It’s been another amazing year of aquatics competition, including exciting trips to Glasgow for the European Championships and Tokyo for the Pan Pacific Championships, and Swimming World had our readers covered every step of the way. During the next few days, we’ll take a look back in “Splashbacks”, the most read stories of 2018.
The months of May and June included top commentaries from Swimming World college interns, tough losses for Katinka Hosszu and John Carroll, and more on Missy Franklin’s return to competition.
1. 7 Things to Consider Before Quitting Swimming
The sport of swimming comes with many challenges and sometimes those challenges can lead swimmers to consider leaving the sport altogether. Swimming World college intern, Niki Urquidi, tackled the tough subject by taking a closer look at seven important factors to consider before quitting swimming.
2. The Big Deal About a Swimmer’s Nutrition
Nutrition continued to be a hot topic in the late-spring/early-summer and Swimming World college intern, Bailey Duran, lent her voice to the mix. Duran’s commentary included the different nutritional mindsets swimmers can have and many important choices to make regarding pre-/post-workout food items.
3. Katinka Hosszu Announces Split from Coach/Husband Shane Tusup
Four-time Hungarian Olympian Katinka Hosszu and her coach/husband, Shane Tusup, announced in late May that they were in the process of filing for divorce and would be going separate ways. In a sincere post on social media, Hosszu explained that she and Tusup had personal issues that they just weren’t able to resolve.
4. Three Crucial Lessons to Learn from Beloved Missy Franklin
Missy Franklin returned to competition at the 2018 Mare Nostrum Series after a two-year hiatus from any competition. Following her return, Swimming World college intern, Jamie Kolar, penned a commentary about the three crucial lessons that swimmers can learn from Franklin.
5. Katie Ledecky Smashes 1500 Free World Record on First Night of TYR Indianapolis Pro Swim Series
Katie Ledecky opened her professional career as a swimmer in true Ledecky fashion by dropping a stunning world record in the middle of May. Ledecky had not broken a world record since the 2016 Rio Olympics, but she made up for it at the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis with a whopping five second time drop in the 1500 meter free.
6. Missy Franklin Is Coming Back — Then What?
A few months after revealing that she would be moving to Georgia to train with Coach Jack Bauerle, Missy Franklin had settled into the rhythm of life and practice in Georgia. Although she had not yet been seen on a pool deck, many anxiously awaited the return of the Olympic gold medalist.
7. Why is 33-Year-Old Ryan Lochte Still Swimming?
Ryan Lochte continued his comeback in the late-spring/early-summer of 2018 with big swims in Florida, Canada, and California, but many wondered about the motivation behind his comeback. Swimming World staff writer, David Rieder, sat down with Lochte in June and got to the nitty-gritty of Lochte’s purpose in his comeback: his love for the water and his son, Caiden.
8. Death of Bode Miller’s Daughter Reiterates Need for Drowning Prevention Knowledge
The world grieved for Olympian Bode Miller and family in June after news broke that Miller’s 19-month-old daughter drowned in a Southern California swimming pool. While all were shocked by the news, the world was reminded of the sad reality that drowning is the leading cause of death among children, including infants and toddlers, and that there needs to be more drowning prevention knowledge available.
9. John Carroll Out as Head Coach of Jersey Wahoos
Many were stunned in mid-June when the Board of Directors for the Jersey Wahoos Swim Team released John Carroll from his position as head coach. The BOD cited non-coaching related reasons as the basis for letting Carroll go.
10. Meet Natalie Fahey, Southern Illinois’ First Transgender Swimmer
Swimming World staff writer, Andy Ross, interviewed and penned a story about Southern Illinois swimmer Natalie Fahey. Fahey is the first transgender swimmer at Southern Illinois and has spent the majority of 2018 transitioning from male to female.