The Week That Was: Last Minute Changes Continue With a Week To Rio

Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse

Editorial Coverage Sponsored By FINIS

With the 2016 Rio Olympic Games less than a week away, anticipation is at its peak for the greatest sporting event that comes around every four years. But while athletes and fans around the world are waiting to watch the best in the world come together to compete, Olympic officials and sport governing bodies are dealing with everything from inadequate facilities to doping controversies. Read about that and more in The Week That Was!

The Week That Was #5 – Nine Swimmers and Divers Nominated For NCAA Woman Of The Year

Photo Courtesy: Cathleen Pruden

Earlier this week the NCAA announced 142 female student-athletes as nominees for the 2016 NCAA Woman of the Year award, nine of which are swimmers or divers. Student-athlete nominees are selected at the conference level before being moved to compete against student-athletes from across the country for the prestigious award. The nine swimmers or divers nominated are Rachael Acker (Cal-Berkley/PAC-12), Kara McCormack (Miami/ACC), Amanda Lucia (Wagner College/Northeast Conference), Melissa Ross (Richmond/Atlantic 10), Rebecca Matthews (Lynn University/Sunshine State Conference), Margaret Guo (MIT/NEWMAC), Cathleen Pruden (Mount Holyoke/NEWMAC), Clare Slagel (Luther College/Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), and Haley Townsend (Kenyon/NCAC). Since its inception in 1991, the Woman of the Year award “has recognized graduating female student-athletes for excellence in academics, athletics, community service and leadership…” The 2015 NCAA Woman of the Year award went to Kristin Day, a diver in Division II for Clarion University.

The Week That Was #4 – U.S. Water Polo Men & Women Grab Last Wins Before Rio

Photo Courtesy: Sean Fornelli

The U.S. Men’s Olympic Water Polo team played their last pre-Rio competition this week, coming out on top of Montenegro in a close 10-9 match at the University of Houston. Record five-time Olympian and Rio-born Tony Azevedo scored three for the U.S. throughout the game, helping to seal the match with a goal with only 1:24 left to play. A few days earlier at Stanford University, the U.S. Women’s Olympic Water Polo team came out on top of a three game series against Russia, winning their final match 16-7. Team USA will now travel to Rio in preparation for the beginning of the Olympic Games this week, where the men will open play on August 6 against defending Olympic champions Croatia. The U.S. women will open play on August 9 against Spain. The U.S. women are the defending Olympic champions from London, while the men’s last medal finish was in 2008 when they grabbed the silver medal.

The Week That Was #3 – Trojan Swim Club Suspends International Athletes

Photo Courtesy: Maria Dobysheva

In light of the recent doping violations and subsequent suspensions from many Russian athletes, Head Coach of the Trojan Swim Club and USC’s men’s and women’s swimming teams, Dave Salo announced this week that for the time being, all international athletes will be suspended from the Trojan Swim Club. Speaking in an e-mail to The Los Angeles Times, Salo noted that until the club can find a way to assure international athletes are clean they will be kept off of the team, adding “If it is found to be true then I am thoroughly disappointed. …If the doping problem in Russia is as egregious as the McLaren report suggests and to the extent that the athletes are pawns in the process then I would have to join the cry to suspend all Russian athletes from the Games.” Seven Russian swimmers were banned from the Olympic Games, and of that group three (Vladimir Morozov, Nikita Lobintstev, and Yuliya Efimova) have all called Trojan Swim Club home during their careers.

The Week That Was #2 – Olympic Village Presenting Multiple Problems To Athletes

Photo Courtesy: Rio Media

The many documented concerns about the 2016 Rio Olympic Games are now turning into very real problems, which we saw this week when information was released regarding the state of the Olympic Village. Citing “blocked toilets, leaking pipes, and exposed wiring,” the Australian Olympic Committee refused to check-in on the official opening day of the village. British and New Zealand athletes were also present, and noted that work was being done on the rooms to improve the conditions. While the Aussies eventually moved in, work has been going on around the clock to make the rooms suitable for habitation as problems continued to persist, including a fire that forced more than 100 Australian athletes to evacuate. Multiple other countries, including Belarus, Kenya, Sweden, and Argentina, all cited similar problems with the Village. Mario Andrada, a spokesman for the Rio Olympics, acknowledged that “this should have been tested a long time ago,” but added that the organizing staff is doing all they can to make the facilities safe.

The Week That Was #1 – Seven Russian Swimmers Pulled From The Olympic Games

Photo Courtesy: Gian Mattia Dalberto/Lapresse

The biggest news of the week had to be the pulling of seven Russian swimmers from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games in light of recent doping controversies. Allegations of a state-wide doping program across Russia intensified following the release of the McLaren Report, leading the IOC to release a set of guidelines for all athletes to meet in order to be eligible to compete. While avoiding a full ban of Russian athletes from the Games, the decision was ultimately left up to each sport’s governing body to make the suspension call. Mikhail Dovgalyuk, Yulia Efimova, Natalia Lovtcova, Anastasia Krapivina, Nikita Lobintsev, Vladimir Morozov, and Daria Ustinova, seven in total, were all determined to be ineligible by FINA based on the standards released from the IOC last week. In response to the IOC’s decision, Vladimir Putin responded that removing Russian athletes from the Games “devalues” the Olympic medals and goes beyond “common sense.” Despite the release of the guidelines, the IOC was criticized by some for not enacting a full ban, and consequently set up a three person panel late last week that will make the final decision on Olympic eligibility. This will present a host of logistical difficulties given that the Rio Olympics open on August 5, less than a week away.

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