Anthony Nesty, Todd DeSorbo Named US Head Coaches for 2022 World Championships

University of Florida head coach Anthony Nesty and University of Virginia head coach Todd DeSorbo have been named to lead the U.S. coaching staff into the 2022 FINA World Championships. Nesty will lead the men’s team, while DeSorbo will lead the women’s team.

The event will take place from June 18-July 3, 2022 in Budapest, Hungary.

The 2022 World Championships were a late re-addition to the schedule after the original event, planned for May in Fukuoka, was postponed to 2023.

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Swimmers trained by Nesty and DeSorbo were arguably the most successful at last year’s Olympic Games for the U.S. Nesty coached swimmers Bobby Finke and Kieran Smith to Olympic medals, with Finke pulling off a surprise 800/1500 double in thrilling come-from-behind fashion.

Since the Olympics, the United States’ two most-decorated swimmers in Tokyo have joined Nesty’s group: Caeleb Dressel, who was training previously in the same pool but under former Florida head coach Gregg Troy; and Katie Ledecky, who made the post-Tokyo move from Stanford where she trained under Greg Meehan. Natalie Hinds, who swam a leg on the American 400 free relay, went to college at Florida, and post-Olympics has returned to his group.

Meanwhile, 4 swimmers from DeSorbo’s squad at Virginia qualified for the Olympics, and each of them came home with a medal. Varsity team members Alex Walsh, Kate Douglass, and Paige Madden all finished on podiums. Walsh won silver in the 200 IM and Douglass bronze. Madden swam a prelims and finals leg of the US 800 free relay that won silver.

Virginia post-grad Catie DeLoof brought home a bronze medal as a prelims leg of the American 400 free relay.

Since then, Emma Weyant has begun her college career at Virginia as well. She was the Olympic silver medalist in the 400 IM. Originally scheduled to join the Cavaliers in the fall of 2020, she deferred the start of her college career to stay home and train with the Sarasota Sharks for Tokyo.

The Virginia women are the defending NCAA Champions, while Nesty’s Florida men finished 3rd at last year’s NCAA Championship meet.

Both Nesty and DeSorbo served as assistant coaches with the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, helping the U.S. to 11 gold, 10 silver, nine bronze and 30 total medals.

Last year, Nesty became the second Black coach for a U.S. Olympic Swimming Team after Chris Martin, who served as an assistant at the 1992 Games. Nesty is now believed to be the first Black coach to lead a U.S. team to the World Championships.

Nesty, who is now a U.S. citizen, was the 1988 Olympic gold medalist in the 100 fly and the 1991 World Champion in the 100 fly swimming for Suriname. This also makes him the most accomplished athlete in the modern era to rise to the top of the U.S. coaching ranks.

Assistant coaches are typically named after the selection meet. That event will be held from April 26-30 in Greensboro, North Carolina.