BOOK: CHASING THE WATER DRAGON: A TALE OF TALENT, TURBULENCE, AND TRANSFORMATION

By Anthony Ervin and Constantine Markides

Projected publication date: March/April 2016

Two-time US Olympian and gold medalist swimmer Anthony Ervin teams with acclaimed journalist and swimmer Constantine Markides to pen the story of Ervin’s incredible journey and success. After winning seven NCAA titles, two World Championships, and the Olympic gold (at the 2000 Sydney Olympics), Ervin dropped out of the competitive swimming world and disappeared from the public eye, only to make a startling return over a decade later, qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics and posting a faster time at age 31 than he did at 19. On track to compete for the US in the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ervin continues to be one of the fastest men on the planet, and one of the most intriguing.

“It’s in keeping that the publisher of my personal tale is Akashic,” Ervin says, “and that the editor is Dave Zirin, who can look below the surface to deeper social issues underlying athletics. It’s one hell of a team.”

Swimming news courtesy of Akashic Books.