SwimSwam Hosszu Retires, Indiana/Michigan Women’s Meet Called Early & Hall Loses Medals In Palisades Fire

Medical Emergency Ends IU/Michigan Dual: The Indiana and Michigan women stopped competing and ended their dual meet early after one of the Wolverine swimmers had a medical emergency during the competition.

Also: Katinka Hosszu retires after a legendary career, the wildfires in California impact Gary Hall Jr. and members of the Pepperdine women's swim & dive team, and Gretchen Walsh rips the fastest 50 fly relay split in history at the Virginia/VT dual.

Medical Incident Ends Indiana v. Michigan Women's Matchup

Friday's dual meet between the Indiana Hoosiers and Michigan Wolverines in Bloomington came to an abrupt halt after one of the Michigan swimmers had a medical incident after one of the events.

According to someone in attendance, Michigan's Natalie Kan struggled to get out of the water after racing the women's 100 fly, and appeared to lose consciousness briefly. This led to an ambulance being called and Kan being transported to the hospital.

The following day, Michigan head coach Matt Bowe confirmed that Kan was "doing well" and was returning to Ann Arbor.

“We’re happy our athlete is doing well, and she’s returning home to Ann Arbor today," he said.

The incident led to the cancelation of the remainder of the women's meet, resulting in Indiana walking away with a 160-103 win.

The men finished out the remaining few events, with the Hoosiers picking up the win, 181-118.

Hungarian Legend Katinka Hosszu Announces Retirement

After one of the most dominant swimming careers we've seen in the 21st century, Katinka Hosszu officially announced her retirement from competitive swimming last week at the age of 35.

Hosszu shared a lengthy Instagram post announcing the decision, which says, in part (see the full post here):

Now, as I look back on my career, I feel a sense of immense fulfillment. Medals and records are precious, but what remains most deeply is my undying love for swimming. Even after I hung up my swimsuit, the water still beckons. I still find so much joy in the stroke of my arm, the soft splashes, and the peaceful solitude I feel beneath the surface.

The Hungarian native won three individual gold medals at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and added a silver medal to make her the most decorated swimmer (individually) at those Games.

The former world record holder in the 400 IM, having established a mark of 4:26.36 at the Rio Games that was broken by Summer McIntosh in 2023, Hosszu still owns the women's LCM world record in the 200 IM, having set the standard at 2:06.12 at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.

Hosszu also won a combined 26 world titles between short course and long course, notably sweeping the women's 200 and 400 IM at four straight LC World Championships from 2013 to 2019.

Also a 35-time European champion (15 LC, 20 SC), Hosszu will perhaps best be remembered by her moniker, the "Iron Lady," referring to her unparalleled level of versatility and ability to race at an elite level more frequently than any of her competitors.

Read more on her historic career here.

Gary Hall Jr. Loses Home, Medals; Pepperdine Swimmers Relocated In LA Wildfires

The outbreak of wildfires last week has rocked southern California and members of the swimming community are among those affected.

Ten-time Olympic medalist Gary Hall Jr. was forced to evacuate his home on Jan. 7, only able to bring his his dog, Puddles, and a few other important items (insulin, a painting of his grandfather, and a painting of the ‘Blessed Mary’ given to him by his daughter).

Hall Jr., 50, lost his home and everything else he left behind, including his 10 Olympic medals.

• Hall Jr. shared a video of his burned-down home on Instagram.

Hall Jr. was using the home he was renting to teach swim lessons to kids in the area through his business, Sea Monkeys Swimming. He was able to get a hotel for him and his dog, and is now staying with family in San Diego.

A GoFundMe was created to support him and help him recover from the loss of his home and his business.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said the committee would replace the Olympic medals Hall Jr. lost.

Also impacted by the fires are several members of the Pepperdine women's swim & dive team, including Vivian Vallely and Anna Ryan.

Valleley and Ryan, both juniors, lost everything but the clothes they were wearing as their Malibu apartment, located on the Pacific Coast Highway approximately four miles south of Pepperdine campus, burned down.

They are currently living with Valleley's family in Orange County and are planning on moving in with teammates in the near future.

The school has set up a support page where you can donate to the swimmers here.

Three other members of the team nearly lost their home—it's still standing, but the extent of the damage is unknown.

The entire Pepperdine women's team has been relocated outside of Malibu for the time being and are training with other programs.

Rose Bowl Aquatics in Pasadena were among the victims of the Eaton fire, forcing them to close their home pool indefinitely.

Westside Aquatics, based out of Palisades Charter High School, is another team affected. A recent video showed the pool is still intact, offering a positive sign for the swimmers.

Walsh Blasts 20.87 Fly Leg As UVA Women Near 200 Medley Relay Record

The University of Virginia women rattled the NCAA Record in the 200 medley relay on Saturday during their dual meet with Virginia Tech, missing the all-time record by just two one-hundredths of a second.

Led by star senior Gretchen Walsh unleashing the fastest 50 fly split in history, the Cavaliers finished in 1:31.53, narrowly missing their own record of 1:31.51 set at the 2023 NCAA Championships.

Claire Curzan led the team off in 23.25, and then in her return to college racing this season, Alex Walsh split 26.08 swimming breast on the second leg—notably quicker than she was on the record-setting relay two seasons ago (26.30). Gretchen Walsh then split 20.87 on fly, the fastest ever by more than six-tenths of a second, and then Anna Moesch anchored the Cavaliers home in 21.33.

Check out the race video and a split comparison with the NCAA Record here.

G. Walsh won the women's 50 free (20.73) and 100 free (46.12) individually, while A. Walsh added a win in the 100 fly (51.98) and placed 2nd in the 200 fly, which was won by freshman Katie Grimes in her UVA debut.

In her first college meet, Grimes won the 200 back (1:51.56), 200 fly (1:53.23) and 200 IM (1:55.62) for the Cavaliers.

The UVA women went on to win the dual handily over Virginia Tech, 211-72, while the Hokies bested the Cavaliers in the men's meet, 185-98.

See the full meet recap here.

Quick Hits

• Two prominent members of the Florida men's team last season, Macguire McDuff and Adam Chaney, have entered the NCAA transfer portal. McDuff said prior to the season that he was done competing, while Chaney was listed on the Gator roster for the first semester but did not compete.
• Ten-time Olympic medalist Caeleb Dressel has given an update on his mindset heading into the 2028 Olympic quad.
• Olympic champion David Popovici recently spoke out about the lack of premier training facilities and competitive training opportunities in his home nation of Romania.
• The University of Wyoming is more than two months into constructing a new state-of-the-art aquatics facility, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2026.
• Chris Guiliano won three events in his Texas debut as the Longhorns cruised to sweep of SMU.
• World Aquatics has finalized the event schedule for the 2025 World Championships in Singapore.
• The Texas One Fund, the University of Texas NIL Collective which allows donors to offer NIL money to student-athletes, has now paid out more than $11 million.
• David Schmitt set a new Harvard school record in the 200 fly as the Crimson men topped Arizona by a score of 178-122.
• Just over six months after announcing his retirement, famed Australian swim coach Michael Bohl has accepted a role with the Chinese Swimming Association.
• Auburn freshman Keaton Rice has added a letter to the House v NCAA docket discussing the impact of roster limits, calling on the court to grandfather the new rules in.

Medical Emergency Ends Indiana vs Michigan Women’s Meet Early

Swimming Legend Gary Hall Jr. Loses His Home and Olympic Medals in Palisades Fire

Three-Time Olympic Champion, Current WR Holder Katinka Hosszu Announces Retirement

Gretchen Walsh Rips 20.87 Fly Split, Fastest Ever; UVA Women Rattle 200 Medley Relay Record

NCAA Relay Record Holder Adam Chaney Enters The Transfer Portal As a Graduate Transfer

Caeleb Dressel Gives Update on Mindset Heading into 2028

Freshman at Auburn Adds Letter to House v NCAA Lawsuit Opposing Roster Limits