Erik Vendt looked great cruising in to a 14:50 in the 1500 Free. He will be the top seed in tomorrow's Final, a full 12 seconds ahead of Chad La Tourette. I first saw La Tourette swim at the World Championship Trials in 2005 where he was named Rookie of the Meet. Chad is definitely the future of distance swimming in the United States. I fully expect Larsen Jensen to be much faster than the 15:11 he put up today. He looked very comfortable today as did Peter Vanderkaay who will definitely be faster than the 15:06 he put up.
DO NOT miss the final of this race tomorrow night. It will be the perfect ending to what has been the best swim meet in history. I guarantee a great race for first and second place and a new American Record will be set. I would not be surprised at all if the World Record received a serious challenge.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
An Interesting Current
Watching the preliminary heats of the Women's 50 Free it was interesting to see that Lanes 7 and 8 were consistently faster than lanes 1 and 2 and often the fastest lanes in the pool. I noticed the same thing in Long Beach for the 50 Frees at the 2004 Trials. Of the 10 women that swam their 50 Free out of Lane 1, only two improved their seed time. On the other side of the coin, only two of the 10 women who swam their 50 Free out of Lane 8 DID NOT do best times, and one of those ladies only went up .04.
Even more interesting is the placing of the last four women to swim out of Lane 8 in the event:
What does this mean? Well to me it means there was a current in this pool which favored the swimmers in Lane 8 and was a disadvantage to the swimmers in Lane 1. Because of the Earth's rotation and gravitational pull it is pretty much impossible to eliminate a pool's current. A pool current usually evens out for races 100 meters and longer because the current will work for you and against you on alternate laps. But the one lap 50 Free does not work this way. The swimmers in Lane 1 were unfortunate to have the current working against them in the race today. It will be interesting to see if the current is reversed this evening and the swimmers on the other side of the pool have the advantage.
Even more interesting is the placing of the last four women to swim out of Lane 8 in the event:
- Anne Marie May of UC-Santa Barbara came into the meet seeded 32nd with a time of 25.95. Swimming out of Lane 8 in Heat 9 she finished with a time of 25.52 and is seeded 12th in tonight's semi-final.
- Sara Smith from Virginia Tech finished in 11th place with a time of 25.49 swimming out of Lane 8 in Heat 10. She came into the meet seeded 24th with a time of 25.79.
- 100 Fly Champ Christine Magnuson entered the meet seeded 23rd with a time of 25.78. She swam her 50 out of Lane 8 in Heat 11 and finished with a time of 25.41 and is seeded 8th tonight.
- Anne-marie Botek, swimming for the Athens Bulldogs Swim Club, was seeded 22nd with a time of 25.78. Swimming out of Lane 8 in the 12th and final heat Botek went a 25.46 and is seeded 10th this evening.
What does this mean? Well to me it means there was a current in this pool which favored the swimmers in Lane 8 and was a disadvantage to the swimmers in Lane 1. Because of the Earth's rotation and gravitational pull it is pretty much impossible to eliminate a pool's current. A pool current usually evens out for races 100 meters and longer because the current will work for you and against you on alternate laps. But the one lap 50 Free does not work this way. The swimmers in Lane 1 were unfortunate to have the current working against them in the race today. It will be interesting to see if the current is reversed this evening and the swimmers on the other side of the pool have the advantage.
Friday, July 4, 2008
Men's 100 Fly
Phelps and Crocker again. The two guys who have dominated the 100 Fly on the international level for the last six years will duke it out for the victory at Trials tomorrow. But watch out for Gil Stovall, he closes as well as anyone I have seen in a very long time.
Hey, what about Chris Brady? Our friend from Team Delaware took second in heat one of the semi-final to Michael Phelps out of lane one. Brady now swims with Phelps and Club Wolverine/University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and will be the fifth seed in tomorrow's final.
Hey, what about Chris Brady? Our friend from Team Delaware took second in heat one of the semi-final to Michael Phelps out of lane one. Brady now swims with Phelps and Club Wolverine/University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and will be the fifth seed in tomorrow's final.
41...FORTY ONE
Does it matter? Evidently not when it comes to qualifying for the US Olympic Team in the Women's 100 Freestyle. Dara Torres just won the race to qualify for her fifth Olympic Team. Yeah, that's a record.
Live Blogging...Sort Of
So as of now we have two new World Records with Piersol tying Lochte's record in the 200 Back and Phelps shaving a couple of tenths off of his WR in the 200 IM. Liz Beisel flirted with the American Record in the 200 Back while Margaret Hoelzer looked like she was in the cruise control to finish second in the heat. Going to be a great race tomorrow.
Ryan Lochte was great tonight. Eventhough he finished second in both of his races, he pushed the winner to the World Record in both the 200 Back and the 200 IM.
Ryan Lochte was great tonight. Eventhough he finished second in both of his races, he pushed the winner to the World Record in both the 200 Back and the 200 IM.
Cullen Jones Breaks American Record!!!
I can't end the posting for now on a down note. So let's go with a big congratulations to New Jersey native Cullen Jones who broke the American Record in the Men's 50 Free today with a time of 21.59. Going through the results of the race I think its safe to say that this is the deepest and fastest 50 Free field in history. Case in point: in 2004 Sabir Muhammad was the 16th and final qualifier for semi-finals with a time of 23.24...which would have put him in a tie for 57th place this morning.
Jones broke the former American and Meet Record of 21.76 held by Gary Hall, who finished third in the preliminary heats. Ben Wildman-Tobriner will be the second seed for tonight's semi-finals. Jones and Wildman-Tobriner both made the team last night as members of the 400 Freestyle Relay. I'm sure Jones has some extra motivation for the 50 being that he finished third behind Jason Lezak and Garrett Weber-Gale in the Final of the 100 Free last night, just missing a spot in the 100 Free at the Games.
Jones broke the former American and Meet Record of 21.76 held by Gary Hall, who finished third in the preliminary heats. Ben Wildman-Tobriner will be the second seed for tonight's semi-finals. Jones and Wildman-Tobriner both made the team last night as members of the 400 Freestyle Relay. I'm sure Jones has some extra motivation for the 50 being that he finished third behind Jason Lezak and Garrett Weber-Gale in the Final of the 100 Free last night, just missing a spot in the 100 Free at the Games.
Hansen Misses Team
Sorry for the lack of a wrap-up last night. Immediately after Finals ended Tjitske and I were in the car for the four hour trip to Virginia. Well as you all know now, Haverford's Brendan Hansen failed to qualify for the Olympic Team in the 200 Breaststroke last night. Hansen was in control of the race until the last 25 meters when three swimmers, including eventual winner Scott Spann, caught and passed Hansen. Spann's time of 2:09.97 makes him only the second American in history under 2:10. Spann is hitting his stride right now and I see him going even faster in Beijing. Also a big congratulations goes out to Eric Shanteau who finished second in the race to punch his ticekt to the Games. Shanteau trains with Brendan at Texas and will now be his teammate in Beijing.
Credit must be given to Hansen for handling the situation with the utmost class. Instead of making excuses which could take away from the accomplishments of his teammates Spann and Shanteau, Hansen congratulated his teammates and was genuine about it. Instead of talking about what he did wrong to lose the race he spoke of how he left everything in the pool. Rowdy Gaines made an excellent point last night by saying Brendan can now concentrate solely on the 100 Breast and I would not be surprised at all if he wins his first individual Gold Medal and break his own World Record.
Credit must be given to Hansen for handling the situation with the utmost class. Instead of making excuses which could take away from the accomplishments of his teammates Spann and Shanteau, Hansen congratulated his teammates and was genuine about it. Instead of talking about what he did wrong to lose the race he spoke of how he left everything in the pool. Rowdy Gaines made an excellent point last night by saying Brendan can now concentrate solely on the 100 Breast and I would not be surprised at all if he wins his first individual Gold Medal and break his own World Record.
Happy 4th of July!
Happy 4th everyone! Please enjoy a safe and healthy weekend. The festivities got going a day early in Philadelphia when The Guy Who Plays Ben Franklin actually married The Woman Who Plays Betsy Ross on the steps of Independence Hall. Yeah, you can rest easier this evening knowing that happened. Tjitske and I are in Harrisonburg, Virginia visiting my brother Ryan and his wife.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
I Almost Forgot
Ian Clark from Suburban Swim Center will swim in the semi-final heat of the Men's 200 Backstroke tonight. As has been written here before, Ian has trained with our National group a few times this year in preparation for Trials. Keep an eye on him in Heat 2, Lane 1.
Not Much to Say
We are running triple practices today and I didn't have time to get away from the office to get to a location I could watch online. I did catch some of the live results from Omega Timing's Website, at least enough to see the results from most of the Women's 200 Breast and Men's 200 IM.
GCIT Swimmers Bill Cregar and Mike Joyce swam lifetime bests in the 200 IM today. Mike went 3 for 3 in best times (including his 200 Fly time trial on Tuesday) and Bill went 2 for 2 at this meet. That is pretty impressive for two Trials Rookies swimming an early season taper meet (normally they wouldn't shave and taper until the beginning of August).
I think this is the point in the meet where the Champions pull away from the rest of the pack. Normally a swim meet will last up to four days. Trials is now into Day 5 with three more to go. This does not even consider the fact that most swimmers arrived in Omaha one week ago or earlier. That's one week of sleeping in a hotel, eating out, and trying to make the US Olympic Team. Natalie Coughlin proved she is still up to the task by establishing a new Meet Record in the Women's 100 Free this morning. She'll be the top seed in tonight's semi-final. Swimming next to her will be 41 year-old Dara Torres.
DAY 5 FINALS WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
GCIT Swimmers Bill Cregar and Mike Joyce swam lifetime bests in the 200 IM today. Mike went 3 for 3 in best times (including his 200 Fly time trial on Tuesday) and Bill went 2 for 2 at this meet. That is pretty impressive for two Trials Rookies swimming an early season taper meet (normally they wouldn't shave and taper until the beginning of August).
I think this is the point in the meet where the Champions pull away from the rest of the pack. Normally a swim meet will last up to four days. Trials is now into Day 5 with three more to go. This does not even consider the fact that most swimmers arrived in Omaha one week ago or earlier. That's one week of sleeping in a hotel, eating out, and trying to make the US Olympic Team. Natalie Coughlin proved she is still up to the task by establishing a new Meet Record in the Women's 100 Free this morning. She'll be the top seed in tonight's semi-final. Swimming next to her will be 41 year-old Dara Torres.
DAY 5 FINALS WHAT TO WATCH FOR:
- The session begins tonight with the Men's 200 Breast Final. Brendan Hansen goes for the double in the breaststroke events. I expect these gentlemen to get the night off to an exciting start as they all could be legitimate medal contenders in Beijing.
- Ryan Lochte has a rough double tonight (and presumably tomorrow night) as we swims the semi-finals of the 200 IM and 200 Back. Ryan's the World Record Holder in the 200 Back but is the third fastest seed for tonight. I didn't see the race but I assume he went into cruise control about halfway through the race.
- The Women's 200 Fly includes two recent high school graduates: Kathleen Hersey from Atlanta and Leah Gingrich from the West Shore YMCA in Harrisburg, PA. Outside of the coaches and families of the eventual first and second place finishers, the happiest person in the building after this race will be University of Texas coach Kim Brackin who will welcome both of these ladies as freshman next year. Keep an eye on Kim Vandenberg in Lane 6 tonight. She won the Silver Medal in this event at last year's World Championships. Vandenberg does not usually take her races out very fast, but will be closing quickly over the last 100 meters.
- Is Jason Lezak ready to break the World Record in the 100 Free? Could this race present a similar situation to the Men's 100 Back where Randall Bal just missed the World Record in the semi-final only to finish 4th in the Final and miss qualifying for the team? Remember this event is about more than first and second place: the top four finishers will automatically qualify for the Team as members of the 400 Free Relay and the next two finishers stand a good chance of making the team as well. New Jersey's Cullen Jones will attempt to snag one of these coveted spots in tonight's final.
- Amanda Beard's quest to make her fourth Olympic Team is down to the Women's 200 Breaststroke. She's the third seed in tonight's semi-final and will swim in Heat 2 next to New Jersey native Rebecca Soni.
- If you want to see Michael Phelps swim tonight you will have to wait until the last event of the evening. He's the second seed in the Men's 200 IM semi-final.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Funny
I received an email just now from someone unrelated to our team which just said, "You write well for a swim coach." All I could think of was Gunnery Sergeant Hartman yelling, "You think you're Mickey Spillane? You think you're some kind of writer?"
Day 4 Finals
What did we learn tonight?
1) We learned that old is nothing more than a figure of speech. 32 year-old Jason Lezak became the third American in history to break the 48 second barrier in the 100 Free and reclaimed his American Record in the process. Lezak's 47.58 is just .08 away from the current World Record. The 100 Free Final is going to be exciting as six out of the eight swimmers in the race will have their ticket punched for Beijing. Ryan Lochte has scratched from the finals even though he was seeded fifth. Lochte is swimming the 200 IM and the 200 Back tomorrow, he holds the World Record in the latter. Swimming both of those semi-final races tomorrow night is going to be tough enough, and adding a 100 Free in between them would not provide for enough warmdown time before the 200 Back.
2) We learned that Katie Hoff is the best female swimmer in this country and quite possibly the entire world. Going back-to-back in the 200 Free and 200 IM was tough. Winning both was even tougher. Winning both in American Record times is something really special. When all is said and done Hoff could very well be known as the greatest female swimmer of all time. What she does in Beijing will go a long way to determining that.
3) We learned that sticking the finish is important. Take another look online at the finish in the Women's 200 IM. It seems as if Ariana Kukors took an extra stroke at the wall which allowed Natalie Coughlin to sneak into the second place spot, .08 ahead of Kukors.
4) We learned that heartbreak is as much of a part of this meet as triumph. There was Davis Tarwater finishing 3rd in the 200 Fly, Kukors in the 200 IM, and Kaitlin Sandeno calling it a career after the final of the 200 IM. Sandeno is a two time Olympian and a multiple medal winner, including a gold medal and World Record in the 800 Free Relay in Athens. If you get the chance take a look at her interview with Andrea Kramer after the 200 IM at nbcolympics.com. Sandeno was very classy in acknowledging her swimming career is over.
5) We learned the fundamental disciplines taught at an early age can come in to play on the biggest stage. Coughlin took second in the 200 IM because she didn't breathe inside the flags on the finish and because she got on her side as she hit the wall. Gil Stovall finished the 200 Fly with a great kick (closing in 29) and with an amazing breakout off of the last turn. A strong kick, good turns, strong and fast breakouts off of each wall, not breathing on the finish and getting on your side as you hit the wall. These disciplines all come into play every single race. Hats off to Coughlin and Stovall for their performances tonight.
Tomorrow:
Jamie Marks (200 Breast), Bill Cregar (200 IM), and Mike Joyce (200 IM) are all in action during tomorrow morning's prelims. The top 16 in each event will make it back to the semi-final heat tomorrow night. I'm guessing its going to take a sub 2:03 performance to make the semi-final in the 200 IM. Bill is seeded 44th with a 2:06.0 and Mike is seeded 72nd with a 2:06.88.
1) We learned that old is nothing more than a figure of speech. 32 year-old Jason Lezak became the third American in history to break the 48 second barrier in the 100 Free and reclaimed his American Record in the process. Lezak's 47.58 is just .08 away from the current World Record. The 100 Free Final is going to be exciting as six out of the eight swimmers in the race will have their ticket punched for Beijing. Ryan Lochte has scratched from the finals even though he was seeded fifth. Lochte is swimming the 200 IM and the 200 Back tomorrow, he holds the World Record in the latter. Swimming both of those semi-final races tomorrow night is going to be tough enough, and adding a 100 Free in between them would not provide for enough warmdown time before the 200 Back.
2) We learned that Katie Hoff is the best female swimmer in this country and quite possibly the entire world. Going back-to-back in the 200 Free and 200 IM was tough. Winning both was even tougher. Winning both in American Record times is something really special. When all is said and done Hoff could very well be known as the greatest female swimmer of all time. What she does in Beijing will go a long way to determining that.
3) We learned that sticking the finish is important. Take another look online at the finish in the Women's 200 IM. It seems as if Ariana Kukors took an extra stroke at the wall which allowed Natalie Coughlin to sneak into the second place spot, .08 ahead of Kukors.
4) We learned that heartbreak is as much of a part of this meet as triumph. There was Davis Tarwater finishing 3rd in the 200 Fly, Kukors in the 200 IM, and Kaitlin Sandeno calling it a career after the final of the 200 IM. Sandeno is a two time Olympian and a multiple medal winner, including a gold medal and World Record in the 800 Free Relay in Athens. If you get the chance take a look at her interview with Andrea Kramer after the 200 IM at nbcolympics.com. Sandeno was very classy in acknowledging her swimming career is over.
5) We learned the fundamental disciplines taught at an early age can come in to play on the biggest stage. Coughlin took second in the 200 IM because she didn't breathe inside the flags on the finish and because she got on her side as she hit the wall. Gil Stovall finished the 200 Fly with a great kick (closing in 29) and with an amazing breakout off of the last turn. A strong kick, good turns, strong and fast breakouts off of each wall, not breathing on the finish and getting on your side as you hit the wall. These disciplines all come into play every single race. Hats off to Coughlin and Stovall for their performances tonight.
Tomorrow:
Jamie Marks (200 Breast), Bill Cregar (200 IM), and Mike Joyce (200 IM) are all in action during tomorrow morning's prelims. The top 16 in each event will make it back to the semi-final heat tomorrow night. I'm guessing its going to take a sub 2:03 performance to make the semi-final in the 200 IM. Bill is seeded 44th with a 2:06.0 and Mike is seeded 72nd with a 2:06.88.
Day 4 Prelims
Hats off to the competitors in the Men's 100 Free this morning as it doesn't seem like anyone held anything back. Jason Lezak broke his own American Record swimming out of Heat 13 only to see it broken by Garrett Weber-Gale in the very next heat. I am sure everyone in the Qwest Center expected the record to be broken yet again in the 15th and final heat but Michael Phelps came up a few tenths short. Weber-Gale and Phelps became the first American men ever under 48.00 in the 100 Free. As I predicted last night, Phelps has scratched this race for tonight. Going 47.9 in prelims virtually assures he will be on the relay in Beijing, unless three other guys go about 47.7 flat start between now and then...but I doubt that will happen. Phelps is scheduled to swim the Final of the 200 Fly tonight just minutes after the semi-final of the 100 Free. If you want to see the Men's 100 Free semi-final you will have to tune in online to nbcolympics.com as it is the first event and not likely to be broadcast on USA. That's a shame because Weber-Gale is swimming really well right now and could challenge the World Record of 47.50 tonight or in the Final tomorrow night.
Keep an eye on Alex Righi in Heat 2, Lane 6 of the 100 Free semi-final. He finished 2nd in the 50 and 100 Free at NCAAs in March representing Yale University. This is further proof that fast swimmers can come from anywhere, not just Auburn or Texas. Its all about finding the right mix of academics, training, and atmosphere for you. I'll be rooting for Alex to make it to the Final Heat.
Fearless Prediction for Tonight: Say goodbye to the Women's 200 IM American Record...I'm just not sure who is going to wind up with it when it is all said and done. Katie Hoff did her lifetime best in the semi-final last night and still looks like she has more time to drop. Natalie Coughlin has yet to put a full effort into the entire IM, saving her energy for other races. Put a gun to my head and I'll pick Coughlin, but can you really bet against Hoff under any circumstances? Don't be surprised if both Women finish under the current American Record (Coughlin's 2:09.77). Also the World Record of 2:08.92, set by Australia's Stephanie Rice in March, is in serious trouble. Going head-to-head these two could very well push each other to around 2:08.7 tonight. Should be a great race.
I'll also be rooting for Davis Tarwater to finish first or second in the 200 Fly. Davis is a real good guy and has been working towards this race tonight for the past four years. I expect Phelps to win the race and for Tarwater and Gill Stovall to duke it out to the wire for the second spot on the team. Stovall and Tarwater won three out of the last four NCAA 200 Fly Titles, with Stovall winning this past year and breaking the 17 year-old meet record. Look for Tarwater to be out fast over the first 100 meters and for Stovall to close quickly on the last 50.
In the Women's 200 Fly semi-final watch for Germantown Academy's Teresa Crippen in Heat 1 Lane 3, Penn State University and Suburban Swim Center's Kelly Nelson in Heat 1 Lane 8, and West Shore YMCA's (Harrisburg, PA) Leah Gingrich in Heat 2, Lane 2.
Keep an eye on Alex Righi in Heat 2, Lane 6 of the 100 Free semi-final. He finished 2nd in the 50 and 100 Free at NCAAs in March representing Yale University. This is further proof that fast swimmers can come from anywhere, not just Auburn or Texas. Its all about finding the right mix of academics, training, and atmosphere for you. I'll be rooting for Alex to make it to the Final Heat.
Fearless Prediction for Tonight: Say goodbye to the Women's 200 IM American Record...I'm just not sure who is going to wind up with it when it is all said and done. Katie Hoff did her lifetime best in the semi-final last night and still looks like she has more time to drop. Natalie Coughlin has yet to put a full effort into the entire IM, saving her energy for other races. Put a gun to my head and I'll pick Coughlin, but can you really bet against Hoff under any circumstances? Don't be surprised if both Women finish under the current American Record (Coughlin's 2:09.77). Also the World Record of 2:08.92, set by Australia's Stephanie Rice in March, is in serious trouble. Going head-to-head these two could very well push each other to around 2:08.7 tonight. Should be a great race.
I'll also be rooting for Davis Tarwater to finish first or second in the 200 Fly. Davis is a real good guy and has been working towards this race tonight for the past four years. I expect Phelps to win the race and for Tarwater and Gill Stovall to duke it out to the wire for the second spot on the team. Stovall and Tarwater won three out of the last four NCAA 200 Fly Titles, with Stovall winning this past year and breaking the 17 year-old meet record. Look for Tarwater to be out fast over the first 100 meters and for Stovall to close quickly on the last 50.
In the Women's 200 Fly semi-final watch for Germantown Academy's Teresa Crippen in Heat 1 Lane 3, Penn State University and Suburban Swim Center's Kelly Nelson in Heat 1 Lane 8, and West Shore YMCA's (Harrisburg, PA) Leah Gingrich in Heat 2, Lane 2.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Day 3 Finals
A couple of surprises tonight: no Lochte in the Men's 100 Back, no Hayley McGregory in the Women's 100 Back...just goes to show you that those sprint races (100s and the 50 free) are hotly contested events where hundreths of a second can mean the difference between the shot at an Olympic Gold Medal and watching the event on TV with the rest of us. Lochte won't be watching on TV, but McGregory will miss out on making the team in her best event.
Two World Records in the Women's and Men's 100 Backstrokes brings the total number of World Records for this meet to 6 (I am counting the three times the Women's mark was broken the last two days separately). The total number of World Records broken this year was 20 going into this meet. Heading into the meet I figured that number would increase by 50% after Trials. I now think that number might be closer to 60% or 70%.
Tomorrow morning's prelims will consist of the Men's 100 Free, the Women's 200 Fly, and the Men's 200 Breast. Michael Phelps is entered in the 100 Free and I would imagine he will swim that race in prelims but might scratch after that. This would be an event he would be hard pressed to win gold in Beijing and I think he's entered specifically for relay consideration. This event will, however, show us the new faces of American sprinting. Garrett Weber-Gale, David Walters, and New Jersey native Cullen Jones will battle it out with veterans Phelps, Lezak, and 32 year old Neil Walker. Keep an eye on Nathan Adrian who is swimming Unattached. He trains with the Race Club and coach Mike Bottom. Adrian is only 19 years old but has a world of talent and trains with the best sprinters and best sprint coach in the world. Adrian has been getting faster every time he has swum in the last year. He might be better suited for the 50 Free but, remember, we are looking for the top 6 finishers in this race to make the team.
Two World Records in the Women's and Men's 100 Backstrokes brings the total number of World Records for this meet to 6 (I am counting the three times the Women's mark was broken the last two days separately). The total number of World Records broken this year was 20 going into this meet. Heading into the meet I figured that number would increase by 50% after Trials. I now think that number might be closer to 60% or 70%.
Tomorrow morning's prelims will consist of the Men's 100 Free, the Women's 200 Fly, and the Men's 200 Breast. Michael Phelps is entered in the 100 Free and I would imagine he will swim that race in prelims but might scratch after that. This would be an event he would be hard pressed to win gold in Beijing and I think he's entered specifically for relay consideration. This event will, however, show us the new faces of American sprinting. Garrett Weber-Gale, David Walters, and New Jersey native Cullen Jones will battle it out with veterans Phelps, Lezak, and 32 year old Neil Walker. Keep an eye on Nathan Adrian who is swimming Unattached. He trains with the Race Club and coach Mike Bottom. Adrian is only 19 years old but has a world of talent and trains with the best sprinters and best sprint coach in the world. Adrian has been getting faster every time he has swum in the last year. He might be better suited for the 50 Free but, remember, we are looking for the top 6 finishers in this race to make the team.
Day 3 Prelims
Women's 200 Free
There was no big surprise in the fact that Natalie Coughlin decided to scratch the 200 Free this morning. She has the finals of the 100 Back tonight, in what will be a great race with Hayley McGregory, and she was the top seed in the 200 IM later on in prelims today. Katie Hoff cruised home to take the top spot with a 1:57. In a minor surprise, one half of the of the relay members from the 2004 Gold Medal winning 800 Free Relay Team (Kaitlin Sandeno and Carly Piper) did not make it to the semi-finals. Tonight's semi-final heats will be very important because the top six finishers in tomorrow night's final will most likely be added to the Olympic Team. However you can not be considered for the team if you do not reach the final heat. Keep an eye on Heat 1 Lane 7 as Katie Riefenstahl from Germantown Academy will be racing for a spot in that coveted final heat.
Men's 200 Fly
Lending credence to the thought that training with the best will force you to elevate your effort in practice every day (and, in turn, make you a better swimmer) six of the 16 swimmers in tonight's semi-final of the Men's 200 Fly train at the University of Michigan and either represent the University or Club Wolverine. The world record in this event is held by Michael Phelps. Also, the top two seeds in heat one tonight, Gill Stoval and Mark Dylla, train together at the University of Georgia. Those two finished first and second, respectively, in the 200 yard Fly at NCAA's this past March.
Women's 200 IM
Well we didn't quite get the show I was hoping for in the last three heats as it seemed all three women mentioned in the previous post just did enough to make it to the semi-final heat. Natalie Coughlin was under World and American Record pace at the 50, 100, and 150 splits (and was actually behind Ariana Kukors at the 150) and she was obviously cruising the backstroke and freestyle legs. Coughlin has the 100 backstroke final tonight and is surely focused on that race. She will probably again do enough to make the final heat in the 200 IM when she swim it this evening.
This event is stocked with some of the greatest female swimmers of this decade: Coughlin, Hoff, Sandeno, Amanda Beard, and Whitney Myers. Any of these women plus several others who also will compete in the semi-final heats tonight would be legitimate 200 IM medal contenders in Beijing. But only two will get the chance to represent the USA in August.
TONIGHT:
One last thought....
Last night I exited the Qwest Center to a huge crowd surrounding Ryan Lochte who was signing autographs and posing for pictures. Lochte stayed for at least 20 minutes before heading off to dinner with his coach, Florida's Greg Troy. This is a guy who swam two events at Finals last night and is entered in more races this week than any other swimmer. Yet he took the time (and his coach allowed him to take the time) to sign autographs and pose for pictures with the fans. I would not fault Lochte, or any swimmer for that matter, if they ducked out the back door to avoid the crowd, get to dinner, and rest up for the next day. This is the biggest meet of their lives and many of these swimmers have a lot of endorsement money riding on their performance this week. But Lochte stayed for every picture and greeted all of the fans with a big smile and a lot of enthusiasm. This says an awful lot about the character and appreciation for this sport Lochte and Coach Troy have.
There was no big surprise in the fact that Natalie Coughlin decided to scratch the 200 Free this morning. She has the finals of the 100 Back tonight, in what will be a great race with Hayley McGregory, and she was the top seed in the 200 IM later on in prelims today. Katie Hoff cruised home to take the top spot with a 1:57. In a minor surprise, one half of the of the relay members from the 2004 Gold Medal winning 800 Free Relay Team (Kaitlin Sandeno and Carly Piper) did not make it to the semi-finals. Tonight's semi-final heats will be very important because the top six finishers in tomorrow night's final will most likely be added to the Olympic Team. However you can not be considered for the team if you do not reach the final heat. Keep an eye on Heat 1 Lane 7 as Katie Riefenstahl from Germantown Academy will be racing for a spot in that coveted final heat.
Men's 200 Fly
Lending credence to the thought that training with the best will force you to elevate your effort in practice every day (and, in turn, make you a better swimmer) six of the 16 swimmers in tonight's semi-final of the Men's 200 Fly train at the University of Michigan and either represent the University or Club Wolverine. The world record in this event is held by Michael Phelps. Also, the top two seeds in heat one tonight, Gill Stoval and Mark Dylla, train together at the University of Georgia. Those two finished first and second, respectively, in the 200 yard Fly at NCAA's this past March.
Women's 200 IM
Well we didn't quite get the show I was hoping for in the last three heats as it seemed all three women mentioned in the previous post just did enough to make it to the semi-final heat. Natalie Coughlin was under World and American Record pace at the 50, 100, and 150 splits (and was actually behind Ariana Kukors at the 150) and she was obviously cruising the backstroke and freestyle legs. Coughlin has the 100 backstroke final tonight and is surely focused on that race. She will probably again do enough to make the final heat in the 200 IM when she swim it this evening.
This event is stocked with some of the greatest female swimmers of this decade: Coughlin, Hoff, Sandeno, Amanda Beard, and Whitney Myers. Any of these women plus several others who also will compete in the semi-final heats tonight would be legitimate 200 IM medal contenders in Beijing. But only two will get the chance to represent the USA in August.
TONIGHT:
- Katie Riefenstahl has a tough double right out of the gate as she will swim the semi-final of the 200 Free and then have to recover quickly for the Final of the 100 Back about 15 minutes later.
- A second Phelps-Lochte duel will not occur in the 200 Free Final as Ryan has scratched the event to concentrate on the 100 back final. Lochte was surely swimming the event to put up a fast time and get himself eligible for the 800 Free Relay in Beijing. Look for Phelps to challenge his own World Record in the event but possibly shut it down on the last 50 to save up for the 200 Fly semi-final later on.
- The Women's 100 Back Final is sure to be a treat with McGregory and Coughlin dueling for the win and the World Record. We could possibly see two Women under 58 seconds. Coughlin's current World Record is 59.03.
- The Men's 100 Back Final is going to be an all out battle for 53 seconds. Defending Olympic Champion and World Record Holder Aaron Peirsol will face some tough competition from the entire field which features top seed Randall Bal (Lane 4), a rested Ryan Lochte (Lane 6), multiple NCAA Champion Matt Grevers (Lane 3), 2008 NCAA 100 yard Back Champion Ben Hessen (Lane 1...watch him underwater off of the start), and 2008 NCAA 200 yard Back Champion Pat Schirk from Penn State (Lane 8). This race happens so quickly and the field is so closely bunched one slip off of the start or bad turn could cost someone a trip to China.
- New Jersey's own Rebecca Soni goes for the victory and a spot on the Olympic Team in the Women's 100 Breaststroke. She grew up swimming for Scarlet Aquatic Club in New Brunswick, NJ.
One last thought....
Last night I exited the Qwest Center to a huge crowd surrounding Ryan Lochte who was signing autographs and posing for pictures. Lochte stayed for at least 20 minutes before heading off to dinner with his coach, Florida's Greg Troy. This is a guy who swam two events at Finals last night and is entered in more races this week than any other swimmer. Yet he took the time (and his coach allowed him to take the time) to sign autographs and pose for pictures with the fans. I would not fault Lochte, or any swimmer for that matter, if they ducked out the back door to avoid the crowd, get to dinner, and rest up for the next day. This is the biggest meet of their lives and many of these swimmers have a lot of endorsement money riding on their performance this week. But Lochte stayed for every picture and greeted all of the fans with a big smile and a lot of enthusiasm. This says an awful lot about the character and appreciation for this sport Lochte and Coach Troy have.
Back Home
My travels home started at 4:45 this morning central time when the taxi picked me up from my Omaha hotel. It was the complete polar opposite of my travel to Omaha over the weekend, down to the size of the seats on the plane. I even arrived home 25 minutes earlier than scheduled.
Olympic Trials was another amazing experience. I was in Long Beach in 2004 but only as a spectator, and the highlight of that meet was as much a side trip to Las Vegas as it was the meet itself. Being at the meet as a coach, gaining access to the pool deck and getting the chance to speak with some of the greatest coaches EVER made this a great experience. I will be the first to admit that I was not really happy to come home today as I felt the meet was just picking up steam last evening. However I am very happy to be getting back to the rest of the team as we prepare for Senior Champs, Sectionals, Junior Olympics, Junior Nationals, and Zones. Being at Trials for the past few days has given me a burst of energy and excitement I aim to pass along to the swimmers as we prepare for the end of the season. I hope each of you are gaining the same level of excitement as you watch Trials at home.
Two days into the meet and there is already four or five viable arguments as to what the "Race of the Meet" is at this point. One could easily push for the Phelps-Lochte duel in the final of the Men's 400 IM; the four way race and photo finish in the Men's 400 Free; two women under the American Record and one under the World Record in the 400 IM...but the most exciting portion of the meet for me was the back-to-back World Records in the preliminary heats of the Women's 100 Back. Hayley McGregory broke Natalie Coughlin's World Record in the second to last preliminary heat, with Coughlin standing over her lane ready to jump in the water for the final heat. After McGregory hit the wall I turned to the person next to me and said, "What's the World Record for shortest amount of time to hold a World Record?" Sure enough, Coughlin reclaimed her Record in the very next heat. Both women were a bit slower at night, possibly just looking to make the final heat and not be as concerned with their time. However that race could see two women breaking the 59 second barrier for the first time this evening.
The exact scenario that unfolded in the Women's 100 Back could present itself again during today's preliminary heats of the Women's 200 IM with Coughlin again a part of the festivities. She broke Kaite Hoff's American Record a few weeks ago at a meet in Los Angeles and is the top seed today. It would not surprise me whatsoever if Whitney Myers breaks the American Record in Heat 13, Hoff breaks that record in Heat 14, and Coughlin again reclaims her American Record in the final heat. The shame of it all is that one of these three amazing swimmers will not swim the 200 IM in Beijing when all three are definite medal contenders.
Oh, and Michael Phelps swims the 200 Fly today to begin his quest to make the Olympic Team for the third time in this event (he was a 15 year old on the 2000 Olympic Team).
Olympic Trials was another amazing experience. I was in Long Beach in 2004 but only as a spectator, and the highlight of that meet was as much a side trip to Las Vegas as it was the meet itself. Being at the meet as a coach, gaining access to the pool deck and getting the chance to speak with some of the greatest coaches EVER made this a great experience. I will be the first to admit that I was not really happy to come home today as I felt the meet was just picking up steam last evening. However I am very happy to be getting back to the rest of the team as we prepare for Senior Champs, Sectionals, Junior Olympics, Junior Nationals, and Zones. Being at Trials for the past few days has given me a burst of energy and excitement I aim to pass along to the swimmers as we prepare for the end of the season. I hope each of you are gaining the same level of excitement as you watch Trials at home.
Two days into the meet and there is already four or five viable arguments as to what the "Race of the Meet" is at this point. One could easily push for the Phelps-Lochte duel in the final of the Men's 400 IM; the four way race and photo finish in the Men's 400 Free; two women under the American Record and one under the World Record in the 400 IM...but the most exciting portion of the meet for me was the back-to-back World Records in the preliminary heats of the Women's 100 Back. Hayley McGregory broke Natalie Coughlin's World Record in the second to last preliminary heat, with Coughlin standing over her lane ready to jump in the water for the final heat. After McGregory hit the wall I turned to the person next to me and said, "What's the World Record for shortest amount of time to hold a World Record?" Sure enough, Coughlin reclaimed her Record in the very next heat. Both women were a bit slower at night, possibly just looking to make the final heat and not be as concerned with their time. However that race could see two women breaking the 59 second barrier for the first time this evening.
The exact scenario that unfolded in the Women's 100 Back could present itself again during today's preliminary heats of the Women's 200 IM with Coughlin again a part of the festivities. She broke Kaite Hoff's American Record a few weeks ago at a meet in Los Angeles and is the top seed today. It would not surprise me whatsoever if Whitney Myers breaks the American Record in Heat 13, Hoff breaks that record in Heat 14, and Coughlin again reclaims her American Record in the final heat. The shame of it all is that one of these three amazing swimmers will not swim the 200 IM in Beijing when all three are definite medal contenders.
Oh, and Michael Phelps swims the 200 Fly today to begin his quest to make the Olympic Team for the third time in this event (he was a 15 year old on the 2000 Olympic Team).
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Day 1 Prelims
The first session of the meet went a long way toward setting the tone. The energy was definitely flowing through the crowd, the athlete/coaches section, and through the swimmers in the pool. Usually a preliminary session is low key, especially on the first day and this session was definitely that in some parts. But the crowd is ready to burst at any second, and they showed it when Elizabeth Beisel was under world record pace at the 200 meter mark in the 400 IM and when stars like Phelps, Hoff, and Vendt were in the pool. Tonight there is the potential for three World Records (both the men's and women's 400 IM and the men's 100 Breaststroke) and possibly two American Records (women's 100 Fly and men's 400 Free). Be sure to tune in to NBC at 8pm tonight!
GCIT Swimmers fared excellent today. Mike Joyce started things off with a 2 second drop in the 400 IM (4:27.34) to finish 31st. A few heats later Billy Cregar dropped a couple of seconds from his best 400 IM (4:22.52) time for a 15th place finish. Christian Sprang dropped nearly 3 seconds from his best time in the 400 Free (3:53.96) for a 12th place finish. Finally Jamie Marks posted her best time in three years in the 400 IM (4:54.21) for a 47th place finish.
What To Watch For Tonight:
1) Katie Hoff's turnover in the breaststroke leg of the 400 IM. Its simply amazing how fast her arms are moving.
2) Erik Vendt on the last 100 of the 400 Freestyle. Erik is the fastest 1500 swimmer in the world right now and will have a lot of energy at the end of that race.
3) Alicia Aemissenger from Germantown Academy is seeded 6th in the Final of the 400 IM tonight. Look for her in lane 7 in that race tonight.
4) Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the first of a number of match-ups between the world's #1 and #2 in a particular event this week. Both Phelps and Lochte put up fast times this morning and were completely cruising on the freestyle leg of the race. They both will be A LOT faster this evening.
GCIT Swimmers fared excellent today. Mike Joyce started things off with a 2 second drop in the 400 IM (4:27.34) to finish 31st. A few heats later Billy Cregar dropped a couple of seconds from his best 400 IM (4:22.52) time for a 15th place finish. Christian Sprang dropped nearly 3 seconds from his best time in the 400 Free (3:53.96) for a 12th place finish. Finally Jamie Marks posted her best time in three years in the 400 IM (4:54.21) for a 47th place finish.
What To Watch For Tonight:
1) Katie Hoff's turnover in the breaststroke leg of the 400 IM. Its simply amazing how fast her arms are moving.
2) Erik Vendt on the last 100 of the 400 Freestyle. Erik is the fastest 1500 swimmer in the world right now and will have a lot of energy at the end of that race.
3) Alicia Aemissenger from Germantown Academy is seeded 6th in the Final of the 400 IM tonight. Look for her in lane 7 in that race tonight.
4) Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte in the first of a number of match-ups between the world's #1 and #2 in a particular event this week. Both Phelps and Lochte put up fast times this morning and were completely cruising on the freestyle leg of the race. They both will be A LOT faster this evening.
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