Ex-Olympic champ Rowdy Gaines calls for changes at USA Swimming as team struggles in Singapore
And he didn't hold back in an interview with The Associated Press over the shaky state of American swimming. He's calling for big-time changes as the Americans struggle at the world championships in Singapore.
The American team isn't winning as much as expected or dominating, it's battling a case of
'acute gastroenteritis'
picked up at training camp in Thailand before arriving in Singapore, and the governing body — USA Swimming — has been without a CEO for a year.
Gaines called the body 'rudderless.'
'Can you imagine any corporation going for a year without a CEO?' Gaines asked.
Underwhelming Americans
The Americans were also underwhelming a year ago at the Paris Olympics. They led the medal table, but won only eight gold medals, the lowest total since the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
'We're far from killing it,' said Gaines in a telephone interview from the United States. 'It's a major struggle and we can't hide our heads in the sand and say this is just a blip.'
Gaines said he's been texting frequently with Greg Meehan, the national team director who was appointed four months ago. Meehan is also the head coach in Singapore.
The American haven't said how many swimmers have fallen ill, but in an interview Meehan said 'the overwhelming majority of the team has gone through something' at the championship.'
'Greg and I have been going back and forth in a very good way, very positive,' Gaines said.
He called Meehan a good choice and said he's had too little time to turn things around. Gaines also pointed out that the focus is the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. These world championships, less so.
'I think he's (Meehan) going to be great,' Gaines said. 'He's got that calm reserve. He had great success at Stanford. He's coached some of the best swimmers ever. I think he's a good choice, he's just walking into a bit of a landmine.'
Thailand training camp
Like many, Gaines questioned why the Americans picked Thailand as a training camp site and noted that
global swimming
now has dozens of countries that can beat the Americans, and many of their elite athletes train in the States.
Those include the two stars in Singapore: Frenchman Léon Marchand and Canadian Summer McIntosh. Marchand trains at the University of Texas at Austin, and McIntosh will be there this fall and join Bob Bowman's training group.
Bowman is, of course, the former coach of American swimming legend Michael Phelps.
'You can blame it on the illness, you can blame it on the inexperience — most of these kids have never been in this situation — and you can blame it on logistics,' Gaines said. 'Thailand doesn't make sense to me in the first place.'
He also put some blame on what he called the 'state of today's athletes.'
'I think in some cases there's an entitlement for a lot of these kids, they feel like — 'I should be in the finals of the world championships. And I can still do the peripheral stuff and not worry about making it all the way'.'
'I think there needs to be a more focused attitude on the task at hand,' he added.
Post-Olympic blahs
Gaines also noted that many swimmers struggle the year after the Olympics. They just finished a four-year cycle, so where is the motivation to start over again?
'It just beats you up because mentally and physically you are focused on four straight years, and the post-Olympic year can beat some people up. The post-Olympics is a real thing for all athletes whether you're from China or the United States.'
On the positive side, he talked up the future of 10 to 15 young American male swimmers including Luca Urlando, the winner of the 200-butterfly and the only American man to win gold over the first five days. The championships end Sunday.
'The women are already very good,' Gaines added.
Gaines said much of the problem is that USA Swimming has gone for a year without a leader. Tim Hinchey resigned as the CEO a year ago. He was replaced by
Chrissi Rawak,
who stepped down after just a few days.
'I do think changes need to be made, there needs to be a complete reset,' Gaines said 'But I don't think the sky is falling. But there needs to be some great leadership. Whoever they hire as CEO needs to be the leader that is sorely needed.'
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San Francisco Chronicle
30 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Best way to nurture kids' pro sports dreams? New study challenges a popular belief
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Forbes
31 minutes ago
- Forbes
The Women Driving A New Era In U.S. Ski & Snowboard
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Guided by Goldschmidt's bold vision, US Ski & Snowboard focuses on three key priorities: advancing athletic and operational excellence by professionalizing systems and resources; increasing athlete visibility to build personal brands and commercial opportunities; and ensuring financial sustainability by growing sponsorships and philanthropy for efficient reinvestment. 'Our athletes are among the best in the world—brave, innovative, and fearless,' Goldschmidt says. 'In my experience across sports like tennis, golf, and surfing, I've rarely seen athletes push limits like this.' She adds, 'Donations directly fuel Team USA. Investing in us means investing in American snow sports and the next generation of athletes.' Vision And Heart Driving U.S. Ski & Snowboard Forward Goldschmidt sets the tone as Milano Cortina 2026 fast approaches. 'Team USA will make up over 60% of the winter team, and the eyes of the world will be on us,' she says. But the focus isn't on chasing medals. 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Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
L.A. city leaders are in high-stakes negotiations on Olympics costs
Los Angeles city leaders are at a critical juncture ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics, with potentially hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars at stake. They are in negotiations with LA28, the private committee overseeing the Games, for the use of the city's police, traffic officers and other employees during the Olympics and Paralympics. Millions of visitors are expected to pour into downtown L.A., the Sepulveda Basin and the Westside when the Olympics kick off in July 2028. Security, trash removal, traffic control, paramedics and more will be needed during the 17-day event and the two-week Paralympics the following month. Under the 2021 Games agreement between LA28 and the city, LA28 must reimburse the city for any services that go beyond what the city would provide on a normal day. The two parties must agree by Oct. 1, 2025, on 'enhanced services' — additional city services needed for the Games, beyond that normal level — and determine rates, repayment timelines, audit rights and other processes. LA28 has billed the Games as a 'no cost' event for the city. Depending on how 'enhanced services' are defined, the city, which is in a precarious financial state, could end up bearing significant costs. One of the biggest expenses will be security, with the LAPD, as well as a host of other local, state and federal agencies, working together to keep athletes and spectators safe. Overtime for Los Angeles police officers, and any other major expenses, would be acutely felt by a city government that recently closed a nearly $1-billion budget deficit, in part by slowing police hiring. The city continues to face rising labor costs and diminished revenues from tourism. At the same time, President Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, recently passed by Congress, includes $1 billion for security and planning of the Games. But what those funds will cover — and what will be covered by LA28 — are not yet known. Against that backdrop, civil rights attorney Connie Rice sent a six-page letter dated July 17 to Mayor Karen Bass and other city leaders, asking questions about the enhanced services agreement and urging the city to take a tough stance. Rice said city staffers reached out to her because they were worried that the agreement wouldn't adequately protect the city. 'Los Angeles faces multiple fiscal hazards that many current leaders negotiating this and other Olympics agreements, will not be around to face,' Rice wrote. 'The City cannot afford an additional $1.5 billion hit in 2028 because city officials inadequately protected taxpayers in 2025.' Rice's letter asks if LA28 and the city have resolved differences about the definition of venue 'footprints,' or perimeters around sporting events, with the footprint changing depending on whether it's defined by a blast radius, a security perimeter or other factors. The letter questioned why LA28 isn't paying the city up front for costs, using money in escrow, and asked if LA28 has provided the city with a budget for security, transit and sanitation. Rice, in an interview, said she wants to ensure the Games are indeed 'no cost.' Both Paul Krekorian, who heads Mayor Karen Bass' major events office, and an LA28 representative declined to directly address Rice's letter. 'The City and LA28 have been collaborating for years to ensure that all Angelenos benefit from the Games for decades to come,' said Krekorian. 'While the [agreement] is currently under negotiation, we fully expect that LA28 will be successful in its fundraising efforts to deliver the Games.' The city routinely provides police officers and traffic officers for major events, such as Dodgers games and the Grammy Awards. In 2022, the Rams reimbursed the city $1.5 million for resources it provided for the team's Super Bowl parade, according to City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo. Last month, Szabo's office released a document on the city's investor website outlining potential liabilities facing the city, including some related to the 2028 Games. The document noted that roughly $1 billion in security costs will have to be paid by the city if they are not covered by LA28 or the federal government. Jacie Prieto Lopez, LA28's vice president of communications, told The Times that security and other planning costs haven't been finalized. Rice's letter questioned whether LA28 would cover the cost of security. Prieto Lopez didn't directly answer when asked by The Times if LA28 will cover the LAPD's expenses. 'We are grateful that the Administration and Congress recently appropriated $1 billion in security funding and we will continue to work with our partners at the federal, state and local levels, including the City of LA, to ensure a safe, secure and successful Games,' Prieto Lopez said in an email. How the $1 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill is distributed will be determined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the Homeland Security Grant Program, which is focused on preventing terrorism and other threats. Anita Gore, a spokesperson for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, told The Times that she expects those funds to be managed by the state through the Homeland Security Grant process. The Office of Emergency Services is the 'coordination hub' for the Games and is overseeing a statewide task force focused on security, traffic management and more, Gore said. At a recent hearing in Sacramento, LA28 Chief Executive Reynold Hoover said the nonprofit continues to push for federal support for the Games. He said the $1 billion recently approved by Congress will 'help us with that initial funding requirements for security.' Hoover told a Senate subcommittee in June that LA28 is asking the federal government to fully reimburse the public agencies that will provide critical security at the Games. A representative for the Department of Homeland Security declined to answer questions about how the $1 billion will be used. Trump's mercurial nature and past attacks on California make it difficult for some city leaders to gauge how his administration will handle funding for the Games. Rep. Nellie Pou of New Jersey, the top Democrat on the Congressional Task Force for Enhancing Security for Special Events, held a public hearing last month on preparing for the World Cup and Olympics. She told The Times that she has not received any specifics about the $1 billion. 'This administration has withheld and frozen other federal funding appropriated by Congress, so we cannot simply assume that World Cup or Olympic security funding will make it to our communities,' she said. Krekorian, when asked about Pou's concerns, said the city 'is in direct communication with state and federal partners, as well as LA28, about the allocation of these funds.'
