Foster makes World Championship team

[Juicy Lucy]

The FINA World Championships (25m) take place in Manchester from 9 to 13 April 2008. The British squad comprises:

Becky Adlington (Nova Centurion)
Kirsty Balfour (City of Edinburgh)
Julia Beckett (Loughborough University)
Kerry Buchan (South Aberdeenshire)
Jess Dickons (Stockton ASC)
Ellen Gandy (Beckenham)
Fran Halsall (City of Liverpool)
Kate Haywood (Loughborough University)
Jo Jackson (Dewerwentside)
Jemma Lowe (Stockton ASC)
Mel Marshall (Loughborough University)
Caitlin McClatchey (Loughborough University)
Hannah Miley (Garioch)
Stephanie Proud (Chester le Street)
Lizzie Simmonds (Lincoln Vulcans)
Amy Smith (Loughborough University)
Matt Bowe (Swansea Performance)
David Carry (Aberdeen Dolphins)
Matt Clay (Swansea Performance)
Euan Dale (Loughborough University)
Ross Davenport (Loughborough University)
David Davies (City of Cardiff)
Mark Foster (University of Bath)
Craig Gibbons (Loughborough University)
James Gibson (Marseille)
Kris Gilchrist (City of Edinburgh)
James Goddard (Loughborough University)
Tom Haffield (City of Cardiff)
Ben Hockin (Swansea Performance)
Andrew Hunter (Stirling Swimming)
Darren Mew (University of Bath)
Michael Unsworth (Wigan)
Robbie Renwick (City of Aberdeen)
Michael Rock (Stockport Metro)
Joe Roebuck (Loughborough University)
Gregor Tait (City of Edinburgh)
Liam Tancock (Loughborough University)
Matt Tutty (Corby)

[in-exile]

Some young girls here but not young guys in this pick?? could be wrong as i don't know all the names..

[Bazza]

Very interesting to see such a large squad after sending a mere handful of swimmers to the last few world shortcourse - what is the reason for the change?

[hailstone]

I may be wrong but I understood the teams for this year where to be 1/2 on rankings as of 31st of august 07 to go to
Manchester SC, 3/4 to european LC posted yesterday and 5/6 to european SC next month there are a number of swimmers on both european long and world short.
CONDITIONS IN THE PROGRAME YOUTH NATS/CHAMPS IN AUG

[NotVeryFast]

Very interesting to see such a large squad after sending a mere handful of swimmers to the last few world shortcourse - what is the reason for the change?
The fact it's being held in Manchester?

I may be wrong but I understood the teams for this year where to be 1/2 on rankings as of 31st of august 07 to go to
Manchester SC, 3/4 to european LC posted yesterday and 5/6 to european SC next month there are a number of swimmers on both european long and world short.
CONDITIONS IN THE PROGRAME YOUTH NATS/CHAMPS IN AUG
I think this is wrong, it was 1/2 to World SC, 3/4 to Euro SC, and Euro LC is the Olympic pre-selected plus relay teams. I think if they try really hard, they might be able to come up with something more complicated next time!

[Linny]

I liked the opening paragraph on the BS website British Swimming’s Mark Foster will become the eldest competitor ever to have competed at a World Championships when he takes to the blocks in Manchester next year just a month off his 38th birthday.This will only be true if noone elder ;) competes which I guess they might!

[GettingFaster]

They're spleeing is dredfull!

[Gina]

He will be the oldest if Dara Torres doesn't swim which would be a shame seeing as she broke the AR in the SC 50m free in Berlin.

[Gina]

Some young girls here but not young guys in this pick?? could be wrong as i don't know all the names..

You should find that the girls are all in the top 2 of an event with exception of the 100 and 200 freestyle swimmers. Same with the guys. It just happens to be that the top girls are slightly younger.

[2.tso]

i cant see dara swimming the worlds to be honest, i am happy that mark makes the team

[Dunc]

He will be the oldest if Dara Torres doesn't swim which would be a shame seeing as she broke the AR in the SC 50m free in Berlin.

Not only did she break the AR, her 23.82 ranks her fourth all-time behind
Marleen Veldhuis (23.58)
Lisbeth Lenton (23.77)
Therese Alshammar (23.79)

That's ahead of greats like Alice Mills, Britta Steffen, Natalie Coughlin, Inge Dekker.

To put it in perspective, this 40 year old is 1.17 seconds (9 feet) faster than Fran Halsall.

[2.tso]

and inge debruin

[Dunc]

and inge debruin

Funnily enough no.
I think her best short course time (in 1999?) was slower than her long course 24.13.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, Swimnews SC rankings results between 2000 and 2004 won't display.

[2.tso]

[QUOTE=Dunc;109301]
That's ahead of greats like Alice Mills, Britta Steffen, Natalie Coughlin, Inge Dekker. QUOTE]

[2.tso]

and inge debruin

[selkie]

Torres is listed as competing at Short Course Nationals, which is the American selection meet for SC Worlds. But I'm not sure who from the meet is going to go on and swim SC Worlds, and who would skip it to focus on Olympic Trials preparations.

I'd be surprised to see Kate Ziegler swim SC Worlds for one since I got the impression she showed up at that German meet to get the 800/1500 world records 'out of the way' so she could start on her Trials preparation plan.

[2.tso]

dunc

de burin swam 2001 euro sc in a time of 23.89

[Dunc]

Thanks 2ips, I couldn't get that info off the rankings site.

[Stevie_k]

Brilliant..well done Mark.

I knew you could do it. Me and mark are good friends....on the basis that i have seen him twice.

Practically bro's. Go on my son!

[SPF-100]

Is there going to be any TV coverage of the competition?

[EricTheRed]

Is there going to be any TV coverage of the competition?

Hope so but if it is on it will be low key coverage. The fact is most of the general public don't like or watch swimming. So ratings are not high.

I did post a semi serious thread once asking for new ideas to make the coverage more interesting... You may want to hunt it down and post your ideas to improve the coverage.

[Woodward]

and inge debruin
Keep in mind that SC has increased in popularity and that swimmers even just five years ago did not compete SC with the same regularity and rested for these meets even less.

[NotVeryFast]

Is there going to be any TV coverage of the competition?
From this:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/swimming/6155504.stm
It looks like there will be coverage on BBC, though it might be on interactive rather than a main channel.

[selkie]

Preliminary American roster is published. A couple of big names, a couple of people who have generally been nice enough national level swimmers who finally managed to slip onto an international team, and a couple of newcomers like Mary Beck who might surprise here.

MEN
Nathan Adrian Bremerton, Wash. / Tacoma 100, 200 freestyle
Randall Bal Fair Oaks, Calif. / Coral Springs Swim Club 50, 100 backstroke
Chris DeJong Holland, Mich. / Club Wolverine 200 freestyle, 200 backstroke
Mark Gangloff Akron, Ohio / Mecklenburg Aquatic Club 100, 200 breaststroke
Ryan Hurley Potomac, Md. /Curl Burke Swim Club 200 breaststroke
Larsen Jensen Bakersfield, Calif. / Trojan Swim Club 400, 1500 freestyle
Ryan Lochte Daytona Beach, Fla. / Daytona Beach Swimming 50 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 100 breaststroke, 200, 400 medley
Bryan Lundquist Marietta, Ga. / Stingrays 50, 100 freestyle
Robert Margalis Flushing, N.Y. / Athens Bulldog Swim Club 1500 freestyle, 400 medley, 400 freestyle, 200 butterfly
Peter Marshall Atlanta, Ga. / Stanford Swimming 100 backstroke
Randall Tom Wailuku, Hawaii / Maui Swim Club 100, 200 butterfly
Doug Van Wie Charlotte, N.C. / Mecklenburg Aquatic Club 200 medley
Nick Walkotten Hudsonville, Mich. / Trinity Prep Aquatics 100 butterfly
WOMEN (13)
Mary Beck Austin, Texas / Longhorn Aquatics 200 medley
Maggie Bird Muncie, Ind. / Auburn Aquatics 400, 800 freestyle
Kara Denby Simi Valley, Calif. / Auburn Aquatics 100 freestyle
Mary Descenza Naperville, Ill. / Athens Bulldog Swim Club 200 butterfly, 100, 200 backstroke, 200, 400 freestyle, 200 medley
Jessica Hardy Long Beach, Calif. / Trojan Swim Club 100 breaststroke, 50 freestyle
Margaret Hoelzer Huntsville, Ala. / Mecklenburg Aquatic Club 100, 200 backstroke, 100, 200 butterfly
Rachel Komisarz Louisville, Ky. / Lakeside Swim Team 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly
Erin Reilly Frankfort, Ill. / Lincoln Way Swim Association 200 freestyle
Jessica Rodriquez Aurora, Co. / Longhorn Aquatics 400 medley, 800 freestyle
Emily Silver Bainbridge Island, Wash. / Cal-Aquatics 100 freestyle
Julie Stupp St. Louis, Mo. / Coral Springs Swim Club 400 medley
Elizabeth Tinnon Bowling Green, Ky. / Lakeside Swim Team 100, 200 breaststroke
Elle Weberg Bloomington, Minn. / Florida Atlantic Swim Team 200 breaststroke

[Katie]

What sort of entry times are the US swimmers going to put in? Quite a few of them won't have done their event in SCM, so will they have to enter no time, and swim in the first heats, or can they enter long course times (obviously not converted)?

[selkie]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of NTs. The only time you get SCM meets over here are the occasional World Cup Meet, NCAAs in Olympic years, and the oddball local meets held in pools built between 1976-78 (which were often built in meters because the whole country was supposed to be going metric Real Soon Now during that time)

Randall Bal's obviously got a couple of recent SCM times under his belt. :)