{"id":459267,"date":"2021-01-11T10:11:59","date_gmt":"2021-01-11T17:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=459267"},"modified":"2021-01-11T10:11:59","modified_gmt":"2021-01-11T17:11:59","slug":"the-week-that-was-east-carolina-university-brings-back-womens-swimming-sec-b1g-finalize-championships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/the-week-that-was-east-carolina-university-brings-back-womens-swimming-sec-b1g-finalize-championships\/","title":{"rendered":"The Week That Was: East Carolina University Brings Back Women’s Swimming; SEC & B1G Finalize Championships"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.<\/em><\/p>\n

East Carolina University, one of the first schools to eliminate swimming and diving this COVID offseason, announced it would be bringing back women’s swimming and diving effective immediately. In other college swimming news, the Southeastern Conference & Big Ten Conference each announced their championship plans for February, splitting up the men and women to two different sites.<\/p>\n

Read below the five biggest stories in The Week That Was sponsored by\u00a0Suitmate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Week That Was #1: East Carolina University to Bring Back Women’s Swimming<\/h3>\n
\"\"

Photo Courtesy: East Carolina Athletics<\/p><\/div>\n

By Andy Ross<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

East Carolina University will be bringing back women\u2019s swimming and diving and women\u2019s tennis to its intercollegiate sports effective immediately,\u00a0according to a release<\/a>\u00a0from the school.<\/p>\n

East Carolina was\u00a0among the first Division I schools to cut swimming and diving<\/a>\u00a0this summer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to this, many swimmers have already transferred out of the program and the coaching staff have sought for jobs elsewhere. The university reduced the amount of intercollegiate programs by four this summer, and with the addition of women\u2019s swimming and women\u2019s tennis, the school now has 18 varsity programs and 11 women\u2019s athletics programs.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking forward to having women\u2019s swimming and diving along with women\u2019s tennis return as a part of our sport offerings,\u201d East Carolina University Athletics Director\u00a0Jon Gilbert<\/strong>\u00a0said. \u201cWhen we went through the process of eliminating four programs in May, we understood we needed to reconstitute the athletic department in terms of sports programs and to do so while facing significant budget restraints due to COVID and its uncertainties.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe worked directly with a Title IX consultant on how best to address our compliance with Title IX while also addressing our financial issues. Title IX is an ongoing commitment and it\u2019s a priority for our university and athletics department,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

#2: SEC & Big Ten Finalize Championship Schedules<\/h3>\n
\"tyler-sesvold\"

Photo Courtesy: Jeff Hanson \/ Alabama Athletics<\/p><\/div>\n

By Matthew De George<\/a> & Andy Ross<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Details of the 2021 SEC Swimming Championships\u00a0were announced Wednesday<\/a>, with the events split over separate meets hosted by the University of Missouri and the University of Georgia.<\/p>\n

The diving championships will be held Feb. 17-20 at Missouri\u2019s Mizzou Aquatic Center. That facility will host the men\u2019s swimming championships the following week, from Feb. 23-26.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s swimming championships will be hosted at Georgia\u2019s Gabrielsen Natatorium from Feb. 17-20. It\u2019s the sixth time the SEC Swimming Championships have been hosted by Georgia, which last had hosting duties in 2019.<\/p>\n

Both sets of championships allow three weeks before the NCAA Championships, to be held at Greensboro Aquatic Center for\u00a0both men and women<\/a>. The women are first, March 17-20, with the men to follow, March 24-27.<\/p>\n

The SEC regular season will conclude\u00a0no later than Jan. 25<\/a>, with regionalized competition continuing. Many schools have announced their remaining regular-season schedules already, generally releasing them piecemeal through the season.<\/p>\n

The Big Ten Conference has officially approved its dates for the 2021 championships, holding the meet across three different sites for the men\u2019s, women\u2019s and diving championships, confirmed in an email obtained by\u00a0Swimming World<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Big Ten diving championships will be held with both genders from\u00a0February 24 \u2013 27, 2021<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0Purdue University<\/strong>, while the women\u2019s swimming-only championships will be the same weekend at the\u00a0University of Minnesota\u00a0<\/strong>and the men\u2019s swimming-only championships will be\u00a0March 3 \u2013 6<\/strong>\u00a0at\u00a0The\u00a0<\/strong>Ohio State University<\/strong>\u00a0pending official confirmation from the OSU administration. Point totals from the diving championships will be added on to the respective men\u2019s and women\u2019s championship point totals.<\/p>\n

The Big Ten Conference will be holding an abbreviated season that will officially get underway next weekend. Each school will be participating in three conference tri-meets across the next three weekends.<\/p>\n

The Week That Was #3: Water Polo Olympians Start Petition Demanding Removal of USA Water Polo CEO, Board Chairman<\/h3>\n
\"NorthShoreUSAWPPic\"

Photo Courtesy: Next Level Water Polo<\/p><\/div>\n

By Dan D’Addona<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

More than 10 Olympic water polo players as well as former U.S. national team members, coaches and officials have joined forces to call for the removal of USA Water Polo CEO\u00a0Christopher Ramsey<\/strong>\u00a0and USA Water Polo board chairman\u00a0Michael<\/strong>\u00a0Graff<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The group of players, coaches and officials is part of more than 200 people who have signed an online petition calling for the leaders\u2019 removal,\u00a0according to the Orange County Register<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs members of USAWP, we have no confidence in the judgement and leadership of Mike Graff and Chris Ramsey, and we ask the Board to immediately and permanently remove both from any and all positions or roles within USAWP,\u201d the petition reads.<\/p>\n

The petition, which was posted on Tuesday, Jan. 5, goes on to discuss the \u201calarming history\u201d and \u201cpattern of behavior by the leadership of USAWP.\u201d<\/p>\n

The authors of the petition include former USA Water Polo team captain\u00a0Christopher Duplanty<\/strong>\u00a0and is supported by U.S. Olympic coach\u00a0Terry Schroeder<\/strong>\u00a0(2008 and 2012),\u00a0according to the Orange County Register<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The petition discusses the safety of athletes and the lack of communication and transparency by USA Water Polo leadership.<\/p>\n

#4: German Federation Releases Revised Criteria For Tokyo<\/h3>\n
\"sarah-kohler-\"

Sarah K\u00f6hler – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant<\/p><\/div>\n

By Liz Byrnes<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

The\u00a0German Swimming Federation (DSV)<\/strong>\u00a0has released revised qualification criteria for selection to the national team for the Olympics which are due to start in Tokyo on 23 July.<\/p>\n

While the qualification times remain the same, the DSV and the\u00a0German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)<\/strong>\u00a0have amended the nomination criteria to a team that will comprise a maximum of 17 women and 17 men.<\/p>\n

Eight athletes including\u00a0Florian Wellbrock<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 who became the first man to win the 1500 free and the 10km open water at a World Championships when he completed the double in Gwangju in July 2019 \u2013 have made the cut.<\/p>\n

The revisions come as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc across the world with Germany in lockdown until the end of the month.<\/p>\n

The revised criteria in order of priority is as follows:<\/p>\n