The international aquatic competitions scheduled for 2025 are commencing, and several teams are seemingly facing difficulties, notably some members of the United States swimming team.
SwimSwam reported earlier in the week that numerous members of the U.S. team contracted foodborne illnesses during their pre-championship training camp held in Thailand. While the team management has opted not to comment, one coach with an athlete on the squad mentioned that the number of affected swimmers represented “nearly half” of the entire team.
It was later communicated by SwimSwam, as well as Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, that ten swimmers were deemed unfit to travel with the rest of the group. This issue is also affecting the Great Britain team, which utilized the same Thanyapura Phuket resort as a preparation venue for the competition.
These events foreshadowed potential troubles, and the initial results have been unfavorable for some American athletes.
On the first day of competition in Singapore, Torri Huske, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the up-and-coming Claire Weinstein withdrew from their respective events. USA Swimming announced that Huske would not participate in the 100-meter butterfly, the event she previously won in Paris, in order to concentrate on the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
No specific reason was provided for the withdrawal of Weinstein, age 18, from the 400-meter freestyle, where she was anticipated to be a strong contender. As reported by Forde, the American male swimmers also encountered challenges during the heats for the 400-meter freestyle. All of them were unable to secure a spot in the final, as they did not finish within the top eight positions.
The situation was not entirely negative for Team USA. Alex Walsh secured third place in the 200-meter individual medley heats, and her sister, Gretchen Walsh, emerged as the top qualifier in the 100-meter butterfly in Huske’s absence. Katie Ledecky maintained her exceptional performance, leading the pack in the 400-meter freestyle.
The swimming events of the international aquatic competitions are set to occur from the specified Saturday to the following Sunday.
