The Week That Was: ISL Group B Makes Debut in Texas

London Roar celebrates mauling the opposition - Photo Courtesy: ISL

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The International Swimming League Group B teams finally got their taste of action this weekend in Lewisville, Texas as the London Roar won their first ISL match ahead of the LA Current, Team Iron and New York Breakers. But with the excitement of the ISL, there were some controversies this past week with water safety conditions, albeit for different reasons.

The Tennessee and Virginia teams pulled out of a tri-meet with Michigan because of some chemicals in the Canham Natatorium. Instead, Virginia and Tennessee held a duel meet in Knoxville while Michigan held an intrasquad. In Qatar, the World Beach Games continued despite confirmation that the water temperatures at the open water venue were too warm, causing safety concerns for the swimmers involved.

Read the five biggest stories below in the week that was.

The Week That Was #5: Great Britain Names Olympic Coaching Staff

peaty-guy-anderson-davies-4x100-mixed-medley-relay-final-2019-world-championships_1

Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Mel Marshall and Steven Tigg, respective mentors to Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott, the two leading lights of the Great Britain team at the World Championships in Gwangju back in July, will spearhead a selection of eight Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games coaches.

Dave Hemmings, David McNulty, Jol Finck, Euan Dale, Lisa Bates and, for open water, Alan Bircher, complete the coaching line up set to work alongside Bill Furniss, head coach to Great Britain, at the Games in Japan next July and at preparation camps along the way.

British Swimming announced: “After a successful World Championship campaign over in South Korea this summer, Dave Hemmings, David McNulty, Jol Finck, Mel Marshall and Steve Tigg have all been named as coaches and will support the team both during the preparation camp, and on pool deck on competition days at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

“At the global championships in Gwangju each of the five aforementioned coaches enjoyed success with their individual athletes, as well as taking responsibility for relay quartets, with Mel Marshall and Steve Tigg helping to deliver gold and bronze in the Men’s 4x100m Medley and Mixed 4x100m Medley respectively.”

The Week That Was #4: Tennessee, Virginia Pull Out of Tri-Meet With Michigan Over Unsafe Water Conditions

Michigan Swimming and Diving vs. Northwestern and Notre Dame at Canham Natatoriumr in Ann Arbor, MI, on Jan 10, 2015.

Photo Courtesy: Michigan Athletics

The Tennessee and Virginia swimming and diving teams pulled out of their two-day tri-meet with Michigan set to take place at Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor on Friday and Saturday.

The Michigan swimming and diving teams have been training at Canham Natatorium this fall but there have been some issues with some chemicals in the pool.

Statement provided by Michigan swimming and diving:

“The health and safety of all competitors is always our top priority. Following previous reports of a common waterborne illness, we collaborated with the University of Michigan Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) office on a thorough set of procedures to test and clean the water at Canham Natatorium.

“Last Thursday (Oct. 10), EHS deemed the pool safe to use and the teams returned to normal training. On Tuesday (Oct. 15), following two independent lab tests, EHS reaffirmed that Canham Natatorium was safe for competition.

“Due to the schedule change, the swimming and diving program will host an intrasquad at 5 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 18) at Canham Natatorium.”

The Week That Was #3: Tennessee Upsets Virginia; Michigan Posts Nation Leading Times in Canham Aftermath

Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

The Vols defeated the fourth-ranked Virginia men’s team, 166-134, earning their third win over UVA in the last four meetings. The Lady Vols took down the Cavaliers’ second-ranked women’s team, 164.5-135.5.

In the 50 freestyle, Erika Brown threw down the nation’s best 50 free swim of the season, turning in a 21.96. She carried that momentum into the 100 free where she again vaulted to the top of the national leaderboards with a 48.17, setting an NCAA B-cut time.

Brown went 3-for-3 with her win in the 100 butterfly, setting the country’s fastest time at 51.12 and notching another NCAA B-cut. The senior helped power the Lady Vols to victory in the 200 medley relay, swimming the anchor leg and stopping the clock at 1:37.83. With their time in the 200 medley relay, the Lady Vols now hold the nation’s third-fastest time.

Michigan sophomore Maggie MacNeil won the 100-yard butterfly at Michigan’s intrasquad by over four seconds, resetting her previously-held Big Ten, U-M and pool records to 49.57. She also went 21.70 in the 50-yard freestyle, which was only a few tenths off her school record. It is the fourth-fastest performance all-time, edging her already fourth-place time of 49.59. She is behind Louise Hansson (49.26 and 49.34) and Kelsi Dahlia (49.43).

#2: World Beach Games Continue Amidst Controversy Over Water Temperatures

18th World Championships 2019, 16.07.2019, 10km Men, Jordan Wilimovsky (USA) #73, Victor Colonese (BRA) #49, Hau-Li Fan (CAN) #4, Evgenii Drattcev (RUS) #46. Esteban Salgado Enderica (ECU) #13, Matej Kozubek (CZE) #20, Elliot Sodemann (SWE) #61, Photo: JoKleindl

Photo Courtesy: JoKleindl

The World Beach Games organized by the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) stands accused by swimmers today of trashing the memory of Fran Crippen.

Organizers announced that waters on the course off Katara Beach, Doha in Qatar last weekend were measured at 30.9C before racing, inside the 31C limit imposed by FINA, the international federation, after the death of the American ace in a FINA World Cup race 2010. Swimmers now claim that the water was measured at 4am and that it was hotter than 31C by the time the actual racing was underway.

Sources suggested the thermometer read 32.8C at one stage.

At the same time, the winner of the women’s 5km race in Doha, Ana Cunha of Brazil, has raised fears that lessons learned through the death of Fran Crippen have been forgotten: in comments made in Wuhan at the Military Games, she confirmed that she is chasing hot water in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games because “we know that it is going to be hot in Japan”.

Just six days shy of the ninth anniversary of Fran Crippen’s death in waters and air temperatures that contributed to his passing, according to two inquiry reports, a leading swimmer who raced at the Beach Games last weekend told Swimming World that “it was 30.9C at 4am but the water temperatures were above the FINA upper limit during the race”.

#1: London Roar Wins ISL Group B

London Roar – with a Match victory and an Australian national record in the women’s 4x100m medley

The International Swimming League entered its third week of competition over the weekend in Lewisville, Texas. Group A reaped the benefits of going first as Energy Standard won the first two meets in Naples and Indianapolis ahead of the Cali Condors, DC Trident and Aqua Centurions. This week it was Group B’s turn as the London Roar took care of business at their first match in Dallas. The LA Current, Team Iron and the New York Breakers also made their first appearance as the four teams will compete in Budapest next week. Vladimir Morozov was named the Most Valuable Player of the first meet.

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