USC Trojans Pick Up German Sprint Record-holder Artem Selin for Fall 2021

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Artem Selin from Heidelberg, Germany has committed to swim for the University of Southern California in the class of 2025. He will suit up with Chris O’Grady, Daniel Matheson, Harry Homans, Kevin Sichak, Mason Morris, Mateo Parker, Shangfei (“Sean”) Wang, Trent Pellini, and Vincent Cheng next fall.

Selin is a dual national -Germany and Russia- but he represents Germany internationally. He swims with the club team Nübad Flippers and is coached by Dr. Michael Spikermann and Alexander Kreisel (former and longtime coach of Marco Koch). His training partners are Philip Heintz, Zoe Vogelmann, Josha Salchow, Nina Kost (Swiss international), and Julia Hassler (Lichtenstein). He specializes in sprint freestyle and holds the European Junior Record in the 50 LCM freestyle with 21.83, his gold-medal time at the LEN European Junior Championships in Kazan, Russia in July 2019. Selin still holds the Euro Junior Record in the event as this year’s 50 free winner, David Popovici (ROU), went 22.22.

In December 2019, Selin reached the semi-finals of the 50 free at the LEN European Short Course Championships in Glasgow. He swam a 21.53 in prelims to qualify 13th for the semis, then posted a PB of 21.37 to land in 10th place overall. Two weeks later, he won gold in the 50 free at Vladimir Salnikov Cup in Saint Petersburg, lowering his newly-established PB by another .12 to clock a 21.25. That time lowered his own German Age Record and came within .01 of the 21.24 World Junior Record that Kliment Kolesnikov had set in 2017.

Selin won the 50 free at German Olympic Trials in April, but his 22.47 was about half a second slower than the German qualifying time of 21.95.

His converted times would have made him the Trojans’ top 50 freestyler and one of the 5 fastest 100 freestylers for the 2020-21 season. He would have been an A finalist in the 50 free at NCAA Division I Championships. He also would have score in the A final of the 50 at Pac-12s (along with senior Nikola Miljenic) and in the B final of the 100 free with sophomores Max Saunders and Jan Collazo Torrez and junior Billy Cruz Zuniga.

Best SCM times:

  • 50 free – 21.25 (19.14)
  • 100 free – 48.80 (43.96)
  • 50 fly – 23.96 (21.58)
  • 100 fly – 55.69 (50.17)

Best LCM times:

  • 50 free – 21.83 (18.94)
  • 100 free – 49.97 (43.57)
  • 50 fly – 24.35 (21.30)
  • 100 fly – 56.73 (49.84)

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SwimPhan
2 years ago

There is due process in everything and accusations don’t mean guilt. Every complaint filed in the DA’s office doesn’t end up in a filing much less a trial much less a conviction. And not every accusation proves to be true. See Duke LaCrosse.
Yes, USC has fired coaches but it has more to do with lack of performance. Bohn fired WP legend Vavic when the Varsity Blues scandal proved to be true.But there was FBI evidence that it was true. But he also fired all the USC Athletics Administration bureaucrats who looked the other way while essentially a pay-to-play admissions racket was being conducted out of Heritage Hall.
Wait for things to play out instead of turning what… Read more »

Last edited 2 years ago by SwimPhan
swimapologist
Reply to  SwimPhan
2 years ago

Ok but when they do play out, you’re going to be back here saying that he was innocent and only fired because of social media pressure. And that’s why nobody really cares what you have to say. Sorry, but I’m not sorry.

Duck
Reply to  SwimPhan
2 years ago

Your complete deafness and indifference to the overwhelming accounts of Jeremy Kipp’s bullying, his water bottle punt into a swimmer’s face when having one of his well-known hissy fits, and his complete failure as a leader is similar to the athletic department’s deafness about the decades of abuse of students by George Tyndall. That cost USC over 1.1 Billion dollars. That total lack of understanding of the situation, void of empathy for the swimmers, and ignorance of Jeremy Kipp’s continued bullying makes you a part of problem. You obviously care nothing about the USC swim program, but only are concerned about whitewashing Kipp’s despicable and inexcusable behavior. Shame on you.

SwimPhan
2 years ago

How can a positive press release about yet another quality USC swim recruit turn into the same old same old drivel about USC Coach Kipp? If you are alergic to positive USC news here’s more to trigger you. USC now has 62 current or former athletes in the Tokyo Games. By far more than any other US University. 16 swimmers from 15 various nations, so USC does have star power.

USC SWIMMING IN TOKYO – BY THE NUMBERS: 
USC’s 16 Trojans competing in Tokyo is the most since Athens in 2004 (19) 
15 different nations will be represented by Trojans
10 of them have competed in at least one other Olympic Games 
10 of them won NCAA titles while at USC … Read more »

swimapologist
Reply to  SwimPhan
2 years ago

First of all, this isn’t a press release.

Second of all, how? Because USC hasn’t dealt with it. He assaulted an athlete, and all they’ve said publicly is “we’re looking into it.” He hasn’t addressed it, hasn’t owned it, hasn’t said what he’s doing to fix his behavior (anyone who knows anyone who has been around a Kipp-owned program knows that this isn’t an isolated incident or a “mistake,” it’s the inevitable end product of a behavioral problem), he just wants everyone to ignore it and pretend like it never happened.

It’s called accountability, SwimPhan. And as long as he has people like you telling him that it’s okay that he assaulted a swimmer in a fit of rage, he’s… Read more »

Duck
Reply to  SwimPhan
2 years ago

Kipp has worked his usual magic and has demoralized the team in the short time he’s been at USC. He’s too arrogant to admit any wrongdoing and too oblivious to realize he’s THE problem, not the kids. Will USC do the right thing and can this guy? Haven’t they had enough controversy already? C’mon Trojan Nation…. You can do better than this.

Yup
2 years ago

21.8 and……. 49.9?

Dylan
Reply to  Yup
2 years ago

David Curtiss goes 21.8 and 51.1 lol

Clutch
2 years ago

Really a trend for german swimmers to go to the States now. Seriously, the whole 4×100 relay in 2024 with Selin, Miroslaw, Friese and Varjasi could train in the US.

Ugh
2 years ago

Any news on kipp? Having a hard time envisioning him staying on.

Apathetic
Reply to  Ugh
2 years ago

You must not know the USC administration then. It refuses to fire anyone.

Archer
Reply to  Ugh
2 years ago

From what I hear, Kipp is challenging his release and it’s caught up in legal. Admin is mum because of the same reason and ultimately a decision will come at the conclusion of said legal discussions. This will most likely end with Kipp out, but the show must go on in the meantime.

oxyswim
2 years ago

All these international recruits that are probably on full rides or close to it add up quickly.

Admin
Reply to  oxyswim
2 years ago

But, it’s the fastest way to rebuild a program quickly. We’ve seen the formula work in a lot of places, and then eventually they roll off it into American recruits (although USC is always tough to manage scholarships, because tuition is so high). It was what Kipp did at Northwestern, Holloway at NC State, Texas A&M men to a lesser extent, Louisville – it works.

PVSFree
Reply to  Braden Keith
2 years ago

Any particular reason you think the international recruits —> American recruits formula works well? Genuine question, I’m curious about this

Last edited 2 years ago by PVSFree
Grant Drukker
Reply to  PVSFree
2 years ago

“Everyone” wants to live in the US is the response that I have heard at least for D2 swimming. I would imagine it’s similar for D1.

Clutch
Reply to  Grant Drukker
2 years ago

At american colleges you have the possibility to both swim and study on a professional basis, which is not the case in most other countries. Support and funding for swimming is much bigger in the US, at least compared to nations like Netherlands, Germany or Austria.

Admin
Reply to  PVSFree
2 years ago

I have some theories. International recruits are often a year older or come out of HS a little more physically developed than American recruits do, so you get more of an instant pop on the men’s side. I think international recruits also weigh criteria differently than American recruits do. I think they’re sold in a different way, and aren’t as bound to “brand recognition” as Americans might be. They often don’t go on recruiting trips, so they are less likely to get caught up in sort of the football-game-and-boba-tea-hysteria of it all.

As someone else said, a lot of them just want to get to America, and so they go wherever has enough scholarship money to offer them. If you’re… Read more »

Taa
Reply to  oxyswim
2 years ago

It would be interesting to see the financial aid offered the non scholarship swimmers. They have full tuition paid for families making under 80K now. Somehow I can see USC bending the rules on this stuff.

Swimmer
2 years ago

Bring a helmet to practice, Artem!

Rembeo
Reply to  Swimmer
2 years ago

Or a mouthpiece

Duck
Reply to  Swimmer
2 years ago

Another non-US swimmer commits to USC. This formula may work at some schools, but not at Southern Cal with “Temper Tantrum Kipp”. The Trojan dumpster fire continues to rage while this clueless bully is still head coach.

Drama King
Reply to  Duck
2 years ago

Well, it seems to be its not working for US swimmers rather than for the foreign swimmers.
I saw few really good international swimmers commit and transfer there.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Drama King
2 years ago

We’re soft. That’s why we now suck at men’s freestyle above 100 meters, breast, 200 fly, and the last 15 meters of the 200 IM.

Drama King
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Just like NBA 🤦

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Swimmer
2 years ago

Back when they were perennial runner’s up to Santa Clara for best HS team, Jack Nelson pulled a 180+ pound Pine Crest high school guy, who was muttering under his breath about the next set, out of the water by his hair with one hand like a one-armed snatch. Impressive for a 5 foot 4 guy. So this Kipp drama is cupcake stuff.

Jesh
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Imagine being a grown adult and having that little of emotional control around minors.
Now imagine praising that, wild.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Jesh
2 years ago

First off, wasn’t a “minor” in Florida. The only “praise” was his strength. The “wild” part is how you can’t add 1+1.

Duck
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
2 years ago

Jack Nelson also molested a 14 yr old girl named Diana Nyad. I think you might want to pick another he-man hero as an example. No kid deserves to be emotionally abused, bullied, physically assaulted, and/or shamed and not cool at all to joke about this type of behavior from a coach.

Human Ambition
Reply to  Duck
2 years ago
Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Human Ambition
2 years ago
Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Duck
2 years ago
Daniel Slosberg
Reply to  Duck
2 years ago

Here’s a link to the page I originally included on the Diana Nyad Fact Check site update back in March. I had to remove the page because it was distracting from the purpose of the site. That doesn’t, however, make it any less true.

Diana Nyad’s Abuse Allegations
username: turtle
password: Turtle1234

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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