One of Switzerland’s most unique summer experiences is floating down the crystal-clear Aare River through the heart of Bern. Locals finish work, store their belongings in waterproof bags, and let the gentle current carry them past one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.
With its turquoise water, stunning Alpine backdrop, and relaxed atmosphere, the Aare Swim is an unforgettable way to experience the Swiss capital.
During the years of 2008 and 2009 the swimming record books were almost ENTIRELY rewritten, of the 82 different events that were recognized at the time 79 of them saw new world records set in these two years alone, with many of them being broken multiple times. While, yes, exceptional athletes are ALWAYS going to find a way to break barriers this time there was something more at play, a MAJOR advancement in swimsuit technology that made these records fall in droves causing these two years to be nicknamed the “supersuit” era. After the 2009 swimming world championships saw an ASTOUNDING 43 new world records, these suits were banned starting in 2010 BUT in a highly controversial ruling, all of the suit assisted records were allowed to stand.
It’s been over 16 years since that ban went into effect and at first it seemed like it would be nearly IMPOSSIBLE to break any of these records. The year of 2010 saw zero new world records set and it wasn’t until 2011 when Ryan Lochte broke the world record in the 200 IM that the world record drought was finally over. Since then these records have been slowly chipped away as new waves of generational athletes, increased specialization, and new training methods have helped bridge the gap and now these controversial records are ALMOST extinct. Today we’re going to take another look at the last five super suited world records, the athletes that might challenge them and also look at what’s changed since I LAST covered this topic a year and a half ago when there were EIGHT of these records left.
For more than three decades, Bandari Swimming Club in Mombasa has built a reputation for developing some of Kenya’s finest swimmers under coach Fakhry Mansoor. Its latest success story is Stephen Ndegwa, who has earned a place in Kenya’s team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. As the club looks ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, it continues to nurture the next generation of Kenyan swimming talent.
President of the Aquatic Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ), Lance Rochester, is unperturbed by queries raised by the Integrity Unit of World Aquatics into the financial management of the local association.
Pippa Hudson speaks to Cape Town freediver Amber Filliary and film director John Martin about their short documentary film, Under the Ice. It’s about Amber’s attempt to set a new world record for swimming beneath the ice on a single breath-hold.
New aquatic center in Shepherdsville almost completed
During roasting-hot summer days, more and more people make their way to swimming pools, lakes, rivers and other spots where they can access water to stay cool.
But while water activities provide a refreshing escape from the heat, they can also be a source of danger. In the U.S., drowning is a leading cause of accidental death for children. More than 900 children die from accidental drownings each year.
For autistic children, the danger is more acute: Their risk of drowning is up to 160 times higher than that of their peers without autism.
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