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Genadijus Sokolovas
Genadijus Sokolovas, Ph.D., also known by his popular nickname in America as Dr G, is considered by many to be one of the world’s most accomplished sports physiologists. He is currently assisting world-class triathletes, pentathletes and pool and open water swimmers at the USA Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado and created the Vertical Swim Trainer, one of the 2014 WOWSA Awards' World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.
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USA Swimming Career
Dr. Sokolovas was USA Swimming’s Director of Physiology & Director of Sport Science from 2000 to 2008. He developed several innovative testing programs for USA Swimming Olympic and National Team members including lactate clearance tests, land/water strength tests, biomechanical analysis and training design programs, and the Vertical Swim Trainer.
He tested, evaluated and advised USA Swimming National Team and Olympic Team athletes and coaches before and during all major international competitions and Olympic Games between 2000 and 2008, including gold medalists and world record holders Michael Phelps, Natalie Coughlin, Dara Torres, Jenny Thompson, Ryan Lochte, Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Ian Crocker, Katie Hoff, Kate Ziegler, Misty Hyman, Amanda Beard, Tara Kirk, Megan Quann-Jendrick, Neil Walker, Gary Hall Jr., Anthony Ervin, Ed Moses, Lenny Krayzelburg, Jason Lezak, Nathan Adrian, Cullen Jones, and more than 2,000 world-class pool and open water swimmers and multi-sport athletes have been tested at over 60 major competitions.
Collegiate Clients
Dr. Sokolovas has provided testing feedback and advice to coaches at Stanford, California Berkeley, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Southern California, Alabama, Auburn, Arizona, Arizona State, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Denver, Colorado State, and many other universities.
Dr. Sokolovas has also provided feedback and advice to numerous coaches and Olympic athletes in triathlon, running, cycling, modern pentathlon, fencing and wrestling. He has worked with United States Olympic Committee on supplemental oxygen training, use of altitude tents, vibration training/treatment, use of blood testing results, use of saliva testing results and use of urine testing results. He has also given presentations in many countries on training adaptation, recovery, altitude training, biomechanical analysis.
Before his work at USA Swimming, Dr. Sokolovas was the Dean of Coaching Faculty at the Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education between 1987-2000 where he served as the Scientific Advisor of Lithuanian Swimming, Modern Pentathlon and Track & Field. Also as the Head of Laboratory of Computerization in Sport, Dr. Sokolovas optimized training strategies in swimming, running, race walking, modern pentathlon and triathlon, and developed mathematical models of adaptation of athletes in career, seasonal and weekly training.
2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nomination
Dr. Sokolovas' Vertical Swim Trainer is nominated for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year.
"The Vertical Swim Trainer is an ingenious, practical solution that can teach open water swimmers to improve their ability to swim more efficiently and powerfully while becoming more balanced and streamlined in the water. Invented by an extraordinary sports scientist and physiologist with numerous patents and inventions to his name, the Vertical Swim Trainer is an upright, portable piece of equipment that quickly provides swimmers with valuable feedback on how to swim better. By placing a swimmer on a movable stand with their hands placed in tethered hand paddles, swimmers immediately feels and understand the fundamental relationship between an optimal hand catch and a high elbow position with a strong core and proper lower body position. For Dr. Genadijus Sokolovas’ patented equipment for swimmers of all ages and abilities, for its impact on improving a swimmer’s efficiency, balance and streamlined position in the water, the Vertical Swim Trainer is a worthy nominee for the 2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year."
2014 World Open Water Swimming Offering of the Year Nominees
- 24 Hour Swim in San Francisco by Suzie Dods (U.S.A.)
- BlueJourney-Amerika Samoa -Stronger Together: The Waterman's Way by Bruckner Chase (U.S.A./Amerika Samoa)
- Step Out Of The Ordinary Blue Letter Campaign by Pádraig Mallon (Ireland)
- Catalina Channel Swimming Federation (U.S.A.)
- Dancing In The Water by Wayne Ewing and Matthew Moseley (U.S.A.)
- L.O.S.T. Swimming (Lake Ontario Swim Team) by Rob Kent (Canada)
- Morrison Report by Evan Morrison for Marathon Swimmers Federation (international)
- Nadandolibre Radio Show - Marcador Show by José Díaz and Alessi Pérez (Spain)
- Ola Vista Photography by Mike Lewis (U.S.A.)
- Rei e Rainha do Mar (King and Queen of the Sea) by Pedro Rego Monteiro (Brazil)
- S.C.A.R. Swim Challenge by Kent Nicholas (U.S.A.)
- The Greatest Englishman by Marathon Films (Great Britain)
- The Torture Swim by 60 Minutes Sports (U.S.A./Ireland)
- The Vertical Swim Trainer by Genadijus Sokolovas (U.S.A./Lithuania)
- Uaimh an tSolais & Uaimh na nÉan by Sam Krohn with Donal Buckley (Australia/Ireland)
Education
Dr. Sokolovas received his doctorate from the Russian Academy of Physical Education in Moscow where he used physiological, biochemical, and pedagogical testing programs to assess adaptation in swimming to different workload.
Swim Power
External links
- Global Sport Technology
- The Man Who Makes The Science
- Genadijus Sokolovas
- SwiMetrics
- Dr G Stands For Genius
- Measuring And Maximizing Dolphining In The Open Water
- What Are Swimmers Known As?
- Swim Fastest In The Open Water: Wetsuit Or Tech Suit?
- Are Lead Swimmers Negatively Affected By Draftees?
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Open Water Swimming
- Marathon Swimming
- Swimming Swiftly With Sound Science
