Welcome to State of Swimming+
Our free-to-view service has been wound down at our parent site stateofswimming.com pending a revamp of our coverage, while State of Swimming+ (SOS+) is where readers can dive deeper into the work of our Editor, Craig Lord, and occasional guests from the realms of journalism and photography as well as coaching, support staff and swimmers, former and current, who are keen to use their Athlete Voices.
Launched in July 2024, as he legacy site of our work with SwimNews, and then at SwimVortex, SOS+ began with a focus on four dedicated sections pertinent to the Paris Olympic Games , namely:
An SOS + newsletter and subscription offer
Regular newsletters (at least two a week but more during premier events, such as the Olympic Games in Paris, during which we ran a daily service of multiple stories, as described below) and web-based articles and features focussed on the following three topics and multiple themes from our archive:
- PARIS 2024: Postcards from Paris, the SOS form guide and daily analysis of the swimming at the Olympic Games from July 27. This section will be archived in the near future, as of January 2025.
- CHINA DIARIES: The story of a new China Crisis and the diaries that underpin a truly troubling narrative that has caused schism in global anti-doping. Why Diaries? Because we've got some to share with you - and they explain a lot. From February 2025, this section will return to its core purpose of placing the controversy of 2021-2024 into historical context, for deeper understanding of where we believe anti-doping authorities have dropped the ball - and why.
- WOMEN: In support of the Save Women's Sports Movement, here we celebrate the achievements of female athletes, note the continuing struggle for equality in sport and highlight Unfair and Unsafe Play when we see it. This will remain a permanent section and will be updated from time to time with updates on the continuing struggles faced by female athletes in sport.
- ARCHIVE: Articles and features from the SwimVortex and State of Swimming Libraries, in the infancy of a legacy project. Many more items will be added to the archive during 2025, some as it relates to prevailing news and topical themes, other items because they are ever relevant, particularly those related to the welfare of swimming's prime assets: swimmers, coaches and the membership of parents, clubs and programs that support and subsidise the sport on a permanent basis, even in times of challenge.
Past coverage of governance and integrity issues will be added to our archive in due course as we return to those themes beyond the Paris Olympic Games.
There are three tiers for readers:
SOS+ Fellowship - full access to all the content above. Fellowship members can choose to support our work with a higher subscription rate, monthly or annual, and via our donations page. Members of the fellowship will receive a free copy of SOS publications when these are made available. The Fellowship circle can also make archive requests for research into particular topics from the past (terms and conditions apply).
SOS+ Members - full access to all the content described in the four sections above. A monthly or annual payment, as advertised at any particular moment. Members will be offered discounts on SOS publications when these are made available.
Readers - all readers can access our free content at our parent site stateofswimming.com and any information and development updates posted openly at SOS+
It has taken time, energy, money and dedication to provide constant and consistent coverage of swimming for the past 35 years. To those who can help with our championing of integrity and the betterment of swimming, the reform process that has a long way to go yet, and the legacy chapter of our voyage, a heartfelt thank you.
If you do not wish to subscribe but would nonetheless like to make a donation, you can do so here.
State of Swimming / State of Swimming+
