By James Sutherland on SwimSwam A former aquatics director and swim coach at Allegan Public Schools in Michigan has received a lengthy prison sentence after sexually assaulting a student. Scott Simmons, 42, was sentenced to 7-15 years in prison on Monday after pleading guilty to three charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person at least 16 years old, but less than 18 years old, in March. The sentence was the same for each of the three counts, but will be served concurrently. Simmons has received 43 days credit for time already served. Simmons was charged in October with crim ..read more

By Retta Race on SwimSwam 2024 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS Friday, April 19th – Sunday, April 27th Shenzhen, China LCM (50m) SwimSwam Preview Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap Results Livestream We entered day 5 of the 2024 Chinese National Swimming Championships which brought the final of the men’s 100m freestyle as the last event of tonight’s session in Shenzhen. The reigning world record holder Pan Zhanle was indeed in the water, wasting no time firing off a warning shot to the rest of the world. Pan unleashed a winning time of 46.97 to handily defeat the fi ..read more

By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam Sporti, in collaboration with swimmer duo sisters Alex Walsh and Gretchen Walsh, who between the two of them have 24 NCAA Championship titles, 24-All American honors, 14 NCAA records and a Silver Medal from the 2020 Olympics, is proud to announce the launch of their Star Spangled Summer Collection.  The collection is inspired by Americana vibes as a nod to the country’s, and the sister’s, collective spirit going into the 2024 Summer Olympics. The Star Spangled Summer Collection features a range of Women’s, Men’s and Youth training swimsuits, includ ..read more

By Retta Race on SwimSwam 2024 CHINESE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS Friday, April 19th – Sunday, April 27th Shenzhen, China LCM (50m) SwimSwam Preview Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap Results Livestream Another national record bit the dust at the 2024 Chinese National Swimming Championships, this time at the hands of Yang Junxuan. Racing in the women’s 100m freestyle final tonight in Shenzhen, 22-year-old Yang hit a time of 52.68 to establish the fastest outing of her career. She logged the sole time of the field under the 53-second threshold as Wu Qingfeng posted ..read more

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) took nearly two hours on Monday to address allegations it mishandled a Chinese doping controversy in 2021, with general counsel Ross Wenzel pointing to a similar case on American soil back in 2014 as precedent. WADA officials claimed they had no evidence to disprove Chinese authorities’ report that 23 elite swimmers’ positive tests for trimetazidine (TMZ) were caused by contamination in their hotel kitchen about seven months before the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. They cited strict COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in China as the reaso ..read more

By SwimSwam Partner Content on SwimSwam Amidst the hype of this year’s NBA drafts, Masters tournament, and the start of baseball season, the swimming world has been making waves of its own. With fresh, powerhouse talents breaking onto the scene, jaw-dropping NCAA performances, and the upcoming Olympic trials and games, 2024 is gearing up to be a monumental year for the sport. As excitement builds and records are set to tumble, swim fans are at the edge of their seats. For those new to the swimming scene and those needing to be caught up to speed, let’s dive into what’s unfolded and what’s on ..read more

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam According to confidential minutes obtained by the Associated Press, China contributed almost an extra $2 million (US) than their required payment to help fund the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The minutes found that China gave $993,000 in 2018 and $992,000 in 2019. In December 2020, WADA released a statement being transparent on additional contributions that they were receiving (and had already received). WADA stated that India pledged an additional 1 million USD, Saudi Arabia pledged $0.5 million USD, and Egypt pledged $0.1 million USD. It also stated that WADA ..read more

By Retta Race on SwimSwam 2024 AUSTRIAN GRAZ TROPHY Thursday, April 18th – Sunday, April 21st Graz, Austria LCM (50m) Results The 2024 Austrian Graz Trophy wrapped up last night with multiple swimmers making waves over the course of the 4-day competition. One of them was 27-year-old Heiko Gigler who nailed a new national record in the men’s 100m free. As we reported, Gigler led off his squad’s men’s 4x100m free relay with a new lifetime best of 48.36. His time overtook his previous Austrian standard of 48.43 put on the books in the heats of the 2022 European Championships. You can read ..read more

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Alice Dearing, who became the first Black woman to swim for Britain at the Olympics three years ago in Tokyo, announced her retirement from the sport on Monday via social media. Dearing’s decade-long international swimming career spanned three World Championships, two European Championships, and one Olympics, where she placed 19th in the 10km at the Tokyo 2021 edition of the Summer Games. She turns 27 years old on Tuesday. She has also made waves outside of the water as a co-founder of the Black Swimming Association (BSA) and advocate for the Soul Cap, a covering ..read more

By Anya Pelshaw on SwimSwam Canadian National Team member Abby Dunford has received a “complete release” from her National Letter of Intent (NLI, not to be confused with name, image, likeness NIL). A complete release is granted when, “Extenuating circumstances must be presented in any appeal to the NLI Appeals Committees as grounds for a complete release. The merits of each case are different which is why the committee determines what constitutes extenuating on a case-by-case basis and what life event changed after signing the NLI.” When given a complete release, the athlete can sign another ..read more