Splashbacks 2021 – Sept.-Oct.: Fundraising Effort Benefits Brenton Rickard; Katie Ledecky On the Move
As the excitement over the Olympic Games continued to settle down, Swimming World’s most-read article in 2021 for September and October highlighted the fundraising efforts to support Australian Olympian Brenton Rickard. The Aussie accrued significant legal costs as he battled to clear his name against doping charges that dated back to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Meanwhile, the decision by Katie Ledecky to relocate her training to Gainesville, Florida was a major attraction.
Here are Swimming World’s most-read stories for 2021 from September and October.
1. GoFundMe Page Created To Support Olympic Medalist Brenton Rickard
Photo Courtesy:
Due to heavy legal costs that piled up as he sought to clear his name from doping charges, a GoFundMe page was set up to support Australian Brenton Rickard. The fundraising effort immediately went viral and donations poured in for Rickard from around the world.
There are certain actions that are simply not acceptable in the sport of swimming, such as leaving too early from the blocks during practice sets to touching someone’s feet during circle swimming. This article looked at the violations that swimmers should avoid to maintain respect.
Photo Courtesy:Katie Ledecky Via Twitter
Olympic champion and distance legend Katie Ledecky announced she had accepted a volunteer assistant role with Anthony Nesty at the University of Florida. The move was also designed to enable Ledecky to train under Nesty on the road to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
4. Caeleb Dressel Shows Brilliance and Humanity in 200 IM Cameo Against Daiya Seto
As part of the International Swimming League season, the Cali Condors’ Caeleb Dressel took the opportunity to race against the Tokyo Frog Kings’ Daiya Seto in the 200 individual medley. Seto built a huge lead in the middle strokes and held off a furious charge by Dressel down the stretch to prevail by .02.
5. Caeleb Dressel Stalking World Record of Amaury Leveaux in 100 Freestyle
In the early portion of the International Swimming League regular season, Caeleb Dressel had the world record in the short course 100 freestyle in his sights. Ultimately, Dressel did not get the record, which actually fell to Australian Kyle Chalmers in World Cup competition.
6. Addressing The Taboo Topic Of Constant Physical Comparison Among Female Swimmers
Swimming World intern Sadie Jones wrote an article on how women’s athletes often find themselves comparing their bodies to one another, or to some of the expectations that have been established for female competitors. Jones’ piece was important in shedding light on this topic.
7. ‘Lost, Depressed, Irrelevant’: Stephanie Rice Opens Up about Post-Swimming Struggles
Once swimming careers come to an end for professional athletes, we often hear about individuals struggling to find their path in life. Australian Olympic champion Stephanie Rice opened up on this topic, sharing her experiences to highlight the topic and provide support for others who are experiencing similar sentiments.
8. USA Swimming Announces Official 2021-22 National Team Roster, Led by Dressel, Ledecky
Following the conclusion of all major long-course competitions for its calendar, USA Swimming released the names of the athletes who earned places on the National Team roster. Leading the way, not surprisingly, were Olympic champions Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky.
9. USC Coach Jeremy Kipp Placed on Administrative Leave Following Investigation
Due to allegations of abuse, the University of Southern California announced it had placed head coach Jeremy Kipp on administrative leave while the school investigated the allegations against him. With Kipp on leave, the Trojans announced Olympian Lea Loveless Maurer would assume the role of interim head coach.
10. Great Races: When Michael Phelps Nearly Broke the World Record in the 100 Backstroke
This article took a look at the time when Michael Phelps, racing at the 2007 National Championships in Indianapolis, nearly broke the world record in the 100-meter backstroke. Although best known for his exploits other events, Phelps was also one of the premier backstrokers in the world, the schedule his biggest limiter when it came to proving his excellence in the stroke.