American swimming is entering a new world of post-graduate swimming. Huge training hubs are popping up as swimmers push more-and-more toward professional swimming careers.
One of the most explosive of these, if not the most explosive, over the last two years was Dave Salo’s Trojan Swim Club, based at the USC campus. They had superstars like Rebecca Soni, Ricky Berens, and Ous Mellouli, all of whom won Olympic gold medals, but beyond that was the sheer number of elite athletes from all corners of the world who congregated in Los Angeles. It was truly staggering.
Some of these (Berens, Texas) have already made the decision to leave: a post-Olympic reshuffling of athletes seems as though it’s going to be the modus operandus in these clubs.
But in exchange, Salo is already picking up more swimmers as athletes around the world are attracted to the Southern California lifestyle and Salo’s unique training methods. The latest to come to town is Russia’s Nikita Lobintsev, according to his federation.
Lobintsev will separate from longtime russian coach Valery Shevelyov, though on good terms saying that he “will always be grateful for the fact that Valery helped me prepare for the Olympic Games in London.”
The conversations started prior to the Olympics, but weren’t finalized until after London (Lobintsev says he was also talking with Gregg Troy). He says that his English is improving and that he shouldn’t have any trouble communicating. He will join fellow Russian Vlad Morozov at USC, which should help Salo create a plan around the Russian schedule.
Lobintsev won a silver medal in Beijing as part of Russia’s 800 free relay and a bronze in London as part of the 400. His 47.39 in London was the fastest split on the Russian relay.
Well Lob can always get some good bit parts in tv & movies. That haircut says Mafia . Steely blue eyes are a bonus.
I grew up in La and Orange County and now live in Arizona where its cheaper for housing. The diversity of La is more complex than you state, some cities are almost all Hispanic or Asian or white, not that mixed. I still think that La is in some ways less attractive than living in Arizona or Texas. You brought it up that La has an attractive environment for people to moved too and I disagree. Dave Salo is a good coach and La has its problems as well as other places.
pretty sure salo has limited his post-grad group to 20 this time around. I think he tweeted it a while back.
How many swimmers can one coach effectively train?
i think you mean that there are many attractive people who live there for the lifestyle. great points about your changing demographics except that it has nothing to do with this article and that in every other major market NY, LA, Miami and Chicago that the diversity is what makes it special and relevant in a global context, not just the US, which is why professional athletes probably choose to train there
I doubt many people are attractive to the lifestyle. Many people that live in Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego have left during the past decade. Immigrants prefer Los Angeles compared to the native born, La County is over 30 percent foreign born and LA county lost 1 million non-Hispanic whites in the past decade to other states, because its crowded, expensive and the wages are not that great compared to the cost of housing. Salo a good coach is probably the main reason and there is nice weather but the lifestyle is not what people here think,
USC is the training center for the world now!
About Vlad Morozov, perhaps he still wants to swim for USA. We’ll see.
his orginal intention was that he really wanted to swim for the US. however, after spending time with the Russian team, i’m guessing his position might of changed. he might figure he will have an easier chance to make some individual events. he has a high opinion of the US, so maybe i could be wrong.
The US pays $25,000 – gold, $15,000 – silver, and $10,000 for a bronze.
Russia pays $135,000 – gold, $82,000 – silver, and $54,000 for a bronze.
Vlald is better off swimming for Russia. Perhaps the politically correct thing to say was that he wanted to swim for the US – since the US provided the club swimming and the full scholarship.