SwimSwam Pulse is a recurring feature tracking and analyzing the results of our periodic A3 Performance Polls. You can cast your vote in our newest poll on the SwimSwam homepage, about halfway down the page on the right side, or you can find the poll embedded at the bottom of this post.
Our most recent poll asked SwimSwam readers to predict the American men’s free relay members for next summer’s Olympics:
RESULTS
Question: Who is most likely to be on the American 4×100 free relay at the Tokyo Olympics?
- Dean Farris – 38.1%
- Nathan Adrian – 35.1%
- Zach Apple – 23.9%
- Michael Chadwick – 2.9%
38% of voters said Dean Farris was the most likely of our listed candidates to make the American 4×100 free relay for the Tokyo Olympics.
We left off the two fastest Americans last year – Caeleb Dressel and Blake Pieroni – who will swim the event individually at the World Championships next week. We included Zach Apple, who stood out while winning gold at World University Games, NCAA standout Farris, who put up a huge 47.0 split there, and Nathan Adrian and Michael Chadwick, who will swim the event on relays at Worlds and individually at Pan American Games.
38% picked Farris, on the heels of his massive split, which happened a day before we posted the poll. Adrian, a multi-time Olympian and former Olympic champ, garnered 35% of the votes to trail by just 3%. Meanwhile Apple earned only 23.9% of the votes. He’d likely have polled higher had we posted the poll later – he won gold and went 47.7 individually. Chadwick doesn’t have the comment section popularity of Farris, nor the name recognition of Adrian, and only got 2.9% of the votes, despite news that he time trialed a fast 50 free in training camp for Worlds.
Next week’s World Championships should clarify a lot between these four. Farris’s split is now the time to beat, and the other three should all get shots this coming week in the various relay events at Worlds.
Below, vote in our new A3 Performance Poll, which asks voters for their predictions on the women’s 200 freestyle at next week’s World Championships:
Loading ...
ABOUT A3 PERFORMANCE
The A3 Performance Poll is courtesy of A3 Performance, a SwimSwam partner
How about 4x100m medley relay ? I don’t see top breaststroker from USA. They have to get one who can swim under 59. China are threatening; they are solid in all but the freestyle. If they can get a freestyle guy like Zetao Ning in less than a year, they could upset USA. We begin by seeing in the WC 2019 final next Sunday. If China wins, it’s no surprise.
Zach Apple swam impressively in 4x100m relay final at WC 2019 yesterday : 46.86. It is the fastest split in the race. He helped give convenient lead for USA, as Russia proved to threaten with their anchor, Evgeny Rilov to catch Nathan Adrian. This split reminds me of Frederick Bousquet’s 46.63 catching and passing Cullen Jones in 2008 Olympic final to give crucial lead to France, until the memorable moment happened when Jason Lezak (46.06) incredibly chased and beat Alain Bernard.
Zach’s height (6.6) is an advantage, that I think he can improve his time record.
Watch out for Robert Howard too
Thanks to Fina there won´t be a pick em up competition this year right?
Another reason to sing FINAs praises. Crazy we don’t have psych sheets out yet
Pieroni said on the Cody Miller podcast he thinks it might take a 47 to make Olympic Trial finals in the 100M free.
– Dressel
– Pieroni
– Zapple
– Held
– Adrian
– Chadwick
– Farris
– Jackson
– Lochte?
– Seliskar
– Haas
– Conger
I quite like the name ZAPPLE! Lightning quick fruit.
I don’t see it taking 47.9 to make finals. That would require everyone to be at their very best at the same time – and history shows that despite it being the Olympic year, not everyone swims their best, and making it through prelims and semis to even make the final is a draining endeavour too. I think it’ll be like 48.2 to make top 6 for a relay spot.
I follow your argument, but the semis are going to be insane. It probably will take a 47 to make the finals. In the finals, though, only 5 or 6 will repeat it, for the reason you state. Only Dressel can back off for semis, and then only a hair. Everyone else is going to have to have their best swim.
MTK I think you are spot-on. In general I think most events at Trials will be a little slower than people think, with the draining format, pressure, and just how not everyone will be at their very best, for a multitude of reasons.
How are people still completely oblivious to Robert Howard?
Dave Nolan said he’s training for 100 too
Forget Lochte… but for viable candidates you should add Robert Howard is a viable candidate (bunch of 47 splits last week). Also Rooney and Ress (48.2 and 48.3 flat starts last summer). Kibler and maybe Krueger, depending what they do this summer.
Maybe Daniel Krueger or Bowen Becker( If he turned pro after graduating)?
Krueger is a candidate for sure after a pretty solid NCs and his past LCM times imo.
Let’s go Taylor
Dean Farris’ 40.80 individual 100 at NCAA’s converts to 47.14 long course. Probably equal to a sub-47 relay split, I guess. So that could mean that he had more things to come. However, when I first saw the news, I thought it was just an unusually good, sudden performance. So I went with Zach Apple. He’s pretty good, is constantly improving and is probably going to make the relay this summer.
By the way: I vote Ariarne Titmus for the 200 Free win.
Converted times are always an exact indicator!!!!
David Nolan, Will Licon, Coleman Stewart and a slew of others would agree.
His 2free time converted well
Assuming that 47.0 split from Dean wasn’t a fluke, which we have no reason to believe it was, then I believe it is now his spot to lose rather than him trying to knock someone else off
He will have to make the team next summer. That’s not a given. If he makes the team as one of the top 2 100 free’s then he’s pretty much assured a spot on the relay, but nobody has a lock on any relay spot as of July 2019. Dressel is the only one you can even begin to say that about. There’s too much depth in this event to make that statement about anyone else. 47.08’s in July 2019 get you nothing other than great talking points for the next 12 months.
And to be clear, I like the kid. Honorary ‘horn for me since he’s training in Austin so I’m pulling for him.
He just has to get top 6 to make the team…
Or have Wyatt time him and post on IG.
You’re one salty boi
‘just’?
Maybe I’m alone in this, but when I read the question, I’m thinking about who will be on the relay in the final. I think for the purposes of this discussion it’s safe to assume we’re talking about who will be on the team of 4 at night
Especially coming off of the very abbreviated LCM training from NCAAs to WUGS.