Ryan Lochte, Katie Ledecky lead U.S. swimming roster for Duel in the Pool

By Nick ZaccardiOct 17, 2013, 12:06 PM EDT

This year’s Duel in the Pool may finally live up to its title.

The U.S. has won all five duels handily, including a 181.5-80.5 whipping of a European all-star team at the last edition in 2011 in Atlanta.

The rosters for the 2013 edition were announced Thursday for the U.S.-Europe meet in Glasgow, Scotland, Dec. 20-21. Olympic and world champions Ryan Lochte and Katie Ledecky will lead the U.S., while Olympic and world champions Yannick Agnel and Ranomi Kromowidjojo will lead Europe.

The U.S. is missing its two most successful female swimmers of this century — Missy Franklin and Natalie Coughlin — as well as breaststroker Rebecca Soni, who is taking a break from competitive swimming, and Olympic and world butterfly champion Dana Vollmer.

The men are missing the retired Michael Phelps, of course, and Olympic and world champions Nathan Adrian and Matt Grevers.

On Wednesday, Franklin said she couldn’t fit it into her freshman schedule at California, whose fall semester ends Dec. 20.

“For freshman year with finals and everything going on, it may not be the best time for an international trip,” she said. “But I would love to in the future, and I was honored to be asked. The timing didn’t work out too well this time.”

Missy Franklin wins another award, on Wall Street

Ledecky’s classes at her Bethesda, Md., high school also end Dec. 20.

“We’ve assembled a nice mix of veteran performers and rising stars on the U.S. roster, and we look forward to racing some of the top swimmers in Europe,” USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch said, according to a press release.

Europe, too, will go into the meet without a few champions — Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu (world champion in both individual medleys), Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (world champion, 100m fly), Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte (Olympic and world champion, 100m breast) and Italian Olympic and world champion Federica Pellegrini.

“The European all-stars features by far the strongest lineup we’ve ever seen in what will be the third of these exciting biennial events,” British swim coach Bill Furniss said. The first two duels were U.S.-Australia affairs.

Early predictions tip the Europeans, which would win if based solely on 2013 times in individual Olympic events, though this is a short-course meet.

NBC will air the Duel in the Pool on Dec. 22 from 4-6 p.m. Eastern time.

Here is the complete U.S. Duel in the Pool roster:

Women
Cammile Adams — 2012 Olympian
Sarah Denninghoff
Claire Donahue — 2012 Olympic champion
Jessica Hardy — 2012 Olympic champion
Megan Hawthorne
Sarah Henry
Breeja Larson — 2012 Olympic champion
Katie Ledecky — 2012 Olympic champion
Micah Lawrence — 2012 Olympian
Caitlin Leverenz — 2012 Olympic bronze medalist
Simone Manuel
Megan Romano
Gillian Ryan
Olivia Smoliga
Kendyl Stewart
Chloe Sutton — 2008, 2012 Olympian
Shannon Vreeland — 2012 Olympic champion

Men
Tyler Clary — 2012 Olympic champion
Kevin Cordes
Conor Dwyer — 2012 Olympic champion
Anthony Ervin — 2000 Olympic champion, 2012 Olympian
Jimmy Feigen — 2012 Olympic silver medalist
Nic Fink
Eugene Godsoe
Cullen Jones — 2008, 2012 Olympic champion
Chase Kalisz
Michael Klueh
Ryan Lochte — 11-time Olympic medalist
Tom Luchsinger
Michael McBroom
Matt McLean — 2012 Olympic champion
Cody Miller
Shane Ryan

Here is the complete European Duel in the Pool roster:

Women
Sophie Allen (GBR)
Simona Baumrtova (CZE)
Mireia Belmonte Garcia (ESP)
Charlotte Bonnet (FRA)
Jazmin Carlin (GBR)
Michelle Coleman (SWE)
Melanie Costa (ESP)
Fiona Doyle (IRL)
Lotte Friis (DEN)
Francesca Halsall (GBR)
Femke Heemskerk (NED)
Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED)
Hannah Miley (GBR)
Camille Muffat (FRA)
Jeanette Ottesen-Gray (DEN)
Lauren Quigley (GBR)
Daryna Zevina (UKR)

Men
Yannick Agnel (FRA)
Bence Biczo (HUN)
Frederick Bousquet (FRA)
Konrad Czerniak (POL)
Damir Dugonjic (SLO)
Fabien Gilot (FRA)
James Guy (GBR)
Michael Jamieson (GBR)
Pal Joensen (FAR)
Radoslaw Kawecki (POL)
Yannick Lebherz (GER)
Florent Manaudou (FRA)
Craig McNally (GBR)
Roberto Pavoni (GBR)
Robbie Renwick (GBR)
Velimir Stjepanovic (SRB)
Jeremy Stravius (FRA)
Chris Walker-Hebborn (GBR)
Andrew Willis (GBR)

Video: Ryan Lochte swims in Charlotte

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Ukraine officials say athletes should not compete in Olympic qualifiers with Russians

By OlympicTalkMar 31, 2023, 9:11 AM EDT

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The Ukraine government decided that its athletes should not compete in 2024 Olympic qualifying events if Russians are present, according to several media reports in Ukraine.

“At a meeting of the government, a protocol decision was made on the proposal of colleague (sports minister Vadym) Guttsait that we take part in qualifying competitions only where there are no Russians,” government minister Oleh Nemchinov said Thursday, according to a Reuters translation of a Ukraine public broadcaster report. “Accordingly, participation outside these criteria may be grounds for depriving federations of their national status.”

A decision has not been published on the Ukraine government website.

Guttsait is also the president of Ukraine’s National Olympic Committee. A message was sent to the committee late Thursday seeking comment.

On Tuesday, the IOC updated its recommendations for the possible participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in international competition. Previously, the IOC recommended no Russians or Belarusians be allowed to compete.

Tuesday’s update called for strict measures should international sports federations decide to readmit Russians and Belarusians who do not actively support the war as neutral athletes in individual events.

“I want to tell our fellow athletes who are worried that due to the IOC measures and the admission of Russians or Belarusians to competitions, and accordingly Ukrainians will not be able to participate, that their careers will be broken,” Nemchinov said, according to the Reuters translation of the public broadcaster report. “But your life and that of your children will remain.”

The International Fencing Federation (FIE) decided earlier in March that it planned to readmit Russians and Belarusians starting in the second half of April, which is also when the 2024 Olympic qualifying period begins in that sport.

Most other international federations for Summer Olympic sports are so far still barring Russians and Belarusians. Some have said they are considering the IOC’s updated recommendations as they monitor their positions.

After Nemchinov’s reported comments, the Ukraine fencing federation press secretary said late Thursday that its fencers will not compete against Russians.

“Ukrainian fencers will not only refuse to compete against Russian and Belarusian athletes but will not participate in events of any level where Russian or Belarusian athletes will be competing,” the press secretary said in an email.

Ukraine won at least one fencing medal at each of the last five Olympics.

“We are all professionals, and if I will fence, which can be or cannot, I think I will be professional,” Ukrainian fencer Olga Kharlan, a four-time Olympic medalist and a four-time individual world champion, said Wednesday regarding a possible boycott. “As a Ukrainian citizen, it’s tough to even imagine how to stand next to [Russians], to know that they’re supporting or they’re in silence and we haven’t heard any word from them or we know that they represent army that’s shelling Ukraine every day.”

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Wimbledon reverses ban on Russia, Belarus tennis players

Associated PressMar 31, 2023, 8:30 AM EDT

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Russian and Belarusian players will be able to compete at Wimbledon as neutral athletes after the All England Club on Friday reversed its ban from last year.

The players must sign declarations of neutrality and comply with “appropriate conditions,” including not expressing support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision, not taken lightly or without a great deal of consideration for those who will be impacted,” All England Club chairman Ian Hewitt said in a statement.

The players cannot receive funding from the Russian or Belarusian states, including sponsorship from companies operated or controlled by the states.

Those impacted include Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Russian players Daniil Medvedev and Andrey Rublev.

Other tennis tournaments have allowed Russian and Belarusian players to compete as neutral athletes.

“We also consider alignment between the Grand Slams to be increasingly important in the current tennis environment,” the club said.

The same conditions will apply for Lawn Tennis Association tournaments used by players as grass-court warmups for the sport’s oldest Grand Slam tournament.

The women’s and men’s professional tennis tours last year imposed heavy fines on the LTA and threatened to pull its tournaments. The ATP and WTA had also responded to last year’s ban by not awarding ranking points for Wimbledon — an unprecedented move against the prestigious event.

“There was a strong and very disappointing reaction from some governing bodies in tennis to the position taken by the All England Club and the LTA last year with consequences which, if continued, would be damaging to the interests of players, fans, The Championships and British tennis,” the club said.

This year’s Wimbledon tournament will start on July 3. The women’s final is scheduled for July 15 and the men’s final on July 16.

The All England Club said the conditions were developed through talks with the British government, the LTA and “international stakeholder bodies in tennis.”

The club’s statement described “personal player declarations” but didn’t provide details. The LTA said the players and support staff “will be required to sign neutrality declarations” similar to those used in other sports.

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