Description
Bonus Double Issue!
The Official U.S. Olympic Trials program and Swimming World June Magazine
Swimming World Features
008 CITY OF SPEED
by Dan D’Addona
Indianapolis is set to host the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials for a record seventh time—1924, 1952 (women), 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2024—with America’s fastest swimmers competing June 15-23 to earn the right to represent the United States at this summer’s Paris Olympics.
010 “IT’S A FOOTBALL STADIUM…IT’S A SWIMMING POOL…NO, IT’S SUPERTRIALS!”
by David Rieder
American swimmers, coaches, officials and hundreds of thousands of fans will make their way to Lucas Oil Stadium—home of the National Football League’s Indianapolis Colts—for a very unique U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Swimming…complete with three temporary pools (two 50-meter and one 25-meter). The action takes place from June 15-23, with swimmers putting their hopes and dreams on the line for the opportunity to represent Team USA at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
020 DO-OR-DIE!
by John Lohn
From track and field to gymnastics to rowing to wrestling and, yes, to swimming, no one wants to be the athlete who is narrowly denied an Olympic berth. Yet, that is the harsh nature of sports. Regardless of the discipline, the heartache of a few can outweigh the euphoria experienced by those who achieve their Olympic dream.
022 GREAT RACES IN U.S. TRIALS HISTORY: LOCHTE vs. PHELPS
by John Lohn
Through more than a century of United States Olympic Trials, several showdowns have earned iconic status. Count the 400 meter individual medley duel between Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps at the 2012 edition in Omaha as a great race in Trials history.
026 WORLD RECORD FLASHBACK: THE GREAT RACE
by Dave Bartlett and Brenda Borgh Bartlett
For the record, Brian Goodell was the swimmer who set the world record in this installment of “World Record Flashback.” But the men’s 400 meter freestyle at the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team Trials was easily one of history’s greatest races—one that included a field of swimmers who, collectively, set 34 world records during their careers!
032 A LAUNCHING PAD TO FUTURE STARDOM
by John Lohn
The 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha was just the beginning for several future lynchpins of Team USA.
036 HEARTBREAK AT U.S. TRIALS
by John Lohn
As part of this special U.S. Olympic Trials preview issue, Swimming World offers a look at some of the biggest heartbreak stories from this pressured-packed meet over the past few decades, and how those athletes responded—admirably—to their situation.
039 STAYING THE COURSE
by David Rieder
Five-time Olympic medalist (two gold, two silver, one bronze) Simone Manuel revealed at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2021 that she was battling overtraining syndrome, which had taken a huge toll on her physically and mentally. After staying away from elite-level competition for nearly 19 months since the end of the Tokyo Olympics, she has continued to make steady progress and will compete in her fourth Trials, vying for her third Olympic team.
043 RISING AMONG THE RANKS: JACK ALEXY
by Matthew De George
Not all sprinters are created equally. Jack Alexy, for his imposing build and rangy strokes, is not to be confused with a splash-and-dasher. When he makes his hay in the sprints, it’s by outswimming his opponents. And his recent collegiate success in the 200 free—with the anaerobic training that got him to the point of outfoxing distance swimmers at NCAAs—bodes very well for his hopes of a big Olympic break this summer.
048 MEETING ATHLETES’ ASPIRATIONS
by David Rieder
Whether it’s mentoring his University of Virginia swimmers or coaching the U.S. women’s Olympic team this summer in Paris, Coach Todd DeSorbo has one goal in mind: helping his athletes perform their very best.
051 THE GOLD MEDAL STANDARD IN SWIMMING
by Matthew De George
Gold-medal swimmer Anthony Nesty (1988) is eager to take on what he calls the gold-medal job of coaching as he leads the United States men’s team at the Paris Olympics.
ON THE COVER
From June 15-23, America’s fastest swimmers will gather in Indianapolis for the most prestigious swimming event in the United States. Held every quadrennium, veterans and newcomers alike will be competing at this year’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials for the opportunity to represent Team USA at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad this summer in Paris. Among some of the athletes to watch are (clockwise from top right): Katie Ledecky (3x Olympian/10 Olympic medals/7 gold); Bobby Finke (1x Olympian/2 medals/2 gold); Caeleb Dressel (2x Olympian/7 medals/7 gold); Regan Smith (1x Olympian/3 medals); Kate Douglass (1x Olympian/1 medal); Gretchen Walsh (3x World Championship medalist seeking first Olympics) & Alex Walsh (1x Olympian/1 medal); and Ryan Murphy (2x Olympian/6 medals/4 gold).
USA SWIMMING SPLASH (pages 55-122)
124 SEEING PEOPLE AS THEY TRULY ARE
by John Lohn
On a weekly basis since launchingtheir podcast in January of this year, Olympians Katie Hoff and Missy Franklin have welcomed athletes from within the swimming world and beyond to share their tales on their talk show, Unfiltered Waters.
132 REACHING NEW HEIGHTS
by Matthew De George
Twenty-five-year-old Molly Carlson has turned an All-America diving career at Florida State into a pair of medals in high diving at the World Championships the last two years. While still competing, she’s campaigning for the discipline to get a larger global spotlight, including at the Olympics. Behind her in that battle and every other is the online community she’s formed—the #BraveGang—which takes the struggle of living authentically head on.
134 TO THE MAX!
by Matthew De George
Max Irving is a three-time NCAA water polo team champion for UCLA. He’s played at the highest levels in Europe, with clubs in Italy and Greece. He’s been part of the U.S. squad at the last four World Championships, fulfilled his Olympic dream in Tokyo in 2021 and was one of the leading scorers for the U.S. at the 2023 Pan Am Games when they booked their Paris Olympics ticket. With hard work and dedication to improvement, he continually challenges himself personally and athletically to be his very best.
136 ISHOF: WATER POLO—BEHIND THE VEIL (Part 3)
by Bruce Wigo
Part 3 of this feature about the troubled history of water polo focuses on the sport from the 1932 Olympic Games through the development of a new type of water polo in South America during the War years.
142 PODIUM POTPOURRI: OLIVIA SMOLIGA
by Dan D’Addona
Swimming World continues it series of getting to know swimmers who have reached the podium on the world’s biggest stage. This month: Olivia Smoliga, a two-time Olympian for the United States, earning gold in the 400 medley relay in Rio (2016) and bronze in the 400 freestyle relay in Tokyo (2021).
146 NUTRITION: THE ATHLETE’S COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CREATINE SUPPLEMENTATION
by Dawn Weatherwax
Creatine is a natural compound present in muscle cells and is obtained from the diet, mainly from meat and fish. It offers energy to aid short, high-intensity exercises. Although creatine provides energy rapidly, the muscle’s storage capacity is limited, allowing for around 8-10 seconds of maximal exercise. By taking creatine monohydrate as a supplement, it can enhance creatine reserves and enhance performance in high-intensity exercises.
COACHING
150 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: MASTERING THE MOST IMPORTANT TECHNIQUE ELEMENT IN EACH STROKE
by Rod Havriluk
It is far better for a swimmer to master the most important technique element in each stroke than to try to progress on multiple elements. After a swimmer masters the most basic element, other elements are likely to be easier to master and more effective.
154 COLLEGE TEAM CULTURES: FROM GOOD TO GREAT
by Michael J. Stott
Swimming World examines the nexus of winning team cultures.
156 COLLEGE TEAM CULTURES: CREATING A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENT
by Michael J. Stott
Matt Crispino, head men coach’s at Princeton University, offers his coming-of-age perspective on the importance of team culture.
159 SPECIAL SETS: THOMAS McMILLAN—THE SKY IS THE LIMIT!
163 Q&A WITH COACH GEORGE HEIDINGER, PIKES PEAK ATHLETICS, COLO.
by Michael J. Stott
165 HOW THEY TRAIN PIKE PEAKS ATHLETICS’ MADI MINTENKO
by Michael J. Stott
JUNIOR SWIMMER
167 JUST FOR FUN: OLYMPIAN DRESS-UP
by Dan D’Addona
When Swimming World asked kids to dress up like their favorite Team USA swimming stars, we discovered that Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky certainly have their fans!
167 INSPIRATION: REFLECTING ON THE INTENSITY OF THE U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMING TEAM TRIALS
by Wendy Boglioli
Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Wendy Boglioli offers words of encouragement not only to this year’s Olympic hopefuls in Indianapolis, but also to those with future dreams of glory.
168 JUST FOR FUN: THE PERFECT TIME FOR A WATCH PARTY!
by John Lohn
Maybe your preferred approach to watching the upcoming United States Olympic Team Trials is to view with family, the living room serving as your theater of choice. Maybe you like to watch alone, so there are no distractions, and you can focus intently on the action. Maybe you have a swim-nerd buddy with whom you’ll analyze what unfolds in Indianapolis. Well, what about a watch party?
169 HASTY HIGH POINTERS
170 UP & COMERS: CAMRYN SIEGERS
by Dan D’Addona
171 POOL PUZZLERS: HISTORY OF THE U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS
by John Lohn
Years down the line, when the 2024 edition of the United States Olympic Trials is recalled, a fan of the sport will ask a simple question: Do you remember who won the women’s 100 meter backstroke? Maybe the answer will instantly fly out of someone’s mouth, or maybe a search of the results will be required. The fact is, we often engage in mini-quizzes when discussing the sports landscape. So, ahead of this year’s Olympic selection meet in Indianapolis, let’s test your knowledge on the history of the Olympic Trials.
COLUMNS
006 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT: “A REALLY BIG SHOW” IN INDY
by John Lohn
This summer marks the seventh time that Indianapolis has hosted the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials. For Indy, its 2024 run as Trials Central arrives 100 years after the city was the host of the event at Broad Ripple Park when swimmers competed for the right to represent the United States in Paris. Once again, Indy is the city that will jumpstart Team USA’s Parisian pursuits. And given its history with the sport of swimming, it feels appropriate that Indy is back on the blocks as the Trials host.
144 THE OFFICIAL WORD
172 GUTTERTALK
173 PARTING SHOT
