Lia Neal
FILE - In this March 20, 2014, file photo, Lia Neal, of Stanford, watches after Stanford won the 400-yard medley relay at the NCAA women's Division I swimming and diving championships in Minneapolis. Neal, who recently retired after winning two Olympic medals during her competitive career, is working to make swimming more diverse and change the perception that it’s for whites only. (AP Photo/Andy King, File)
NCAA Womens'Swimming and Diving

Jun. 18, 2021 06:29 PM EDT

Olivia Smoliga and Natalie Hinds after women's 100 freestyle during wave 2 of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Column: White-dominated swimming struggles to diversify

By Paul Newberry Jun. 18, 2021 06:28 PM EDT

FILE - In this Sept. 21, 1988, file photo, Matt Biondi, of the United States, wears his Olympic gold medal during awarding ceremonies after the men's 800-meter freestyle relay at the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. Bitter at the resistance he faced for trying to transform the sport of swimming, Biondi turned his back on the sport in the early 1990s. Now, he is back at the pool, leading a new organization that hopes to improve the state of swimmers who have long been mere afterthoughts to those who make all the important decisions and cash in on their efforts. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
Matt Biondi picks up where he left off nearly 3 decades ago

By Paul Newberry Jun. 08, 2021 05:00 AM EDT