Rawak Won't Be CEO of USA Swimming: Nine days after revealing her as its new CEO and President, USA Swimming announced Friday that Chrissi Rawak would not be taking over the role. Also: Summer McIntosh announces a pending coaching change, Alex Shackell commits to Indiana, and a recap of the last week of conference championship meets. Chrissi Rawak Out As USA Swimming CEO After SafeSport Complaint Surfaces USA Swimming announced Friday night that Chrissi Rawak would not be taking over as the organization's CEO and President just nine days after naming her to the role. Initially, "unforeseen personal circumstances" were the reason behind Rawak's withdrawal from the position. She reportedly sent a text message to her colleagues at the University of Delaware informing them that the announcement of her withdrawal was coming, pointing to a recent death in the family as the reason. However, it was learned on Saturday that Rawak withdrew as USA Swimming CEO after the organization became aware of a SafeSport complaint regarding her conduct while working as a coach at the University of Michigan. The SafeSport complaint was made after Rawak was announced as the new CEO on Feb. 19. USA Swimming released the following statement to SwimSwam on Saturday: Today’s news is concerning and disappointing to USA Swimming and our broader community. The fundamental responsibility of USA Swimming, above all else, is to protect the safety and well-being of our athletes. In the past few days, USA Swimming was made aware, for the first time, of the existence of a report that was filed with the U.S. Center for SafeSport after Chrissi Rawak‘s appointment was announced. These matters, which we are only now coming to understand, were previously unknown and were not disclosed to USA Swimming during the rigorous vetting process of Ms. Rawak. This process was led by a reputable search firm and a dedicated stakeholder task force, followed well-established best practices, and was conducted with the highest possible degree of due diligence, including external reference and background checks. Immediately upon receiving limited information from the Center earlier this week, USA Swimming raised the matter with Ms. Rawak (with approval from the Center, which has exclusive jurisdiction over this claim), at which point Ms. Rawak informed us of her decision to resign. We are and remain bound by confidentiality obligations under the SafeSport Code, which we take very seriously in order to protect the integrity of the reporting process and of any athletes involved. This matter remains exclusively with the Center.
The USA Swimming CEO position has been vacant since the fall, when Tim Hinchey left the role. He had been in the position since 2017. Read more here. Summer McIntosh Announces Future Coaching Change Canadian superstar and three-time Olympic champion Summer McIntosh revealed plans to leave her training base in Sarasota and head to a pro team later this year. McIntosh, 18, will move on from head coach Brent Arckey and the Sarasota Sharks following this summer's World Championships in Singapore, with the decision being a mutual one after the duo has experienced unparalleled success over the past two and a half years. “Just to reflect on the past almost three years I’ve been in Sarasota, I’ve grown so much as a person and a swimmer," McIntosh said in an exclusive interview with CBC Sports. "Coach Brent really pushed me to be the best swimmer I could be. I will forever cherish my years here. It’s been a great run.” Although McIntosh hasn’t finalized her future plans, she is looking at Bob Bowman and the pro group at the University of Texas as a leading option. The idea of training with Bowman, who guided Michael Phelps to the greatest Olympic career of all-time while racing a very similar program to McIntosh, appeals to her. “Bob coaching the greatest of all time (Phelps), being able to do all those events is definitely an attraction,” McIntosh said, also mentioning that Bowman trains the best male swimmer in the world currently, Leon Marchand, who won Olympic gold in Paris in the same three events McIntosh did. McIntosh plans on taking a visit to the University of Texas in March, and confirmed she'll be training and competing as a pro and not with the NCAA roster. “I’m figuring out a pro team that I could join,” McIntosh told CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux. “The NCAA is a great option but for me personally, I think a pro team makes more sense because it has a lot more flexibility and it’s a lot more individual.” She also noted that she plans on racing five individual events moving forward at major international meets, having stuck to four thus far in her career. Whether that's the 800 free or 200 back remains to be seen, with the 400 free, 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM figuring to be mainstays on her program. “As I move forward to my career, I still want to continue to develop other events," she said. Read more here. Alex Shackell Announces Commitment To Indiana, Will Have "Hybrid" Schedule Alex Shackell, the former top-ranked recruit in the girls' high school class of 2025, has announced her commitment to Indiana University for the fall of 2026. Shackell was previously committed to the Cal Golden Bears for this coming fall, but decommitted to stay home and train with the Carmel Swim Club. The 18-year-old Olympic gold medalist and two-time world champion will have a hybrid schedule at IU, as her head coach at Carmel, Chris Plumb, told SwimSwam she'll have the flexibility to still train with him at times while competing with the Hoosiers. "After careful consideration, Alex Shackell has decided to continue her training in Carmel while pursuing her collegiate experience," Plumb said. "Indiana University offers Alex the flexibility to balance her elite swimming career with her academic goals. She will begin at IU in Spring 2026 under a hybrid schedule. Alex’s primary focus will remain on international competition as she continues to represent the United States at the highest levels of the sport." While Plumb declined to describe what the ‘hybrid schedule’ will look like, other individuals with knowledge of the situation have outlined a plan that will allow Shackell to divide her training between Indiana University and the Carmel Swim Club. Carmel is about a 75-minute drive from the IU campus in Bloomington. Shackell qualified for the 2024 U.S. Olympic team in the women's 200 fly and the women's 4x200 free relay. She swam prelim legs on the U.S. women's 4x100 medley and 4x200 free relay at the Olympics in Paris, winning gold and silver medals, respectively. She is also coming off winning four relay medals, including two gold, at the 2024 Short Course World Championships. Read more here. Indiana Men Win Fourth Straight Big Ten Title, ASU Sweeps Big 12 Champs The Indiana men made it four Big Ten championship victories in a row on Saturday as the Hoosiers rolled to a 448-point victory over Michigan for the largest margin of victory in conference history. At the Big 12 Championships, the Arizona State Sun Devils dominated both the men's and women's sides in their conference debut, sweeping the meet decisively. Men's Big Ten Recap Indiana ran away with the Big Ten title after winning 11 events, with junior Owen McDonald leading the way as the former ASU Sun Devil swept the 200 IM (1:39.89), 100 back (44.38) and 200 back (1:37.15). McDonald set a new conference record in the 200 back, while his swim in the 200 IM marked a new Championship Record. The Hoosiers also won three of the five relays, setting new Big Ten Records in the 200 medley (1:21.39) and 400 free relays (2:45.62) and a new Championship Record in the 400 medley relay (2:59.87). Trailing McDonald's maximum 96 individual points, his Hoosier teammate Zalan Sarkany and Michigan's Tyler Ray tied for 2nd at the meet with 87 points apiece. Sarkany won the 500 free (4:11.62) and 1650 free (14:38.01) while placing 7th in the 400 IM, and Ray won the 100 fly (44.28), placed 2nd in the 50 free (18.83) and took 3rd in the 200 fly (1:40.55). Indiana's Finn Brooks was another top performer, scoring 84 points with a big win in the 100 breast, setting a new Championship Record and becoming the fifth swimmer in history under the 50-second barrier in 49.94. Read more on Indiana's victory here. Big 12 Recap With the long-reigning champions from Texas now in the SEC, Big 12 newcomers Arizona State took over the mantle as the conference's new dominant force as the Sun Devils swept the championship titles on Saturday. The ASU women won the first conference title in program history, winning all but four swimming events to amass 1695 points, 455 clear of runner-up Arizona. Leading the way for the Sun Devils were Caroline Bentz, Deniz Ertan, Julia Ullmann and Alexa Reyna, who combined for 359 individual points, with Bentz the only swimmer to have a perfect meet with three wins in the 50 free (21.77), 100 back (51.22) and 200 back (1:51.89). Ertan won the 1650 free and 200 fly, Ullmann topped the 100 fly and had two other podium finishes, and Reyna won the 500 free, placed 2nd in the mile, and was 5th in the 200 free. On the men's side, the Sun Devils had Ilya Kharun, Jonny Kulow and Daniel Matheson lead the team with 92 individual points apiece, resulting in the team winning the title by more than 600 points over Arizona. This was the third straight conference title for ASU after they won the Pac-12 Championships the past two seasons. Kharun won the 100 fly (44.13) and 200 fly (1:39.41), Kulow won the 50 free (18.64) and 100 free (41.07), and Matheson paced the field in the 500 free (4:14.37) and 1650 free (14:46.53). Read more on ASU's wins here. QUICK HITS
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam USA Swimming was informed of a report about Rawak to the U.S. Center for SafeSport after she was announced as the organization's new CEO. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Chrissi Rawak Withdrew as USA Swimming’s New CEO After SafeSport Complaint Surfaced
By James Sutherland on SwimSwam McIntosh is looking to join a pro team after this summer's World Championships, with Bob Bowman and the University of Texas at the top of the list. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Summer McIntosh To Leave Sarasota After This Season, Considering Joining Bowman At Texas
By James Sutherland on SwimSwam Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske will go head-to-head in the 100 fly (and 100 free) at the 2025 NCAAs after going 1-2 in the event at the Olympic Games. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Pre-Selection Psych Sheets For 2025 Women’s NCAA Championships Released
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam Lizzie Kaye, the only All-American diver in Virginia women's program history, is a senior this season. The Cavaliers won't have any divers next year. Read the full story on SwimSwam: The University of Virginia Won’t Have a Diving Program Next Season
By Madeline Folsom on SwimSwam Summer McIntosh highlights the entrants at the 2025 Westmont TYR Pro Swim Series where she is entered in the 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM Read the full story on SwimSwam: Psych Sheets for Westmont TYR Pro Swim Series Highlighted by Summer McIntosh
By Braden Keith on SwimSwam Two-time Olympic medalist Alex Shackell has committed to swim at Indiana University after previously decommitting from Cal. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Olympic Medalist Alex Shackell Commits to Indiana University
By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam Indiana won its fourth consecutive Big Ten Men's Championship this weekend by 448 points, the largest margin of victory in conference history. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Indiana Men Win 4th Straight Big 10 Title With Largest Margin of Victory In Conference History
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USA Swimming was informed of a report about Rawak to the U.S. Center for SafeSport after she was announced as the organization's new CEO.
McIntosh is looking to join a pro team after this summer's World Championships, with Bob Bowman and the University of Texas at the top of the list.
Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske will go head-to-head in the 100 fly (and 100 free) at the 2025 NCAAs after going 1-2 in the event at the Olympic Games.
Lizzie Kaye, the only All-American diver in Virginia women's program history, is a senior this season. The Cavaliers won't have any divers next year.
Summer McIntosh highlights the entrants at the 2025 Westmont TYR Pro Swim Series where she is entered in the 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM
Two-time Olympic medalist Alex Shackell has committed to swim at Indiana University after previously decommitting from Cal.
Indiana won its fourth consecutive Big Ten Men's Championship this weekend by 448 points, the largest margin of victory in conference history.
