USA Swimming Announces 2015-16 National Team Roster

USA Swimming has announced its 2015-16 National Team roster, which is headlined by veteran Olympic gold medalists Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky on with women’s side, as well as Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps on the men’s side.

To qualify for the 2015-16 National Team, swimmers had to post a time that ranked in the top 6 of their respective Olympic events. The main difference between this year and last is that there was an open qualifying period, as opposed to having swimmers qualify at a National meet. Times done at any USA Swimming or FINA sanctioned meet between Jan. 1, 2015 and Aug. 10, 2015 were viable for selection, which we talked about more extensively in this article on selection procedures.

This meant that swimmers who qualified for international meets this summer would have to swim double taper meets to qualify for the National Team in events that they wouldn’t be swimming at their respective meets.

This was particularly difficult in the case of the World Championships swimmers, who were still in Kazan until Aug. 9. If they missed a top 6 slot at Worlds or didn’t have a chance to swim an event individually, they would only have one day following the meet to qualify at a sanctioned event. That left them with the option of tapering for a meet before worlds, or taking their chances.

One of the notable names affected was Shannon Vreeland. Heading into Worlds and Nationals, Vreeland was ranked 3rd in the 100 free with her time from World University Games. She had no chances left to post a faster time, as she tapered for Worlds as a relay only swimmer. Following the meets, she ended up as the 7th fastest American.

Leah Smith, who led off the 4×200 free relay in Kazan with the 4th fastest American time, did not qualify for the National Team in that event. She gave her best for the Americans, as her 1:57.52 was a full second faster than her individual swim at World University Games, but USA Swimming does not consider times from flat start relay swims.

Also missing the team off the 2015 World Championships roster were Rachel Bootsma, Ivy Martin, Lia Neal, Abbey Weitzeil, Michael Klueh, Michael Weiss, and Clay Youngquist.

Of the swimmers who did qualify were World Record holders Ledecky, Lochte, and Phelps, who each earned National Team status in 3 events. Ledecky’s performances in the 200, 400, and 800 free on the way to 5 gold medals in Kazan landed her on the team this year. Lochte qualified in the 200 free, 200 IM, and 200 back. Phelps hit the world’s best times in 2015 in all 3 of his qualifying events at U.S. Nationals: the 100 fly, 200 fly, and 200 IM.

Natalie Coughlin also qualified for the team in 3 events after a stellar Pan Ams performance. She made it in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 back. Coughlin has been swimming on the U.S. National Team since the late 1990s, and is nearing 2 straight decades of being on the squad.

Franklin cemented her spots in the 100 back, 200 back, 100 free and 200 free, making her one of only 3 swimmers to qualify in 4 events. She’s joined by Georgia’s Hali Flickinger, whose versatility at U.S. Nationals earned her a spot in the 200 free, 400 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM.

Also qualifying was Jack Conger, the only male swimmer to hit the mark in 4 events. He earned a spot for his 100 free and 100 back, as well as his world-ranked 100 and 200 fly swims at Nationals.

Being selected to the team can give these athletes benefits such as athlete health insurance, monthly stipends, and reimbursements for expenses at meets. We reported more in-depth earlier on what it means to be a U.S. National Team member and some of the big benefits. You can read about it here.