USA Swimming has posted selection procedures for the 2015 Billiton Aquatic Super Series Championships, to be held from January 30th-31st in Perth Australia, which is the first indication that the Americans will join the party at the high-stakes multi-sport aquatics event.
Full selection criteria available here.
This event, held for two years, pits national teams from different countries against each other in pool swimming, open water swimming, and water polo. Last year, the pool swimming included China, Australia, South Africa and Japan competed for half-a-million dollars in prize money, with an additional $100,000 being awarded in the water polo tournament.
Swimmers were revved up for that event, which included for many swimmers season-best times, even after the national championships had concluded.
Now, the Americans will join the fun (though a full list of participating nations and prize money has yet to be announced for 2015).
The American selection procedures will send up to 12 men and 12 women to the event.
The first priority will be given to the highest ranked available swimmer in each Olympic event in World Rankings from January 1st, 2014 to September 1st, 2014 (the same time period used to select the Short Course Worlds team). The exception will be in the men’s 1500 free, where the top ranked available swimmer will not be chosen.
If there’s still room, all other spots on this truncated roster will be filled at the discretion of the National Team Director and the team’s head coaches; those swimmers will be chosen only from the 2014-2015 National Team.
The open-ended 2nd selection criteria could leave for some drama, considering the value of the available prize pool. In addition to individual race prizes, the winning team divides up $100,000. Depending on how a team decides to share that (if coaches get a portion), that could result in as much as $4,000 per athlete if USA Swimming were to win (of which there’s no guarantee).
Anytime World’s #1 Swimming nation send their top swimmers to international competition, swimming and swim fans win!
As long as they drive on the left & realise the DUI threshold is .05 .
Oh OH OH again ! very harsh ……………….when are u happy ?
When everyone drives on the left & are under .05 .it so happens I will be on Perth’s roads . The left thing takes reminding & the DUI is education .got it?
Actually it is very important for visitor to Australia to remember to drive on the left.
When I lived in Australia, there were some incidents where American visitors had accidents on the roads due to confusion over left-and-right thingy.
Sounds like a perfect event for just our postgrads and pros. Git that money… not too concerned if it fits the NCAA kids as they can’t take the money anyhow. Why squeeze an extra travel in during an already tight season? Focus on the NCAA meet. Hopefully this meet and more like it will be there when you go pro.
I say we stock the roster with people who can take that money. Swim motivated 🙂 I’ve got no problem with USA Swimming picking events like this to send pros to. We need to encourage money making events to exist by attending them and that will hopefully generate more money for more pros.
I agree bad dates for everyone. I think if it was near conferences in February or near NCAA’s then that would be best for post grads. I have heard Nathan and Grevers aren’t fans of these big travel meets. It will be interesting to see who accepts and who USA Swimming handpicks for the other spots!
Hey come on . A world leading private mining conglomeration in Australia is inviting a team in ThEiR Perth Summer swim promotion and YOU are complaining about
Should they change the dates to sometime more convenient for Americans? Should it be June so we ordinary swimmers can swim The Swan River and freeze?
Timing of this meet is very rough for current NCAA athletes – disruption to training for NCs, at least 20 hr each way travel – missing over a week of school, big jet lag getting back plus they cant take the prize money. I might be wrong but I’d guess no active NCAA athlete goes.
For women, perhaps only Ledecky, Adams, DiRado, Beisel, Lawrence are natural priority ones that go. Franklin, Manuel, and Stewart are NCAA athletes who might decline which opens spots for perhaps Baker (100 Back), Vreeland (100 Free), Kennedy (50 Free), and Donahue (100 Fly). So that leaves possibly 3 spots for priority #2? Possibly someone like Geer for the free relay plus maybe Margalis and Hardy… Read more »
not a fan of picking rest of roster based on head coach’s discretion?!?!
Nice to see USA Swimming spread its wings a bit to over great opportunities for post grad swimmers. It afford them an opportunity to compete internationally and gives them reason to train.