2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
- Sunday June 26th-Sunday July 3rd, 2016
- Century Link Center – Omaha, Nebraska
- Friday-Sunday – Prelims – 9:00 am EDT Finals – 6 pm EDT
- SwimSwam Preview Links & Schedule
- NBC Televison Coverage Schedule
- Psych Sheets
Some of the men’s names remain the same across the top 3 seeds of each event when comparing the recently released 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials psych sheets to those of 2012, but the placement and time differences reflect performance breakthroughs, youngsters on-fire and careers coming to a close.
Of the 13 individual men’s events, just 4 saw their top seed times fare a tad slower in 2016 compared to 2012. The 400 IM saw Ryan Lochte top the field headed into 2012 Trials in his time of 4:07.13, while this time around veteran SwimMAC Elite superstar Tyler Clary is the hunted with this entry mark of 4:09.03.
Similar scenarios exist in the 200m freestyle, 200m backstroke and 200m IM events, although Lochte’s 2012 seed time in the latter still stands as the current World Record. As for the 200m backstroke, Lochte topped the entrants with his incoming time of 1:52.96 back in 2012, but Clary holds the top seed in Omaha this year with a 1:54.73.
In the 200 freestyle 4 years ago, Lochte’s 1:44.44 sat above the rest. Although he’s still the top seed, the 31-year-old’s seed time is almost a second slower at 1:45.36. In fact, all 3 of the 2016 top seeds’ times are noticeably over what it took to top the psych sheets in 2012.
There are 3 men’s events where the 3rd seed from the 2016 psych sheets is faster than the top seed was back in 2012. In the men’s 100m backstroke, Nick Thoman‘s 53.01 was the quickest time headed into Omaha, whereas the top three this year are all well above that. David Plummer scored the top seed in 52.51, with Matt Grevers and Ryan Murphy just behind in marks of 52.54 and 52.57, respectively.
The 100m and 200m breaststroke landscape changed in the same way, with Kevin Cordes, Josh Prenot and Nick Fink all seeded in times comfortably ahead of Eric Shanteau’s 200 breast top seed of 2:09.28 from 2012. In the sprint breaststroke, the top 4 swimmers competing in Omaha in just a few days all exceed the top seed from 2012, Brendan Hansen’s 1:00.08.
Below is the complete comparison of the top 3 seeds from 2012 psych sheets versus the 2016 psych sheets for the men’s events. A separate post will include the women’s comparison.
| 2012 Top Seed | 2012 2nd Seed | 2012 3rd Seed | EVENT | 2016 Top Seed | 2016 2nd Seed | 2016 3rd Seed |
| Lochte, 4:07.13 | Clary, 4:09.20 | Phelps, 4:12.51 | 400 IM | Clary, 4:09.03 | Kalisz, 4:09.62 | J.Litherland, 4:12.43 |
| Vanderkaay, 3:44.83 | McLean, 3:47.33 | Houchin, 3:47.98 | 400 Free | Jaeger, 3:44.81 | Grothe, 3:45.98 | Dwyer, 3:46.09 |
| Hansen, 1:00.08 | Gangloff, 1:00.19 | Alexandrov, 1:00.26 | 100 Breast | Miller, 59.51 | Fink, 59.52 | Wilson, 59.65 |
| Lochte, 1:44.44 | Phelps, 1:44.79 | Vanderkaay,1:46.45 | 200 Free | Lochte, 1:45.36 | Dwyer, 1:45.41 | Rooney, 1:47.10 |
| Thoman, 53.01 | Plummer, 53.04 | Grevers, 53.05 | 100 Back | Plummer, 52.51 | Grevers, 52.54 | Murphy, 52.57 |
| Phelps, 1:53.34 | Clary, 1:55.72 | Bollier, 1:56.06 | 200 Fly | Phelps, 1:52.94 | Conger, 1:54.54 | Shields, 1:55.09 |
| Adrian, 48.05 | Phelps, 48.08 | Lezak, 48.47 | 100 Free | Adrian, 48.00 | Phelps, 48.45 | Ervin, 48.71 |
| Shanteau, 2:09.28 | Hansen, 2:09.64 | Burckle, 2:09.72 | 200 Breast | Cordes, 2:07.86 | Prenot, 2:08.58 | Fink, 2:08.89 |
| Lochte, 1:52.96 | Clary, 1:54.69 | Phelps, 1:56.98 | 200 Back | Clary, 1:54.73 | Murphy, 1:54.94 | Pebley, 1:56.29 |
| Lochte, 1:54.00 | Phelps, 1:54.16 | Clary, 1:57.61 | 200 IM | Phelps, 1:54.75 | Lochte, 1:55.81 | Dwyer, 1:57.41 |
| Adrian, 21.55 | Jones,21.97 | Feigen, 22.03 | 50 Free | Adrian, 21.37 | Dressel, 21.53 | Ervin, 21.80 |
| Phelps, 50.65 | McGill, 51.26 | Phillips, 51.69 | 100 Fly | Phelps, 50.45 | Shields, 51.03 | Conger, 51.33 |
| La Tourette, 14:52.36 | Vanderkaay, 14:54.99 | Gemmell, 15:01.31 | 1500 Free | Jaeger, 14:41.20 | Wilimovsky, 14:53.12 | McBroom, 14:56.17 |
Interesting how breast has gotten faster at 100 and 200 levels, but back us splut, with gains in 100 and losses in 200.
Also striking how no one in the younger. generations dominates across events as Lochte and Phelps did and still somewhat do. Of course I knew that, but the chart makes the continued presence if the old guard stand out.
*back is split…
Hi! It looks like phelps is top seed in 3 events, not just 2 as the picture heading states. Thx
Interesting to see if Jones can drop the same amount off his seed time as he did 4 years ago. I dont think so but it sure would be a surprise
It wouldn’t be that big of a surprise. He seems to always fly wayyyyy below the radar and then somehow bust out great swims when it counts most.
Seconded 10,000%.
I didn’t think he’d make finals in anything at trials in 2012. I was very, very wrong.