The Week That Was: World, National Records Fall At World Cup In Eindhoven

Photo Courtesy: FINA Doha 2014

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The third stop of the 2018 FINA World Cup came to a close in Eindhoven this weekend with several short course records coming down in the process. Read about that meet and the biggest stories of the week below in the week that was!

The Week That Was #5 – Joel Shinofield Takes Position At USA Swimming

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This week Joel Shinofield left his role as Executive Director of the College Swim Coaches Association (CSCAA) to take on a new position with USA Swimming. Shinofield will be USA Swimming’s new Managing Director of Sport Development, which makes him responsible for overseeing the Sport Development Division within the Technical Business Unit and executing a strategic plan that enhances the development and education of athletes, coaches, clubs and Local Swimming Committees (LSC) across all levels of the sport in the U.S. Shinofield spent the last 7 years with the CSCAA and led a major effort to protect college programs across the country that were at risk of being eliminated. Greg Earhart will take over as Interim Executive Director following Shinofield’s departure.

The Week That Was #4 – USA Swimming Announces 2020 Olympic Trials Cuts

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

USA Swimming released the 2020 Olympic Trials cuts this week, revealing new times that are all faster than what it took to make the meet in 2016. The announcement came at the United State Aquatic Sports Convention in Jacksonville, with hosts Rowdy Gaines and Mike Unger on hand to announce the new cuts. The 2020 standards also feature the first ever qualifying times for the men’s 800 free and the women’s 1500 free, both new additions to the official Olympic lineup by the IOC. The 2020 Olympic Trials will take place June 21-28 in Omaha, Nebraska, marking the fourth time the city will host the event,. USA Swimming also announced the new standards for the 2019 US Senior Nationals this week.

The Week That Was #3 – John Bitter Removed As Head Coach of Santa Clara Swim Club

Photo Courtesy: Catherine Ladd

Head Coach John Bitter of the Santa Clara Swim Club (SCSC) was removed of his duties this week after the club learned of financial irregularities with its accounts. Swimming World learned from multiple sources that a letter was sent out to members of the SCSC community on Saturday. Bitter has been with SCSC since 1995, and was elevated to Head Coach in 2006 before becoming CEO of the organization in 2009. Bitter was formerly the Chair of Pacific Swimming, and was the Vice-Chair of Program Development for USA Swimming and had also served as an Assistant Coach for USA Swimming’s Junior Pan Pac team in 2010.

The Week That Was #2 – USA Swimming Bans Tech Suits For 12 & Unders

Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien

This week USA Swimming voted to ban the use of technical suits by 12 & under swimmers at the United State Aquatic Sports (USAS) Convention in Florida. The rule states that any 12 & under is permitted from wearing a tech suit unless they have qualified to compete at the USA Junior National or Senior National Championships. The debate over the use of tech suits for age groupers has been debated over the last several years, and New England and New Jersey teams have already put bans in place limiting their use in age group meets. The rule for the ban goes into effect on September 1, 2020.

The Week That Was #1 – World, National Records Fall At World Cup In Eindhoven

Photo Courtesy: FINA Doha 2014

The first world record of the 2018 FINA World Cup fell this week in Eindhoven at the hands of Vlad Morozov, who broke his own world record in the 100 IM. This week was the first stop on the tour that featured short course meters racing, and it also featured one of the deepest fields yet on the tour with the addition of Americans Kathleen Baker and Kelsi Dahlia. Baker herself set an American record in the 100 back (55.91) to hold off world record holder Katinka Hosszu. China’s Wang Jianjiahe was another record-breaker from the meet, setting a new world junior record in the women’s 400 free (3:54.63), breaking the old record by nearly 5 seconds. You can see all the results and recaps from the 2018 FINA World Cup here.

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