Several new video posts have been uploaded to Shane Tusup‘s YouTube page since our last update, as the coach has taken his swimmers to their first big meets together, the FINA World Cup stops in Budapest and Berlin. This series follows Tusup’s coaching journeys with Italian record-holder Ilaria Cusinato and Hungarian teenager Zsombor Bujdoso, especially with Cusinato’s quest for Olympic glory next year. Since the beginning of their journey, Hungarian swimmers David Foldhazi and Liliana Szilagyi have joined the group.
You can view episodes 13-16 on Tusup’s YouTube page, while we’ve embedded the vlog posts below, too.
In Episode 13, we see some final preparations for the Budapest meet. We learn that this is Tusup’s first time back on the pool deck at a big meet in two years, and we see Bujodoso hang out a bit with American national team-er and vlogger Michael Andrew.
The team travels to Budapest and races in Episode 14. Cusinato clocks a 2:16.16 to place 16th in the 200 IM and 5th in the 400 IM (4:48.64). We also hear a bit from Foldhazi and how he’s feeling so far.
In Episode 15, the group celebrates Cusinato’s 20th birthday (October 5th). We hear from Szilagyi, who says that swimming in Hungary is a lot of tough training without a lot of payoffs, but with Tusup, she feels that it’s going to pay off. A 200 butterflier, Szilagyi is a competitor with not only Katinka Hosszu but a slew of other Hungarian standouts.
We also see their travels to Berlin, for the next FINA World Cup stop, which happened two weeks ago. Tusup runs into some issues with his deck pass, and says that he has heard from the Italian swimming federation that he needs to go to the Hungarian federation for clearance, and vice versa from the Hungarian federation. Cusinato is Italian, while the other three are Hungarian. In Berlin, FINA ultimately denies him deck access for the entire meet despite his ability to get cleared in Budapest.
We see footage in Episode 16 at the Berlin meet, but it isn’t taken by Tusup and his crew, as they’re not allowed on deck. Instead, the athletes take the reins and document the meet, and we learn that Foldhazi and Cusinato seem to be in a relationship.
In Berlin, Bujdoso’s best finish is 13th in the 400 IM (4:39.64). Foldhazi touches 20th in the 100 back (57.39) and 200 back (2:06.82), while Szilagyi places 10th in the 800 free (9:42.30) and 11th in the 200 fly (2:18.85). Cusinato hits best times in the 50 free (26.63), 50 fly (27.64), and 400 free (4:15.54). In the 400 IM, she goes 4:46.11 to beat her Budapest time and take bronze, and she also hits a season-best in the 200 IM (2:15.07).
Finally, Tusup talks about contrasting views of training, sport, and culture between the United States and places like Europe and Asia, saying the latter parts of the world aren’t quite as positive and open-minded to their process.
Interesting things to note: Neither Foldhazi nor Cuisinato follow Zsombor, or Liliana on Instagram, and Liliana doesn’t tag Ilaria or David in her Olympic Team Dark Horse posts anymore. Do your dirt, SwimSwam!
Yeah, Hungarian tabloids reported yesterday that Tusup kicked out Foldhazi (that is not a surprise in and of itself, Foldhazi has been kicked out by other coaches in Hungary for his attitude problem, see this post from 2018 when he was kicked out from his then club for skipping early morning practices: https://24.hu/sport/2018/03/14/foldhazi-david-uszas-dunaharaszti-mtk-iron-aquatics-shane-tusup/).
According to the aforementioned Hungarian tabloids, Shane gave Ilaria an ultimatum to decide whether she wants to continue or not. It sounds like he has enough other high caliber swimmers that he isn’t completely dependent on Ilaria for his coaching ambitions? I was rooting for her though, so we shall see.
I hate myself for enjoying these videos.
Life without Tusup videos is just not the same -:)
Not sure where the Ilaria Cusinato and David Foldhazi relationship insinuation came from…?? More interesting is the fact that they have departed from their previous schedule of posting videos on Tuesdays and Fridays without announcing a break of any kind… Also, none of Shane’s recent Instagram posts feature Ilaria, nor does he follow her on Instagram any more, and they haven’t liked each others posts since Berlin. Coincidence? I guess we’ll find out in Kazan.
There’s a point in Episode 16 where the two are in bed holding hands and they’re talking about how they’ve been able to support each other, but I couldn’t quite tell if it was a legitimate relationship or more like a strong friendship.
Oh, lol, thanks, I totally missed that…
3:27 in episode 16 sure looks like they’re exchanging a kiss while walking down the hall
Oooh: “we learn that Foldhazi and Cusinato seem to be in a relationship.” Shane’s not going to take that so well.
He’ll probably see it as a challenge for a little bit, but around episode 23 Foldhazi is going to be asked to leave the team for “philosophical” difference
Really? If he is that obsessed with her why would he have brought him into the team in the first place knowing they might like each other? And why would he bring his gf all the way out to Italy with him if his intentions were actually to get with her? Also why would he include that bit about them being together in the episode? The logic doesn’t add up whatsoever. But you people like to create that drama in your heads for fun I guess.
Really.
Called it
While I can’t say I am a fan of Tusup, I will admit I have enjoyed this series, and do find his process fascinating.
While I am concerned about potential injuries (especially in the gym), I do think that Cusinato will be ready to swim fast next year otherwise. Although I find an Olympic gold medal near impossible to imagine for her. In saying that, medley events are quite weak internationally at the moment, and there certainly is plenty of room behind Hosszu for a swimmer to collect minor medals.