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CONTENTS 008 SWIMMERS TO WATCH AS MIDSEASON INVITATIONALS GET UNDERWAY by Jesse Marsh Swimming World takes a look at five male and five female swimmers to watch as midseason invitationals begin to get underway across the country. 012 CARSON FOSTER CARRYING MOMENTUM INTO BLAZING SOPHOMORE SURGE FOR TEXAS by David Rieder After just missing making the U.S. Olympic team, Carson Foster later turned in a faster time in the 400 meter IM than Chase Kalisz’s gold medal-winning mark—and the world’s fastest time in 2021. Since then, the 20-year-old has carried that momentum into his sophomore season at the University of Texas, turning in an early-season time in the 400 yard IM that is believed to be the quickest dual meet time ever. 014 ERICA SULLIVAN TALKS 2021 ADVERSITY, 2024 PLANS ON “JUST WOMEN’S SPORTS” PODCAST by Matthew De George Olympic silver medalist Erica Sullivan has talked about her path to the Tokyo Games—through the death of her father, her battles with mental health and three deferments of college eligibility. Recently on a “Just Women’s Sports” podcast, she detailed her bout with COVID-19 in December 2020 that set back her training heading into the Olympic year. 015 CAELEB DRESSEL ANNOUNCES COACHING SHIFT TO ANTHONY NESTY IN GAINESVILLE by Matthew De George Five-time Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel is changing up his training, though he’ll remain at the University of Florida. He recently announced via Instagram that he will be moving to the Florida Gators training group to work with Anthony Nesty and Steve Jungbluth, meaning he would be moving away from his long-time mentor, Coach Gregg Troy. 016 SHAINE CASAS SWIMS 1:42.96 200 IM AT ART ADAMSON INVITATIONAL by David Rieder One year after Shaine Casas broke out during his junior season at Texas A&M, he is no longer a member of the Aggies’ swim team after he revealed plans to move to Austin and swim in the University of Texas pro group under legendary coach Eddie Reese. However, Casas made an appearance at Texas A&M’s annual mid-season Art Adamson Invitational, where he recorded the fastest 200 IM time so far this NCAA season. 017 WYATT COLLINS PROMOTED TO ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH AT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS Wyatt Collins, who served as assistant coach for the Texas men’s swimming and diving program the last five seasons, was promoted to associate head coach. In his seven years on UT’s staff—five as an assistant and two as a volunteer coach—Collins has been an integral part of the Longhorns success, which has included five national team championships and two runners-up. 018 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE
SWIMMING WORLD BIWEEKLY NOVEMBER 2021 | ISSUE 22 022 LYDIA JACOBY WINS TWO TITLES, GOES 59.66 IN 100 BREAST AT ALASKAN STATE CHAMPS by Matthew De George Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby added hardware of a slightly different type to her collection, winning a pair of championships at the Alaskan School Activites Association Championships. Swimming for Seward High, Jacoby won the girls 200 yard IM in 2:05.70 and clocked 59.66 to break her own state record. 023 ALLEGATIONS OF ABUSE LEVIED BY LASZLO CSEH, OTHERS AT HUNGARIAN COACH GYORGY TURI by Matthew De George Hungarian Swimming is dealing with a crisis after fivetime Olympian Laszlo Cseh leveled charges of an abusive training environment at former coach Gyorgy Turi. Cseh’s revelations led others to come forward, and Turi, known on deck as “the Tsar,” has acknowledged some of the criticism, though he’s denied any abuse or sexual wrongdoing. 024 ISL PLAYOFFS MISSING STARS AND DRAMA, MARRED BY PREDETERMINED OUTCOMES AND COVID by David Rieder For the International Swimming League (ISL), the start to this year’s playoffs have been a total dud. The world’s best swimmer is absent, multiple teams are dealing with positive COVID-19 cases, and with two weeks and four matches left prior to the ISL final, it’s already a fait accompli which teams will be moving on. 026 KELSI DAHLIA TAKES DOWN ISL RECORD IN 100 BUTTERFLY, JUST MISSES AMERICAN RECORD by David Rieder The Cali Condors’ Kelsi Dahlia crushed her own ISL league record of 55.22 in the women’s 100 fly (SCM) with a 54.89 during the fourth match of the ISL playoffs. She was only 5-hundredths off her American record and 23-hundredths shy of Sarah Sjostrom’s world record. 027 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA ANNOUNCER JOHN WENDT REFLECTS AT THE END OF IMPRESSIVE CAREER by David Rieder For as long as the University of Minnesota has sponsored a women’s swimming program, the voice of the Golden Gophers’ meets has been John Wendt. He started in 1973, then took on the role of announcer for the men’s team a few years later. Wendt, who was inducted into the University of Minnesota Aquatics Hall of Fame in 2007, recently completed his streak of almost a halfcentury behind the microphone, making Wendt one of the country’s longest active announcers at any level of swimming. 029 MATTHEW SATES, EMMA McKEON CROWNED 2021 FINA WORLD CUP CHAMPS by Matthew De George South Africa’s Matthew Sates and Australian Emma McKeon were the top point-getters at the 2021 FINA World Cup. Over the four legs of the event in Berlin, Budapest, Doha and Kazan, FINA awarded $1.452 million. As high-point champs, Sates and McKeon earned $100,000 each, bringing their respective total earnings to $140,000 and $144,000. 030 AFTER OLYMPIC STRUGGLES, DAIYA SETO BOUNCING BACK by Miguel Caballero Japan’s Daiya Seto, considered the gold-medal favorite in the 400 IM and a contender for multiple medals at last summer’s Olympics, left Tokyo without any hardware. However, in the months since, he has rebounded with outstanding performances at the 2021 FINA World Cup, winning eight gold medals in eight events.
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Swimmers to Watch as Midseason Invitationals Get Underway BY JESSE MARSH
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esides conference and the NCAA championships, midseason invitationals are the most anticipated meets of the college season. Here, we get to see many of the top teams in college face off with each other in a format similar to the postseason.
This year promises to be no different as we’ve seen many swimmers produce exceptional performances already over the past month. Heading into midseason invitationals starting this week, here are five male and five female swimmers to watch as you follow the different meets across the country.
Men Carson Foster – Texas The Texas sophomore has been exceptional since narrowly missing the U.S. Olympic team in the 400 IM. At Sectionals in late July, Foster threw down a speedy 4:08.46, a time that would have won him the Olympic gold medal in the event. He has carried that momentum into the college season, putting up impressive swims in multiple events over three meets so far. His 400 IM against Virginia caught eyes all around the NCAA. Arguably the top swim so far this season, Foster’s 3:40 in Charlottesville is undoubtedly one of the fastest times 8
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[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
Midseason meets bring plenty of fast swimming, and over the years, we have seen numerous school, American, and NCAA records broken at these competitions. It is also fascinating and a little comedic to see swimming enthusiasts try to guess how much each team has tapered and how that may impact the remainder of the season.
we have ever seen someone do the event in a practice suit. It sounds crazy to say we are on NCAA record watch in November and December, especially when talking about one of the toughest marks on the books. But given Foster’s extraordinary talent, Chase Kalisz’s 3:33.42 is within striking distance for him at the Minnesota Invite. We assume he will be suited and have a little rest for the early December meet. With some quality competition in Cal’s Hugo Gonzalez, it would not be surprising to see him put that record under threat. Luca Urlando – Georgia The Georgia Bulldog is another swimmer who has bounced back phenomenally following Olympic Trials disappointment. The Sacramento, California native was a top contender for a
Tokyo berth in the 200 butterfly, but the fast-finishing duo of Zach Harting and Gunnar Bentz overtook the Georgia sophomore on the last 50 to relegate him to third in Omaha.
What is impressive is not only where he is positioned in the NCAA presently, but how close he has been to his best times in October and early November. Against Florida at the end of October, Urlando was just over a half-second away from the 44.97 he swam at SECs in February. He has also been only a little over a second off his 100 back best time this season. Looking at his performances over the past month, Urlando is primed for some eye-popping swims at the McAuley Aquatic Center. Expect him to continue his climb up the NCAA alltime rankings in multiple events. Brooks Curry – LSU The Dunwoody, Georgia native has been having a spectacular year. Though he had been one of the top collegiate sprinters over the past two seasons, he surprised many when he made the Olympic team as a member of the 400 freestyle relay. Curry won gold swimming on the team in the preliminaries and has carried that momentum into his junior season at LSU. He is ranked in the top three in the NCAA in the 50 and 200 free this year. His most impressive feat so far in the collegiate season is his 18.7 practice swim in the 50. The time unofficially cut two-tenths from his personal best, set at SECs back in February. Considering how fast he swam in practice, swim fans are excited to see what he can do across all three sprint free events at the Art Adamson Invite this week. Some stiff competition from the USC sprint duo of Alexei Sancov and Nikola Miljenic and others could push Curry to best times as he looks to solidify himself as a favorite to capture NCAA titles in the 50, 100, and 200. Grant House – Arizona State After missing the past two seasons through Olympic and COVID redshirt years, 2019 World University Games representative Grant House emphatically returned to college swimming this month. Though he did not compete in the NCAA season due to Arizona State redshirting its entire team last year, House still put up some impressive times at USA Swimming meets in the spring. The Maineville, Ohio native won the 50, 100, 200 free, 100 fly, and 200 IM at Phoenix Sectionals, all in personal best fashion with the exception of the latter. He has picked up where he left off from last season, putting up some of the top times in the NCAA this year against USC.
[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
Urlando has quickly moved on from the setback with some electrifying early-season performances in the NCAA. Heading into the Georgia Tech Invite this week, the USA National Team member leads the country in the 100 and 200 fly and is ranked second in the 100 back and 200 IM.
>> Grant House House won the 100 and 200 free, posting the seventh and fifthfastest times in the country, respectively. More impressively, he was less than a second off his 100 best time and only a little over two seconds away in the 200. Given that the meet in Tempe was only his first official competition for the season, his performances bode well for the NC State/ GAC Invitational. Look for House to be among the nation’s best as we head into Thanksgiving. Jack Dahlgren – Missouri Although not as much of a household name as the other four swimmers, University of Missouri senior Jack Dahlgren has been quietly racking up some eye-catching swims so far this season. He has already racked up personal bests in the 50 and 100 free, with the latter currently a nation-leading time. Dahlgren also leads the NCAA in the 200 back with a speedy 1:40.97 at the start of the month against Purdue. It is important to note that Missouri does suit up for dual meets, which can cause their in-season times to be slightly misleading. Nevertheless, we are only in November, and the three-time All-American is hitting similar times to what he went at NCAAs in March. With some rest and a multi-day meet format, expect to see more best times from the Minnesota native at the Mizzou Invite this week.
Women Maggie MacNeil – Michigan It was only a little over three years ago when the Canadian took the NCAA by storm as a freshman, setting a school record in the 100 fly in only her second meet for the Wolverines. Since then, she’s accumulated numerous accolades both on the collegiate and international scene. While the world and Olympic champion has been relatively
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quiet up until this point this year, she is known for putting up big-time swims whenever she puts a tech suit on, and there is no reason to believe this time around will be any different. Even without a full taper, look for the NCAA record holder to threaten multiple collegiate marks at the Minnesota Invitational. Regan Smith – Stanford World-record holder Regan Smith comes into college with tons of pedigree. The three-time Olympic medalist already has best times faster than the NCAA records in both backstroke events. Smith also has incredible versatility, with NCAA A-final worthy times in the 200 and 500 free and 100 and 200 fly. Seemingly under a heavy training cycle this fall, we have not seen any standout swims from Smith and the rest of Greg Meehan’s Stanford women yet. While we know the Cardinal will suit up this week, based on what seems like a change in approach to their dual meets, no one knows how rested they will be heading to the NC State Invite. Rest or no rest, given Smith’s track record, it is a given that she will be posting a number of top times nationally. The most intriguing thing to watch, though, will be what she chooses to swim in Greensboro. Not limited to the three individual event lineup as one is at conference or postseason championships, Smith has a chance to go after multiple events that she won’t be able to swim at PAC-12s or NCAAs. With a good showing this week, Smith could head back to Palo Alto with a few collegiate-leading times and maybe even an NCAA record. Gretchen Walsh – UVA Arguably the top recruit in the class of 2025, Walsh landed in Charlottesville with high expectations to be an instant success in the NCAA. After a little over a month, it is safe to say she has lived up to those lofty standards so far. Walsh leads the nation in the 100 free and 100 back and has top-five 10
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>> Gretchen Walsh times in the 50 free and 100 fly. The freshman is one of the favorites to win the 50 and 100 free at NCAAs in March, but has to contend with MacNeil, teammate and Olympic bronze medalist Kate Douglass, Missouri fifth year Sarah Thompson, and others. She can use the Tennesse Invitational to make a statement to her more experienced rivals. Calypso Sheridan – USC After sitting out last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the former Northwestern star has been phenomenal in her return to the NCAA. In her debut for USC at the Trojan Invite, Sheridan threw down a personal best in the 200 fly and sped to collegiate-leading times in the 200 and 400 IM. Swimming at the Art Adamson Invitational this week, the Brisbane, Australia native will look to build upon her top times in both events and solidify herself as a favorite to win both events at NCAAs next March. Emma Sticklen – Texas After finishing seventh as a freshman in the 200 fly at NCAAs last spring, Sticklen has already put herself in the title conversation for 2022. The Longhorn sophomore has been outstanding in the event this season. Against the University of Virginia, she blasted an NCAA-leading 1:54.46 at the start of the month. To put the swim in perspective, it was faster than what she went to place third at Big XIIs, and her fourth-fastest time ever. Being less than a second off her personal best in-season, she looks primed to excel with a suit and a little rest at the Minnesota Invitational. Additionally, with a deep 200 fly group in Austin, including fellow NCAA finalists Olivia Bray and Kelly Pash, expect her to battle with the two to get under Kathleen Hersey’s 1:51.18 school record from 2009, not just in Minneapolis, but for the rest of the season.◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
>> Maggie MacNeil
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Carson Foster Carrying Momentum into Blazing Sophomore Surge for Texas BY DAVID RIEDER
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n a gut-wrenching three days at Olympic Trials, Carson Foster narrowly missed making the Olympic team twice. First, he was the top qualifier in the 400-meter IM and led for most of the final, only for Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland to speed past him down the stretch. The next day, Foster took ninth in the 200 free semifinals, got a reprieve into the final after a scratch and then ended up eight in the final where six swimmers would be selected for relay duty in Tokyo. Foster missed by a half-second in the 400 IM and then just 0.18 in the 200 free.
in the 200 back to break a pool record held for 16 years by Ryan Lochte.
Then, on the eve of the Tokyo Games, Foster made headlines by swimming a 4:08.46 in the 400 IM, crushing his best time from Trials by two seconds. Moreover, that time stood up as the world’s fastest, almost a second clear of Kalisz’s goldmedal-winning mark. Sure, Foster was swimming at a lowpressure sectionals meet with little competition, but seeing what he was capable of inspired him as he prepared to jump into the new season.
The Trials disappointment and late summer surge has not added additional pressure for his sophomore campaign. Foster actually thinks the opposite, that he is swimming more freely and with a more positive mindset without the specter of an upcoming Olympic Trials.
After watching the Olympic final and seeing his time had been quicker, Foster said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more motivated than I was when I woke up this morning.” Now, Foster has carried that momentum into his sophomore season at the University of Texas. Most recently, Foster exploded in a dual meet against Virginia. Among his performances, he posted a 3:40.48 in the 400-yard IM that is believed to be the quickest dual meet time ever. Only five men beat that time in last season’s NCAA final. He also won the 200 fly against UVA, and a day later, he swam a 1:42.16 12
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“I definitely haven’t lost any of that fire I had at the end of the summer,” Foster said. “I honestly think it’s even more now. I’ve been riding the momentum from the past summer into this season. I’ve got big goals heading into the shortened Olympic cycle, and I feel I’m swimming with some momentum and confidence.”
“I put so much pressure on myself in so many ways last year,” he said. “I obviously had a huge goal to make the Olympic team which weighed heavily on me freshman year. Experiencing the disappointment in Omaha and then bouncing back the way I did this summer really put things in perspective. The lessons from this summer have truly impacted my swimming so positively. I’m so lucky to have the coaches, teammates, and loved ones in my life because they are the reason I was able to bounce back the way I did to use my experience as a jumpstart to my career instead of a setback.” The 20-year-old is the central star for the Texas Longhorns in this collegiate season alongside Olympian and NCAA
runnerup Drew Kibler as the team goes for a second-straight national title and a 16th in the career of retired-then-unretired Texas men’s coach Eddie Reese. And individually Foster will have some unfinished business at the NCAA level as well: he swam a 3:35.27 in the 400 IM in October 2020 that made him the second-fastest performer ever in the event, and he qualified first into the final of that event at the NCAA Championships and even held a lead of more than a second with 100 yards to go. However, Foster could not hold that lead as Florida junior Bobby Finke out-split him on the freestyle leg by more than 2.5 seconds. Maybe we view that swim in a different light after watching Finke pull the same comeback on the world’s best distance swimmers at the Olympics, but Foster will certainly be hungry to earn his first individual NCAA title. He will also be a title contender, although not the favorite, in the 200 IM and 200 back, particularly with Shaine Casas no longer competing in the NCAA. Among those sure to be competing with Foster in the 400 IM final is his older brother, Texas junior Jake, who put up a quick 1:55.91 200 breast against Virginia last weekend. “Jake and I make each other better. He’s my best friend and best training partner,” Carson said. “I always knew I wanted to go to college with him and continue to train together because
I knew he made me into the swimmer I am, and I feel like I help him as well.” Make no mistake, Carson’s attention is on performing at the NCAA Championships and then, one month later, at the U.S. World Championship Trials in Greensboro, N.C., where he hopes to cap off his rebound by securing a spot on the American team bound for Fukuoka, Japan. He has had that plan in his head ever since swimming that long course 4:08 in July. But his debut on a No. 1 senior-level national team will come sooner, when he swims at the Short Course World Championships in December in Abu Dhabi. Foster will have the 200 and 400 IM on his agenda for that meet, and his competition is likely to include Japanese star Daiya Seto. Many college swimmers turn down the opportunity to attend Short Course Worlds given its timing smack in the middle of the season, but for Foster, the chance was too good to pass up — and his goals no less lofty than usual. “I decided to go to Short Course Worlds because I feel like it will give me valuable international experience moving forward into the next cycle,” he said. “It’s hard for me to gauge time goals since I don’t train or race short course meters often. But definitely want to bring home some medals for Team USA. Hopefully a gold!” ◄
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[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
Erica Sullivan Talks 2021 Adversity, 2024 Plans on Just Women’s Sports Podcast BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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lympic silver medalist Erica Sullivan has talked at length about her path to the Tokyo Games, through the death of her father, her battles with mental health and three deferments of college eligibility. But on the Just Women’s Sports podcast this week, Sullivan detailed a more immediate threat to her dreams of swimming Tokyo: A bout with COVID-19 in December 2020 that set back her training heading into the Olympics year. Sullivan had entered 2020 with momentum and feeling good about herself with six months to go to what was assumed to be Olympic Trials. But even after successfully navigating the disappointment of the Games’ postponement, her body landed her in a polar opposite position 12 months later after contracting the virus around Christmas. “Christmas 2020, I had COVID and I was out for two weeks,” Sullivan told host and U.S. women’s soccer player Kelley O’Hara from her dorm room at the University of Texas. “I come in in January out of shape, can’t breathe, horribly ill, frail, I had a swim meet in San Antonio in January just to see where we were, and my coach actually had to take me out of the 1,500, because he didn’t think I was going to finish. And I’m pretty sure he cried when he did that because he thought it was over.” Sullivan, representing Sandpipers of Nevada, went 8:38.46 in the 800 freestyle at the TYR Pro Swim Series stop in San
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Antonio in January, but she didn’t swim the 1,500. Sullivan discussed “fear and terror” going into U.S. Olympic Trials, which was her first meet of significance since the start of the pandemic. Though she emerged from it with a spot on the Olympic team that would ultimately lead to silver in Tokyo, she also picked up a case of bronchitis before the national team headed to Hawaii for a pre-Tokyo training camp. Sullivan and O’Hara, a two-time World Cup winner with the U.S. who won bronze in Tokyo, discussed a wide range of topics, including their personal lives (both women identify as queer). Sullivan explained her plans for the next Olympic cycle. A freshman at age 21, after decommitting from USC, she hopes to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024. But she hopes to retire after that, shifting her attention to her nonathletic career goals, namely in filmmaking. Sullivan: “I think with swimming … you just spend so many hours in the pool that it’s really hard to maintain both (interests). I feel like right now I’m at a stage where I’m maintaining both, but I really want to make leaps in the film industry and really, really hone in on it like I do with swim. I got to at 20 go to Olympics No. 1. Hopefully at 24 I can go to Olympics No. 2. But by the time I’m 24, I think it’s more so time to transition into film if I really want to make any impact there.” ◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis/ISL ]
Caeleb Dressel Announces Coaching Shift to Anthony Nesty in Gainesville
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BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
ive-time Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Caeleb Dressel is changing up his training, though he’ll remain at the University of Florida. Dressel announced via Instagram that he will be moving to the Florida Gators training group to work with Anthony Nesty and Steve Jungbluth. That means moving away from coach Gregg Troy, his long-time mentor from the days when Troy was the head coach of the Gators. Troy also coached him with the Cali Condors in 2019 and 2020 in the International Swimming League. Dressel wrote:
swimming at Bolles Swim Sharks, where Troy had coached for some 20 years. Nesty has made Gainesville an en vogue destination for swimmers. The two-time Olympic medalist for Suriname was an assistant on the U.S. team at the Tokyo Olympics, mentoring swimmers like Bobby Finke and Dressel. Dressel won five gold medals at the Games, his world record in the men’s 100 butterfly standing as the only men’s record taken down. Katie Ledecky has shifted her training to Florida to work with Nesty and his training group. ◄
I am beyond grateful for this opportunity to be in this training environment with this very special, talented, and driven team. I appreciate every coach who has been a part of my life and I feel whole knowing I will still have Coach Troy as a mentor, friend, and most importantly a role model forever in my life. This man has taught me more than he will ever know in and out of the water. Let’s get to work The partnership between Troy and Dressel has been enduring. Dressel started at the University of Florida in the fall of 2014. The native of Green Cove Springs did his club BIWEEKLY
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[ Photo Courtesy: NCAA Media ]
Shaine Casas Swims 1:42.96 200 IM at Art Adamson Invitational BY DAVID RIEDER
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ne year after Shaine Casas broke out during his junior season at Texas A&M, he is no longer a member of the Aggies’ swim team after he revealed plans to move to Austin and swim in the University of Texas pro group under legendary coach Eddie Reese. However, Casas is still around the pool in College Station, and he made an appearance at Texas A&M’s annual mid-season Art Adamson Invitational. He competed in Wednesday’s prelims in the 200 IM and 50 free as an unattached exhibition swimmer. Casas put up a 1:42.96 in the 200 IM, about four seconds off his lifetime best of 1:38.95 from last year. Casas ranks third all-time in the short course yards version of the event behind Caeleb Dressel and Andrew Seliskar, and he led wire-to-wire in the race to win last year’s NCAA title in the event. Casas also won both backstroke events at those NCAA Championships, and we’ll see if he makes an appearance in those events over the course of the week. Casas’ 200 IM time is much quicker than any time recorded so far this NCAA season, although there will likely be more
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quick times posted across the country during the slate of college invitationals over the next few weeks. Casas also hopped in for the 50 free Wednesday, and he swam a time of 19.51. As an exhibition swimmer, he was not eligible to compete in the final. Following his remarkable college season, Casas had a disappointing Olympic Trials, finishing third in the 100 back behind Ryan Murphy and Hunter Armstrong, and missing the Olympics by just 0.28. He also finished sixth in the 200 back in a time almost two seconds slower than his lifetime best. But now, Casas has turned his attention squarely to international swimming after giving up his final year of college eligibility. Casas will make his senior international debut for the United States at next month’s Short Course World Championships, where he will compete in all three backstroke events, and he will be in the running for a spot on the 2022 U.S. World Championships team in April. ◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
>> Wyatt Collins (right) & Eddie Reese
Wyatt Collins Promoted to Associate Head Coach at University of Texas
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yatt Collins, who served as assistant coach for the Texas men’s swimming and diving program the last five seasons, was promoted to associate head coach, head coach Eddie Reese announced on Monday.
to Texas and competing for one season with the Longhorns (2011-12). A two-time member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll at UT, Collins earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Texas in 2013. ◄
“Wyatt is an exceptional person and that makes him an exceptional coach,” Reese said. “His knowledge of the sport is, for somebody his age, amazing. He loves it. He has great connection with the student-athletes and is really good at reading body language. Wyatt gets along great with the recruits and knows how to connect with them, so we get a lot of great talent that way.”
The preceding press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with the University of Texas
In his seven years on UT’s staff, five as an assistant and two as a volunteer coach, Collins has been an integral part of the Longhorns success. In those seven seasons, Texas has won five national championships and was the runnerup in the other two. The Longhorns have swept all seven Big 12 Conference Championships during that time as well. “I am extremely thankful to Eddie Reese, Chris Del Conte and Sarah Baumgartner for this incredible honor and opportunity,” Collins said. “The University of Texas occupies a special place in my heart and I am honored to be able to continue serving this world class institution and the studentathletes within it.” During the 2020-2021 campaign, Collins helped coach the Longhorns to national titles in the 800 freestyle relay and the 400 medley relay at the NCAA Championships. Along the way to Texas’ 15th national team championship, 14 Longhorns also earned individual All-America honors. Collins also helped Texas win its unprecedented 25th-consecutive Big 12 Conference title last season. Prior to launching his coaching career, Collins swam two seasons at Boston University (2008-2010) before transferring BIWEEKLY
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[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
Lydia Jacoby Wins Two Titles, Goes 59.66 in 100 Breast at Alaskan State Champs BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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lympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby added hardware of a slightly different type to her collection last weekend, winning a pair of championships at the Alaskan School Activities Association swimming and diving championships. Swimming for Seward High, Jacoby won the girls 200-yard individual medley in 2:05.70. She unsurprisingly also won the 100 breaststroke, in a time of 59.66. It downed the state record she set as a sophomore in 2019 at 1:00.61. “It felt good and I’m excited,” Jacoby told the Anchorage Daily News. “Not quite my best time, but it felt good to finish high school strong and under a minute.” That time is in the top 10 all-time, by the NFHS record book,
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for high school swimmers. It’s just behind the time of 59.63 posted by one Lilly King when she was in high school in 2015. Jacoby and King were in the same Olympic final in the women’s 100 breast in Tokyo over the summer, Jacoby pulling a surprise to grab the gold medal and King getting bronze. Jacoby has been faster outside of high school competition, clocking in at 58.87 at the OPA Alaska Junior Olympics in June. “It’s crazy to think that I am done with high school swimming, but it’s been great,” Jacoby said. Seward finished ninth in the girls team standings. Jacoby, the first Alaskan to swim for the United States at the Olympics, will attend the University of Texas next year. She has improved rapidly over the last year, cashing in that explosion onto first the national then international scene into a gold medal. But she wasn’t the only Olympian at the ASAA championships. Jillian Crooks swam for the Cayman Islands at the Tokyo Olympics. The 15-yearold ended up at Homer High School this year, where a family friend is the coach. Crooks won the 200 free (1:49.85) and 100 free (50.70) in lopsided races. ◄
[ Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick ]
>> Laszlo Cseh
Allegations of Abuse Levied by Laszlo Cseh, Others at Hungarian Coach Gyorgy Turi BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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ungarian swimming is dealing with a crisis after Laszlo Cseh, the five-time Olympian, leveled charges of an abusive training environment at former coach Gyorgy Turi.
Others have since come forward. Dominik Kozma, who swam in three Olympics and trained at Kobanya until 2014, said he saw Turi pull kids out of the pool by their hair.
Cseh’s revelations led others to come forward, and Turi, known on deck as “the Tsar,” has acknowledged some of the criticism, though he’s denied any abuse or sexual wrongdoing.
“Unfortunately, in most places they don’t raise swimmers as soldiers,” Kozma told Blikk. He expressed concern over the “thousands of children” that Turi has worked with and the costs of his methods on those that didn’t have the success of pupils like Cseh, Krisztina Egerszegi or the 14 other Olympians attributed to Turi. Noemi Kiss, who trained with Egerszegi, also attested to Turi’s abusive practices, while several female swimmers detailed a culture of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances.
The first reports stemmed from an interview Cseh did with 24.Hu Sport in late October. The five-time Olympian and sixtime medalist retired after the Tokyo Games. He’ll turn 36 in December. The interview touched on his work with Turi, who had coached him until 2015 at Kobanya SC. He called Turi’s methods, “not the most modern,” emphasizing the way in which Turi thought the most effective way to train was to break athletes down mentally and physically. Cseh, as translated by Hungary Today, said that, “not a single training session went by without someone crying. Then came the yelling, the punishments. Being hit with a stick while tying a rubber band for a training exercise. … But worse than that was the mental and psychological terror.” Part of the impetus for the switch was Cseh training in the U.S. in late 2014 and seeing that there was a different way to do things, “a bolt of lightning” moment that he needed to switch. (When asked, for instance, if anything would’ve changed had he been born in America instead of Hungary, Cseh replied that he would’ve still been a swimmer but would’ve been, “less mentally injured.”)
Turi spoke to 24.Hu Sport last week in his defense. He did admit some harsh tendencies in his approach, but he emphasized that he parted ways with many swimmers on good terms and denied any sexual allegations. (Turi was also an assistant for long-time national team coach Laszlo Kiss, who resigned in 2016 after a rape conviction in the 1960s was revealed.) According to Hungary Today, the Hungarian Swimming Federation (MUSZ) has set up a five-person committee to investigation the allegations. In the interim, Turi has been suspended from his roles as the MUSZ’s vice chair and the president of its coaches’ committee. MUSZ officials have stressed that they have implemented measures against child and athletes abuse previous to these allegations. Turi’s place with Kobanya SC is also reportedly under review. ◄ BIWEEKLY
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ISL Playoffs Missing Stars and Drama, Marred by Predetermined Outcomes and COVID BY DAVID RIEDER
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he playoffs in a sports league indicates a step up in competition and intensity. Everything is on the line. It’s win-or-go-home, all-hands-on-deck, and star performers are judged by their performances in these critical moments. But for the International Swimming League (ISL), the start to this year’s playoffs have been a total dud. The world’s best swimmer is absent, multiple teams are dealing with positive COVID-19 cases, and with two weeks and four matches left prior to the ISL final, it’s already a fait accompli which teams will be moving on. Sure, each ISL match is exciting, and the fast-paced format is a hit with fans and swimmers and coaches. The athletes are swimming hard, and in a vacuum, it’s great swimming action. But the playoffs are basically a repeat of the regular season, the same issues hovering over the league. Crisis was averted since no teams boycotted the playoffs because of missed payments, but that’s about the only success so far. The first issue is: where is everybody? This question comes with a caveat, as COVID-19 cases are rising across much of Europe, including in the Netherlands, and multiple teams lost swimmers to positive COVID-19 tests last week. Those absences are unavoidable in the current pandemic-stricken world. But Caeleb Dressel, the MVP of the 2020 ISL final and the five-time gold medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, is absent for the Cali Condors after missing the last match and a half of the regular season. Also absent was Dressel’s younger sister Sherridon as well as 200 butterfly Olympic bronze medalist Hali Flickinger, who has not competed in the ISL yet this year. Energy Standard is missing French sprinter Florent Manaudou and, at least thus far, Russian breaststroker Evgeniia Chikunova, who won the 200 breast four times
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during the regular season and again at last week’s European Short Course Championships. In fact Chikunova, Italy’s Marco Orsi and Hungary’s Szebastian Szabo are all missing after earning gold medals at the continental championships last week. Maybe that golden trio, including a world-record-matcher in Szabo, simply wanted a week’s break after one championship meet before heading to another. No fault in that. But that’s a sign that the ISL is unable to stand out amidst an unusually packed international racing calendar, with the European Short Course Championships and Short Course World Championships bookending the ISL postseason. Still, if this is the playoffs, the ISL should make it worth these athletes’ time to attend. Adam Peaty is not in Eindhoven for the London Roar, but he was always doubtful to compete this season following his participation on the show Strictly Come Dancing. DC Trident is also missing two of its top performers, backstroker Jacob Pebley and sprinter Zach Apple, and American 400 IM Olympic medalists Chase Kalisz (Aqua Centurions) and Jay Litherland (DC Trident) were both absent this past weekend. This rundown is by no means comprehensive. Others were absent, whether because of conflicts or, potentially, COVID. Again, viral infections happen, and teams and the ISL must live with that. But scheduling conflicts for the playoffs? That should not sit well. And the action in the pool has lacked a little luster as well. Australia’s Kyle Chalmers took down a 13-year-old world record in the 100 freestyle his last time out, but when he raced the event Friday, he swam more than a second slower. Emma
[ Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL ]
>> Cali Condors star Caeleb Dressel was among those missing from the first weekend of the ISL playoffs
Well, they do. The Cali Condors, winners of the first playoff match even in Dressel’s absence, are a lock to advance to the ISL final, and so are Energy Standard and London Roar. The last spot was projected to come down to the LA Current and Toronto Titans, and the momentum is definitely tipping toward LA. Led by backstroker Ryan Murphy (returning to the league for the playoffs), LA defeated London and Toronto in a match over the weekend. At the same time, the Titans have lost Blake Pieroni to injury and even left a lane open on one occasion during the match with no swimmer to take the spot.
>> Siobhan Haughey won three individual events for Energy Standard in the team’s first playoff match
A final consisting of Cali, Energy, London and LA would mark the third straight season with those teams competing for a title — and it is hard to see that title not coming down to Cali and Energy, just like the previous two seasons. But after the semifinal round was just one match per team in 2019 and 2020, it is now a round-robin over three weeks. So each team will race twice more even though we are already pretty confident in which ones will be advancing. Apologies to the Aqua Centurions, DC Trident and Team Iron, but these teams just showed up in Eindhoven to participate. The potential of advancement was always nonexistent. Maybe this will end with a raucous ISL final, with Dressel, Chalmers, McKeon, Sarah Sjostrom, Siobhan Haughey, Beata Nelson, Ilya Shymanovich and others all challenging records, and perhaps the team title comes down to the wire. That is the ending this ISL season needs and that the swimming community craves from its first-ever professional league. But the playoffs so far are a dud, defined by who is missing rather than the action in the pool. ◄ BIWEEKLY
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[ Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto ]
McKeon, the seven-time medalist from the Tokyo Games and Chalmers’ teammate on the Australian and London Roar teams, is also swimming slower than her stellar form on the FINA World Cup circuit. It is as though these teams have very little on the line.
[ Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL ]
Kelsi Dahlia Takes Down ISL Record in 100 Butterfly, Just Misses American Record BY DAVID RIEDER
D
uring the fourth match of the ISL playoffs, Cali Condors’ Kelsi Dahlia got off to a huge start in the very first event as she destroyed the field in the women’s 100 fly. Dahlia went out under world-record pace in 25.68 — already opening up a half-second lead over London Roar’s Emma McKeon — and she flew home to a 54.89. That crushed her own league record of 55.22 set during the regular season in Naples, and she was only five hundredths off her 2018 American record of 54.84. Sarah Sjostrom is the only swimmer to ever go faster with her world record of 54.61. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been under (54),” Dahlia said in an on-deck post-race interview. “I wanted to get off with a bang for our team tonight. I’m really pleased with the points.”
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McKeon, meanwhile, finished more than a second behind in 56.00 to claim second-place points, while Cali Condors’ Erika Brown placed third in 56.13. LA Current’s Anna Ntountounaki took fourth, and the last four swimmers in the field had their points stolen in Dahlia’s huge jackpot win, which earned her 19 points. The win was Dahlia’s fifth in the 100 fly this ISL season. She won her first three 100 butterfly races in the regular season — including in Match #2 when she set the previous ISL record — before finishing behind Louise Hansson in Match #7. She also won the event in the first playoff match, finishing seven tenths ahead of Sjostrom. We’ll see if Dahlia can track down that Sjostrom world record, which has lasted since 2014, during the final few weeks of the ISL season. ◄
University of Minnesota Announcer John Wendt Reflects at the End of Impressive Career
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BY DAVID RIEDER
or as long as the University of Minnesota has sponsored a women’s swimming program, the voice of the Golden Gophers’ meets has been John Wendt. When the program was started in 1973, legendary Minnesota coach Jean Freeman asked Wendt, a former Minnesota swimmer and water polo player, to help out by announcing meets, and he agreed. He took on the role of announcer for the men’s team a few years later.
“Jean was a force with a heart of gold,” Wendt said.
“We originally had meets at Cooke Hall which was a 6-lane pool built in 1934. It was a great place to host a meet because it seated about 1000 and had very steep seating on three sides of the pool. The fans are literally on top of you,” Wendt said.
But prior to this season, Wendt elected to step down from the role, his final announcing endeavor coming at a ceremony honoring recently-retired Minnesota associate head coach Terry Ganley, a friend of Wendt’s dating back to the 1970s. That streak of almost a half-century behind the microphone has made Wendt one of the country’s longest active announcers at any level of swimming.
“I sat in the stands right behind the blocks and a 100 foot extension cord for the microphone so I could run down to the other end of the pool to do diving. At some meets, we did one meter diving during the 1000. The swimmers would be in lanes 3 through 6 and the divers would be in lanes 1 and 2. I would announce the 1000 and one-meter diving at the same time! “ That setup would not be permanent as the Minnesota teams moved into their new aquatic center, the one now named for Freeman, a few years later. The late Freeman was the one who insisted the new aquatic center be designed for both the men’s team and women’s team to share after the Golden Gopher women’s swimmers began in more humble locales, first in a pool with rope lane lines and picnic tables for starting blocks and then in a facility where they had a fourthfloor locker room and a first-floor pool. But in the aquatic center, the program excelled under Freeman’s watch.
During Wendt’s time with the Minnesota program, he announced 16 Big Ten Championships, three NCAA championships, one U.S. Open and many other NCAA and club meets. He was inducted into the University of Minnesota Aquatics Hall of Fame in 2007.
During Wendt’s lengthy career, he has been on the mic for age group meets featuring Tom Malchow and Matt Grevers, many years before they would grow up to become Olympic gold medalists, and he was there when Australian Glen Housman became the first man to ever break 15:00 in the 1500 freestyle in the Western Hemisphere. He realized the importance of making sure he nailed down pronunciation after he accidentally mispronounced Czech Olympian and Minnesota swimmer Olga Šplíchalová’s name for a full season, and he once drew the ire of Michigan’s swimmers for pronouncing coach Jon Urbanchek’s name correctly — just not how everyone in America was used to hearing it pronounced.
Continued >>
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Wendt has also taught sports law at the university level, and he coached water polo at Minnesota for years along with high school swimming and water polo at De La Salle High School in Minneapolis. He remains a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. But long before that, Wendt came from a family of swimmers and water polo players, well connected in the aquatics community. That plus five decades of announcing high-level swimming means Wendt absolutely knows his swimming! His family would often host the Indiana teams when they came to Minnesota, and, according to Wendt, “One time at 4 a.m., (legendary Indiana diving coach) Hobie Billingsley called and asked my Mom if he could store his trampoline in our driveway — and as long as she was up, could my Mom please make some breakfast for Hobie, Dick Kimball and Bruce Harlan?” Wendt became acquainted with the great Doc Councilman at a young age, and years later, at a Big Ten Championships at Minnesota, the two were catching up when Councilman asked, “Does your mom still have her home on Lathrop Avenue in River Forest?” Looking back on his announcing career, Wendt remembers
his first national championship meet, when he was feeling the nerves of presenting the event before two meet officials approached him and said, “Do you breathe in and out when you start to announce?” He fondly recalls a coaches meeting before a Big Ten Championships when someone mentioned that he should not be a homer for Minnesota in his announcing. “One of the coaches spoke up and laughed, ‘John? He’s either related to or swum for more than half of the coaches here!’” At another Big Tens, he remembers Michigan narrowly defeating the Minnesota women for the conference title, but after Michigan women’s coach Jim Richardson received the Big Ten Women’s Coach of the Year award, he promptly walked across the pool and gave the trophy to Freeman. Wendt called the moment “one of the classiest moves I’ve ever seen.” But perhaps his most emotional moment as an announcer came one year during senior recognitions when a swimmer named Kate Wendt (now Kate Thompson) was last on the list. Wendt read his niece’s list of accolades and thank-yous, including “a special thanks to my Uncle John and Aunt Linda for giving me a home away from home.” Wendt said, “That was pretty special and a little tough to read.” ◄
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[ Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher / USA Today Sports ]
>> Emma McKeon
Matthew Sates, Emma McKeon Crowned 2021 FINA World Cup Champs BY MATTHEW DE GEORGE
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outh Africa’s Matthew Sates and Australian Emma McKeon were crowed the top point-getters at the 2021 FINA World Cup. The duo were the high scorers in each gender over the World Cup stops this fall, in Berlin, Budapest, Doha and Kazan. Over the four legs of the event, FINA awarded $1.452 million. A total of 1,021 athletes (590 men, 431 women) competed, representing 57 national federations and five continents. Sates and McKeon take home $100,000 each. McKeon was the overall top point-scorer at 228.3 points. The Australian, who won seven medals at the Tokyo Olympics, narrowly outdistance Kira Toussaint of the Netherlands, who tallied 227.4. Third place went to McKeon’s countrywoman Madison Wilson (209.1). McKeon ($144,000) and Toussaint ($107,500) were the top prize winners. On the men’s side, Sates took the top spot with 227 points. He was followed by Tom Shields, who picked up 224.4 points. Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands accumulated 224.1 points for third. Those three were the tops on the money list,
led by $140,000 for Sates and $103,500 for Shields. Sates also did the most damage on the record boards. He set three world junior records, taking down the 200 individual medley (1:51.45) and 200 freestyle (1:40.65) in Berlin, then the men’s 400 free (3:37.92) in Budapest. The highlight, of course, was Kyle Chalmers’ world record in the men’s 100 freestyle, the Australian clocking in at 44.84 seconds in Kazan. The United States also set a world junior record in Berlin in the 200 mixed medley relay with the team of Quintin McCarty, Zhier Fan, Charlotte Hook and Kristina Peagle at 1:41.21. With Chalmers’ world mark, a total of four FINA World Cup records fell. Toussaint set the standard in the women’s 50 backstroke (25.81 seconds), McKeon in the 100 free (50.58) and Daiya Seto of Japan rewrote the 200 IM standard (1:50.66). ◄ BIWEEKLY
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[ Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto ]
After Olympic Struggles, Daiya Seto Bouncing Back BY MIGUEL CABALLERO
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o say the Olympic Games in Tokyo did not go well for Japan’s Daiya Seto would be an understatement. Heading into the Games, Seto was a contender for multiple individual medals, and was the favorite for gold in the 400 individual medley. Ultimately, Seto struggled on home soil, failing to qualify for the final of the 400 medley and 200 butterfly in shocking developments. In the months since, though, Seto has rebounded with several strong outings in the short-course pool. The 400 individual medley bronze medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games, Seto had an outstanding performance at the 2021 FINA World Cup. He competed during the third and fourth legs, winning a total of eight gold medals in eight events. Here is a look at how Seto rebounded from Tokyo. October 21-23 Leg three of the World Cup was held in Doha, Qatar at the Hamad Aquatic Centre. Seto claimed titles in the 100 and 400 individual medley, 200 butterfly and 200 breaststroke. His standout race was the 200 breaststroke. Seto went a solid 2:01.65, .40 faster than the Olympic silver medalist in this event, Arno Kamminga. Moreover, his 1:49.76 in the 200 butterfly was among the top performances in the world. In the 100 IM, Seto (51.56) dug deep to edge South African Matthew Sates (51.74), a rising teen on the world stage.
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October 28-30 Leg four of the World Cup, held in Kazan, Russia, again featured a four-event schedule for Seto, but with the 200 fly replaced by the 200 IM. Seto again won each of his events, including the 200 IM in a World Cup record of 1:50.66. Furthermore, Seto swam an aggressive 400 individual medley and lowered his time to 3:57.85. The 100 IM was again tight, this time with Seto beating Russian Kliment Kolesnikov by .02 with an Asian record of 51.29. At the end of the competition, Seto was named the MVP for Doha and Kazan. Seto’s Future Seto just announced his emancipation from the Japanese Swimming Federation. As a result, he is now primarily responsible for expenses related to training camps and trips. In addition, Seto declared that he will start splitting his training time between the United States and Japan. A few weeks after saying that, Seto joined Olympic medalists in the 400 individual medley, Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland, at the University of Georgia. However, he does not plan to stick to the American program but to use his experiences to learn new methodologies. ◄
PARTING SHOT
Dominika Sztandera of the Toronto Titans ISL goes off the blocks during Day 2 of ISL Match 9. [ Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto ]
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