IRC Updates

Below are a series of updates from the International Relations Committee that may be of interest to you as athletes...

FINA COMMISSION & TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS: The following individuals will represent USA Swimming and/or USAS at the upcoming FINA meetings:

Technical Open Water Swimming Committee - October 18th - Steve Munatones

Coaches Commission - October 23-24th - Mark Schubert

Athletes Commission - October 29-30th - Aaron Peirsol

Technical Swimming Committee - November 12-13th - Carol Zaleski & Dale Neuburger

Sports Medicine Committee - December 5-6th - Dr. Jim Miller

FINA Bureau Meeting - January 15-16 - Dale Neuburger

MUTUAL OF OMAHA DUEL IN THE POOL: The 2009 Duel in the Pool will be held on December 19 & 20 in Manchester, England. The venue for the SCM competition is the Manchester Aquatic Centre which hosted the 2002 Commonwealth Games. USA Swimming is sending an A+ team and will be competing against the combined teams of Great Britain, Italy and Germany. German star Paul Biedermann will not be participating due to a prior commitment to compete elsewhere. According to Mike Unger, USA Swimming was intending to compete under the 2010 Swimwear regulations but due to the availability issues this matter remains unresolved at this time. USA Swimming will swim in whatever rules are agreed upon. Our strong preference remains to swim in the new FINA suit rules which are effective in January 2010. The event will be televised in the USA on NBC on Sunday, December 27th from 2-4 pm (ET). More about the 2009 Duel in the Pool at:

http://reachforthewall.com/2009/10/16/suits-and-nations-change-but-usa-vs-europe-on/

ROMA 2009 FINA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS RAN AT $14.2 LOSS : According to SwimNews: The Rome 2009 world championships ran at a 9.5 million euro loss, official reports from Italy reveal today. The specific cost to the Italian swimming federation (FIN) and the city of Rome is put at euros 3.6m. The state will pick up the rest of the bill, media reports suggest. http://www.swimnews.com/News/view/7270

FINA WORLD CUP EVENTS BEGIN --The 2009 FINA World Cup series began last Friday in Durban. The meet is the first of five meets for the 2009 circuit, and the only meet in October following the cancellation of the circuit's 6th meet that was to be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next weekend. Dates for the 2009 World Cup are:
-October 16+17: Durban, South Africa
-November 6+7: Moscow, Russia
-November 10+11: Stockholm, Sweden
-November 14+15: Berlin, Germany
-November 21+22: Singapore

Further information on the World Cup series can be found on the FINA website at this link:
http://www.fina.org/project/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=107&Itemid=541

SABIR MUHAMMED & PETER MARSHALL IN SOUTH AFRICA: US National Team athletes Sabir Muhammed and Peter Marshall conducted swim clinics in South Africa prior to their competition sessions during the October FINA World Cup events in Durban, South Africa.

ATHLETES ELECTED TO THE EUROPEAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE--Croatian swimmer Gordan Kozulj was among the 7 individuals elected to the European Olympic Committees (EOC) Athletes' Commission earlier this month in Moscow. The term for the recent elections is 2009-12.

UK ANTI DOPING AGENCY PROPOSES TO RAID 2010 LONDON OLYMPIC VILLAGE -- UK Anti-Doping agency (UKAD) officials want the right to enter athletes’ accommodation at the London Olympics to search for drugs and the equipment used for banned techniques such as blood boosting. Speaking at last week’s UKAD launch, sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe confirmed that his government is seeking permission from the IOC to allow such raids. Similar tactics used at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics led to the capture and banning of several members of the Austrian skiing team. “We don't want to criminalize athletes, but it would be fair if it was a condition of entry,” Sutcliffe said. UK Sport has handled anti-doping in Britain for the past 20 years, but it also distributes Lottery funding to elite athletes. UKAD – modeled on the Australian and American independent agencies – will be chaired by a former senior police officer, David Kenworthy, with the head of anti-doping at UK Sport, Andy Parkinson, as chief executive.

Approved Swimwear

The list of approved swimwear for next year is out on the FINA website. Check it out as this will be the list that we put into place in the US as well.

In related USA Swimming sponsor news...

October 15, 2009 – Speedo, the world’s leading swimwear brand, has announced that its new generation of performance swimwear inspired by the Speedo LZR Racer suit has been approved by FINA. The range is fully compliant with the new FINA rules that come into effect from January 2010.

The Speedo LZR Racer Elite suit, Speedo LZR Racer Pro suit, and Speedo LZR Racer Comp suit will be phased in to the market from November 2009, January 2010 and mid-2010, respectively, with supply increasing as manufacturing capacity allows.

This is Speedo’s most comprehensive and technically advanced range of performance swimwear to date and caters to every level of competitive swimming.

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WADA 2010 Prohibited List Now Published

On the last day of the USAS Convention, the Executive committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) approved the 2010 Prohibited Substances and Methods List. The United States Anit-Doping Agency (USADA) will review these changes and rules on January 1, 2010. Read below for the major changes and publish their list in the coming weeks. For the full 2010 list use the link at the bottom of this article. The following was posted to the WADA website on September 30, 2009

Title: WADA 2010 Prohibited List Now Published

Date: September 30, 2009

Following its approval by WADA's Executive Committee on September 19, the 2010 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods is now available. This List will go into effect on January 1, 2010.

The 2010 List reflects the latest scientific advances and offers a number of noteworthy changes compared to the 2009 List:

Salbutamol
The status of salbutamol, a beta-2 agonist, will change. Therapeutic use of inhaled salbutamol will not be prohibited as of January 1, 2010. If the urinary concentration is above 1,000 nanograms per millilitre, there will be a presumption that the substance was not taken by inhalation and the athlete will have the burden to demonstrate through a controlled pharmacokinetic study that the level found in his urine was the result of therapeutic inhaled use.

T/E Ratio Follow-Up
No further collections or analyses will be required in cases where the testosterone to epitestosterone (T/E) ratio is greater than 4 and an isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) test or any other reliable analytical method has not revealed evidence of exogenous administration of a prohibited substance.

Pseudoephedrine
Pseudoephedrine will be reintroduced to the List and will be prohibited above 150 micrograms per millilitre.

To consult the 2010 List, the 2010 Monitoring Program, a summary of modifications, a document providing additional information in regards to the reintroduction of pseudoephedrine, as well as a Q&A on major changes, click here.

Rio de Janeiro / South America Take 2016 Olympic/Paralympic Bid

Late Friday in Copenhagen, the IOC came to a decision on the host city for the XXXI Olympiad. Much to the disappointment of US athletes and supporters, Chicago was the first of the four finalists (Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo) to be eliminated. Many US reporters, analysts, and experts thought Chicago was the best bid the USOC had ever put forth, so to head into the weekend with an 'L' in the win column is frustrating to say the least. Although there are many speculations as to why Chicago was not awarded the bid including, but not limited to, recent leadership changes within the USOC, as well as disputes with the IOC over broadcast deals and revenue shares, I thought this would be an appropriate time to explain how the IOC conducts the vote for a host city.

VOTING PROCESS: IOC members vote by secret ballot until one city receives a majority. The city receiving the fewest votes is eliminated after each round. The maximum number of rounds is three.

HOW MANY: The IOC has 106 members. Its president, Jacques Rogge, doesn't vote. Members from a country with a bid city in the race are ineligible to vote as long as that city is still in contention. That means 97 members are eligible to vote in the first round, more in subsequent rounds. In the event of a two-city tie in the early rounds, a runoff is held between the cities. If there is a tie in the final round, Rogge can vote or ask the IOC executive board to break the deadlock.

IOC MEMBERS BY CONTINENT:
Europe: 46
Asia: 23
Africa: 15
North America: 13
South America: 5
Oceania: 4

PRESENTATIONS: Each city makes 45-minute presentations to the IOC members on the day of the vote, with another 15 minutes for questions and answers.

That being said, the final stage of the IOC’s Olympic bid process is a lot more like the CBS reality show, Big Brother than the NCAA’s Bracket-Style Basketball Tournament, the Final Four and to some extent it goes against everything we know to be true in swimming. Most notably, in sports some sort of head-to-head competition is held in which the best team and/or individuals advance. In Basketball this would be advancing from the Final Four to the Finals. In Swimming this would be advancing from the Preliminary Heats or Semi-Finals to the Championship Final. In both cases, those who don’t perform, don’t advance. In Big Brother, as well as many other reality shows, the case is quite different. Players who are considered ‘strong’ are often over thrown and ousted in early rounds through alliances and political play. This often times creates a path of less resistance for the ‘strong’ players that remain by allowing a ‘weak’ player to advance.

Was this the case for the 2016 Olympic Bid? I cannot say, but Rio is only an hour ahead of EST, so that means there is a good chance that Finals will be held at night and we will be able to watch live coverage at home.

20 Question Tuesday with Trent Staley

Below is a repost of 20 Question Tuesday from September 29, 2009 that I did with Bob Schaller. It was great to get a chance to share a little of the athlete rep perspective with a wider audience....

http://swimnetwork.com/blogs/blog/20090929/20_question_tuesday_with_trent_staley-6300.html

20 Question Tuesday with Trent Staley

By Bob Schaller // SwimNetwork Senior Writer

Trent Staley was a team captain at USC and a U.S. National Team swimmer. He's held leadership positions throughout his career. He medaled for the U.S. at 2003 WUGs, and in 2004, won the 200 back at U.S. Nationals. He talks about his past, present, and what the sport needs in the future in this week's 20 Question Tuesday.

1) Where are you, and what are you doing now - married, kids?
Trent: No wife or kids yet, but as of this summer both of my sisters are married and they are younger than I am so I might need to think about moving on that front! Honestly, I am just focused on work and my involvement in swimming post-competitive-career right now.

2) How involved are you with swimming now?
Trent: Well, for someone who doesn’t compete, coach or work at USA Swimming, I guess I am pretty involved. I’ve been an athlete representative to USA Swimming since I was in high school and currently I serve on several committees that are focused on the National Team and International Competition. I was also an ex-officio member of the Board of Swimetwork LLC, which I really enjoyed because it brought my marketing and swimming opinions together in one venue.

3) How did you recover from 2004 Trials, and how nice was it to come back later that year and win Nationals?
Trent: 2004 was a tough year on several fronts and I really hated the idea that trials would be my last swim, so when Sean Hutchison encouraged me to punch the time card for another month and go to Nationals, I figured there was no harm. At Nationals it was great to be on top of the podium though I really did miss racing the usual suspects.

4) What were your fond memories as a USC swimmer and how did your coach shape you?
Trent: So many come to mind. I feel very fortunate to continue to have a relationship with Mark Schubert and to be able to call him a friend. In my school days he was a great mentor and taught me a lot about personal responsibility. As for memories, I swam with a great group of guys and girls who came to the pool every single day and gave all they had. I really miss those years spent working with a group of people who were so focused on being the best in the world... it’s a rare opportunity in this life.

5) What was USC like as an educational experience and how did that prepare you for the "real world"?
Trent: I loved it. Southern California offers an excellent balance between conceptual and practical teaching. The University is known for putting a premium on leadership skills when accepting students so the classroom environment is just as competitive as the pool. As for “real world” preparation, I have to acknowledge the “Trojan Family” which is what we call our alumni network. My best friend in LA is a UCLA grad and even he admits jealousy for the advantages a person has in the "real world" when their resume includes the letters USC.

6) You have been able to stay near the sport since retiring - who are some up-and-coming male and female swimmers on your radar for 2012?
Trent: I’ll start by being a homer: Ari Kukors. The 200 IM and 8 free relay splits in Rome were only a taste of what she can do and with her new training situation and partners in Fullerton, I’m really excited for her. On the guys side I like the moves Andrew Gemmell and Fran Crippen made in Open Water this summer and am hopeful that their improvement continues. I think Fran has taken a very professional approach to what he is doing and it is paying off.

7) Your blogs are always so well done - where did your writing skills come from, and how important is it for athletes to be able to write, and have some sort of new media savvy?
Trent: I don’t know if you are kidding with me or not Bob, ‘cause those blogs got some pretty mixed reviews. I was homeschooled so I guess my mother should get the praise or blame for my writing, though I doubt she ever really wanted me to write a blog. As for athletes... with evolving mediums, new doors are opening for personal expression and promotion. Quite a few national teamers use twitter and I love the dynamic. Those who tweeted from World Champs provided an insider view of the competition that previously went unseen. I think that showing personality via social media, blogging, etc. is important in creating a brand – especially when the brand is an athlete or celebrity. If swimmers are going to be more than a passing fancy every 4 years, the ability to express oneself and do it in the right place at the right time is critical.

8) You have commented extensively on the technology of the swimsuit - what did suit-gate do to the sport?
Trent: To say that everything that has happened since February 2008 was negative for swimming would be a mistake. The Records were exciting and the controversy helped keep swimming in the sports media spotlight in a year when we typically wouldn’t get a lot of attention. Add Phelpsmania to this attention and you get the 12-percent growth we’ve seen in USA Swimming membership this year. That said, when the question of which suit a person wears becomes more important than how/where they train, it isn’t good for the sport.

9) Is this suit flap over now - and if not, when will it be?
Trent: That is a good question. In my opinion as long as there are those who stand to financially benefit from a rule or law being changed there will be a lobby for that change. The suit flaps on... or something like that

10) When do you, as a world-class competitor, see world records being broken again?
Trent: Having never swam in the latest suits I will trust a truly world class competitor’s opinion who has: If (Aaron) Peirsol thinks they will be broken sooner rather than later, I’m all for believing him. I think that a swimmer like (Ariana) Kukors, who had a breakthrough in the suit, learned how to race on the world stage and that won’t go away when the suit does. I do believe that race strategy and technique will need to be refined across the board to improve post-suit, but that shouldn’t take too long.

11) Should the world records set in these suits - which would include many of Michael's records in fact - be taken off the book or have an asterisk?
Trent: I think that it would be terrible to take records away which were set during this era. Swimmers were not the ones who got us in this mess, they competed under the rules they were given and should not have their accomplishments denied. I am intrigued by the possibility of two sets of records, though I am not convinced where the line should be drawn. The beauty of swimming is its objectivity and these conversations are very subjective. I guess I will return to my previous answer and say that really, I am rooting for swimmers to rectify the situation through hard work and determination.

12) What is this suit technology comparable to in, say, another sport - can you give an example; is it like aluminum bats or rubber baseballs in Major League Baseball?
Trent: I have used the example of tennis rackets in the past, which is similar to yours in MLB but really both are examples of sports where an outside item is the focal point of the game. In those sports the point is to put one’s skills using the particular item up against his or her competition. I think swimming is different. It is a sport that is meant to judge one’s ability to move quickly from point to point without help. The only sport like it, in my mind, is running. Even cycling, despite what Lance says, is in fact about a bike and how a person uses it to get from point to point. In running, the comparable change would be going from flats to spiked shoes. Spikes allow runners to interact with the environment differently – they aid speed in a similar way to how “tech suits” do. If spikes first came into existence in 2008 there would no doubt have been a bevy of world records set and the IAAF would be faced with similar issues as we have in swimming. Lucky for them, spikes have been around for a very long-long time.

13) What did swimming teach you about life?
Trent: Swimming taught me that a person only succeeds, long term, through hard work. Cutting corners may lead to positive results in the moment but eventually the person who puts in the most blood, sweat and tears will be the most successful.

14) What did swimming teach you about yourself?
Trent: That if I am not willing to shed blood, pour out sweat and even shed a tear, I had better find another way to spend my time!

15) How frequently do you stay in touch with former swimmers - and who are a few we may remember?
Trent: Pretty frequently. I used to see the Kukors, Margaret Hoelzer and Megan Jendrick every so often at KING and I spent some time with the Trojan breaststroke crew this summer. (Jessica) Hardy and (Rebecca) Soni are close friends with a great girl I dated who swam at ‘SC and is now Reb’s roommate. Keri Hehn and I have also kept in touch off and on since WUGs in 2003. Lindsey Mintenko, Tim Leibhold, Maddy and Fran Crippen, Neil Walker, Aaron Peirsol, Kalyn Keller and Chris Thompson are all involved on the “dry side” of the sport so I see or hear from them a little more often too.

16) Do you swim now, and do you miss it?
Trent: I got in a few times in May with a friend who swam at Michigan but since then I have only gotten in once. I do miss it. I miss being in shape and having the consistency that swimming provides. I really should get back in the habit.

17) What's the hardest part about retiring and what should athletes nearing retirement know, from your perspective?
Trent: The hardest part is losing a daily activity in which you have derived so much personal satisfaction. Finding other positive things to fill your time like work, other sports and relationships is important... otherwise, I think swimmers are prone to getting depressed and/or coming back out of retirement because they have a void they don’t know how else to fill.

18) If you could put the Summer Olympics anywhere, where would that be, and why?
Trent: Vote early and often for Chicago to get the 2016 bid. I believe that USA Swimming will be in a very good position to capitalize on a Games here at home and hopefully continue to elevate the sport in the popular conscious.

19) What is your dream medley relay team - who and why?
Trent: Hmmm, this is a tough one. In my opinion the team of (Aaron) Peirsol, (Brendan) Hansen, (Michael) Phelps and (Jason) Lezak is the gold standard of medley relays. On the women’s side (Natalie) Coughlin, (Jessica) Hardy, Mary T. Meagher and Jenny Thompson all together in their prime would be pretty daunting too.

20) From a PR perspective, what can swimming as a sport and lifestyle do to build this amazing brand that swimming has evolved into, and what are some hurdles we should all be aware of?
Trent: USA Swimming has grown significantly of late but I am cautious of what will happen when Phelps moves on. The NBA soared in popularity during the days of Jordan but after he retired, the leauge lulled. There is a high likelihood that we will suffer a similar effect when our Michael says goodbye and this is why I said USA Swimming would benefit greatly from a Chicago Olympics in 2016. The best thing we can do right now as an organization to combat that is provide value to our members. Coaching that is creative but grounded in hard work, plus quality meets that are exciting and provide real opportunities for success are critical to the brand. If we get those pieces right, word of mouth will do a lot for our public relations I'd say.