The Charlotte UltraSwim Grand Prix is the Big Daddy of all of the Grand Prix events. It attracts the top talent in the country, and will have some amazing showdowns. With a $50k purse to be split amongst the top 16 athletes, it’s really no surprise that so many big names come. To some extent, this meet will be a preview of Nationals.
As David Rieder pointed out in an email conversation, it might be even better than Nationals. The schedule of the UltraSwim will allow for swimmers like Phelps and Lochte to compete in the 100 back, whereas at Nationals they will back up against the 200 free.
The meet kicks of Thursday, and runs through Sunday. Chloe Sutton is the overall series leader with 83 points, followed by Dana Vollmer with 39 and Rebecca Soni with 36.
Stay tuned for previews, updates, and predictions from the UltraSwim, and be sure to head on over to UniversalSports to watch the meet live.
The scoring system for the $50,000 prize will be based on the highest total number of FINA points earned in a swimmer’s 3 best individual events. A swimmers is allowed to enter up to 7 individual events. If an Amateur finishes in the top 16, their meet expenses will be covered in accordance with NCAA rules, and the rest of their prize will be donated to charity. Only Olympic events will count, meaning the men’s 800 and the women’s 1500 won’t count towards the prize standings.
| 1st-$20,000 | 9th-$500 |
| 2nd-$10,000 | 10th-$400 |
| 3rd-$7,500 | 11th-$300 |
| 4th-$3,000 | 12th-$250 |
| 5th-$2,250 | 13th-$200 |
| 6th-$2,000 | 14th-$150 |
| 7th-$1,750 | 15th-$100 |
| 8th-$1,500 | 16th-$100 |