2017 FINA WORLD SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Sunday, July 23rd – Sunday, July 30th
- Budapest, Hungary
- LCM (50m)
- Full Competition Schedule
- Meet Info
- Psych Sheets
- Omega Results
- Pick ’em Contest
- Event-by-Event Previews
American national champ Leah Smith won’t contest the 1500 free at the World Championships in Budapest, at least according to start lists that don’t include the 22-year-old.
Smith was set to be one of Team USA’s busiest athletes in Budapest, qualifying for the U.S. World Championships Team in five individual events – more even than all-world superstar Katie Ledecky (though Ledecky could add a number of relays to her 4 individuals). Smith was lined up to swim the 200, 400, 800 and 1500 frees this week, along with the 400 IM, where she was a surprise national champ back in June.
In post-race interviews at U.S. Nationals, Smith suggested she’d swim all her races in Budapest, but swimming two 1500 freestyles early on in the meet could certainly throw some fatigue on Smith’s other races. She does enter the meet ranked #2 worldwide in the 1500 this season, but also holds the 2-spot in the 800 and 3rd in the 400 free and 3rd in the 400 IM. Plus, she’ll be a key factor in the American 4×200 free relay team later on this week. And finals of the 1500 would conflict with semifinals of the 200 free on Tuesday night.
When contacted for comment, USA Swimming did say that Smith was scratching the 1500 “to focus on the other events on her program.”
The Americans will still be well represented by Katie Ledecky, the world record-holder and defending world champ in the 1500. Had Smith opted to not swim the 1500 at U.S. Nationals, though, NC State’s Hannah Moore would have made the World Championships team by virtue of her 2nd-place finish at U.S. Nationals. Moore does sit 5th in the world ranks in the 1500 for this season. Ledecky didn’t contest the event at Nationals, but still holds the world’s top time by 25 seconds.
You can find the 1500 free start lists (per Omega Timing) here.
Leah Smith is not guilty. Can you remember that she had to swim one 1500 meters to be qualified at Indianapolis? This is the way the US trials are swum for 800 and 1500. At Budapest, she had to swim TWO 1500 meters, and that’s a different story. Perhaps the coaches are guilty not to have seen the problem in advance, but the swimmer did not have, on July 1st, to know that. For me Leah Smith is totally NOT GUILTY.
Leah is an amazing athlete and I believe we should be able to trust her and her coaches and the coaching staff of team USA to make the best decision for her and for the team.
I think it is a smart decision. Now she will be even more ready for her other races because she has a huge lineup. Leah is one of the best in our country & I think she knows what will help her be the most successful.
Go leah!!
What are the rules on selecting from the team? Seems there are a handful of other girls… (Runge, Twichell, Anderson, Mann)
Perhaps it was not all Leah Smith decision? What about coaching staff?
What interesting is that in her post-race interview she said that she is going to focus on 200 race were she has less chances to medal than at 1500. It could be coaches’ considerations. 800 relay for instance, to have Leah fresh and to avoid doubles for American sprinters who promise to be very good in individual strongly competed 100 free race.
I think she should do the same thing w/ the 4 IM, but wait until the swimmers are literally coming out on deck.
*Jim Ross voice*: GOOD GAWD, THAT’S ELLA EASTIN’S MUSIC!!
We all knew she had to drop one of her events. She denied someone else the experience, and considering that this is now an Olympic event, it makes me a little mad.
It makes total sense for Leah Smith, but heartbreaking for Hannah Moore.
This is the correct take.
You think a UVA swimmer is going to clear the way for an NCSU swimmer! Keep dreaming. Sucks for Morre but it is what it is.
thats a pitiful response ……omg
That’s kind of rude of her. Should have done it earlier so that hannah Moore could have swam
We don’t know when her decision came to drop this event, so you can’t call her rude for waiting until the last minute to choose to drop an event which she qualified for. I’m sure the decision came after training camp, at which point it was already too late.
I doubt she purposely said to herself “let me not make this decision until the last minute so that Hannah Moore can’t come.”
Would it have mattered given the selection criteria? https://www.usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/national-teamdocuments/selections/2017-world-championship-selection-criteria.pdf?sfvrsn=16
Moore would not have made the team unless she won the 1500 in Indianapolis, per the selection criteria. If the swimmers in 50s of stroke, Men’s 800, and Women’s 1500 decline, the spot goes to the next fastest person that is already on the team.
That’s correct I understand – would not have been Moore, would be next fastest of those already on team – wonder if one of the open water swimmers such as Twitchell could swim it though?