Swimming

Presso lo Swedish National Training Center i Stoccolma si terrà un evento a porte chiuse venerdì e sabato prossimi per i migliori atleti del Paese per mettere alla prova la condizione del momento.

Scherzosamente definito “Stockholm Closed”, in contrasto con l’originale meeting “Stockholm Open“. La manifestazione era prevista per aprile prima che la pandemia di coronavirus portasse alla cancellazione di praticamente ogni gara di nuoto sulla terra nelle prossime 6 settimane.

A differenza della maggior parte del mondo, la Svezia è rimasta generalmente aperta, sebbene con alcune variazioni locali. Finora il governo ha vietato solo riunioni di oltre 500 persone. Le scuole primarie rimangono aperte, i confini sono solo parzialmente chiusi e non vi sono stati ordini di quarantena o chiusure di luoghi pubblici, sebbene le linee guida siano state offerte per spostare le riunioni su piattaforme digitali quando possibile.

Molti nuotatori erano in preparazione per le gare di questo periodo e avevan cominciato la fase di scarico, per questo ci aspettiamo dei buoni riscontri cronometrici nelle gare di questo fine settimana.

Tra i nuotatori che dovrebbero partecipare c’è la campionessa olimpica d’oro Sarah Sjostrom, la velocista Michelle Coleman e il futuro NCAA Björn Seeliger.

Mentre le Olimpiadi sono state rinviate ufficialmente al 2021 dal Comitato Olimpico Internazionale, i nuotatori svedesi sono ancora in grado di allenarsi al National Training Center dato l’approccio meno restrittivo del paese al virus.

La Svezia ha 2.554 casi confermati di coronavirus con 62 decessi da complicanze di COVID-19.

Sarah Sjostrom è rientrata a Stoccolma dopo che il Team di lavoro di Energy Standard ha lasciato la Turchia.

APPROFONDIMENTI RINVIO OLIMPIADI

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has released a set of Q&As to address the concerns that athletes may have as the situation unfolds. In collaboration with their Athlete’s Committee, WADA goes into detail to specify any adjustments to testing protocol, along with their plans to maintain a safe, doping-free environment upon a return to normalcy.

In the letter, WADA explains that even as social distancing and self-isolation restrictions have been put in place, testing will still occur. In places where no “mobility or physical contact restrictions have been put in place by local authorities, testing may still occur anytime and anywhere in accordance with athletes’ Whereabouts listings.

WADA says that they have also ensured that all Anti-Doping Organizations (ADOs) will enhance measures in order to stay consistent with direction from health care authorities. Specific measures put in place to minimize risk of transmission include conducting only the “most critical tests,” regular sanitizing, hand-washing and glove changing among sample collection personnel, and maintaining two meters of distance between athletes and sample collection personnel.

WADA makes it clear that as long as an athlete is not under mandatory lockdown, they are still required to comply with testing procedures while follow all measures put in place by their ADO;

“If you refuse to be tested or if you do not complete the sample collection process after notification, or if you are not able (or willing) to provide a sample due to a lack of protective measures, your refusal will follow the normal results management process which affords you due process and the opportunity to justify your action. Keeping in mind that little testing is taking place, where appropriate, athletes are encouraged to comply with testing. If you rely on the assistance of a representative to assist with the doping control process (especially for minors or athletes with an impairment), and a representative is unavailable due to the impact of COVID-19, this too should be taken into account in the results management process.”

Further, athletes who require a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) for a medical condition are required to maintain the validity of that TUE throughout the pandemic. Acknowledging the difficulty associated with physician access during this time, WADA has instructed implicated athletes to document “all actions and impediments to comply with the relevant requirements”, they. So long as athletes remain subject to testing, they are also required to continue providing their whereabouts to their ADO.

The final concern that WADA addresses is the question of what they are doing to ensure that athletes will return to a clean competition environment once normalcy is restored. They have ensured that areas now experiencing a gap in testing will receive.additional targeted testing down the road. Along with future testing, they have also outlined the various measures in place during the pandemic;

“Placing public health above the needs of the anti-doping system means that there will be impacts on the fight against doping in sport. However, there is significantly less training being carried out and significantly fewer competitions taking place. It is also important for athletes to remember that doping control samples continue to be stored for future analysis and that with the Athlete Biological Passport, some samples collected post-COVID-19 may reveal indications of doping that occurred during the period. Finally, while testing may be reduced worldwide during this period, you can contribute to anti-doping efforts by ensuring you are up to date on the latest information and education and encourage your peers and team-mates to do the same.”

Arizona State University head coach Bob Bowman has already been vocal about how he feels about postponing the 2020 Olympic Games. “It would take a lot of pressure off,” he told the Associated Press earlier this week.

But as swimmers and coaches scramble to find training space with both the US Olympic Trials and the 2020 Games in Tokyo still scheduled to run on time, Bowman has managed to have his small group of professionals train once per day at ASU’s Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.

“We’re giving up a few practices, but we felt it was best to minimize how many times they go,” Bowman told the Arizona Republic, as typically leading up the Olympics the athletes would have doubles three days a week.

The group includes eight-time Olympic medalist Allison Schmitt, 2016 Olympian Hali Flickinger, South African Olympic finalist Brad Tandy, Giles Smith and Peyton Werner.

Schmitt has trained under Bowman for the majority of her career — other than when she went to college at the University of Georgia — which included taking a redshirt in the lead-up to the 2012 Games in London where she went on to win three gold and five total medals, including an individual title in the women’s 200 free.

Flickinger, also a former Bulldog, only recently made the move to train with Bowman at ASU after last summer’s World Championships. The 25-year-old was the silver medalist at the 2019 World Championships in the women’s 200 fly, and is the fastest swimmer in the world in the event since the beginning of 2019.

On the other end of the spectrum are Bowman’s college swimmers at ASU, who aren’t allowed to train due to the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions from both the university and the Pac-12. The team has a total of 17 athletes qualified for the US Trials, scheduled to run June 21-28 in Omaha.

“It’s very testing when it comes to your adaptability as an athlete,” said Sun Devil senior and 2016 Olympian Cierra Runge. “You have a routine, you know what you need to do. To not have that is very boring, not having training five hours a day. It’s not comfortable.

“I’ll have that urge to do something and it’s like OK what can I do to keep myself entertained and in shape and in the running for the Games if they have them. You’ve got to keep everything going while having very limited resources.”

A member of the Japanese Olympic Committee has said it’s time to postpone this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, publicly going against the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and it’s recent statement that the plan was for the Games to go on as scheduled.

Kaori Yamaguchi, a former judo world champion, told the Japanese news outlet “Nikkei” that the IOC is “putting athletes at risk”, and that she plans to argue her position when the Japanese Olympic Committee next meets on March 27.

“As far as I can tell from news reports coming out of the U.S. and Europe, I don’t think the situation allows for athletes to continue training as usual,” Yamaguchi said.

The 55-year-old, who is one of the committee’s 23 executive board members, says that as long as the Games are planned to go on as scheduled, the athletes are inclined to train, which puts them at unnecessary risk amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.

“By asking them to train under these conditions, the IOC is opening itself up the criticism that it is not putting athletes first,” she said.

In its Tuesday press release, the IOC said: “With more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”

Over the last 24 hours or so we’ve seen prominent figures in the swimming community start to ask for a postponement of the Games. This includes former US Men’s Olympic Head Coach Bob Bowman, former US National Team director Frank Busch, Italian Swimming Federation president Paolo Barelli, and Swimming Australia published a formal statement asking for a “level playing field”, essentially saying that if the Games were to go on in July, that wouldn’t be the case.

2016 US Olympian Jacob Pebley has also called for USA Swimming to postpone the Olympic Trials, which may not happen until the Games are officially moved back.

L’emergenza COVID-19 sta modificando diversi aspetti del mondo dello sport. E ogni paese attua diverse misure per contenere il contagio. Mentre in Italia i controlli Anti-Doping si stanno svolgendo comunque, pur seguendo uno specifico protocollo di igiene, nel Regno Unito si è deciso di ridurre i test.

UK Anti-Doping ha infatti annunciato che ridurrà significativamente il suo programma di test per salvaguardare la salute degli atleti.

L’amministratore delegato Nicole Sapstead ha dichiarato: “Siamo profondamente consapevoli dell’effetto che il virus COVID-19 sta avendo sulla società, sullo sport e sulla più ampia comunità sportiva, sia qui nel Regno Unito che a livello globale.

“Con la cancellazione di eventi sportivi e i recenti consigli del governo del Regno Unito riguardanti il ​​controllo del virus, abbiamo rivisto la nostra attività operativa e stiamo annunciando una riduzione significativa del nostro programma di test.

“Questa è una decisione difficile e non è stata presa alla leggera. La nostra priorità è la salute e il benessere degli atleti, del nostro personale e dei responsabili del controllo antidoping (DCO).

Come organizzazione, la nostra costante responsabilità rimane quella di proteggere lo sport pulito, ma dobbiamo dare la precedenza alla salute e al benessere e agire in modo responsabile in linea con i consigli del governo durante questo periodo senza precedenti.

“Continueremo a elaborare l’intelligence e agiremo su tali informazioni. Se qualcuno ha informazioni che potrebbero interessare UK AD e le sue indagini su qualsiasi questione, è pregato di contattarci come al solito. ”

L’annuncio ricorda agli atleti di continuare a inviare informazioni su dove si trovino, di partecipare alle sessioni di webinar online e include direttive per gli atleti stranieri.

Reminder you can see all cancellations, postponements and changes related to Olympic Trials meets worldwide here.

We reported on March 13th that the 2020 Japan Swim, the nation’s sole qualifying opportunity for its home-nation based Olympic Games, would be shifting dates and would also be held sans spectators.

The revision saw the Japan Swim move from its original dates of April 1st to April 8th to the revised time frame of April 2nd to April 7th.

The Japanese Swimming Federation now published the updated schedule of events resulting from the date shift of the competition set for the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.

The most significant change is that fact that the semi-final round usually in place for events 200m and under have been eliminated. That means that swimmers must bring their A-game early if they want to make it to the top 8 of the A-Final.

As Daiya Seto has already qualified for the men’s 200m IM and 400m IM events for Tokyo by way of his double gold at the 2019 World Championships, the 25-year-old is looking at a schedule of swimming the 200m freestyle on Friday, April 3rd, with the 200m fly on Saturday, April 4th.

Kosuke Hagino‘s schedule, which includes the 200m IM, 400m IM and 200m free events, he looks to swim on Day 1, Day 2 and have a break for day 5.

Yui Ohashi has added the 200m fly to her IM lineup, meaning we’ll see the 2019 World Championships bronze medalist appear on at least day 1, day 3 and day 4.

SYDNEY NEW SOUTH WALES STATE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Mentre tutto il mondo si ferma a causa della Pandemia di COVID-19, a Sydney si continua a gareggiare.

Dopo una prima giornata di gare all’Olympic Park con finali dagli ottimi riscontri cronometri anche la seconda sessione di finali ha regalato al pubblico altre gare di alto profilo.

100 FARFALLA DONNE

La vincitrice dei 100 stile libero di ieri, Emma McKeon, è tornata in acqua e ha stampato una super prestazione nei 100 farfalla.

La McKeon ha vinto la gara con 56.36 che si stabilisce in testa al ranking mondiale stagionale davanti al tempo registrato da Sarah Sjostrom a Gennaio.

Emma McKeon è stata bronzo mondiale quest’estate nei 100 farfalla con un temposuperiore rispetto a quanto nuotato oggi a Sydney. Le appartiene anche il Record Australiano, nuotato nel 2017, che è sto 18 centesimi più veloce, ovvero 56.22

50 STILE LIBERO DONNE

Emma McKeon è tornata in acqua poco dopo, sfidando la velocista Cate Campbell nella distanza più breve. La Campbell ha avuto la meglio vincendo la gara in 29.19 . Un decimo più lenta McKeon che nuota comunque molto vicina al suo personal best. Bronzo per Madi Wilson in 24.74 che scende per la prima volta sotto il muro dei 25″

200 STILE LIBERO UOMINI

Kyle Chalmers è stato l’indiscusso mattatore della prima giornata di gare vincendo i 100 stile e i 200 farfalla. In questa seconda giornata il 21enne di Marion ha fatto registrare un dei migliori cro nei 200 stile della sua carriera.

Con un passaggio veloce ai 100 metri in 52.33 Chalmers ha fatto il vuoto dietro di se, concludendo la seconda metà gara in 54.78.

1:46.12 è il 3° tempo mai nuotato dall’australiano e si colloca appena fuori dalla Top 5 stagionale mondiale, nella quale però appare ancora il nome di Sun Yang.

100 DORSO DONNE

Tutte e 3 le atlete che compongono il podio dei 100 dorso femminili nuotati a  Sydney hanno nuotato al di sotto del minuto. L’oro è andato alla diciottenne Kaylee McKeown in 58.84. Alle sue spalle la veterana Emily Seebhom in 59.77. Terzo posto per la detentrice del record del mondo di vasca corta, Minna Atherton, 59.90.

Pennsylvania has postponed the second of its high school state swimming & diving meets, the next in a wave of events upended by the novel 2019 coronavirus.

Pennsylvania’s PIAA is in the midst of its 3A state meets, for the state’s bigger high schools. That two-day meet was explosive on day 1, with a national high school record 19.24 in the 50 free from Matt Brownstead and a 1:43.98 IM from Rick Mihm, among many other great swims. That meet is set to continue today with the remainder of the meet lineup.

However, the 2A meet, for the state’s smaller schools, was supposed to run on Friday and Saturday (March 13-14). According to the PIAA on Twitter, that meet will be postponed, with no make-up date yet set:

#piaaswimming The PIAA 2A Swimming and Diving Championships have been postponed. Further information will be provided as we continue to monitor CDC and PA Department of Health Regulations.

— PIAA (@PIAASports) March 12, 2020

Local reporter Diana Pugliese has tweeted that the 2A meet could be held in two weeks, depending on how the coronavirus outbreak develops.

The hope is to hold the 2A #PIAASwimming championships in 2 weeks, but with the #coronavirus, you never know. Bucknell’s campus is already shut down. https://t.co/8RvWEgh8Nq

— Diana Pugliese (@dianapugs) March 12, 2020

It appears the 3A meet will continue today and wrap up tonight, as scheduled.

Both the 2A and 3A meets were being held Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. As of this morning, Bucknell has recalled all students on study abroad programs and canceled classes for next week, moving academic programs online while instructing students to move out of on-campus housing within the next week, except for those who fill out a petition for special circumstances. The school’s conference the Patriot League, has already suspended all athletics practices and competitions.

The outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, which originated in China, has caused a flood of cancellations of athletic events over concerns that large groups of people could aid the spread of the virus and its associated illness, COVID-19.

According to the CDC, Pennsylvania currently has 19 reported cases of COVID-19, but the larger cities of the east coast have been hit especially hard, with 173 cases in New York and 15 more in New Jersey.

The 2020 Pro Swim Series isn’t even half over, but the race for the women’s title might as well be. With Regan Smith‘s absurd speed in Knoxville, it’s going to take an otherworldly swim to knock her off the top of the current standings.

For the second season, the Pro Swim Series doesn’t give out its $10,000 series winner prizes based on cumulative points. This year, as it was last year, the winner will be determined by the single best swim (in FINA points) of the entire series. FINA points attempt to compare swims in different events by creating a points system in which the world record is worth 1000 points. Swims slower than the world record earn less than 1000, based on their relative distance from the world record, and new world records will earn more than 1000, depending on how much faster they are than the previous world record.

While that system has its critics, it is the one being used for this year’s Pro Swim Series title. And it’s relative simplicity means we can come up with ‘benchmark’ times that would be needed to beat Smith’s 58.27 100 backstroke from the Knoxville Pro Swim Series over the weekend.

Spoiler alert: they’re ridiculous.

The Pro Swim Series is using FINA’s 2019 Power Points table, which is based off of world records as of January 2019. (That means Smith’s backstrokes are scored based on the former world records, not her new world records set over the summer). Smith scored 986 points with her 100 back in Knoxville. Here’s a look at the slowest times that would earn 987 points and knock Smith off the top of the list:

While the series does award $10,000 to the winner, Smith is still maintaining her amateurism for NCAA eligibility. That’ll put some restrictions on how much (if any) of that award she can accept. But the PSS title also comes with plenty of prestige. And it looks like Smith is squarely in line for that honor.

Oh, and if there’s a tie, the tiebreaker is highest FINA points in a second event. Smith has already gone 2:05.94 in the 200 back for 955 FINA points. So even if another swimmer can muster up a 986-point swim, they’ll have to get a second event above 955. Good luck with that.

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• Thursday, January 16 – Sunday, January 19, 2020
• Knoxville, TN – Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center – University of Tennessee
• Long course meters (LCM) format
• Thursday distance session: 4 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Fri-Sun.: 9:30 AM Prelims / 6:30 PM Finals
• Meet site
• Live Stream
• Psych Sheets
• Live results

The third finals night of the 2020 Pro Swim Series in Knoxville is scheduled to have amazing duels in the A-finals, as well as have more Allan Jones Intercollegiate Aquatic Center pool records. This evening’s line-up will feature the finals of the 200 fly, 50 free, 100 back, 200 breast, and 400 free.

Among the races to watch, catch Worlds runner-up Hali Flickinger race in the 200 fly against teen sensation Regan Smith. Later on in the session, world record-holder Smith will contest in the 100 back against fellow teen stars NCAP’s Phoebe Bacon and Aquajets’ Isabelle Stadden. WUGs champion Lisa Bratton and Olympian Taylor Ruck are also set to race in the final tonight.

Then, 18-year-old Carson Foster is scheduled to be the center of two battles here in Knoxville. The first will be the 200 fly, where Foster is seeded 3rd behind Worlds finalist Zach Harting and Kentucky’s Mason Wilby. Then, Foster will battle another Worlds finalist, Zane Grothe, in the 400 free final.

More exciting races to keep an eye on are Simone Manuel V. Erika Brown in the 50 free, Annie Lazor V. Madisyn Cox in the 200 breast, Will Licon V. Nic Fink also in the 200 breast, and teens Emma Weyant V. Erica Sullivan in the 400 free.

Remaining top seeds tonight include NC State’s Nyls Korstanje (50 free) and WUGs champion Justin Ress (100 back).

WOMEN’S 200 FLY

• PSS Record: Cammile Adams, 2012, 2:06.76
• Trials Cut: 2:14.59

Top 3

MEN’S 200 FLY

• PSS Record: Luca Urlando, 2019, 1:53.84
• Trials Cut: 2:01.19

Top 3

WOMEN’S 50 FREE

• PSS Record: Sarah Sjostrom, 2016, 24.17
• Trials Cut: 25.99

Top 3

MEN’S 50 FREE

• PSS Record: Nathan Adrian, 2015, 21.56
• Trials Cut: 23.19

Top 3

WOMEN’S 100 BACK

• PSS Record: Olivia Smoliga, 2019, 58.73
• Trials Cut: 1:02.69

Top 3

MEN’S 100 BACK

• PSS Record: David Plummer, 2016, 52.40
• Trials Cut: 56.59

Top 3

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST

• PSS Record: Annie Lazor, 2019, 2:20.77
• Trials Cut: 2:33.29

Top 3

MEN’S 200 BREAST

Top 3

WOMEN’S 400 FREE

• PSS Record: Katie Ledecky, 2018, 3:57.94
• Trials Cut: 4:16.89

Top 3

MEN’S 400 FREE

• PSS Record: Sun Yang, 2016, 3:43.55
• Trials Cut: 3:57.29

Top 3