Chris Plumb to Lead U.S. Swim Team at Short Course Worlds (Full USA Swimming Staff)
After joining the Olympic team coaching staff for the first time this summer, Chris Plumb will be the head coach of a senior-level international team for the first time when he helms the U.S. roster bound for Budapest and the Short Course World Championships. USA Swimming announced Plumb’s role on social media Tuesday.
Plumb guided two swimmers onto this summer’s Olympic team, siblings Aaron and Alex Shackell. Aaron won the 400 freestyle at the U.S. Olympic Trials while Alex finished sixth in the 200 free and second in the 200 butterfly to book her ticket to Paris. Carmel alum Drew Kibler also made the Olympic team for relay duty. Of those three, only Alex is part of this Short Course Worlds roster, with her older brother having declined the spot to focus on college swimming.
The assistant coaches on the staff include Cal’s Josh Huger, Indiana’s John Long, Stanford’s Katie Robinson and Virginia’s Jake Shrum. Each of these coaches is an assistant or associate head coach at a high-level collegiate program that placed swimmers onto this team, and all will be part of an official USA Swimming staff at a senior-level meet for the first time.
Additionally, USA Swimming announced Dr. Ankit Shah as team physician, Cami McCallum as athletic trainer and Jeff Kuelling and Mily Robinson as massage therapists.
This meet will be the 17th edition of the Short Course World Championships, first held in Palma de Mallorca, Spain in 1993 and most recently contested in Melbourne in 2022. The meet will take place at Duna Arena from December 10-15 and include all individual events contested at the long course version of the World Championships plus the 100 IM, but 200-meter races will not include semifinals. Relays include the men’s and women’s 400 and 800 freestyle, men’s, women’s and mixed 400 medley and mixed 200 freestyle and medley events.