place, and will have to move past several of her younger compatriots if she wants to book her flight to Singapore. Dawson, who won last year in 59.74, will have to fight an even tougher standard, as it has been set to an even faster time, going from 59.89 to 59.46. Fellow Scot Katie Shanahan has opted not to swim the 400 IM, an event where she placed 2nd last year, and instead has targeted the 100 backstroke and is your top seed tonight, having gone 1:00.66 this morning, the only swimmer under 1:01. Her time stands as a new personal best, bettering her previous best of 1:00.70, but the time is still a far cry away from Dawson’s 58.08 and #2 seed Lauren Cox‘s best of 59.60.

Men’s 50-Meter Breaststroke

Junior Final

• British Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty (2017)
• British Junior Record: 27.52 – Max Morgan (2024)

Top 3:

1. William Tonks (Repton) – 28.22
2. Joshua Inglis (Mt Kelly) – 28.69
3. Saxon Minto (Chelmsford) – 28.85

The race was all William Tonks as the youngster from Repton got out to a strong start. From the pull-out, Tonks had a strong lead as he led from start to finish, winning the junior final in 28.22, a new personal best and a drop of .15 from this morning. Joshua Inglis equaled his time from this morning and Saxon Minto broke the 29-second barrier for the first time, going 28.85, which was good for 3rd.

Remember, while the meet is primarily being sold as a World and Para-World qualifying meet, many swimmers will also be eligible to qualify for the U23 Championships as well as the World and European Junior Championships.

Multi-Class Para Final

• SB3 World Record: 46.49 – Roman Zhdanov, RPC (2021)
• SB3 British Record: 57.94 – Lyndon Longhorne (2016)

Top 3:

1. Harvey Phillips (Manchester) – 1:03.76 (427 pts)

With the crowd behind him, Harvery Phillips swam his way to a win in the 50 Breaststroke. The only competitor in the field, Philips, was just a little off his time from this morning of 1:02.92. His time this evening, 1:03.76, ranks as 427 points in the Multiclassification point system. Phillips won’t know if he has been appointed to the Para-team as there are two phases for appointment, this meet and the Aquatics GB British Summer Championships, which will be held in July.

British Open Final

• World Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty (2017)
• European Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty (2017)
• British Record: 25.95 — Adam Peaty (2017)
• 2025 Worlds Consideration Time: —

Top 3:

1. Max Morgan (Reed’s SC) – 27.69
2. Archie Goodburn (Edinburgh) – 27.76
3.  Filip Nowacki (Millfield) – 27.87

It was a massive celebration for the 17 year old Max Morgan, as he claimed the win in the 50 breaststroke after a disappointing 2nd place last night in the 100. Morgan, the British Junior record holder, took the race out fast and had the lead after the start. Archie Goodburn made a late charge at the end and nearly pipped Morgan, seven years his junior, finishing in 27.78 to Morgan’s 27.69.

In 2024, Goodburn was diagnosed with three inoperable brain tumors, but has continued to train and race, and was rewarded with the silver medal tonight. In his post-race interview, an emotional Goodburn stated, ” the last two days as well, have been a real mental battle,” but thanked his family, team and girlfriend for being there for him.

Filip Nowacki, another youngster, broke 28.00 for the first time, claiming the bronze in 27.87, his second bronze of the meet after taking the same position last night. Both Morgan and Nowacki are eligible for consideration for junior Worlds, as each was under the consideration time last night. There are no consideration times for the 50s of stroke.

Women’s 1500-Meter Freestyle

Fastest Heat

• World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• European Record: 15:38.88 – Lotte Friis, Denmark (2013)
• British Record: 15:47.26 – Jazmin Carlin (2013)
• 2025 Worlds Consideration Time: — 16:02.39

Top 3:

1. Amelie Blocksidge (Co Salford) – 16:23.54
2. Fleur Lewis (Lboro Uni) – 16:33.63
3. Leah Crisp (Bath PC) – 16:40.00

Sixteen-year-old Amelie Blocksidge left nothing to doubt as she jumped out to an early lead. Blocksidge, who is the reigning British Champion, was 16:13.39 last April, but had a PB of 16:10.04 from February of 2024. Blocksidge was nearly equal to her times from last year, as she opened in 2:07.04 and was 2:07.05 last year. At the 400-meter mark, she was 4:17.33, and last year she was 4:17.34. Things started to slip away over the next 400 as she flipped in 8:40.02 compared to her 8:38.77 from last year.

Fleur Lewis, who tailed her all of last year, was in a familiar position this swim as she moved her way up through the field in the first half of the race to be securely in 2nd at the 800 turn, flipping in 8:47.98.

Blocksidge made her senior international debut in December at the 2024 Short Course Worlds, where she placed 7th in a time of 15:47.28. The 16-year-old is unlikely to book a trip to Singapore as the consideration time of 16:02.39 was always going to be a tall order, but with so many opportunities for junior swimmers, Blocksidge’s winning time of 16:23.54 easily makes one of those teams. Her time, despite being 13 seconds off her PB, sets a new 16-year-old Age Group record, undercutting the 16:28.49 of Keri-Anne Payne set back in 2003, and makes Blocksidge a three-time champion in the event.

Men’s 200-Meter Butterfly

Junior Final

• British Record: 1:54.58 – Michael Rock (2009)
• British Junior Record: 1:57.16 – Jacob Peters (2017)

Top 3:

1.  Jack Brown (Plymouth Leander) – 2:00.83
2. Llewellyn Porter (Camden Swiss) – 2:02.55
3. Miles Kinlen (Co Sheffield) – 2:02.72

Lane 3’s Jack Brown took the race out fast, opening up 57.16, a different strategy from this morning, where he went out in 58.38. Brown, who was 18th this morning, had a lead over the top seed Llewellyn Porter at the 100, but Porter’s 30 50 closed the gap to just .01. Brown, who was 2:04.00 this morning surged on the last 50 fighting off the charge from Porter and Miles Kinlen in the last 30 meters or so to surge to the finish in 2:00.83 outsplitting Porter by nearly two seconds on the last 50. His time, a new PB sits just .40 off the Euro Junior Consideration time of 2:00.43.

British Open Final

• World Record: 1:50.34 — Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
• European Record: 1:50.34 — Kristof Milak, Hungary (2022)
• British Record: 1:54.58 – Michael Rock (2009)
• 2025 Worlds Consideration Time: — 1:54.97

Top 3:

1. Duncan Scott (Uni Of Stirling) – 1:54.89 ***WORLD CONSIDERATION TIME***
2. Edward Mildred (ManchesterPC) – 1:56.21
3. James Guy (ManchesterPC) – 1:59.44

In his post-race interview, when asked, Duncan Scott said he expected to go that fast, but I, like the audience, maybe didn’t see a 1:54.89 in the cards. When pressed if he was going to swim at the event in Singapore, Scott said, “I’m looking for my coach. There’s no chance I’m doing that; he better not be nodding his head.”

Scott, who, after prelims, made mention that his participation in the event was in part inspired by the butterfly speed of his international rivals, Leon Marchand took the race out quickly, going 53.94, but trailed top seed Ed Mildred, who was out in 53.86. The pair were separated by just .01 at the 150 with Scott in the lead, but Scot, who is the most decorated British Olympian at a single Games, surged over the last 50 closing in 30.92 to touch first in 1:54.89, a massive new PB.

His time just got under the World’s consideration time of 1:54.97, but as mentioned above, Scott appears to be unlikely to swim the event in Singapore. His time clocks in as the 4th fastest performance this season, trailing Luca Urlando’s 1:52.37 from earlier this month.

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.

High school junior Evan Gluck from Rockwall, Texas, has announced his verbal commitment to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 2026-27.

“I am honored and humbled to announce my commitment to UNC. Thank you to Coach Mark and Coach Jack for this incredible opportunity as well as my family and Coach Dan for their support. Go Heels!”

Gluck’s parents swam (father) and dove (mother) at LSU; his older brother Ethan Gluck was on the men’s swimming and diving squad as a freshman at Navy in 2023-24.

Gluck attends iUniversity Prep, an online school run out of the Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. He swims year-round with the City of Richardson Swim Team, where he specializes in distance freestyle. At the recent NCSA Spring Championships, Gluck earned new lifetime bests in the 500 free (4:28.08), 1000 free (9:05.22), and 200 fly (1:52.39). He was runner-up in the 1000 free, 3rd in the 1650, and 12th in the 500.

In December, he had an outstanding showing at the COR Classic, winning the 500/1000/1650 free and 400 IM and  improving his times in the 200/500/1000/1650 free, 200 breast, 100 fly, and 200/400 IM.

Similarly, last summer at NCSAs, he went best times in all his events, winning the mile (15:35.30), and finishing 6th in the 800 (8:12.42), 10th in the 400 free (4:01.75), 11th in the 400 IM (4:30.86), and 28th in the 200 fly (2:08.16). His 1500 time would have qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials had he swum it six weeks earlier.

Gluck is a U.S. Nationals qualifier in the 1500 and 800 free and a U.S. Open qualifier in the 400 free and 400 IM. His best SCY times include:

• 1650 free – 15:09.41
• 1000 free – 9:05.22
• 500 free – 4:28.08
• 400 IM – 3:58.99
• 200 fly – 1:52.39
• 200 free – 1:43.73

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: Summer Nationals Qualifier Evan Gluck Will Be a Tar Heel in 2026

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2025 IRISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Saturday, April 12th – Wednesday, April 16th
• Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre, Dublin, Ireland
• LCM (50m)
• SwimSwam Preview
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
• Results – Meet Mobile: Irish Open Championships 2025

The final night of action at the 2025 Irish Open Championships saw 24-year-old Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen roar his way to the wall for gold in the men’s 1500m freestyle.

Already having won the 400m and 800m distances at this competition, the Loughborough-based star produced a golden time of 14:42.71 to establish a new championship record.

Although his outing was off his lifetime best of 14:34.07 notched at last year’s World Championships, it was enough to dip under the 2018 record of 15:07.07 as well as the World Aquatics ‘A’ standard for the event.

Twin brother Nathan Wiffen, a Cal commit, reaped silver in 15:15.57 while National Centre Limerick’s Denis O’Brien collected bronze in 15:22.18.

Wiffen, who hasn’t been shy about his world record-setting goals, said post-race, ‘Amazing swim, I’m very happy with it.

“I would’ve liked my brother to have gone under the 15 minutes, but today wasn’t his day, so I’m sure he will have it in the future.

‘But mine, happy with the time, 14:42 is a world class time and it’s not far off of what won me the bronze medal in the Olympics, so I’m very pleased. It did hurt a lot, but it was worth it. Pretty solid times in all three (events), obviously came away with a gold medal and it was great to have such a lovely crowd cheer me the whole way.’

On what’s next for the Irishman, Wiffen stated, ‘Get a lot of training in, that’s the plan. I’ve got a lot of work to do, I’ve got a lot of ideas I want to do, and I’ve also got a big goal to win a couple of gold medals in the summer, so I’m going to work towards those goals and come away with a couple of medals.’

His effort rendered him the #2 swimmer in the world this season.

26-year-old Danielle Hill also nabbed a new meet record, posting a winning effort of 27.85 to take the women’s 50m back.

That was within striking distance of her own national record of 27.64 and beat the former meet mark of 28.11 she put on the books 2 years ago.

Olympian Hill also topped the women’s 50m free podium, putting up a solid result of 25.44.

At the conclusion of the competition, Swim Ireland National Performance DirectorJon Rudd commented,  ‘“Having completed five days of excellent racing, we can reflect back on some outstanding racing here in Dublin that gives us so much more to look forward to this summer.

‘With some fantastic young prospects breaking through into the senior ranks this week to join our established senior contingent, the World Championships in Singapore in July look very well set for Irish swimming.

‘When you see three Irish Senior and four Irish Junior records broken at this competition, it underlines even more that times are very good for Irish swimming and that we have already built on our success from the Paris Games.

‘We have a whole host of athletes to now consider for six National Teams this summer at age group, youth, and senior levels – so there is so much to anticipate for Irish swimming fans out there across June and July. Keep up the great work athletes and coaches – the big stages are ready for you”!’

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Daniel Wiffen Puts Up World’s #2 1500 Free Time To Close Out Irish Championships

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.

Zoe Smith from Little Rock, Arkansas, has verbally committed to join the North Carolina State University Wolfpack beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

“I am SO excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at NC State University!! Thank you to the whole NC state coaching staff and team for making me feel at home here!! And thank you to my friends, my family, my club coaches, and especially my parents for guiding me along this journey. GO PACK!!”

A junior at Little Rock’s Central High School, Smith has won 5 state titles and was runner-up in the 6th at her three Arkansas 6A High School Swimming and Diving Championships from 2023 to 2025. In her freshman season, she earned gold medals in the 50 free (23.52) and 100 free (51.76). In 2024, she won the 100 free (50.83) and was 2nd in the 100 back (54.80). This year, she swept the 50/100 free (23.74/51.06).

In club swimming, where she represents Arkansas Dolphins, Smith specializes mainly in sprint free, back, and fly. She clocked a number of PBs at Winter Juniors East last December, including the 50 free (23.21), 100 free (49.37), and 100 fly (54.65). She finished 7th in the 100 free. Her best backstroke times (54.23/1:58.50) date from Columbia Sectionals in March 2023. In LCM, Smith is a Summer Juniors qualifier in the 100 back (1:03.84), a Winter U.S. Open qualifier in the 100 free (57.53), and a Winter Juniors qualifier in the 100 fly (1:02.57).

Best SCY times:

• 50 free – 23.21
• 100 free – 49.37
• 100 back – 54.23
• 200 back – 1:58.50
• 100 fly – 54.65

The NC State women finished 5th at ACCs and 10th at NCAAs this past season. They had three sprinters under 22 seconds (Lily Christianson, Olivia Nel, and Tyler Driscoll) and another five faster than 23.0 (Cassie Moses, Leah Shackley, Erika Pelaez, Lindsey Immel, and Katherine Helms). Smith’s best times would have ranked among the Wolfpack’s top 10 in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 back.

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.

FFT SOCIAL

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Read the full story on SwimSwam: 5x Arkansas HS State Champion Zoe Smith (2026) Verbally Commits to NC State

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.

Breaststroke specialist Connor Lauritzen, a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American from Saline, Michigan, has announced his verbal commitment to Saginaw Valley State University.

“I am very excited to announce my commitment to swim at Saginaw Valley State University. I would like to thank my coaches Todd, Alan, Jim, and Tony as well as Coach Lintjer and Darbee for this opportunity. Lastly I would like to thank God, my family, and friends for all the support.” #svsu

Lauritzen is a senior at Saline High School. He swims year-round with Club Wolverine.

At the Michigan High School Division 1 State Championships in March, he placed 4th in both the 100 breast and 200 IM, notching lifetime bests in both events (56.88/1:54.49, a vast improvement from his junior year PBs of 57.99/1:58.53). As a senior captain, Lauritzen helped lead the Hornets to their first state title since 2013.

Lauritzen competed in the 100 and 200 breast at 2024 Winter Juniors East in Greensboro. He swam the same two events, plus the 200 IM, at Huntsville Futures last summer, wrapping up the 2024 long course season with PBs in all three events. He placed 6th in the 200 breast (2:20.80), 11th in the 100 breast (1:05.69), and 55th in prelims of the 200 IM (2:16.28).

Lauritzen was a long-time swimmer for the Terre Haute Torpedoes in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he was a multiple event finalist in Indiana Age Group States and Senior State Championships. He competed at two Sectionals before moving to Michigan.

Top SCY times:

• 100 breast – 56.88
• 200 breast – 2:02.69
• 200 IM – 1:54.49
• 200 free – 1:47.61
• 100 back – 55.6
• 100 fly – 55.03

Lauritzen’s best 200 breast time would have ranked 2nd on the SVSU team this past season and he would have scored in the “B” final of the GLIAC conference championship. He would have been 5th in the 100 breast. His arrival is timely, as the Lakers’ top three breaststrokers (Logan Fox, Eric Slabbert, and Josh Rottier) were all seniors in 2024-25.

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.

FFT SOCIAL

Instagram – @fitterandfasterswimtour
Facebook – @fitterandfastertour
Twitter – @fitterandfaster

^{FFT is a SwimSwam partner.}

Read the full story on SwimSwam: U.S. Open Qualifier Connor Lauritzen Commits to Saginaw Valley State for 2025-26

By SwimSwam on SwimSwam

Let’s be honest—no one trains 10,000 yards (or meters) a day just to get water in their goggles on race day. You’ve done the work, survived the doubles, made peace with the snorkel set, and tapered down to that one shot at a best time. The last thing you need is for your gear to fail you. And when it comes to race-day gear, goggles are the most overlooked weapon in your swim bag.

A goggle is more than a piece of plastic strapped to your face—it’s your window to the race. You need crystal-clear vision when you’re trying to split your backstroke flags or gauge your competitors mid-race. You need a goggle that doesn’t fog after warm-up or shift on the start. And most of all, you need a goggle that fades into the background so you can focus on your swim—not the leak in your left eye socket.

Whether you’re chasing an Olympic Trials cut or grinding out your best time in the 200 IM at high school state, goggle performance matters. So we did the homework: we reviewed every major race goggle on the market, gathered feedback from swimmers in the NCAA, U.S. National Team, and beyond, and watched what the pros wear when it matters most—Worlds, Olympic Trials, NCAA Championships.

This isn’t a list about brand loyalty or hype. It’s about what works when the pressure is highest—based on four key categories:

• Fit: Does it seal without crushing your face? Does it stay put off the blocks?
• Visibility: Wide field of vision? Can you see the wall, the lane rope, and your competition without moving your head?
• Anti-Fog Longevity: Does it stay clear through warm-up, prelims, and finals—or does it fog before the whistle?
• Race-Day Readiness: Would a swimmer actually wear this when a PR or Olympic spot is on the line?

Note: SwimSwam is independently owned and operated. We are not owned by a nonprofit, governing body, or a retail company. If you order via these affiliate links in this post, you help support our mission of unbiased, athlete-first journalistic swim coverage.

These competitive goggle rankings are based purely on performance, not price. Let’s dive in.

By Coleman Hodges on SwimSwam

Looking for a job in swimming? Go here to see 679 Swim Jobs.

Assistant Director, Aquatics

Serving as the chief officer for the aquatics area, providing leadership in aquatics management and programming in the Student Recreation Center.

Lifeguard PWG

All candidates for employment will be subject to pre-employment background screening for this position, which may include motor vehicle, DOT certification, drug testing and credit checks based on the position description and job requirements. All offers are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check.

Full Time & Part Time Coaches – All Star Aquatics (Washington, DC Area)

All Star Aquatics (ASA) is a Potomac Valley bronze medal swim club located in Bethesda, MD.  ASA has steadily risen in the national rankings of the Virtual Club Championship and is currently ranked #40 in the country.

Associate Head Coach

Founded in 1967 our facility has grown from 1 pool to 7 total pools in our venue. In addition to multiple 8 lane 25 yard pools in 2016 we built an indoor 50m facility exclusively used by the swim team. We currently have 380 athletes eager to get betting in Midland, Texas. Midland has a strong community in full support of the competitive success of our team.

Assistant Swim Coach – St. Thomas University (Miami, FL)

The primary function of the Assistant Coach is to assist the Head Coach in all program operations, including recruiting, retaining and coaching members of the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving Teams.  The Assistant Coach is responsible for day-to-day coaching responsibilities and is expected to meet recruiting and retention goals.  This position will also assist the Head Coach on the coordination of travel, meet management, equipment management, and fundraising.

Assistant Coach Women’s Swimming and Diving

The Assistant Coach for Women’s Swimming and Diving will assist the Head Coach in planning and directing the SMU Women’s Swimming program. This position will report directly to the Head Coach for Women’s Swimming.

Full -Time Lead Coach and National Group Assistant

The Burlingame Aquatic Club (http://www.burlingameaquatics.com), located in Burlingame, is a non-profit, public benefit organization that provides high quality aquatic programs for people of all ages. We operate out of the Burlingame Aquatic Center on the campus of Burlingame High School, and we work in conjunction with the City of Burlingame and its Parks & Recreation Department.

Head Coach – Swimming

The Head Coach for men’s and women’s swimming provides direction and administrative oversight for the program related to successful athletic performance, recruitment and retention of quality student athletes, providing the necessary leadership for a positive competitive environment for student athletes.

Assistant Men’s & Women’s Swim and Dive Coach

Assist the Head Men’s/Women’s Swimming and Diving Coach in all aspects of coaching and teaching for an NCAA Division III sport program. Teach and coach student athletes, recruit highly selective prospective students, develop and implement season training and workout plan, lead physical training (including dryland), organize and run swimming practices, and assist in all facets of aquatics management.

Associate Director of Competitive Aquatics

The Associate Director of Competitive Aquatics reports directly to the Executive Director of Competitive Aquatics. This position is responsible for the supervision, direction and coaching of all swim team programming at all branches with guidance from the executive director of competitive aquatics.

Head Coach – Women’s Swimming & Diving

Connecticut College, a member of the NCAA Division III and New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), is conducting a national search for an experienced coach to lead its intercollegiate Women’s Swimming & Diving program. Located on a beautiful campus along the Thames River in New London, CT, Connecticut College offers an inspiring environment for both student-athletes and staff.

Assistant Site Lead Coach – Steel City Aquatics

Under the direction of the Site Lead Coach, the Assistant Site Lead Coach is responsible for leading and assisting groups at one of Steel City Aquatics’ sites. This role plays a crucial part in supporting the development and success of swimmers, ensuring they reach their full potential.

Site Lead Coach – Full-Time – Steel City Aquatics

Under the direction of the Head Coach, the Site Lead Coach is responsible for leading and coaching the competitive swimming program at one of Steel City Aquatics sites. They are responsible for creating and executing a strategy for the continued success of all swimmers and developing the skills and talent of the coaches.

Assistant Coach – Part-Time – Steel City Aquatics

Under the direction of the Site Lead Coach, the Part-Time Assistant Coach is responsible for playing a key role in supporting the development and success of swimmers within the age group program. You will collaborate closely with the Site Lead Coach to plan and execute training sessions, monitor athlete progress, and create a positive and motivating atmosphere for swimmers.

Competitive Swim Team Head Coach

Villa Sport offers exciting and fulfilling career opportunities for those who thrive in a fast-paced, energizing environment. Our portfolio includes clubs across multiple states, including California, Texas, Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon. Our resort-style clubs are more than just gyms; they are communities where fitness, family, and fun come together. We are on a mission to create energizing environments where you can thrive and grow with us.

Chinook Aquatic Club – Head Coach

Overview: Chinook Aquatic Club has been an established and strong running club in the Pacific Northwest Swimming organization since its inception of 1965. Chinook Aquatic Club attracts swimmers of all ages across the Greater Seattle Area and operates in pools within the Bellevue and Renton locations of operation.

Assistant College Swim Coach Oklahoma Christian University

Assist Head Coach and Olympian Josh Davis in set writing, season planning, recruiting and normal assistant coach duties at DII top 25 team Oklahoma Christian University in beautiful Edmond, OK.  Benefits and salary starting at between $35-45k depending on experience.   Contact and send resume to josh.davis@oc.edu

Head Coach and CEO – Fort Collins Area Swim Team (FAST)

FAST is a year-round competitive swimming program that helps swimmers grow at the local, state, and national levels through 250 plus Age-Group and over 200 Masters swimmers. We focus on physical, social, character and emotional development, teaching values like goal setting, discipline, and fitness that align with our Mission and Vision Statements. FAST is a non-profit organization affiliated with USA Swimming and Colorado Swimming. 

Assistant Coach, Diving

To assist in coaching, recruiting, counseling, conditioning, evaluating for the swimming and diving team as directed.

Assistant Site Lead Coach – Steel City Aquatics

Steel City Aquatics is a premier swimming organization dedicated to fostering a passion for swimming and developing athletes at all levels. We pride ourselves on our strong community presence, commitment to excellence, and our core values of Grit, Service, Passion, Integrity, and Growth.

Assistant Coach, Swimming

To assist in coaching, recruiting, counseling, conditioning, evaluating for the swimming and diving team as directed.

Head Senior Coach

The Head Senior Coach at Aspire Aquatics of Colorado is responsible for leading all aspects of 13 & Over training groups focusing on athlete development, technical progression, and fostering a positive and competitive swim culture. This role involves high-level coaching, effective communication with athletes and parents, and targeted administrative tasks.

Fitter And Faster National Leadership Position

Fitter & Faster is hiring! One of the most impactful roles in the company is now open, and they’re looking for a proven leader in the swimming community with national reach and influence.

Head M & W Swimming Coach

The Head Swim Coach provides leadership and direction for the college’s men’s and women’s swim teams, including but not limited to program budgeting, student recruitment, training and development of staff and players. The Head Swim Coach is responsible for the development of student-athletes and supports the mission of Division III athletics, and the mission of the college. This position reports to the Director of Athletics.

Lead Developmental Coach

We are looking for an energetic, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable swim coach to do the following  Direct and lead our developmental middle school  and youth training groups. . The swimmers in this group are looking to build the fundamentals in all four strokes and aiming to achieve B times and compete successfully at the LSC level.   Be a consistent  deck coach for  our AM Masters  group.

Lifeguard Coordinator

Our unique culture is at the heart of all we do and is guided by our values and behaviors. It’s what we expect of ourselves and each other every day. We call them the “Actions We Live By.”

Head Age Group Coach & Director for 14 & Under Swimmers

Columbia Swim Club (CSC) is seeking an experienced full-time Head Age Group Coach & Director of our Hickman location for a growing competitive swim team in Columbia, Missouri. We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Head Age Group Coach/Director for our 14 and under age group swimmers beginning August 1, 2025.

Fitter And Faster National Leadership Position

Fitter & Faster is hiring! One of the most impactful roles in the company is now open, and they’re looking for a proven leader in the swimming community with national reach and influence.

Graduate Assistant Coach – Swimming

University of the Cumberlands is seeking a qualified candidate for the position of graduate assistant, Men’s and Women’s Swimming.

Head Coach/General Manager Redding Swim Team

For nearly 75 years, the Redding Swim Team has been a cornerstone of competitive swimming, producing champions in the pool and leaders in life. As a legacy swim club, we take pride in our rich history, strong community, and commitment to excellence. Now, we’re looking for a motivational leader to join our non-profit organization, build on our success and take us into the future!

UNC Asheville, Asst. Swim Coach

Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Western North Carolina, UNC Asheville is the designated public liberal arts campus in the University of North Carolina system. UNC Asheville is nationally known for the quality of our student-centered teaching, mentoring of undergraduates in research, interdisciplinary learning, and striving to be an inclusive campus community.

Head Age Group Coach

Train and coach Development and Performance level athletes ages 11-15. Teach advanced level swim team skills to further enhance each athlete’s growth in the sport. Plan and organize daily practices under the direction of the head coach. Create a seasonal plan that fits the scope of the athletes being coached.

Assistant Coach, Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving

The part-time assistant coach for men’s and women’s swimming and diving is responsible for assisting the head men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach in implementing and directing all phases of a competitive NCAA Division III men’s and women’s swimming and diving program at DePauw University.

Head Coach – Swimming

Midland University, a private, faith-based, liberal arts university in Fremont, Nebraska (just outside of metro Omaha), is seeking a Head Swimming Coach. The candidate will direct all aspects of the swimming program, including coaching, recruiting, coordinating practice or performance schedules, on-deck coaching, dry-land conditioning, and other duties for effectively developing the team.

Masters Swim Coach in NYC (Mornings, Evenings, or Weekends)

Team New York Aquatics (TNYA) is looking for energetic, experienced coaches to lead adult swim practices at locations in Columbus Circle, Tribeca, Crown Heights, and the South Bronx.

Swim Team Coach

The primary purpose of employees in this class is to be responsible for swimmers ages 5 through 18. The coach would be available to coach on week day evenings and weekend swim meets. Responsibilities include coaching swim team practices, building strong and confident swimmers through our Mini Sharks program, creating swim workouts for practice groups, monitoring swim safety and behavior and coaching meets as directed by the Assistant Director.

Fitter And Faster National Leadership Position

Fitter & Faster is hiring! One of the most impactful roles in the company is now open, and they’re looking for a proven leader in the swimming community with national reach and influence.

Associate Head Swim Coach

Mercersburg Academy, a premier, coeducational, independent boarding and day school for 447 students located in historic and scenic Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, and located only 90 minutes from Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD seeks a seasoned Associate Head Coach for our Boys and Girls Swimming Program.

Assistant Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach

Under general supervision, the Assistant Swimming Coach assists the head coach in building the swimming program, developing student-athletes academically and athletically, and contributing to the mission of the University.

Fitter And Faster National Leadership Position

Fitter & Faster is hiring! One of the most impactful roles in the company is now open, and they’re looking for a proven leader in the swimming community with national reach and influence.

Head Swim Coach – VillaSport Beaverton

Villa Sport offers exciting and fulfilling career opportunities for those who thrive in a fast-paced, energizing environment. Our portfolio includes clubs across multiple states, including California, Texas, Colorado, Idaho, and Oregon. Our resort-style clubs are more than just gyms; they are communities where fitness, family, and fun come together. We are on a mission to create energizing environments where you can thrive and grow with us.

Assistant Coach – Sharks Swim Club

Established in 2017, SHARKS Swim Club is a year-round USA Swimming competitive team serving swimmers of all ages in the Friendswood and League City areas. Our mission is to provide a safe, healthy, and positive environment for all athletes to grow in their sport. We offer a range of programs, including competitive teams, swim school, adaptive aquatics, and masters swimming.

Assistant Coach Men’s and Women’s Swimming Coach

Assist Head Swimming and Diving coach with planning, organizi

By SwimSwam Contributors on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Doug Cornish, the founder of Swimpler. Follow Swimpler on Substack here.

A majority of the feedback from Volume 1 consisted of requests for actionable items for coaches who want to apply this with their swimmers. Volume 2 offers some norm-challenging ideas and options that I’ve developed. Swimmers are a varied bunch. So are coaches. The strength of the coaching community is its diversity. By no means am I suggesting that everyone blindly follow along. I’m injecting some data and perspective into a conversation that should continue pushing the envelope of the event. We don’t make progress without thinking outside of the box, trying new things.

Click HERE for Volume 1.

Click HERE for the NCAA D1 200 FR A-Final 2015-2025 Data Set

Both are referenced heavily.

THE PROBLEM WITH PACING

Pacing suggests predictability using repeatable effort to achieve repeatable results. But the 200 free doesn’t work like that. Each 50 is its own beast, differentiated by energy systems, physiological demands, and the ways that each 50 is started and finished.

• 1st 50: Block start to foot-touch. A hybrid of ATP-PCr and early anaerobic energy.
• 2nd 50: Foot to foot. Anaerobic dominant.
• 3rd 50: Foot to foot. Transition phase—anaerobic wanes, aerobic ramps up.
• 4th 50: Foot to hand. Primarily aerobic, influenced by endocrine/neural fatigue.

While it’s possible for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th splits to be the same, you won’t achieve that through traditional pacing.

Given the 4 truths just mentioned, I ask:

“Where does the athlete encounter consecutive 50’s in which consistent effort will yield a consistent split?”

XYZ SYSTEM OF TEACHING/TRAINING RACE STRATEGY

To simplify teaching and training the 200 FR, and to communicate it in a memorable way, I use a model that I call XYZ.

• Y = X + 2
• Z = Y + 1.9
• If X = Best 50 = 24.0, then:
• Y = 1st 50 = 26.0
• Z = 2nd 50 = 27.9

If you go out too fast, you will bonk. If you go out too slow, you will take yourself out of the race. Like the algebraic equation above, the key to solving the 200 FR is learning that first 50. The value of X unlocks the values of Y and Z.

X & Y

Finding X (Max Speed)

• 50 off the block at top speed with a hand finish in individual heats
• Time = X
• Athlete Example: 24.0

Solving For Y (1st 50 Speed)

• Recover fully after Finding X.
• Rehearse 50s off the block to the foot – and with full recovery at X+2
• Time = Y
• Athlete Example: 24.0 + 2 = 26.0

Being able to hit XY in combination teaches the swimmer the perceived effort and feel necessary to hit the perfect 1st 50. Avoid doing X and Y on different days. This risks disconnecting perceived effort from performance. Since we want them to learn how it feels to go out, the perceived effort needs to become consistent and repeatable.

The second step in mastering the 200 FR is to master the second 50.

Solving for Z = 2nd 50 Speed

• 3 x 50’s @ Y + (1.7 to 1.9)
• Athlete Example: 24.0 + 2 + 1.9 = 27.9
  • Level 1 = on 15 seconds rest
  • Level 2 = on 10 seconds rest
  • Level 3 = on 5 seconds rest
  • Advance only when the swimmer consistently holds Z. Avoid moving up the first time they hold Z. Let them master it first.

The 3rd step is to master the 3rd and 4th 50.

These are the most brutal parts of the race. Even the most well-trained, elite athletes struggle to hold their splits here despite going out around two seconds slower than their best 50. Normalize this with your swimmers. Help them understand that the fade is not failure. It’s physiology, and it’s manageable with intelligent race design and training.

Why is it so hard?

• The anaerobic system is failing.
• The aerobic system is ramping up—but it’s not fully in charge yet.
• Acidosis is building.
• Neural fatigue sets in.
• Negative thoughts creep in, triggering energy-draining neurotransmitters like cortisol, reducing motor unit recruitment.
• Muscles are stiff and flooded.
  

If strategy and effort don’t evolve during this phase, the splits will rise.

That’s why these 50s must be trained deliberately. You can’t just repeat the first half’s strategy—you need to teach swimmers how to shift gears and maintain aggression as systems change. This means simulating the fatigue, the tempo, and the emotion of the back half.

It means building their ability to hold Z under duress.

RACE MODELING

Below is my favorite way to set up the 200 FR after going through XYZ. I’m sharing it because I believe in the creative problem-solving ability of coaches. Feel free to copy if you would like. What I’m really interested in, though, is hearing the ways that you take this information and apply it for the benefit of your swimmers.

200 FR RACE MODEL

5 x 50 FR

• Interval should be about 5 second rest
• Reps should be easily repeatable, fully aerobic, smooth and yield consistent splits

Rest :15

1 x 150 FR

• Descend each 50 starting with the pace from the 5 x 50’s.
• Learning to descend the 50’s within the 150 is the key. Like the 200 FR, it’s not easy.
• Keep repping it, they will get it.
• As swimmers improve, the aerobic pace of the 50’s will slowly improve, which will re-establish the base of their 150.
• The swimmer is “ready” when they hit Z on the 3rd 50 of the 150.

WHY IT WORKS

Not all freestyle technique is the same. Too much aerobic work will pull a swimmer’s stroke toward catch-up, disconnecting the body rotation from the pull. The 5x50s give athletes a chance to fine-tune race-specific technique, while they’re fresh enough to focus, but taxed enough to simulate early-race conditions.

The 1×150 is where the magic happens. Across those 150 yards, the athlete’s heart rate, tempo, and aggression patterns mirror race demands, taking them through all five energy system phases of the 200 FR in real time. Plus, you now have a tangible benchmark: the 3rd 50 split becomes your target, directly comparable to race performance and vice-versa.

That’s what separates a true race model from just another set. It teaches swimmers how to swim the race while conditioning them specifically for it. Frequency, intensity, and duration are aligned with the actual event, targeting the exact systems, strategies, and sensations in the same patterns and along the same timeline as the actual event.

BEWARE OF BROKEN SWIMS

Broken swims feel fast, but they’re not race models. Rest between segments lets swimmers tap energy stores that won’t be available to them mid-race. It’s not the same physiology, not the same demands. Value exists in broken swims, but there is a better way to target race preparation and projection.

REAL LIFE EXAMPLE

I had a girl who was 1:53 in the 200 FR mid-season, at which point we began utilizing the race model above. At champs, she went 1:48. Below is how she advanced within the set over four months to bring about the 1:48.

When she finally hit 27 on the 150, something changed in her. She transformed from fearful to fearless. She went from doubting that she could ever break 1:50 to knowing without a doubt that we were going to see a 27 on the clock for the 3rd 50.

Why? She knew she was capable AND she knew how to do it.

Game-changer!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

If the only time your swimmer swims a whole 200 FR at race intensity is at the meet, then the race is the only time they are truly preparing for the race itself.

1. Teach them how to put the first 50 in the pool by solving for Y
2. Teach them how to put the second 50 in the pool by solving for Z
3. Teach them how to build speed up to and hold Z through race modeling.
4. Give them opportunities to rep the whole 200 at practice at race pace.

We’ve covered steps 1, 2, and 3. Now it’s time for step 4:
Give your swimmers the chance to rehearse the race itself. Not just pace, but full execution, with strategy, focus, and feedback. Take splits. Review. Try again. Rehearsal is practice.

One simple way to do this: treat a practice like a meet. Run heats. Assign teammates to take and record splits. When they finish, they review their data, warm down, hydrate, help a teammate, and get ready to apply what they’ve learned on the next rep.

This isn’t just an opportunity to rehearse the 200 free. It’s an opportunity to rehearse everything: how to warm up, how to cool down, what to eat, when to drink, how to prepare, how to respond. They’re learning how to show up on race day.

No, you won’t rack up a ton of yardage.

But you’ll build better, more informed and more prepared swimmers.

As you work with your swimmers, I’d love to hear about the instruments you’ve created to teach them how to crush the 200 FR.

In my next submission, I’m going to tackle the Sub-1:30 group and dive into Luke Hobson’s 7 x sub-1:30 swims.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: How The Elite Race The SCY 200 Free Volume 2: Pacing Problems, The XYZ Model & Race Modeling

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2025 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 15th – Sunday, April 20th
• Prelims at 9:30am local (4:30am ET)/Finals at 7pm local (2pm ET)
• London Aquatics Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Aquatics GB World Championships Selection Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview
• Draft Entries
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

We entered day 3 of the 2025 Aquatics GB Swimming Championships, the sole qualifying competition for British swimmers to add their names to the roster for this summer’s World Championships.

As a refresher, the Aquatics GB selection policy for Singapore states that any individual Olympic medalist from the 2024 Olympic Games will have earned a slot on the roster. Additionally, any relay medalist who raced in the Paris final has also booked his/her spot on the World Championships relay.

With that criteria in mind, the following athletes have already been penciled in for Singapore for Great Britain:

• Ben Proud – men’s 50m free
• Matt Richards – men’s 200m free, men’s 4x200m free relay
• Duncan Scott – men’s 200m IM, men’s 4x200m free relay
• Adam Peaty – men’s 100m breast
• James Guy – men’s 4x200m free relay
• Tom Dean– men’s 4x200m free relay

The rest of the pack is fighting hard to earn their qualification against the stiff Aquatics GB qualifying standards, knowing that there are discretionary picks to be had as well.

Women’s 50m Back

After a rather disappointing women’s 100m back last night where no female dipped under the minute barrier, several women staked their claim on the 50m back event this morning.

Mount Kelly’s Blythe Kinsman, the reigning British Age Record holder for 16-year-olds, led the charge, grabbing the top seed in 28.09.

That already wiped out her former personal best of 28.29, the time she put up for bronze at last year’s European Junior Championships.

Lauren Cox of Loughborough, last night’s 100m back silver medalist, was next to the wall in 28.14. She’s been as fast as 27.20 in her career, a time from the 2023 World Championships that rendered her the second-fastest British swimmer in history.

Olympic relay gold medalist from Tokyo Kathleen Dawson is also in the mix, courtesy of the 28.95 she produced this morning as the only other swimmer under the 29-second threshold.

As we’ve mentioned, Aquatics GB does not dictate an outright qualification time for what they originally called ‘non-Olympic events’, which included 50s of breast, fly, and back. Swimmers may be discretionarily selected for these events, which have since been added to the LA 2028 Olympic program, or potentially have the 50 added to their lineup if they’ve already qualified for the 100m distance.

Women’s 200m Breast

As expected, 21-year-old Stirling swimmer Angharad Evans captured the top seed in the women’s 200m breast, turning in a solid morning effort of 2:25.36.

That set her apart from the field by a large margin, with Loughborough’s Lily Booker next in line nearly 5 seconds back in 2:30.21.

The 50m breaststroke victor here, Kara Hanlon, claimed the 4th seed in 2:30.43, but this is truly Evans’ race to lose.

Evans, the British record holder in the 100m breast, has already been as swift as 2:22.64 this season from February’s British Universities & Colleges Championships (BUCS). That ranks her #2 in the world, sitting only behind American Kate Douglass‘ mark of 2:22.60.

That performance also rendered Evans Great Britain’s 5th-best performer in history. She’ll need to be in range of that outing, given that the qualifying standard is positioned at 2:23.04, a threshold under which only 5 British swimmers have ever been.

Men’s 100m Back

Tonight’s 100m back final will be one of the highlights of the entire meet, with a battle brewing among Oliver (Ollie) Morgan, Matthew Ward, and Johnny Marshall.

Morgan earned the pole position with a casual morning swim of 53.14, followed by Ward who punched 53.60. Marshall of Carnegie, as well as the University of Florida, hit a mark of 53.76 to put his hat in the ring.

Olympic medalist Luke Greenbank lurks as the 5th-seeded swimmer, although he hasn’t been on form as of late.

21-year-old Morgan of Birmingham has been the most consistent men’s 100m backstroke for GBR in recent history, collecting 7 performances under the 53-second barrier already in his young career.

He set the British national record of 52.70 from last year’s Olympic Trials and held the #1 time in the world before multiple Russians wreaked havoc on the rankings at their Swimming Championships. His season-best of 52.71 positions him 5th on the globe at the moment.

Morgan’s time this morning already dipped under the Aquatics GB-mandated QT of 53.30, although he’ll need to repeat that caliber of performance this evening.

As for Scottish national record holder Ward, his outing this morning already nailed a new personal best and new national standard, crushing his previous PB of 54.10 from last year’s Trials to show he is on a mission for tonight’s final.

Finally, Marshall has been as swift as 53.03 and carries the momentum of having finished 2nd in the yards version of the event at this year’s NCAA Championships.

Women’s 50m Free

Repton’s rising sprint ace Eva Okaro clocked a super speedy effort of 24.90 to rise to the top of the women’s 50m freestyle pack.

The 18-year-old broke through in a big way at last year’s Short Course World Championshps, finishing 4th en route to setting a new World Junior Record of 23.66.

This morning, she posted the sole result of the field under the 25-second barrier, with her time only being .10 off her lifetime best of 24.80 from the Edinburgh International Swim Meet last month.

Rebecca Guy of Bristol Henleaze snagged the 2nd seed in 25.24, dipping under her previous PB of 25.30 as a sign she’s ready to take on Okaro in tonight’s final. Guy is 32 years of age as the oldest competitor of the field.

Versatile ace Theodora Taylor, a two-time European Junior Championships medalist in breaststroke events, bagged the 3rd seed in 25.30, just a hair off her lifetime best of 25.27 from last summer.

The finalists are looking to fill the void that Olympian Anna Hopkin left behind when she announced her retirement last December. She represents just one of two swimmers who have ever been under the Aquatics GB QT of 23.61 needed for Singapore.

Men’s 100m Free

No one held back in the men’s 100m freestyle as athletes are vying not only for an individual slot on the roster but are also hunting for a coveted spot on the 4x100m free relay.

Olympic multi-medalist Matt Richards busted out a result of 48.07 as a rapid marker, splitting 22.99/25.08 in the process. That easily overtook his previous season-best of 48.58 from January’s City of Sheffield meet.

Repton’s 18-year-old Jacob Mills crushed a monster personal best of 48.11 to snag the 2nd seed.

Mills has been on a steep upward trajectory, beginning with a personal best of 49.61 logged at last year’s Rotterdam Qualification Meet, followed by an even quicker PB of 49.33 at last month’s Edinburgh International Meet.

That means this morning’s result marks the teen’s first-ever foray under the 49-second barrier and, just like that, he rockets up the all-time British rankings to become the 6th-fastest man ever.

Olympians Alex Cohoon, Jacob Whittle, Tom Dean and Jack McMillan are also serious contenders.

Cohoon secured the 3rd seed in 48.23, just .03 off his PB of 48.20. Whittle was 48.55, Dean fired off 48.63 and McMillan registered 48.83 as the other swimmers under the 49-second barrier.

Lewis Burras missed making the final, finishing 11th in 49.53. He’ll need to step it up in the 50m free to make the squad.

The world rankings have been rattled after this morning’s onslaught. Richards takes over slot #4, Mills is now 5th and the other sub-49-second contenders are among the top 10.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 Aquatics GB Day 3 Prelims Recap: Richards Fires Off 48.07 100 Free Marker

By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam

2025 ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Riccione – Swimming Stadium Pool
• April 13–17, 2025
• Prelims at 10am local (4am ET)/Senior Finals at 6pm local (12pm ET)
• World Championships Qualification
• SwimSwam Italia Event Page
• Entries
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Prelims Recap
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Live Results
• Livestream

The 2025 Italian Championships wrap up today with a sprint-and-distance session, with three 50’s and three events 400m or further. Of note, the following swimmers have added their names to the World Championships team for this summer, although there will be an additional opportunity at the Sette Colli trophy in June as well.

World Championships Qualifiers Through Day 3:

1. Simona Quadarella – women’s 800m free
2. Anita Bottazzo – women’s 100m breast
3. Lisa Angiolini – women’s 100m breast
4. Leonardo Deplano – men’s 50m free
5. Nicolo Martinenghi – men’s 100m breaststroke
6. Sara Franceschi – women’s 200m IM
7. Anita Gastaldi – women’s 200m IM
8. Sara Curtis– women’s 100m free, women’s 50m free

Women’s 50m Breaststroke

Anita Bottazzo led the way in the women’s 50m breaststroke this morning, swimming her third-ever best time to go 30.39 to lead the heats by half a second.

Her PB stands at the 30.02 she swam in the semi-finals of the 2023 World Championships. She would go on to finish 5th in the final in a time of 30.11, and took silver at the inaugural European U23 championships later that summer in a time of 30.59.

She also swam this event at the Doha World championships last year, finishing 13th in semi-finals in a time of 30.89, so she is already well ahead of where she was last season.

Bottazzo has just finished up her freshman year at Florida, where she took ninth at NCAAs in the 100 yard breastroke, and had a great meet at the Westmont Pro Swim Series two weeks prior, going 30.65/1:07.32. After smashing her best time in the 100m breaststroke with a 1:05.82 on Day 1, the 30-second barrier will be in her sights this evening.

Behind her Lisa Angiolini and Ariana Castiglioni broke 31 seconds in 30.89 and 30.93 respectively, as they set themselves up for a repeat podium from the 100m event.

Angiolini has already booked a spot on the Singapore team with a 1:06.01 to take second behind Bottazzo in the 100, running down Castiglioni in the final metres, but both will have work to do if they want to hit the time of 30.29 here.

There was no Benedetta Pilato in the field, as the Italian and World Junior Record holder has been absent from this meet after pulling out of the 100m breaststroke final on Day 1.

Men’s 50m Breaststroke

A familiar duo led the way in the Men’s event, as the top-two from the 100m event took the top two seeds in the shorter distance. Nicolo Martinenghi just edged out Simone Cerasuolo, 27.15 to 27.19, as Ludovico Viberti made sure to make it into the ‘A’ final this time with a time of 27.36 to capture third spot.

Viberti missed out on the ‘A’ final in the 100m breaststroke on Day 2, going 1:01.36 in prelims to take ninth before blasting to a new PB of 59.04 in the ‘B’ final. That made him the #3 Italian all-time and was faster than Martinenghi’s winning time from the ‘A’ final, but due to the Italian Swimming Federation’s regulations will not qualify him for Singapore as only ‘A’ final times are considered. He’ll have another chance at that distance at the Sette Colli at the end of June .

His best time in the shorter event is 26.80 from the Sette Colli last year, the third-fastest PB in the field. Martinenghi is the Italian Record holder with the 26.32 he went to win World Champs in 2023, but Simone Cerasuolo isn’t far behind with the 26.53 he went at this competition last year.

Federico Poggio is the final man in the field to have broken 27 seconds, and will swim out of lane 2 tonight after going 27.65.

Women’s 400m Freestyle

Simona Quadarella swam a relaxed 4:12.48 to put herself into lane 4 for the 400m freestyle fina tonight, where she will be flanked by Linda Caponi (4:14.66) and 1500m runner-up Noemi Cesarano (4:14.81).

The time required for Singapore is a stiff 4:06.09, and with only Quadarella having broken 4:10 in this field it will likely be her against the clock tonight as she aims to complete the 400-800-1500 sweep.

Her best time stands at 4:03.35 from 2018, although she was only 4:06.55 here last year. Having already qualified in the 800m freestyle on day 1, she may get the chance to swim this if she can beat the WA ‘A’ cut of 4:10.23.

The surprise 200m champ, 14-year-old Alessandro Mao, added to her entry time to go 4:27.07.

Men’s 400m IM

No one broke 4:20 this morning in a sleepy set of heats for the 400 IM, with Pier Matteazzi leading the way in 4:20.32. The bigger story was who was not swimming, with Italian Record Holder and World Short Course bronze-medalist Alberto Razzetti a no-show this morning. After just missing out of the automatic qualification standards in both the 200 fly and 200 IM he may now be targeting the Sette Colli meet to stamp his ticket to Singapore.

He was well under the WA ‘A’ cut in both of those however, and would likely be taken as a discretionary pick regardless. It would be a surprise to see him drop the 400 IM this season after a successful short course season in the event and a fifth-place finish in Paris where he was less than a tenth off his National Record.

Matteazzi powered ahead on the breaststroke this morning, jumping from fourth at halfway to first within 50 metres. His 1:12.65 split was the only one under 1:13 this morning and have him the buffer he needed to take lane 4 for tonight.

Fellow 200 IM finalist Simone Spediacci was close behind to take second in 4:20.98, going out fast on the first half of the race as he did in the shorter event. He was less than 1.5 seconds off his best time of 4:19.58 from the Sette Colli last year.

With the qualification standard a speedy 4:11.99, a drop will be required for anyone to make the cut. Matteazzi’s best time of 4:12.79 from 2021 is less than a second away, although he was only 4:14.90 last year.

We will also have an entirely different podium to the 200 IM, as Christian Mantegazza dropped the event after his 200 breaststroke win yesterday and Alberto Tredici was not entered.

Women’s 200m backstroke

Without stalwart Margherita Panziera in the field it was subdued prelims of the 200m backstroke, with Francesca Furfaro claiming top spot in 2:13.23 and a 2:15.36 required to make the final.

With 2:08.99 required for Singapore, it’s unlikely we’ll see anybody add their name to the team in this event.

Furfaro, Francesca Pasquino and Aurora Velati are the only swimmers to return from the 100m backstroke final as we may see another event with high turnover on the podium. Pasquino has taken silver and bronze in the 50 and 100 backstroke respectively so far, and will be hoping for a third podium here.

Women’s 50m Fly

Italian Record holder Silvia Di Pietro was just four-tenths off her best time as she sped to a time of 26.18 to lead the heats by 0.30 seconds. Six women broke 27 seconds as the entire podium from the 100 qualified for tonight’s final, even with the in-form Sara Curtis a no-show.

The Singapore qualification time is a tenth under Di Pietro’s record and may be out of reach here, but the 32-year-old has set herself up well with her swim this morning.

Ilaria Bianchi, who had the second-fastest PB of anyone in the field with her 26.38 from 2019, missed out in tenth.

Men’s 1500m Freestyle – Early Heats

Filippo Renaldi led the way this morning, as the Livorno swimmer dropped 14 seconds from his entry time to go 15:22.34 and win the heat by over 10 seconds. That’s faster than three of the entrants in the fastest heat tonight, although well off the time required for Singapore.

There was a ferocious battle for second behind him, as Dario Verani and Pasquale Sanzullo were neck-and-neck for the final 400 metres. Verani ran Sanzullo down on the final 50 with a rapid 28.13 split to win the battle by just 0.06, 15:33.90 to 15:33.96

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2025 Italian Championships Day 5 Prelims: Breaststrokers Take Center Stage on Final Day

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2025 AQUATICS GB SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, April 15th – Sunday, April 20th
• Prelims at 9:30am local (4:30am ET)/Finals at 7pm local (2pm ET)
• London Aquatics Centre
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Aquatics GB World Championships Selection Criteria
• SwimSwam Preview
• Draft Entries
• Live Results
• Livestream
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2

Another British sprint freestyler has emerged as a contender for an individual berth at the World Championships.

Jacob Mills, a 17-year-old out of Repton Swimming, threw down a time of 48.11 in the prelims of the men’s 100 free during Day 3 prelims at the Aquatics GB Championships in London, knocking more than a second off his previous best time and breaking the British Age Record in the process.

Mills’ time improves on his previous PB of 49.33, set one month ago in Edinburgh, and erases the British Record for 17-year-old boys of 48.19, set by Jacob Whittle at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest.

Split Comparison:

The improvement curve for Mills over the last six months has been steep. He broke 50 seconds for the first time at the Rotterdam Qualification Meet in late November, clocking 49.61, and has been between 49.33 and 50.14 five times in 2025 prior to his swim this morning.

Prior to his first sub-50 swim, Mills held a best time of 50.16, set at the 2024 European Junior Championships where he finished 11th. At that meet, he showed signs of someone who was going to break 50 in the near future from a flat start after he produced three 49-second relay splits.

In addition to breaking Whittle’s record for 17-year-olds, Mills also went under the existing record for 18-year-old boys, which stands at 48.23 from Matt Richards in 2021. However, it’s worth noting that the 16-year-old record is the fastest of the three, with Whittle setting that mark at 48.11 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

All-Time British Performers, Men’s 100 Freestyle (LCM)

1. Matt Richards, 47.45 – 2023
2. Lewis Burras, 47.63 – 2022
3. Tom Dean, 47.83 – 2022
4. Duncan Scott, 47.87 – 2019/2021
5. Jacob Whittle, 48.03 – 2023
6. Jacob Mills, 48.11 – 2025
7. David Cumberlidge, 48.16 – 2024
8. Simon Burnett / Alexander Cohoon, 48.20 – 2008 / 2024
9. –
10. Alex Painter, 48.44 –  2024

Heading into tonight’s final, Mills holds the #2 seed behind Richards, who clocked 48.07 this morning, while Alexander Cohoon (48.23), Whittle (48.55), Tom Dean (48.63) and Jack McMillan (48.83) make it six men sub-49 coming out of the prelims.

Richards moves into #4 in the world this season, while Mills ranks 5th and Cohoon also cracks the top 10 in 8th.

Mills is also scheduled to swim the 50 free and 200 free later in the meet.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 17-Year-Old Jacob Mills Cracks British Age Record In 100 Free With 48.11 Prelim Swim