{"id":433379,"date":"2020-05-26T11:39:52","date_gmt":"2020-05-26T18:39:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=433379"},"modified":"2020-05-30T07:18:10","modified_gmt":"2020-05-30T14:18:10","slug":"olympic-swimmers-call-on-trump-to-assist-in-opening-of-pools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/olympic-swimmers-call-on-trump-to-assist-in-opening-of-pools\/","title":{"rendered":"Olympic Swimmers Call on Trump to Assist in Opening of Pools"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Who’s Who of Olympic athletes, coaches and others at the helm of the aquatic sports sector sent a letter Tuesday to President Donald Trump<\/strong> urging him to help get pools reopened across the U.S. as a matter of public health and safety.<\/p>\n

The letter, which is below, is signed by 36 Olympic swimmers and water polo players as well as 27 coaches and swimming industry executives. It represents more than 5,000 businesses in the professional aquatics industry, dozens of which are signed on to the letter. It speaks to the interests of half a million or more athletes looking to get back in the water.<\/p>\n

Athletes signing the letter to President Trump include Olympic champions Debbie Meyer, Bruce Furniss,\u00a0Steve Furniss, Rowdy Gaines, BJ Bedford, Jenny Thompson, Lenny Krayzelburg,\u00a0Anthony Ervin,\u00a0Gary Hall Jr., Amanda Beard, Natalie Coughlin,\u00a0Rebecca Soni,<\/strong>\u00a0Ryan Lochte, Jason Lezak,\u00a0Nathan Adrian, Matt Grevers,<\/strong> as well as Lia Neal,\u00a0<\/strong>Tony Azevedo and many more. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The letter specifically cites the need for swimming education to return. Drowning is a leading cause of death for young children, and data shows that swimming education is effective in preventing unnecessary deaths in the water. Without pools open for lessons and to provide a controlled environment for swimming, the drowning risk increases.<\/p>\n

With summer arriving, that risk is becoming graver. Restarting learn-to-swim and water safety classes has been cited as vital in a number of areas, from being a cornerstone of Kentucky\u2019s push to reopen pools<\/a> to a major concern in Washington state<\/a>. Restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic that keep aquatic businesses closed also pose a threat to their existence and the services they render.<\/p>\n

From the letter:<\/p>\n

During these unprecedented times we truly believe we can safely return to the pools without jeopardizing the \u201cnew normal\u201d that all Americans want and deserve. The CDC and NIH has confirmed that the disease cannot spread in properly chlorinated water. For physical and mental health, the water is one of the safer places to be at this time, and swimming is a lifelong activity. Opening swim centers would allow children to learn much needed water safety and drowning prevention skills. It would allow the 500,000 youth athletes on America\u2019s swim teams to get back to their training. It would allow MILLIONS of American adults to exercise safely and build their immune systems which is needed now more than ever! We can do this safely. Swim training programs are carefully structured and can follow all recommendations that the CDC has recently released to reopen swimming pools.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Part of the effort is to weigh the risk of COVID-19 transmission, which is extremely low in properly treated water, with the known risk of untrained young swimmers in the water, which is proven to be high.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s absolutely essential that every child in America learns how to swim to save their own life,\u201d said Cindy Tonnesen,<\/strong> founder and board chair of Hope Floats Foundation<\/a> and the co-founder of SwimKids Swim Schools<\/a>, in an interview with Swimming World. \u201c\u2026 Drowning is the leading cause of death in young children in America, and many, many pools are closed right now. We need to get back, as aquatic professionals, to do what we do best, and that\u2019s helping kids learn to save their own lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The letter to President Trump<\/p><\/div>\n

Read the full letter to President Trump<\/a><\/p>\n

Many of the same aquatic professionals also sent a letter last Friday to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan,<\/strong> who is the chair of the National Governors Association. That letter cited a number of the same water-safety points and asserted that many aquatic facilities have the procedures to implement social distancing and other safety protocols. It also expressed a feeling widespread in the industry of having \u201cbeen miscategorized with public recreational swimming which puts us at risk as small businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of the complication of reopening pools from the coronavirus shutdown is the inherently local nature of the pandemic, with openings proceeding state-by-state and county-by-count. That leaves aquatic professionals like Paris Jacobs,<\/strong> the Chief Operating Officer of the American Swimming Coaches Association, hoping these letters serve as resources for overwhelmed governments.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt became very clear quickly that with states, this is a new time for everybody, and health departments and governors are struggling with how to ensure social distancing within a pool and in a rec environment,\u201d Jacobs told Swimming World. \u201cI understand that. I\u2019m working with local pools. We\u2019re working through those challenges. \u2026 It\u2019s critical, and we need to educate governors that there are guidelines out there. Many may not be aware that USA Swimming and the US Swim School Association issued guidelines to help in accordance with the CDC guidelines, and that wasn\u2019t being addressed.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Read the letter to Gov. Hogan\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

The letters seek to unite the voices of the aquatics industry, from the water-safety aspect of young swimmers to adults using pools for their physical and mental health. Tonnesen likened all those pushing to get pools reopened, from elite swimmers down to those seeking learn-to-swim classes, as \u201cin the same boat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacobs emphasized a top-down communications approach, hoping to reach Hogan and members of the Trump administration to have them aid in spreading the need for pool reopening through the states.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is new to everyone,\u201d Jacobs said. \u201cEverybody has 50 different versions. You have to look at your facility, your state\u2019s guidelines, CDC guidelines and put it all together with the recommendations and present that plan. And that\u2019s what we\u2019re hoping to educate the governors so that they\u2019re more open to the plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swimming Through a Pandemic<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The postponements and cancellations wrought by COVID-19 haven\u2019t just affected the Olympics and the ranks of elite swimmers. They\u2019ve trickled down to neighborhood clubs and summer youth leagues, affecting thousands of recreational and competitive swimmers alike. Here is some of our coverage of COVID-19\u2019s effect on the American summer swimming calendar.<\/em><\/p>\n