A trans-identifying male competed in the U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship meet, and he took gold medals in every event he entered — in the 45-49 age group of the women&#8217;s division.
<a href="https://www.usms.org/comp/meets/meetsearch.php?c=1221718&amp;MeetID=20250424SpNatsY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ana Caldas</a>, who has also raced under the names Hannah Caldas and Hugo Caldas, swam in five individual events and three relays over the course of the four-day competition in San Antonio — and won every individual race: the 50 yard freestyle, the 100 yard freestyle, the 50 yard breaststroke, and the 100 yard breaststroke. Caldas came in a full three seconds ahead of the second place finisher in the 100 yard freestyle, and four seconds ahead in the 50 and 100 yard breaststroke events.
The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) reached out to the U.S. Masters Swimming (USMS) board after Caldas won his first individual event on Friday, referencing the body&#8217;s stated rules — which require trans-identifying male swimmers to have received hormone therapy and to show proof of testosterone levels below 5 nmol/L — and saying that was hardly enough to protect the female athletes who were losing medals and opportunities to men.
&#8220;Transparency in these matters is critical to maintaining the integrity of the competition and the trust of all USMS athletes. There is no length of time during which testosterone suppression eliminates male advantage; therefore it should not serve as a guideline permitting men to compete in women’s swimming. At a minimum, it is USMS’s responsibility to enforce its current policy,&#8221; the letter read, in part.
&#8220;He’s just laughing at these women,&#8221; an ICONS spokeswoman said.
As <a href="https://reduxx.info/trans-identified-male-swimmer-dominates-womens-events-at-the-u-s-masters-spring-championships/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reduxx reported</a>, it is not clear whether or not Caldas&#8217; competitors knew that he was male:
<blockquote>&#8230;he has been competing as a woman in swimming, rowing, and Crossfit for decades, and has been careful to conceal his previous identity. However, Caldas’ birth name is still listed on multiple research papers he co-authored as an academic, and in <a href="https://prod.wp.cdn.aws.wfu.edu/sites/275/2018/10/gb2009-2010.pdf">records from Wake Forest University</a> where he was a <a href="https://archive.is/E3zqW">member of the faculty</a>. Caldas also co-applied for a <a href="https://archive.ph/sUmQf">patent in 2004</a> using the names “Hugo” and “Hannah.”</blockquote>
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines shared the story via X, adding, &#8220;A man who goes by the name Ana swam five events at the U.S. Masters Swimming National Championship. He won them all. Real life South Park episode.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A man who goes by the name Ana swam five events at the U.S. Masters Swimming National Championship.
He won them all.
Real life South Park episode. 
<a href="https://t.co/Mw2jL9BukD">https://t.co/Mw2jL9BukD</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1916987679603908676?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;INSANITY. At this weekend’s U.S. Masters Spring National Championships, Hugo &#8216;Ana&#8217; Caldas, a male athlete, took first place in 5 Women’s individual events. Here he is crushing the Women&#8217;s breast stroke 45-49 category, winning by a full 3 seconds, in a time of 29.74. Anyone who competes in swimming at the national level knows this is unheard of in a 50 yard race where wins are often measured in a tenth or a hundredth of a second,&#8221; Beth Bourne added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨🚨INSANITY. At this weekend’s U.S. Masters Spring National Championships, Hugo “Ana” Caldas, a male athlete, took first place in 5 Women’s individual events.
Here he is crushing the Women&#8217;s breast stroke 45-49 category, winning by a full 3 seconds, in a time of 29.74.… <a href="https://t.co/EPfuFe6wOh">pic.twitter.com/EPfuFe6wOh</a>
— Beth Bourne (@bourne_beth2345) <a href="https://twitter.com/bourne_beth2345/status/1916587569598595106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Michael Jordan at 60 years old could suit up today and be the best &#8216;WOMAN&#8217; in the @wnba and maybe THEN the stupid people in the U.S. Masters Swimming National Championship would SEE THEIR OWN INSANITY!&#8221; Rob Schneider posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Michael Jordan at 60 years old could suit up today and be the best “WOMAN” in the <a href="https://twitter.com/WNBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WNBA</a> and maybe THEN the stupid people in the U.S. Masters Swimming National Championship would SEE THEIR OWN INSANITY! <a href="https://t.co/I1Tdwh5gi7">https://t.co/I1Tdwh5gi7</a>
— Rob Schneider 🇺🇸 (@RobSchneider) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobSchneider/status/1917255362866266307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

A swimmer warms up before a meet at Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Trans-Identifying Male Sweeps Women’s Events At U.S. Masters Swim National Championships

Social Issues

Sports

Swimming

Transgender Athletes

U.S.

Women's Swimming

The Trump administration demanded on Tuesday that the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ncaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NCAA</a> strip the records and awards of the male athletes who competed in female sports at the collegiate and high school levels because of their transgender identity.
The Department of Education wrote a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) demanding that they take action to restore the awards, records, and titles that female athletes would have won had they not been displaced by male athletes who identified as female.
“The NCAA and NFHS should also immediately act to rectify the injustices that female athletes across the nation endured during the years that NCAA and NFHS policies promoted and facilitated men competing on women’s teams,” Deputy General Council Candice Jackson wrote.
The letter, written to NCAA President Charlie Baker and NFHS President Bob Lombardi, said that the Education Department would be enforcing Title IX to “hold educational institutions accountable for depriving female athletes of the awards, records, points, prizes, titles, trophies, announcements or other recognition assigned in favor of male athletes who were allowed to compete in female sports.”
This would mean stripping male athletes who identified as female, like University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who won the women’s NCAA Division 1 championship in the 500-yard freestyle, of their accolades.
“Whether the number of records in women’s events attributed to men is 1 or 1 million, every official record of women’s performances must accurately reflect the achievements of female athletes, not of male ones,” Jackson wrote.
Riley Gaines, who competed against Thomas, and shared a fifth place result with him at the women’s 200-meter NCAA championships back in 2022, praised the Education Department.
“Restoring stolen athletic accolades to their rightful owners is a crucial step towards reinstating accountability, integrity, and common sense – one that I wholeheartedly support,” she said.
The letter also pointed to an executive order from President Donald Trump that strips funding from schools that force female athletes to compete with males and instructs the Education Department to enforce Title IX against schools that allow trans-identifying males in women’s sports or force girls to share locker rooms with males. One day later, the NCAA <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ncaa-backs-down-changes-transgender-athlete-policy-after-trump-order" target="_blank" rel="noopener">changed its policy</a> to keep sports segregated by sex.
“While NCAA has amended its policy to state that a male may not compete for a women’s team, officially correcting the records is another critical step in rectifying the miscarriage of justice against female athletes allowed under the Biden Administration and giving female athletes the recognition they rightfully earned,” Senior Advisor for the Office of Communication in the Department of Education Julie Hartman told The Daily Wire.

NCAA SWIMMING: MAR 18 Women’s Swimming & Diving Championships

Trump Admin Tells NCAA To Strip Records Of Male Athletes Who Competed In Women’s Sports

College sports

Department of Education

Donald Trump

Lia Thomas

NCAA

Politics

Riley Gaines

Trump Administration

Women's sports

Former U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olympic swimmer</a> Gary Hall Jr. said he lost all 10 of his Olympic medals after his home was destroyed in the Palisades fire as the blaze in Los Angeles continued to rage.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/09/sport/gary-hall-jr-loses-olympic-medals-in-palisades-wildfire-spt/index.html">CNN</a>, Hall said that when they were told to evacuate due to the multiple wildfires in Southern California, he thought he had more time, but found out very quickly he had to get out and save himself rather than gather the medals and other personal belongings.
“I saw the fire charging down the hill and knew that I had to get out of there,” the Olympic swimmer said. “I opened up the back of my SUV, I loaded a painting, one other object. By the time I was going back in from that run, hot embers were raining down from the sky.”
“I knew at that point that I just didn’t have much time,” he added. “I could see the embers hitting the roofs of the houses around me and made that decision: it’s time to go. The medals were in a closet in my bedroom, 70 feet away, and I didn’t have time to go get them.”
“From the time that I saw the first plume of smoke at the top of the hill … I had about three minutes between then and when it came charging toward me,” Hall continued. “It wasn’t easy to leave that behind. I worked a lifetime to achieve that, and the memories remain but the souvenir is gone.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gary Hall Jr. won 10 Olympic medals in the water. Then he lost them in the Palisades fire <a href="https://t.co/BjbYiuZWzT">https://t.co/BjbYiuZWzT</a>
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) <a href="https://twitter.com/latimes/status/1877812921280893032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2025</a></blockquote>
Representing the U.S. at the Olympics in 1996, 2000, and 2004, Hall Jr. had not only won ten Olympic medals, including five gold, but also six world championship medals (three gold and three silver) during his career, all of which are gone now.
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Diagnosed in 1999 with Type 1 Diabetes, Hall also described to CNN some of the terrifying scenes of the day he had to get out as the fires completely engulfed the area due to the high-speed Santa Ana winds.
“I was one of the first hill evacuees to make it into the village,” Hall said. “There was one other car of a person that had fled in the parking lot, surrounded by five pre-schools, elementary schools, kindergartens and schools still in session and you could see it went from an idyllic, peaceful Palisades village, descending into mayhem and panic.”
“There were people screaming, cars driving up on the sidewalk,” he added. “Imagine the desperation of a parent trying to get to their child in time to get them from the school and to safety. So you have cars blowing through stop signs, red lights, crashes happening and people running in every direction.”
A <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-gary-hall-jr-after-devastating-fire">GoFundMe</a> page has been set up to help Hall Jr.
“Gary Jr. lost his home and his livelihood in the devastating Palisades Fire on January 7th,” a statement on the site reads. “Gary saw flames out his window while he was at home before collecting his dog, Puddles, his insulin, a painting of his grandfather, and a religious wooden piece his daughter Gigi gave him and drove towards the ocean as quickly as possible.”
“He was forced to leave behind everything else he owned, such as irreplaceable family heirlooms, photos, and more,” the statement added. “He has also most likely lost his ten Olympic medals, but nothing can take away his spirit that won those medals.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/anna-faris-adam-brody-mandy-moore-become-latest-celebs-to-lose-homes-in-socal-fires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anna Faris, Adam Brody, Mandy Moore Become Latest Celebs To Lose Homes In SoCal Fires</a>

Palisades fires

Former U.S. Olympic Swimmer Says He Lost All 10 Of His Olympic Medals In SoCal Fires

California

Fire

Los Angeles

Natural Disaster

Olympics

Wildfires

Former American collegiate swimmer Ali Truwit proves never giving up pays off after she ended up recently taking home the silver twice in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paralympics</a>, 16 months after she lost her leg in a shark attack.
The 24-year-old swimmer competed in Paris and took home the silver in the <a href="https://x.com/TeamUSA/status/1832102781433606469">women&#8217;s 100m backstroke S10</a> on September 6 and the women’s S10 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/27/sport/katie-ledecky-ariarne-titmus-swimming-paris-olympics/index.html">400-meter freestyle</a>, setting a new American record in the latter with a time of 4:31.39, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/06/sport/ali-truwit-swimming-shark-paralympics-spt-intl/index.html?Date=20240906&amp;Profile=CNN,CNN+International&amp;utm_content=1725625428&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0wtnPnbI02FZf6qpxrrkBqJuvIwv_GToJEphjujId_TWsunETfStoHJZo_aem_z7jzA8HtSZso3DRtsFo4vg">CNN</a> reported.
“It’s a real full circle moment and speaks to the support I have all around me,” Truwit told members of the press after her race. “When you are truly faced with death and you understand what a second chance at life means, you want to make the most of it.”
“Every day there is something new for me that I learn that kind of evokes a new memory from the attack,” she added. “Because I was conscious the whole time. Truthfully, at the start I thought it was going to be something where I overcame the fear and that was it.”
&#8220;I have learned from this journey that that is not what this journey looks like,” Truwit continued. “That there will be days it’s great and there will be days I have to fight to get that love back. But I would say I am at 90:10 right now of really feeling comfortable and happy in the water and I am thankful to be there.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ali Truwit is simply incredible 🌟<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParisParalympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ParisParalympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/m970lHnAer">pic.twitter.com/m970lHnAer</a>
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamUSA/status/1831831411390894364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
In May 2023, Truwit was on vacation swimming in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Turks and Caicos when she was attacked by the shark. She managed to fight off the animal and then swim some 70 meters to a boat before she was airlifted to the hospital, CNN noted.
“I think it was survival instinct. It was a terrible day, it’s a terrible memory. It was shocking, terrifying, but I am alive, I am here and I am going to make the most of it,” Truwit said.
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Doctors were able to save her life, but the swimmer ended up losing her foot and part of her leg in the attack. She underwent three surgeries and six months later, she got back in the water and now is a two-time silver medalist.
Truwit couldn’t have gotten where she is today without that persistence, but credits those closest to her, her friends and family, with helping her make it.
“Sophie, who was in the water with me and tied the tourniquet on my leg and saved my life, is in the stands, as well as Hannah, who was the one who was in medical school rotation at the trauma hospital I was airlifted to,” Truwit said after the race. “I am so lucky for them and all the others in the stands.”
“I think my parents have done an incredible job raising me and my three brothers to be adaptable, to try and look for the positives in life and appreciate all we have been given,” she added. &#8220;So, when I was faced with a life-changing trauma, I worked to see the positive and focus on gratitude and let that carry me.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-wraps-up-olympic-swimming-with-another-gold-medal-and-a-new-world-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Wraps Up Olympic Swimming With Another Gold Medal And A New World Record</a>

Alexandra Truwit

American Paralympic Swimmer Takes Silver, Sets New Record 16 Months After Losing Leg To Shark

General

Paris

Paris Olympics

World

Former collegiate swimmer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/riley-gaines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Riley Gaines</a> tore into Georgia Tech President, Dr. Angel Cabrera, for failing to intervene when it became clear that the NCAA was going to allow a biological male to not only compete against the females, but to have full access to their locker rooms while they were changing as well.
Gaines spoke on Tuesday before the Georgia General Assembly’s Special Committee on Protecting Women’s Sports, where she called Cabrera out for allowing trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas to compete against and change alongside the women who had worked their entire lives to get to the NCAA championship. Prior to her appearance, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/riley-gaines-rips-georgia-tech-president-remarks-lawmakers-why-didnt-you-protect-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a> obtained a copy of her prepared remarks.
&#8220;Dr. Cabrera, you knew that a 6’4&#8243; fully intact man was coming to compete against me, my teammates, and my competitors in the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming &amp; Diving National Championships. Do you have a daughter? You could have stopped it, you could have at least said, ‘not here, not on the campus of Georgia Tech University,’ but you did not,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;You had the chance at the outset to bring a sane, rational, science-based perspective to the protection of women’s sport, but you looked the other way, and you did nothing. Why didn’t you intervene? The scientific evidence for immense male performance advantages in sport is overwhelming — I don&#8217;t have to explain that to you or this committee, but you ignored the science to the harm of women.&#8221;
Gaines went on to say that officials had known Thomas, still a fully-intact male, would be changing in close proximity to the women — and that they would have no ability to escape the situation.
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&#8220;This was intentional, premeditated, sexual harassment, and it happened right here, in the capitol city of the State of Georgia, just a few blocks away the grounds of Georgia Tech University,&#8221; Gaines said. &#8220;Because you did nothing, that man walked into the women’s locker room at your university and saw me undressed down to nothing. I did not even know he had access to the women’s locker room until I heard a man’s voice and turned around and saw him a few feet in front of me, and I was unclothed. You allowed college women to be traumatized on your campus in this way. Why didn’t you protect me? Why didn’t you protect us?&#8221;
Gaines called on Cabrera to respond, saying that the Georgia Tech President could &#8220;redeem&#8221; himself by speaking up now, adding, &#8220;Thousands of women across this country and hundreds of girls who dream of swimming for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and more broadly who dream of competing in sports at all look forward to your response.&#8221;

2024 Folds Of Honor Tennessee Rock N’ Jock Celebrity Softball Game

‘Why Didn’t You Protect Us?’ Riley Gaines Demands Accountability From Georgia Tech President

'Why Didn't You Protect Us?' Riley Gaines Demands Accountability From Georgia Tech President

Georgia

The United States swim team wrapped up the final day of competition in the pool with a pair of gold medals and world records to go with them.
Long-distance freestyler Bobby Finke delivered the first of the two gold medals in the 1500-meter freestyle — the only individual gold medal earned by a male swimmer on Team U.S.A. — and a new world record of 14:30.67.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BOBBY FINKE HAS DONE IT. 🫡
With a WORLD RECORD time, he successfully defends his Olympic title in the men&#8217;s 1500m free!
📺 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParisOlympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ParisOlympics</a> on NBC and Peacock <a href="https://t.co/MBmwL7reEp">pic.twitter.com/MBmwL7reEp</a>
— NBC Olympics &amp; Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1820240849218818442?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Katie Ledecky — whose prowess in the long distance races across four Olympic Games has made her the most decorated American female Olympian in history — couldn&#8217;t contain her excitement as Finke, who trains with her under coach and former Olympian Anthony Nesty, swam to victory.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Deranged Katie Ledecky cheering Bobby Finke’s 1500 win, wielding a cowbell like a weapon, is giving me life <a href="https://t.co/rmwolR9Ub9">pic.twitter.com/rmwolR9Ub9</a>
— Steve Cavendish (@scavendish) <a href="https://twitter.com/scavendish/status/1820144643830640883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The men&#8217;s 4&#215;100 medley relay team took the silver medal — the only time other than the 1980 boycott of the Moscow Olympics that a U.S. men&#8217;s team has not taken the gold in that event.
The team lost to China in a major upset despite an impressive split from Caeleb Dressel in his butterfly leg — 49.41, four hundredths of a second under his own world record in the 100-meter butterfly, which was set in Tokyo in 2021.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🇺🇸 Caeleb Dressel turning on the turbo for the team🚀 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/8lnxhc3zlj">pic.twitter.com/8lnxhc3zlj</a>
— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldAquatics/status/1820150298620387824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The games concluded on another high for Team U.S.A. as the women&#8217;s medley relay team — Regan Smith (backstroke), Lilly King (breaststroke), Gretchen Walsh (butterfly), and Torri Huske (freestyle) — took the gold by a decisive margin and set another world record in the process.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
TEAM USA CLOSES IT OUT WITH A GOLD. 🥇👏
In the final swim of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ParisOlympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ParisOlympics</a>, the United States DOMINATES the women&#8217;s 4x100m medley relay! <a href="https://t.co/ISAvsNwyef">pic.twitter.com/ISAvsNwyef</a>
— NBC Olympics &amp; Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1820153975267574165?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 4, 2024</a></blockquote>
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SWIMMING-OLY-PARIS-2024

U.S. Wraps Up Olympic Swimming With Another Gold Medal And A New World Record

China&#8217;s Pan Zhanle won a decisive victory in the men&#8217;s 100 freestyle on Wednesday, beating the rest of the field at the Olympic Games in Paris by a full second and setting a new world record — and immediately <a href="https://www.espn.ph/olympics/story/_/id/40696787/china-pan-zhanle-calls-other-olympic-swimmers-unfriendly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threw shade</a> at two of his competitors, Kyle Chalmers (AUS) and Jack Alexy (USA).
Pan finished the race in 46.40, knocking 0.4 off his previous world record time set earlier this year and the world championships in Doha, Qatar: &#8220;Today I finally beat them all. In such a challenging pool, I broke the world record. This is a tremendous performance and a great start for team China.&#8221;
But a short time after the race, he told reporters that some of the other swimmers had been less than friendly towards him.
&#8220;When I finished the 4&#215;100 freestyle relay the other day, I said &#8216;hi&#8217; to Chalmers, but he totally ignored me. Also [Jack] Alexy from the U.S. When we were training, our coach was standing by the poolside and he turned in such a way that the water splashed right onto the coach. I felt he looked down on us a little,&#8221; Pan said in an interview.
Chalmers, who won gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and had hoped to repeat that victory in Paris, finished just over a second behind Pan for the silver medal — but he did not recall any instance in which he had given the Chinese athlete the cold shoulder.
&#8220;I find it a bit weird. I gave him a fist pump before the relays &#8230; and then my focus went to my teammates and my own racing. We had a laugh together at warmdown last night, but no issues from my end,&#8221; he said.
Alexy, who finished seventh in Wednesday&#8217;s final, did not comment on Pan&#8217;s claim.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722626094661000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0xeRV2yZnGyN0DMA1KI89w">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR &#8216;AM I RACIST?&#8217; — MATT WALSH&#8217;S EXPOSÉ ON DEI</a>
As <a href="https://www.espn.ph/olympics/story/_/id/40696787/china-pan-zhanle-calls-other-olympic-swimmers-unfriendly" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN reported</a>, &#8220;the Chinese swim team has been under intense scrutiny&#8221; leading up to the Paris Olympic Games after it was revealed that a number of athletes had tested positive for <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/30/us/politics/china-swimmers-doping-food.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banned substances</a> in 2021 but were still allowed to compete in the Tokyo Games. China has repeatedly blamed &#8220;contaminated food&#8221; when athletes test positive for banned substances.
For his part, Chalmers <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/08/01/sports/olympics-feud-erupts-between-chinese-world-record-holder-australian-american-rivals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not question</a> Pan&#8217;s Wednesday victory or his new world record: &#8220;For him to produce a 46.40 and break the world record in the Olympic final is incredible. I do everything I possibly can to win the race, and guess everyone’s doing the same as I am and staying true to the sport and integrity of sport. I trust that he’s done everything he possibly can to be there. And he deserves that gold medal. And I did everything I possibly could to challenge for that gold medal.&#8221;
American distance swimmer Katie Ledecky weighed in on the use of performance-enhancing substances before the Olympics, saying, &#8220;I hope everyone here (in Paris) is going to be competing clean this week. But what really matters also is: Were they training clean? Hopefully, that’s been the case. Hopefully, there’s been even testing around the world.&#8221;

Paris 2024 Olympic Games

Chinese Swimmer Smashes World Record, Throws Shade At Aussie And American Rivals

Australia

China

Communist China

American distance swimmer <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/what-to-watch-paris-olympics-july-31-katie-ledecky-record-tying-medal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Katie Ledecky</a> delivered a gold-medal performance in the 1500-meter freestyle on Wednesday, bringing her total Olympic medal count to 12 — and earning her entrance into an elite club with only three other members.
Just three other American women — all of them swimmers — have ever won 12 Olympic medals: <a href="https://usopm.org/jenny-thompson/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jenny Thompson</a>, Dara Torres, and Natalie Coughlin.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Katie Ledecky wins her 12th Olympic medal.
This ties her with Natalie Coughlin, Jenny Thompson &amp; Dara Torres for the most by a US female swimmer 👏 <a href="https://t.co/HtWUfBHXzf">pic.twitter.com/HtWUfBHXzf</a>
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/sportingnews/status/1818733436049539449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
Her win in Wednesday&#8217;s 1500 was not unexpected — she has not been beaten in that distance in more than a decade and held the top 19 times in the world prior to her Paris win— and it also tied her with Thompson for another record: with eight each, Ledecky and Thompson have the most Olympic gold medals of any American female in any sport.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Katie Ledecky: Pretty good at the 1500 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paris2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paris2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/hCdKynGw25">pic.twitter.com/hCdKynGw25</a>
— Mitch Goldich 🐙 (@mitchgoldich) <a href="https://twitter.com/mitchgoldich/status/1818727110971933033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;Update: Katie Ledecky now owns the 20 fastest times in the history of the women&#8217;s 1500-meter freestyle,&#8221; The Athletic&#8217;s Nicole Auerbach added. &#8220;The one she just swam is No. 8 all-time.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Update: Katie Ledecky now owns the 20 fastest times in the history of the women&#8217;s 1500-meter freestyle.
The one she just swam is No. 8 all-time.
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) <a href="https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1818734478518264295?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2024</a></blockquote>
Her Wednesday time, 15:30.02, was her 8th best of all-time and set a new Olympic record. She finished 17 seconds ahead of her closest competition.
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But Ledecky, with two races left to swim in the Paris Olympics, could still add to that count before the week is out. She is a heavy favorite to medal in the 800 freestyle, another event in which she has been a dominant force. She owns the top 16 times in that event as well, and has only lost that event once since 2010 — at 2024&#8217;s USA Swimming Southern Zone South Sectionals in Orlando — to Canadian phenom Summer McIntosh. McIntosh took silver in the 400 freestyle earlier in the week, finishing just ahead of Ledecky, who earned a bronze medal, and just behind Australia&#8217;s Ariarne Titmus.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Day Five

Katie Ledecky Ties Three Veteran Swimmers For Most Decorated American Female Olympian

Team USA Swimmer Ryan Murphy won a bronze at the 2024 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/paris-olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paris Summer Olympics</a> &#8212; and his wife made the moment even more memorable, sharing that they were expecting a little girl.
After the U.S. swimmer took home his third Olympic medal in the men’s 100 meter backstroke, his wife Bridget Konttinen &#8212; who is expecting the couple’s first child &#8212; stood up in the audience and <a href="https://x.com/RowdyGaines/status/1818014976054837432">held up a giant sign</a> that read, “It’s a girl!” <a href="http://olympics.com">Olympics.com</a> reported.
“I was walking back around and Bridget was holding up a sign and it said — ‘Ryan, it’s a girl,’” <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/07/29/sports/swimmer-ryan-murphys-olympic-medal-comes-with-gender-reveal/">Murphy said</a>. “That was the first time I heard the gender.”
“I think that just kind of like lit me up.” he added. “And really brought this night to a whole other level.”
“Up to this point, swimming has really been the most important thing in my life,” Murphy continued. “Pretty much every major decision I make is with swimming in mind, and that’s going to change coming up. I’m really looking forward to what’s coming.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is so much bigger than ANY medal. Congrats Murph!!<a href="https://twitter.com/ryan_f_murphy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ryan_f_murphy</a> <a href="https://t.co/uLo5YuN7Ge">pic.twitter.com/uLo5YuN7Ge</a>
— Rowdy Gaines (@RowdyGaines) <a href="https://twitter.com/RowdyGaines/status/1818014976054837432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
Speaking to reporters later, Murphy revealed that the two are expecting a daughter in January, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/07/29/sports/swimmer-ryan-murphys-olympic-medal-comes-with-gender-reveal/">New York Post</a> noted.
“We both — we honestly both thought it was going to be a boy,” the swimmer said. “And everyone — like everyone — we were talking to, they thought it was going to be a boy.”
Murphy and his wife tied the knot in 2023 and the Olympian credited his wife with helping him stay balanced ahead of the games.
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“When you have to analyze swimming things at such a granular level and really be a perfectionist, it’s easy to turn that perfectionism in on yourself and start analyzing your own personality characteristics and stuff like that,” Murphy said.
“Having her gives me a lot of great balance in my life,” he added. “She’s someone who could say, ‘Hey, Ryan, you’re going a little bit too hard at this, you can be a little bit softer on yourself today.’ She’s great for me and helps me keep a level head on things.&#8221;
Murphy will return to the pool on Wednesday where he will compete in the 200-meter backstroke, the Post noted. During his Olympic career, he’s taken home a total of seven medals.

Ryan Murphy

Ryan Murphy Wins Bronze At OIympics And Wife Makes It Even More Memorable With Big News

fatherhood

American swimmer Nic Fink broke a 120-year-old Olympic record on Sunday when he tied British champion Adam Peaty for the silver medal in the men&#8217;s 100-meter breaststroke: he competed — and medaled — in the Olympic Games at the age of 31 while also holding down a day job.
In a finish that was almost too close to call, Italian swimmer Nicolo Martinenghi took the gold medal with a time of 59.03 and Fink — a New Jersey native — touched the wall at 59.05 seconds, exactly at the same time as the British defending champion.
&#8220;It’s kind of strange splitting a medal, but I’ve actually split a silver medal before in the 100 breast. It’s kind of funny how it’s happened again,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nj.com/olympics/2024/07/paris-olympics-njs-nic-fink-wins-silver-medal-in-a-tie-with-a-swimming-legend.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fink said</a>, referencing a three-way tie in the event that had occurred at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan in 2023.
&#8220;With Adam, he’s a legend in the sport, and it’s awesome to see his comeback and his return, and to share the podium with him — let alone the silver medal — is an awesome experience,&#8221; Fink added, giving a nod to Peaty&#8217;s recent break from competition to focus on his mental health. &#8220;To see Nicolo there as well, we’ve been racing together quite a while, so it’s really cool to share the podium with all those guys.&#8221;
But what made the event a record-breaker was neither the impressively fast time nor the fact that in a race where hundredths of a second count, there was a tie. It wasn&#8217;t even the fact that Fink holds a full-time job in addition to his rigorous training and competition schedules. On Sunday, at the age of 31, Fink became the oldest American swimmer to medal in the Olympic Games since 1904.
&#8220;At 31 years old, Fink became the oldest first-time U.S. Olympic swimming medalist in modern history — and the oldest in 120 years if you count 36-year-old Edgar Adams and his silver medal in the &#8216;plunge for distance&#8217; from the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis,&#8221; SwimSwam <a href="https://swimswam.com/nic-fink-becomes-oldest-u-s-olympic-swimming-medalist-since-1904-plunge-for-distance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

Swimming – Olympic Games Paris 2024: Day 1

American Swimmer Breaks 120-Year-Old Olympic Record, Medals At 31 While Holding Full-Time Job

Georgetown Law Professor Janel George claimed that a photo of the 2024 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United States Olympic</a> swim team was proof of Jim Crow&#8217;s &#8220;legacy&#8221; that still survived decades later.
George shared a photo of the team — decided after last week&#8217;s trials in Indianapolis, Indiana — and argued that the majority-white team was ultimately a result of segregated swimming pools.
&#8220;When people say that Jim Crow was so long ago, it’s important to remember the lasting effects of segregated spaces — like segregated swimming pools — and the continued impact across generations. This visual reflects that legacy,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
When people say that Jim Crow was so long ago, it’s important to remember the lasting effects of segregated spaces — like segregated swimming pools — and the continued impact across generations. This visual reflects that legacy. <a href="https://t.co/YqvEePbBJI">https://t.co/YqvEePbBJI</a>
— Janel George (@JG4Justice) <a href="https://twitter.com/JG4Justice/status/1805255665285234856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Critics responded to her claims by pointing out that the United States, despite being the only competing nation that had Jim Crow laws, was not the only competing nation where most of the swimmers were white.
&#8220;Canada didn’t have Jim Crow. How many black swimmers do they have? You do know that every single statistical disparity isn’t a result of racism, right?&#8221; one asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Canada didn’t have Jim Crow. How many black swimmers do they have?
You do know that every single statistical disparity isn’t a result of racism, right?
— 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐠 (@HarmfulOpinion) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarmfulOpinion/status/1805594119806631972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Imagine looking at a photo of a group of athletes that trained insanely hard and qualified for the OLYMPICS and thinking &#8216;how can I use this to complain about racism?'&#8221; another posted.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Imagine looking at a photo of a group of athletes that trained insanely hard and qualified for the OLYMPICS and thinking “how can I use this to complain about racism?”
— Samaritan Prime (@SamaritanPrime) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamaritanPrime/status/1805389579769594007?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Several pointed out that while the majority of American swimmers were white, the majority of athletes on some of the other Olympic teams were not.
&#8220;I love your theory, but I need to compile some more evidence to confirm it. Do you have a picture of some of the other US teams? Men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s basketball, perhaps?&#8221; one pointed out.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I love your theory, but I need to compile some more evidence to confirm it.
Do you have a picture of some of the other US teams?
Men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s basketball, perhaps?
— Grateful Calvin (@shoveitjack) <a href="https://twitter.com/shoveitjack/status/1805596216123658284?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Congratulations on having the dumbest tweet on X today[.] Now do basketball,&#8221; former collegiate swimmer Riley Gaines added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Congratulations on having the dumbest tweet on X today
Now do basketball <a href="https://t.co/xvsvOGQtQd">https://t.co/xvsvOGQtQd</a>
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Riley_Gaines_/status/1805594755394384369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If this is true, please explain NBA and NFL rosters,&#8221; Paula Scanlan posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If this is true, please explain NBA and NFL rosters. <a href="https://t.co/vChor24Z3Q">https://t.co/vChor24Z3Q</a>
— Paula Scanlan (@PaulaYScanlan) <a href="https://twitter.com/PaulaYScanlan/status/1805568248621998588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
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2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming – Day 9

Georgetown Law Prof Says U.S. Olympic Swim Team Is Proof Of Jim Crow ‘Legacy’

Georgetown Law Prof Says U.S. Olympic Swim Team Is Proof Of Jim Crow 'Legacy'

Racism

Olympic champion swimmer Lilly King got a sweet surprise this week after she qualified for her third straight games, ensuring her trip to Paris for the 2024 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/olympics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Summer Olympics</a>.
On Thursday, the 27-year-old Team USA Swimmer competed in the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in Indianapolis, and after qualifying for her second event, she got a different kind of gold, <a href="https://www.nbcchicago.com/paris-2024-summer-olympics/lilly-king-2024-paris-olympics-swimming/3469112/">NBC Chicago</a> reported.
Stepping out of the pool, King was greeted by her boyfriend, former Indiana swimmer James Wells, who got down on one knee and proposed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
After Lilly King qualified for her second race for the Paris Olympics, her fiancé gave her a ring of her own. 💍 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SwimTrials24?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SwimTrials24</a> <a href="https://t.co/UgnfeyJYgO">pic.twitter.com/UgnfeyJYgO</a>
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSports/status/1803954926399148290?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;It&#8217;s been really incredible for me to be able to watch you over the last four years both in and out of the pool and just to see you grow has been so awesome,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/NBCSports/status/1803954926399148290">Wells told his girlfriend</a>.
&#8220;It has been awesome, and I&#8217;m very excited to see where this goes from here on. So, I was wondering, Lilly Camille King, will you marry me?&#8221; he added.
Clearly overjoyed and without a second of hesitation, King responded, &#8220;Yes! Yes!&#8221;
Wells stood up and the two embraced and kissed with everyone close to them cheering and clapping.
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On Friday, speaking to the “Today” <a href="https://www.today.com/news/paris-olympics/swimmer-lilly-king-engaged-olympic-trials-rcna158249">show</a>, King said the proposal was so special and unexpected.
“I was honestly so confused he was on deck. After that I was like, ‘Why are you wearing your nice clothes? What’s going on?’ Then I realized I was like, ‘Oh, I know what’s going on,’” King said.
“I was expecting it more after the Games because we’re going to go frolic around Europe after that,” she added. “But last night, I was not expecting it at all.”
“It was already an unbelievable week to start off with. Making the Olympic team obviously could not be more special, and now getting married!” King continued. “So it was great. And just being able to do it in front of my friends and loved ones, my family’s all here and all of my favorite people are here this week. It’s really special.”
King started off the week qualifying for the Summer Games after she won the 100-meter breaststroke at the swimming trials, and on Thursday, she qualified again after finishing second behind Kate Douglass in the 200-meter breaststroke, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/20/sports/lilly-king-gets-engaged-after-olympic-qualifier-in-emotional-moment/">New York Post</a> noted.
This summer, the champion swimmer will have a chance to add to her Olympic medal collection after already wining five Olympic medals in her career &#8212; two gold, two silver, and one bronze, NBC noted.

Lilly King

Olympic Champion Gets Sweet Surprise After Qualifying For Third Straight Games

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