Psych sheets have been posted for the 2011 Winter National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia that will take place December 1st through 3rd. This year’s meet, unlike most years, will be held in long course meters in anticipation of the upcoming Olympic season.
As expected, Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt, and the rest of the NBAC crew are staying home to focus on their training after a few grueling weeks of competition in Europe, followed by training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado.
Ryan Lochte will be there, as will Missy Franklin, Rebecca Soni, Jessica Hardy, Nathan Adrian, Dana Vollmer, and the rest of the big-names.
Notable absences, besides those at North Baltimore, are Natalie Coughlin, Ariana Kukors, Chloe Sutton and Jimmy Feigen (the latter of whom will take advantage of the Texas Invitational at home the same weekend to compete with his college teammates). Among the more hotly scrutinized event schedules for the three day meet, though none of these entries are guaranteed, will be:
Ryan Lochte – 100/200/400 Free, 200/400 IM, 100 back
Missy Franklin – 50/100/200 free, 200 IM, 100/200 back
Dana Vollmer – 50/100/200 free, 100 fly
The meet is stocked with international stars as well. The French contingent will include Fred Bousquet and girlfriend Laure Manaudou, Camille Muffat, Sebastien Rouault, and Yannick Agnel. Eric Ress, who is currently training with Indiana for French Olympic Trials, will be there too, as will Clement Lefert of Trojan. Most of this French squad has been in the United States since at least the Minneapolis Grand Prix as well.
Effectively all of the major Canadian swimmers will be there as well, including World Championship medalists Brent Hayden, Martha McCabe, and Ryan Cochrane; World Championship finalists Julia Wilkinson, Sinead Russell, and Annamay Pierse; and star breaststroker Mike Brown. The biggest absences from Team Canada are Jillian Tyler, who trains with Minnesota, and Katerine Savard.
A large majority (though not all) of the post-grads training in the United States, both American and not, will be at the meet. One of the bigger exceptions is Trojan/Swiss swimmer Dominik Meichtry, who will be at home preparing for the European Short Course Championships that are the following weekend in Poland.
and finally, the meet will have a massive collegiate attendance. This meet is crucial for those collegiate swimmers who are looking to earn an Olympic Trials cut. Because of the timing of the college season, it will be difficult for college swimmers to earn a trials cut after NCAA’s without ruining their taper for the actual meet. College clubs that will be there (in large contingents) include Florida, Cal (men and women), North Carolina, Alabama, Northwestern, Miami, Louisville, SMU (women), South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Yale, West Virginia, Illinois, East Carolina, Cal Poly, Cleveland State, and George Mason.
We’ll post the key storylines later this week (there’s a ton of them), but for now enjoy the psych sheets.
That would be awesome for her! She went a really solid time too (under 26 seconds), looks like there’s a solid chance!
Did anybody notice that the great Martina Moravcova is on the psych sheet in the 50 free? Is she attempting a comeback (did she ever retire?)?
Wow, nice dig swim freak. Going for a 6th-straight Olympics??
Beisel is going to be one to watch at OTs in the 400 free next year. She’s developing some killer closing speed with the training at Florida and gave Allison Schmitt all she could handle at Santa Clara last year. I think the postgrad team might come in a little rested but definitely not full taper.
I’d be surprised to see a Florida swimmer like Spofforth or Beisel pick this meet to show her best form.
Seems like the ones to watch here are the younger kids or comebackers who are looking for a good environment in which to make or improve an Olympic Trials cut and still have time for a full training cycle heading into the Trials proper. Bummer Ledecky’s ill because I was looking forward to seeing what she could do here.
I can’t wait to see Liz Beisel swim the 200 and 400 individual medley at nationals. It should be interesting to see if she breaks the American record…..she is swimming fantastic.
I agree with Bobo re Muffat. She always swims fast unrested, not sure about Agnel though.
After her Yards relay exploits i am interested as to how Spofforth perfoms in the 100FR.
I’m correcting my english. Yannick Agnel and Camille Muffat are in USA for a long period.
To Josh (the original), I don’t know if Laure Manaudou in the 400 free it’s exciting. It’s now too long for her. I think it’s just a training for her 200 free.