PARKAS AND REGAN SMITH'S MITTENS: WHY OLYMPIC SWIMMERS DRESS WARM BEFORE RACES

    

USA before the women's 100m backstroke final at the Paris La Défense Arena during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

  

While it might make sense for Keaton Jones, an ice swimming world champion, to come out in a snowsuit before his race out of habit, but why do other swimmers wear those large coats? And why does the world record holder Regan Smith wear mittens? As the 2024 Paris Olympic Games continue, let’s address a question that’s been on many people’s minds: why do swimmers dress like that? Is the air really that cold?

In the swimming world, athletes refer to these large coats as parkas. Swimmers strive to keep their muscles warm and loose, especially after warming up in the pool. This helps improve their range of motion, reduces the risk of injury and maintains their core body temperature while increasing blood flow. Overall, these benefits can help improve swimming performance.

According to the European Journal of Sport Science, a study concluded that “Wearing warm clothing during a 30-min transition phase improved swimming performance by 0.6%, compared to limited clothing.” The study involved nine competitive swimmers and included a week of rest before changing conditions.

Psychological readiness is also crucial. Swimmers might listen to music, slap their muscles to increase blood flow, wear their cap and goggles, swing their arms and jump up and down. Climbing out of the water after warmups and sitting around cold is probably at the bottom of a swimmer’s list of preferred preparations.

Regan Smith, 22, is from Minnesota and currently trains under Bob Bowman, who is known for coaching Michael Phelps. At the Tokyo Olympic Games, Smith won silver medals in both the 200 butterfly and the 4x100 medley relay. In a medley relay, each swimmer competes in a different stroke in the following order: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and freestyle. Smith also earned a bronze medal in the 100 backstroke.

At the 2024 Olympic Trials, Smith set a world record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 57.13. She also won first place in three events: the 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly. Additionally, Smith has earned five gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze at various World Championships.

So far in Paris, she has secured silver medals in both the 100 backstroke and 200 butterfly, with her time in the 200 butterfly setting a new American record of 2:03.84. Still to come, Smith will compete in the 200 backstroke final later today.

Smith is often seen wearing a parka and even pink mittens before her races to keep warm. If a world record holder like her follows this routine, it’s no surprise that many other swimmers do the same.

- Casey Murphy 

US SWIM GREAT PHELPS TELLS CONGRESS THAT OLYMPIC ANTI-DOPING EFFORTS FALL SHORT

Reuters 

U.S. swimming great Michael Phelps told a congressional panel on Tuesday that anti-doping measures "have fallen short" in a case involving Chinese swimmers ahead of this summer's Paris Olympics.

Phelps, fellow gold medalist Allison Schmitt and Travis Tygart, chief executive for the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, testified to lawmakers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations about the measures led by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

"It is clear to me that any attempts of reform at WADA have fallen short, and there are still deeply rooted systemic problems that prove detrimental to the integrity of international sports and athletes right to fair competition, time and time again," Phelps said at the hearing.

Phelps, with 28 medals to his name, is the most-decorated Olympian of all time. Schmitt won 10 medals over four games. Neither will compete in Paris.

WADA in April confirmed reports that nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned drug found in heart medication, before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Schmitt urged lawmakers to hold WADA and the global anti-doping system accountable.

"If we win, let it be because we earned it. And if we lose, let it be because the competition was fair," Schmitt said.

WADA was invited to testify but declined to do so, citing the hearing's focus on the case of the Chinese swimmers.

"WADA considers it inappropriate to be pulled into a political debate before a U.S. congressional committee regarding a case from a different country, especially while an independent review into WADA's handling of the case is ongoing," the organization said in a statement.

Global Athlete, an international athlete-led movement, wrote in an open letter to WADA that sportspersons were left with "little trust" in the anti-doping system following the case of the Chinese swimmers.

"For over a month, questions have been posed to WADA regarding both the agency's actions prior to the allegations becoming public and the reactions since," the letter read.

"Instead of transparently addressing these questions directly, WADA has remained steadfast in their narrative which has provided no clarity on the matter."

WADA vigorously defended its processes and initial handling of the case before saying it would launch an independent review.

CHINADA, China's anti-doping agency, has said the swimmers were inadvertently exposed because of contamination and that they should not be held liable for the positive results. China named its 31-member swim team this month.

WADA said in April it would send a compliance team to assess China's anti-doping program, but leading swimmers, including seven-time gold medalist Katie Ledecky, who is competing in Paris, have continued to express concern.

Lawmakers of both parties slammed WADA's handling of the case.

WADA's refusal to testify was "completely unacceptable," Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers said, pointing out that the agency received over $3 million in funding from the U.S. government last year.

Last month, a separate House committee called for the Justice Department and the International Olympic Committee to launch probes into the doping case involving the Chinese swimmers.

Phelps also said in prepared testimony that he has close friends who were affected by the case.

"Many of them will live with the 'what ifs' for the rest of their lives," Phelps said.

"As athletes, our faith can no longer be blindly placed in the World Anti-Doping Agency, an organization that continuously proves that it is either incapable or unwilling to enforce its policies consistently around the world."

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