The Vortex, May 2025: World Ranks Assault Ahoy As Eagles & Dolphins Target Trials
The Vortex, our monthly compilation of news, views & links to external coverage of the sport, is available as part of our offer of free content emailed to those who register as 'free' subscribers. Our weekly FORUM newsletter and a deeper dive in our coverage are available for paid subscribers

In the May Vortex:
- On The eve of U.S. Championships...
- Rio 23016 Breaststroke Queen Lilly King To Retire By Close of 2025
- Who really wants to swim in the Seine?
- Brisbane Braced For Big Bidding Round Ahead of 2032 Olympics
- Rio 23016 Breaststroke Queen Lilly King To Retire By Close of 2025
- ASCA Joins Chorus of Enhanced Games Condemnation
- Singapore Hires Japan Olympic Coach Masataka Ishimatsu For LA'28 Campaign
- Ruta Meilutytė & Danas Rapsys Head Lithuania Squad For Singapore Worlds
- Andi Manley Named England Head Coach For 2026 Commonwealths
- Injuries for Sam Williamson and Iona Anderson A Double Blow For Australia at Singapore Worlds
- Witold & Yang, WADA Top Two, Voted Back In After 2024 China Crisis
- Euro Open Water Titles For Gregorio Paltrinieri, Ginerva Taddeucci, Kristof Rasovszky & Viktória Mihályvári-Farkas
- Ariarne Titmus' Toes Back At The Water's Edge On Slow-Burn Build To Fast Goals At LA'28
- Andrew Jeffcoat Bounces Back After Olympic Setback
- The Kiwi team for World Titles & Other Internationals
- The Pong In The Ping Pong That Calls Into Question Integrity Of Qatari Officials
- Anna Elendt & Maxime Grousset Top The Bill As Mare Nostrum Tour Reaches Canet Climax
- Chris Fydler Named President Of Swimming Australia
- Léon Marchand Saddened By Geared-Up Doping Games
- Paige Madden The Latest International Taking a Break Without Ruling Out A Return For LA2028Dashing Start To AP Race As Ben Proud Goes 21.69
- Lauren Cox Delivers 27.15 British Record on Back
- Pan Zhanle & Li Bingie Make It Four Freestyle Titles Apiece At China Nationals
- WADA & Its Athlete Council Blast ‘Dangerous, Irresponsible’ Doping-Friendly Enhanced Games
- Qin Haiyang Makes It A Title Sweep With 2:07.5 Win in 200 Breast
- Yu Zidi - Aged 12 - 2:06.83 In 200 'Fly: The Faster Pre-Teen All-Rounder In History
- Daniel Wiffen Tops 800 As Mare Nostrum Picks Up In Barcelona
- Third Victory In Career Best For Li Bingjie - 1:55.5 In 200 Free
- Pan Zhanle Leads China's 4x200 Construction Company In 1:45.45
- Ryan Murphy To Take Break From Racing This Summer
- Andrii Govorov Waves Farewell
- Qin Haiyang Clocks First Two Sub-59s Of 2025
- Yu Yiting, 19, & Yu Zidi, 12, on 2:08 and Extraordinary 2:10 in the 200IM
- Apostolos Siskos Cracks Greek 200 Back Mark As First Under 1:55 in 2025
- Third Para World Record In As Many Days For Aussie Alexa Leary
- Doubles for Anastasia Gorbenko & Ilya Shymanovich at Monaco Mare Nostrum
- Li Bingjie The First Asian Women's Sub-Minute 400 Free in 3:59.99
- 100-200 Double for Siobhan Haughey At Mare Nostrum Opening
- Léon Marchand's Next 'Merci France!' - 2:08 Best 200 Breast Outside Title Tests
- Alexa Leary Makes It A Brace Of World Para Records in Sydney
- Léon Marchand Returns The FFN Favour - 4:07.11, His Fastest 400IM Beyond Major Title Chases
- Léon Marchand Gets French Champs Fly Past - Responds With 4:12 Cut For Singapore Worlds Ticket In Heats At Texan Trial
- Cameron McEvoy Mastery of Consistent Dash Speed Continues Apace: 21.5 & 21.7 at Sydney Open
- Pan Vs Sun* Confined To Home Pool As China Makes Its First Olympic Swim Champion Ineligible
- Simone Manuel On Growing up In Swimming: "I didn't feel like I fit in"
- Sexual Assault Charge Added To Rape Allegation In Yannick Agnel Trial
- Irish Olympic Heroes Daniel Wiffen & Mona McSharry Lead Team Of 12 To Singapore Worlds
- Paraguayan Swimmer Expelled From Paris 2024 Hints At Comeback
- McIntosh's Endless Summer
- Dawn Fraser Talks Of Brush With Death In TV Interview
- Mary-Sophie Harvey High Five Includes Fourth Career Best At Giant Paris Open
- Ronan Wantenaar's Breakthrough
- Underpinning Parental Pride In Sean McCann's Progress in the Pool
- Marrit Steenbergen Sails Under 53 For Tenth Time For Giant Win In Paris
- Cameron McEvoy Sets Sights Cielo's 20.9 WR & Sees "No Reason" To Rule Out Brisbane 2032 At 39
- Mary-Sophie Harvey & Marrit Steenbergen At The Double in Paris
- Scotland's Never Too Late campaign sees 152% increase in adult swimming programmes
- Coach Matteo Giunta Defends Federica Pellegrini On "Zero Tolerance" Stance In Sinner Doping Case
- Great Britain Selects 20 For European U23 Championships
- ASU Boss Says College Sports Revenue-Share Announcement Close
- Jordan Crooks Takes A Break From Racing
- Gary Hall Jr's Medals Back From The Flames
- Jon Rudd's Time In Ireland Is Done As He Heads Off To Lead Saudi Performance Program
- Lukas Märtens Makes It 200-400 Double With 1:44.25 Victory At German Nationals
- Gretchen Walsh Joins Sjöstrom In Club Of Sub-25 'Fly Dashers; Irish & Danish Marks For Ellen Walshe & Tomas Koski
- Katie Ledecky Sweeps To Her 2nd Career Fastest 400 Free - 3:56.8
THOSE STORIES IN FULL: