Swimming World Presents “The Top 5 Stories of 2019” That Marked A New Era of Swimming

Swimming World January 2020 - The Top 5 Stories of 2019 - ISL-Indy-2019

The Top 5 Stories of 2019

By Dan D’Addona

From the debut of the International Swimming League to a worldwide youth movement, 2019 marked the start of a new era in swimming.

1. Rise of the International Swimming League
The premier season of the International Swimming League is something that has been anticipated within the sport for years. Prior to 2019, the ISL was more or less a dream. Star swimmers hoped for a league they could excel in as professionals, and league organizers saw a chance to promote the sport and try to cash in. In 2019, it all became a reality as Konstantin Grigorishin backed a group ready to bring a pro league to swimming.
See More: PHOTO GALLERY: International Swimming League Debut

2. What to do with Sun Yang?
Chinese star swimmer Sun Yang has been in the midst of a doping controversy for several months, and that controversy is finally being handled in the courts. Sun could face a lengthy ban by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for an issue with his test.
See More:  Sun Yang Vs World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA): A Detailed Analysis From CAS Arbitrator

3. Nathan Adrian’s comeback after cancer
United States sprinter Nathan Adrian is one of the most beloved swimmers in the sport. His charismatic personality and ever-present smile make him an easy fan favorite, not to mention his medal count in the Olympics. But this year, Adrian announced he had testicular cancer, something that shocked swimmers and fans of the sport.
See More:  Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Adrian Announces He Has Testicular Cancer

4. Open Water temperatures
Open water swimming is dangerous enough under normal conditions. Among the waves, weather, jellyfish and sharks, swimmers have much on their minds while competing. But 2019 added even more issues, as extreme water temperatures at the Beach Games and other races forced some teams to pull out of the competition.
See More: Haley Anderson & Ashley Twichell Stay Safe/Honour Fran By Pulling Out Of Qatar Beach Games

5. Teenage Sensations
While many of the biggest stories were out of the pool, the rise of teen sensations in the sport reached a new level—especially at the summer’s World Championships.
See More:
Ariarne Titmus Takes Katie Ledecky’s Crown With Thunder-From-Down-Under Finish
Rieder’s Richter Scale: Maggie MacNeil Pulls Off Upset of All Upsets
Watch Regan Smith in 100 Back, USA Medley Relay Shatter World Records in Same Race (Race Video)

To read more about the top 5 stories of 2019,
Check out the January issue of Swimming World Magazine, available now!
Swimming World January 2020 Cover with Ryan Murphy

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FEATURES

016 THE TOP 5 STORIES OF 2019
by Dan D’Addona
From the debut of the International Swimming League to a worldwide youth movement, 2019 marked the start of a new era in swimming.

018 2019 ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
by Shoshanna Rutemiller, Dan D’Addona and Michael Randazzo
Diving: Shi Tingmao & Xie Siyi
Artistic: Svetlana Romashina &  Svetlana Kolesnichenko
Water Polo: Ashleigh Johnson & Francesco Di Fulvio
Disabled: Sophie Pascoe & Reece Dunn

020 EVENT SPECIALIZATION…WHEN?
by Michael J. Stott
Many coaches are postponing specialization in favor of creating well-rounded swimmers for what lies ahead, leaving preordination behind so that other coaches, human nature and physical development can take its course.

022 READY AND REFOCUSED
by David Rieder
At last year’s World Championships in Gwangju, Ryan Murphy came home with three silver medals, but his first individual long course World title still eluded him. With his focus now set on the 2020 Olympic summer, the 100 back world record holder and 2016 triple Olympic gold medalist is looking ahead to Tokyo with confidence.

026 TAKEOFF TO TOKYO: THE BOYCOTT
by John Lohn
Years of hard work went unfulfilled. Dreams turned into nightmares. Sadness and anger abounded. The repercussions of the United States’ decision to boycott the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow were severe. This summer marks the 40th anniversary of a toxic mix of sports and politics.

030 2019 WORLD & AMERICAN RECORD PROGRESSION
by Taylor Brien

032 ISHOF: SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT
by Bruce Wigo
Dr. Kevin Dawson, who recently received the Harriet Tubman Prize for his book, Undercurrents of Power: Aquatic Culture in the African Diaspora, corrects and revises the history of swimming to include and recognize the contributions and accomplishments of Africans to aquatics.

036 MENTAL PREP: BEFORE THE BEEP WITH RYAN MURPHY
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COACHING

010 LESSONS WITH THE LEGENDS: RAY DAUGHTERS
by Michael J. Stott

014 SWIMMING TECHNIQUE CONCEPTS: STRATEGIES TO ACCELERATE SKILL LEARNING
by Rod Havriluk
There are many different skill-learning approaches that can help a competitive swimmer improve his/her technique. For example, competitive swimming strokes “can be taught in their entirety or broken down into parts.” While both the “whole” and “part” approaches can help swimmers progress in all four strokes, selecting the most appropriate method can accelerate skill learning.

042 SPECIAL SETS: GETTING READY TO RACE
by Michael J. Stott
As college swimming rolls into its championship season in February and March, meet warm-ups take on even greater importance.

044 Q&A WITH COACH WENBO CHEN
by Michael J. Stott

045 HOW THEY TRAIN SARAH BACON
by Michael J. Stott

TRAINING

013 DRYSIDE TRAINING: TIME TO RESET—READY, SET GO!
by J.R. Rosania

JUNIOR SWIMMER

047 UP & COMERS: RYAN HOGAN
by Shoshanna Rutemiller

COLUMNS

008 A VOICE FOR THE SPORT

009 BEYOND THE YARDS

025 THE OFFICIAL WORD

035 GUTTERTALK

048 PARTING SHOT

 

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