Commentary

The Differences Between College and High School Swimming Change is a difficult thing. Whether it excites you or causes you dread, change rarely comes without some level of anxiety about the unknown that will undoubtedly accompany it. One of the biggest changes that can happen in a swimmer’s career i...

How to Thrive at Your First National Level Swim Meet You made it. You put in the work, got under the qualifying time, and now you are headed to your first national level meet. While this can be exciting, the meet itself can also be a source of stress. National meets bring with them faster competitio...

Is Swimming a Team or Individual Sport? When asking the question "is swimming an individual or team sport?" the answer can vary wildly. Though progress is made individually, and you can swim in your own lane, there comes a point in every swimmer’s career when they swim for something more than themse...

15 Ways To Tell You Come From a Swimming Family By J.P. Mortenson Due to the sport's all-consuming nature, swimming inevitably becomes a family affair. And once your family becomes a swimming family, the sport will affect your home life in more ways than you could have ever imagined! Here are 15 way...

How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting College Recruiting COVID-19 dramatically altered the lives of swimmers everywhere, particularly those of high school swimmers attempting to navigate the recruiting process and its new restrictions. College recruitment usually begins June 15, between swimmers’ s...

Lynne Cox: A Woman of Patience, Passion and Perseverance By Sadie Jones, Swimming World Intern Lynne Cox is a world-renowned open water swimmer, known for the amazing records she has set in the water, her bravery in trying swims not many people have even thought of attempting, and using swimming as ...

Is There a Best Way to Race the 200 Freestyle? By Daniel Zeng, Swimming World Intern The 200 freestyle is commonly debated among swimmers as an unnecessarily confusing race to pace. Should you sprint all out from start, try to hold on, and race other competitors for a strong finish? Should you be mo...

Gregorio Paltrinieri Has Olympic History Within Reach (From November's Swimming World Magazine) Despite the global pandemic, the Olympic postponement and a coaching change, Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri put together some of the best swimming of his career last summer in the 800 and 1500 meter freesty...

Challenging 9 Swimming Myths That Have Run Rampant By Gigi Picard, Swimming World College Intern For whatever reason, myths just pop to the surface when non-competitive swimmers comment on swimmers and swimming in general. I know I’ve encountered some wild theories like swimmers shouldn’t go on land...

There’s probably been several times where you’ve asked yourself “why are swimmers doing that?” I know that I’ve heard my family and even random people out in restaurants asking questions about the things swimmers do at the pool. So let’s clear some things up! Why wear goggles under the swim cap? Eve...

The Age-Old Debate: What is the Hardest Event in Swimming? By Elise Devlin, Swimming World Intern There’s nothing worse than getting a wide eyed, worrisome expression from your friend after you answered their question, “So, what event do you have next?” We’ve all been there. Lurking somewhere in you...

10 Things Coaches Say During Practice By Isabelle Robuck No one else compares to your favorite swim coach. Think about it now; what makes your coach the best? Most swimmers deeply relate to their coaches through shared work ethic and discipline, training style, and - most importantly - their infinit...

37 Thoughts Swim Fans Have from the Stands (Archive) By Chandler Brandes, Swimming World College Intern. This past weekend I did something I have never done before: I watched my first swim meet. Technically, I have watched hundreds of swim meets before, but always from the deck as either a swimmer r...

5 Holiday Season Swim Workouts to Give a Try As the conclusion of another year draws nearer, the holiday season is right around the corner. No matter what traditions and celebrations you may participate in outside of the pool, it is also a great time to finish the year strong in the pool. Winter can...

Bird Is the Word: What Event Each Thanksgiving Food Would Be Thanksgiving is, along with Super Bowl Sunday and the Fourth of July to an extent, one of the few days of the year in which stuffing your face is not only encouraged but is the normal way to go about your day. You wake up to a giant breakf...

Amid COVID-19, Learning Just How Much the Sport Means Forced closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic ultimately meant that swimmers worldwide were forced to take a step back from the sport that - for many - constituted a large part of their identity. Suddenly, a guilt-free, season-ending break was man...

10 Hidden Benefits of Swimming Everyone wants to be an Olympic swimmer. But luckily, you don’t have to be an Olympic swimmer to benefit from the sport. People of all ages, from all backgrounds, and with various levels of experience can benefit from swimming. Swimming is one of the few sports you can...

As the Holidays Approach, Maintaining Good Mental Health Becomes a Priority The holidays are always a tricky time for swimmers. Practices are usually interrupted due to school breaks, coaches are pulling out their favorite sets, and the in-laws are coming. However, this year is very different from t...

3 Reasons Your Teammates Are Important Swimming has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Every day would be spent at the pool in some way, whether it was swimming, spectating or coaching. I was always at the pool, always a member of a team and always had a deep love for my sport.  2...

A Dive Into the World of Swimmers: Going Beneath the Surface By Daniel Zeng, Swimming World Intern Swimmers have been known to think their sport is tougher than the rest. We are expected to perform at our best, all while barely breathing. Although it is true that swimming shares attributes with othe...