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FEATURES
008 THOMAS HEILMAN A RISING STAR AFTER NATIONAL AGE GROUP RECORD BLITZ
by David Rieder
Competing on back-to-back weekends in Greensboro, N.C., 14-year-old Thomas Heilman took down long course national age group records in four events at the U.S. Open, and shortly after, he broke NAG marks in four short course yards events.
010 TOP 10 SWIM MEETS TO WATCH IN 2022: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS HIGHLIGHT BUSY CALENDAR
by David Rieder
This shortened “quadrennium” that leads up to the 2024 Paris Olympics kicks off with a lot of chances for veterans and newcomers alike to show their abilities on big stages. Here are 10 competitions to focus on in 2022.
014 ISL MALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: ILYA SHYMANOVICH
by David Rieder
During the 2020 ISL season, Ilya Shymanovich captured six breaststroke victories, although he was somewhat overshadowed by superstar Adam Peaty in his best events. But in 2021, Shymanovich took advantage of Peaty’s absence to become the premier performer in his events, racing to 16 breaststroke wins and two world records.
015 ISL FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE YEAR: SARAH SJOSTROM
by Dan D’Addona
After an elbow injury prevented Sarah Sjostrom from displaying her dominance at the Tokyo Olympics, she showed just how good she is during the ISL season when healthy. The Swedish swimming sensation was the MVP of the ISL finals, MVP of the entire season, and she led her Energy Standard team to the ISL championship.
016 WOMEN’S ISL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: KELSI DAHLIA BREAKS 100 FLY WORLD RECORD
by David Rieder
In the years following the 2016 Olympics, Kelsi Dahlia became the top American swimmer in the 100 butterfly, but in 2021, she just missed making the U.S. Olympic team. However, she bounced back with a dominant ISL season, finishing with the swim that was selected as the ISL Performance of the Year: a 54.59 SCM 100 fly, clipping Sarah Sjostrom’s 2014 world record by 2-hundredths.
017 MEN’S ISL PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR: COLEMAN STEWART DROPS STUNNING 100 BACK WORLD RECORD
by David Rieder
At the start of the 2021 ISL season, many of the world’s top swimmers were just easing back into competition following the Olympics. Not so for Coleman Stewart, who had placed 10th in the 100 backstroke at the U.S. Trials. In his first match racing for the Cali Condors, Stewart unleashed a 48.33 in the SCM 100 back, taking down Kliment Kolesnikov’s world record of 48.58.
018 IS COLLEGE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON IN JEOPARDY AS COVID CASES RISE?
by David Rieder
After 2021 concluded with a Short Course World Championships marred by COVID-19, the new year has already seen the surging pandemic affect numerous competitions. A string of canceled meets has been both disappointing and ominous, and if the current trends continue, the college conference meets in February and NCAA Championships in March could be in danger.
020 GUEST EDITORIAL: IN DEFENSE OF LIA THOMAS AND HER RIGHT TO COMPETE
by Lucas Draper
In this commentary, the author believes transgender swimmer Lia Thomas does not deserve to be the target of a media frenzy about whether she should be allowed to compete as who she is. Instead, since she is following the rules set out by the NCAA, she has every right to compete as an athlete in the female gender.
022 DONNA DE VARONA: TRANSGENDER SWIMMING DIALOGUE MUST CONTINUE— “IT’S COMPLICATED AND PEOPLE DON’T LIKE COMPLICATED”
by Dan D’Addona
After years of advocating for women in sports and backing the landmark Title IX policy, Olympic gold medalist Donna de Varona believes that research and dialogue is what is needed to come up with solutions regarding Lia Thomas and the transgender situation, suggesting that dialogues need to be led by groups such as the NCAA, USA Swimming, the IOC and FINA.
024 A COLLEGE SWIMMING PLAYOFF? WHAT ABOUT THIS APPROACH FOR THE FUTURE?
by Cooper VanDriessche
Creating a new competitive approach for college swimming could open up doors for a sport that is sometimes only watched every four years by the general public. The author offers ideas that could make college swimming more marketable.
026 THE ESSENCE OF COLLEGE RECRUITING: THE SALESMAN
by Noah Mitchell
While college coaches must design a program and train their athletes, their careers flourish or wilt under their ability to recruit. In essence, a coach must be a true salesperson, one who creates the product they are selling.
028 “I WOULD DO IT AGAIN”: ARIZONA STATE BACK STRONGER OFF TEAM REDSHIRT YEAR
by Matthew De George
The Sun Devils made headlines in the summer of 2020 when Coach Bob Bowman announced that the program would redshirt its swimmers for the season, which at that point was in doubt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As they’ve returned to competition this fall, there are no regrets to that decision.
030 ISL EXPERIENCE PROVES KATERINE SAVARD HAS MORE TO GIVE AT 28
by Matthew De George
Canada’s Katerine Savard wasn’t sure if she’d ever see her times from the early 2010s again, not in her late 20s. So when she rolled back the years in the ISL playoffs with the Cali Condors, she was surprised in the best kind of way, turning in best times in 10 years.
032 HOW THEY TRAIN EMMA WEYANT
by Michael J. Stott
