Luxembourg Euro Meet, Trials Event List, Hoffer Retires

Pat Forde, Don Swartz on the Pod this week

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SWIM NERD
January 30, 2023

Morning, Nerd.

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

  • ๐ŸŒŽFast Swims Around the World

  • ๐Ÿ“ฐย Swimming Headlines

  • ๐Ÿ“œย Set of the Week

  • ๐Ÿคกย Swimming Meme of the Week

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๐ŸŠโ€โ™€๏ธFAST SWIMS AROUND THE WORLD ๐ŸŒŽ

2023 Luxembourg Euro Meet

Stars from all over the world came together in Luxembourg for a fun get-together in the pool in the form of a three-day prelim-final meet. Stars such as Chad le Clos, The Hansson sisters, Coleman Stewart, Thomas Ceccon, Paige Madden, and Ben Proud had some great early season swims. Here are the highlights:

Chad le Clos won the 100 fly in 52.06 showing both controlled speed in the first 50 (24.56) and a solid back-half (27.50).

Thomas Ceccon won the 200 Freestyle easily in a time of 1:46.52 a new PB. He won by almost three seconds over Charles Rihoux. He also swam the 200 Fly - he's not scared of anything.

Ben Proud won the 50 Freestyle in a solid 22.01 over Leonardo Deplano (22.13) and the 50 Fly in 23.5.

Sophie Hansson nearly swept the breaststroke distances winning the 50 and 100, but being out-touched in the 200 by Italy's Martina Carraro.

Her sister Louise Hansson (who was on the pod last week) won 4 of the sprints: 100 Free (55.13), 100 Back (1:00.48), 50 Fly (26.08), and 100 Fly (57.25).

See the Full Results Below!

Euro Meet

http://www.euromeet.lu/

The College Swimming Roundup will be out tomorrow.

๐Ÿ“ฐ SWIMMING HEADLINES

U.S. Olympic Trial Event List Revealed!

This week, USA Swimming released the official event order for the 2024 Olympic Trials in Indianapolis from June 15 to June 23.

USA Swimming Stars and Scheduling Analysis

Carson Foster: If his recent competition schedule is any indication Foster's biggest challenge will come on Sunday. The 200 Freestyle (his best chance to make it onto a USA Relay) and 400 IM (his signature event) fall back-to-back in the heats. At finals, he'll face off with the top contenders in the 400 IM, and then, assuming he advances in the 200 Free Prelims, he will have to turn around two events later for the semi-finals.

Michael Andrew: Depending on which events he chooses to race, which I would assume would be the 50 free/100 fly/100 breast/200 IM, Michael Andrew will have the challenge of his life on both Thursday and Friday. On Thursday morning, Andrew would have the 50 free and 200 IM heats back to back - a tough combo, but something he should be able to skate through. Thursday night, however, he'll have the 200 IM semi and 50 Free semi back-to-back - with all the freestyle and IM talent emerging as of late, Andrew will need to be in top form all day on Thursday to not miss Finals. Friday morning, Andrew would race the 100 Fly - NBD. Friday night finals will be the test. 50 Freestyle final, with a single heat break, the 200 IM final, and then right into the 100 Butterfly semi. Another Michael did the same latter double in 2016 and even the ๐Ÿ had to work to final in the 100 fly. Will MA kick the can on the 2 IM??

Regan Smith: We're looking specifically at Thursday finals. The women's 200 Fly final and the women's 200 Back Semi are separated only by the men's 200 Back final. Two of the most challenging swimming events in swimming on the same night might be too much. The 2 Fly Olympic silver medalist and 200m backstroke world record holder attempted this same double last time and while she qualified in the 200 Fly, she missed the team in her signature event, the 200 Back. Bob Bowman will have her ready to take on this challenge. This reminds me of Lochte's 2 Back/2 IM double that was always brutal.

Katie Ledecky: No athlete has been blessed by changes over the last two Olympic cycles than the GOAT. First, the IOC gave her the 1500 to dominate the world in. Now, they are switching up the 2 Free so she doesn't have to double up. Ledecky will now go 400 Free, 200 Free, 1500, 800. This schedule will keep her physically and mentally fresh.

Shaine Casas: Shaine Casas could almost certainly final in practically every event on the schedule. It's a mixed bag on what he would swim at trials. However, given his recent exploits, I could see him swimming the 100 Fly, 100 Back, 200 Back, 200 IM, 100 Free (for a relay spot), and 200 Free (for a relay spot). With that schedule, he'd be swimming in five of the seven heat sessions and seven of the nine finals sessions - having potential doubles in five of those days. I think he skips the 2 Free to give himself some breathing room.

Kate Douglass: Most of Kate Douglass' potential events look to be at the end of the meet, including the 200 Breast, 200 IM, and 50 Free. She could definitely win the 100 Free, but that event is earlier in her possible program. The challenging day for her will be Saturday finals. The 50 Free semis right into the 200 IM Final. The 200 IM likely being her signature event (as she won Olympic bronze in the event in Tokyo and was the short course world champion in Dec. 2022). One little 50 shouldn't be a big deal for her.

Ryan Hoffer Retires

Multi-time NCAA Champion and ISL speedster, Ryan Hoffer has decided to hang up his cap and goggles for good and pursue a career in medical sales. In his career, Hoffer currently stands as the third-fastest performer all-time and 11th fastest performance in the 50 yd. free (18.33) as well as the seventh-fastest performer and 13th-fastest performance all-time in the 100 yd. free (40.89).

An entire generation took notes from his performance underwater.

Hall of Fame Coach Bob Gillett did a 3 hour presentation at ISCA several years ago where he talked all about underwater kicking and why it was faster. He analyzed Hoffer's 41.2 and showed how he could get an extra couple of kicks (and tenths) in.

Bill Sweetenham's Recommendations to Swimming Australia for the 2024 Olympics:

Bill recommends that Michael Bohl, Vince Raleigh, and Dean Boxall be given contracts worth $1.6 million for the 2024 Olympics, in line with the salaries and bonuses paid to coaches in the sporting and corporate performance world.

Swimming Australia should also have at least five or six world-class coaches on $1 million a year, with no sacred cows applied. The sacred cow approach is a term used to describe a situation in which an idea, product, or process is so highly valued that it is not open to criticism or change. It is often used to describe an attitude of reverence and loyalty to a particular product or idea, even when it may not be the most efficient or effective solution.

"There is no time to waste!"

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BRETT HAWKE CLIPS OF THE WEEK

This week on INSIDE with BRETT HAWKE...

This morning at 8AM EST...

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

On Tuesday...Episode #299...Pat Forde!

For Sports Illustrated, Pat Forde covers collegiate athletics, the Olympics, and horse racing. Pat published two books and was a 1990 Pulitzer Prize finalist. Pat is co-host of the College Football Enquirer podcast in addition to his work at SI. He participates in national radio programs and works as an analyst for the Big Ten Network. Pat has worked at Yahoo Sports, ESPN, and the Louisville Courier-Journal during the course of a career spanning more than three decades.

Pat's family is a swimming family, with his wife having swam at Northwestern, and his three kids all swimming in college.

Brett & Pat discuss how swimming can better market themselves, how to be a great sportswriter, and getting caught up in the Lia Thomas controversy.

This week's ASCA Talk comes from Hall of Fame Coach, Don Swartz. These come out every other Wednesday.

Chuck Warner believes it might be the best talk ever in ASCA history!

Coach Don Swartz discusses the concept of a "quantum leap" in performance, both in the scientific and colloquial sense, and explores the three key ingredients necessary for achieving such a leap.

Key takeaways:

1. A quantum leap is a dramatic improvement in performance that is out of the ordinary and not anticipated.

2. The three key ingredients for achieving a quantum leap are "Nonsense," "The beginner's mind", and "The dance within the game."

3. Creative minds are those who venture boldly into unexplored territory beyond the barrier of the obvious.

๐Ÿ“ SWIM SET OF THE WEEK

Lucy Charles-Barclay's Favorite Swim Session aptly entitled, "The Rebecca Adlington Set":

4x

50 @ 1:00

100 @ 2:00

150 @ 3:00

200 @ 4:00

250 @ 5:00

All freestyle. All fast. Good luck.

๐Ÿคกย SWIMMING MEME OF THE WEEK

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