U.S. National Championships

[glen_75]

The US championships are underway in Fort Lauderdale (Aug 12-17). The event will decide the Pan-Pacific team. It will also be used to help select the World Champs team for Barcelona. Given the great times swum around the world this year the US has its work cut out for them.

So far US Swimming has done a good job of posting the results in a timely fashion:

http://www.usa-swimming.org/fast_times/template.pl?opt=results&eventid=471

[Bazza]

Most impressive swim on day 1 probably Lindsay Benko splitting 54.0 leading off the freestyle relay. On day Ed Moses swam 60.4 for the 100 Br, Lenny Krayzelburg was a full second off his WR with 54.6 but still won easily, as he would have done at Commies. In the women's, Natalie Coughlin was 61.8 (Which makes it 1-0 to Sarah Price)!:D

[glen_75]

Don't get your hopes up for Price in the 100 Back. Natalie's Swim was in the prelims. She swam in the last heat. She saw the mediocre times in the preceding heats. All she had to do was coast to the wall first in her heat.

I would wait till she swims the final before I counted my chickens. Don't assess the day of swimming based on the prelims. She swam a 1:00.55 just a month ago!

She will break the world record. If not at nationals, then at Pan-Pacs. I guarantee it!

For Price, I think if you're looking for a gold at worlds...you need to look to the 200 distance.


Most impressive swim on day 1 probably Lindsay Benko splitting 54.0 leading off the freestyle relay.

I don't believe that was the MOST impressive swim on day 1.
Actually, Benko lead off the relay with a 54.88. not a 54 flat.

What about Micheal Phelps swim in the 200IM? He swam 1:58.68.
The fastest time in this event in over 7 years. Just 1/2 second off Sievinen's world record. That eclipses Benko's leadoff 100 swim easily.

[Bazza]

Right now I've got my head screwed on the right way round lets see what happened at the US Nationals last night... Oh crap!

Well first up you have the womens 100m breast (5 people swimming 69.0 or lower), and of course later on that swim by Natalie Coughlin. Incidentally she was within .2 of the 50m WR despite of course turning to feet!:eek:

Elsewhere Michael Phelps sems to be the next Tom Dolan, and I don't know why I read that Lindsay Benko split as 54.0? 54.8 isn't particularly special (though I wouldn't mind..)! I also noticed an unattached 16-year-old swim 3.50 for the 400m free which compares with a 4.03 swum last week at Youths.:(

[glen_75]

Coughlin split 28.86 on the first length. Sandra Volker's world record is 28.25. So she was off by .6. Still impressive. Natalie is actually more vulnerable in the 50 event, which will not be contested at nationals. She won the 100 handily in Fukuoka, but was beaten into 3rd in the 50 event.

No disrepect to the venerable chlorine tsunami, Mr. Dolan, but Phelps is much more than the next Tom Dolan. Its possible, that he is the most talented American male swimmer ever. He just turned 17 in June, and will probably own world records in three individual events (a la Thorpe) within the next year: 200&400IM and 200 Fly.

There is solid depth in the women's 100 breast, but no times that would contend for medals at Worlds. The depth in the Men's 100 Back is even more astonishing. 55.6 finished 8th in the final.

Sarah Price definitely has a good opportunity to medal at worlds in the 200 back. If she can improve her time a little, she could grab gold.

The 100 breast event was amusing. It was a turkey final.
7 of 8 swimmers swam faster in the prelims. Supposedly, their were storm clouds hovering and the wind got violent, so they were sculling into a headwind and ripples.

I do not think this was a good pool to swim nationals during the summer. An outdoor pool in Florida's humidity with afternoon thunderstorms a regularity. Apparently they nearly decided to halt the evening swims to wait for the weather to pass, right before Coughlin's swim!

Ally Sheppard is probaby the only other shot at gold for the women, especially if Inky cannot get over whatever it is that ails her these days. Alshammar seems to have slipped a little...for now. I'm liking Cooke more and more every time she swims.

The british breaststroke trio is unparalled in the 100 event. However, they need to find their consistency. I think Gib has the most upside.

You can't try to compare depth with Americans. However, depth did not translate into the most golds in Fukuoka. America has the biggest pool to draw from, but not neccessarily the right culture, visibilty, and support. It is hard to objectively measure, but I think the Australians get more out of what they have. You see bigger drop offs after the first 3-4 placings in most of the events in Australia that are not seen quite so much in America.

UK Swimming can increase the pool enough to be factors in relays. Yet the focus should be on finding individual swimmers to give Britain medal chances over a broader range of events. I definitely think Britain can and should eventually be clearly #2 behind Germany in Europe. Surpassing Sweden, Russia, Italy, and Ukraine is possible. And you never know...if the Germans have another Sydneyesque slump then anything is possible.

[swimusa]

Swimming in the US is not the premiere sport like it is in Australia. Fukuoka really isn't a testing ground for American swimming. We had numerous swimmers skip that meet such as Jenny Thompson, Gary Hall, Misty Hyman to name a few. But so far, some fast swimming, especially by Michael Phelps and Natalie Coughlin

[Bazza]

When did Sandra Volker set that time? I had the WR down as 28.67 by Mai Nakamura.:confused:

And on the subject of depth you say none of the womens BR times would be good enough for a world medal well that's true of 68.5 but 67 low which the likes of Quann have the ability to produce is more than enough. And I agree with you on the mens back - 5 familiar names there.

The lack of 50s is interesting. What is the reasoning behind this? Do they not take them as seriously? Are they at Pan Pacs?

And can you jog my memory as to who that guy was who broke the 50br WR only to see Moses take it off him straight after I think. I thought his name was Anthony something but I keep thinking Ervin. It's like word association or something...:(

[swimusa]

Volker set it in 2000 at German Olympic Trials. Nakamura set the SC record in 2001, which was broken by Haley Cope of the US, and then by Hui Li of China by December 2001.

As for 50's, the US has never raced them at Nationals. We still swim on the old format, of Prelims/Finals at Nationals, no Semis. As for swimming 50s at PanPacs, only the 50 Free is being raced.

[Bazza]

Well how about that! Two years and I never noticed!!

As for the US Nationals, firstly how did Steve find out about the result of the 400IM which apparently is not available at this time, and second is the talented young Hayley Peirsol who she would appear to be??

[Steve]

Originally posted by bazzaroodoo
As for the US Nationals, firstly how did Steve find out about the result of the 400IM which apparently is not available at this time

http://www.usa-swimming.org/media_services/template.pl?opt=news&pubid=2700 :D

[Steve]

Originally posted by bazzaroodoo
second is the talented young Hayley Peirsol who she would appear to be??

If you mean "is she Aaron's sister" then yes:
http://www.usa-swimming.org/superstars/template.pl?opt=biosearch&name=618

If you mean something else, then probably not ;)

[Bazza]

Cheers Steve - a fountain of knowledge as ever!

Also I think I have found the secret to the Americans' success - they don't weigh anything (well not according to their profiles anyway)!!:eek: :eek:

[swimusa]

Originally posted by bazzaroodoo
Cheers Steve - a fountain of knowledge as ever!

Also I think I have found the secret to the Americans' success - they don't weigh anything (well not according to their profiles anyway)!!:eek: :eek:

That's to throw the rival british for a loop. USS is a hush hush operation.

[swimusa]

Originally posted by bazzaroodoo
Well how about that! Two years and I never noticed!!

As for the US Nationals, firstly how did Steve find out about the result of the 400IM which apparently is not available at this time, and second is the talented young Hayley Peirsol who she would appear to be??

Hayley is not as talented yet as Aaron, but then again, she is only 15 or 16.