Monday, December 14, 2020
A Six-Months-Out Glance at the Upcoming U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming
The rescheduled 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming has officially breached the six-months-out mark, with competition in Omaha beginning June 13, 2021 and lasting until June 20, 2021. After a crazy year that saw pools close, competitions halted and the entire 2020 Olympic Games postponed, next summer’s meet is shaping up to be one for the ages. Here are a few events to keep an eye on as we head into the home stretch on the road to Tokyo.
Women’s 100m Backstroke
After breaking the world records in both the 100m and 200m backstroke with times of 57.57 and 2:03.35 at the 2019 FINA World Championships, Regan Smith looks to be one of the front-runners to qualify for Tokyo in the women’s 100m back. However, she will have to face a handful of challengers in the event, including former world record-holder and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Kathleen Baker and up-and-comer Phoebe Bacon. Smith (58.18), Baker (58.56) and Bacon (58.86) hold the top three times in the world in 2020, with all three of their times coming at TYR Pro Swim Series meets in January or March. Olivia Smoliga, who competed in the event in Rio alongside Baker, will also challenge for one of the top two spots. Her best performance in 2020 is a 59.25 from March, ranked 6th in the world.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Caeleb Dressel collected eight medals at the 2019 FINA World Championships and since then has cemented himself as a threat to qualify for Tokyo in as many as six events, among them the 100m free. Dressel came up just short of the world record when he won the event at last year’s World Championships in 46.96, and is the only U.S. swimmer to have gone under 47. He’ll have to hold off a couple of veterans in three-time Olympian and 2012 gold medalist Nathan Adrian, along with 2016 4x100m free relay gold medalist Ryan Held. Maxime Rooney (47.61), Zach Apple (47.69), Blake Pieroni (47.87) and Tate Jackson (47.88) all broke 48 in 2019 and will be in the running for the four additional spots that make the 4x100m free relay.
Women’s 100m Butterfly
A trio of youngsters – 16-year-old Claire Curzan, 17-year-old Torri Huske and 18-year-old Kate Douglass – have put themselves in the conversation to challenge for the top two spots in the women’s 100m fly. Curzan has been on a tear lately, breaking numerous 15-16 National Age Group records since the summer, including the 100m fly where she posted a 56.61. That time would have won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Huske has posted a 57.36 in 2020, while Douglass has been 57.43. Two other swimmers – 2016 Olympian Kelsi Dahlia and Regan Smith – have posted times in between Curzan and Huske, with Dahlia going 57.33 and Smith 57.34, both at the TYR Pro Swim Series meet in March.
Men’s 200m IM
With the retirement of Michael Phelps after the 2016 Olympic Games, the men’s 200m IM is suddenly a wide-open event with a bunch of swimmers in the running to make the team. Chase Kalisz leads the way with his 1:56.78 from the 2019 World Championships, and Michael Andrew is right behind with a 1:56.83 from the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series stop in Des Moines. Four other swimmers have been under 1:58 in the past year, including Carson Foster (1:57.59), Abrahm Devine (1:57.66), Ryan Lochte (1:57.76) and Sam Stewart (1:57.76). Lochte still holds the world record at 1:54.00 and is a three-time Olympic medalist in the event; he’ll be aiming for his fifth Olympic Games.
Women’s 100m Backstroke
After breaking the world records in both the 100m and 200m backstroke with times of 57.57 and 2:03.35 at the 2019 FINA World Championships, Regan Smith looks to be one of the front-runners to qualify for Tokyo in the women’s 100m back. However, she will have to face a handful of challengers in the event, including former world record-holder and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Kathleen Baker and up-and-comer Phoebe Bacon. Smith (58.18), Baker (58.56) and Bacon (58.86) hold the top three times in the world in 2020, with all three of their times coming at TYR Pro Swim Series meets in January or March. Olivia Smoliga, who competed in the event in Rio alongside Baker, will also challenge for one of the top two spots. Her best performance in 2020 is a 59.25 from March, ranked 6th in the world.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
Caeleb Dressel collected eight medals at the 2019 FINA World Championships and since then has cemented himself as a threat to qualify for Tokyo in as many as six events, among them the 100m free. Dressel came up just short of the world record when he won the event at last year’s World Championships in 46.96, and is the only U.S. swimmer to have gone under 47. He’ll have to hold off a couple of veterans in three-time Olympian and 2012 gold medalist Nathan Adrian, along with 2016 4x100m free relay gold medalist Ryan Held. Maxime Rooney (47.61), Zach Apple (47.69), Blake Pieroni (47.87) and Tate Jackson (47.88) all broke 48 in 2019 and will be in the running for the four additional spots that make the 4x100m free relay.
Women’s 100m Butterfly
A trio of youngsters – 16-year-old Claire Curzan, 17-year-old Torri Huske and 18-year-old Kate Douglass – have put themselves in the conversation to challenge for the top two spots in the women’s 100m fly. Curzan has been on a tear lately, breaking numerous 15-16 National Age Group records since the summer, including the 100m fly where she posted a 56.61. That time would have won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Huske has posted a 57.36 in 2020, while Douglass has been 57.43. Two other swimmers – 2016 Olympian Kelsi Dahlia and Regan Smith – have posted times in between Curzan and Huske, with Dahlia going 57.33 and Smith 57.34, both at the TYR Pro Swim Series meet in March.
Men’s 200m IM
With the retirement of Michael Phelps after the 2016 Olympic Games, the men’s 200m IM is suddenly a wide-open event with a bunch of swimmers in the running to make the team. Chase Kalisz leads the way with his 1:56.78 from the 2019 World Championships, and Michael Andrew is right behind with a 1:56.83 from the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series stop in Des Moines. Four other swimmers have been under 1:58 in the past year, including Carson Foster (1:57.59), Abrahm Devine (1:57.66), Ryan Lochte (1:57.76) and Sam Stewart (1:57.76). Lochte still holds the world record at 1:54.00 and is a three-time Olympic medalist in the event; he’ll be aiming for his fifth Olympic Games.