Commentary

By Chandler Brandes, Swimming World College Intern We all have a love-hate relationship with swimming. Although we sometimes complain about the early mornings and the hard workouts, at the end of the day, we keep coming back. We can get caught up in the stress of balancing classes, homework, practic...

World Championship Relay Analysis: China Favored to Back Up Olympic Gold With Men’s Medley Relay Title In the final men’s race at the Paris Olympics, the Chinese team made history by knocking off the United States in the 400 medley relay for the first time ever. Four days after storming to individua...

World Championships Relay Analysis: No One Stopping American Women in Medley Relay The Tokyo Olympic final of the women’s 400 medley relay looks like a blip. Fueled by a career meet from Emma McKeon and an overperforming breaststroke split from Chelsea Hodges, Australia took down the United States f...

In this exclusive Q&A, Swimming World Publisher Jack Hallahan speaks with TYR CEO Matt DiLorenzo about the company’s landmark partnership with World Aquatics, the evolving structure of swimming, and where storytelling, sprint formats, and NIL intersect in shaping the sport’s future. For more on NCA....

World Championships Relay Analysis: Mixed Medley Rematch Missing Standouts from Paris Classic In one of the top races of the Paris Olympics, the United States defeated China for gold in the mixed 400 medley relay. The Chinese team had the slight lead at the halfway point thanks to the breaststroke d...

The Art of Tapping for Visually Impaired Swimmers For visually impaired and blind athletes, competing in swimming is predictably more complicated than it is for swimmers with sight. “Tappers” are the individuals who assist these swimmers during their transitions. Their name refers to the motion they...

5 Tips for Long Course Swimming For the most part, summer is every young swimmer’s dream. Beautiful, sunny swim meets, post-practice ice cream, and fun await swimmers who dedicate their summer to the sport. There’s a relaxation to the summer, especially compared to the rigidity of the competitive wi...

As Her Spectacular Career Winds Down, a Look at the Excellence of Lilly King It’s official: Lilly King is retiring. The three-time Olympian and breaststroke legend announced in a May 31 Instagram post that this season will be her last. Alongside a collection of memorable photos from her career, King...

World Championships Relay Analysis: Powerhouse British 800 Free Relay Under Siege From Americans At the Tokyo Olympics, the team of Tom Dean, James Guy, Matt Richards and Duncan Scott became the first relay representing Great Britain to win gold in swimming since the inaugural Olympic swimming relay...

World Championships Relay Analysis: Without Ariarne Titmus, Can Australian Women Maintain 800 Free Relay Supremacy? Favorite status did not always suit Australia in the women’s 800 free relay. Considered the clear top team entering the Tokyo Olympics, poor splits from Ariarne Titmus and Emma McKeon ...

Wellness Wednesday: The Role of Cooling Down in Recovery With the long course season in full swing and the World Championships in Singapore on the horizon, swim meets are at the forefront of most swimmers' minds. Preparing for competition takes more than just time in the pool. It involves intense tr...

Lessons Swimming Can Learn From British Docuseries Panorama on 'Dark Side' of Club Programs On May 24, the BBC released an episode of its investigative docuseries, Panorama, about the 'dark side' of swimming clubs in Britain. This episode sent shockwaves through the British swimming community and I ...

Guest Editorial: USMS - Do Not Marginalize Transgender Swimmers By Kerri N McCaffrey Dear Swimming World Community, I am a transgender Masters swimmer and have competed in various genders and age groups over my lifetime. Currently, I am 61 years old. Starting around 1995, I began taking hormones and...

World Championships Relay Analysis: No Dressel, No Problem for U.S. Men’s 400 Free Relay? The first time Nathan Adrian swam on the finals squad of a U.S. men’s 400 free relay team, he pulled off an unlikely gold medal. At the 2009 World Championships, Adrian took down Russia and favored France for g...

World Championships Relay Analysis: American Women Favored for First 400 Free Relay Title in Eight Years The reign of dominance for Australia in the women’s 400 freestyle relay stretches back more than a decade to the country’s upset win at the London Olympic Games. Three further Olympic gold medals...

Winning By a Tenth: Why Starts Matter More Than Ever In swimming, just tenths or even hundredths of a second often separate medalists from non-medalists. The difference between winning and losing, standing on the podium or missing it, or qualifying for a championship final often comes down to a razo...

Splashing Into Summer: Four Reasons Why Summer Swimming Is The Best Summer is in the air or is it the chlorine? The temperature is on the rise and school is out (or almost out), so there is no better time to swim. The thought of plunging into an icy cold pool is enticing to all. For swimmers, this i...

The Art of the Relay Start: Analyzing Swimming's Volatile Variable Bruce Hayes at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Jason Lezak at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Many of swimming’s most captivating moments have come on relays, in tight races decided by fractions of seconds. Any slight error coul...

Summer McIntosh Made History With Three World Records at Canadian Trials What just transpired over five days in Victoria, B.C., can only be described as one of the greatest performances in swimming history. Yes, this was only a selection meet rather than a chance to add to her already-impressive tot...

How Swimmers Can Leverage Their Athletic Experience in Job Interviews As many of our swimmers transition from the pool to the workforce, it's essential to recognize that your athletic experience is a marketable asset. The traits you’ve honed through years of training, competing, and sacrifice will l...