USA Swimming Announces 2024 Schedule around Olympic Trials
by MATTHEW DE GEORGE – SENIOR WRITER
07 August 2023,
USA Swimming Announces 2024 Schedule around Olympic Trials
USA Swimming on Monday announced its schedule of events for 2024, the tentpole of which is U.S. Olympic Team Trials in June.
The year will start with three TYR Pro Swim Series dates – in Knoxville, Tenn., Jan. 10-13; Westmont, Ill., March 6-9; and San Antonio, Texas, April 10-13.
Open water championships will be held in Sarasota, Fla., May 3-5. It all builds up to Olympics Trials in Indianapolis from June 15-23, selecting the team for the Paris Olympic Games.
While swimmers are away in Paris, the Speedo Summer Champs will be held in Irvine, Calif., from July 23-27. The senior and junior championships will be combined at that event.
The Toyota U.S. Open will be held Dec. 4-7 at a site to be determined.
New to the schedule is the Club Excellence Challenge Series, in which USA Swimming has partnered with three existing meets as a last tune-up for Trials. From the press release: “Prize money will be awarded by USA Swimming to the top three finishers in each event determined from combined results across all three meets, with a leaderboard posted on usaswimming.org.”
2024 USA Swimming Calendar
Jan. 10-13: TYR Pro Swim Series, Knoxville, Tenn.
March 6-9: TYR Pro Swim Series, Westmont, Ill.
April 10-13: TYR Pro Swim Series, San Antonio, Texas
May 3-5: Open Water National and Junior National Championships Sarasota, Fla.
May 1-5: 18&U Spring Cups at Elkhart, Ind; Mesa, Ariz; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
May 15-18: Club Excellence Challenge Series, Irvine, Calif. (Speedo Grand Challenge); Atlanta, Ga. (Atlanta Classic); and Austin, Texas (Longhorn Elite Invite)
June 15-23: U.S. Olympic Team Trials, Indianapolis, Ind.
July 23-27: Speedo Summer Champs (senior and junior), Irvine, Calif.
July 24-28: Futures Meet in Huntsville, Ala.; Austin, Texas; Minneapolis, Minn.; Sacramento, Calif.; and Richmond, Va.
Dec. 4-7: Toyota U.S. Open (25y), site TBA
Dec. 11-14: Speedo Winter Juniors East and West, sites TBA
Subscribe
PAN AM Aquatics Artistic Championship, August 10-13 at Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
by: Laura Voet
Date: August 7, 2023
USA Artistic Swimming will host the 2023 Pan Am Aquatics Artistic Swimming Championship & Athletes with Disability Invitational at the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center August 10th – 13th.
It will be the first artistic swimming event hosted at the new facility. Participating countries include Aruba, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Peru, Mexico and the United States of America. Over 250 athletes ranging in age from 11 to 22 years old will participate in four days of competition at the facility. The athletes represent both national federation teams as well as international and domestic clubs.
The USA will be represented by club routines that earned invitations to compete through domestic championships. In addition to the Pan Am Aquatics Championship, there will also be an invitational hosted for athletes with disabilities. Fifteen AWD athletes from three countries will participate. Tickets for spectators will be available on the USA Artistic Swimming website.
Happy Birthday Gianni Lonzi!!
Gianni Lonzi (ITA)
Honor Water Polo (2009)
FOR THE RECORD: ATHLETE: 1960 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold;1964 OLYMPIC GAMES: 4th; 1968 OLYMPIC GAMES: 4th; 1963 MEDITERRANEAN GAMES:gold; 1967, 1968 ITALIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; COACH: 1976 OLYMPIC GAMES: silver; 1975 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze; 1978 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; 1977 MEDITERRANEAN GAMES: gold; 1977 EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold; ADMINISTRATOR: 1988 to Present: VICE CHAIRMAN LEN EUROPEAN WATER POLO COMMITTEE; FINA TECHNICAL WATER POLO COMMITTEE: MEMBER SINCE 1992, CHAIRMAN SINCE 1996.
He was born in Florence in 1938, just steps away from the famous swimming club, Rari Nantes Firenze. On his first visit to the club, the legendary water polo figure Giordano Goggioli, threw him into the river Arno, saying: “Now you have to swim”.
He excelled in swimming and at the age of fifteen won a national title in the backstroke, but Gianni Lonzi could not resist the fascination of the ball and the cage of Water Polo. In 1953, he made his debut in the 1st Division of the Italian Water Polo league, where he proved to be an all around and tenacious player. He played for RN Firenze from 1953 to 1963 combining the roles of player, captain and coach. In 1964, he moved to Camogli assisting his team to its promotion to the 1st division. In 1967 and 1968 he played for Pro Recco, winning two National Championships. He played on the National team from 1958 up to the 1968 Mexico Olympic Games, winning the gold medal at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games and then participated in Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968.
After he concluded his career as an athlete in 1968,Hall of Famer Mario Majoni, the National team’s coach, called on him to coach the National Junior team. In a few years he replaced Majoni and led Italy to a bronze medal at the1975 World Championships, silver at the 1976 Olympic Games and the gold at the 1978 World Championships. During this time he also coached the 1977 and 1982 junior teams to gold medals. If that wasn’t enough, he became the Vice Chairman of the LEN water polo committee in 1988, was appointed to the FINA Technical Water Polo Committee (TWPC) in 1992 and became Chair of the TWPC in 1996 – a position he will continue through 2012.
Among his many achievements as Chairman of the committee that sets the agenda for world water polo, are the addition of women’s water polo to the Olympic program and the establishment of the FINA World Water Polo Leagues for both men and women.
Kosuke Kitajima joins the most famous names in Japanese swimming: Tsuruta, Furukawa, Furuhashi, Kiyokawa and Kitamura as he will be inducted into ISHOF as an Honor Swimmer, September 30 ~
Kosuke Kitajima becomes the twentieth Honor Swimmer from Japan to be inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. Japan is a small country but dominated the world of swimming in the 1920’s and 1930’s with stars like Yoshiyuki Tsuruta, Masaru Furukawa, Hironoshin Furuhashi, Masaji Kiyokawa and Kuoso Kitamura.
There was a lapse after the war and it took many years for them to regain the power they once had. In 1972 Nobutaka Taguchi won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke and Mayumi Aoki won gold in the 100-meter butterfly. Taguchi also won bronze in the 200 breaststroke, but it was very sporatic before and after that point.
But after Daichi Suzuki won the gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke, in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea, it once again gave the Japanese hope and slowly things started to change. After Suzuki’s victory, the world start seeing more Japanese in the Olympic Games. Suzuki is now the President of the Japanese Swimming Federation, and Japanese names are now frequently in the finals of those Games. Names like Kusoke Kitajima. Kitajima specialized in the breaststroke. In his first Olympic Games in 2004, he captured gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke and then took bronze, swimming the breaststroke leg of the 4 x 100 medley relay representing his homeland. During the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, he did an exact repeat of the 2004 Games, winning the gold medal in the 100 and 200m breaststroke, while also breaking the world record in the 100, in a time of 58.91. By winning back-to-back medals in 2004 and 2008, Kitajima became the first and only swimmer ever to sweep the breaststroke at consecutive Olympic Games. He and his team also won the bronze again in 2008 in the medley relay, and again in 2012, Kitajima and the relay team bettered it in London by winning silver. In the end, Kitajima won four gold, one silver and two bronze medals in Olympic competition.
Kitajima’s most significant rival was American and ISHOF Honoree, Brendan Hansen. The two men dueled it out at all the major events, such as the FINA World Championships and the Olympic Games. Kitajima set world records in both the 100 and 200m breaststroke, finishing his career by breaking seven world records. In all, Kitajima has competed in six (long course) World Championships. At the 2013 World Championships, he won bronze in the medley relay, extending his national record to 12, three gold, four silver and five bronze. He is a 16-time medalist at the FINA World Cup events, winning four gold, nine silver and three bronze.
Come join Kitajima-san and this year’s spectacular class of 2023 in Ft. Lauderdale. If you cannot join us, consider making a donation. To make a donation, click here: https://ishof.org/donate/
Purchase your tickets here to the ISHOF Honoree Induction Ceremony (Saturday, September 30, 2023) via Ticketmaster:
Class of 2023 Honorees
Bob Bowman (USA) / Honor Coach
Chris Carver (USA) / Honor Coach
Cesar Cielo (BRA) / Honor Swimmer
Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) / Honor Swimmer
Missy Franklin (USA / Honor Swimmer
Natalia Ischenko (RUS) / Honor Synchronized Swimmer
Kosuke Kitajima (JPN) / Honor Swimmer
Heather Petri (USA) / Honor Water Polo Player
Michael Phelps (USA) / Honor Swimmer
Wu Minxia (CHN / Honor Diver
Sam Ramsamy (RSA) / Honor Contributor
Stephane Lecat (FRA) / Honor Open Water Swimmer
Trischa Zorn (USA) / Honor Paralympic Swimmer
Friday, September 29, 2023
2023 ISHOF Aquatic Awards – Presented by AquaCal(Formerly the Paragon Awards)
2023 ISHOF Specialty Awards
Purchase Friday Night Tickets Here
Friday, September 29th Schedule:
5:00 – Cocktails and hors d’oeuvresOceanview Veranda Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach, 3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954.525.40006:00 – Awards Ceremony Caribbean BallroomFort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach8:30 – Dinner on own
ISHOF Aquatic Awards Presented by AquaCal
Swimming: Mike Unger (USA)Diving: Ellie Smart (USA)Water Polo: Mark Koganov (AZB)Synchro: Maria Jose Brunel (ESP)Aquatic Safety: Cullen Jones (USA)Recreational Swimming: Sofia Forte (USA)
ISHOF Specialty Awards
John K. Williams Jr. Award: Gail M. Dummer (USA)Judge Martin Award: Norm Taplin (USA)ISHOF Service Award: Laura Voet (USA)Buck Dawson Author’s Award: Elaine K. Howley (USA)Buck Dawson Author’s Award: Tom Gompf (USA)Al Schoenfield Media Award: John Lohn Virginia Hunt Newman Award: Amanda Gawthrope
Sammy Lee Award: TBA
Duraflex Award: TBA
**All ticket sales are final unless event is canceled**
HOTEL INFORMATION
Host Hotel: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
The Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, (3030, Harbor Drive, Fort Lauderdale, 33316, 954. 525.4000) site of the Friday night awards ceremony is our host hotel. The hotel has given us a special rate of $229 per room night. Please make your reservations through the link below prior to August 29.
(Be sure to say you do not want the resort fee or you will be charged $259)
To make reservations click here: https://book.passkey.com/e/50527236
Upscale retreat with private beach access, two pools, four restaurants, full-service spa and oceanside bar. Location of the Friday evening awards ceremony.
¼ mile south of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
($30 Resort fee – Guests can opt out if not interested in resort amenities)
Additional Hotel Option:
Courtyard Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach, 440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 524-8733.
Click Here: Book your group rate for Honoree Ceremony
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 – $189 per night
Honoree Ceremony September 29-30, 2023: Last Day to Book: Friday, August 31, 2023
Happy Birthday Shelley Taylor-Smith!!
2022 Poseidon Award Winner
Shelley Taylor-Smith was one of the top elite swimmers of her generation. She won 7 majors (marathon world championships), set world speed records, beat all the men in 9 races and scored 51 victories in National, Regional and International races.
Shelley was the Honorary Secretary of the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and had oversight of the FINA 10km Marathon Swimming World Cup circuit, the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix series, the FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships, the 10km Marathon Swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2012 London Olympic Games.
She has been an active coach since 2009, and her swimmers have been successful in 9 solos and 2 relays across the 33 km English Channel and more than 700 solos and relays across the 19.75 km Rottnest Channel.
Finally, Shelley was on the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (IMSHOF) Board of Directors from 2011 to 2014 and was one of the most dedicated Honorees in attending the Induction and Awards Ceremonies in 2011 (New York, USA), 2012 (Los Angeles, USA) and 2014 (Bute, Scotland). Her involvement helped IMSHOF establish a successful ceremony tradition.
She was inducted as an Honor Swimmer in IMSHOF in 1990. In 2008 she was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame and also received The Irving Davids/Captain Roger W. Wheeler Memorial Award.
Happy Birthday Monique Wildschut!!
Monique Wildschut (NED)
Honor Open Water Swimmer (2016)
FOR THE RECORD: Dominated Women’s Professional Races from the middle 1980’s to early 1990’s; SIX TIME WORLD PROFESSIONAL MARATHON SWIMMING ASSOCIATION CHAMPION: 1983–1988; English Channel Crossings: 1982, 1984.
Before turning professional, Monique Wildschut was a five-time Dutch Open Water Champion from 1978 through 1982. She was also a Dutch National Champion in the pool, holding records in the 800-meter freestyle and the 400 medley relay.
In her debut on the professional marathon circuit, she was the first woman to cross the finish line in Atlantic City, 1983. She continued her success that year with the fastest time in the crossing of the Traversee Internationale du Lac St. Jean in Canada, and then set a new women’s record at the Lake Magog Swim in Quebec.
Between the years of 1983 and 1988, Monique swam in the cold Canadian waters to the warm, even hot waters of Egypt and Argentina, and was a six-time World Professional Marathon Swimming Association Champion.
As a marathon swimmer, swimming the English Channel is a must if you truly want to be respected. Monique swam the English Channel twice, once in 1982 and again in 1984. Her first swim she began at night. Mental toughness is something Monique believes is critical in marathon swimming. During the Channel swim, she was seasick and the waves were quite rough, but the worst part Monique said was the fact that she was afraid the people on the boat were going to lose her. Still she continued on and finished the channel in a time of 8 hours and 44 minutes, a fast time for those conditions. For the second channel swim, she decided to go for the record of 7 hours and 40 seconds. Unfortunately, the currents do not always cooperate. The currents were stronger than the calculations. Although Monique ended up with the season record for both men and women, she missed her goal by 39 minutes.
Today Monique helps people who have problems with communication , like children and adults with autism, severe speech and language impedements, or concentration and learning disabilities to break through their blockages. She has also started M4ce Mental Mastery for More Medals, helping top athletes with breaking through their mental blockage and to balance their mental state optimally for top rankings. She has also just written a book, Hardships of a Marathon Swimmer.
Happy Birthday Susan O’Neill!!
Susan O’Neill (AUS)
Honor Swimmer (2006)
FOR THE RECORD: 1992 OLYMPIC GAMES: bronze (200m butterfly); 1996 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m butterfly), silver (4x100m medley relay); bronze (4x200m freestyle relay); 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (200m freestyle), silver (200m butterfly, 4x200m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay); FOUR WORLD RECORDS: 200m butterfly (1-50m, 3-25m); 1993 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (25m): gold (100m butterfly), silver (200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 4x200m freestyle), bronze (4x100m medley); 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: bronze (100m, 200m butterfly); 1995 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (25m): gold (200m butterfly, 4x100m medley), silver (200m freestyle, 100m butterfly), bronze (4x200m freestyle); 1998 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m butterfly), silver (4x100m medley), bronze (4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle); 1990 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: silver (100m butterfly); 1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (200m butterfly, 200m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle); silver (100m butterfly); 1998 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: gold (200m freestyle, 200m butterfly, 400m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle, silver (100m butterfly); 1999 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS: gold (200m freestyle, 200m butterfly), silver (100m butterfly); 35 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Just as fellow Australian Dawn Fraser was known in 1956 as the woman who broke Willy den Ouden’s (NED) 20 year old, 100m freestyle world record, so is Susie O’Neill known as the woman who broke Mary T. Meagher’s (USA) 19 year old, 200m butterfly world record. Susie broke the record at the 2000 Australian Olympic Trials. At the 2000 Sydney Games, she tried to equal the gold medal swim she had in this event at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, but won the silver medal behind Misty Hyman (USA). After the water settled, Susie still maintained a hold on the world record and held it for another two years. Being the competitor she was, she won the 200m freestyle gold medal in Sydney.
Having never lost a butterfly race between Olympic Games (1996-2000), she took on Mary T’s nickname of Madame Butterfly. Could there be two Madame Butterflies? Susie and Mary T. were from two different eras, two different times, each distinct just as when Eva Szekeley of Hungary, the first Madame Butterfly, received her nickname in 1952.
Susie has 35 Australian Championships to her name, breaking Hall of Famer Sir Frank Beaurepaire’s long standing record from 100 years earlier. Her outstanding Commonwealth Games performance gives her the most medals won by a female swimmer (ten gold, five silver) in Commonwealth history. Six of the gold medals were won at one Commonwealth Games (1998 Kuala Lumpur), a record equaled only by swimmer Ian Thorpe.
Happy Birthday Gail Neall!!
Gail Neall (AUS)
Honor Swimmer (1996)
FOR THE RECORD: 1972 OLYMPIC GAMES: gold (400m I.M.), 7th (200m butterfly); ONE WORLD RECORD: 400m I.M.; 1970 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: silver (400m I.M.); 1974 COMMONWEALTH GAMES: bronze (200m butterfly; THREE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS; SEVEN NATIONAL RECORDS; THREE CANADIAN OPEN RECORDS.
At age eight, her coach, Queensland’s Marlene Towne, couldn’t get her to take her foot off the bottom of the pool, but once she did Gail Neall swam like a bullet spun out of its barrel.
The local swim coach said she was not good enough to join the swim team, so she joined up with coach Arthur Cusack until which time her family moved to Sydney where Gail, at age ten, got her first treat of swimming for the legendary coach Forbes Carlile.
With good coaching, success came quickly for Gail. At age eleven, she won her first age group New South Wales Championship in the 100m backstroke. At age twelve she entered her first Australian National Championship and competed for eight years at this meet, winning three National Championships.
By 1970 she had qualified for the Commonwealth Games of Edinburgh as the youngest member of the Aussie team and weighing only 111 pounds. She won the silver medal which gave her the incentive to aim for the Olympic Games of 1972.
She sought the tutelage of Commonwealth Games coach Don Talbot who, as a master motivator, prepared her for her biggest challenge: the Olympic Games of 1972. Qualifying at the Olympic Trials in Brisbane, Gail competed in three grueling events in Munich – the 200m individual medley, 200m butterfly and 400m individual medley. In her strong event, the 400m individual medley, she qualified sixth after the preliminaries but in the finals she surprised the world by dropping an incredible nine seconds from her heat time and winning the gold medal for Australia, breaking Claudia Kolbs’ four year world record. Gail became the last swimmer to hold the 400m individual medley world record before the East German swimmers set the record 21 out of the last 23 years.
In 1974, Gail retired from swimming and on a teaching scholarship attended Kuring Gai College of Advanced Education. She married Ross Yeo and moved to Mendooran, where they now live on a farm with their four children. She does some casual teaching and tries to swim for exercise, difficult to do as she lives about as far away from water as you can get.
Gail Neall visits schools talking to children about doing their best and striving to reach their goals. She was the best in the world – she went as far as a swimmer can go, the Olympic Championship. Now her championship attitude to life strive to make champions of us all.
Wacky Wednesday: A laugh for you today
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPkVY2Lrum0&t=5s
BUY your ISHOF Honoree Induction Ceremony Tickets (September 30, 2023) now available via our beautiful new venue: The Parker Playhouse!
BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE:
Class of 2023 Honorees
Bob Bowman (USA) / Honor Coach
Chris Carver (USA) / Honor Coach
Cesar Cielo (BRA) / Honor Swimmer
Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) / Honor Swimmer
Missy Franklin (USA / Honor Swimmer
Natalia Ischenko (RUS) / Honor Synchronized Swimmer
Kosuke Kitajima (JPN) / Honor Swimmer
Heather Petri (USA) / Honor Water Polo Player
Michael Phelps (USA) / Honor Swimmer
Wu Minxia (CHN / Honor Diver
Sam Ramsamy (RSA) / Honor Contributor
Stephane Lecat (FRA) / Honor Open Water Swimmer
Trischa Zorn (USA) / Honor Paralympic Swimmer
Friday, September 29, 2023
2023 ISHOF Aquatic Awards – Presented by AquaCal(Formerly the Paragon Awards)
2023 ISHOF Specialty Awards
Purchase Friday Night Tickets Here
Friday, September 29th Schedule:
5:00 – Cocktails and hors d’oeuvresOceanview Veranda Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort and Spa
3030 Holiday Drive, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 954.525.40006:00 – Awards Ceremony Caribbean BallroomFort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach8:30 – Dinner on own
ISHOF Aquatic Awards Presented by AquaCal
Swimming: Mike Unger (USA)Diving: Ellie Smart (USA)Water Polo: Mark Koganov (AZB)Synchro: Maria Jose Bilbao (ESP)Aquatic Safety: Cullen Jones (USA)Recreational Swimming: Sofia Forte (USA)
ISHOF Specialty Awards John K. Williams Jr. Award: Gail M. Dummer (USA)Judge Martin Award: Norman Taplin (USA)ISHOF Service Award: Laura Voet (USA)Buck Dawson Author’s Award: Elaine K. Howley (USA)Buck Dawson Author’s Award: Tom Gompf (USA)Al Schoenfield Media Award: John Lohn Virginia Hunt Newman Award: Amanda Gawthrope
**All ticket sales are final unless event is canceled**
HOTEL INFORMATION
Host Hotel: Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa
The Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, (3030, Harbor Drive, Fort Lauderdale, 33316, 954. 525.4000) site of the Friday night awards ceremony is our host hotel. The hotel has given us a special rate of $229 per room night. Please make your reservations through the link below prior to August 29.
(Be sure to say you do not want the resort fee or you will be charged $259)
To make reservations click here: https://book.passkey.com/e/50527236
Upscale retreat with private beach access, two pools, four restaurants, full-service spa and oceanside bar. Location of the Friday evening awards ceremony.
¼ mile south of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
($30 Resort fee – Guests can opt out if not interested in resort amenities)
Additional Hotel Option:
Courtyard Marriott Fort Lauderdale Beach, 440 Seabreeze Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33316
(954) 524-8733.
Click Here: Book your group rate for Honoree Ceremony
Special ISHOF Guest Rate of $169 – $189 per night
Honoree Ceremony September 29-30, 2023: Last Day to Book: Friday, August 31, 2023