SWIMMING: FINA announces impressive details of $3.9 million Champion Swim Series
A three-meet series over three months will comprise the new FINA Champions Swim Series, to be held in three familiar venues: ● 1: 27-28 April in Guangzhou (CHN) ● 2: 11-12 May in Budapest (HUN) ● 3: 31 May-1 June in Indianapolis (USA) The format, according to FINA’s announcement, is essentially a finals-only swim-off for […]
SPEED READ: Headlines from The Sports Examiner for Friday, 18 January 2019
Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of the week (so far) in the turbulent world of international sport: LANE ONE: Wednesday: There really is a change going on in Olympic bidding, if you believe what the Milan-Cortina bid has in their presentation submitted on 11 January. Its organizing […]
SWIMMING: FINA confirms no suspensions, talks up Champions Swim Series to national federations
To the surprise of almost no one, the International Federation for aquatic sports, FINA, declared that no athletes would be suspended for participating in events hosted by organizers not affiliated with it, or with its national federations. From its statement: “FINA Legal Counsel François Carrard, present at the meeting, clarified FINA’s position: ‘FINA recognises the […]
THE BIG PICTURE: Malaysia signals anti-Semitism is alive and well, even for Paralympic...
According to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the two Israeli swimmers who have applied for visas for the World Paralympic Swimming Championships cannot compete there. “We will not allow them to enter. If they come, then it is an offense.” Malaysia has no diplomatic relations with Israel and Malaysian passports reportedly carry a notation that […]
SPEED READ: Headlines from The Sports Examiner for Monday, 14 January 2019
Welcome to The Sports Examiner SPEED READ, a 100 mph (44.7 m/s) review of what happened over the last 72 hours in Olympic sport (this time, with links!): LANE ONE/Sunday: The news that the head of the Japanese Olympic Committee, Tsunekazu Takeda, is under serious investigation by a French judge concerning potential bribes paid to […]
SWIMMING: Ledecky wins four at Tyr Pro Swim Series opener
To the surprise of absolutely no one, American superstar Katie Ledecky dominated the season opener of the Tyr Pro Swim Series, winning four events at the Jones Aquatics Center at the University of Tennessee. Ledecky won the 200 m Freestyle on Thursday night in an excellent 1:55.78, a mark bettered by only four other swimmers […]
SWIMMING: Ledecky posts 200 m Free and 400 m Medley wins at Tyr...
The first significant U.S. competition of 2019 opened with a strong performance by superstar Katie Ledecky, who won two events and then said she had no intention of swimming one of them seriously in the future. She was the only double winner on the first full night of the Tyr Pro Swim Series opened before […]
LANE ONE: Ready for chaos? This might be the year for it in...
If you thought 2018 was a rough year for the Olympic Movement, in board rooms, courtrooms and the halls of the U.S. Congress, get your seat belts fastened for an even rockier ride in 2019. At the start of the year, there are already more than a handful of issues set to explode (or implode, […]
SWIMMING Preview: Tyr Pro Swim Series opens in Knoxville; what will Katie do?
USA Swimming is placing significant emphasis on raising the importance, profile and showmanship of its Tyr Pro Swim Series, starting with the first leg this week in a new venue, the Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center at the University of Tennessee. The fields are excellent, especially for a meet in January and especially on the women’s […]
LANE ONE: The most interesting U.S. athletes and team to watch in 2019?
There will be plenty of off-the-field antics to follow in 2019, like doping and the continuing fallout from the Larry Nassar scandal, but how about on the field? Actually, this should be a pretty interesting year. Looking ahead, here are five athletes, events or match-ups to look forward to as the year progresses: 5. Athletics: […]
LANE ONE: Echoes of the failed Int’l Track Association in the new Int’l...
Being old does have some benefits. One of them – for as long as it lasts – is memory. When the International Swimming League (ISL) held an athlete’s conference in London (GBR) last week, followed by a self-congratulatory Web posting, there was an echo from long ago. Yes, 46 years ago. In London, ISL founder […]
THE BIG PICTURE: FINA and Int’l Swimming League trade barbs
The furor between the International Swimming League (ISL) and the Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) continued unabated this week. ISL held a meeting in London (GBR) to announce a 2019 “league” competition of 12 teams – six from Europe and six from the U.S. – in meets held from mid-August to mid-December, with semi-finals and […]
SWIMMING: Missy Franklin retires at 23
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Missy Franklin, 23, announced her retirement on Wednesday (19th) and followed up with a lengthy explanation in a letter posted by ESPN. Franklin stated that the primary reason for retiring was the recurring shoulder pain that plagued her throughout 2016 and was not relieved by surgery on both shoulders in 2017. […]
SWIMMING: U.S. dominates FINA World Short-Course Champs
In another demonstration of how dominant the United States in swimming, a powerful American team overran the rest of the world in the 14th FINA World Short-Course Championships in Hangzhou (CHN). The American team, which did not include a number of stars, won 36 total medals, more than the combined total of runner-up Russia (14 […]
LANE ONE: Why is FINA trying to keep swimmers from making money at...
If you listen to the leaders of the Olympic Movement, and especially International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach of Germany, you will hear – over and over again – “it’s all about the athletes.” Except when it’s not. That’s what makes the current face-off between the international federation for aquatic sports – known by its […]
SWIMMING: Six World Records set so far in FINA World Short-Course Champs
World records are not usually set with this much frequency, but the truth is that high-level competition in short-course (25 m) pools doesn’t come around that often. So there is surprise – but not too much – for the tsunami of new world marks at the 14th FINA World Short-Course Championships in Hangzhou (CHN). So […]
THE BIG PICTURE: After being sued, FINA announces new meet series
In the blowback from the twin lawsuits filed against it for restraint of trade in the U.S., the International Federation for swimming, FINA, suddenly announced this: “[A] new and additional swimming event format, to debut in 2019: the ‘FINA Champions Swim Series.’ It will consist of a three-leg competition, between March and May, aimed at […]
SWIMMING: World records start FINA World Short-Course Champs
The 14th FINA World Short-Course Championships have exploded out of the blocks in Hangzhou (CHN), with two first-day world records and American Records in three events: ∙ Japan’s Daiya Seto, the 2013-15 World (Long-Course) Champion in the 400 m Medley, pulverized the world Short-Course mark, winning in 1:48.24, ahead of the prior record holder, Chad […]
SWIMMING: Two anti-trust suits filed against FINA
The decision by FINA to implode the Energy for Swim meet in Turin, which had the interest and support of many top athletes in the sport has now led to two lawsuits filed on Friday in U.S. Federal District Court for the Northern District of California. One filing is a class action suit against FINA […]
THE BIG PICTURE: Breaststroke champ Adam Peaty rips FINA over lack of athlete...
The furor among some of the top swimmers in the world over FINA’s forced cancellation of the International Swimming League-affiliated Energy for Swim meet, scheduled to be held in Turin (ITA), after next week’s FINA World Short-Course Championships, has not subsided. Britain’s Adam Peaty, the Olympic gold medalist in the 100 m Breaststroke and a […]
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