Some of the best swimmers around the world, including Daiya Seto and comeback kid Florent Manaudou, continued their preparations for this summer’s international meets with some of their final in-season performances, showing who to watch over the next few weeks of major competitions. Check out the highlights from those meets from around the world below:
The Week That Was #5 – Lochte’s Welcome Second Child, Liv Rae Lochte
Just over two years since the birth of Caiden Zane Lochte, Ryan Lochte and his wife, Kayla Lochte, have welcomed a baby girl. Their daughter, Liv Rae Lochte, was born June 17 at 10:20 a.m at 20 inches long. She was seven pounds and eight ounces.The couple announced that they were expecting a second child in late November 2018 with the caption “can’t wait to bring my fam of 4 to #Tokyo2020.” Ryan Lochte credits the birth of his son, Caiden, with rejuvenating his love for swimming and the addition of his new daughter is sure to be no exception.
The Week That Was #4 – Dressel Drops a 21.5, 47.90 At Mission Viejo
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
The 2019 Fran Crippen Mission Viejo Swim Meet of Champions took place this week in Mission Viejo with some of the country’s best athletes putting up some impressive times ahead of international meets this summer. Caeleb Dressel had to be the highlight of the meet, barely missing his season-best from the Atlanta Classic with a 47.90 in the 100 free on day two of the meet before blasting a season-best in the 50 free with a 21.51. That moved Dressel up to #4 for 2019 in the 50 free behind Vlad Morozov, Ben Proud, and Bruno Fratus. You can see all the recaps from the 2019 Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions here.
The Week That Was #3 – Jacco Verhaeren Stepping Down As Aussie Head Coach
Photo Courtesy: SwimmingWorld.TV
Swimming Australia Head Coach Jacco Verhaeren announced that he will be vacating his post after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, per a report published in the Sydney Morning Herald. Verhaeren will be returning to Europe, specifically the Netherlands, with his family after the 2020 Games to pursue new opportunities there. Verhaeren took over as head coach for Swimming Australia following the 2012 London Olympics, where the Australian swim team had an under-whelming performance that failed to produce a single individual gold medal. The post-Games fallout also revealed major cultural concerns among the Aussie team that included an initiation at a pre-Games training camp involving the sleeping pill Stilnox. Verhaeren has been credited as a major force behind reforms to the Aussie team since 2012, including instituting a new four-year framework for the national team heading into the next Olympic quad following the 2016 Rio Olympics. That has included more stringent standards to qualify for international meets and a new shift for trials closer to major international meets, similar to the schedule in the United States for the Olympic Games.
The Week That Was #2 – Nathan Adrian Swims Fastest Times Since Return To Pool In Berkeley
Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
Nathan Adrian put up the fastest times since his return to the pool over the weekend at a long course dual meet between Cal and Stanford post-grads at Berkeley. Adrian, who is working back into competition following treatment for testicular cancer earlier this year, won the 50 and 100 free in season-bests 22.17 and 48.50. While his 50 dropped a few hundredths from what he posted in Bloomington, his 100 was significantly ahead of the 49.31 he posted there. That time is only a quarter-second what he went at U.S. Nationals and Pan Pacs, and bodes well for the 400 free relay which Adrian is slated to be a part of at World Championships. Other notable swims from the weekend included Andrew Seliskar putting up a season-best 1:46.89 in the 200 free and a lifetime best 51.42 in the 100 fly; Katie Ledecky winning the 200 (1:55.89) and 400 free (4:01.57); and Katie Drabot in the 200 fly (2:07.35). You can see full results from the meet on Meet Mobile under “Cal Aquatics – Alto Swim Club Dual Meet.”
The Week That Was #1 – Daiya Seto, Florent Manaudou, Shine At 2019 Sette Colli Trophy
Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / MIA Rossiya Segodnya
The 2019 Sette Colli featured plenty of fast swimming over three days in Rome, Italy with some of the world’s best swimmers. Japan’s Daiya Seto put the world on notice on Saturday at the 2019 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome with a 4:07.95 in the 400 IM. Seto was able to put up the world’s fastest time in the event as he previously held the quickest time at 4:09.25 from January. He was just off the meet record of 4:07.47 by David Verraszto from 2017. Seto also lowered his own personal best of 4:07.99 from the same Sette Colli meet in 2017 when Verraszto went that meet record. France’s Florent Manaudou also made his comeback to racing at the meet, putting up a world-class 21.73 in the 50 free. That is Manaudou’s first race back since announcing his comeback. The gold medalist’s last race was at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Other notable swims included Bruno Fratus in the 50 free (21.42), Pernille Blume in the 50 free (24.09), Simona Quadarella in the 1500 (15:48.84), and Kristof Milak in the 200 fly (1:54.19). You can catch up on all the recaps from the 2019 Sette Colli Trophy here.