5 Of the Past Week’s Headlines You Might Have Missed: The Week That Was

Swimming headlines from around the world in the past week included reports of two famed pools getting facelifts, a boosted campaign by USA Swimming and some of the world’s best gathering to race in France. For this edition of The Week That Was, we count down the top five headlines of the past week.

The Week That was is supported by AgonSwim.com

The Week That Was #5: Canada cancels open water races

Lake Magog was the site of a star-studded 10K race last year, bringing Olympians to Canada for what turned out to be one of the most exciting open water races of 2014. The lake won’t be hosting a 10K swim next month, however, as the high cost of running the event has forced organizers to withdraw. Not only would the hosts have to put up the money to run the meet, but they must house athletes, feed them and transport them to the race site from the hotel. The lake is home to a popular 42K swim that takes athletes across the U.S.-Canada border. It’s been run since 1955, and organizers want to devote their attention to that competition again.

The Week That Was #4: International Swimming Hall of Fame might remain in Florida

Though the deal is all but finalized for the International Swimming Hall of Fame to move to California, ISHOF could keep a foothold in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., if the city is convinced to rethink its plans regarding its redesign of the facility that once housed the world renowned pool and museum. Diving coach Tim O’Brien, the son of the legendary Ron O’Brien, wrote a letter to the Fort Lauderdale mayor asking him and his staff to reconsider building a training facility on top of a parking garage, and make the location attractive to locals and visitors. We’ve seen several such petitions by supporters of ISHOF, and they’ve all gone unheard by the City of Fort Lauderdale. At this stage, a reprieve is unlikely, but a glimmer of hope exists until construction on the new facility in California begins.

The Week That Was #3: USA Swimming unveils phase two of SwimToday campaign with SwimJitsu

This time last year, USA Swimming unleashed its “SwimToday” ad campaign, a partnership with several swimming companies (including Swimming World) that aimed to show the joys of getting into a pool. Together with the hashtag #funnestsport, the campaign was deemed a success. But that was just the start. Last week, USA Swimming rolled out new ads and even changed its Twitter name to “#FunnestSport” before making one of its boldest announcements yet. Missy Franklin was part of the first Swimjitsu rollout recently, taking part in what appears to be a water-based obstacle course designed to really emphasize the fun in the sport. Franklin is serving as the Swimjitsu Grandmaster, and the event will tour the nation in eight cities this summer.

The Week That Was #2: Mission Viejo, Charlotte pools to get major renovations

The revered competition pools in Mission Viejo, Calif., and Charlotte, N.C., are in need of upgrades, and the respective city councils each approved the needed funds to renovate the facilities. The Mecklenburg Aquatic Center in Charlotte has already closed to start repairs, while the Marguerite Aquatic Center will not start its facelift until after the 2016 Olympic Games. Both pools have hosted several major competitions, including the USA Swimming nationals and the Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo and the Arena Pro Swim Series in Charlotte (formerly the Charlotte UltraSwim).

The Week That Was #1: Mare Nostrum series kicks off, serves as world championship preview

Last weekend’s competition in Canet gave us a look at how several notable athletes are training this summer in preparation for the world championships. The meet was the first of the three-meet Mare Nostrum series in southern Europe, where we saw two young breaststrokes stun the crowd, and an Olympic champion falter in his pet event. World record holders Ruta Meilutyte and Adam Peaty were the class of the field in the 50 and 100 breaststroke events, cementing their statuses as the ones to beat worlds in August. Chad Le Clos had a tough time against a talented field in the 200 butterfly as the reigning Olympic and world champion finished fourth. Ryosuke Irie continues to dominate in the backstroke events, while Jeannette Ottessen inched closer to the world’s best in the 50 free with a 24.47. The series continues Wednesday in Barcelona. Day 1 recap and Day 2 recap