Articles and Videos
Holiday Gift Guide
Shop these USMS partner specials for holiday gifts, or just to start the New Year off right with some new equipment.
Two USMS Members in MISHOF 2024 Class
Puget Sound Masters member Charlotte Davis and Sarasota Sharks Masters member Diann Uustal are part of the eight-member Masters International Swimming Hall of Fame 2024 class.
USMS Elects At-Large Directors and Honors Members at 2024 Annual Meeting
U.S. Masters Swimming has concluded its at-large director elections and honored many of its deserving volunteers and coaches during its 2024 annual meeting.
How to Swim Modern-Day Butterfly
Butterfly was the last of the four competitive strokes to be created. Here's a retrospective on what was taught in swim schools and competitive programs years ago, and what the latest ideas are.
Matters of the Heart
Clifford was feeling good, in shape, and on target to meet his goals. But then, suddenly, something changed. For no apparent reason, his 1,000-yard repeat splits—typically rock steady at 15 minutes—began creeping up.
The Hidden Dangers of Microplastics
More and more research is revealing the damage to your body from microplastics. Understanding the effect microplastics has on your health is important so you can know what to do about it.
Better Aging Through Breaststroke
Given the absence of older swimmers at Olympic trials in most other events, it's hard not to wonder about the connections between breaststroke and swimming fast as we age.
Swimmer Mao
Growing up in Hunan province at the turn of the 20th century, Mao Zedong rose to power during a time of great shift and change in Chinese society. But he also grew up swimming in a pond on his family farm and carried a love for it well into adulthood.
Volunteer Profile: Kristof Kertesz
Kristof Kertesz helped get College Club Swimming launched and now works as a DC policy wonk, a job he carries over into his service on USMS’s Governance and Legislation Committees.
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Tacos
Slow cookers are affordable, timesaving, and energy-efficient tools to cook delicious meals. This recipe requires minimal preparation.
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Chlorine is great at keeping pools clean. Keeping hair soft and bouncy? Not so much. As a chemical compound more potent than a jug of household bleach, even relatively brief exposures to chlorine can cause skin and eye irritations, and leave hair dry, stiff, and discolored. But can chlorine cause hair to fall out?
The Optimists Advantage
When it comes to what makes a swimmer great, strength and technique are givens. Same with the ability to persevere. But an often-overlooked skill top performers need is optimism. Before it can work for you, however, you must know what it really is.
To Tow or Not to Tow?
Swimmers are often difficult to see in open water. Even if you’re wearing a neon-bright swim cap (you always do that in open water, right?), boaters and other waterway users may not notice you plugging along amid the waves and wash.
Cool Down for Longevity and Performance
After a challenging swim workout or a dryland session, cooling down your body and mind can help you avoid nagging aches and pains and help your body transition to recovery mode.
Ask the Coach: Cory Nguyen
Orange County Riptide Aquatics Coach Cory Nguyen is very mindful to not incorporate too much breaststroke into a breaststroke-focused workout or have his swimmers do the full stroke without first working on each aspect of the stroke separately.
From the Center Lanes: Erika Braun
After Erika Braun underwent surgery in 2021 to alleviate lower back pain, she discovered breaststroke was the only stroke that didn’t cause her pain in training.
H2Ohmygod That’s Tight!
Drag is the enemy, so to reduce drag, we work our strength, stamina, and technique. And beyond the workouts, there’s shaving down, which has been proven to reduce drag and gives us more awareness of our bodies in the water, not to mention making us super shiny, which is kinda cool.
Rebuilding After Disaster
May 31, 2022, was a very bad day for Patrick Rose. The worst of his life. He was an avid cyclist back then, logging 100 to 125 miles per week. He’d done a hard Memorial Day ride the day before and was on a short, stretch-out ride. About 4 miles in, disaster struck.
Editor's Note
The women’s 200 IM was one of the most discussed races leading up to the Olympics. Canada’s Summer McIntosh figured to be a huge favorite entering the Games, but Americans Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh, as well as Australia’s Kaylee McKeown, were strong contenders. This looked like a four-person race for just three medals.
How Swimmers’ Sleep Patterns and Needs Change with Age
Is there anything better than a good, solid night of sleep before a big meet, or a cozy nap after a tough Saturday morning workout? If you’re anything like me—a huge fan of the luxury of just a little more sleep—then the answer is probably no. Getting enough refreshing rest is one of life’s purest and most powerful pleasures.
