The burning question when it's time to the crown Mr. Olympia at Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend isn't if a top competitor can...
Katie Ledecky Sets World Record in 1,500-Meter Freestyle at FINA Swimming World Cup
Oct 30, 2022
TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 29 : Katie Ledecky of the United States after her Woman's 200m Freestyle heat during day two of the FINA Swimming World Cup at the Pan Am Sports Centre on October 29, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Katie Ledecky set yet another world record on Saturday after posting a time of 15:08.24 in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the FINA Swimming World Cup in Toronto.
WORLD RECORD
15:08.24
Katie Ledecky
Smashing the 1500m previous time by nearly 10 seconds. Staggering. This place is going crazy. What a scene. pic.twitter.com/8gIXMm5Ser
Ledecky beat the previous record, held by Sarah Wellbrock, by 9.77 seconds.
"I knew that record was within reach just based on some things I've done in training, especially my distance stuff [as it] has felt really good this fall," Ledecky said, per the Associated Press. "So I felt locked into the pace."
As noted by Braden Keith of SwimSwam, this marked her first-ever short-course 1,500-meter freestyle race. Ledecky nearly even took down another short-course record along the way:
Katie Ledecky just obliterated the 1500 SCM free world record by nearly 10 seconds with a time of 15:08.24.
With a split of 8:00.58 at the halfway point, she almost broke the 800 free world record in the process 🤯 pic.twitter.com/WmqabqgHD6
She is already the long-course record holder for the 1,500-meter freestyle (15:20.48) and the 800-meter freestyle (8:04.79).
Ledecky dominated early on, per Keith, who noted that she was under the world-record pace by five seconds at the 600-meter mark.
The 25-year-old's impeccable resume also includes seven Olympic gold medals and three silver medals. She has notably won the 800-meter freestyle each of the past three Olympics.
Ledecky also owns 19 World Championship golds (long course) medals and three silvers.
Eric Ortiz, 10-Time National Champion Cheerleader, Dies at Age 30
Oct 24, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 17: A detailed view of the Temple Owls cheerleader pom poms against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Lincoln Financial Field on September 17, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Cheerleader Eric Ortiz died Saturday at 30 years old.
The cause of death was not released, but TMZ Sports reported Ortiz "died unexpectedly."
Ortiz was a cheerleader for the University of Louisville and the GymTyme All-Stars and won 10 national championships and two world championships during his career.
GymTyme All-Stars released a statement regarding his death:
"Eric Ortiz was a force when he joined our program. He could stunt, tumble, jump, dance, and perform with some of the greatest athletes that have ever stepped a shoe onto a cheer floor. He was captivating as an athlete. He could do it all and that he did. He was a leader at practice and on the competition floor.
"Eric was a sweet, amazing, and genuine person. There were always plenty of smiles, hugs, and reasons to laugh when he was near. His positivity was infectious with his teammates, program, and friends. He was a light that pushed whatever darkness and worry present- away.
"As we all face this moment of darkness together, we will remember that we are not alone. We still have each other and our memories of you. We will miss you terribly but know you would want us to live our best life.
"Thank you for letting us be a part of your magnificent time here."
Gabi Butler, who stars on the Netflix show Cheer, also reacted to Ortiz's death on Facebook and said, "My heart is completely torn into a million pieces…. the thought of not being able to hear your laugh or see that beautiful smile shatters me. Eric Ortiz, you were the most beautiful soul i’ve ever met."
According to an obituary, there will be a visitation for Ortiz on Thursday in Bronx, New York.
Hans Niemann Files Suit Against Magnus Carlsen, More over Chess Cheating Allegations
Oct 20, 2022
US international grandmaster Hans Niemann waits his turn to move during a second-round chess game against Jeffery Xiong on the second day of the Saint Louis Chess Club Fall Chess Classic in St. Louis, Missouri, on October 6, 2022. - Niemann said on October 5 that he "won't back down," after the chess platform chess.com reported he has "probably cheated more than 100 times" in online games. (Photo by Tim Vizer / AFP) (Photo by TIM VIZER/AFP via Getty Images)
Hans Niemann filed a lawsuit and named Magnus Carlsen as one of the defendants, alleging he has been the victim of defamation.
hans niemann has filed a complaint against magnus carlsen, https://t.co/nVEQe6N1yE, and hikaru nakamura in the chess cheating scandal, alleging slander, libel, and civil conspiracy. pic.twitter.com/g9q0ntKswO
"He brings this action to recover from the devastating damages that Defendants have inflicted upon his reputation, career, and life by egregiously defaming him and unlawfully colluding to blacklist him from the profession to which he has dedicated his life," the filing reads.
Niemann is seeking at least $100 million in damages. Chess.com and Hikaru Nakamura are among the other defendants.
This comes as the 19-year-old is facing allegations of cheating during chess matches.
In September, Niemann said he had cheated before in online matches when he was younger but has since stopped, calling it "the single biggest mistake of my life."
Danny Rensch, the chief chess officer for Chess.com, issued a statement on Sept. 8, however, saying the website has "information that contradicts his statements regarding the amount and seriousness of his cheating on Chess.com." Chess.com took the step of banning Niemann as well.
Carlsen, the No. 1 player in the world, also released a statement on Sept. 26 alleging that Niemann "cheated more—and more recently—than he has publicly admitted."
The Wall Street Journal's Andrew Beaton and Joshua Robinson viewed an investigative report by Chess.com alleging Niemann "likely received illegal assistance in more than 100 online games, as recently as 2020."
In his suit, Niemann contends Carlsen leveled "baseless and retaliatory accusations" of cheating and then "unleashed his media empire to fan the flames of Carlsen’s cheating accusations" and "drown out the legitimate evidence refuting them."
The suit adds the accusations have "destroyed Niemann’s remarkable career in its prime and ruined his life."
Police Investigating After Wisconsin Volleyball Players' Private Photos Shared Online
Oct 20, 2022
PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 21: A photo of a game ball on the floor during the NCAA Division 1 Women's National Championship game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Stanford Cardinal on December 21, 2019 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The University of Wisconsin police department is investigating after private photos of the women's volleyball team were shared online, the school said in a statement:
"UWPD is investigating multiple crimes, including sharing sensitive photos without consent," the statement read.
According to Mark Stewart of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, at least one photo features multiple team members "posing with their sports bras lifted."
The photos were never intended to be shared publicly, but they were posted to websites without the players' consent. Most of the content has since been removed, per Stewart.
Though the photos were originally taken by a member of the team, Badgers coach Kelly Sheffield clarified there would be no disciplinary action against members of her team, per Todd D. Milewski and Colten Bartholomew of the Wisconsin State Journal.
"UWPD is not investigating the volleyball student-athletes for wrongdoing in this matter," the school also said in its statement. "Our top priority is supporting our student-athletes and we are providing them with the appropriate services and resources."
Wisconsin women's volleyball won the national championship last season after reaching the national semifinals for the third year in a row.
No. 1 Chess Player Magnus Carlsen Accuses Hans Niemann of Cheating After Viral Match
Sep 26, 2022
Norway's Magnus Carlsen competes during his Round 10 game against the Moldova's team at the 44th Chess Olympiad 2022, in Mahabalipuram on August 8, 2022. (Photo by Arun SANKAR / AFP) (Photo by ARUN SANKAR/AFP via Getty Images)
Magnus Carlsen, the No. 1 chess player in the world, accused Hans Niemann of cheating "more—and more recently—than he has publicly admitted" in a statement he posted to social media.
Carlsen opened the statement by addressing his abrupt withdrawal from the Sinquefield Cup and his decision to resign after making just one move in an online match against Niemann.
I believe that cheating in chess is a big deal and an existential threat to the game. I also believe that chess organizers and all those who care about the sanctity of the game we love should seriously consider increasing security measures and methods of cheat detection for over the board chess. When Niemann was invited last minute to the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, I strongly considered withdrawing prior to the event. I ultimately chose to play.
Carlsen added he's "not willing to play chess with Niemann" moving forward.
Niemann has admitted to cheating in online matches in the past, first when he was 12 and again when he was 16. He described it as "the single biggest mistake of my life" and added he was "completely ashamed."
However, the 19-year-old denied ever cheating in an over-the-board match.
That didn't stop Chess.com from removing Niemann from the site and alluded to "information that contradicts his statements regarding the amount and seriousness of his cheating on Chess.com."
The American has said he's willing to "strip fully naked" and play as a way to prove his detractors wrong.
"I don't care, because I know I am clean," he said. "You want me to play in a closed box with zero electronic transmission, I don't care. I'm here to win and that is my goal regardless."
Arnold Classic Europe 2022 Results: Winner, Highlights, Prize Money, Twitter Reaction
Sep 17, 2022
A bodybuilder flexes his muscles for the judges during the Arnold Classic Europe 2019 bodybuilding competition in Barcelona on September 21, 2019. (Photo by LLUIS GENE / AFP) (Photo credit should read LLUIS GENE/AFP via Getty Images)
The two-day bodybuilding extravaganza that was the Arnold Classic Europe drew to a close Saturday in Seville, Spain.
Finland's Mika Sihvonen took home the top prize as he was the winner in the men's open bodybuilding competition, claiming his share of the $90,000 prize pool.
Arnold Classic Europe Winners
Bodybuilding (up to 95 kg): Soepe Koese (Suriname)
Bodybuilding: Mika Sihvonen (Finland)
Men's Physique: Dmytro Horobets (Ukraine)
Classic Physique: Sergey Sherechsev (Kazakhstan)
Women's Physique: Yasmina Gouaich (France)
Bodyfitness: Alina Yaman (Ukraine)
Women's Fitness: Eszter Balogh (Hungary)
Wellness: Fernanda Pignation (Brazil)
The absence of reigning bodybuilding champion Michal Krizanek opened up this year's field a bit. Sihvonen, who was runner-up to the Slovakian last year and in 2020, headed to Spain as the clear favorite and more than lived up to the hype.
Sihvonen might have preferred to best Krizanek en route to the title, but that's unlikely to take any enjoyment away from his achievement.
In men's physique, Dmytro Horobets once again reigned supreme and continued his dominance in the category. Thierry Bayala had to settle for second place after finishing second to Horobets in 2020 and 2021.
It was the same story in classic physique, with Sergey Sherechsev successfully defending his 2021 title and the Jakub Kolinek settling for second.
Yasmina Gouaich carried on the trend in women's physique. The 2021 winner narrowly edged out Aline Beck to stand tall in the four-woman field.
Soepe Koese provided perhaps the biggest surprise with his win in the 95 kg and under bodybuilding competition.
The Suriname native finished ahead of Venancio Bento Epolua and Pedro Esteves. JirĂ Cermak, the 2021 winner, was all the way down in 11th when all was said and done.
BYU Says No Evidence Racial Slurs Used Toward Duke's Rachel Richardson, Unbans Fan
Sep 9, 2022
TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 11: A general view of the net before the match between the Washburn Ichabods and the Tampa Spartans during the Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship held at the Bob Martinez Athletics Center on December 11, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
BYU has reversed course and unbanned a fan who was accused of using racial slurs toward Duke volleyball player Rachel Richardson during an Aug. 26 match.
In a statement released Friday, the school said it never "found any evidence to corroborate the allegation that fans engaged in racial heckling or uttered racial slurs at the event" after an extensive review.
"As a result of our investigation, we have lifted the ban on the fan who was identified as having uttered racial slurs during the match," the statement continued. "We have not found any evidence that that individual engaged in such an activity. BYU sincerely apologizes to that fan for any hardship the ban has caused."
Duke athletic director Nina King issued a statement in response to BYU's decision:
"The 18 members of the Duke University volleyball team are exceptionally strong women who represent themselves, their families, and Duke University with the utmost integrity. We unequivocally stand with and champion them, especially when their character is called into question. Duke Athletics believes in respect, equality and inclusiveness, and we do not tolerate hate and bias."
The incident first became public when Richardson's godmother, Lesa Pamplin, tweeted (h/t ESPN.com) Richardson was called a racial slur "every time she served" the ball.
Marvin Richardson, Rachel's father, corroborated Pamplin's account of what happened in an Aug. 27 interview with Kevin Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune.
BYU's athletic department announced that same day the fan, who is not a student at the university, was banned from attending all future athletic events.
Rachel Richardson issued a statement in the wake of BYU's initial decision:
BYU campus police said on Aug. 30 they didn't find any evidence of a fan yelling racial slurs.
“When we watched the video, we did not observe that behavior from him,” BYU Police Lt. George Besendorfer said, via Courtney Tanner and Reynolds of the Salt Lake Tribune.
In a statement provided to Tanner and Reynolds, BYU associate athletic director Jon McBride said "various" employees in the athletics department "have been reviewing video from BYUtv and other cameras in the facility" and they "have been unable to find any evidence of that person using slurs in the match."
In an interview with ESPN's Holly Rowe, Richardson said she "heard a very strong, negative racial slur" when she was getting ready to serve the ball.
"... So I served the ball," she explained, "got through the play. And then the next time I went back to serve, I heard it extremely clear again, but that was the end of the game."
Richardson is the lone Black starter on Duke's volleyball team. She is in her sophomore year for the Blue Devils and has played in all seven games this season.
Duke played BYU in a four-team round-robin invitational tournament with Rider and Washington State from Aug. 26 to 27 at Smith Fieldhouse in Provo, Utah.
FINA Approves Inclusive Soul Cap Designed for Natural Black Hair
Sep 3, 2022
Simone Manuel is interviewed after winning the women's 50-meter freestyle final during wave 2 of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
The Soul Cap, which is designed specifically for natural Black hair, was officially approved by the International Swimming Federation, FINA, on Friday.
FINA executive director Brent Nowicki said approval of the swimming cap followed "a period of review and discussion on cap design between FINA and Soul Cap over the past year," he told the U.K.'s Metro.
"For a long time, conventional swim caps have been an obstacle for swimmers with thick, curly, or volume-blessed hair. They can’t always find a cap that fits their hair type, and that often means that swimmers from some backgrounds end up avoiding competitions, or giving up the sport entirely.
"We want to see swimming become an accessible sport, with equipment and swimwear that lets anyone get involved and see success.
"And this new approval by FINA is a huge step in the right direction–bringing inclusive swimwear into competitive swimming, and helping to bring down some of the obstacles that are keeping swimmers away from the sport."
At last year's Olympics, using the Soul Cap was not allowed by FINA. The worldwide governing body for competitive swimming said that there was no reason for the cap's use because swimmers "never used, neither require to use, caps of such size and configuration," per the Associated Press.
FINA also said that the Soul Cap didn't "[follow] the natural form of the head," a rule that is outlined in the organization's swimwear requirements.
In an interview with Sky Sports last year, Danielle Obe, chair of the Black Swimming Association, said that hair "is a significant barrier to aquatics for—women especially—many people of colour from our communities" and that the Soul Cap should be approved to help "overcome" that barrier.
The Soul Cap's approval is a major step in the right direction, and one that will encourage people from all backgrounds to consider taking up competitive swimming. We should now be seeing its use at the next Olympics and other competitive events.
Duel in the Pool 2022: Top Stars, Storylines, Predictions for USA vs. Australia
Aug 18, 2022
Australia's Emma McKeon competes in the women's 4x100m medley relay swimming final at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, on day six of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, central England, on August 3, 2022. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)
There's about to be a lot of excitement for swimming fans this weekend in the Land Down Under.
After a seven-year hiatus, Duel In The Pool, the head-to-head challenge that pits the United States against Australia, is back on Friday in Sydney.
Duel in the Pool goes back to 2003, at the height of the Michael Phelps era, and took place once every two years until 2015.
Now that the American and Aussie teams are back at the top of the sport, the three-day event has been resurrected by Swimming Australia and USA Swimming.
From Friday to Sunday, Bondi Beach and the pools at the Sydney Aquatic Centre will include a litany of unorthodox competitions featuring some of the world's best swimmers, including Aussies Emma McKeon, Kaylee McKeown and Mollie O’Callaghan and USA competitors Katie Ledecky and Regan Smith on the women's side, as well as Caeleb Dressel (USA) and Kyle Chalmers (Australia).
Here's a quick look at how to watch and what fans can expect to see.
Mixed 6x50m Freestyle Relay (1M, 2F) Swimming 2Ă—50 each
Women’s 800m Broken Freestyle
Men’s 200m Freestyle, Traditional
Mixed 4x100m MC Freestyle Relay (2M, 2F)
Women’s 3x50m Freestyle, Skins
Men’s 3x50m Breaststroke, Skins
Women’s 100m Butterfly, Traditional
Women’s 3x50m Backstroke, Skins
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay, Traditional
Men’s 100m Backstroke, Traditional
MC 3x50m Freestyle, Skins
Women’s 100m Freestyle, Traditional
Men’s 400m Broken Freestyle
Men’s 50m Freestyle, Traditional
Women’s 100m Breaststroke, Traditional
Men’s 3x50m Butterfly, Skins
MC 100m Form-Stroke
Women’s 200m Individual Medley, Mystery
2x200m vs 4x100m Freestyle Random Relay (2M 2F)
Top Stars, Storylines, Predictions
The world of swimming is still abuzz with Romanian David Popovici's world-record performance in the 100-meter free with a time of 46.86 seconds and the 200-meter free with a time of one minute, 42.97 seconds.
Now that fans are vigorously paying attention to the sport, Duel in the Pool is next up, and there should be a lot to be excited about.
Popovici won't be on the marquee, but other stars, like McKeon, McKeown, O’Callaghan, Ledecky, Smith, Dressel and Chalmers, will be on hand to represent their country.
On the women's side, it looks as if Australia has the advantage, with Olympic gold medalists McKeon and McKeown in the pool.
It's a bit more evenly matched on the men's side, with the strength being the sprint team led by Michael Andrew.
Overall, there's a slight edge for the Aussies to win it because of the women and the fact that they're swimming in home waters.
The key is going to be how the respective coaches manage their stars in the race to keep them from burning out and getting through the various races, especially the “Mystery” IM, in which the order of the strokes is determined at random prior to the start of the race.
No matter who ends the weekend with bragging rights, this should be a must-see event for swimming fans worldwide.
