USA Swimming has released the official meet info for the 2017 Phillips 66 National Championships, which will be held in Indianapolis, June 27th-July 1st, and will once against double as the selection meet for the 2017 World Championships team, among others.
The schedule will be the same as it was in 2013 and 2014, the last two times that the summer nationals meet served as a major selection event. Here’s a quick rundown:
Day 1 – Tuesday, June 27
200 Butterfly
100 Freestyle
Women’s 800 Freestyle
Men’s 1500 Freestyle
Day 2 – Wednesday, June 28
200 Freestyle
200 Breaststroke
200 Backstroke
50 Butterfly
Day 3 – Thursday, June 29
400 IM
100 Butterfly
50 Breaststroke
50 Backstroke
Day 4- Friday, June 30
400 Freestyle
100 Breaststroke
100 Backstroke
Day 5 – Saturday, July 1
Women’s 1500 Freestyle
200 Individual Medley
Men’s 800 Freestyle
50 Freestyle
The big change, in terms of event schedule, will be that there will not be any relays contested as this meet. This probably isn’t a huge loss for most fans, as many of the biggest names rarely swam on relays at nationals, preferring to focus their energy on their individual events. However, occasionally you would get to see the likes of Tyler Clary leading off SwimMac’s 400 medley relay, or a great showdown between less-known college teams in the 4×200.
Unlike Olympic Trials, there will be no semi-finals. Instead, swimmers will compete in prelims in the morning, and the finals of those same events that evening. The 800/1500 free events will be competed as timed finals, with the fastest heats swimming in the evening.
Swimmers over the age of 18 will be eligible for both championship (A) finals and consolation (B) finals, with only those athletes in the A final eligible to be selected to the World Championships team. There will also be a separate C final for those swimmers who are 18 and younger.
On paper, this format should lead to some of the bigger names going after event combinations they couldn’t do at Olympic Trials, due to conflicts with other events in the same session. We could see versatile guys like Josh Prenot and Will Licon go after the 200 IM (same session as the 200 breast at OT’s) or Caeleb Dressel compete for a spot in the 100 fly (same session as the 50 free at OT’s).
Swimmers will have to compete here in order to qualify for any of the three major international meet teams this summer: World Championships, World University Games, and World Junior Championships.
Neither Michael Phelps (retired) nor Ryan Lochte (suspended) will be competing at a major selection meet / national championship for the first time in what feels like forever. However, there will be plenty of other world class swimmers who should be appearing in Indy, and who we will be keeping you updated on over the next six months. A short list includes world record holder and multiple Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky, Missy Franklin, who will be looking for a bounce back campaign, Anthony Ervin, the oldest swimmer ever to win an individual Olympic gold, and a host of other veterans and up-and-comers.
As we reported earlier, this year the national championships will also serve as the culminating event for the 2017 Arena Pro Swimming Series, which begins this week in Austin, Texas.
Come on Michael get out of retirement. A 1:56 200 im. I’m will get in.
I think Conger will qualify individually this year… or at least I hope. 200 fly and 100 free are back to back, so that’s unfortunate for him. 200 fly is pretty open though!
Good luck Missy! Come back strong!
Good schedule for Ledecky to try WR assaults in some “marquee events” (400 and 1500 free) and the individual spots in additional events like 100 free and 400 im.
800 free and 100 free in the same session (the first), but 100 free final will be swum before 800 free (timed final), where Ledecky has a huge margin that can comfortably manage also with a 100 free swum shortly before.
And then a race per day: 200 free, 400 im, 400 free, 1500 free in the last day to complete her trials.
If she wants to race 100 free at Nationals I can understand, will be fun to see Manuel, Weitzeil and her who are all in college race together.
Except 4×100 free relay is on the same day with 400 free and 100 free individual will swim before 4×200 free at Worlds.
I mean she already has a packed schedule last time, especially the 1500 200 double.
But yah, she could try 400 IM, it is on the last day, which she has no other event.
Dressel could try on 50 free 50 fly 100 free, he might qualified for 50 fly 100 free but not 50 free.
And Shields, please have a try on 50 fly! Thank you!
AW MAN! 200 FLY AND 100 FREE ARE SO CLOSE FOR KING CONG!
Mate… there is only one king.
King Kyle Chalmers.:-)
Aussie Crawl is back with his insane patriotism …good luck for the win next Year , Dressel is coming after Chalmers LOL
He’s too young to be a king. When he wins more than one major championship you can start talking king. E.g. Popov
Some of the best kings emperors & Tsars & Pharoahs in history have been very young . It isn’t age but the X factor .For instance Prince George looks to be an 8 & Prince William a 6 & Prince Charles a 2 . Harry doesn’t count unless Charles William George & Charlotte are all dead .
Tough at the top always .
I respectfully disagree. Mcevoy is a beast, but it just didn’t work out in Rio.
Secure the 200 fly first with no doubt. If he wanted a free relay, he can try 100 or 200 free later. Although all should know, don’t count too much on this poor guy, his fly events and free relays always collide at some point somehow.
Indy is the place to be this year… Looking forward to watching an amazing NCAA championship and the world championship trials right here in my hometown! Both meets will be epic!
AND Junior Worlds
When was the last time there wasn’t either Phelps or Lochte at one of these? Phelps took a couple off and…idk, maybe Lochte did?
I’m too lazy to look it up; let’s just say 1999.
I did a little bit of research on this, but records get sketchier the further back you go. Plus, in the late 90s and early 00s, I believe that the spring nationals served as the selection meet for that summer’s international teams. It looks like Phelps swam at summer nationals in 1999, but not the spring nationals.