FINA has just released a memo today recognizing that two of the swims done at the Indiana Hoosiers’ “relay rally” will, in fact, be recognized as World Records. This is despite earlier reports that FINA would not recognize any of the records.
Specifically, FINA has accepted the 200 freestyle mixed relay and the 200 medley mixed relay, both in short course meters.
FINA did add the caveat, though, that at this year’s World Cup Series, they would not be awarding the $10,000 World Record bonuses for those who break these, or subsequent, records in the same event.
While formally, the records are not yet recognized, as soon as doping controls for the meet come back negative, they will become World Records.
This means that your newest World Records, after doping controls are cleared, will be:
Mixed 200 Medley Relay (Short Course Meters) – James Wells, Cody Miller, Gia Dalesandro, and Olivia Barker (1:49.87)
Mixed 200 Freestyle Relay (Short Course Meters) – Bailey Pressey, Stephanie Armstrong, Tanner Kurz, and Cody Miller (1:41.16)
By extension, assuming that they received all of the same approvals and ran all of the same doping controls, though not specifically mentioned in the FINA memo, Michigan and Iowa would get their records as well:
Mixed 200 Medley Relay (Short Course Meters) – Dustin Rhoads, Andrew Marciniak, Haley Gordon and Olivia Kabacinski (1:46.61)
Mixed 200 Free Relay (Short Course Meters) – Michael Wynalda, Zoe Mattingly, Ali Deloof, and Kyle Whitaker (1:36.78)
Remember that these World Records go to the United States in the official books, not their specific universities.
It appears as though the other 6 World Records that the Hoosiers tried to break will still need to wait for a “starting standard” to be recognized.
Whenever FINA does something, I can’t help but hear this song in my head.