2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
- Day 6 Prelims Live Recap | Day 6 Finals Live Recap
- Day 7 Prelims Live Recap | Day 7 Finals Live Recap
- Day 8 Prelims Live Recap| Day 8 Finals Live Recap
As the 2023 World Championships wrapped up on Sunday in Fukuoka, Japan, Team USA head coach Bob Bowman discussed how he balances his time between national duties and his international swimmers from Arizona State.
The Americans brought home 38 total medals this year, but their seven golds represented their lowest total in at least two decades. Their five individual golds only barely outnumbered the combined total from France’s Leon Marchand (200 IM, 400 IM, 200 butterfly) and Hungary’s Hubert Kos (200 backstroke), who both compete for Bowman at ASU.
Bowman estimated that maybe “97.5%” of his time has been spent focused on Team USA this meet.
“Right now, it’s almost 100 percent USA,” Bowman said. “By the time we get to this meet, the internationals have done their training. I don’t really spend that much time on them. They know what to do.”
Bowman said his position isn’t uncommon in swimming. The 58-year-old former coach of Michael Phelps doesn’t see any ethical issues with helping international swimmers so long as it doesn’t take time away from his national team responsibilities.
“There’s a global community in swimming,” Bowman said. “Almost every one of the coaches on this deck is involved with more than one country’s swimmers.
“It’s ethically okay to me,” he continued. “Bottom line is, I get paid to coach these guys at ASU. I’m representing my country for the love of my country. I’m happy to do that and I have some skills to do that, but I don’t think there’s any ethical question. Everybody gets support. It’s not zero-sum about taking away from the US guys. It’s really not.
“My concern when I’m here is that I’m, No. 1, taking care of every USA responsibility that I have,” Bowman added. “Making our relays as good as they can possibly be. Making sure these athletes are supported to the full extent. Then, outside of that, I can certainly keep an eye on Leon and see what’s going on. It’s not like he needs that much attention from me. I’m not taking time away from the U.S. guys to say ‘nice job, Leon. Make your breaststroke better.’”
Overall, Bowman was happy with Team USA’s performance the past week, though he was hoping for more gold medals.
“By and large, the racing has been good compared to their individual standards,” Bowman said. “Obviously, we’d like to win more gold medals. I think there are a number of reasons for that – both bigger picture-wise and small ones. But overall, I’m pleased with how we raced.
“If you look back, historically, at our World Championships just prior to an Olympics, we’ve had similar results, and we’ve bounced back to have some of our more successful Olympics,” he added.
Moving forward, Bowman said he has a better idea of how to taper versatile 21-year-old Regan Smith, who joined ASU’s pro group last year from Stanford. He rested her for eight days when she only really needs about two.
“We clearly want better times. I hadn’t ever tapered her before,” Bowman said of Smith, mentioning how he couldn’t fully correct her taper between Trials and Worlds. “I just rested her too much. I’ve learned now that she tapers in about two days, not eight days. But she’s had a great attitude. And I saw an amazing stat. She’s one of only four American women (along with Katie Ledecky, Shirley Babashoff, and Tracy Caulkins) to win four individual medals (at Worlds). That’s a pretty impressive group she’s with.”
Just focus on training the Americans period!! the head coach for the USA swimming team should only train the USA, that’s it… training internationals is like sharing tactics with outsiders.. If he does not commit to training only Americans then FIRE HIM!! I can believe he’s happy with those results.
USA doesn’t pay our American coaches a salary. They are in no obligation to train just American swimmers. Most of our Olympic coaches are hired by our universities, where these coaches get their main source of income. International swimmers are recruited by the universities and it becomes these coaches obligation to train them the best they can. If you fire them all, no one will be coaching our Team USA at World’s and the Olympics. “FIRE” them, the hilarity!
It really isn’t in USA Swimming’s best interest to threaten him like that tbh. Majority of Bowman’s income is going to come from ASU, so he’s going to make sure ASU swimmers train and compete well so that it carries onto the next college season. If USA Swimming forces him to choose like that, he’s obviously not going to throw away his livelihood for the sake of patriotism, and USA would just lose a very valuable coaching member.
You should start asking that they fire Aitken, Capitani, Blaire and De Sorbo then too by that argument. I doubt you’ll have any coaches left for team USA.
At least he knows how to pick a relay team. Something the coaches in 2021 couldn’t get right.
Bowman is smart and he understands tactical strategy.
The relays are picked by the managing director with input from coaches according to the memo on the rules.
more training
less meets
Bowman and his attempts to create a female Phelps cost Katie Hoff a shot at individual Olympic gold by spreading her way too thin, and it haunted her for years. I worry that he’s going to put too much on Regan’s plate and leave her feeling the same way after Paris.
I agree with spreading athletes too thin and Katie Hoff is indeed Exhibit A of the worst-case scenario coming to fruition. Have you thought of the possibility that deep down Regan knows she can’t defeat Kaylee in either backstroke and perhaps that is the reason she is adding more individual events? Obviously, her hurdle to clear in the 200 butterfly, Summer McIntosh, is daunting, so what is next for her? The 200 individual medley? There are only so many individual events, and since she is neither a freestyle sprinter, nor a breaststroker, her options become more and more limited with each passing year of claiming Olympic gold. Do I believe I am right? Absolutely not. But I feel it is… Read more »
She just got beat in World Championships. She didn’t get blown out. Olympics hasn’t happened yet. You don’t know where Kaylee is going to be next year; you don’t know where Summer is going to be next year. You don’t even know if Regan, Kaylee, Summer will even medal. Whatever, what are you talking this ominous thing that “deep down Regan knows…”
He didn’t train her. Paul Yetter(?) did
Correct
I’m not buying the taper comment. After trials there was insistence here that Regan got her taper wrong for that meet but it would be fixed for world championships. Now Bowman says it’s the first time he tapered her.
Bottom line, Regan has has the same tendency for years. She tightens up noticeably toward the end of her key races. That has been going on through numerous coaches and tapers and time zones and opponents. It first showed up not long after world championships 2019. Everyone though Regan was unbeatable. Then she started giving away leads to Whyte and Bacon during regular season meets.
I was impressed that Regan owned up to it. After the relay she bluntly conceded, “I’ve… Read more »
I agree with your analysis. I saw some comments that said Regan lose to Kaylee just because Regan has less mental fortitude than Kaylee.
I thought those comments is a disservice towards both Kaylee and Regan and doesn’t give Kaylee enough credit.
Regan knows: she had a problem dying toward the end of her races.
We saw this in fly races (semis and final), we saw this in back races.
Everyone could see it. I have no doubt Regan and Bob will be trying to fix it before Paris.
The mental fortitude is neither here nor there but it doesn’t come into it at all.
Kaylee won the 50 faster than Smith’s PB.
Kaylee won the 100 faster than Smith’s PB.
Kaylee won the 200 0.05 off Smith’s SB, when both women were exhausted after swimming four individual events each.
I don’t think Kaylee winning shows a fault in Smith, it just shows the ridiculous talent that Kaylee has.
Remember he doesn’t coach sprinters (Smogs, Simone, Held, Kulow, etc). They are swam well except Grant House. They are coached by Herbie Behm.
What happened with taper with Chase, Jay? Was there taper too long or too short? Regan and the non distance went to altitude and I imagine Marchand went also to usa OTC. Only the foreign guys were on their game at Worlds….if they even got that far. Sprinters didn’t go and they swam better overall?
No one has the magic wand!
Forgot about Hali Flickinger taper….too long or too short? All the pros that were previously Olympians must have had wrong Tapers?
There are times in everyone’s life when they must face – and accept – the reality that there is someone who is better than them, and that that someone might always be better than them. Sometimes one’s best is not ”the best.”
Go Regan! This swimming thing is not easy but she has held two world records before and she can do it again?
It’s not Bowman’s fault that the international athletes that come out of ASU are Marchand and Kos and the American athletes he produces is Grant House
Why does Bowman get flack for those text messages???? Being Phelps coach does wonders and gives priveleges.
He also needs to step down. The disrespect him and Phelps gave for Foster was unacceptable during medal ceremony
What happened during the medal ceremony?
Bob was in love with Marchand and not so much with Foster
Rare W comment from Jalen
Yeah… That was rough. Like I get it’s a historic moment, but at the end of the day, MP and Bob represent the US. Not France.
My guess is Bob deep down could care less about the chitter about his coaching. He is a MASTER of the sport, a gentleman and good guy. He deserves to be highly paid at ASU, receive support from France, camps, clinics and other sources. He works a profession which demands 365 days a year. Well done Coach!
Well, he can go to France then. Or any other country.
LOL he doesn’t need to.