Morning, Nerd.

Welcome to the Swimnerd Newsletter where each week we highlight the most interesting stuff going on in swimming. This week...

• 🌎Fast Swims Around the World

• 📰 Swimming Headlines

• 📜 Set of the Week

• 🤡 Swimming Meme of the Week

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🏊‍♀️FAST SWIMS AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

• Cameron McEvoy made an appearance this weekend at the 2023 QLD Sprint Championships. Cam posted a 22.03 - a time that currently ranks him #3 😎 in the world thus far this year (behind David Curtiss - 21.97 and Ben Proud - 22.01). According to the sprint vet, his heat swim of 22.15 occurred at 8:30 am and his final swim was at 9:40 am. A short turnaround AND a faster swim than his 2021 Aussie trials swim of 22.07. Nice one mate!

• Portugal's sprint phenom, Diogo Ribeiro, swam at the Arena Lisbon International Meeting. He went head-to-head with 50 Fly WR holder Andrei Govorov and put him to bed.

• Belgium's best ever female swimmer got a lot better this weekend, as Roos Vanotterdijk broke 9 national records. She went 25.17/54.51 in the freestyle sprints, 27.97/59.62 in the backstroke sprints, 25.93/57.82 in the butterfly sprints. What American college team wouldn't want this sprint force on their squad?

Winning the Indiana State High School Swimming Championships by double the points of the second-place finisher, Carmel High School had some of the fastest high school swims ever including...

• In prelims, Carmel broke their own state record in 1:38.51. At finals, they DESTROYED that with a 1:36.98 - that time highlighted by sophomore Alex Shackell's 22.74 butterfly split.

• Freshman, Molly Sweeney won the 200 IM handily in 1:55.88 (new state record) as well as the 100 breast in 59.78 (after hitting 59.63 in prelims).

• Alex Shackell won the 50 Free and 100 Fly in double state-record fashion posting 21.93 in the 50 and 50.89 in the 100 fly 🔥

• Carmel Sophomore, Bowen Lynsey, won the 500 free in a new state record (breaking her own from prelims) in 4:42.81.

• Carmel's team of Molly Sweeney, Grace Dougherty, Megan Christman, and Alex Shackell 💣 the state record swimming 1:30.23 in the 200 freestyle relay. Highlighted was Shackell's anchor split of 21.79 🔥

• She didn't compete this week, but Gary Hall Sr. put out a new video showing Maggie MacNeil kicking underwater. It's a must watch video. 

📰 SWIMMING HEADLINES

Duncan Scott, Learn to Swim Ambassador, Pleads for Pools

“The energy crisis is having a devastating effect on the leisure sector and especially pools with spiraling energy costs and urgent financial relief is needed to ensure pools keep their doors open.” - Scottish Swimming CEO, Euan Lowe

This came after the government decided last month not to call pools and recreation centers "energy intensive industries," which means they won't get extra money to help them during a crisis in energy prices.

Which led to Duncan pleading on Twitter for the government to do something to keep pools open and accessible for all.

Black Panther Star Danai Gurira Sits Down with Simone Manuel

With the recent release of the Marvel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, actress Danai Gurira sat down with multi-time Olympic gold-medalist and American Record holder, Simone Manuel, to discuss the sport of swimming as well as the observed discrepancy with regard to race and ethnicity in the sport.

Furthermore, Manuel takes the opportunity to discuss her personal experience as an African-American swimmer, her foundation, The Simone Manuel Foundation, and its mission to "provide resources and education to BIPOC children and families to prepare them for swim readiness and swim safety".

Watch the 15-minute discussion on YouTube below!

Olympic Champion and College Walk-On Legend, Zach Apple, Retires

A strong NCAA career led to an international career in both the short course and long course pools that culminated with double gold medals at the Tokyo Olympics in the men's 4x100 Freestyle and 4x100 Medley Relays.

The story of the 6'7 walk-on swimmer turned Olympic champion has come to a close as Zach Apple has officially taken a step back from competitive swimming. He posted on his Instagram Friday:

"Swimming to me is an all or nothing sport and I found myself not wanting to give my all anymore and that's why I've decided to step away. I love this sport and want to be around it for as long as it'll have me."

Enjoy this Zach Apple tribute video.

Russia Stripped From Hosting 2025 World Champs

On Thursday, World Aquatics stripped Russia from hosting the 2025 Swimming World Champs. The meet will now be held in Singapore which has a proven track record of great championship-level competitions.

This move comes in congruence with Russia losing the short course world champs in 2022 with the meet being held later in Melbourne, Australia.

With the invasion of Ukraine, you can count on Russia not being the host of any major international sporting competitions in the near future, or so the International Olympic Committee has supposedly asked the governing body of major sports.

BRETT HAWKE CLIPS OF THE WEEK

• Bruno FRATUS is a BEAST!!!

• Proof that not everything can be an album cover

• Is Leon Marchand the best swimmer on earth?

• What will Leon swim at the Olympics? Will he redshirt next year?

• Increasing swimming’s viewership with Pat Forde

• What Will Leon Marchand Swim at NCAA's?

• Who's The Male Sprint GOAT?

• Can Adam Peaty do a 200 Breaststroke?

• Apostolos Siskos 1:56 200 LCM Backstroke

This week on INSIDE with BRETT HAWKE...

This morning at 10AM EST...Dive Inside LIVE!

Brett and Sonny discuss what's been going on in the world of swimming. Join us live every Monday to catch up with the top swimming stories across the globe.

And, they will be joined by Paralympic medalist and friend of the show, Jamal Hill.

Tomorrow at 12 PM EST...we are revisiting Carmel High School Head Coach Chris Plumb's interview. Coach Plumb shares his journey of becoming a successful coach and his philosophies on how to become successful.

3 Key Takeaways:

1. Successful coaches are those who put themselves in situations to learn and ask the right questions.

2. Simple skills, such as push-offs, need to be practiced over and over again to become a master.

3. Training cycles should be broken up into six week blocks to allow for adaptations and maintenance.

On Wednesday...we have Episode #003 from the American Swimming Coaches Association's archives...

Working Together Successfully: A Guide for Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches with Gregg Troy & Larry Shofe

This talk provides an overview of the qualities and characteristics of a successful assistant coach, as well as advice on how to evaluate a potential assistant coaching position. Plus, advice on how to hire and manage assistant coaches in a swim program.

3 Key Takeaways from Coach Larry Shofe:

1. Unselfishness is an important attribute of an assistant coach.

2. It is important to evaluate the job security, responsibilities, and location of a potential assistant coaching position.

3. A successful assistant coach should have a good relationship with the head coach, gain their trust and respect, and be willing to put in the same hours as the head coach.

3 Key Takeaways from Coach Gregg Troy:

1. Understand the goals of assistant coaches and give them opportunities to achieve them. "Let them work."

2. Make sure to be clear about expectations and responsibilities.

3. Look for loyalty, dependability, a caring attitude, and a willingness to learn in assistant coaches.

📝 SWIM SET OF THE WEEK

Ray Looze 400 IM Set with Towers

5x25 Fly on Towers

16x25 4 of each stroke at 4 IM pace

200 Easy

5x25 Back on Towers

8x50 2 of each stroke at 4 IM pace

200 Easy

5x25 Breast on Towers

4x100 1 each stroke at 4 IM pace

200 Easy

5x25 Free on Towers

400 IM for time

200 Easy

🤡 SWIMMING MEME OF THE WEEK

Poll of the Week...one third of ya'll are horrible people.

What is your favorite part of, "This Week in Swimming"?

Click on a link to tell us...

• 👍 Super helpful thank you!

• 😐 Meh - it was ok.

• 👎 Next week better be better or I might hit the unsubscribe button.