The Week That Was: World Records, New Rules Make Swimming Headlines

The world junior championships took center stage last week, showing us the future talent of swimming. Some of the current star talent made headlines of their own recently, and we’re counting down the top five swimming headlines on The Week That Was.

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The Week That Was #5: International Swimming Coaches Association recognizes first Hall of Fame inductees

The International Swimming Coaches Association has been around for about six years, but the organization inducted its first Hall of Fame class over the weekend in Clearwater, Fla., with a gold ring and a green jacket going to each of the three honorees. One of the coaches, Texas’ Eddie Reese, is still coaching at a high level, but all three have distinguished track records that go back for decades. Franke Bell guided many future stars who would later appear at the Olympics while coaching in North Carolina. In his many years at the University of Arizona and Santa Clara Swim Club, Dick Jochums helped numerous athletes win at the national and international level.

The Week That Was #4: Los Angeles set for selection as 2024 Olympic bid city, plans to put temporary pool inside stadium for Games

In its bid book for the 2024 Olympic Games, Los Angeles proposed that a temporary pool be built inside the planned soccer stadium which will be erected in the next four years for the Major League Soccer team that will take up residency there. The temporary pool saves the organizers a lot of money, and there’s a major surplus of about $161 million for the city and other financial backers expected. The stadium, which will be built with money from MLS, would host swimming, diving and synchronized swimming at the 2024 Olympics. It would be the first temporary pool built for the Olympics in more than 100 years, but the stadium would seat a record 20,000 spectators for the event. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to approve the bid in a matter of days.

The Week That Was #3: Cierra Runge taking redshirt year, moving to Arizona

Bob Bowman’s elite training squad at Arizona State University will get another major name on its roster, as freestyler Cierra Runge has confirmed that she will take a redshirt year from collegiate swimming at the University of California-Berkeley. She will move to Tempe to train with the likes of Michael Phelps and Chase Kalisz, as well as 200 free reigning Olympic champion Allison Schmitt. Runge swam at the world championships in the 400 free and was a silver medalist in the event at the Pan Pacific championships last summer. Runge’s points will be sorely missed for the Golden Bears at the upcoming NCAA championships, but this gives Runge the opportunity to focus solely on making the Olympic team in events which the competition is tight.

The Week That Was #2: Junior world championships feature multiple records, new stars on the rise

Australia won the most gold medals at the junior world championships in Singapore last week, but it was the United States who took the team trophy with 26 overall medals during the five-day meet. Twelve junior world records were set by the 18-and-under athletes, including an amazing 2:19.64 by Turkey’s Viktoria Zeynep Gunes in the women’s 200 breaststroke. That’s the fourth-fastest performance in history and just one of four gold medals the 17-year-old Ukraninan immigrant won.

Gunes was the only swimmer to win more than two individual events, though Australia’s Kyle Chalmers (men’s 50 and 100 free) and Taylor Ruck of Canada (women’s 100 and 200 free) were major stars as well. Among the American team, several had breakout swims. Maxime Rooney almost broke his own world junior record in the 200 free in winning that event, while Sean Grieshop upset world junior record holder Brandonn Almeida in the 400 IM. Minna Atherton of Australia broke her way into what will be a crowded 100 back field at her Olympic Trials next spring with a promising 59.58 to set the world junior record.

The Week That Was #1: FINA looking to make Ryan Lochte’s new breast-to-free turn in IM illegal

Ryan Lochte exhibited a new style of underwater dolphin kicking in the world championships that, in some way, helped him win the 200 IM in Russia. After completing the breaststroke leg of the race, Lochte pushed off the wall and kicked about 10 meters on his back before rolling onto his stomach to swim the stroke commonly known as freestyle. There were whispers that Lochte would be disqualified for the turn, but it did not happen, and Lochte made history with a fourth-straight world title in the event. So far, he’s been the only person to kick in such a fashion in competition.

Three weeks later, FINA has announced plans create a rule that makes such a turn illegal in IM races. The turn is perfectly legal in freestyle-only events, where the only rule is to surface before 15 meters after the start and turn. Lochte said after the 200 IM at worlds that he would continue to do the turn “until they (disqualify) me,” and it appears that time is now. FINA has not released any language regarding the proposed rule change. This would fall out of line of the tradition of voting on new swimming technical rules at the FINA Congress that takes place just before every long course world championships.