This Week in Swimming (WE'RE BACK!)

🤡 Swimming Meme & 📜Swimming Set of the Week

Morning, Nerd.

Welcome to the Swimnerd Newsletter, where we dig up the internet's best swimming content and wrapping it all up in a neat little package.

A quick note before we get started...

A few of you have reached out wondering why you haven't been receiving your newsletter the last couple of weeks. 

This year has been tough for Carly and I -- we've been to 5 funerals. None more shocking than losing my best friend at just 37 years old.

We were team captains and assistant coaches together at Old Dominion University. Once I left coaching and got into insurance, he came with me. We got married a week apart, though our wives wouldn't let us honeymoon together. Needless to say, we were basically inseparable for almost 20 years.

So, yeah, during this time something had to give and that something was this newsletter. But, when you fall off the horse, you've gotta get back on.

It's good to be back. Let's rock.

  • 🏊‍♂️ Top 5 Swims at USA Nationals

  • 📰 Swimming Headlines: Fina World Champs 2024 is 159 days from Olympics; Kyle Chalmers is upset at the Australian media again

  • 🤡 Swimming Meme & 📜Swimming Set of the Week

 🏊🏼 TOP 5 SWIMS AT USA NATIONALS 🏊🏿‍♀️

Other than the lame interviews, USA Nationals did not disappoint. I enjoy watching the next crop of American stars blossoming and tbh the meet was pretty depthy amid the lack of star power.

Here are our Top 5 swims from Nats...

Erin Gemmell, 200 Free 1:56.14The soon to be Texas Longhorn continues to improve. Texas is going to be scary good this upcoming year with her and Lydia Jacoby coming in. If you live under a rock, her Dad is one of the best coaches in the country (coached a girl by the name of Katie Ledecky for a while) and her older brother swam the mile at the 2012 Olympics. Erin will be an intricate piece of Team USA's Women's 4x200 Free Relay for years to come.

Matt Fallon, 200 Breast 2:07.92After skipping World Champ Trials/World Champs for school exams, America's top 200 breaststroker went and trained at the University of Georgia for 10 weeks, doing more long course than he ever has. Similar to Chupkov and ZSC, he backhalfs his race like a mad man. 

Gabriel Jett, 200 Fly, 1:54.37HUGE time drop for Gabriel Jett of Cal, whose best time was 1:57.8 coming in. Team USA has three dudes under 1:55 so far this year. Trenton Julian + Carson Foster. My only concern is that we aren't closing. Trenton Julian is routinely compared to Michael Andrew finishing a 200 IM. Jett was out in 54.2. Carson out in 53.5. 

Dakota Luther (2:07.02) & Lindsay Looney (2:07.25), 200 FlyBoth of these girls made Finals of Olympic Trials last year (2:06.99 made Team USA) and both swam significantly better this go round. Hali Flickinger wasn't at Nats but the depth in this event was and we didn't even mention Tess Howley and Kelly Pash.

Shaine Casas, 200 IM, 1:55.24He saved his best race for last, posting the 7th fastest time ever. He was out faster than Ryan Lochte's World Record over the first 100m. That 1:54.00 isn't that far away. And, if he does break it, Lochte will fly out to congratulate him with a big hug.

Other Random Thoughts

Mallory Comerford needs a change of scenery. It's been years since the former 100 Free American Record holder went a best time. She continues to trend downwards. 

A lot of time people think making a change is a bad thing -- it's typically not. How are Leah Smith and Justin Ress doing? Both became National Champions this week.

She turns 25 years old in September.

 I also want to mention the 2nd (Jake Foster, Texas) and 3rd place (AJ Pouch, Virginia Tech) 200 Breaststroke swimmers. Team USA could easily have 3 or 4 guys sub 2:08 at the next big selection meet. I got to watch Jake at multiple swim practices last year and his kick is unreal. I haven't seen AJ swim but I heard his coach knows a thing or two about breaststroke...

Jake Foster's 200 Breast Progression

AJ Pouch's 200 Breast Progression

Remember a few years back when Phelps retired, Lochte started showing his age, and Russia and the UK started overtaking the USA in the 4x200 Free Relay? The biggest problem was lack of depth - and it looks like that isn't a problem anymore. The US men have the World Champs gold medal relay all well under 1:46 and 7 other guys under 1:47 between WC Trials and Nationals - and they're all age 23 or younger.

 📰 SWIMMING HEADLINES

Kyle Chalmers is upset with the Australian media. 

 We've never interviewed a single Australian that has ever said anything positive about the Australian media. 

They embellish. They make things up. They never let stuff go.

A zebra can't change its stripes.

 “Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him.” - Epictetus

Fina World Champs 2024 is 159 days from the Olympics

This news is a couple weeks old now but thought it was worth hitting on quickly.

Scheduled for the first two weeks in February, this World Champs meet is going to be an absolute dumpster fire.

I highly doubt anyone will host a qualification meet for this. It'll be like Long Course Zones -- we will send the 14th best swimmer in each event because the top 13 will all pass on it.

NCAA swimmers will certainly forego it.

And on top of it all, it's in the least convenient location for the majority of the world's top swimmers.

Now, maybe you're Matt Sates and are looking to make a quick $100,000 by swimming a ton of events and cleaning up like Katinka Hosszu on the World Cup circuit.

FYI, the Iron Lady had over 300 W's...

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BRETT HAWKE CLIPS OF THE WEEK

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A couple days ago on INSIDE with BRETT HAWKE...

Ryan Lochte is one of the greatest Olympians in the history of the world. He captured twelve (12) Olympic medals and 39 World Championship titles. His 200 IM from 2011 is still the World Record today.

Lochte talks about how he was a beast in practice and his personal rule for underwaters. Now dwelling in the past. Why he signs autographs for hours and gives away all of his medals. Which races meant the most to him. His 200 IM World Record and having a mindset capable of beating Michael Phelps. Today, Ryan is a proud husband and father of two beautiful children.

📝 SET OF THE WEEK

6 Rounds...

25 Dive from the Blocks at 100 Pace75 Aerobic swim @ :20 sec rest50 Push Back End 100 Pace 2:00 rest

🤡 SWIMMING MEME OF THE WEEK

Jake Swinn gives us a double dose of the 45th President of the United States of America.

I watched this one about twenty times...

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