Is swimming more popular than we think?
If you ask a random person on the street what the most popular sport is, the answer might depend on your location. In the United States, the answer might be football or baseball, in Australia, the answer might also be football, which is a completely different sport than our football, it’s what we in the U.S. call soccer. In India, it might be cricket. But would any country name swimming?
I started thinking about that the other night when I was watching a very famous movie, a true classic that I had never seen before, “National Velvet” starring a beautiful, 12-year old, Elizabeth Taylor, in her very first acting role, considered her breakout performance. Also starring Mickey Rooney, Angela Lansbury and Anne Revere as Elizabeth’s mother, Mrs. Brown. I had, of course heard about the movie “National Velvet,” my whole life, as a 62 year old woman. I knew it was a story about a girl and her horse. It won two Oscars in 1945.
“When Velvet Brown (Elizabeth Taylor), an equine-loving 12-year-old living in rural Sussex, becomes the owner of a rambunctious horse, she decides to train it for England’s Grand National race. Aided by former jockey Mi Taylor (Mickey Rooney) and encouraged by her family, the determined Velvet gets her steed, affectionately called “The Pie,” ready for the big day. However, a last-minute problem arises with the jockey and an unexpected rider must step in as a replacement.”
While watching the movie last night, I was excited when it was revealed that was that Velvet’s Mother (Anne Revere) was a champion swimmer, becoming the first woman to swim the English Channel, winning a hundred golden sovereigns. This becomes key to the story as Velvet needs it for the entry fee to compete in the Grand National Horse Race.
After watching “National Velvet, it made me think of other movies and even TV shows that were NOT about swimming or other aquatic sports yet somehow, swimming found its way into the story. What about “Back to School” with Rodney Dangerfield? Nothing more classic than his diving scene and the “Triple Lindy” in that movie! We even had the clip in the Hall of Fame Museum. I know, I’m showing my age.
Okay, back to the present, what about the popular TV Show, “Never Have I Ever?” The heartthrob of this hit show, is Paxton Hall-Yoshida, a popular, athletic 16-year-old high school student, who is the captain of the high school swim team, but has to give it up after a car accident. After graduating, he attends Arizona State University, but later becomes an assistant swim coach at the high school upon deciding university is not for him.
There’s more: “The Big C”, “Pretty Little Liars”, “Star Crossed”, “The Thirteenth Year’ and many more……
What about you? Can you name a movie or TV Show, that you love, that has swimming or any of the aquatic sports in it, but swimming isn’t the theme of the movir of TV Show??
Maybe, swimming IS more popular than we think!!!!!!
Tell us in the comments a movie or TV Show that has swimming in it!
FLASH! Gretchen Walsh Destroys World Record in 50 Butterfly
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
11 October 2025
Wasn’t it simply a matter of time? Given her prowess as the finest female short-course swimmer in history, a world record from Gretchen Walsh seemed likely during the first stop of the World Cup circuit in Carmel, Indiana. Saturday night turned out to be right moment for such an effort, as Walsh destroyed her own global standard in the 50-meter butterfly.
Clocking a time of 23.72, Walsh sliced .22 off her previous world record, which was set at last year’s World Short Course Championships in Budapest. Walsh shot to the front of the field off the start and was in the lead at the 25-meter mark, thanks to a split of 10.95. She continued to build on her advantage on the return lap, which she covered in 12.77. Walsh finished nearly a second ahead of Aussie Alexandria Perkins, the runnerup in 24.64.
Walsh now owns the seven-fastest times in event history, including the only two sub-24 efforts. During prelims, Walsh set a World Cup record of 24.11 and provided a sense that a world record was within reach at night. To put Walsh’s world record in perspective, the effort would have been good for third place in the 50 freestyle on the opening night of the meet.
In the short-course pool, Walsh now owns world records in the 50 freestyle, 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly and 100 individual medley.
‘Iron Will’ An Inspiring Memoir by Paralympian Roderick Sewell
by Dan D’Addona — Swimming World Managing Editor
‘Iron Will’ An Inspiring Memoir by Paralympian Roderick Sewell
Journeys are meant to inspire, and few swimmers have been as inspiring as Roderick Sewell II.
The Paralympic swimmer was a Pan American Games medalist for Team USA and a three-time national team member.
But his story is much more than the water.
Sewell, with the help of his mother and grandmother, overcame a very tough childhood. Having both legs amputated at the age of 2 led to medical bills and a dire financial situation.
But he and his mother Marian never gave up.
Sewell became the first double amputee to finish an Iron Man competition and he continues to coach and speak about his journey.
He was still homeless in Alabama when he met coaches from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which helps athletes with disabilities. They gave him his running legs, and his life quickly changed for the better. He learned how to swim, how to challenge his body, and how to be a fierce competitor and athlete—all with him mom cheering from the sidelines.
Now, he has put his journey to words with a memoir: “Iron Will: An Amputee’s Journey to Athletic Excellence.” The book was released earlier this year by Legacy Lit.
This is a tremendous book that balances the heavy parts of life with a lighter writing style that makes for an easy but inspiring read.
Sewell discusses his family upbringing, struggles as an amputee and how he was able to use swimming to find his place in the athletic world.
This is a must read not just for swimmers, but to anyone ready to be inspired.
It is available on Amazon , Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers.
World Aquatics Releases 2026 Diving Recognized Events Schedule
Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefot
by Matthew De George – Senior Writer
World Aquatics Releases 2026 Diving Recognized Events Schedule
World Aquatics this week announced its 2026 diving recognized events, which builds on its World Cup slate.
The events next year will, “enable more National Federations to access diving events” in the effort to expand the sport globally. It is an add-on t the World Cup schedule, which in 2026 will visit Montreal, Guadalajara and Beijing.
The events announced in this release are part of what was formerly known as the FINA Diving Grand Prix from 1995-2022.
The events include:
AGB Diving International, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, Sheffield, England
Southern Cross Diving Series, Feb. 13-15, Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Canada Cup of Diving, April 9-12, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
American Cup, April 16-19, location TBD
Madrid International Diving Meet, Jun 12-14, Madrid, Spain
Bolzano Diving Meeting Alto Adige-Sud Tirol, July 3-5, Bolzano, Italy
Malaysia Open Diving Championships, Oct. 30-Nov. 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Southern Cross Diving Series, Dec. 10-13, Christchurch, New Zealand
“We are delighted to have secured our biggest ever calendar of World Aquatics Diving Recognized Events for 2026,” said World Aquatics Diving Technical Committee chairperson Bashar Al-Saffar in a press release. “This is a testament to the growing global strength of our sport, as was demonstrated at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. The World Aquatics Diving Recognized Events help to develop the future stars in the sport, and we are looking forward to watching talented athletes perform around the world next year.”
Every Child A Swimmer Committee Member, Stathis Avramidis, PhD has published a new book: “Panagiotis Nastos”
ISHOF’s Every Child A Swimmer committee member, Stathis Avramidis, who is also, the President of Greek Lifesaving, has just released a new book, entitled “Panagiotis Nastos”.
After 9 years of searching, the Greek Lifesaving Sports Association proudly presents the book “Panagiotis Nastos” about the work of the “father” of swimming and a pioneer of rescue and lifesaving sport in Greece.
“A great splash in the Greek swimming history.” Dr Bill Kent, Chairman, International Swimming Hall of Fame
“A wonderful flashback on Greece’s history of swimming and lifesaving sport.“Dr Harald Vervaecke, Secretary General, International Life Saving Federation.
“A wonderful read for everyone interested in the history of swimming and in keeping people safe” Steven Munatones, Co-Founder, World Open Water Swimming Foundation
Caeleb Dressel Shifting Training Location; Reuniting with Coach Steve Jungbluth at Sporting JAX Aquatic Club
by John Lohn – Editor-in-Chief
02 October 2025
Caeleb Dressel Reuniting with Coach Steve Jungbluth at Sporting JAX Aquatic Club
Caeleb Dressel, the three-time Olympian and nine-time Olympic gold medalist, is reuniting with one of the coaches he worked with at the University of Florida. In a press release on Thursday, it was revealed that Dressel will join the Sporting JAX Aquatic Club and train under Steve Jungbluth. Dressel and Jungbluth worked together when Dressel established NCAA records as a standout at the University of Florida. Jungbluth and Florida parted ways in 2022.
“I’m incredibly excited to begin this next chapter with Sporting JAX,” said Dressel in the press release. “Northeast Florida was where I grew up, and being able to train here with Steve as we prepare for Los Angeles is truly special. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside this club’s athletes and families and to share my passion for swimming with the next generation.”
Dressel has won 10 Olympic medals during his career and has identified representing the United States at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as a goal. Dressel has indicated a desire to focus on the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly at this point in his career, with the 50 fly being added to the Olympic program for LA28. Time will tell if Dressel continues to race the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
The 29-year-old Dressel is the world-record holder in the 100 butterfly and won three individual gold medals at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. At the Paris Games, Dressel added three relay medals, including two gold.
“Caeleb’s return to Northeast Florida is a moment of pride for our entire community,” Jungbluth said. “Sporting JAX is committed to supporting Caeleb in his drive towards world class excellence as he prepares for the 2028 Games. Additionally, his presence will enhance the overall competitiveness of the Sporting JAX Aquatic Club and elevate the level of excellence across our programs. Beyond the pool, Caeleb will bolster Jacksonville’s standing as a premier sports community, inspiring athletes throughout the region to push harder and aim higher.”
In honor of Filipino American History month, we salute Victoria Manalo Draves
Vicki Draves was inducted into ISHOF in 1969, as an Honor Diver. The two-time Olympic gold medalist, was a familiar face around ISHOF, although she and her husband Lyle, who was also inducted into ISHOF in later years as a coach, lived in California. VIcki and Lyle attended may Honoree Inductions and ISHOF International Diving Meets. Her twin sister, Connie, lived in Fort Lauderdale and was a Hall of Fame Dame from the beginning years of ISHOF.
Manalo Draves was raised in San Francisco’s working-class district by an English mother and Filipino father at a time when mixed-race marriages ranged from frowned upon to illegal. She dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer, but with her family unable to afford training, she settled on practicing handstands and cartwheels on her own. She learned to swim when she was 10 years old, taking lessons at the nickel baths in the Mission District, and 16 when she began diving.
Prior to the U.S. entry into World War II, prejudice against Asian Americans of any ethnicity made it difficult to train. If she was allowed to practice in any public pools, the operators often drained the pool afterward. The surname Manalo made her Filipino heritage obvious, shutting her out of the Fairmont Hotel Swimming and Diving Club despite her natural talent. The club’s coach, Phil Patterson, saw her potential and formed the Patterson School of Swimming and Diving just for her. On his advice, she reluctantly agreed to use her mother’s maiden name, Taylor, in competitions.
VICTORIA “VICKI” MANALO DRAVES (USA)
1969 Honor Diver
FOR THE RECORD: OLYMPIC GAMES: 1948 gold (springboard; platform); NATIONAL DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS: 1946, 1947, 1948 gold (platform); 1948 gold (springboard); First woman in Olympic to win both springboard and platform diving crowns in same games.
Victoria Manalo Draves was the first woman in Olympic history to win both springboard and platform diving crowns in the same games. She was the only swimmer or diver to gold medal in two individual events at the 1948 London Olympiad. Her rise to No. 1 in the world was meteoric but far from easy. Vicki was a twin born in San Francisco to an English mother and Filipino father. When Vicki was 16, she and her sisters would take the trolley car to Fleishhacker Pool to swim and admire the divers. Admiration was mutual as one of the boy divers introduced her to Phil Patterson, coach of then national champion Helen Crlenkovich. Vicki learned rapidly under Phil, but her biggest hurdle was not on the diving board. Her diving club on Nob Hill required that she drop her father’s Filipino name and take her mother’s maiden name, Taylor. Finances were another problem and a year later, she joined Charlie Sava’s famed Crystal Plunge team where she worked with Jimmy McHugh. McHugh left coaching and on Sava’s advice, Vicki crossed the bay to dive with Lyle Draves and his star pupil Zoe Ann Olsen at the Athens Club in Oakland.
With a third diver, Gloria Wooden, Draves took his girls to the 1945 Indoor Nationals in Chicago and they placed 1, 2, 3 in the 3 meter springboard.
Wartime duties, another Nob Hill meet argument over Vicki’s Filipino parentage, and Draves returning to Southern California left Vickie once more without a coach. There followed some commuting to Los Angeles, a second and a third at the Outdoor Nationals, and then, on the death of her father, Vicki retired and returned to San Francisco and to her old job as a secretary in the Army Port Surgeon’s office.
When the war ended, Vicki finally moved to Southern California for good. She married her coach and her winning ways began immediately with the national Tower Diving Championship (10 meter platform), in 1946, 1947 and 1948. In 1948, she won her first springboard national title. She made the team but was not first at the Olympic Trials in either springboard or platform. She was the first woman of oriental ancestry to win an Olympic gold medal in diving. The first man was Korean-American Sammy Lee, who, like Vicki, stands 5’1″ when he stretches. The incredible performances of these two Asian-Americans helped heal the scars of an Olympic-canceling World War, and personified the Olympic revival of individual competition regardless of race, creed or national origin.
ISHOF ~ part of FLDT Boosters Club celebration honoring World Champion James Lichtenstein and retirement of FLDT Coach Dave Burgering
On Friday, September 26, 2025, ISHOF was proud to join the FLDT Booster Club in their support of sponsoring a get-together to celebrate the achievements of the Fort Lauderdale High Dive Team, featuring, James Lichtenstein, who recently won his first World Aquatics World Championship in Singapore on the 27-meter tower and his coach, Fort Lauderdale High Dive Coach, Steven LoBue.
The event also was to celebrate the career of long time coach of the Fort Lauderdale Dive Team, Dave Burgering, who was a diver himself, competing at the Hall of of Fame in the mid to late 1970’s, making the 1980 Olympic Team.
There was a great turn out Friday night and over 75 people showed up in support of these great individuals. ISHOF is always proud to support the athletes and coaches of the FLAC.
#ISHOF #EVERYCHILDASWIMMER #FORTLAUDERDALE #FLDT #FLAC #HALLOFFAME #WORLDAQUATICS #USADIVING #HIGHDIVING #
Why Women Have Beaten Men in Marathon Swimming?
Interesting idea……
by Daniela Navarrete for Swimming World Magazine
23 September 2025
Can Women Beat Men in Marathon Swimming?
Swimmers have biological differences that affect their performance according to their sex. Women have lower hemoglobin levels, oxygen supply, and do not develop as much muscular power. Therefore, in sprint events, women are quite far from reaching men. However, ultra-distance swimming is a different story. With time, they have been getting closer and have even beaten the men.
Photo Courtesy:
Ultra-distance swimming, often called marathon swimming, is any event longer than 10km and six hours. This discipline has some rules different from plain open water: athletes cannot stop, use a wetsuit, or have any assistance throughout their race. One of the first recorded marathon swims ever accomplished was when Matthew Webb crossed the English Channel (33km/20 miles) in 1875. It was not until 1926 when American Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to achieve this feat. At just 19 years old, she became the new record holder finishing in 14 hours, 31 minutes, breaking the old time of 16 hours, 33 minutes, set three years earlier by Enrique Tirabocci.
Studies have shown that women were able to achieve equal or even better performance in some of the most popular marathon swims.
The Research
In 2011, exercise researcher for the University of Zurich Beat Knechtle, along with Evelyn Eichenberger, Patrizia Knechtle, Christoph Alexander, Thomas Rosemann and Romuald Lepers, analyzed the English Channel’s best times of successful men and women swims from 1900 to 2010. The studies concluded that women were able to achieve a similar or better performance compared to men.
Steven Munatones from the World Open Water Swimming Association also analyzed results from the English Channel. He found that the average (every successful English Channel Swimmer) female time was 33 minutes faster than the average male time.
In 2014, Knechtle and his colleagues analyzed 30 years of finishing men and women’s times for the 46km Manhattan Island Marathon Swim (28.5 miles/45.9km). Once again, the ladies took the lead. The results demonstrated that the best women per year were 12-14% faster than the best men.
A year later in 2015, Knechtle, Rosemann and Alexander did a similar study in which they analyzed the men and women’s results from the Catalina Channel (21 miles/34km) from 1927 to 2014. They concluded that the fastest women were faster than the fastest men. Additionally, they emphasized that the differences were better appreciated when comparing the annual fastest men and women. The fastest woman averaged 53 minutes faster than the fastest man.
Why is This Happening?
One of the main factors that affect and benefit women on their performance in ultra-distance swimming is their body fat. According to Knechtle, women are better at fat burning over longer distances than men. He averaged that women marathon swimmers have between 30.7 and 31.3% of body fat, while men have between 18.8-20.2%. The higher the fat percentage, the better the buoyancy and insulation against cold water.
Photo Courtesy: ISHOF Archives
American open water swimmer Lynne Cox has proved this to be right. There is a section in her book “Swimming to Antarctica” (2004), were she talks about the time she participated in a research study with Anne Loucks (her former college teammate), Dr. Barbara Drinkwater, and Dr. William McCafferty. They were running studies on body type and athletic performance, and their relationship with the cold. As the research took off, Dr. Drinkwater told Cox:
“You’re different. You have neutral buoyancy. That means your body density is exactly the same as seawater. Your proportion of fat to muscle is perfectly balanced so you don’t float or sink in the water. You’re at one with the water. We’ve never seen anything like this before.”
What About the Pool?
The best men in pool events are still faster than the best women. Yet, according to an analysis made by Quinn Fitzgerald from the World Open Water Swimming Association, “the longer the swims are, the relatively closer the top women are to the top men.”
In a study published in May by Knechtle and his collaborators, all swimming distances and strokes were reviewed. They analyzed both men and women’s results in championships of different levels. The results concluded that in the pool, the longer the race, the less time difference between the sexes. However, in longer distances, such as marathon swims, women extensively narrowed the gap to men. Another interesting finding was that really young (younger than ten) and really old (older than 75) females were faster than men.
Related studies have been made in marathon running and triathlon but none have gotten to the same conclusions found in the aquatic sport.
It would take some years for Sarah Sjostrom to get closer to Cesar Cielo in the 50m freestyle. It would even take some time for Katie Ledecky to swim ahead Gregorio Paltrinieri in the 1500m. Nonetheless, if going for the “extra mile” out in the ocean, lake or river, it is mainly possible that a woman can beat a man.
All research was conducted by the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.
Katie Ledecky Pushing Toward LA28 With Focus on ‘Want Times’ and Avoiding Burnout
Photo Courtesy: Emily Cameron
by Dan D’Addona — Swimming World Managing Editor
26 September 2025
Katie Ledecky Pushing Toward LA28 With Focus on ‘Want Times’
With all of the training, distance and build up to a big meet, one of the biggest issues facing competitive swimmers is a burnout.
Several months of getting in elite shape, followed by a taper, then a performance on the biggest stage takes a lot out of everyone, no matter how fast or how elite they are.
Katie Ledecky, 28, has been dealing with that at issue on the world stage since she was 15. For her, the key is not to focus on winning, but her improvement.
“It goes way back to when I first started swimming. For some reason, I came up with this name for my goals. I would call them ‘want times.’ And I would write out my “want time” before every meet. I just thought it was kind of a special thing when I had the special name for them,” Ledecky told The Athletic.
“I always really loved the fact that swimming is based on time. You can really quantify your progress and see your progress. I would look at them after my meet and I would calculate the time that I beat the ‘want time’ by or how far off I was from that goal. And I would save that piece of paper for the next meet.”
That translates into victories for Ledecky, but with a different focus, she finds different victories within her swims, even gold medals swims like she put together in Paris, winning the 800 free and 1500 free gold medal.
“I understood from a pretty young age that you can’t control what the other swimmers in the race are going to do. So all you can do is set a time goal for yourself and try to reach it. I think that focus has really allowed me, going into the big competitions, to stay focused on my own lane and not get caught up in what other people are doing or how they might take their race,” she said.
It helps her focus on her current swim and place also, rather than her world record swims or victories of the past.
“There have been moments where it’s challenging. Especially when I went on the streak. At a certain point, you do start thinking about trying to keep up that record, and you start thinking about medals at certain points. But I think I always come back to those times instead,” Ledecky said.
“I really love the training. That always brings me back to that focus. It’s not just about trying to improve times in competitions. It’s about trying to improve times in practice as well. And I think once you start doing that and seeing improvement in training, you gain confidence that you can do some of that in meets as well.”
That includes LA 2028.
“I think balance is really important. Not getting too consumed in swimming and maintaining all of your other interests and your other passions as well,” she said. “I think when you get to a certain level, you might have this initial thought that you have to go all in and only focus on that. But it’s really important to maintain good balance.”
The most recognized face in the sport, Ledecky has made sure to support the younger generation, just like older swimmers did for her.
“I was in the London [2012] Olympic Village with people like Dana Vollmer and Rebecca Soni and Missy Franklin. They just always looked out for me and kept one eye on me the whole time. That just meant the world to me, that they were going about their process and getting ready for their races, but they wanted to make sure that I felt like I belonged at that level,” Ledecky said.
“I think it’s always been important for me to return that, now that I’m one of the veterans on the team. I want to always keep one eye on the rookies and make sure that they feel like they belong, make sure they feel comfortable, make sure that they feel ready for their races and make sure they feel really supported.”
Read the entire article here:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6617689/2025/09/13/katie-ledecky-olympics-goals-mentorship-lessons/