{"id":480753,"date":"2021-07-05T09:25:42","date_gmt":"2021-07-05T16:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=480753"},"modified":"2021-07-05T09:27:36","modified_gmt":"2021-07-05T16:27:36","slug":"the-week-that-was-mckeon-chalmers-drop-200-free-from-program-ncaa-approves-name-image-likeness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/the-week-that-was-mckeon-chalmers-drop-200-free-from-program-ncaa-approves-name-image-likeness\/","title":{"rendered":"The Week That Was: McKeon, Chalmers Drop 200 Free From Program; NCAA Approves Name, Image, Likeness Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"

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

With less than three weeks until the Tokyo Olympic Games, two of Australia’s 100 freestyle gold medal frontrunners\u00a0Emma McKeon\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Kyle Chalmers\u00a0<\/strong>have dropped the 200 freestyle from their programs in order to reduce the workload on their already busy schedules. Both swimmers are gold medal favorites in the 100 free and will play a role in many of Australia’s relays.<\/p>\n

Read the five biggest stories of the week in The Week That Was sponsored by Suitmate.<\/p>\n

The Week That Was #1: Chalmers, McKeon Drop 200 Free From Olympic Program<\/h3>\n
$\"kyle-chalmers\"$
Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant<\/p><\/div>\n
By Ian Hanson<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n
Rackley rookies\u00a0Thomas Neill<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Isaac Cooper<\/strong>, experienced campaigners\u00a0Madi Wilson<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Cam McEvoy<\/strong>\u00a0and former world record holder\u00a0Matthew Wilson<\/strong>\u00a0have been rewarded with individual swims for Australia at this month\u2019s\u00a0Tokyo Olympics<\/a>.<\/p>\n
All were selected as relay swimmers \u2013 Neill on the 4x200m, Cooper, the 4x100m medley, Wilson the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle and McEvoy the 4x100m freestyle.\u00a0But with the official entries lodged with Tokyo 2020 today, the withdrawal of \u201ctop guns\u201d\u00a0Emma McKeon<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Kyle Chalmers<\/strong>\u00a0from their respective individual 200m events, with\u00a0Matthew Temple<\/strong>\u00a0also withdrawing from the 100m freestyle.<\/p>\n
McKeon was second to\u00a0Ariarne Titmus<\/strong>\u00a0at the Australian Trials with Wilson third \u2013 but with McKeon also qualifying for the 50 and 100m freestyles and 100m butterfly, as well as all four relays, her coach\u00a0Michael Bohl<\/strong>\u00a0has withdrawn his all-around star from the grueling 200 freestyle.<\/p>\n
Likewise with Chalmers, who will go head-to-head with\u00a0Caeleb Dressel<\/strong>\u00a0as he attempts to become the first Australian male to defend the blue ribband 100m freestyle crown, and will be a key factor in Australia\u2019s relay assaults. In comes Thomas Neill, who turns 19 on Saturday, an early birthday present for one of Australia\u2019s rising freestyle stars who also gets a real bonus when he joins\u00a0Jack<\/strong>\u00a0McLoughlin<\/strong>\u00a0as Australia\u2019s second 1500m freestyler.<\/p>\n
#2: NCAA Approves Name, Image, Likeness Laws to Allow Athletes to be Compensated<\/h3>\n $\"luca-urlando\"$
Photo Courtesy: NCAA Media<\/p><\/div>\n
By Dan D’Addona<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n
College athletics will never be the same. The NCAA Board of Directors approved a groundbreaking change to the world of sports that will allow nearly a half-million athletes to start earning money based on their fame and celebrity without fear of endangering their eligibility.<\/p>\n
It is a complete shakeup to the NCAA and was expected after states continued to pass their own laws to allow athletes to be compensated. It is a decision a long time coming with how much money athletes bring to their schools on a national stage, especially in sports like football and basketball. But with so many Olympians a part of NCAA sports like swimming and diving and water polo, things are going to change in the world of aquatics as well.<\/p>\n
The Week That Was #3: Eddie Reese Reverses on Retirement – Will Return as Texas Head Coach<\/h3>\n $\"eddie-reese-day-3-finals-2015-d1-mncaa\"$
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien<\/p><\/div>\n
By David Rieder<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n
After\u00a0rumors began circulating Thursday on Twitter that legendary University of Texas men\u2019s coach\u00a0Eddie Reese\u00a0<\/strong>would be changing his plans and not be retiring<\/a>, the school confirmed the news Friday with a tweet posted to the team\u2019s official account. The tweet contained a brief statement from Reese, which read: \u201cThere\u2019s more that I want to do for this current team. We have a great group of guys in our program. They have a great future in the sport, and I want to help them be as good as they can be.\u201d<\/p>\n
Texas<\/a>\u00a0separately confirmed the news that Reese will remain head coach for the 2021-2022 season, which will be his 44th as the Longhorns\u2019 head coach.\u00a0Wyatt Collins<\/strong>, Reese\u2019s assistant for the past five seasons (including three championship-winning campaigns), will remain the assistant coach at Texas. The school will be seeking back-to-back national championships after earning a 27-point victory over California in March. Texas won the championship despite winning no individual swimming events at the meet and just two events overall, the 800 free relay and 1-meter diving.<\/p>\n
Reese announced his retirement in March<\/a>, just two days after leading the team to its 15th national championship. Reese announced then that he would move into the head coach emetitus role, where he would continue to assist on deck at practice but not be responsible for the entire program. There had been no indication that Reese was reconsidering his plans prior to Thursday, when athletic director\u00a0Chris Del Conte<\/strong>\u00a0and school president\u00a0Jay Hartzell<\/strong>\u00a0began corresponding on Twitter that they had rejected his retirement paperwork and he would be back on deck.<\/p>\n
#4: USA Swimming Names Dressel, Manuel, Murphy, Schmitt as Captains For Tokyo Olympic Team<\/h3>\n $\"caeleb-dressel-ryan-murphy_25638246453_o\"$
Photo Courtesy: Andy Ringgold \/ Aringo Photos<\/p><\/div>\n
By Dan D’Addona<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n
USA Swimming has announced its national team captains for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.\u00a0Caeleb Dressel, Simone Manuel, Ryan Murphy<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Allison Schmitt<\/strong>\u00a0were selected as the team captains.<\/p>\n
The announcement was made on social media in a video<\/a> where fellow Olympian\u00a0Hunter Armstrong\u00a0<\/strong>used\u00a0card tricks to show the captains.<\/p>\n
All four captains are two-time Olympians with the exception of Schmitt, who made the team for the fourth time. All four have won gold medals.<\/p>\n
The Week That Was #5: City of Fort Lauderdale Hosts Topping Ceremony For 27m Diving Tower<\/h3>\n $\"diving-tower\"$
Photo Courtesy: Andy Ross<\/p><\/div>\n
By Andy Ross<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n
On Thursday, the City of Fort Lauderdale hosted the topping out ceremony to celebrate the last piece of steel being erected for the permanent 27m diving tower as part of the ongoing International Swimming Hall of Fame Aquatic Complex<\/a> construction.<\/p>\n
The permanent high diving tower will be the first in the western hemisphere and just the second in the entire world, with the other being in Zhaoqing, China. In May of 2019<\/a>, the city of Fort Lauderdale was in the early stages of evaluating the construction of an iconic High Diving Tower, and in July 2020<\/a> the city commissioners voted to fully fund the 27-meter dive tower and an Observation Deck.<\/p>\n
“Special thanks need to go out to Mayor\u00a0Dean Trantalis<\/b> and City Manager\u00a0Chris Logerbloom<\/b>\u00a0for their vision\u00a0and\u00a0Bruce Wigo<\/b> for championing this possibility. A big “Thank You” to Vice Mayor Heather Moraitis<\/b>, Commissioners\u00a0Steve Glassman<\/b>,\u00a0Ben Sorrenson<\/b>, and\u00a0Robert Mckinzie<\/b>\u00a0for their support.<\/p>\n
“The City Parks and Recreation department led by Phil Thornberg<\/b>\u00a0should be proud of this accomplishment along with\u00a0Laura Voet<\/b>\u00a0and\u00a0Hansel Phelps\u00a0<\/b>who oversaw this construction. This is a special day for the diving community worldwide and will truly reinforce Fort Lauderdale as THE international destination for diving and aquatic sports.”\u00a0 – Brent Rutemiller<\/b> President and CEO of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, who was not present due to his ongoing battle<\/a> with plasma cell leukemia.<\/p>\n
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Check out our new 27-meter dive tower at #FortLauderdaleAquaticCenter<\/a>! #WorldClass<\/a> #Diving<\/a> #Aquatics<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/Ve86oRHGiS<\/a><\/p>\n
— City of Fort Lauderdale (@FTLCityNews) July 2, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n