The Week That Was: Ryan Lochte Returns to Competition

Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

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The 2019 Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships took place last week in Palo Alto, California. Some of the best names in the United States swam at the meet including Ryan Lochte and Dana Vollmer, who were swimming at Nationals for different reasons.

Mary T. Meagher’s national age group record from 1981 also fell during the meet to Swimming World’s High School Swimmer of the Year Torri Huske.

You can read about some of the biggest news in the swimming world from this last week below.

The Week That Was #5 – Mauricio Fiol, Shayna Jack Face Realities of Failed Doping Tests

Shayna Jack makes a statement and answers questions from the media – Photo Courtesy: Ian Hanson

Australia’s Shayna Jack tested positive for a banned substance before the World Championships and withdrew from the meet. Now she is fighting to clear her name before the Australian Anti-Doping Agency in order to avoid the four-year suspension that is looming over her. Jack has already been banned from competing in the International Swimming League.

Peru’s Mauricio Fiol was set to return to swimming this week at the Pan American Games in Lima in front of his home crowd after serving a four year doping suspension. Fiol won the silver medal in the 2015 Pan American Games for Peru but was disqualified for testing positive for stanozolol, the same substance that Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson famously tested positive for in the 1988 Olympic Games. Fiol was hoping to make a triumphant return this week but tested positive for stanozolol a second time.

The Week That Was #4 – Maxime Rooney, Ryan Held Move Up World Rankings Lists

Ryan Held swam the third fastest time in the world in the 100 free. Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

The US Nationals this week were a chance for some of the best swimmers that did not make the World Championships to showcase their talents. Ryan Held, who recently moved training locations to the University of Alabama, posted a 47.39 in the 100 free final to start Nationals. Held broke the US Open record that was set by Jason Lezak in 2008 and also moved up to third in the world for 2019 in the 100 free, only sitting behind Caeleb Dressel and Kyle Chalmers. Held would have won the bronze medal at World Championships with his time.

Maxime Rooney, who also moved training locales to the University of Texas, put up the fifth fastest time in the world in the 100 free and also put up the second fastest time in the 100 fly. Rooney’s 50.68 in the 100 fly would have won the silver medal at the World Championships behind Dressel.

The Week That Was #3 – Torri Huske Breaks Mary T. Meagher’s 1981 National Age Group Record

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Torri Huske broke Mary T. Meagher’s 15-16 National Age Group record in the 100 fly from 1981. Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

Torri Huske broke the legendary Mary T. Meagher’s national age group record in the 100 fly at the US Nationals in California. Huske swam a 57.80 to take fourth place and also lowered Meagher’s record that had been on the books since 1981. The record was a 57.93.

It was a historic day for 15-16 girls in that event. Also in that A-Final was 15-year-old Claire Curzan, who moved past Mary T on the all-time list. Curzan finished fifth in the 100 fly final at 57.87. Lillie Nordmann placed sixth in the heat and also moved up to fourth on the all-time list at 57.96.

The Week That Was #2 – Dana Vollmer Retires From Swimming

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2012 Olympic gold medalist Dana Vollmer lined up behind the blocks for the final time. Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

2012 Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder Dana Vollmer announced her retirement from swimming shortly before the US Nationals, claiming she was going to be focusing more on her two children. Vollmer finished 32nd in the 100 fly in the final race of her career. She won five Olympic gold medals, a silver and a bronze, and also swam in three Olympic Games, first making the team at age 16 in 2004.

The Week That Was #1 – Ryan Lochte Makes Return to Nationals at 35

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Ryan Lochte won the 200 IM on the final day of the 2019 US Nationals. Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

Ryan Lochte returned to competition at the US Nationals with a win in the 200 IM at 1:57.76, moving up to 12th in the world for 2019. Lochte sat out the majority of 2019 after being suspended by the US Anti-Doping Agency for using an intravenous infusion. Lochte, 35, did not make it back in any other events he swam this week but was able to win his best event, the 200 IM. He is the fourth fastest American this year in the event behind Chase Kalisz, Michael Andrew and Abrahm DeVine.

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Biljana Culibrk

4 years ago

??????

Mattias Löwe

4 years ago

Should be banned for life, and certainly not given any publicity. Deserves the same disdain that Sun Yang gets.

Jim Bowser

4 years ago

How many gas stations did he vandalize on the way to swim? Did he pee in a cup prior to the races to stay eligible?