The world swimming championships in Gwangju, South Korea are underway, and the USA team has an important connection to The University of Kansas Health System. Dr. John Alm, a Sports Medicine and Orthopedics physician with the health system, is medical director and team doctor for the USA team of about 20 swimmers.

            In the video, Dr. Alm talks about how he became associated with the USA team, having worked at the Winter Olympics last year, and how his background as a swimmer helps him take care of these athletes, most of whom will be going to the Summer Olympics next year. He explains the importance of the swimmers getting acclimated to the water temperature, and says a swimmer from another country died of cardiac arrest last year in water that was too warm. Dr. Alm says it’s a special challenge because there are two kinds of events…those in a traditional swimming pool and those events in open water like lakes and rivers. He says without precautions, swimmers are at risk of diseases like E. coli. His advice, which is good advice for anyone who swims in a lake this summer, includes, rinsing off immediately, putting on clean clothes, and avoiding the water if you have an open cut.

            The video also includes still photos of Dr. Alm and the team at practice and various shots of he and team members sightseeing in South Korea.