Night two of the 2012 Missouri Grand Prix was filled with a lot of very notable, highlight swims, and on its own would have made for a very interesting session.
The show was stolen, however, by swimming superstar Matt Grevers‘ proposal to his girlfriend Annie Chandler from on top of the podium after the 100 backstroke. A full breakdown of that can be seen here, along with a video of the deed.
As for the rest of the meet, there was a lot of intriguing swims here, especially from international swimmers (Grevers’ backstroke was the highlight both in and out of the pool for the Americans). Other highlight races included the men’s 50 free, the women’s 100 back, and the women’s 400 free.
Men’s 50 Free
Though his 100 on Sunday will perhaps be more telling of how strong Cesar Cielo will be in London, coming straight-off of three weeks of heavy altitude training, a 22.13 in the 50 free is a very strong effort. In his first meet of the season, that becomes the 4th-best swim in the world. When stacked up against last year’s season-opening swim in the 50 (only a 22.31) when he wasn’t putting in anywhere near the same yardage, this is extremely encouraging for the Brazilian. If he is able to break anywhere under 50 seconds in the 100 free, he’ll be dangerous in that race as well.
Cielo’s former Auburn training partner Fred Bousquet took 2nd in 22.26. In all, current-and-former tigers took 4 out of the top 6 spots, though Gideon Luow’s 22.76 is a bit shy of expectations for the rising South African sprinter.
The top-finishing American was veteran Jason Lezak, clocking in at 36-years and 22.75 seconds. With Lezak training alone and sans coaching, it’s a difficult challenge to really pinpoint exactly where his training is at, but that mark is sort of right in the range (and maybe a hair ahead) of where he went in-season last year. The question is whether or not where he was last season will be good enough to make the team this year in an individual – the answer is likely not unless he catches the young sprinters napping at Trials.
Women’s 50 Free
The women’s 50 free wasn’t quite as quick as the men’s, with Amanda Weir leading in 25.44. American women’s sprinting continues to be a bit of a mess. In second was Estonian National/LSU graduate Jane Trepp in 25.49. She’s the definition of a “late bloomer,” and has now swum a lifetime best in each of her last three meets. Estonia is proving itself as a great place for college coaches to go hunting for top sprinters.
On another note, Christine Magnuson is having her best sprinting season since 2009, and took 3rd in 25.61. Perhaps she sees the hole in the 50, and is going to take a flyer at trials to see if she can sneak in at trials.
Men’s 100 Back
Prior to his big question, Matt Grevers had a big swim in the men’s 100 back. The other big backstroke stars (Thoma, Lochte, Plummer) were all absent in this meet, which led to Grevers taking a dominant win in 53.57. He’s consistently gone 53’s in-season this year, and seems motivated after missing the 2011 World Championship team. Don’t be surprised one bit if he ends up on a podium in London.
In 2nd place was a phenomenal swim from Schroeder YMCA coach Adam Mania in 55.27. He’s one of the most popular swimmers on the pro-circuit, and so many will be pleased that this is the best he’s looked in the last two years.
Women’s 100 Back
Rachel Bootsma continues to have a very strong season, and she topped the 100 back in 1:00.20. That’s just off of her swim from Austin, but is well ahead of where she was last season. This could be a big confidence-building swim for her – it shows that without the long shadows of Missy Franklin and Natalie Coughlin to stand in, she’s one of the best 100 backstrokers in the country. The question is whether or not she can get low enough to bump off either of those girls at Trials. She’ll certainly be close enough to have a chance at the touch.
In 2nd-place, France’s Laure Manaudou swam a 1:00.80. That’s the best time since her comeback a year ago. With that statement, even with a lot of young talent in the French women’s backstrokes, its hard to see her not taking at least one of the two individual spots on the French Olympic Team.
In 3rd was Canada’s Julia Wilkinson in 1:01.08, and Maggie Meyer was 4th in 1:01.21. Meyer has had some difficulty since becoming a post-grad in moving across the country, along the lines of a broken hand at last summer’s nationals that could have been her big coming out, but this swim is just .02 off of her lifetime best (and that was done in 2009 in a rubber suit). Look forward to her 200 on Sunday.
Sinead Russell is at a different point of her season than most of the swimmers here – with Canadian Trials in late March/early April, she’s in the equivalent of “holiday training” about this time, and when she committed to Florida she made comparisons between her current training and that of Gregg Troy; so her 6th-place performance of 1:01.49 has to be taken in context of heavy training.
Men’s 200 Fly
This race really underscored the lack of depth in the American men’s 200 fly squad. Without the two big guns (Phelps and Clary), there was not a single American placing in the top 10.
The top-touching swimmer was American-trained Joseph Schooling out of the Bolles School in 2:00.08. He swims internationally for Singapore, and at only 16 is a bigtime international prospect.
The top-finishing American gives a bit of hope for the future, though. 15-year old Justin Lynch out of the Terrapin Swim Club finished 11th, in the B-Final, in 2:02.83. That cuts two seconds off of his lifetime best, and gives him a second Olympic Trials cut (on top of the 100 fly that he has from last summer).
Women’s 200 Fly
It’s infrequent that we hear good news out of Brazilian women’s swimming, but Joanna Maranhao caused some excitement on Saturday with her win in the women’s 200 fly. Her time of 2:09.73 was within three-tenths of the South American Record in the event, and was the fastest she’s ever been in textile.
The runner-up was three-time NCAA Champion in the event Elaine Breeden in 2:10.14, with Canada’s Katerine Savard placing 3rd in 2:10.50. Further down the rankings, Jasmine Tosky was 6th in 2:11.55.
Men’s 400 Free
Canada’s Ryan Cochrane topped the men’s 400 free in 3:53.47. He said after morning prelims that his 400 didn’t feel great, and he was actually slower in finals. Not a great performance for him. His 18-year old countrymate Keegan Zanatta took 2nd in 3:53.60. That’s by three-seconds his lifetime best. Top American was Mission Viejo’s Janardan Burns in 5th place in 3:58.60.
Women’s 400 Free
Canada’s Barbara Jardin has been having a great meet, and she nearly set another personal best in winning this 400 free in 4:09.17. She could chase down the Canadian Record in London. Her countrymate Samantha Cheverton is following the same high-arching trajectory at this meet, and swam a personal best of 4:09.56 for 3rd.
Sandwiched in between in 2nd-place was 14-year old Katie Ledecky, who has taken the country by storm the last year, in 4:09.30. That’s a lifetime best for her and makes her the 2nd-fastest American this year. After she missed Winter Nationals, this is an important long-course breakout meet for her.
Men’s 200 Breast
Eric Shanteau is firing on all-cylinders in preparation for the 2012 Olympic Trials. He swam a 2:10.74 to take a Meet Record in the 200 breast. He’s been consistently in the 2:10-2:11 range very early this season, which is something he didn’t have last year. Don’t count him out from getting on the podium in London.
Women’s 200 Breast
Young Canadian Tianna Rissling has been hiding-among-the-trees, so-to-speak, in her country’s deep breaststroking field. But the 19-year old is thus far one of the few in her generation who escaped the draw of NCAA swimming, but a few years ago she was the one receiving the hype as the next-big-thing.
This swim of 2:27.98 adds a huge 200 to her already lethal 100 breaststroke, as this cuts two seconds off of her personal best. That’s the best Canadian 200 breaststroke this year, and puts her 11th in the world.
Jillian Tyler was 2nd in 2:29.93, and Ashley McGregor was 4th in 2:31.43 to give the Canucks three of the top four finishers.
Full Meet Results available here.
http://theswimmerscircle.com/blog/shanteau-looks-sharp-on-day-2-in-missouri-canadians-continue-to-soar/