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

This Week in Swimming is brought to you by...

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🏊‍♀️FAST SWIMS AROUND THE WORLD 🌎

Division I Women's NCAA Championships

WHAT-A-MEET!!!! The University of Virginia Women absolutely dominated NCAA's, winning all 5 relays and setting numerous American & NCAA Records.

Kate Douglass was the Swimmer of the Meet, winning all 3 of her events (2IM, 1 Fly, 2 Breast) in NCAA/American Record time. She scored a perfect 100 out of 100 points on the Swimnerd Scoring System (60 individual/40 relay).

She wasn't the only one to become, "the fastest ever"...

Teammate Gretchen Walsh blasted an incredible 48.26 100 Backstroke - the fastest time ever by a mile. And, Olympic Champ Maggie Mac Neil, with a perfect start, touched Gretchen out in the 50 Free (20.79).

Here are SwimCloud's Top 10 ranked swims (not sure how a 2:01.2 2 Breast is 9th but whatever):

• #1: Gretchen Walsh (UVA): 100 Back: 48.26 (NCAA & American Record) 💥 

• #2: Kate Douglass (UVA): 200 IM: 1:48.37 (NCAA & American Record) 💥 

• #3: Kate Douglass (UVA): 100 Fly: 48.46 (NCAA & American Record)💥 

• #4: Maggie MacNeil (LSU): 100 Fly: 48.51

• #5 Maggie MacNeil (LSU): 50 Free: 20.79 (NCAA Record) 💥 

• #6: Gretchen Walsh (UVA): 50 Free: 20.85

• #7: Gretchen Walsh (UVA): 100 Back: 49.12 (Prelims)

• #8: Katherine Berkoff (NCSU): 100 Back: 49.13

• #9: Kate Douglass (UVA): 200 Breast: 2:01.29 (NCAA & American Record) 💥 

• #10: Torri Huske (STAN): 100 Fly: 48.96

2023 Camille Muffat Nice Meet (FRA)

A good bit of fast swimming last weekend at the Camille Muffat Nice Meet. Here are the top swims from the meet:

• Szebasztian Szabo (HUN): 100 Free: 48.95/50 Fly: 24.31, 23.70, 23.63, 23.52🥇

• Arno Kamminga (NED): 100 Breast: 59.98, 59.85, 59.88🥇🔥 (tied with Adam Peaty for #2 time in 2023)

• Maxime Grousset (FRA): 100 Free: 48.97/50 Fly: 23.81, 23.51, 23.75, 23.63🥈

• Sarah Sjostrom (SWE): 50 Free: 24.58, 24.40, 24.22, 24.10🥇🔥🔥

• Florine Gaspard (FRA): 50 Breast: 30.86🔥 (#9 in 2023)

• Tess Schouten (NED): 200 Breast: 2:25.47🔥 (#5 in 2023)

2023 Giant Open (FRA)

Another weekend of swimming in France, and we are now under 500 days out from the Paris Olympics. Here were the best swims:

• Maxime Grousset (FRA): 100 Fly: 51.72, 100 Free: 48.50

• Anastasiya Kirpitchnikova (RUS): 400 Free: 4:08.50

• Emma Terebo (New Caledonia): 100 Back: 59.92

• Tes Schouten (NED): 200 Breast: 2:23.28, 100 Breast: 1:05.92 (#1 time in the world)

• Charlotte Bonnet (FRA): 100 Breast: 1:07.76 is a new Italian Record.

• Logan Fontaine (FRA): 800 Free: 7:52.93

• Pacome Bricout (FRA): 400 Free: 3:50.17

• Apostolos Siskos (GRE): 200 Back: 1:58.01

• Sarah Sjöström (SWE): 100 Free: 53.44

• Beryl Gastadello (FRA) 100 Free: 53.60, 100 Fly: 58.70

• Wissam-Amazigh Yebba (FRA): 200 Free: 1:47.32

• Marrit Steenbergen (NED): 200 Free: 1:57.71

Trofeo Città di Firenze (ITA)

• Nicolo Martinenghi: 50 Breast: 27.17

• Martina Carraro: 50 Breast: 30.37 (beating out Benedetta Pilato 30.50) and 100 Breast: 1:06.97

• Marco De Tullio: 400 Free: 3:51.67 (beating out Gabrielle Detti 3:51.78)

• Ilaria Bianchi: 100 Fly: 59.07

• Alberto Razetti: 200 IM: 1:59.76

• Simona Quaderella: 400 Free: 4:05.65 and 800 Free: 8:22.73

Chinese Spring Championships:

Fast times this week at the Chinese Spring Championships. Here are the highlight swims:

• Yu Liyan: 200 Fly: 2:08.59 - #4 in the 2023

• Wang Shun: 200 IM: 1:57.19🔥🔥 - #1 in 2023 // 100 Back: 54.09

• Qin Haiyang: 200 IM: 1:57.68🔥 - #2 in 2023

• Li Bingjie: 1500 Free: 16:04.06 - #3 in 2023

• Wang Haoyu (17 Years-Old!): 100 Free: 47.89 🔥 #1 in 2023

• Yang Chang: 50 Breast: 30.90 - #9 in 2023

Kaii Winkler

Coming off a great Pro Series meet a few weeks ago in Ft. Lauderdale, the Slim Reaper continued to improve in the short pool at 2023 Florida Gulf Coast Senior Champs. Here are his results:

• 200 Free: 1:33.28🔥 

  • Moving ahead of Olympian, Drew Kibler, Winkler became the second-fastest 15-16 year-old in the event. He currently sits just .21 behind Max Williamson's NAG record (1:33.08).

• 100 Fly: 46.94 (best time by over a second from this meet last year).

  • He also split 46.10🔥 on his team's winning 400 Medley Relay.

• 100 Back: 47.92(prelims)/48.95(finals)

  • In prelims, he went his best time by .68 from this meet last year.

• 50 Free: 19.44🔥

  • His best time from Winter Juniors this past December by .26.

  • This time also moves him from #12 all time to #3🔥. He is sitting just behind Ryan Hoffer (19.38) and Michael Andrew (19.24).

• 500 Free: 4:23.85

  • Casually dropping 19.47 seconds from the last time he swam it in 2021.

  • If your coach ever asks you to descend your 500 splits, this is how you do it...

• 100 Free: 41.96 - becomes the first 15-16 year old ever to break 42.

📰 SWIMMING HEADLINES

Katinka Hosszu is having a baby!

It has been reported by the Hungarian Swimming Federation that Olympic and world champion swimmer Katinka Hosszu is expecting her first child.

According to Hosszu's social media post On Friday, nine months after reportedly saying she wanted to have a baby, the 33-year-old indicated she was unlikely to swim at a swimming record-tying sixth Olympics in 2024.

USA Swimming Incentivizes Relays

If the U.S. wins all 7 relays at World Champs in Fukuoka, Japan, this summer, all pool and open water world team members will split $500,000. If they medal in all 7 relays, they will divide $150,000 amongst the team.

If the U.S. sweeps relays at the Paris Olympics, all swimmers will divide $1 million. The team will split $250,000 if they medal in every relay.

Last World Champs, we sent 41 swimmers. Assuming we take the same number, if they sweep the relays in Fukuoka, each swimmer will earn ~$12,195. If they medal, ~$3,658.

Last Olympics, we sent 53 swimmers. Assuming we take the same number, if they sweep the relays in Paris, each swimmer will earn ~$18,867. If they medal, ~$4,716.

FWIW, at the Tokyo Olympics, we didn't medal in the Men's 4x200 or the Mixed Medley.

In Budapest last year, we medaled in all 8 relays.

Penny Oleksiak is out of World Champs

Swimming Canada has confirmed that Penny Oleksiak will not be participating in the national team trials, as their most accomplished Olympian continues to recover from surgery to repair the meniscus in her left knee.

The Toronto swimmer has experienced setbacks in her recovery.

But, you know what she said before she got that knee repaired?

"The recovery process is probably about to be the longest and most tentative one I've ever had to deal with..."

It seems that she is sticking to that plan.

Paris is the only thing that matters. Onward!

BRETT HAWKE CLIPS OF THE WEEK

• USA Swimming's New Backstroke Rule with Jeff Natalizio

• Top 10 Women's 50 Freestyle Ever via @RetroSwimming

• Your left fist is who you are, your right fist is your behavior in the world with Samantha Arsenault Livingstone

• G-I-R-L P-O-W-E-R with Anita Nall

• Katie Ledecky 15:01 in the 1650

This week on INSIDE with BRETT HAWKE...

This morning at 8AM EST...Dive Inside LIVE!

Men's 2023 NCAA Swimming Championship PREDICTION SHOW with Sonny and special guest @KyleMillis!

#306 Coach Nic Askew takes Howard University Swimming to new heights

Nic Askew is the Director of Swimming & Diving (and Tennis!) at the nation's only NCAA Division I Historically Black College and University (HBCU) team, where he has improved the program significantly. The Men’s team just dominated the Northeast Conference Championship, while the Women’s team finished 4th, both teams have rewritten the school record books, and were recently on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

📝 SWIM SET OF THE WEEK

Rowdy Gaines' Favorite Set

6x50's Free @ 3 or 4 minutes

From a push.

No breath.

All out.

🤡 SWIMMING MEME OF THE WEEK

We can't post all of them, there are too many. Scroll through them here.

But this one is our favorite:

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