Michigan Water Carnival Highlight Reel

Check out the highlight reel above, produced by former professional swimmer Bobby Savulich. Bobby is the visionary behind such events as the Pro Duel Meet 1 and most recently Athlete Approved. Athlete Approved is a multi-faceted attack toward trying to bring professional swimming into the modern world by providing athletes the opportunity to make a living in the pool. For more on Athlete Approved, check out their Twitter or Facebook pages. To read more about Athlete Approved, check out their website.

In front of a packed house at the Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, and Oakland Golden Grizzlies participated in the first ever Water Carnival event. Based on early returns from this first event, it may not be the last, either.

The dance team was there, the band was there, the women’s water polo team was there, and there was even a guy who rode a bike off of the 10-meter platform.

And oh yeah: there was swimming as well in this event that was designed as a swimming exhibition of sorts, with opportunities for athletes to really show off their incredible athleticism to an audience that wasn’t necessarily 100% familiar with a typical college dual meet.

In some of the more notable results, Kyle Whitaker kicked a 50 underwater in 17.27 seconds with fins on. That’s at least three seconds faster than he would be this time of year in a normal 50 freestyle.

Senior Evan Gregg, who has the opportunity to be a huge X-factor for the Michigan sprint relays this season, won the 50 free with fins in 18.33, topping Minnesota’s Ben Griggs, who was 2nd in 18.66.

Griggs anchored the Minneosta 500 yard free relay (swum as a 200/150/100/50) with a finless 20.33, as they pulled off somewhat of an upset over Michigan’s group. The Gophers finished in 4:05.35 ahead of 4:06.60.

Settling the score in a Twitter-fueled battle that has raged for weeks, Canadian Richard Funk bettered his Michigan teammate Kyle Duckitt in the 50 breaststroke with a flip-turn by a result of 24.74-25.02. Both men were (strangely) silent afterward on their social media accounts, letting the swimming speak for itself. Bruno Ortiz almost upended the whole thing, touching 3rd in 25.05.

Full Meet Results available here.

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Robin
11 years ago

Oh man, get Zingerman’s to cater the refreshments and I’d travel back to Michigan just for this. Fun idea!

Jeff
11 years ago

Love the cheerleaders and the band at the meet! If you make swimming fun people will attend! So many times it seems our athletes are afraid to promote their sport… We shouldn’t have to take a backseat to anyone. Thank you Michigan Swimming for thinking outside the norm.

Carrie
11 years ago

While I appreciate the willingness to bring interest to the sport, we must also think about safety. The athletes who kicked a 50 underwater are promoting an unsafe practice in swimming. Those watching may try to emulate and unfortunately could suffer from a shallow water blackout and have devastating consequences. I hope that the Water Carnival continues but I do hope they look at the events they are choosing and how they will impact those participating and watching.

Lv2srf95
Reply to  Carrie
11 years ago

Really? While i agree that it could have negative concequences, we need to have faith in coaches and lifeguards to protect from an incedent as you describe. I believe that having a 50m underwater event will be a very good thing for swimming. We’ve craved this event since the berkoff blastoff began.

Even now with the fastest people in the world going 15m uw in 200m events, the things that they are doing, which could also be extremely dangerous to inexperienced swimmers, could still potentially cause kids to emulate and eventually be negaitvely affected by these swims. As a society we need to kind of let off the brakes a little and accept ideas that, in some rare cases,… Read more »

Velvet Fog
11 years ago

Why aren’t the women’s results posted?

chris
11 years ago

50 yards under 18 is no a big deal. 50 meters its something.

Marley09
11 years ago

Did I see a guy ride a bicycle off a 10m diving platform? What could go wrong with this? Were the lifeguards taking a break?

WHOKNOWS
11 years ago

Collegiate teams did similar activities back in the 30, 40, and 50’s in the last century.

pmsd
11 years ago

any idea what types of fins were used/if swimmers were allowed to choose whichever fins they wanted, or was there a standard fin for all competitors?

Reply to  pmsd
11 years ago

Swimmers were able to choose. The majority wore DMC: http://athleteapproved.com/product/dmc-swim-fins

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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