The Week That Was: Yuri Suguiyama Named Head Coach At Wisconsin

Photo Courtesy: Jeff Commings

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This week saw one of the first major college job openings from this season be filled, the former president of the Hungarian swimming federation charged with murder, and plenty of fast swimming at country’s nationals around the globe. Catch up on all those stories and more in the week that was!

The Week That Was #5 – NCAA Changes Legislation On Official Visits

Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

The NCAA Council approved some sweeping changes regarding the recruiting model for official visits in Division I sports at a Division I Council meeting in Indianapolis this week. The approved changes allow student-athletes in sports other than football and basketball to take official visits after September 1st of a prospect’s junior year in high school (this differs from current legislation which only allows official visits on the first day of classes senior year). Two other significant changes that were made establish that athletics departments can’t participate in a recruit’s unofficial visit until September 1 of the recruit’s junior year, and recruiting conversations during a school’s camp or clinic can’t happen before September 1 of a prospect’s junior year. The new legislation will go into effect next fall on September 1st, 2018.

The Week That Was #4 – Former Hungary Coach Tamas Gyarfas Arrested For Murder Allegations

Photo Courtesy: Swimming World

Tamas Gyarfas, the former head of the Hungarian swimming federation, was arrested this week for suspected connection with the 1998 murder of media mogul Janos Fenyo. Gyarfas denied the allegations, filing a complaint against the charges and was later released on the condition that he wearing a tracking device at all times. Fenyo and Gyarfas were both prominent players in the Hungarian media industry at the time of Fenyo’s murder, and Slovakian Jozef Rohac is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement. Gyarfas was the leader of the Hungarian Swimming Federation from 1993 to 2006 while also holding top positions in European and international swimming organizations. He was also the leader of Hungary’s Olympic committee.

The Week That Was #3 – Fratus, Scheffer Shines At The 2018 Brazil Trophy

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

The 2018 Brazil Trophy was underway this week in Rio de Janeiro as a qualifier for the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, the 2018 South American Swimming Championships, and the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics. Fernando Scheffer was a star of the meet, breaking two South American and Brazilian records in the 200 and 400 freestyles. Scheffer opened the meet with a record in the 400 free (3:49.06) before adding a second record and win later in the meet in the 200 (1:46.08). Other notable swimmers included Vini Lanza, who is coming off an incredible NCAA season at Indiana. Lanza was just a few tenths off the Brazilian record in the men’s 100 fly with his winning time of 51.42, and also would go on to win the 200 IM (1:58.10). Finally, Bruno Fratus blasted a huge 50 freestyle swim on the final day of the meet, posting a 21.35 to move to second in the world behind England’s Ben Proud. Notably, Cesar Cielo was third in that race with a 22.01.

The Week That Was #2 – Vlad Morozov Swims World Leading 100 Free At Russian Nationals

Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse

On the other side of the globe, the 2018 Russian Swimming Championships began last week and will serve as the selection meet for this summer’s European Championships in Glasgow. Vlad Morozov has so far been the star of the meet, putting up strong performances across the board. He opened the meet with a new Russian record in the 50 back, posting a 24.35 to hold off rising teen Kliment Kolenikov (24.46). Morozov also went on to win the 100 free in a very fast 47.75, the fastest time in the world this year. Other notable swims included new national records from Oleg Kostin (men’s 50 fly – 23.14) and Maria Kameneva (women’s 50 free – 24.61).

The Week That Was #1 – Yuri Suguiyama Will Be Wisconsin Head Coach

Photo Courtesy: Jeff Commings

The big news this week was that Yuri Suguiyama, the associate head coach for the Cal men’s team under Dave Durden, will be the new head coach at the University of Wisconsin. Suguiyama will be replacing Whitney Hite, who left the program after seven years at the helm following NCAA Championships. This is the first of several prominent job openings to be filled so far this year. Suguiyama has been an assistant with Cal since the fall of 2012, and the Bears have finished first or second at NCAA’s every year he has coached there. He may, however, be best known for coaching Katie Ledecky during her formative years at NCAP, including during the run-up to her breakout gold medal swim at the 2012 London Olympics.

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