It’s finally the Olympic year, and we’re seeing the stars beginning to align for certain athletes. In the 50 meter freestyle at the Knoxville Pro Swim, University of Tennessee standout Erika Brown edged defending world champ Simone Manuel.
Knox Pro Swim – 50m Free
- GOLD: Erika Brown (TENN)- 24.57
- SILVER: Simone Manuel (ALTO)- 24.63
- BRONZE: Margo Geer (NVM)- 25.08
Making the U.S. Olympic Team is all about timing, and Erika Brown is peaking in the right year. Another crucial step toward making Team USA is having an Olympic Trials under your belt. You need to experience the pressure-cooker once to get over the hype and distractions. Erika competed back in 2016, and another Tennessee sprint star, a high school junior, Gretchen Walsh, was the youngest swimmer to compete at the 2016 Olympic Trials. In the video above we caught up with Erika, Gretchen, and Simone at the Knoxville Pro Swim for their take on where they are at in training on the march to Omaha.
Way Too Early U.S. Olympic Trials Prediction – Women’s 50m Free
No one is beating Simone Manuel. She reigns as National Champ with 23.89 in Omaha.
Erika Brown slips in for second at 24 flat, marking her Olympic berth. (I’m an University of Tennessee alum, but I’m not biased. Go VOLS!)
Youngster Gretchen Walsh is on the bubble for me. She impresses us with 24.31.
Still, the 50m free is always a big question. Abbey Weitzeil just dropped 20.9 in the 50 yard free – flat start. She’s dangerous. She was a 24.2 50m free at ’16 Olympic Trials. And there’s Margo Geer, Lia Neal and Madison Kennedy, but… who cares what I think! What do you think?
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RECENT EPISODES
This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
It will be between Brown & Weitzeil for the second spot – tight battle in perspective !!!
Weitzeil auto corrects to weirdo…just sayin
I agree it’s way too early to do these…..
give us more recruit rankings!
Yes the USA and AUS trials are still months away…
GOLD MEDAL MEL,
I like this set of your articles with predictions. But so far you are talking about events where situation is more or less clear. I mean we have small group of leaders and our talks about predictions now are not much different from those last season. But what I’m looking forward is your article about W200FR where there are no traditional leaders at all besides Ledecky and we have about 20 swimmers for 5 tickets to Tokyo. That is where the art of predictions can shine. 😀 People may say, well it is just a weak field and what can be interesting in talking about it. Whatever happens will just happen. But this weak field broke… Read more »
Noted. We wil cover the W200fr, and I promise you Braden Keith (editor-in-cheif) has US OT W200Fr previews in prep on the run-up to Omaha…. and for the OGs.
Sure he will. But preview in May or even in June isn’t that juicy as predictions in February when we have actually nothing else to talk about. 😀
W200 free will be a blast! Ruck?Ledecky?Titmus?Pellegrini?Mckeon?
Don’t forget Sjostrom and two 1:54 Asian swimmers. One swimmer more and we may witness the under 1:55 as a requirement to be a finalist.
Yozhik, didn’t Australia break the women’s 200 free relay world record ? I’m confused
Don’t be confused they did it also along with American team. But did it 0.3 sec better. So American team has a new target now, and that is exactly what was said in my post. No confusion. I’m not saying that Americans are current world record holder. But breaking the suit world record by the very weird at first glance team is an extraordinary achievement that went actually unnoticed. In contrast to strong Australian team Americans had only one sick 1:54 swimmer.
In the time frame of three years American had three outstanding 200 freestylers: Schmitt, Ledecky and Franklin. And that is when I expected the 2008 suit record to be smashed. But their good forms have never overlapped.… Read more »
I understand now .
Weitzeil’s best race in 50FR LCM last season was 6 months ago and it was 24.47. Her achievements in SCY may mean something or mean nothing. Franklin was 1:39 in yards that made many people to believe that Pellegrini’s record would be at great risk in 3 months and nothing even close has happened. I want her to be on the team and 50 looks like a good chance but she is the most risky bet. Too much uncertainty. And Abby please don’t race again 200 at Trials.
Gotta jump on the bandwagon here. Manuel & Weitzeil make the team, not necessarily in that order. If I had to pick, I’d say Weitzeil first. I think Brown has a better chance to go 23.99 or faster than she does to make the team.in the 50.
Definitely Manuel ahead of Weitzeil in the Olympics, though.
I don’t see Simone and Abbey not making it. Obviously it’s a 50 and anything can happen, but as far as I can tell those two are the heavy favorites.
Hey Mel, Brown is on fire but I am wondering about her mental ability to perform st her best when the lights are brightest and hottest. That has been an issue at NCAA’s for her (I think SEC’s is where she was at her best the last two years). On the other hand, Weitzeil’s Trials experience of having WON two events will go a long way. And she is really hungry and happy in her swimming right now. I won’t even mention the Clutch Queen, Simone because we know better.