Swimming 2021 Discussion Thread

[Wumo 3,023]

This is truly sad news...

https://swimswam.com/yannick-agnel-admits-to-sex-with-minor-denies-coercion-in-rape-case/

[Werloc 3,191]

I think it should be pretty big news in terms of swimming, but Lithuania's very own Rūta Meilutytė made an official comeback in the Lithuanian short-course swimming championships.

 

She already won gold in women's 100m breaststroke with a time of 1:05.23 and that is already faster than she swam in 2018 when she quit. 

[Grassmarket 4,028]

On 12/7/2021 at 8:31 AM, Grassmarket said:

Women’s records continue to tumble in the NCAA as brave transgender superhero Lia Thomas breaks new boundaries.

 

 

Something I did not appreciate before about this story until I read it somewhere else. It seems Thomas-in-female-races is deliberately sand-bagging a la Carsten Semenya. That is, winning by just enough to get records, headlines etc, but not by such huge margins as to make the whole thing farcical and killing the goose that lays the golden egg.*. See the sidebar to this story comparing Thomas-in-male-races’ best times to the recent ones, and to the absolute NCAA records held by Kate Ledecky & Missy Franklin.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10314225/UPenn-parents-pen-poignant-letter-demanding-NCAA-change-rules-trans-swimmer-Lia-Thomas.html

* As to the golden egg. The NCAA is no longer 100% amateur. Athletes can make money from personal endorsements. So Thomas can indeed cash in, & very likely is.

[heywoodu 16,000]

On 12/14/2021 at 4:00 PM, Wumo said:

This is truly sad news...

https://swimswam.com/yannick-agnel-admits-to-sex-with-minor-denies-coercion-in-rape-case/

His defence is basically "Yeah she was 13 but I didn't feel like I forced her so it's alright."

 

Dude.