Swimming fans didn’t have to wait long for a return to major racing, with the FINA World Cup series kicking off with a stop in France this week and the Junior Pan Pacific Championships in Hawaii. Take a look below to get updated on the latest world records broken in the swimming world and who is already making waves in the next quadrennial in this week’s editor of The Week That Was.
The Week That Was #5 – Jack Roach Named CEO/Head Coach Of TIDE Swimming
Photo Courtesy: Singapore Swimming Federation
This week it was announced that Jack Roach will become the CEO/Head Coach of TIDE Swimming in Virginia Beach, Virginia effective January 1st, 2017. Up until that time Roach will be working with the associate head coaches at TIDE while completing his role as head coach of the Junior National Team for USA Swimming. Roach has a storied career associated with the sport of swimming, coaching across the country at both the national, international, and collegiate levels. In 2008, Roach took over as the head coach of the Junior National Team, where he worked with athletes who have gone on to success at both the London and recent Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Respected across the swimming community, Roach is also a veteran of the United States Marine Corps and is a recipient of the Purple Heart Award. You can read the full press release from TIDE Swimming here.
The Week That Was #4 – CAS Upholds Russia’s Suspension From Paralympic Games
Photo Courtesy: Wanwa
This week, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC) decision to suspend the Russian Paralympic team from the Paralympic Games which begin in September. The IPC had previously released a statement following the release of the McLaren Report, stating earlier this month that the Russian Paralympic team would be banned due to Russia’s “inability to fulfill its IPC membership responsibilities and obligations.” There were previously 267 slots for Russian athletes to compete in the 2016 Paralympic Games. These spots will be redistributed to other athletes across all nations prior to the start of the Games, with three U.S. swimmers being added to the roster just this weekend. The 2016 Paralympic Games will begin on September 7th in Rio de Janeiro and run through September 18th, using the same facilities as the just ended Olympic Games.
The Week That Was #3 – Fallout From Rio Scandal Continues For Lochte
Photo Courtesy: Brooke Wright
The fallout from the now infamous early-morning vandalism of a bathroom following the completion of the swimming events in Rio continues for Ryan Lochte, who this week learned of new repercussions from the event. It began with a number of his sponsors dropping Lochte, including the suit manufacturer Speedo USA. The company has had a sponsorship deal with Lochte since 2006, stating they were forced to end the business relationship because the company “cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for.” Ralph Lauren also announced they were ending their partnership with Lochte, as did skin care firm Syneron-Candela and mattress firm Airweave. At the end of the week Lochte also received a summons from the Rio police to testify in the investigation of the claims made that night. Despite the continued fallout from the incident with more potential ramifications coming, in an interview with TMZ Lochte stated he plans to train the next four years with the intention of qualifying for the Tokyo Games.
The Week That Was #2 – Team USA Comes Out On Top Of Junior Pan Pacific Championships
Photo Courtesy:USA Swimming Twitter, @USASwimming
The United States claimed their fourth consecutive Junior Pan Pacific team championship this week, finishing with 477 points, well ahead of Australia (307 points) and Canada (257). All in all the USA team set five meet records. Cassidy Bayer followed the momentum from a great U.S. Olympic Trials to set a new meet record in the 200 butterfly (2:08.48). Teammate Zoe Bartel also broke Kierra Smith’s 2012 meet record in the 200 breaststroke with a 2:25.46. The record setting wasn’t limited to Americans, however; Australia’s Minna Atherton won the 100 backstroke with a record of 1:00.45, while teammate Jack Cartwright set a meet record in the 200 freestyle (1:47.68) and 100 free (48.91), while also touching first in the 50 free (22.28). Other multiple event winners included Michael Taylor of the USA, who swept the backstroke events with wins in 100 (54.21) and 200 (1:57.39), the later event just shy of the Junior Pan Pac meet record of 1:57.20. China’s Li Bingjie took home three event wins herself, taking the 200 (1:58.23), 400 (4:07.52), and the 800 freestyles (8:28.12). Four all of our coverage of the 2016 Junior Pan Pacific Championships, head over to our Event Landing Page.
The Week That Was #1 – Alia Atkinson Ties World Record At FINA World Cup Paris
Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / Mia Rossiya Segodnaya
Katinka Hosszu made a great return to racing at the 2016 FINA World Cup, coming off a widely successful Olympic campaign in Rio. Hosszu won seven events in total, including the 200 free (1:53.34), 100 butterfly (56.09), 200 IM (2:06.64), 100 back (55.93), 400 free (4:02.83), 100 IM (57.63), and 400 IM (4:27.67) in addition to several other finals swims in nearly every event of the meet. The meet also saw two world records courtesy of Alia Atkinson and Vlad Morozov in the 100 breaststroke and 100 IM. Atkinson tied the world record in the 100 breaststroke for the second time, touching in 1:02.36. The Jamaican had previously tied the world record in 2014, sharing the record with Ruta Meilutyte who broke the old world record at the World Cup stop in Moscow from 2013. Morozov followed up by breaking the world record in the 100 IM, breaking Marcus Diebler’s 2014 world record from the World Cup stop in Doha by six one-hundredths. Morozov used a fast front half to touch in 50.60 to move past Diebler’s 50.66. Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina also set a new World Cup record in the 200 backstroke with a 1:59.35 to overturn Missy Franklin’s 2011 World Cup record of 2:00.03 from the Berlin stop, while also coming very close to Katinka Hosszu’s 1:59.23 world record. Hosszu and Morozov lead the money list through the first event of the World Cup.