The Vortex, June 2024 - Shanahan 2:08 200 Back Bodes Well For Paris As Scottish Open Ends With Stirring Cheer For Goodburn Win - StateOfSwimming (2024)

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Craig Lord2024-06-30No commentsReading Time: 66 minutes

^{The Vortex is SOS’ digest and soak of swimming news, views and links to noteworthy mainstream media coverage of the sport as the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach; additions to the file made most days and collated in one monthly file.}

Sunday Vortex, June 30 – Stirling’s Katie Shanahan followed a 4:38.76 in the 400IM at the Scottish Open Championships yesterday with a 2:08.86 victory in the 200m backstroke in Edinburgh this evening to complete her last race test before she makes her Olympic debut in Paris.

The swimming gets underway at the Games on July 27 and Shanahan, coached by Steven Tigg, entered the Open hoping that she’d recovered from a recent bout of glandular fever. The signs are good.

Through splits of 30.60; 1:02.52; 1:35.75 and on to a 2:08.86 finish, just over a second shy of her Scottish record of 2:07.45, Shanahan was shadowed by Holly McGill, who took silver in 2:09.74.

The winning time was faster than the 2:09.22 in which Shanahan, 19, claimed bronze for Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in a final win by Australia’s triple Olympic and World champion Kaylee McKeown. At the same event in Birmingham, Shanahan’s first senior International also delivered bronze in the 400IM in a final won by Canadian Summer McIntosh, the twice World champion in the event who broke her own world record at Canada’s Olympic trials last month.

The biggest cheer of the curtain-closing session was reserved for Archie Goodburn as he claimed gold in the 50m breaststroke in 28.13. Archie beings chemotherapy and radiotherapy soon after being diagnosed with inoperable brain tumours in tests conducted after Olympic Trials in April

See story below in Thursday Vortex, June 27: Archie Goodburn “Determined To Remain Positive & Keep Being Archie” As Swimmer Starts Treatment For Inoperable Brain Tumours.

In other action, Kara Hanlon delivered a dominant win in the 50m breaststroke, on 30.96, while Keanna Macinnes took the 100m ‘fly in 58.01 ahead of Lucy Grieve, 58.78, and David Cumberlidge was a class apart in the 50m free in 22.18.

For a full championship report and links to live stream and results, visit Scottish Swimming

Honda Hints At Speed Building With 1:54 200 ‘Fly Back Up & Says He’s Up For Pace Of Paris Gold ‘In Realms Of 1:51’

Tomoru Honda, Japan’s top man at a home Olympics in Tokyo three years ago followed up a 1:55.72 in the 200 ‘fly at the 10th Summer Challenge in Sagamihara with a 1:54.68 -25.29; 53.95 (28.66); 1:00.73 (29.71/31.02) in a last back-to-back repeat-performance exercise before the Paris Olympics get underway in Paris on July 27.

Honda, national record holder at 1:52.70 since the Japan Open in 2022 and racing unrested today, told local media that he believed he had a 1:51 performance in him, the last 50m today a case of holding on with arms on fire, taper ahead of him on the way to Paris peak performance. Honda believes a swim “in the realms of” a 1:51 could take gold in Paris. The world record is held by defending Olympic champion Kristof Milak, of Hungary at 1:50.34.

Mio Narita, 17, clocked 4:36.03 in the 400m medley to deliver the top female performance ahead of a 4:38.56 from Waka Kobori on the last day of action in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture.

Narita, with finals prep and taper ahead of her, was just shy of the 4:35.40 she clocked at Olympic trials in March, Now third-swiftest all-time in Japan, she heads to Paris for a promising Olympic debut.

Almost twice her age, at 33, Satomi Suzuki produced one of the other standout repeat-practice efforts at the Summer Challenge, her 2:24.56 in the 200m breaststroke today following a 2:25.30 yesterday.

Tatsuya Murasa, another 17-year-old, set a 1:46.59 High School record in the 200m free yesterday an d backed up by racing inside his previous best, 1:47.17, from the Barcelona round of the Mare Nostrum tour last month, his 1:47.09 career #2 performance as he heads to Paris for his Olympic debut in the 4x200m free for Japan.

He was followed home today by Olympic trials winner, national champion and record holder Katushiro Matsumoto, on 1:48.41, a work-a-day effort compared to his season best of 1:45.29 and his Japanese mark of 1:44.65 from 2021.

Matsumoto had already been in action not long before the 200 free: he was pipped in the 100 ‘fly by Genki Terakado 51.66 to 51.70.

The other notable result came from Yu Hanaguruma, who clocked a solid 2:09.76 to win the 200m breaststroke.

10th Summer Challenge Results in Full

Nathan Wiffen & A Mission Beyond Belgrade Near Miss

In the latest vlog from The Wiffen Twins, Nathan takes us to Belgrade and two fine efforts in distance freestyle events at a European Championships that served a purpose for those in search of Olympic tickets and solid ends to their summer season when it comes to international waters. Some fine insights from Nathan, who’s season does go on: his role in providing a challenging training partner for his twin Daniel will play out in Paris as the first Irishman ever to claim a World swimming title – and the first to back up with a second gold – makes a tilt for an historic place on the Olympic podium:

Saturday Vortex, June 29

Shanahan Cheered By 4:38 Win In 400IM At Scottish Open After Bout Of Glandular Fever

Katie Shanahan (University of Stirling) took the Scottish Open 400IM title in a solid in-training 4:38.76 on the second evening of racing at Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Pool en route to her Olympic debut in Paris a month from today, a bout of glandular fever behind her.

Speaking through Scottish Swimming, Shanahan, coached by Steven Tigg, said: “That’s the fastest I’ve been all season outside of trials. I found out I had glandular fever at the end of May which put a bit of a hold on everything I was doing so I’m just glad to be back in the water and I feel so much better after that. I was a bit worried coming in to be honest because the 400m IM is not the event you want to be doing with glandular fever. I just want to keep safe and make sure I’m not picking anything else up, there’s only four weeks until the big dance.”

Looking ahead to her debut Olympics, Katie said: “It’s been amazing so far. It’s a once in a lifetime experience and I’m just so grateful and lucky that I’m able to experience it. The kitting out day was amazing and it makes me so excited to be in the village and just experience that whole Olympic bubble. I’m just so excited to be honest!”

McMillan & Scott on 1:47s, Team GB 4×200 Men Looking Forward to Pre-Paris Easing

Not long before taking on training partner and Team GB 4×200 mate Jack McMillan in the 200 free, Duncan Scott made a relatively rare appearance in the 100m backstroke final.

Scott Gibson (University of Edinburgh) took the backstroke battle in 55.79, ahead of Zach Speakman, 56.27, and his University of Stirling teammate Scott, 56.27.

The next training partner to challenge Scott was McMillan: 51.32 to 51,72 at half-way, 1:19.01 to 1:19.33 at the last turn, McMillan held his slight advantage as the training session ended 1:47.54 to 1:47.70 in his favour.

Scott was pleased with his work after two days of racing unrested for the last time before Paris 2024. Speaking through Scottish Swimming, he said:

“The times probably aren’t quite there but you can’t complain with two national titles. It’s been a hard season for all of us it’s nice to finish up here on a high with that home advantage. We’ve been doing a lot of work on pure 50 speed, so it’s a bit strange having such a strong back end today, my legs were screaming at the turn but it was good being the hunter for once as opposed to the hunted. The main focus is still on the 50, looking ahead to a potential Commonwealth Games in two years.”

Duncan Scott. Photo: Scott, by Georgie Kerr, courtesy of British Swimming

In other action, Lucy Hope took the 200m free in 1:59.66 and Lucy Grieve (University of Stirling) equalled teammate Keanna MacInnes’ 50m butterfly Scottish Record in 26.69. Kara Hanlon (University of Edinburgh) took the 200m Breaststroke in 2:27.50.

Honda Revs Up For Paris & Murasa Sets 1:46.59 Japan High School Mark Inside His 1:47.1 200 Free PB

Tomoru Honda, Japan’s Olympic silver medallist and Doha 2024 title holder, topped the 200m butterfly at the 10th Summer Challenge in Sagamihara, in 1:55.72 in his last race test before final preparations for the Paris Olympics from July 27.

Honda, 22, will race the 100m ‘fly tomorrow and is fine of several Paris teamsters testing race skills for the last time before they race at the Games 100 years after the French capital hosted the Olympics last time round.

One of the highlights of the first of two days of action at the Challenge came from Tatsuya Murasa, 17: he set a Japanese High School mark of 1:46.59 (51.57/55.02) in the 200m freestyle. The time was inside the 1:47.02 at which the mark had been held by Keisuke Yoshida since the Kosuke Kitajima Cup in 2018.

That’s a lifetime best and a great way to head out on to the runway to an Olympic debut in the 4x200m free for Japan. His previous best was 1:47.17, clocked at the Barcelona round of the Mare Nostrum Tour in Spain last month after he qualified for Paris relay in 1:47.57 at Trials in March.

At 1:46.59, Murasa broke the Japanese HS Record of Murasa’s performance now ranks him as Japan’s 8th-swiftest 200m freestyler in history.

Among other solid efforts was a 2:25.30 from Satomi Suzuki, 33, in the 200m breaststroke, her Olympic trials qualifier in March a 2:23.09.

10th Summer Challenge Results in Full

Friday Vortex, June 28

Scott Clocks 1:57.9 200IM & 48.8 100 Free At Scottish Open In Last Pre-Paris Race Test

Britain and Scotland ace Duncan Scott clocked 1:57.95 in the 200m medley and 48.88 in the 100m freestyle within 15 minutes at the Scottish Open Championships at Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool this evening.

The meet marks the last of Scott’s race tests before he joins Great Britain Olympic teammates en route to the Paris Games, where the swimming gets underway on July 27. Speaking through Scottish Swimming, Scott said:

“It’s the last bit of racing before the Olympics, at this point in the season I’m pretty tired and just counting down the days for a bit of rest. That was a really good opportunity to go head to head with some people who were more fresh. David [Cumberlidge] swam so well at trials and he gave me a good battle in that tonight, so it’s good race preparation once again.

“I think the 200IM maybe even helped with the hundred as I was primed – although maybe 15 minutes was a little tight! I’m really happy with that turnaround, and overall just really pleased with how I executed them both. There will be plenty to take forward and learn going into the Olympics.”

Duncan Scott. Photo: Duncan Scott inspires the next wave as a Learn To Swim ambassador – courtesy, Scottish Swimming

In another speedy moment, Angharad Evans continued to pile up the 1:05s on breaststroke:

For more on that and all the rest of the action, visit Scottish Swimming

Olympic Marathon Swimmers Praying For Dry, Sunny July After River Seine Fails June E Coli Tests

A month out from the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics, the River Seine is still failing water quality tests in waters scheduled to host the open-water marathon swimming events in the second week in August, analysis released today have confirmed.

The latest tests, completed last week and issued by the office of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, showed levels of the E Coli bacteria, which indicates the presence of faecal matter, are significantly above the upper limits imposed by sports federations, including World Aquatics and World Triathlon.

While Triathlon is held in the first week of the Games in Paris and has a Plan B of ‘wait-and-see’ if things improve, swimming has no wriggle room, the marathon scheduled for August 9 two days before the Closing Ceremony.

Tests conducted on June 18 showed E Coli levels 10 times over the acceptable levels noted in sports rules. None of the results produced a reading below the upper limit of 1,000 colony-forming units per 100 millilitres of water used by World Triathlon.

The readings for enterococci bacteria were less dramatic but still above official safety levels. June’s high readings coincided with an invitation from a protest group for Parisians to defecate in the Seine on Olympic Day, June 23, to highlight questions of safety in a river in which swimming had been barred on safety grounds since 1923, the year before the last time the French capital hosted the Games.

The “Je chie dans la seine le 23 Juin pour… ” protest translates as “I sh*t in the Seine on June 23 for…”, the second line an interchangeable one namingEmmanuel Macron, the President of France,Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgoand Paris police chiefLaurent Nuñez.

Today, Hidalgo’s office said in a statement: “Water quality remains degraded because of unfavourable hydrological conditions, little sunshine, below-average seasonal temperatures and upstream pollution.”

French authorities have spent €1.4bn in the past decade on clean-up measure in the Seine. Improvements to the Paris sewerage system and construction of state-of-the-art water treatment and storage facilities have been central to the plan.

The weather respects no plan, however. Major storms such as those seen this week in various parts of Europe, are intense enough to overwhelm the French capital’s waste water network, some of which dates back to the 19th century. The overflow carries untreated sewage into the river, E Coli and other bacteria with it.

After months of unusually wet weather, the Seine is flowing up to five times higher up its banks than usual during the summer months, say those monitoring the Seine in Paris.

Organisers are still hopeful that a stretch of dry, sunny weather next month ahead of the Opening on July 26, will be enough to make the Seine swimming friendly.

Swimming Australia Cheered By Two-Year $283m State Injection In Elite Sport Atop Money For Medals Scheme

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and his Government’s Minister for Sport and Aged Care, Anika Wells, today announced a $283 million investment in High Performance sport over the next two years.

The move, which follows news of Aus$20,000 (conditional, see video below) prizes for Australian winners at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was welcomed by many codes, Swimming Australia among them. The aquatics federation Down Under issued the following statement:

Swimming Australia has welcomed a major investment in High Performance sport announced today by the Australian Government and thanked the Government for its continued and generous support.

Earlier today the Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Minister for Sport and Aged Care, Anika Wells, announced a $283 million investment in High Performance sport over the next two years.

The Government’s announcement represents a significant overall increase in High Performance sport investment and includes an additional $17.6 million for Direct Athlete Investment Support grants and an historic $54.9 million of additional investment to support Paralympic sports – double existing levels.

Swimming Australia CEO Rob Woodhouse has commended the Government for backing the ambition and potential of Olympic and Paralympic sports.

“Today’s announcement is great news for Australian sport.The Australian Government, on behalf of the Australian public, are our biggest supporters and we are very grateful for their continued support.

“On behalf of Swimming Australia, our athletes and coaches, I extend our sincere thanks to the Prime Minister and Minister Wells for recognising the value of investing in High Performance sport and for backing us over the years beyond Paris.

“Today’s announcement ensures that Swimming Australia can plan with added confidence and resources to support our athletes across the country and teams that proudly represent Australia on the world stage. It also ensures that we can keep an eye on the future by continuing to invest in High Performance pathways and innovations on the path to 2032.

“It is also pleasing to see increased investment in direct athlete support and a much needed increase in Paralympic sport investment.”

Rob Woodhouse. Photo: Emma McKeon, centre, masked, talks to her uncle Rob Woodhouse, general manager of London Roar, at the Tokyo Olympics in July, 2021 – photo by Craig Lord

While there are further details to be settled with the Australian Sports Commission regarding sport by sport investment levels, we are confident that the Government’s additional investment will support swimming’s standing as Australia’s leading Olympic and Paralympic sport.

Swimming Australia also recognises the Australian Sports Commission, Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia for leading advocacy efforts to secure this outcome.

We are united behind Australia’s High Performance Sport 2032+ Strategy, Win Well, and we are delighted that today’s announcement will support our swimmers to proudly represent Australia, inspiring a more united, active and healthy nation connected to sport.

Back to those prizes of 20k for gold, 10k for silver and 5k for bronze for Australians in Paris, the mon ey does not stack up for multiple winners: whether an athlete claimed gold once or three times, the reward is the same: a one-off 20k that is also dependent on the athlete committing to preparation for the following Olympic Games in 2028, as explained here:

Thursday Vortex, June 27

Archie Goodburn “Determined To Remain Positive & Keep Being Archie” As Swimmer Starts Treatment For Inoperable Brain Tumours

British swimmer Archie Goodburn has revealed he has been diagnosed with inoperable brain tumours.

The 23-year-old, from Edinburgh, will now start chemotherapy and radiotherapy and says he is “determined to take this head-on, to remain positive and to keep being Archie.”

Goodburn started suffering from numbness and seizures late last year during preparations for Olympics trials in London in April. Archie swam on and challenged for a place on the Britain team for the Paris Olympic Games as a finalist on breaststroke. He missed out on qualification by half a second behind James Wilby in third place, on 1:00.03 in a 100m final won by Olympic champion Adam Peaty.

Tests carried out after the trials found three large oligodendrogliomas, a rare type of cancer known to impact the brain and spinal cord. Surgery is impossible because of the nature of the tumours.

Archie will now undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy. He posted his story on Instagram, writing:

“Six weeks ago, my life experienced a profound change as I was diagnosed with three brain tumours. In December 2023, my training began to be interrupted by strange episodes. These episodes, initially thought to be hemiplegic migraines, would occur during hard training. “They would leave me with a loss of strength and a numb sensation on my left side, a deep feeling of fear, nausea and extreme deja vu. I now know that these were in fact seizures. With the trials behind me, I dug deeper into what was really causing these attacks. An MRI in May finally revealed what I’d begun to fear the most.”

“The silver lining to this diagnosis is that oligodendrogliomas generally respond better to radiotherapy and chemotherapy than many other serious brain tumour types. I am young, I am fit, I have the most phenomenal support network of friends, the best family I could ever hope for and a fantastic girlfriend by my side. I am determined to take this head-on, to remain positive and to keep being Archie.”

Archie Goodburn. Photo by Ian MacNicol

Archie raced for Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, three years after claiming bronze in 50m breaststroke at the World Junior Championships.

In 2023, he won the national 50m title and claimed bronze at the inaugural European Under 23s Championships in Dublin.

State of Swimming wishes Archie all the very best for the treatment and challenges ahead. All strength to you.

Save Women’s Sport:

Wednesday Vortex, June 26

Cate Campbell Retires

Cate Campbell, Dolphin#665, Retires, Her Legacy In Helping Australia Build World’s Premier Sprint Powerhouse Lives Eternal

China Crisis

Phelps Tells House Wada Handling Of China-Go-Free-23 Is Existential Threat To Olympics; Schmitt Says ‘We’re Haunted’ By Doubts

Tuesday Vortex, June 25

Phelps & Schmitt To Testify On Chinese 23-Go-Free At House Hearing Today

Olympic swimming champions Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt will testify before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee this evening at 7pm Eastern Time as politics sporting and national coincide over the World Anti-Doping Agency‘s handling of the 23-go-free Chinese swimmers who tested positive for a banned the banned heart booster trimetazidine (TMZ) in competition in the first few days of 2021.

All 23 were cleared of wrongdoing without any independent investigation. While WADA conducted remote inquiries into the plausibility of China’s explanation, it accepted a report by Chinese authorities claiming that mass contamination in a hotel kitchen was the source of the sauce, specifically in a spice pot.

The contents of the spice container is said to have made it nto the food, the extractor fans, the drains and others places, according to state public security agents who visited the hotel 10 weeks after the swimmers had left. Several of the swimmers went on to win titles and medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games and 13 of them have made the China team for the Paris Olympic Games. News of the positives from 2021 only made it into the public domain in April this year.

Usada, the United States Anti-Doping Agency, other national anti-doping agencies, athlete representative bodies such as Global Athlete and athletes themselves directly have criticised WADA and called for the global watchdog to release the Chinese report that it accepted without independent oversight on the ground in China during the Covid pandemic.

Global Athlete penned an open letter to WADA yesterday, swim great Matt Biondi among signatories.

The Usada statement on today’s House hearing in the States.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (June 25, 2024)– Following reports that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned prescription medication (TMZ) ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, former Olympic swimmers Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt will testify in a prime-time hearing hosted by a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee at7 p.m. ET on June 25, 2024.

The hearing will be streamed livehere, and will focus on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) failure to enforce fair standards and a seeming pattern of preferential treatment.

In addition to presenting critically important athlete perspectives, the hearing will include testimony from U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO, Travis T. Tygart. The president of WADA, Witold Banka, was also invited to testify but declined.

The hearing, titled “Examining Anti-Doping Measures in Advance of the 2024 Olympics,” was called by House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-VA).

According to Chairs Rodgers and Griffith, “Olympic athletes dedicate years of their lives to perfect their craft in order to represent the United States on the world stage. They—as well as athletes from every other country—deserve to compete on a level playing field that’s free of banned performance enhancing drugs. The World Anti-Doping Agency, the governing body responsible for enforcing fair standards, has a questionable track record of fulfilling that mission. This hearing will give Members a chance to examine that track record, identify opportunities for improvement, and ensure that the best athletes are the ones taking home gold medals.”

The hearing also followsmore recent reportsthat three of those 23 Chinese athletes who tested positive for TMZ also tested positive for a different performance-enhancing drug a few years earlier. In both cases, the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) and WADA failed to enforce provisional suspensions and publicly announce violations, which should have happened as required under the rules even if the positive tests were caused by contamination, as CHINADA and WADA claim. Two of these athletes won medals at the Tokyo Olympics and all three will compete again in the Paris Olympics.

“We are extremely grateful to the U.S. Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for their commitment to ensuring that athletes around the world get the answers they deserve regarding WADA’s handling of positive tests by Chinese athletes and how WADA will ensure the Paris Games offer athletes a truly level playing field,” said Tygart. “The Committee joins others asking for the concrete evidence that WADA stakeholders need to feel confident in WADA’s ability to serve as the global regulator that will uphold the rules equally and without special treatment for a certain few. We look forward to supporting this effort and again thank the Committee for their work on behalf of athletes and clean sport.”

Sunday Vortex, June 23

Intercalated Event Ends After 8 Days That Shredded The Thread Of Euro Swim History

The intercalated European Championships ended in Belgrade today after eight days of racing in the pool that saw Aquatics governors shred the thread of a continental swimming history dating back to 1926 for men and 1927 for women, devalued the showcase event and skewed national statistics for some nations for decades to come, ended today in Belgrade.

The obvious star turn at a meet that was not a championship in the meaning of that word for almost 100 years was David Popovici, of Romania, the outstanding performer with efforts of 46.88 and 1:43.13 in the 100 and 200 free.

Nineteen nations claimed gold and swimmers from 22 counties made the podium in the pool, many of them facing many years of wait before they will be able to say “this was out most successful European Championships” again.

Partners and sponsors, actual and prospective, would be right to consider the value of their investment in swimming under such circ*mstances.

They won’t – but the entire decision-making troop at European Aquatics should resign.

For the record – The Podiums

Men

Women

Mixed events

Friday Vortex, July 21

The Biggest In-Venue Audience For A swim Meet in History:

Thursday Vortex, July 20

Andrew & Held Lead Dash Heats In 21.7 Snap As 6 Go Under Dressel’s 22-Flat

Michael Andrew and Ryan Held led the charge in the heats of the 50m freestyle with a 21.70 snap on day 6 at U.S. Trials, with Jack Alexy closest in 21.74.

100m winner and 200m qualifier Chris Giuliano was next through in 21.83, followed by August Lamb, 21.87, and Quintin McCarty, 21.98, before the pace lof passage for Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel, his 22.00 a snap for seventh fastest qualifier with Matt King, the semis locked at 22.28, barring a swim off.

And that went to Tommy Palmer over Dillon Downing 22.23 to 22.24.

In the women’s 200m backstroke, Isabelle Stadden led the pace in 2:08.53, with Katie Grimes and Claire Curzan also on 2:08’s before Phoebe Bacon, Regan Smith and Rhyan White chimed in as the first three of six swimmers on 2:09s, the door to semis closed in 2:11.42.

In the third and last qualifier of the morning, 400Im trials topper Carson Foster led four men on 1:58s at the start of the 200IM fight, his 1:58.38 leading Max Williamson, 1:58.58, Chase Kalisz, 1:58.62 and Grant House, 1:58.83, with Kieren Smith the first of six on 1:59s, the door to semis closed at 2:00.34.

Milak 50.8, Kos, Majerski 50.9s In Belgrade Butterfly Bash

Kristof Milak and Hungarian teammate Hubert Kos punched a Magyar 1-2 in the 100m butterfly at the intercalated European Championships in Belgrade this evening, the Olympic silver medallist ands 200m champion of Tokyo on 50.82, the 2023 World 200m backstroke champion based in the U.S., on 50.96, which held off Poland’s Jakub Majerski by 0.02. Sixth at the turn, Austria’s Simon Bucher ended in fourth on 51.28.

Danielle Hill claimed Ireland’s first European gold among women since the days of Michelle Smith* with a 27.73 in the 50m backstroke. Theodora Drakou of Greece was second in 27.87, Adela Piskorska, of Poland, third in 28.00.

*- swimmer suspended in 1998 for manipulation

Results in full

Intercalated European Championships, Belgrade Day 4 Finals

Other podiums at a glance:

Women:
200m freestyle: Barbora Seemanova (CZE) 1:55.37; Minna Abraham (HUN) 1:57.22; Nicole Maier (GER) 1:57.36
Men
200m breaststroke: Lyubomir Epitropov (BUL) 2:09.45; Erik Persson (SWE) 2:09.45; Jan Kalusowski (POL) 2:10.20
4x100m freestyle: Serbia, 3:12.90; Poland, 3:13.25; Greece, 3:13.91

Wednesday Vortex, July 19

Douglass 2:19.66 Meet Mark In 200Br U.S Trials Heats

In the women’s 200m breaststroke heats on day 5 at U.S. Trials, World champion of 2023 Kate Douglass set a meet-mark 2:19.66 in smooth and controlled style. The world record stands at 2:17.55 and may well feel the breeze of a next-wave building in the coming 36 hours or so.

Douglass swam it like this: 32.14; 1:07.32 (35.18) 1:43.32 (36.00) 2:19.66 (36.34) CR

The time put more than her 2:19.30 best, fourth fastest ever, on notice.

Douglass was followed into semis by Lilly King, 2:25.61, Ella Nelson, 2:25.86, and Alex Walsh, 2:26.96, the cut for the next round at 2:30.52.

Jack Aitkins led qualifiers in the 200m backstroke in 1:56.24, Cal teammates Keaton Jones, living his teens behind this year, on 1:57.51, 2016 double Olympic backstroke champion Ryan Murphy, already bound for Paris after his win in the 100m, in 1:57.78, with four others inside 1:58 and the door to semis closed at 1:59.46.

The third and final heat of the morning had Alex Shackell setting g the pace in the 200m butterfly, on 2:06.71, Olympic silver medallist Regan Smith on 2:07.24 the morning after a 57.13 World record in the 100m backstroke. Three 2:08s and five 2:09s followed, the door to semis closed at 2:11.70.

Popovici Give 100 Free WR A Scare With 46.88 In Belgrade

David Popovici, of Romania, rattled the world and his own European records with a 46.88 for the European 100m freestyle today in Belgrade, the swim confirming that Romanian’s relatively ‘down’ 2023 season after a soaringly high season in 2022, was about working through what he had to work through.

Paris is nigh and Popovici is a contender for big prizes, just 0.02sec shy of his 46.86 European record from Budapest Worlds in 2022, that efforts replaced as the World record when China’s Pan Zhanle clocked 46.80 leading China’s 4×100 relay to gold at the interacted World titles in Doha this past February.

Out in 22.79 adrift a 22.63 from Hungarian Nador Nemeth, Popovici powered home in 24.09 for victory, Nemeth on 47.49 for silver, Serbia’s Andrej Barna taking bronze in 47.66.

The win marked Popovici’s the third time inside 47, his second fastest and the all-time No3 performance in history.

SOS is not covering the European Championships in standard tradition owing to the intercalated nature of the event: the vast majority of the best swimmers are absent as they either race at their own championships and trials, like the Olympic host nation, or they are making final preparations for the ultimate competition in their sport.

Doha and now Belgrade may come down to contractual arrangements and the politics that inevitably accompany such things but they also represent poor governance choices that fail to recognise the damage done by decisions that shred the red thread of history, such as that leading back to 1926 for men and 1927 for women as far as the continental showcase goes.

So, given that, the likes of a Popovici 46.88 is where it’s at for our coverage, the rest a matter of registering the result, no disrespect meant to swimmers and coaches but Belgrade is not a European Championship, it’s a prep meet for those serious about Paris and a last chance to qualify for those who are serious about getting there.

The latter includes the Ukrainians, dispossessed by Russia’s illegal war on their country and in need of selection and warm-up events abroad. Today, the 800m freestyle gold went to Mykhailo Romanchuk, Olympic 1500m silver medallist at Tokyo 202One, in 7:46.20 and the 200m backstroke to his national teammates Oleksandr Zheltiakov in 1:55.39.

They will be among the most-cheered athletes in Paris.

Intercalated European Championships, Belgrade Day 3 Finals:

Results in full … other podiums at a glance:

Women:
100m breaststroke: Eneli Jefimova (EST) 1:06.41; Lisa Mamie (SUI) 1:07.15; Olivia Klint (SWE) 1:07.73
50m butterfly: Sara Junevik (SWE) 25.68
400IM: Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) 4:36.05; Vivien Jackl (HUN) 4:38.96; Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN) 4:40.24
4x100m Free: Hungary 3:36.77; Denmark 3:38.48; Poland 3:41.01
Men
800m freestyle: Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) 7:46.20; Dimitrios Markos (GRE) 7:48.59; Zalan Sarkany (HUN) 7:49.29
200m backstroke: Oleksandr Zheltiakov (UKR) 1:55.39; Apostolos Siskos (GRE) 1:55.42; Roman Mityukov (SUI) 1:55.75

Marchand Tests 200m Double Day For Paris Olympics

Léon Marchand tested his 200m double-day program for a home Paris Olympics at French Elite Championships in Chartres this morning, a 1:57.90 heats topper in the 200m butterfly just after 10am followed by a 2:12.85 second-place qualification in the 200m breaststroke a little over an hour later.

The Paris Olympics Day 5 schedule in a program stretching over 9 days (not the 6 underway in Chartres) has been tweaked to ensure the two 200m finals are as far apart as possible on the program, granting France’s top swimmer a little more of a breather in between than he got this morning, albeit it as a steadier pace than he will need at La Defence Arena some six weeks from now.

The eyes of the world will be on those two 200m battles not only because Marchand is in the water: if he makes into both showdowns, the 2023 World champion in f*ckuoka over 200m butterfly last year will face the Olympic champion who was missing on that occasion, Kristof Milak, of Hungary.

And then he would take on breaststroke World champion and record holder Qin Haiyang, one of the 23-go-free Chinese swimmers embroiled in an inquiry over decisions to let them go free after they produced positiver tests for heart-booster trimetazidine in 2021, and one of three among that number who we learned of late also tested positive for the steroid clenbuterol in 2015-17, but were also given the all-clear on that occasion, too.

In Paris, Marchand, double world medley champion in 2023, will also face another involved in the same cases as Qin, Wang Shun, the Olympic 200m medley champion.

This morning in Chartres, Marchand was half a second clear of age peer Noyan Taylan, in 1:58.46, Clement Secchi a further half-second away in 1:58.99.

In the breaststroke heats, Antoine Marc was 0.02sec ahead of Marchand, in 2:12.83, going through to the final, three others on 2:13s.

In other heats on day 4 in Chartres, Emma Terebo, the first Frenchwoman ever to race inside 59sec in the 100m backstroke two days ago, topped the 200m in 2:10.37, a pair of 2:12s nearest going into the showdown.

Way out ahead in the slower heats of the 800m freestyle, 200m relay man Wissam-Amazigh Yebba clocked 7:58.74 this morning, the fastest line-up due this evening.

In non-Olympic dash events, Mélanie Henique dropped a swift 25.73 in the 50 ‘fly.

Tuesday Vortex, July 18

Alexy Chucks 47.08 U.S.-Record Gauntlet In 100 Free Heats

In 47.08, Jack Alexy, of Cal, clocked the fastest 100m freestyle time ever swum at U.S Trials or any other American waters on the fourth morning of heats at the Olympic selection event in Indianapolis.

Alexy’s new lifetime best, inside the 47.31 he clocked for silver at World titles last year in f*ckuoka, lifts him from 13th to equal-eighth alongside Australian 2016 Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers on the all-time rankings.

Out in 22.44, Alexy was home in 24.64, his 47.08 set a US record inside the 47.39 at which the standard had been held by Ryan Held (2019) and Olympic champion Caeleb Dressel (2021).

Dressel, who has held the American record at 46.96 since 2019, was closest to Alexy in the last of nine heats, his 47.82 taking him through to semis third fastest, the same heat featuring the last of four sub-48s this morning, Hunter Armstrong on 47.93.

Chris Giuliano, who finished top two in the 200m free yesterday and had a ticket to Paris in the bag was closest to Alexy on the clock this morning, in 47.65 first home in heat 8, Destin Lasco nearest in 48.14 five in the first half of the 48s and 16 men inside 49, a 48.72, faster than the first four of Matt Biondi‘s world records in the 1980s, slamming the door to the next round.

In the men’s 200m butterfly, Mason Laur clocked 1:55.06 as first man home in heat 6 ahead of Dare Rose, on 1:55.94, Luca Orlando splitting the difference atop the last of seven heats in 1:55.52. Five men on 1:56s followed, the semis sealed with a snap at 1:58.37, the two men set for a swim-off at the end of morning heats.

Katie Ledecky clocked 15:39.73 in heat 5 of 5 of the 1500m freestyle, the time one that only she and Lotte Friis, of Denmark, back in 2013 have ever swum inside before, to book lane 4 for the showdown tomorrow. The other Team USA Katie, Grimes, was closest in heats this morning, on 16:10.13 in the heat before Ledecky’s.

Ledecky holds the best 19 times ever over 1500m, topped bay her 15:20.48 World record of 2018, and has set the World record six times. Today’s heart time was the 22nd fastest effort of her career on an all-time top 100 that boasts her name 37 times.

Also in the final, is 35-year-old Ashley Twichell, on 16:18.06 in fifth. Who said longevity is only for sprinters…

Olympic silver medalist behind Ledecky in the inaugural 1500 in Tokyo three years ago, Erica Sullivan made the final in 16:25.33 with just over a second to spare.

At the other end of the distance spectrum, 2016 Olympic champion Simone Manuel is edging back into contention, her 53.09 in 100m free heats the best of six on 53s, 54.72 the last time through the door to semis.

British Great David Wilkie Is Laid To Rest This Day

Today, David Wilkie is laid to Rest In Peace … condolences to his family, friends and teammates gathered to say farewell and celebrate a life that included soaring achievement in the fast lane of swimming …

Poetry In Motion – Nash Pen’s Teammate’s Tribute In Golden Memory Of Silver With Wilkie

Intercalated European Championships, Belgrade Day 2 Finals:

Women
200m backstroke: Camila Rebelo (POR) 2:08.95; Dora Molnar (HUN) 2:09.02; Eszter Szabo Feltothy (HUN) 2:09.21
100m freestyle: Barbora Seemanova (CZE) 53.50; Barbora Janickova (CZE) 54.17; Nikolett Padar (HUN) 54.22
800m freestyle: Ajna Kesely (HUN) 8:29.96; Fleur Lewis (GBR) 8:33.54; Deniz Ertan (TUR) 8:34.31
Men
100m breaststroke: Melvin Imoudu (GER) 58.84; Berkay Öğretir (TUR) 59.23; Andrius Sidlauskas (LTU) 59.27
50m butterfly: Stergios Marios Biulas (GRE) 23.15; Simon Bucher (AUT) 23.19; Daniel Gracik (CZE) 23.26
Semi-final: 100m free – David Popovici (ROM) 47.82; heats – 47.90
Mixed
4×100 Medley – Israel 3:45.74; Germany 3:48.12; Hungary 3:48.79

Results in Full

Farewell to Brent Rutemiller

Brent Rutemiller, the former Swimming World Magazine Publisher and International Swimming Hall of Fame CEO, has passed away after a fight with cancer. He died early yesterday morning in the presence of his family. Condolences to his family. RIP Brent.

Monday Vortex, July 17

Smith & Berkoff Duel Ahoy – 57.93 To 58.08 In Day 3 Heats At U.S. Trials

Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff set up their 100m backstroke duel ahead with morning-heat times of 57.93 and 58.09 on the third morning of action at U.S. Trials.

Smith’s effort in heat 8 topped Berkoff’s in heat 7 ahead of 58.55 from Kennedy Noble, with Josephine Fuller the last morning swim inside 59, on 58.80 behind Smith in the last heat.

U.S. Trials Results In Full

In the men’s 800m freestyle heats, ahead of the showdown tomorrow evening, Luke Whitlock mirrored his top-qualifier approach in the 400m when he topped heat 6 in 7:51.22 ahead of Ross Dant‘s 7:53.78. Having watched what was needed, Olympic champion Bobby Finke got his hand to the end wall first in the last of seven heats for a 7:51.71 ticket to lane 5 in the final ahead of David Johnston‘s 7:52.49. The door to the showcase was shut in 7:56.47.

In the 400m medley heats, Emma Weyant, Olympic silver medallist of Tokyo 2020ne, eased into lane 4 with a 4:38.96, Katie Grimes on 4:39.63 and Lucy Bell on 4:40.79 ahead of the battle for berths to Paris this evening:

Intercalated European Championships, Belgrade Day 1 Finals:

Men’s 400IM: Apostolos Papastamos (GRE) 4:10.83 – Greek record; Balasz Hollo (HUN) 4:11.51; Gabor Zombori (HUN) 4:11.70
Women’s 4x200m free: Israel 7:51.83 (Anastasia Gorbenko; Daria Golovaty; Ayla Riley Spitz; Lea Polonsky) – Israeli record; Hungary 7:52.92; Turkey 8:01.58 – Turkish record
Men’s 4x200m freestyle: Lithuania, 7:08.04 (Tomas Navikonas, Tomas Lukminas, Kristupas Trepocka, Danas Rapsys) – Lithuanian record; Hungary, 7:09.59; Greece, 7:09.73.

Among the consequences of damaging governance decisions that shred the red thread of history: Belgrade 2024 will ensure that some nations will wait many years before they managed to top their ‘best-ever’ medals outcome at a European Championships.

Marchand Cruises Into French Elite 400IM Final in 4:14 Six Weeks Out From Home Olympics

At French Elite Championships in Chartres, World champion and record holder Leon Marchand clocked 4:14.99, almost 10sec ahead of the closest Frenchman going through to the final of the 400m medley this morning.

Coached by Bob Bowman in Arizona and latterly in Texas, Marchand, racing deform his home club Dauphins Toulouse, holds the World record at 4:02.50, the time in which he claimed the 2023 global crown in f*ckuoka inside the 2008 4:03.84 standard that had stood to the previous Bowman charge to hold it, Michael Phelps, he of 23 Olympic golds atop 28 ultimate podiums in all.

In the 100m backstroke, Yohann Ndoye-Brouard and Mewen Tomac qualified for the final in 53.25 and 53.54 respectively.

Chartres Results in Full

Editorial note: The Vortex will be the home for all coverage of the European Championships underway in Belgrade: there will be no coverage os heats, m while finals will be a passing mention of highlights only. For the first time in history, dating back to 1926 for men and §1927 for women, the continental showcase is being held at a time when the best swimmers in Europe cannot and will not attend a month out from the eve of the Olympic Games in a season that featured the first World long-course titles ever to be held in Olympic year.

Such decisions shred the thread of history that links past with present. They represent governance failure. Wishing well to all those racing in Belgrade but they, like the rest of us, need only look at day 1 heats to know they are swimming at a European Championship in name only.

Sunday Vortex, July 16

The Wiffen Twins On The Ecstasy & Agony Of Olympic Selection For One In, One Out

Olympic selection seasons, pathways and trials end in thumbs ups for the relative few, thumbs down for the majority rest. What’s it like when one twin gets the thumbs up, the other the thumbs down even when they’ve raced at best?

Ask The Wiffen Twins – Dan and Nathan. Here’s their latest vlog covering that, Ireland’s rise in the ranks and the pathway to Paris 2024:

Foster, Kalisz & Litherland Up For Another Medley Mash

Twice Worlds silver medallist Carson Foster vs reigning Olympic champion Chase Kalisz vs the man who took silver behind Kalisz in Tokyo, Jay Litherland. That’s the top of the pile heading into the final of the 400m medley on day 2 of 9 at USA Olympic Trials.

They qualified this morning with respective times of 4:11.02, 4:13.78 and 4:14.46. The door to the showdown was shut in 4:17.35.

The women’s 100m breaststroke also got off to a calm start, 2016 Olympic champion Lilly King on 1:06.05 into semis, Emma Weber and Kaelyn Gridley on high 1:06s and reigning Olympic champion Lydia Jacoby the first of five on 1:07s.

Hunter Armstrong thew down a 52.95 opening gambit at the helm of the 100m backstroke heats, 2016 Olympic champion and 2020ne bronze medallist Ryan Murphy, World champion at the last global gathering of the best in the world, in f*ckuoka last year, was next through in 53.18 with Jack Aikins closest, on 53.24.

Ledecky and Hobson Set The 200m Free Pace Through To Semis

Katie Ledecky, 2016 Olympic champion a hand ahead of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, clocked 1:56.18 a second ahead of the rest in the 200m free heats, in which semis will lead to a final in which two solo and at leats four relay berths will be up for grabs tomorrow.

Paige Madden, 400m silver medallist behind Ledecky in the 400m yesterday, and Claire Weinstein were closest, as the first two of five swimmers win 1:57s. The last swimmer through to semis clocked 1:59.66.

Luke Hobson topped the men’s 200m free heats in 1:45.95, with Blake Pieroni, Drew Kibler and Brooks Curry all under 1:46.5 ahead of four others inside 1:47. 4x200m berths are up for grabs, of course. With 14 on 1:47s, the semis will go without six of them.

The United States is the only nation in the world holding nine-day trials that match the Olympic program. The depth on show in most events, combined with the commercial potential in trials, is why.

Some say the dress rehearsal is part of the U.S’s winning edge. There’s a solid slice of truth in that, trials a part of expectation and a model that ensures the USA’s team is stacked with survivors and tough racers. The number of medals that flow from the ability to get a hand to the wall before the next lane and swimmers from many nations have honed that skill with every passing cycle for the last quarter of a century.

In other regards, the jury is always out on that ‘dress rehearsal’ zeal, if for no other reason than the Olympic Games is never like any dress rehearsal, not even the hothouse of U.S. trials. Example: Australia’s women. Do we expect weakness because the Dolphins crushed the test into six days? No. Do we expect Siobhan Haughey to be weaker because she had no trials at all? No.

For the champion body, heart, mind and soul, the “Now” is all that will count in Paris, however each of the contenders got there.

Saturday Vortex, July 15

USA Trials – Day 1:

Walsh 55.18 Wipes Out 100 ‘Fly World Record In Semi As U.S. Trials Get Underway

Australian Trials – Day 6 and Paris Team Announcement:

GB Coach Dave McNulty Awarded MBE In King’s Honours

Olympic gold-medal-winning coach Dave McNulty has been awarded MBE (Member of the British Empire) in the King’s Birthday Honours List.

McNulty is honoured for services to swimming, one month before his fourth Olympic Games as Head Coach of the Aquatics GB Performance Centre Bath. He celebrated six medals from three of his swimmers at the Tokyo2020ne Olympic Games when Great Britain lapped up its biggest medal haul in the pool in Games history.

That haul included McNulty’s charges: an historic 200m freestyle title for Tom Dean (in an historic 1-2 punch for Britain, Duncan Scott a fraction away); gold for Dean and James Guy in the 4x200m freestyle (alongside Scott, Matt Richards and Calum Jarvis); a victorious, world-record mixed 4x100m Medley Relay that featured Guy (alongside Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty and Anna Hopkin), and an Olympic gold for Freya Anderson, who raced the heats of the same mixed medley relay.

McNulty – who had previously coached swimmers to Olympic medals at London 2012 and Rio 2016 from the Bath Performance Centre – went on to become Team GB’s overall Coach of the Year later in 2021, and after more success for his swimmers at world and European level in the past two years, he is now gearing up for another Games on the Team GB coaching staff in Paris, his sixth in total.

Speaking through Aquatics GB, McNulty said:

“During my time as Head Coach of the Aquatics GB Performance Centre in Bath, we’ve done three Olympics, 2012, 2016 and 2021, and over that time, my swimmers have won 11 Olympic medals and I’ve been absolutely over the moon. There was one in 2012, four in 2016 and six medals in 2021, and then a big highlight afterwards of winning the Team GB Coach of the Year in 2021, that absolutely blew me away. Normally it’s about making the swimmers’ dreams come true, as a coach, and this is time for me to reflect on what I’ve done personally. I’m over the moon with the Olympic record in that time I’ve been here at the Aquatics GB Bath Performance Centre, and this award means so much. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of that journey along the way – all the great athletes, all the great staff, and I thank Aquatics GB as well. I’m absolutely over the moon with this recognition.”

Dave McNulty, centre, with his TeamGB charges and politicians before leaving for Tokyo 2020 – courtesy of TeamGB

USA Trials – Day 1 Heats:

Walsh Chucks A 55.94 Gauntlet In 100 ‘Fly Heats As U.S Trials Get Underway

Gretchen Walsh produced the global swim of the morning as U.S. Olympic trials got underway in Indianapolis, her 55.94 (29.72) as swiftest through in the 100m butterfly a lifetime best that got the better of the 56.14 she swam in April.

Closest to her, Torri Huske, U.S. record holder at 55.64, fourth fastest all-time, went through to semis in 56.26 (30.09), with 200m and backstroke specialist Regan Smith on 56.68 (29.57).

Katie Ledecky, seven times Olympic gold medallist and World 800 and 1500m World record holder, got the fourth trials campaign of her career off to a solid and steady start, a huge week ahead of her, with a 3:59.99 opener to book a ticket to lane 4 in the showdown of the 400m this evening. A 4:04.83 from Paige Madden was closest to her.

Next up, Nic Fink led five men on 59s with a 59.24 and then Luke Whitlock, 18, checked into lane 4 for the final of the 400m freestyle in a lifetime best of 3:46.42, a huge best inside his 3:50.46 from last year. The door to the showdown was slammed shut in 3:48.63 by Olympic 800 and 1500m champion Bobby Finke.

Results and qualifiers in full

Paralympian Rebecca Redfern Made MBE For Services To The Young & The Community In Worcestershire

Rebecca Redfern – who won Women’s SB13 100m Breaststroke silver at both the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games – was also awarded an MBE for services to young people and the community in Worcestershire.

Rebecca has enjoyed podium success at all senior levels for Aquatics GB. On top of her double Paralympic silvers, she has twice become world champion in the SB13 100m Breaststroke on home soil – in London in 2019 and then last year in Manchester – with a silver in the same event at the European Championships in 2016.

On top of that silverware, though, the 24-year-old has been making a huge impact with the next generation in and around her Worcestershire community. As well as training in primary education and spending time teaching in a school in Droitwich around her training as an elite athlete, Rebecca – who was diagnosed aged seven with the visual impairment Retinitis Pigmentosa – has visited countless schools throughout Worcestershire, speaking to children about how to overcome obstacles to achieve success.

Speaking on her MBE award and why the work she has done in her community means so much to her, Redfern said: “I’m really proud, it’s not something I was aiming for. I visit schools and talk to children because it’s what I love to do, so to be acknowledged for it is really exciting and it just makes me want to do even more.

“If I can inspire just one child with my story then that just gives me such a warm feeling. Growing up as a young visually impaired girl, if I had had that one role model that I could look up to and hear that just because I have a disability, life can still be absolutely amazing, then that would have changed my life. So if I can be that person for someone, then that is amazing.

“This award is one we’ve celebrated as a big team, my family, my coach – it’s one we all feel a part of, so even though it’s my name on the Honours list, it’s really the whole team behind us and we all celebrated it together.”

Rebecca Redfern – Photo – courtesy of Aquatics GB

The Last Stand For Paris Of Cate Campbell & Cody Simpson

Cate Campbell and Cody Simpson epitomise the passion that drives the swimmer to swim, regardless of the challenging roller-coaster that is a part of longevity and keeping the flame burning beyond the first flush of youthful outlook of “nothing can go wrong”; persevering no matter how many times you walk out under the lights come rain or shine, all weathers and circ*mstances. Heads held high, come what may.

Both will make their last stand to make the Australian team for Paris 2024 this evening in Brisbane, one a many medalled champion keeping the dream alive, the other a musician who made his name beyond the pool but wanted to dive back in and see if he could become an Olympian.

Campbell qualified sixth fastest in the women’s 50m freestyle in 24.85, her season best at 24.10, likely to get her on the squad, especially in the nervy sprint ranks of a nation that can clobber the world barring Sarah Sjostrom (see June 2 below… Sjostrom Brings Mare Nostrum To Dashing Halt In 23.84) but tightens a touch in the domestic pressure cooker of seeking a starring role.

Campbell has made that role many times before and will need to finish top two in order to qualify for a record breaking fifth Olympic Games. This test will be the toughest of all under the circ*mstances, illness having shook hands at just the wrong moment.

Favourite for the crown is Shayna Jack*, on 24.02, just 0.,01sec shy of season best, Meg Harris on 24.47, Bronte Campbell on 24.56, Emma McKeon, Olympic champion ahead of Cate Campbell‘s bronze three years ago in Tokyo, on 24.72, and the youngest of the Paris-possibles 4x100m crew yesterday, Olivia Wunsch, 24.73.

And then there’s the 100-200m World champion behind 32-year-old Cate Campbell and 7th in heats: Mollie O’Callaghan in 24.87, with Alexandra Perkins the first sprinter over 25 as last through to the final, in 25.02, precisely a second behind lead pace.

Simpson, on 51.78 was the fifth and last of the 51s through to the 100m ‘fly final led by Olympic bronze medallist Matt Temple in 51.47. Temple is the only current-season (for that’s all that counts) sub-51-man in the field, closest to him this morning 50m free qualifier Ben Armbruster, season best 51.57, Jesse Coleman, 19, 51.67, 0.01sec shy of best, and Shaun Champion, half a second down on entry in 51.74.

The there and back morning splits offer no clues: it’s a blanket – and the last chance to qualify for Simpson and three of the four ahead of him.

In other action on the last day of trials, Jenna Forrester and Ella Ramsay led the 400IM pace in respective times of 4:43.53 and 4:44.57. Ramsay, who when adding the 200m breaststroke to the 200m medley on her Paris schedule yesterday listed the long medley as her trials priority, is already on the squad, Forrester in search of a ticket to what would be her debut Olympics.

Same for 19-year-old Will Petric who needs a 4:12.50 in the 400IM, his best a 4:12.12. He will have Tokyo bronze medallist Brendon Smith for company, Petric on 4:20.40, Smith on 4:21.84 this morning, reminding us that these are the specific circ*mstances of six-day trials in Brisbane: 4:20s won’t come close to making the cut for the final in Paris, of course.

Brisbane Results in full/Event Page

Aquatics GB CEO Drew Barrand said: “Everyone at Aquatics GB is delighted to see Rebecca and David included on the King’s Birthday Honours List – fully deserved recognition for the impact they have made and continue to make both in and out of the water.

“Rebecca’s medal-winning performances at Paralympic Games and World Championships are one incredible way to inspire children and young people, but her engagement with hundreds of schoolchildren across the community of Worcestershire has allowed those people the priceless chance to hear about how an elite athlete shows resilience and overcomes all manner of challenges to achieve success, lessons that they can take with them into all walks of life. We know that her role in education in the area is an ongoing one and continue to be fully supportive of the difference she is making.

“David, meanwhile, continues to play a pivotal role on the ongoing success of our Aquatics GB swimming teams at the highest level. He is gearing up for his fourth Olympic Games as Head Coach of the Aquatics GB Performance Centre in Bath – having seen his athletes win medals in Tokyo, Rio, London and Beijing at the past four Games – and he has overseen countless other triumphs for his swimmers at World Championships and European Championships in intervening years, becoming an absolute mainstay of our international coaching setups.

“I’d also like to congratulate all other members of our aquatics family who have been recognised in today’s list.”

The King’s Birthday Honours List 2024 also sees Lewes-based Audrey Taylor recognised as a Medallist of the Order of the British Empire for services to amateur swimming in East Sussex, while technical official Tony Ward has been given the same award for services to swimming and para-swimming.

Friday Vortex, July 14

Atkinson Highlights How Canada Recognises The Coaching Pathway When Pupils Become Olympians

John Atkinson, High Performance Director/National Coach of Swimming Canada, has penned a paper that highlights the importance of “Recognizing the coaching pathway” when nations name their Olympic teams.

In the great plethora of media communication and even team guides that has flowed and will flow out to journalists and directly to fans on social media and official websites, one of the most obvious voids is coach recognition, particularly when it comes to “pathway”.

Here’s are a few extracts from John’s paper:

Following last month’s Olympic & Paralympic Trials, Presented by Bell, 28 swimmers have been nominated to the Canadian Olympic Committee to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the pool. They will join our open water marathon swimmer who qualified from the Doha 2024 World Aquatics Championships.

While these 29 swimmers will represent Canada in Paris, so many people and factors have contributed to their journey. Before we travel to France for the Games in just a few short weeks, I would like to recognize some important aspects of how a swimmer develops all the way to the Olympic Team.

Beyond the list of the swimmers and all the coaches they’ve worked with, Atkinson notes this:

Recognizing the coaching pathway

We all know many years of preparation go into every athlete making the Olympic Team. They rely on the support of family and friends along the way, as well as a pathway of coaches who have had an impact on the performance of every swimmer being nominated.

Back in 2016 we started to recognize the chain of coaches who have helped develop each of the Swimming Canada nominated athletes to the Olympic team, and we do that again this year as we prepare for Paris.

We recognize on the full team list below three coaches for each athlete:

• Current Coach is the athlete’s primary coach this season who was coaching them at the point of making the team.
• Previous Coach was the athlete’s primary coach immediately before their current coach.
• First Coach coached the athlete to their first senior swimming championships or Trials in Canada.
• For the 2024 Olympic Swimming Team, 60 different coaches have been part of the journey for our athletes as the current, previous or first coach. We also acknowledge other coaches have helped along the way, including as the primary coach of some athletes. We thank them all for their part in developing each athlete on the team.

Swimming Canada is proud to recognize all the coaches contributing to our team this year and continues to work with the coaches of our Canadian team members wherever they are based.

Recognizing the national development team pathway

When looking at the team, we also see a trend of involvement at the National Development Team Program level:

• 16 of the 29 swimmers have previously competed at world junior championships (pool and/or open water)
• 16 of the 28 pool swimmers have previously competed at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships
• 21 of the 29 swimmers (72.4%) have previously competed at either of the above
• 25 of the 29 (86.2%) have previously competed at one of the above and/or another NDTP competition such as the Youth Olympic Games, a UANA or LEN open water event, or a past World Swimming Championships (25m) when selected as a development swimmer
• In addition, two young swimmers bypassed the NDTP by qualifying straight on to a senior team while still eligible as juniors. So of the remaining 27 swimmers, 92.5% progressed to the Olympic Team thanks in part to at least one NDTP opportunity.

These statistics clearly demonstrate the value of the National Development Team Program as a proving ground for our Olympic Team. These opportunities are part of the swimmer development pathway Swimming Canada, Own the Podium, Sport Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee work together to support. The pathway is designed to offer relevant development team opportunities and allow junior-aged swimmers to learn and develop along the journey.

HPC Head Coaches Ryan Mallette (5) and Scott Talbot (3) led the way among the 19 coaches placing swimmers on the 2024 Canadian Olympic Swimming Team:

You can read John Atkinson’s article in full at Swimming Canada

Friday Vortex Links to Australian Trials Coverage:

Day 5 Finals At Australian Trials in Brisbane

Stubblety-Cook Pressed To Paris Defence By Yong As Ramsay Win Sees Coach Raleigh Celebrate 200BR Double

Day 5 Heats At Australian Trials in Brisbane

Thursday Vortex, June 13

Chalmers Leads The 100 Charge As McKeown Limbers Up For Paris Target No3 & Seebohm Seeks 5th Games As A Mum At 32

Kyle Chalmers led a wave of 48s nine-men deep, 48.39 to 48.90 the top 8 for the 100m free showdown on day 4 at Australia Trials in Brisbane.

This evening Kaylee McKeown will chase Paris target No3 in 200 back and Emily Seebohm a fifth Games as a mum with a message at 32

Chalmers, the 2016 Olympic champion who missed gold by just 0.06sec five years later at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games, 47.02 to 47.08 for American Caeleb Dressel, was out in 23.53 and home in 24.86 for 48.39.

Speaking through Swimming Australia, Chalmers said: “I probably didn’t execute to the best of my ability … definitely some areas I can improve on tonight. I will really put the pressure on myself to get the best out of myself tonight, it has got to be self-driven and self-motivated.”

Closest to him was the only man who managed to pip him this season, Will Yang, on 48.50. Flynn Southam, Jamie Jack, Zac Incerti, Kai Taylor Jack Cartwright and 200m victor and Paris contender Max Giuliani are the other men who will race this evening for a solo slot (48.06 is the cut) and relay berths. Cody Simpson and Matt Temple are the Australian reserves for the final but this is a place where no man fails to show ups for a shot.

Kaylee McKeown goes in the 200m back final this evening in pursuit of a third golden target in Paris. On 2:08.83 this morning, the reigning Olympic champion and World record holder raced inside the Paris cut of 2:09.74.

Thorpe fell off his blocks and there are never any guarantees but McKeown is one of the safest and most consistent pair of word-class hands in water you’re ever likely to witness. However close or beyond her best she gets, McKeown is more than likely mot add the 200 back to the 100 and the 200IM on her list of solo targets on a program that promises an impressive haul in Paris one way or the other.

In her wake this morning was Hannah Fredericks, on 2:10.19 and with a best inside Paris cut, Iona Anderson, the 18-year-old who may make the Paris team for the 100 if Mollie O’Callaghan decides not to race it in Paris. On 2:10.54 today, Anderson is looking at another big personal best in the final, while fourth through is a champion and pioneer on the comeback trail.

Seebohm: “if you’ve got a dream, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.”

At 32 and now a mum, Emily Seebohm clocked a season best of 2:11.00. If she makes the top 2, the cut is highly likely to be behind her and she would be heading for a record fifth Olympic Games. Twice a World champion in the 200m, in 2015 an 2017, Seebohm grabbed a sensational bronze in Tokyo three years ago to make it two Australians, McKeown the golden girl, on the podium. This morning she said:

“When I was pregnant, I felt like I lost that athlete that I was. And this is me trying to regain what I once had and proving to other women that it’s possible to not only have kids but achieve your dreams too. I’m doing it for myself and I’m doing it to prove to (son) Sampson that if you’ve got a dream, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.”

Emily Seebohm – Photo – flashback to Tokyo: (L-R) Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown of Australia and teammate Emily Seebohm beyond battle that kept the Dolphins leaping – by Patrick B. Kraemer

There are two other finals this evening: the women’s 800m free with Ariarne Titmus and Lani Pallister set for another 16-length battle, and the men’s 200m medley, Will Petric 19, in centre lane, with a heats-leading 1:59.23.

Wednesday Vortex, July 12

McEvoy A Dash From Dolphin Deliverance At 30 As Titmus & O’Callaghan lead Aussie 200 Charge

New chapters are rarely entirely void of the flow and red thread of what’s gone, the past of any spacetime continuum something beyond the gift of mere mortals to change but should Cameron McEvoy back up his 21.43 heats dash in heats on day 3 of Australian Trials in Brisbane this evening to grab a ticket to Paris at 30 years of age, he will have gone a long way to achieving Dolphin deliverance.

It’s almost eight years and a relative elite sprinter’s lifetime since McEvoy won at Olympic trials and then showed his champion spirit in the jaws of defeat in the 100m at Rio 2016. The act of raising teenage teammate Kyle Chalmers‘ arm in the air and inviting mates and crowd in the house and far beyond to honour the new sprint king and the first Australian to life the ultimate blue ribband title since Mike Wenden in 1968, was a towering measure of the man.

“If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster; And treat those two impostors just the same …” and all the rest from Kipling’s flow of deeper understanding.

Recovery, rehabilitation, readjustment, the rest of life, graduation, further learning and, along the way, finding the love lost in the spoils of swim war. And when he did, he made his way back and since 2022 has been a sprint force to reckon with once more, a World champion in a sizzling 21.06 no less.

At 21.43, he was half a second up on the best of the rest this morning, the final to feature Chalmers, through in fifth his morning. The Paris cut: 21.88.

Brisbane Results in full/Event Page

The first event of the third morning was a showcase of easy speed at the helm of pace, 2020ne Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus and World champion of 2023 Mollie O’Callaghan, on 1:55.50 and 1:55.68 respectively in the 200m freestyle. Four 1:56s followed, two 1:57 lows locked the door to the final and Kaylee McKeown, also on 1:57 was back in 11th but is already on the Paris Olympics team for Australia and therefore available for relays at the discretion of head coach Rohan Taylor and the performance leadership come the Games.

The top two contenders for Paris gold are teammates. When asked by reporter Nicole Jeffery in Brisbane how they manage the competitive situation in the squad at St Peters Western under the guidance of coach Dean Boxall, this is what Titmus said:

“Fortunately I’m in a pretty big squad, there’s about 20 of us and really, we don’t actually do any of the same sessions. She’s in the middle distance program, I’m in the distance program and I have probably not raced her in training this entire prep to be honest, and we do such different things and you know, she’s training for 100 metres, and I’m training for an 800 metres as well, so it’s very different. But I think with the amount of athletes we have in our squad, it’s quite easy to kind of move off and do your own thing.

“I’m off training with Elijah and a couple of younger boys and I’m kind of in that little bubble and I don’t really know what’s happening with anyone else, but I think there’s a lot of competitors in our squad amongst other events as well, and so, we manage that well. At the end of the day, we’re all working as hard as we possibly can and you’ve just got to respect that and each other.”

Ariarne Titmus – Photo: Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus – gold and silver in the 200m free at the 2023 World Championships (Photo by Patrick B. Kraemer / MAGICPBK)

Day 3 finals will also feature the men’s 800m free and women’s 200m butterfly, a full compliment of qualifiers in prospect. More later.

Tuesday Vortex, July 11

O’Callaghan & McKeown Limber Up For 100 Back Fireworks

Mollie O’Callaghan got her Olympic trials campaign off to a swift start this morning in Brisbane, waking the day 2 crown up from first gun with a 58.73 in the 100m back.

The morning after a 2:06.63 Commonwealth 200IM record, Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown edged closer to the defence of one of her two Tokyo2020 backstroke crowns in 59.03, opening in 28.63 and at a cruise of 30.40 on the way home, compared to O’Callaghan’s 29.86 off a 28.87 first length.

Both hold 100 and 200m world records, O’Callaghan on freestyle and McKeown on backstroke. A dazzling duel ahead. Hannah Fredericks and Iona Anderson made it four showdown qualifiers under the minute this morning.

Queen of Aussie backstroke for more than a decade, former World champion and Olympic gold medallist Emily Seebohm scraped into the final in 1:01.02 and while she still has the 200m and better prospects ahead of her as she attempts to qualify for what would be her fifth Olympics, she has indicated that her aims to race as a Dolphin once more are longer term. Speaking through Swimming Australia Seebohm said:

“The 100 (backstroke) is pretty hard… I’m older and that speed isn’t as quick as what it used to be. But yeah, it’s good to see the 100 and obviously have a good hit out especially here at the trials because as much as I embrace it Chandler never looked like this. I think the 200m (backstroke) will be a little bit better for me… my speed isn’t as quick as some of these other girls… but yeah, that 200 will hopefully work out.”

Emily Seebohm – by Delly Carr. courtesy of Swimming Australia

Jenna Strauch led the 100m breaststroke heats in 1:07.58. At 27, she’s the oldest qualifier but for the 0.19sec gap that kept Sally Hunter (nee Foster) out of the final: at 39, Hunter entered with a current best of 1:10.24. She crunched that down to 1:09.63 and almost made her first Olympic trials finals since 2012, when she made her second Olympics as a Dolphin at Beijing 2008 ands London four years on, when she made the final in 2:24.

As Sally Foster, she claimed silver in the 200m breaststroke at the 2008 short-course Worlds, won silver medal in the same event long-course at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she was also a member of Australia’s victorious 4×100m medley relay.

Back to Brisbane 2024, where Brad Woodward and Isaac Cooper produced the two sub-54s in the heats of the 100m backstroke, their respective times 53.78 and 53.91.

Former Aussie No1 backstroke ace and World champion Mitch Larkin is in the mix and is aiming to make a fourth Olympic Games at 30.

As Swimming Australia notes: “Two years ago, the three-time Olympian was told by his surgeon he may never swim again after tearing the biggest muscle in the rotator cuff in his right shoulder. Today, Larkin clocked 54.76 seconds to qualify fourth-fastest…” He said:

“I wouldn’t be swimming like this if I didn’t want to go to Paris, there obviously is very much a big hunger still. I love the sport. I love the whole concept of the Olympics. The whole pursuit of taking your body and trying to physically push it as far as it can … is something that really excites me.”

Mitch Larkin, courtesy of La Presse, for ISL

Elijah Winnington led the 200m freestyle heats in a solid 1:45.95 the morning after victory in the 400m free in his latest stroke-for-stroke fight with Sam Short. The 200m heats featured five under 1:47, with all under 1:48.

The fastest one-lap dasher at last year’s Para World Championships Rowan Crothers (24.26) finished second in the S10 50m multi class freestyle heat with Tom Gallagher touching first in 23.51.

Gallery, Day 2 Heats: All images by Delly Carr, courtesy of Swimming Australia

Monday Vortex, June 10

Williamson Joins Sub-59 Club As Third Swiftest Aussie In 100 Breast As Olympic Trials Begin Down Under

Sam Williamson laid down a new career high of 58.95 in 100m breaststroke heats on the first morning of action at Australia’s Olympic Trials in Brisbane.

Day 1 Finals:

McKeown 2:06.63 Commonwealth 200IM Mark Confirms Dolphin A Flip For Paris Gold

Titmus Rattles Her WR With 3:55.44 Storm On Opening Night At Australian Olympic Trials

Gallery: All Images by Delly Carr, courtesy of Swimming Australia

Williamson, the 50m champion at the intercalated World titles in Doha back in February and based at the Melbourne Vicentre, just missed the global podium in the 100m with a 59.21 lifetime best.

This morning in Brisbane he was out in 27.34 and home in 31.61, Williamson rose from fifth to third on the all-time Australian rankings as the third man from his country to race below 59sec. The Australian record has been held at 58.58 by Brenton Rickard since the Rome 2009 shiny suits circus, while Christian Sprenger is next on the domestic ranking with his 58.79 win at the 2013 World Championships in the last season before the advent of Britain’s Adam Peaty, who has held the World record at 56.88 since 2019.

Speaking through Swimming Australia, Williamson said: “I hit the wall and I just heard cheering, I didn’t actually know my time. I think hitting four digits, sneaking under the minute as a breaststroker is always a pretty big achievement. So then sneak out of that 59[sec] there’s not a lot of guys around the world that have done that.

“So to sort of be up in that calibre is really impressive and just really happy with all the work I’ve done. Hopefully it puts me in a good spot moving forward.I’m just happy I’ve done it and fingers crossed I can come back and swim a little bit faster tonight.”

In other action on the first morning in Brisbane, the 400m battles were lined up with Ariarne Titmus, World record holder (3:55.38) Olympic and World champion of 2023 in a World record of 3:55.38, through to centre lane in 4:01.57. Lani Pallister was closest, on 4:06.69.

On the men’s side, the row world championships gunning for gold in Paris this summer, Elijah Winnington and Sam Short set the pace with respective times of 3:45.71 for the 2022 global champ and 3:48.66 for the 2023 global champ. Medley ace Brendon Smith was closest, in 3:48.79.

Queen of the Tokyo Olympic pool three years ago with a record seven podium places as the female Dolphins dominated, Emma McKeon got her Paris campaign off to a solid start with a ticket to centre lane of the 100m butterfly, her controlled 56.75 a second shy of lifetime best, Alexandra Perkins closest going through, on 57.10 as the first of three 57s.

Results in full / Event Page

Sun Talking To Himself Back In The Wash

As we knew, Sun Yang* is back from a long suspension and is now in training, a Chinese TV report has noted, though the swimmer does not emphasise the Paris Olympics as his motivation.

Therapy is his mission. He says: “Training is not just exercise, it’s a time to talk to myself. The world under the goggles is full of tranquility and self-challenge.”

Sun did not make it back from suspension in time to race at China’s Olympic trials in a week in April that placed the whole national swim program under a dark cloud with news that 23 swimmers had tested positive for the banned heart booster trimetazidine (TMZ) in competition back in January 2021 before internal Chinese investigation cleared them of wrongdoing and that decision was accepted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and FINA (since rebranded as World Aquatics).

Technically, Sun could yet be added to China’s team for Paris 2024. However, Chinese authorities may prefer to stick to the team already announced, in part because the selection criteria allows them to.

The other part is the one the world is watching: the current controversy involving doping and China would take on new heights if Sun, who was given a lenient three-month suspension for TMZ back in 2014 and was lapped with a four years and three m months suspension for manipulation in early 2020, were to join the 13 others who have since tested positive for TMZ but walked away free on the basis that China declared the 23 positives as case of mass contamination and “no fault” for the athletes.

The New China Crisis:

Ex-WADA Boss Howman Says Global Regulator Would Have Been Wiser To Challenge China At CAS On Go-Free 23

The Vortex, April 2024 – The New China Crisis That Sparked Fresh Calls For WADA Reform

Sunday Vortex, June 9

Olympic-Day Swim In Marathon Waters For Mayor Of Paris Off But ‘sh*t In Seine’ Protest’ On

A planned June 23-Olympic Day swim in the Seine by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is likely to be postponed, city authorities have indicated, because heavy rains in May and the “strong flow of the river” have made the show of faith in the Paris Olympics venue for the swim marathon and triathlon a stroke too far.

A revised date of June 30 has been pencilled in, according to French media reports seven weeks out from the Olympics at a time when questions of water quality and the presence of two bacteria, Escherichia coli and enterococci, in the Seine hand in the air.

Organisers have already made clear that if the water quality does not meet European safety standards during the two weeks of the Games, in July and August, there is no Plans B for the marathon: it would simply be postponed.

Meanwhile, a movement has started on social media, complete with a countdown clock, inviting citizens to defecate in the Seine on Olympic Day to highlight questions of safety raised by allowing Olympic swimming to take place in a river in which swimming had been barred on safety grounds since 1923, the year before the last time the French capital hosted the Games.

The “Je chie dans la seine le 23 Juin pour … ” protest translates as “I sh*t in the Seine on June 23 for…”, the second line an interchangeable one naming Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, Anne Hidalgo and Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez.

Like Hidalgo, Macron has said that he intends to swim in the river himself before the Games to prove it is clean and safe for the athletes to use but at when asked about a date told French media with a smile: “I’ll do it, but I won’t give you the date. You all risk being there.”

The French government has pledged more than a billion euros for a clean-up of the River Seine, so that Olympic swimming could be held in its waters.

The Surfrider Foundation has been conducting tests of the Seine waters for the past year and the Olympics test event for the marathon was cancelled last year when readings revealed pollution levels beyond legal safety requirements.

Surfrider recently reported that out of 14 samples from the stretches of the Seine scheduled to stage swimming events during the Games, only one was deemed “satisfactory”. All other samples contained E. coli and “intestinal bacteria and formidable indicators of pollution of fecal origin.”

Paris 2024 organisers have previously noted that heavy rains and inclement weather during the Games would increase the risk of cancellation of the 10km marathon altogether.

Saturday Vortex, June 8

Coach Bohl To Take A Year-Long Break After Paris 2024 Olympics To “Recharge The Batteries”

Michael Bohl, leading Australian coach to generations of Olympic champions and podium placers, is to take a year-long service leave after the Paris Olympic Games.

News Corp reports that Bohl, is to take time out to “recharge” his batteries after the Dolphins’ campaign in Paris three years after they topped the gold count at the Tokyo Olympics.

Bohl, whose lost of Olympic podium stars include champions Stephanie Rice (2008) and Emma McKeon (202One) confirmed that he wanted to take a break from coaching for a year to spend more time with his family and “recharge the batteries”. He is in discussions with Swimming Australia about a variety of future projects and roles.

Friday Vortex, June 7

The IOC’s ‘Problematic Language’

IOC Thought Police Tell Media To Avoid Truths Like ‘Biologically Male’ Ahead Of Paris “Parity”

Singapore World-Championship Dates Posted

World Aquatics today announced that the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore will run from July 11 to August 3. The 22nd edition of the long-course showcase will be hosted by Singapore Aquatics and the state’s Sport Singapore.

Thursday Vortex, June 6

Swim Ireland Reserves Women’s Category For Females Only

Swim Ireland has ring-fenced women’s swimming for female athletes only with a policy announcement in line with the policy of World Aquatics.

The global regulator protected the women’s category in aquatics in June 2022 when it voted in favour of recommendations from experts in human development biology, law and human rights, after wide consultation that included female and transgender athletes:

At the time, World Aquatics (at the time FINA before rebranding later that year) noted that it could not dictate domestic policies but since then, many of its member federations have adopted the same policy, at least at elite junior and senior levels, in their countries.

FINA also said that it would create an Open category and invited trans swimmers got take part in the World Cup in Berlin last year in the new grouping as part of inclusion measures that ensure no athlete Is barred from competing.

Not a single transgender swimmer took up the opportunity, biological males such as Lia Thomas preferring to fight their case for gender over sex with a claim for inclusion in female swimming rather than be included in the category of their sex.

After lengthy consultation, Swim Ireland announced its policy alongside this clarification:

Whilst transgender individuals and representative groups have generally advocated for no restrictions in the competitive space, the overwhelming majority of our membership believe that the biological female competition category needs to be protected to ensure fair competition.

World Aquatics Scientific Panel Report concludes that transgender women swimmers retain a significant advantage over cisgender female swimmers, even after reducing their testosterone levels through medication.

Having considered all views, and the currently available data, we have opted to adopt a Policy whereby we will have two competition categories …

It then names those as:

Female (athletes with a birth sex or female) and Open (athletes with a birth sex of male, transgender or non-binary competitors and any competitor not eligible for the female category).

Related:

Navratilova, Hogshead-Makar Slam ‘Ignorant’ Notion That Thomas’ Male Body ‘Not The Problem’

Lia Thomas Seeks To Up-End Fair Play Rules With Trans Challenge To World Aquatics At CAS

Penn’s Paula Scanlan Reveals Shocking Treatment Of Females In Saga Of Will/Lia Thomas Transition

The 200 Free Time Trial That Became A Yardstick Of How Much Poison Is Being Poured In The Women’s Swimming Pool

A Waking Nightmare For Women In Sport

The paperback, with updated material and developments in the year since first publication, will be available in July 2024

Wellbrock, Martens & Beck Lead Team Germany Swim Squad Of 27 To Paris Olympics

Defending marathon champion Florian Wellbrock, his training partner Lukas Martens and Leonie Beck lead 27 swimmers on Team Germany for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Wellbrock has been added to the 800m freestyle, alongside the 1500m and marathon, after Oliver Klemet withdrew from the 16-length event to focus on Open Water, which takes place in the second week at the Games in the days after the end of the the nine-day pool swimming competition.

Wellbrock is defending Olympic marathon champion and World champion in the 1500m and marathon in 2023, the last global gathering of the best in the world. Beck also claimed marathon gold at f*ckuoka 2023. Martens, like Wellbrock coached by Bernd Berkhan, showed Paris podium-pace form at German Championships last month with a 3:40.33 World-record rattler over 400m freestyle and 1:44.14 in the 200m free, the third fastest effort in textile since shiny suits.

The DSV, Germany’s swimming federation, noted that a decision is pending on US-college based Nicole Maier, Germany’s No4 in the 200m free and a candidate for the 4x200m free relay in Paris, depending on her performance at the intercalated European Championships later this month.

Team Germany for Paris 2024

Men:
Luca Nik Armbruster
Ole Braunschweig
Cedric Bussing
Melvin Imoudu
Oliver Klemet (open water)
Lukas Martens
Lucas Matzerath
Rafael Miroslaw
Josha Salchow
Sven Schwarz
Artem Selin
Timo Sorgius
Marek Ulrich
Peter Varjasi
Florian Wellbrock (+ open water)

Women:
Leonie Beck (open water)
Anna Elendt
Isabel Gose
Nina Holt
Angelina Kohler
Leonie Martens (open water)
Julia Mrozinski
Laura Riedemann
Nele Schulze

Wednesday Vortex, June 5

Paris La Défense Arena Gone Green As Myrtha Pools Builds The Blue

At midnight a month ago, just minutes after the last show on the first leg of Taylor Swift’s European Eras tour, Paris’ La Défense Arena in Nanterre went into deconstruction mode in preparation for rebirth as the swimming venue for the Olympic Games in the French capital this summer.

A month after Swift flew from her tour, Myrtha Pools has provided a glimpse of progress in the construction of the 50-metres, long-course, competition pool at the heart of an extraordinary multi-purpose venue, in terms of capacity, scale and technology: 13km of stands, a 5,500-tonne framework, and 28,632 square metres of courts and pitches.

The facility, designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc, opened in 2017. Since then, it has welcomed more than two million spectators to events, including concerts, conventions, seminars and other spectaculars, including rugby matches and other sports events. It will make its Olympic swimming debut in July.

Two Olympic swimming pools are being built: the racing venue and, behind a temporary curtain dividing the inside arena in half, the warm-up/warm-down tank. They’re 2.3m deep, are fitted with underwater cameras and each pool will take three days to fill. After the Games are done, the water will be channelled into La Défense district’s heating network and the pools reconstructed as 25-metre, short-course, tanks for local community centres in France.

The five rings have already been mounted in place at a venue with plans to become ever more sustainable. While La Défense Arena’s roof is decked with 34 solar panels dedicated to powering an adjoining brewery, the management aims to reduce energy consumption at the venue by 40 per cent and achieve an 80 per cent recycling rate by 2025.

High-tech thermal and acoustic insulation already helps limit the facility’s energy needs by keeping the place at consistent temperatures of 16 to 25C. Instead of conventional air conditioning, it relies on a cold water system that releases chilled water vapour to keep audiences cool.

The building also collects rainwater, EuroNews Green reports. The downpour is funnelled into an 800-metre cubed storage tank under the car park and then used to water the synthetic lawn (the moisture helps reduce burns and injuries among rugby players).

Gallery: The Transformation Of Paris La Défense Arena

Tuesday Vortex, June 4

Portugal Confirms Swim Team Of Five For Paris 2024, André & Ribeiro Leading The Way

Portugal has selected five swimmers for the Paris Olympic Games: Angélica André, the medal-shot open water ace coached by former International José Manuel Borges, on the staff at three previous Games, and Doha 2024 World 50 and 100m butterfly champion Diogo Ribeiro, coached by Alberto Silva, lead the way. There’s no 50 ‘fly at the Olympics but Ribeiro is entered in the 50 and 100m free as well as the 100 ‘fly. They’ll be joined by João Costa (100m backstroke), Camila Rebelo (200m backstroke) and Miguel Nascimento (50m freestyle).

The six judokas added to qualifiers last weekend took the 54 the numb er of Portuguese athletes bound for the Paris Olympic Games. Athletics boasts the biggest squad, with 10 athletes. Cycling is next biggest with seven representatives, while judo’s six is followed by sports with five athletes each, swimming alongside table tennis.

Monday Vortex, June 3

Paris Shifts “Thousands of Homeless In Social Cleaning Before Olympics” – Campaigners

The Olympic Movement finds itself once more attached to stories of thousands of homeless being shifted out of the host city for the Games in a “clean-up” operation to make societal problems disappear in time for “lights, cameras, action” when Paris ignites the flame on July 26 at the start of 16 days of the biggest multi-sports event on Earth.

Those being moves include asylum seekers and families and children already “in a precarious and vulnerable situation”, according to a report by Le Revers de la Médaille collective, which represents 90 associations. The group also claims that police are also cracking down on sex workers and drug addicts in moves that deprive them of their customary support networks.

“The Île-de-France region has been emptied of some of the people that the powers that be consider undesirable,” the report concludes.

It is not, by any means, the first time the Olympics has seen large-scale social clean-ups ahead of a Games, as this compilation at the NoBoston2024.com campaign website demonstrates to a chilling degree:

Homelessness & Social Exclusion

In Paris, expulsions and the dismantling of tent camps in and around the city had intensified since April last year, and 12,545 people had been moved in the last 13 months, according to the campaigners.

Paul Alauzy, a coordinator for health monitoring at Médecins du Monde, accused the authorities of “social cleaning” of the city’s most precarious population in order for Paris to “appear in the most flattering light possible” for the Olympics.

In a report in The Guardian this afternoon, Alauzy said people were being bussed to temporary regional centres set up last year as a short-term fix to a “social-nuisance” problem.

He said: “They are hiding the misery under the rug. If this really was a dignified solution to the problem, people would be fighting to get on the buses. They’re not. We are in the process of making life impossible for these people and those who support them.”

Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, has revealed that City Hall has, “for years”, been asking the French Government, which is responsible for emergency housing, to deliver a credible plan for housing the estimated 3,600 people living on the streets of Paris.

Last year she insisted nobody would be forced to leave the city and says: “I am angry about this being pushed on to the city [authority] because it’s not our role or responsibility and we already play more than our part in finding urgent accommodation for vulnerable people. Every week we are putting families into homes.”

Read the article in full at The Guardian

The “clean-up” extends beyond citizens to the River Seine, while clearing out the hotel;ess and others from central areas is also linked to security measures ahead of the most open open ceremony in history, one that will be held not in a stadium but along the banks of the famous river that runs through the heart of the French capital:

Seine Or In-Seine? Paris Boss Prays For Rain, Rain, Go Away … Or Olympic Marathon May Be Flushed Away In Tide Of Pollution

Rebecca Smith – “God Gave Me The Strength” To Persevere

Canadian Olympian Rebecca Smith graduated in nursing at the University of Calgary and attended the convocation ceremony last Thursday. Next month, she will line-up with teammates for her third Olympic Games in the pool at the age of 24. Her’s has been quite a journey of endurance and coping with change and a life less ordinary.

“I believe that God gave me the strength,” Smith tells Hiren Mansukhani at the Calgary Sun and Herald. At 16, she moved to Toronto to compete at a higher level under the guidance of national coaches.

She lived with another family, whom Smith said almost became her own. Smith relates her tale of travelling the world, excelling for Canada at junior and senior levels, including Olympic silver in the 4x100m freestyle at the Tokyo2020ne Games.

“It was a crazy experience, unlike any other,” she tells Mansukhani. There were times when she felt like quitting. “I would just call my mom, and I would just cry,” she says. Her Christian faith helped get her through.

“I’m a Christian,” Smith says. “And I believe that God was with me the whole way. And He gave me the strength to be there.”

On her sports mission ahead and what swimming has meant and means to her, Smith says: “I’m excited to go to Paris … I just felt really at peace when I was swimming. When you’re under water just by yourself, it’s just so quiet.”

She realised that nursing was her calling when she volunteered at a Toronto hospital’s pediatric unit as a helper to other nurses. “It just really opened my eyes to this world of people caring for other people who are just so sick, and seeing the nurses totally care for them 24/7,” Smith tells Mansukhani.

In pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in nursing, Smith returned home to her family Alberta but kept her elite training program up: “I trained eight times a week with three weight sessions, all the while I had three-hour classes and one three-hour lab, and I was in the hospital for two eight-hour shifts a week for a year and a half. All I can remember is getting my schedule, drawing and timing everything out literally to the hour.”

Read the article in full

‘Bureaucratic Blunder’ Ends Paris Olympic Dream For Injured Lara van Niekerk

Lara van Niekerk‘s dreams of making it the Paris Olympic Games were dashed at the weekend after a back injury forced her out of what would have been her final qualifying shot at the Monaco round of the Mare Nostrum Tour.

The 50m and 100m Commonwealth Games champion on breaststroke at Birmingham 2018 achieved the 100m qualifying time for Paris last year at two domestic competitions but David Isaacson, reporter at TimesLive, writes that a bureaucratic blunder rendered them irrelevant because neither meet, including the 2023 national championships in South Africa, had been registered as an Olympic qualifying event.

Van Niekerk raced at the Barcelona leg of the Mare Nostrum midweek but was forced to withdraw before heats in Monte Carlo on Saturday.

Coach Eugene da Ponte told Isaacson: “She hurt her back in Barcelona, and I don’t want to risk a worse injury. “Bit emotional for her, but we have decided to put the Olympics to bed for now after everything that has happened, and we will start working towards Los Angeles [the 2028 Games].”

The qualification window for the Paris Games closes on Olympic Day on June 23 but Van Niekerk will not race again before then. Her Paris omission is an indictment on Swimming South Africa, writes Isaacson

Read the article in full

Sunday Vortex, June 2

Sjostrom Brings Mare Nostrum To Dashing Halt In 23.84

Swedish sprint queen Sarah Sjostrom brought the 2024 Mare Nostrum Tour to a screeching halt this evening in Monte Carlo with a 24.95 butterfly dash warm-up on the way to a sizzling 23.84 world-ranks topping 50m freestyle.

Her dashing double in the two 50m events in which she holds the world records (24.43 and 23.71) began with the 24.95 on butterfly just shy of her Monaco meet record of 24.89, her Tour record of 24.76 on the books to be challenged another day.

In the conclusion to the dash clashes, which featured a straight final and not the semi-finals scheduled, Sjostrom was just 0.02sec shy of her Mare Nostrum record and 0.13sec shy of her World record for a 23.84 victory, teammate Michelle Coleman closest in 24.48.

Complete results for the 2024 Mare Nostrum Tour (and Past Circuits)

Milak Leads Ponti 50.7 to 51.1 As Tokyo Olympic Podium Placers Prepare For Paris 2024 Games

Kristof Milak and Noe Ponti topped the 100m butterfly in the same order as they finished for silver and bronze at the Tokyo2020ne Olympic Games: the Hungarian ace clocked his fastest time of 2024 so far, a Tour record of 50.75, fourth swiftest in the world this year, the Swiss ace on 51.25.

The Vortex, May 2024 – Milak Has Work To Do, Says Coach Balázs Virth

The Vortex, April 2024 – The New China Crisis That Sparked Fresh Calls For WADA Reform

Milak matched his own tour record of 50.95 at the Barcelona round of the Tour mid-week. This evening he led from go to gold and confirmed that he’s listening to his coach and responding to the doubts and warnings of Balázs Virth about the need for a sharper edge of focus on the way to the defence of the 200m crown at the Paris Olympics, the swimming events at which unfold from July 27 for nine days.

Hong Kong’s star sprinter Siobhan Haughey, coached by Tom Rushton, had only the clock to challenge her in the 100m freestyle, a 52.72 completing a successful Paris-prep pace test. Marie Wattel, of France, and Nagisa Ikemoto, of Japan, completed the top three in respective times of 54.33 and 54.63.

Haughey, double Olympic silver medallist of Tokyo2020ne, leaves the tour with all the wins over 100m and 200m free in her vault.

A Korean derby in the 200m freestyle ended with Hwang Sunwoo the winner in 1:46.23, 0.4sec ahead of teammate Lee Hojoon, Estonia’s Kregor Zirk closest on 1:47.89.

In the 200m butterfly, Denmark’s Helena-Rosendahl Bach scored a comfortable triumph of 2:07.31. Her time was just shy of the 2:06.93 national record she set at the Stockholm Open in April this year. The Mare Nostrum record of 2:06.70 is owned by Japan’s Suzuka Hasegawa. Hungarian Dalma Sebestyen was closest to the Dane in 2:09.53, Mexican Maria-Jose Mata Cocco third in 2:10.37.

In other finals:
Women’s 400m freestyle: Japan’s Waka Kobori (took the race in 4:08.53 ahead of Francisca Martins, on 4:10.40, 1.63secs shy of the national record she set on the same tour a year ago, third place to South African Dune Coetzee in 4:10.92.
Women’s 100m backstroke: Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko clocked 59.58 for the win, marking her seventh gold of the tour just shy of her 59.30 national record from the Tokyo2020 Olympic Games. Canadian Ingrid Wilm, 1:00.14, and Japan’s Rio Shirai (JPN) completed the top three.
Women’s 200m breaststroke: Dutch ace Tes Schouten dispatched her challengers with a 2:23.46 to concluded her tour ahead of Lithuania’s Kotrtna Teterevkova, 2:25.46, and the Czech Republic’s Kristyna Horska, 2:26.48
Women’s 200m medley: Anastasia Gorbenko took her eighth win of the tour in a dominant 2:09.19, a swing of an arm shy of the national record she established in Canet at the start of the tour.

Men’s 200m backstroke: Korea’s Lee Juho had a solid edge over his nearest rivals, his 1:56.40 fending off Greece’s Apostolos Christou, 1:57.62, and Japan’s Hidekazu Takehara, 1:58.25.
Men’s 100m breaststroke: Japan’s Yu Hanaguruma’s 59.46 pipped Dutch challengers Arno Kamminga, double Olympic silver medalist of Tokyo2020, and Casper Corbeau, on 59.58 and 59.73 respectively.
Men’s 400m medley: Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsush*ta made it three in three for the 400m medley on tour, adding a 4:18.28 win to his victories in Canet and Barcelona ahead of Apostolos Papastamos of Greece, on 4:20.25.

The Dash Clashes:

Women:
50m freestyle: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 23.84; Michelle Coleman (SWE) 24.48; Perta Senanszky (HUN) 24.57
50m backstroke: Ingrid Wilm (CAN) 27.90; Fanny Teijonsalo (FIN) 28.34; Emma Harvey (BER) 28.44
50m breaststroke: Skyler Smith (USA) 30.55; Reona Aoki (JPN) 30.59; Lara Van Niekerk (RSA) 30.88
50m butterfly: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) 24.95; Louise Hansson (SWE) 26.13; Tessa Giele (NED) 26.16
Men:
50m freestyle: Ian Ho (HKG) 21.86; Renzo Tjon A Joe (NED) 21.95; Kenzo Simons (NED) 22.13
50m backstroke: Apostolos Christou (GRE) 24.79; Kai Fan Westering (NED) 25.10; Michele Lamberti (ITA) 25.19
50m breaststroke: Arno Kamminga (NED) 27.15; Caspar Corbeau (NED) 27.32; Taku Taniguchi (JPN) 27.42
50m butterfly: Noe Ponti (SUI) 23.36; Thomas Vergoeven (NED) 23.47; Andrii Govorov (UKR) 23.62

Saturday Vortex, June 1

Milak Uses Coach Doubts As Fuel For 1:53.9 Season Best

Kristof Milak‘s coach may well have a point but his charge rose to the challenge today, using the doubts of his mentor (see below in Vortex) as fuel on the way to a global-2024-No1 1:53.94 victory 0.71sec ahead of Japan’s Tomoru Honda on the first day of action at the Monte Carlo round of the Mare Nostrum Tour.

His world record at 1:50.34, his Mare Nostrum tour mark at 1:53.89 from 2022, Milak not only beat Honda but broke his year-old 1:54.22 Monaco meet mark.

Japan celebrated two top 3 finishers, Genki Terakado on 1:55.72, with Swiss 100m ace Noe Ponti on 1:55.81, Kim Minseop, the Korean who pipped Milak in Barcelona earlier in the week (see below in Vortex) to spark a challenge to the Hungarian Olympic champion, sixth in 1:56.59. He and Milak clocked mid 1:55s two days ago.

Milak did what coach Balázs Virth had asked of him on the first half and then came home in a decisive 59.89, evidence, perhaps, that he will take back to his guide with a note reading “on track … the racer in me thriving”.

The top 2 today were world No 2 and 3 franked last year, Milak on 1:52.58 before opting to take any extended break to heal from “rock-bottom” burnout, Honda on 1:53.15 for victory at the Asian Games last September in a 2024 season ion which he delivered six of the best 10 performances in the world.

Top of the pile in 2023 was Frenchman Léon Marchand, on 1:52.43 in for the World title in Milak’s absence.

Sarah Sjostrom Shakes Of Her Cold: 23.9, 25.2 in Free & ‘Fly Dash Quarter Finals

Having skipped the first two rounds of the tour to nurse a cold, Swedish superstar Sarah Sjostrom arrived in Monaco to test her dash speed as World record holder in both the freestyle and butterfly 50m events.

Day 1 in the principality featured knockout rounds and the quarter finals were dominated by Sjostrom’s 23.91 in the curtain-closing 50 free and a 25.21 in the 50 ‘fly. Verdict: the cold has been well and truly defeated.

Hwang Takes Down Two Big Sprint Beasts With One Swim

Korea’s Hwang Sunwoo killed two big beasts with one swim, so to speak, when he clocked 47.91 to win the there and back free final.

The Mare Nostrum record of 48.08, set by American London 2012 Olympic champion Nathan Adrian in 2014, and the Monaco record of 48.21 (then world record) that had stood to Russian Alexander Popov since 1994, have been confined to history.

Britain’s Olympic 200m free champion Tom Dean was next home, in 48.67, third place to Dutch. challenger Sean Niewold in 49.08. Dean later won the 200m medley in 1:59.36, 0.14sec ahead of Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsush*ta.

Haughey’s Consistent Speed Continues Apace Inside Her Own Tour Records

Siobhan Haughey sneaked 0.04sec inside her Mare Nostrum record of 1:54.57 for a comfortable victory in the 200m freestyle, her 1:54.54 also taking down the Monaco meet mark she set at 1:55.03 a year ago.

Closest to her were Freya Anderson, of Britain, in 1:58.45, and Portugal’s Francisca Martins, in 1:59.13.

Haughey broke the tour record in Barcelona mid week, the standard having stood to the late French Olympic 400m champion of London 2012 Camille Muffat for 12 years.

In other finals …

Men’s 400m freestyle

Kim Woomin, of Korea, clocked a personal best of 3:42.42 to the win, inside the pace of his intercalated world-titles victory in Doha last February and a biog pond ahead of teammate Lee Hojoon, 3:48.43, and Italy’s Marco de Tullio, 3:49.17, Britain’s Kieran Bird on 3:51.20 in fourth.

The swim left Kim at world No4 in 2024 adrift Germany’s Lukas Martens (3:40.33) and Australians Elijah Winnington (3:41.41) and Sam Short (3:41.64), the latter two respective World champions in 2022 and 2023.

Women’s 400m medley

Anastasia Gorbenko continued to pile on the Israeli records, her fourth on a tour a two seconds PB in 4:34.87, Japan’s Mio Narita, 4:37.48, and Shiho Matsumoto, 4:41.69, completing the top three, their teammate Ageha Tanigawa in fourth on 4:48.74.

Gorbenko chopped back her 400IM standard to 4:36.57 in Barcelona two days ago and is ranked fourth in the world so far this year, adrift the world record set by Summer McIntosh at 4:24.34 during Canada’s Olympic trials, Kaylee McKeown, inside Steph Rice’s 2008 World record of 4:28.22, and the Brit who pipped Gorbenko for the World title at the Doha intercalated Worlds in February in 4:37 but sliced her best back to 4:34.01 at British nationals and Olympic trials in April.

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Men’s 200m breaststroke

Japan’s Ippei Watanabe took the win in 2:07.82, close to the Monaco meet record of 2:07.56 he set in 2018. Teammate Yu Hanaguruma was next home, in 2:08.34, with Dutch teammates following on, Caspar Corbeau in 2:08.95, the double Olympic silver medalist of Tokyo 2020ne, Arno Kamminga, in 2:09.96,

Women’s 100m breaststroke

Tes Schouten‘s 1:06.79 for The Netherlands kept at bay Japan’s Reona Aoki, 1:07.48, and American Skyler Smith, 1:07.52.

Women’s 100m butterfly

A lot to ask of anyone when it comes to tour records in the 100 ‘fly, what with Sjostrom holding the standard at 55,76 since 2017, a swim that came a year after her World record of 55.48, a swim that made her a Swedish pioneer as the first female swimmer from here country to lift Olympic gold.

Even so, Louise Hansson kept the game in in Swedish hands, her 57.04 just 0.1sec shy of her career high fending off Marie Wattel, of France, in 57.90, and teammate Filou Ressencourt, on 58.04, fourth a snap for Denmark’s Helena Bach Rosenthal and Dutch challenger Tessa Giele in 58.33.

In the men’s 100m backstroke, Greek ace Apostolos Christou clocked 53.34 for the win ahead of Korean Lee Juho, 54.01, and India’s Srihari Nataraj, on 54.82, while the women’s

200m backstroke went to South African Hannah Pearse in 2:11.73.