2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
- Sunday June 26th-Sunday July 3rd, 2016
- CenturyLink Center – Omaha, Nebraska
- Friday-Sunday – Prelims – 11:00 am EDT Finals – 7:45 pm EDT
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There was no prelims session on Sunday morning, the final day of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, with just the finals of the women’s 50 and men’s 1500 freestyle to go in the evening session. But even without any formal qualification racing, there was still an intriguing battle going down in the CenturyLink Center: a time trial in the men’s 100 freestyle among several potential relay participants for Rio.
While there is nothing binding about the race for either National Team Director Frank Busch or men’s head Olympic coach Bob Bowman, the Americans might need the help of some of the participants at the Olympic Games to avoid the disaster that struck at last year’s World Championships, when Team USA failed to even push through to the finals.
While Michael Phelps was absent, Jimmy Feigen swam a 48.68 in the 100 free, which came close to the 48.57 that he swam for 5th-place in the event final; and Ryan Lochte swam a 49.84, which is well short of the 49.13 that he swam in prelims of the event before ultimately scratching out of the semi-finals.
Feigen and Lochte train together at SwimMAC Carolina under the ultimate leadership of David Marsh – head U.S. Women’s Olympic Team coach for swimming.
(photo: Mike Lewis)
(photo: Mike Lewis)
I’d go like this, and the reasoning is we need to try and get a GOLD medal. So ideally we want 4x 47.7’s or better. So we need to see the UPside of some guys… I think at this point we know Ervin is not gonna hang on for a 47.7, so I’m leaving him out. He’s swimming the 50 so we don’t break any rules there. Held, Feigen and Pieroni are locked in to the prelims… (I’d leave Pieroni home, but that’s me)
Prelims- Held, Pieroni, Feigen and Conger
Finals- Dressel, Fastest from prelims, Phelps and Adrian
I still don’t think thats a sub 4:10 relay. But I think that’s the best we got.
I think Conger and… Read more »
I’m not sure I’d discount Ervin yet. He swam 48.54 in the final this week. In 2013, he went 48.49 at World Championship Trials, and then split 47.38 and 47.44 prelims/finals on the 4×100 free at Worlds.
I dunno- he fades and I’d be just as happy if he focused on the 50 and busted a big one there. He’s so good at getting to max velocities that others can’t. Though if he swam and Conger didn’t, I wouldn’t complain.
This is a great thread.
My two cents:
Dressel/Conger
Held
Pieroni
Feigen
Dressel
Phelps/Conger
Ervin(Held/Pieroni/Feigen if they break :48 above)
Adrian
3:10.9
Gold
All this discussion is great and wonderful…but, to me, the simplest solution/ debate is rather (somewhat) obvious. You have potentially nine swimmers to consider. Three not currently on the relay: Phelps, Conger, Lochte. Six that are essentially guaranteed to be on the relay in some form or fashion: Dressel*, Adrian*, Ervin*, Held , Feigen, Pieroni.
*Technically you could leave any one of these three of the relay entirely (prelims or finals) as they’re swimming in other events (thus don’t HAVE to swim this relay to get their required “swim” in Rio.
– With what Lochte’s shown this season, especially with this time trial, in the 100 free, he’s out (in my/ most people’s books)…Leaving Phelps and Conger as… Read more »
Surely the US men will win the IM in RIO maybe Brits are a danger..maybe …women have an excellent chance for silver …Sweden the obvious danger.
I’m scratching my head why you’d need a time trial. Surely wait and see when you get to Rio would be the right way to handle it.
Whatever the issue is.
Wait and see ….? what ? they will be training in a training camp like most Nations before getting to Rio . I dont beleive Team Usa will be waiting to See whats gonna happen on J day . they will prepare that relay & refine the remaining details to be fully ready . Brits a danger in the IM relay ? Peaty is the true lock to make a difference for team GB , nobody else . They will have to beat Plummer / Murphy ( world leading times ) + Cordes + Phelps + Adrian . A danger ? way far form a danger …. Not even sure GB will get second here …..
Here is my prediction and expectation:
Take some inventory of Tom Jager’s quote from early this week that some of the best relay guys are the inexperienced first timers: “you are sometimes better off being young and dumb.”
Held & Pieroni have one Olympic swim and it will be under a lot of pressure. Those guys aren’t high fiving friends and relatives anticipating their gold medals coming next month quite like the 2008, 2012 & 2016 US 4×200 relay qualifiers had / are. Those guys are going to be intense, focused and motivated to hold on and be better. I don’t worry about that at all.
Feigen and Ervin are 24×7 hearing about Kazan. That too is a good… Read more »
Best prediction so far Joel . I will just add this : since 2009 , Usa hasn’t won a Major 400 free relay on the highest level – that year , Phelps , Lochte , Grevers and Adrian battled like Giants against France , Brazil and Russia for the Gold . It was a very tight field ( anybody can watch it again ). If Kazan is still ringing a very unpleasant bell in the heart , than its time to Step up Big and they can do that – with unexperienced and experienced guys all together . Its time to get that Gold back – won’t be easy of course but again why not some bombs in the prelims… Read more »
SWIMMACs performance at trials was mixed.
I don’t believe that the 4×100 medley will have any problem making the final heat, which gives us one interesting solution. If we do have a situation where it looks like one of the guys we took for the 4×100 free relay is going to jeopardize our chances of getting out of prelims, we can always swap him over to the freestyle leg of the prelim medley relay and use one of our big guns in the morning for the freestyle relay. Yes, that potentially screws Caeleb Dressel out of a MR medal for swimming the prelim freestyle, but he seems like the kind of team player that would understand.
m4x100 medley has very strong chance to win gold, even prelims swimmer get the gold.
I doubt Dressel and Troy will give up on an Olympics medal that easily lol.
Sorry, but I’m really surprised after reading a lot of comments in this site.
1) Time trials at the end of a challenging, draining event like an OT are very unlikely to be successful (swimming time trials the day before the OT would be all another thing). No surprise at all that Lochte, who swam many events, was slower than in the heats of 100 free. Better Feigen (but even if not quicker than in the individual event) who has swum less event.
So, no surprise at all that Phelps or Conger were absent.
2) The most voted post suggested to swim in the Olympic heats with Pieroni, Feigen, Held and Ervin in the Us squad.
My compliment:… Read more »
I agree with you until your last sentence. Feigen and Pieroni will be in the US roster. unless Mr Busch changes the rule at the last moment. I imagine the face of Feigen and Pieroni in that case. No I don’t want to imagine that.
Both will go to Rio and it looks like it could be a problem. Or not. 🙂
Goodnight everybody. I need to rest before the start of NBC coverage at 1 AM here in France.
Looks like they will show track and field and swimming olympic trials at the same time. Guys sorry for the men’s 1500 free but I don’t want to miss the 100m semis and especially Allyson in the 400m… Read more »
Very worried about Ms. Felix. No smiles on her face after that 400 heat. Would be disappointing not to see her in final in Rio.
What matters is that there are protocols in place that Team USA follows. If the prelim team, whoever it is, doesn’t make it to the finals, then they weren’t fast enough to make it to the final. The debate can rage on forever, but that’s the way it is.
So you don’t want Pieroni – Feigen – Held – Ervin for prelims, then where do you want to swim them? in the final?
What if Held, Pieroni or Feigen sprains an ankle or gets sick. Is there any dispensation from IOC rules for medical?
Definitely like the idea of Adrian anchoring prelims. He’s money.
Time Trials at the end of a long taxing full schedule – if you’ve got it then you’ll do it . Australia put up 2 relays in the final session for a 3 .12 & a 3.14.