USA Swimming News

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Olympians, World-Record Holders & National Teamers Set for 2020 Toyota U.S. Open


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After what feels like an eternity away from major domestic swim meets, the top swimmers in the country will make their way to nine sites nationwide for this weekend’s Toyota US Open, scheduled for November 12-14. The long course meet will take place in multiple locations, with Beaverton, OR, Des Moines, Iowa, Greensboro, NC, Huntsville, AL, Indianapolis, IN, Irvine, CA, Richmond, VA, San Antonio, Texas and Sarasota, FL each hosting swimmers for the competition. Results from the nine individual meets will be combined to determine the overall winner in each event. 

More than 45 US National Team swimmers will take part in the meet, with Olympic gold medalists Ryan Lochte, Ryan Held, Cody Miller and Kathleen Baker highlighting an exceptionally strong field eager to get back to racing. Here are some of the top swimmers and races to keep an eye on as results come in across the country: 

Beaverton
Although no US National Team swimmers are slated to compete in Beaverton, Canadian Olympian Santo Condorelli will race in the men’s 50m free, where he’s seeded first at 22.21, and the men’s 100m fly, where he enters with the top time of 52.00. His times should stack up well against the rest of the field in the other eight meets. 

Des Moines
World record-holder Regan Smith and up-and-comer Phoebe Bacon highlight the women’s field in Des Moines, where the 18-year-olds will square off in the women’s 200m IM, 100m back and 200m back, with Smith holding the top seed time in all three events. Smith, who holds the world record in both backstroke events from last summer, will also contest the women’s 100m and 200m fly where her times should match up well for the top spot once final results from each meet come in. 

Greensboro
Sixteen-year-old Claire Curzan, who recently set national age group records in the 50 yard free (21.51), 100 yard free (47.23) and 100 yard fly (49.73), will contest a handful of races in Greensboro where she has the potential to emerge with the top times nationwide. She enters the meet with the top seed time in the women’s 100m fly (57.57), the second-best time in the 50m free (25.32) and 100m back (1:00.00), and the third-best in the 100m free (55.65). Olympians Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland highlight the men’s field in Greensboro, as the two IM specialists will duke it out in those event as well as the 200m fly. Olympic champion Joseph Schooling from Singapore will be in the mix as well in the 200m IM, 100m fly and 100m free. 

Huntsville
Sprint stars Gretchen Walsh and Ryan Held highlight the Huntsville psych sheet, with both swimmers listed at the top of the psych sheet in a couple of events. Walsh will look to post the time to beat in the 50m free (24.71), 100m fly (58.84), 100m back (1:00.26) and 100m free (53.74). Held, an Olympic gold medalist in Rio in the 4x100m free relay, comes into the meet with the top seeded times of 21.87 in the 50m free and 47.39 in the 100m free; he’s also seeded second in the 100m fly with a 52.15. 

Indianapolis
The women’s field in Indy is stacked, with the likes of Kathleen Baker, Mallory Comerford and Emily Weiss expected to compete. Baker holds the fastest time of the meet in the women’s 200m IM (2:08.75), 100m back (58.56) and 200m back (2:06.46), while Comerford will challenge in the 50m free, 100m fly, 200m free and 100m free. Weiss will look to sweep the breaststroke events as she enters the meet with the fastest seed times in both the 100m and 200m breast. Olympic bronze medalist Cody Miller will look to do the same on the men’s side with the top seed times in the men’s 100m and 200m breast at 59.57 and 2:09.67. 

Irvine
Erica Sullivan looks to be the star of the women’s meet in Irvine, as the 20-year-old from Sandpipers of Nevada owns the top seed time in nearly every freestyle event, from the 200m free to the 1500m free. Mission Viejo’s Justina Kozan also has a couple of top seeds, in the 200m IM, 400m IM and 200m fly. Olympian Jordan Wilimovsky will look to shine in the men’s distance freestyle events as he has the opportunity to top the field in the 400m, 800m and 1500m free. 

Richmond
Virginia Cavaliers Alex Walsh and Paige Madden, and 17-year-old Torri Huske could be the top performers at the Richmond meet, with each swimmer entering the competition with multiple top seeded times. Walsh will be a threat in the women’s backstroke and IM events, while Madden will aim to sweep the distance freestyle events and Huske should make a run at the sprint fly and free races. On the men’s side, Olympian Jack Conger is seeded first in the 100m fly (51.21) and 100m free (48.47).

San Antonio
Madisyn Cox is on track to be the dominant female swimmer in San Antonio, with the fastest times in the 200m IM, 400m IM, 200m free and 200m breast. Her fastest times in those events would no doubt challenge for the top spot once all results are combined. For the men, brothers Carson and Jake Foster will face off against each other in the 200m IM and 400m IM, while Jake has the top seed time in the 200m breast and Carson in the 200m fly. 

Sarasota
Ryan Lochte is slated to compete in a handful of his best events in Sarasota, including the men’s 100m back, 200m back, 200m IM, 100m free and 200m free. He’ll have to contend with several University of Florida swimmers like Kieran Smith and Clark Beach who are both a threat to win several individual events, along with teammate Robert Finke. Meanwhile, Sarasota’s Emma Weyant will have the advantage of competing in her home pool and will try to track down wins in the five events in which she’s seeded first – the 800m free, 400m free, 200m IM, 400m IM and 200m free. 

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