USA Swimming has given a sneak-peak of the 2014 National Championships time standards via Twitter, and the most surprising revelation is that they’ll be once again allowing yards qualifying times for the big summer championship meet: something they’d gone away from in recent years to cut down on the number of both the total qualifiers and specifically the number of swimmers who push had through short course season, get their cuts, and then coast into a long course championship meet.
There were no short course standards for either the 2013 World Championship Trials or the 2012 Olympic Trials.
This is not to say that the meet will be any easier to qualify for than last year’s World Championship Trials, though. The number of swimmers under the meters cuts are surprisingly similar to the number under the yards cuts. For example, in the 2013 season, 66 Americans were 23.19 or better in the 50 meter free, and by our count, 66 Americans were 19.99 or better in the 50 yard free. 68 women were under the 200 meter back time standard, and 68 were under the 200 yard back time standard (it’s almost like they planned it that way).
The qualification period has also gotten significantly shorter. It began on June 25th, 2013, which means as of the first day of the 2013 World Championship Trials for the Americans. That means that they will have had one short course and one-and-a-half long course seasons to hit qualifying times.
Generally speaking, these standards are a hair faster (about two-tenths) than the World Championship Trials, which already had fairly paltry attendance numbers.
The 2014 National Championships will serve as a selection meet for several events, including the 2014 Short Course World Championships, the 2015 World University Games, and the 2015 World Championships. With no U.S. Open next year, expect full participation either at Nationals from August 6th-10th in Irvine and/or at Junior Nationals from July 30th-August 3rd, also in Irvine.
| Women | Men | |||
| SCY | LCM | LCM | SCY | |
| 22.59 | 26.09 | 50 free | 23.19 | 19.99 |
| 49.29 | 56.69 | 100 free | 50.89 | 43.59 |
| 1:46.89 | 2:02.49 | 200 free | 1:51.89 | 1:36.49 |
| 4:45.99* | 4:17.39 | 400 free | 3:58.69 | 4:21.29* |
| 9:54.79* | 8:49.49 | 800 free | 8:15.49 | 9:09.49* |
| 16:25.19* | 16:52.99 | 1500 free | 15:49.39 | 15:18.89* |
| 53.89 | 1:03.29 | 100 back | 57.19 | 47.39 |
| 1:56.79 | 2:16.59 | 200 back | 2:04.39 | 1:45.89 |
| 1:01.49 | 1:11.59 | 100 breast | 1:04.09 | 54.09 |
| 2:13.29 | 2:35.09 | 200 breast | 2:19.49 | 1:58.59 |
| 53.49 | 1:01.19 | 100 fly | 54.79 | 47.79 |
| 1:58.89 | 2:15.59 | 200 fly | 2:02.79 | 1:46.09 |
| 1:59.39 | 2:18.69 | 200 IM | 2:05.49 | 1:46.19 |
| 4:14.69 | 4:53.39 | 400 IM | 4:28.89 | 3:48.79 |
| 3:53.69 | 400 free relay | 3:29.29 | ||
| 8:22.19 | 800 free relay | 7:42.79 | ||
| 4:18.29 | 400 medley relay | 3:50.09 | ||
| *500, 1000, and 1650 yard freestyle qualifying times substitute for meters equivalents | ||||
Bad move to include yard times… A lot of out of shape short course swimmers will be attending the meet. Fast times in February and March, take time off in the spring with little or no training… get back in the water after finals…. not conducive to fast swimming… But what the heck! they get a trip to nationals to spend time with their friends!
Really?? In over a decade of following swimming, I have never seen a swimmer worth his/her weight in salt qualify for a big event and then slack off on training. Swimmers who meet such standards (yes, even SCY ones like those listed) are not your splashing-in-the-backyard-pool kind of swimmer. You don’t get to that level without seriousness about your sport. No serious swimmer would qualify and then slack off and no serious coach would ever allow it to happen.
It has happened all the time among those who just make the yard standard. 2004 at the Olympic Trials was the first time USA Swimming permitted only LCM times for qualification.
Swim Parent- maybe you are speaking from an age group perspective, but it is not uncommon for some out of shape college kids to try to start re-training in June when school gets out. There were some ugly swims at World Champ Trials in June from some of these athletes. Just look at the results.
That is on the college coach then….any coach worth his/her salt will “require” his/her athletes to train all spring in preparation for the summer meet. Not willing to train all spring? No problem, but we aren’t going to pay for you to go the meet and represent the college then either. You can pay your own way and represent the club team.
To the anti yard time people….when do you suggest the college crowd get their cuts? Let us assume you have a female sprinter coming in 26.2 and 57.0, times that were achieved at the US Open this past summer….Fast, but not quite 2014 National Cuts. Without a yard standard she would have to shave/taper/suit for a summer… Read more »
just to clarify: there is no World University Championship in 2014. It’s a bi-annual event held in the odd years. Next Summer Universiade is in Gwangju 2015.
ATLSWIM – as stated in the post, the qualifying is for the 2015 World University Games. Despite it being a 2014 National Championship, it will still select the 2015 World University Games team.
Thanks, Braden. It is still stated wrong in the post above though, that’s why I wanted to clarify:
“The 2014 National Championships will serve as a selection meet for several events, including the 2014 World University Games, …..”
Sorry, you’re right. I went straight to the next listing of 2015 World University Games. Must’ve accidentally listed it twice. Should be fixed now.
wow, those breast stroke times are pretty uneven. 2:19 seems like it would be more around a 2:02, do they want to make it harder for people to qualify in short course or something?
gooby – as pointed out, it appears as though they’ve lined up numbers of swimmers under each standard rather than some arbitrary conversion time, which is probably the fairer way to do it. It just seems like the yards time is harder because more swimmers in the U.S. swim fast yards times than meters times (because of the college system – a majority of the swimmers still training after 18 have college championships as their ultimate goal in swimming, so there’s no real reason for them to push hard in the summer.)
Ok that makes sense, thanks.
Although I can’t say I am excited about the “Girls” and “Boys” standards….I thought only Men and Women swam at US Nationals?
This is good news for USA Swimming. It is very hard for the college crowd to find a LCM meet during the year and this will allow them to use conference and/or NCAA times.