In the February Vortex so far:

The latest SOS Forum:

Forum - What Happens When The Lights Go Off After A Swimmer’s Last Race?

This week’s Forum considers sport career transition as Shane Gould publishes great guidance on the subject and we look back at the story of Elaine Tanner; Plus Timeline looks at Aussie pioneers of bygone Februaries; and our swim history in 100 recalls a suit and it’s fabulous creator

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

• Chrissi Rawak Is New President & CEO Of USA Swimming
• Brisbane 2032 Olympic Review Advice Due March 25
• Ukraine wins 30 medals at Invictus Games For Injured Soldiers
• Distance Ace Dan Jervis Calls Time On Career In Fast Lane
• Avelino Silva Is Portugal's Director of International Events
• Mark Chay Steps Up At Singapore Olympic Committee
• Swim of the week gone by: Summer McIntosh takes Commonwealth and Canadian 800m free record and makes the all-time top 10 swims a sub-8:10 club as No2 behind Katie Ledecky - who clocks 15:36 for 16th best 1500 all-time
• Dan Wiffen on Motivation after he joins Ollie Morgan and Angharad Evans in club of triple winners at British Uni Champs
• Sweeps for Olivia Wunsch and Iona Anderson at the ~Victoria State Titles
• What does Sinner's 'negotiated' steroid penalty say about anti-doping integrity
• Siobhan Haughey in line for Hong Kong's Top Prize For Fourth Year In A Row
• Diogo Ribeiro makes a steady return after rollercoaster 2024
• The French Swim Club That Survived 10 Years Without A Pool
• Aussies smuggle a cheeky gift to Prince Harry
• Roos Vanotterdijk Grabs A Brace of Belgian Records
• Swimming Canada adjusts 2027 calendar after new dates set for Pan Ams
• Florent Manaudou, the French sprint ace, is aiming for gold on the dance floor... his bid gets underway in “Dancing with the Stars 2025" Friday and when asked if he'll feel fine twirling about bare-chested, he says: "I'm used to it, I spent my entire career in my underwear!"
• More targets for Dan Wiffen & Co: Commonwealth Games 2026 Adds Men’s 800 & Women’s 1500 Free in Glasgow
• Suit Sales Struggle In U.S. After PFAS Ban
• Open Doors: Aquatics GB Boss Invites Athletes Into The Corridors Of Power
• Hugo González on why he thinks he won a Spanish Best Athlete prize ahead of two Olympic medallists in an extensive interview with Albert Sancho at AS that also covers the World 200 back champion's return to Spain after eight years in the USA; why he chose not to join a performance centre; why he's set his sights on Singapore Worlds as a stepping stone to a third Olympics campaign in 2028, with believe in his heart that the podium is achievable; and how he misses the people in the U.S. but not the place - and the food and cultural life in Spain when he was away.
• Rob Woodhouse Reveals Plans For New ISL-style Australian Swim League (archive on the backdrop to that) and says Brisbane may become Australian Swimming's new home if the city gets a new Aquatics Centre for the 2032 Olympics
• Euan Dale Picked As Performance Pathway Lead For Aquatics GB
• Latest From The Wiffens: "How I Nearly Died!" (Not Really)
• A High Five From Beryl Gastaldello At Luxembourg's Euro Meet
• Ariarne Titmus To Skip Singapore 2025 Worlds But Will Start LA2028 Prep With Coach Dean Boxall In July
• Cate Campbell Has Surgery After ACL Tear While Skiing
• More Speedy swimming from Katie Ledecky

In the first week of February, we also launched Forum, the SOS Subscribers Newsletter:

FORUM - Is The 2028 Olympic Host Suffering A Bout Of Lost Wisdom On A Bull Run Under Pressure?

In this first edition of the SOS Subscribers Newsletter, we asks whether USA Swimming’s Coach Selection Framework will mean that when a cry of ‘who’s responsible’ goes up, all present will point at everyone else? Plus: Timeline - World records this week in history & the start of our 100 Series

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

In other news:

Tunisia Says Hafnaoui Set For ‘Probable’ Return To Racing At French Open Next Month But Suspension In Force Pending CAS Case

Are reports out of Tunisia simply mistaken or has the Tokyo 2020ne Olympic 400m free champion who bypassed Paris 2024 been told that the provisional suspension he accepted last December for three missed anti-doping tests has been lifted?

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord