Phillip Whitten, Former Editor of Swimming World, Dies at 82

Passages: Phillip Whitten, Former Editor of Swimming World, Dies at 82

Phillip Whitten, the former Editor-in-Chief of Swimming World, and its sister publications, Swimming Technique and SWIM (Masters), passed away on Saturday, August 15. He was 82. Whitten was a highly respected journalist, having covered the Olympic Games and the top issues in the sport of swimming for years, while guiding Swimming World as both a print magazine and into the digital landscape.

Whitten, who was named Editor of Swimming World in 1992, was an encyclopedia on the sport of swimming, able to discuss pressing topics, current events, achievements, athletes and history with ease. He could easily reach into his deep knowledge and tell a story from the past, or provide analysis of a developing rivalry. As a writer, he was a wordsmith, using his vast vocabulary to craft engaging articles, ranging from columns to features to meet coverage.

In the 1990s, Whitten was one of the leading journalists to expose the systematic doping program of East Germany, whose women dominated the sport from the 1970s until the fall of the Berlin Wall. Whitten led Swimming World to publish the Stasi (Secret Police) files related to the GDR’s calculated doping program, and he argued for proper recognition for the athletes whose careers were affected, such as Shirley Babashoff and Enith Brigitha. Whitten also wrote extensively about Chinese doping and Title IX.

An inductee of the International Swimming Hall of Fame as a Masters swimmer, Whitten wasn’t just a standout athlete, but was a steadfast promoter of Masters as a vehicle to health and camaraderie. In the pool, Whitten set numerous records as a Masters swimmer while he was a Masters board member outside of the water. In 1991, he published a study – conducted over more than a decade – that showed Masters swimmers did not experience the typical physiological decline of non-swimmers.

Whitten wrote more than 20 books during his life, between swimming and academia. His “Complete Book of Swimming” was published in 1994.

Whitten was born in Philadelphia and grew up in New York before moving to California when he was 13. He found a talent in the pool as a high school swimmer, particularly in the breaststroke. He attended San Jose State University as an undergrad and was a member of the school’s swim team, and later attended Harvard University, at which he later taught.

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Personal Remembrance: Phil first gave me a chance to write for Swimming World in 2000, after I emailed him suggesting a story on Brendan Hansen. While Phil initially declined the proposal, he eventually offered me the chance to write a piece for SW about a group of up-and-coming breaststrokers – Ed Moses, Kyle Salyards, Dave Denniston and Hansen among them. From there, Phil assigned me additional work, and he became a mentor. It was a wonderful moment when he informed my now-wife Dana and I that he was flying in from Arizona to attendour rehearsal dinner and wedding. He held court during those evenings, sharing his typically wonderful tales with our family and friends. Phil, thank you for your guidance, our chats and influence. RIP.