We’re back with swimming’s TopTenTweets presented by Arena, where we round up the best of the swimming Twitterverse.
Featured Instagram Post of the Week:
Any swimmer that can do snow without sustaining an injury is a star in our book.
10.
Evergreen tweet https://t.co/7coUxTkpmo
— Hannah Wander (@hswander7) December 21, 2019
Will we ever *really* know?
9.
This skins race is probably for $50,000 for Sjostrom. If she wins, she probably takes Season MVP. If not, it probably goes to Caeleb Dressel. #ISL2019
— Braden Keith (@Braden_Keith) December 21, 2019
Ok, now this is fun.
8.
When you have a duo named "Cook/Bacon", you 100% deserve to win. https://t.co/yYgbIlvV9R
— Nick (@plainwildcatfan) December 19, 2019
Seems legit.
7.
7300? Are you guys tapering?
— Jim (@jimmybarbiere) December 20, 2019
Probably, but what is “karla”?
6.
https://twitter.com/BernieGuenther/status/1208112326194282496?s=20
This the moment he found out?
5.
Here’s a closer look at the clear wall. https://t.co/3fb7yPtmos pic.twitter.com/LPlT13omnN
— Torrey Hart (@torreyhart) December 20, 2019
Yes, I really included my own tweet.
4.
Who is your Mount Rushmore for @USASwimming swimmers of the decade? 1st two are easy (think MP and KL)…I’ll reveal mine before the start of the US Open tomorrow at 5pmET on NBC #ToyotaUSOpen @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/Eskru4d665
— Rowdy Gaines (@RowdyGaines) December 20, 2019
Peep the replies. Who are yours?
3.
ISL championship day 2 feels pic.twitter.com/liWkL6OKUV
— Josh Prenot (@JoshPrenot) December 21, 2019
NCAA swimmers can relate.
2.
All us swimmers in the NCAA looking at the International Swimming League like pic.twitter.com/mBW5Ou8qdr
— grantshoults (@grantshoults) December 20, 2019
Soon…
1.
When you get beat in the ISL Final: pic.twitter.com/8YsZqeLMIg
— Nic Fink (@Nic_Fink) December 21, 2019
Nic with the absolute SPICE.
Arena Instagram – @ArenaUSA
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Arena USA is a SwimSwam Partner
Was IU working on their 3 quadrant breaststroke?
Haha
Rowdy asks a pretty interesting question.
I’d plump with Phelps, Ledecky, Dressel, Lochte. As Rowdy notes, Phelps and Ledecky clear lock-ins. Toss up between Lochte and Franklin IMO. Could also argue that Dressel’s (relatively) paltry Olympic haul counts against him, but that’s probably a little unfair.
Would things change much if you allowed international swimmers too? Presumably only Sjostrom and Hosszu could make a case. In fact, purely for consistency over the entire decade, I’d probably put both in, taking Dressel/Lochte’s places.
Probably would go for Franklin over Lochte just based off of her status of more of a “new-comer” in this decade, whereas Lochte was already established as an Olympian in 2008.
Why not Regan Smith? She broke Franklin’s record and rn she has two world records to her name more than dressel or locate. However, Dressel is obviously special so he should be up there and hard to argue with lochte too. But regan should be in the discussion!
However dominant, I don’t think she qualifies for “swimmer of the decade” discussion. She’s really only had one meet (’19 Worlds) where she has been truly elite. Obviously, she had some very special performances there, but I don’t think one meet can qualify a person fo swimmer of the decade.
How many of Franklin’s times would win now though? All of Lochte’s 2011 Worlds times would have won this summer. Even in his 4th best event, the 200 free, his 1:44.44 would have won by more than half a second. Without Phelps and Lochte, there would have been very dark times for the US men.
Phelps, Lochte, Ledecky, KING.
I think holding a world record and having individual Olympic gold should be in the criteria.
Adrian, Manuel in there too
Missy Franklin vs. Ryan Lochte in the 2010s:
2 vs. 1 individual Olympic gold medals
2 vs. 3 individual Olympic medals
5 vs. 3 overall Olympic gold medals
4 vs. 7 individual LC World titles
7 vs. 7 individual LC World medals
11 vs. 11 overall LC World titles
0 vs. 4 individual Pan Pac titles
0 vs. 8 individual SC World titles
4 vs. 0 individual NCAA titles
Legendary Swims: Franklin- 2012 200 back, 2015 SCY 200 free ; Lochte- 2012 400 IM, 2011 200 IM, 2011 200 back
I’m giving the advantage to Lochte. Their Olympic results are largely similar, with Lochte having more individual medals, but… Read more »
Peaty and Agnel? Even Sun?
Sun is highly controversial, but he’s dominated mid-distance free this decade and set the 1500 world record.
Peaty’s been active since 2014, definitely a candidate. Agnel more like the argument for Smith (in the decade), one burning bright meet, but it was at the Olympics.
As a Brit it’s actually really embarassing I forgot about Peaty haha. I somehow managed to think about Duncan Scott but not Peaty, oops. Maybe it’s a subconcious breaststroke bias showing?? Anyways, of course Peaty is a candidate — his dominance of the sprint breastrokes for the last 5-ish years has been absolutely extraordinary.
Agnel I think suffers in the longevity department, as you note. Also his 1.43, although extremely impressive, especially considering the small number of people to have gone 1.44, is at the end of the day not a WR. IMO it’s hard to argue it’s any better than, say, Dressel’s 49.50.
Now Sun is a shout. I didn’t realise he had so many golds/silvers in the… Read more »
Thorpe was extraordinary, I saw his 400 as an 11 year old kid in Manchester. Incredible time (obviously), and he came off the gas the last 10 metres. Could not have imagined then that I’d be married before anyone broke it in textile.
I vividly remember swimming a 55 low as a then PB at the Commonwealth pool and as I was clambering out all breathless excitement, I remembered Thorpe did 8 lengths of the same pool at that pace.