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In this issue, read about Matt Biondi’s legacy career across three Olympiads. Also featured is Honoring Black History Month, The Female Swimmer Edition, including Enith Brigitha, Natalie Hinds, Simone Manuel, Maritza Correia McClendon and Lia Neal; Margo Geer announces retirement from swimming; Dana Skelton and John Tanner named among USOPC Coaches of the Year; Anthony Ervin named to USOPC Athletes Advisory Council; Klete Keller faces charges over Capitol riot from grand jury indictment; Sarah Sjostrom’s shoulder surgery recovery to take at least three months; Seiko Hashimoto takes over as Tokyo 2020 Chief, replacing Yoshira Moto who resigned amid backlash against sexist remarks; “ROC” will be the name for Russian athletes in next two Olympic Games since Russia’s name has been banned; Florida Gulf Coast and Liberty University tie to share the CCSA women’s swim team title; USAWP’s Ramsey lobbies to open pools in California
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FEATURES
USA NEWS
008 MARGO GEER CALLS TIME ON SWIMMING CAREER AHEAD OF TOKYO GAMES
by Matthew De George
Margo Geer, a longtime stalwart of U.S. national teams who was vying to make her first Olympic team in Tokyo, announced her retirement via Instagram as a letter “to the sport I love.”
010 DANA SKELTON, JOHN TANNER NAMED AMONG USOPC COACHES OF THE YEAR
by Matthew De George
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee recognized Dana Skelton as its Developmental Coach of the Year for her work at First Colony Swim Team in Texas. The USOPC also named John Tanner, who coaches Stanford women’s water polo, College Coach of the Year.
012 ANTHONY ERVIN NAMED TO USOPC ATHLETES’ ADVISORY COUNCIL
Seven Olympians and one Paralympian, including three-time Olympic champion swimmer Anthony Ervin, were selected as new officers for the USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council. Ervin is one of three at-large AAC representatives.
014 KLETE KELLER FACES NEW CHARGES OVER CAPITOL RIOT FROM GRAND JURY INDICTMENT
by Matthew De George
Klete Keller, a three-time Olympian and five-time Olympic medalist, faces a spate of new charges for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol after a federal grand jury returned a new indictment. In addition to the original three charges—disorderly conduct, violent entry and obstructing law enforcement—the new indictment returned seven counts, including civil disorder, obstructing an official proceeding, entering a restricted building and disorderly conduct in a restricted building.
016 MATT BIONDI: A SHOOTING STAR IN SEOUL
by John Lohn
American Matt Biondi had it all. The physique. The pure talent. The inner drive. Add those traits together, and it is no surprise that Matt Biondi—over the span of three Olympiads—cultivated one of the finest careers the sport has ever seen.
018 HONORING BLACK HISTORY MONTH: FEMALE SWIMMER EDITION
by Brendan Farrar
In the world of swimming, there is no debating the excellence and accomplishments of several prominent black swimmers who have opened doors for future generations of swimmers. As the USA and Canada celebrate Black History Month in February, Swimming World features some of the notable black female swimmers who have changed the scope of the sport, including Enith Brigitha, Natalie Hinds, Simone Manuel, Maritza Correia McClendon and
Lia Neal.
WORLD NEWS
020 SJOSTROM RECOVERY WILL TAKE AT LEAST THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING SURGERY
by Liz Byrnes
Sarah Sjostrom has undergone successful surgery for a broken right elbow that required inserting screws and a metal plate. Sweden’s national team doctor Rene Tour warned that a full recovery may take at least three months, putting her Olympic 100 fly defense in doubt.
022 HASHIMOTO TAKES OVER AS TOKYO 2020 CHIEF
by Liz Byrnes
Seiko Hashimoto has been appointed as head of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, replacing Yoshiro Mori, who resigned recently amid an uproar over sexist remarks. The seven-time Olympian had been serving as Olympic minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, while also holding a portfolio dealing with gender equality and women’s empowerment.
024 “ROC” WILL BE NAME FOR RUSSIAN ATHLETES IN NEXT TWO OLYMPIC GAMES
by Dan D’Addona
The International Olympic Committee announced that since Russia’s name has been banned for the next two Olympic Games (2021 Tokyo Olympics and 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics), the country’s athletes will be known as the “ROC,” which stands for Russian Olympic Committee.
COLLEGE NEWS
026 IT’S A TIE! FLORIDA GULF COAST & LIBERTY SHARE CCSA WOMEN’S SWIM TEAM TITLE
by Andy Ross
In a rare and bizarre ending, Florida Gulf Coast University and Liberty University tied for the team title at the 2021 CCSA Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships in Lynchburg, Va., with both teams scoring 1,748.5 points. This was Liberty’s third straight conference title and marks FGCU’s first since 2018, giving the Eagles 10 overall.
WATER POLO NEWS
028 USAWP’S RAMSEY REVERSES COURSE, LOBBIES TO OPEN POOLS IN CALIFORNIA FOR POLO
by Michael Randazzo
In January, USA Water Polo CEO Christopher Ramsey claimed his organization didn’t need to pressure California politicians to reopen pools for polo in the Golden State. Apparently, the COVID-19 situation in California has not yet shifted enough to satisfy polo’s national governing body. In a letter sent in mid-February to the governor, Ramsey asked the leader of America’s most populous state to reconsider an executive order that has shuttered public pools for polo since March 19, 2020.
032 PARTING SHOT