The Week That Was: Athletes Recognized For Accomplishments In Pool

Ryan Pini Ryan Lochte at ANOC Awards 2015
Photo Courtesy: Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports

This edition of The Week That Was is awards-centric, as several swimmers were recognized for their accomplishments in the pool this year, while another will have his life displayed on the big screen soon.

The Week That was is supported by AgonSwim.com

The Week That Was #5: British Swimming names Bill Furniss head of Olympic coaching staff

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British Swimming is on the cusp of a stellar showing in the pool at the Olympics, and the team will be led by renowned coach Bill Furniss. Furniss’ most celebrated athlete was Rebecca Adlington, who became a media darling in 2008 when she won two gold medals and broke Janet Evans’ world record in the 800 freestyle. Furniss’ assistant coaches include those who guided athletes to medals at the world championships, including Melanie Marshall, James Gibson and Jol Finck.

The Week That Was #4: Association of National Olympic Committees honor Ryan Pini, Thiago Pereira

Katie Ledecky Thiago Pereira ANOC Awards 2015

Photo Courtesy: Geoff Burke/USA Today Sports


The annual meeting of the Association of National Olympic Committees in Washington, D.C. featured an awards ceremony where the top athletes from each of this year’s multi-sport continental championships were named. Two swimmers were honored last week: Papua New Guinea’s Ryan Pini and Brazil’s Thiago Pereira.

Pini won 11 medals at the South Pacific Games this summer, seven of which were gold. Pini was a finalist in the 100 butterfly at the 2008 Olympics, and participated in the South Pacific Games for his native Papua New Guinea. Pini has been the nation’s top athlete for many years, earning lucrative sponsorships while he continues to race at the elite level. For Pereira, his five medals at the Pan American Games broke the record for the most medals won by any athlete in the competition’s history, giving him a total of 23. Pereria would have had 24 medals, but was disqualified in the 400 IM.

Katie Ledecky was on hand to present Pereira with his award, while Ryan Lochte presented Pini with his award. Olympic champion swimmer Kirsty Coventry was also at the event, handing out awards for the top athletes of the African Games.

The Week That Was

The Week That Was #3: Katie Ledecky Among Time Magazine’s Most Influential Teens

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Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / MIA Rossiya Segodnya


Katie Ledecky continues to rake in the honors from her amazing performances at the world championships, finding herself on the list of the 30 most influential teenagers in the world, as picked by Time Magazine. Ledecky won five gold medals in Russia, including four in the freestyle events to become the first person to do so. Her influence among her peers and the general community has resonated across all social media platforms, raising more awareness of the sport as the Olympics approach. Ledecky was joined on the list by celebrities from the Kardashian clan, human rights activist Malala Yousafzai and golfer Lydia Ko. Also on the list is Olivia Hallisey, who won a contest for developing a test for ebola that doesn’t require refrigeration. Hallisey is a swimmer in Connecticut when she’s not working on scientific breakthroughs.

The Week That Was #2: Paralympian Brad Snyder’s life to become feature film

Brad Snyder

Photo Courtesy: Andrew Fielding/USA Today Sports


Brad Snyder won gold at the 2012 Paralympics one year after losing his sight in Afghanistan when a bomb exploded during his deployment with the Navy. That journey from tragedy to triumph is enough for a moving film, and it will be a major part of the screenplay that is being developed into a feature-length film. Snyder will have input in the screenplay by Robert Knott, but said he might not be on set when filming starts next summer. By then, he’ll be in the final stages of preparing for the 2016 Paralympics.

This would be the first non-documentary and nonfictional film about a swimmer.

The Week That Was #1: Mitch Larkin making history on World Cup tour

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Photo Courtesy: R-Sport / MIA Rossiya Segodnya


Though history-making swims are not out of the ordinary on the FINA World Cup circuit, no major swims of note were taking place in the first five meets on the tour. Then, Australian Mitch Larkin came into the fray and began rewriting the backstroke history books again.

Larkin, the winner of the 100 and 200 backstroke world titles last summer, blasted a 1:53.34 in Tokyo last week, leapfrogging him over Tyler Clary on the all-time performers list to become the fourth-fastest man in history in the event, and 1.5 seconds behind Aaron Peirsol’s world record. Earlier today in Doha, Larkin went after a fast time in the 100 backstroke, and recorded a 52.26 to move into sixth-fastest all time.

Larkin, 22, has made exponential improvements in the past year to become the new face of backstroke. He’ll race the 200 back tomorrow in Doha for a chance to break 1:53 and enter into a new stratosphere of accomplishment.

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