While we are still waiting for official psych sheets to be released for the upcoming FINA Short Course World Championships, USA-Swimming has announced at the very least a preliminary meet lineup for Dubai. It doesn’t include full relay lineups, and it’s not clear if these lineups are set in stone yet, but it gives us an almost firm idea of who will be swimming what.
The women only have one swimmer, Dagny Knutson, in the 400 IM. This gives away that Katie Hoff is likely on the 800 free relay and scratched the IM because the final is right before the relay final on Day 1.
Also interesting is that Jessica Hardy is swimming only the 50 free, with Micah Lawrence and Rebecca Soni taking the two 50 breaststroke spots and the 100 free swims going to Natalie Coughlin and Dana Vollmer. Though Hardy has been focusing most of her training on sprint freestyle, she still proved over the summer that she is still one of the best pure sprint breaststrokers in the world. The right of first refusal, per typical USA-Swimming policy, probably goes to Lawrence and Soni due to their placing in the 100 breaststroke.
Ryan Lochte will be swimming 5 individual events. For this short course meet, he will be adding the 100 IM to his typical A-meet event schedule of the 200/400 IM’s, 200 free, and 200 back. He could be in as many as 3 relays. His spot on the 800 free relay seems to be a lock, and he seems to be a good fit for the 400 free relay too.
With Aaron Peirsol scratching the meet, the backstroke leg of the medley is wide open. Lochte already has two finals that night (the 200 back and 100 IM), though there is a 6 event break between the IM and the relay. This includes the final heat of the men’s 1500. At this point, it’s a toss-up whether he will be on that relay. It’s the last event of the meet, so there’s nothing to really save him for, but will a rested Thoman or Plummer be better than a worn-out Lochte? This decision might come down to how his other 7 swims go. If he’s got a shot at 8 golds, he might muster the energy to break out an extra 100 yards.
The toughest individual schedule awards go to Tyler Clary for the men and Missy Franklin for the women. Clary is swimming all three IM’s as well as the 200’s backstroke and butterfly. This is close to the most physically demanding schedule a swimmer can have without swimming the mile.
The 15-year-old Franklin has impressed early in her career as much for her advanced technique, size, and speed as she has impressed with her willingness to take on any and every race. At this meet, Franklin will swim the 100 and 200 IM’s as well as all three backstroke races. The physical and mental maturity it takes for such a young swimmer to have such a crowded event list cannot be underestimated.
2010 Short Course World Championship Team
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
December 15-19, 2010
Men
Nathan Adrian 50, 100 Free
Mike Alexandrov 50, 100 Breast
Ricky Berens 4×200 Free Relay
Bobby Bollier 200 Fly
Tyler Clary 100, 200, 400 IM, 200 Fly, 200 Back
Mark Gangloff 50, 100 Breast
Charlie Houchin 400 Free
Adam Klein 200 Breast
Ryan Lochte 100, 200, 400 IM, 200 Free, 200 Back
Tyler McGill 50, 100 Fly
Tim Phillips 50, 100 Fly
David Plummer 50, 100 Back
Sean Ryan 1500 Free
Josh Schneider 50 Free
Eric Shanteau 200 Breast
Nick Thoman 50, 100 Back
Peter Vanderkaay 200, 400 1500 Free
David Walters 4X200 Free Relay
Garrett Weber-Gale 100 Free
Women
Natalie Coughlin 100 Back, 100 Free
Missy Franklin 100, 200 IM 50, 100, 200 Back
Jessica Hardy 50 Free
Katie Hoff 200, 400 Free
Kara Lynn Joyce 4x 100 Free Relay
Dagny Knutson 400 IM
Ariana Kukors 100, 200, 400 IM
Micah Lawrence 50, 100,200 Breast
Christine Magnuson 50, 100 Fly
Mary Mohler 200 Fly
Rebecca Soni 50, 100, 200 Breast
Chloe Sutton 400, 800 Free
Jasmine Tosky 4X200 Free Relay
Kim Vandenberg 200 Fly
Dana Vollmer 50, 100 Fly, 100, 200 Free
Amanda Weir 50 Free
Madison White 200 Back
Kate Ziegler 800 Free