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USA Swimming to Include 50’s, Off-Distance Events at 2013 Worlds Trials

USA Swimming has unveiled the schedule for the 5-day World Championship Trials meet that will be held next from June 25th until June 29th in Indianapolis. The day-by-day breakdown of races is as below:

Day 1: 200 fly, 100 free, w800, m1500
Day 2: 200 free, 200 breast, 200 back, 50 fly
Day 3: 400 IM, 100 fly, 50 breast, 50 back
Day 4: 400 free, 100 breast, 100 back
Day 5: w1500, 200 IM, m800, 50 free

The inclusion of the non-Olympic distance events, the men’s 800 and women’s 1500, plus the 50 meter races of each stroke hints at a bit of a philosophy change for these races from USA Swimming. With reports abound that the IOC and FINA are considering adding 50 meter races to the Olympic schedule, as well as swapping the women’s 800 for a 1500, we might see selection for these events for the World Championships (where they are already a part of the schedule) done on the basis of those actual events.

USA Swimming has not released the selection procedure for Worlds yet, but this is a strong sign indicating that the 50 back, 50 breast, 50 fly, and the non-Olympic distance events could be awarded to the winners of those events. In the past, tradition has held that they be given to the winners of the closest event from Trials, but with the swimmers who win those races often declining their spots, this procedure has ended up a bit dicey. Cullen Jones was the figurehead for the problem when, in 2011, he earned a bid to swim the 50 fly after Michael Phelps and Tyler McGill both declined, and then said after his prelim that he didn’t care about the race and was focused on the 50 free anyway. If there are athletes who don’t want to swim the 50 meter races, then we should find the best who do want to swim them.

Outside of that, this meet schedule should work out fairly well for most of the big names. There will be a few conflicts, for example with Missy Franklin likely trialing both the 200 free and the 200 backstroke, but overall the events will be pretty well spread out: easier to do in a meet without semi-final heats.

2013 World Championship Trials qualifying standards are available here.

Those selected from this meet will qualify for the American squad that travels to Barcelona for the World Championships.

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Distance swimmer
11 years ago

Will the 800 and 1500 be timed finals?

cynthiacurran
11 years ago

Do Afro-Americans have fast- muscle reactions, all the best swimmers among them are sprinters similar to their counterparts in track and field. Its a sterotyping but I notice that.

DDias
Reply to  cynthiacurran
11 years ago

You are right about that, but in the other side, they have a bigger bone density, what is a harm in the pool(affects the flutuation). but its very good in track.

realist
Reply to  DDias
11 years ago

my god more racist ignorance…I will refrain from being offensive, but are you a scientist? Bone density varies within each race…as well as fast twitch vs slow twitch. If I am not mistaken the Marathon is dominated by Africans…GOD! This type of old school thinking is so maddening. Do NOT just spout stuff you haven’t researched. I will stop there and share more once I calm down. You sound like Jimmy the Greek!

Rafael
Reply to  realist
11 years ago

Marathon is dominated not exactly by whole Africaa, but by countries which has a very high medium elevation in Africa. Running is the most common sport in Africa based on Cost, but the climate and geography of some countries in Africa create the perfect place for middle and long distance runners.

Just to pick, from the 5 first on Last Olympics Men Side the 4 first were African (I know 4th place was from the USA, but he is African Eritrea born)

longhorn
Reply to  DDias
11 years ago

Wow DDIAS! You really believe that. Very ignorant! And Cynthiacurran….it’s just the events coaches out them in, coaches narrow us, based on their believes and it may be unintentional. But you train an african american swimmer to swim distance they’ll be good at it too. i am African american, came from a long distance program and could swim the 500 and longer with the best of them. And as far as the comment about track..you have great black sprinters and distance runners, both from the US. Bone density DOES not affect our ability to swim, whatsoever. Slightly surprised these beliefs still exist.

Hi Dax
Reply to  longhorn
11 years ago

Dax? Is that you?

kerrington?
Reply to  Hi Dax
11 years ago

maybe

Coach GB
11 years ago

It is finally happening with the 50’s in USA. At present how can you have standards when we Don’t swim it for over 11-12’s. Next up will be 50’s stroke in Age group and Sr meets for everybody. Why not as the 11-12 have had 3 events of specialty for awhile. For years certain people worked to keep the 50 free out of Nationals although it was in the NCAA’s for over 50 yrs before AAU’s and USSwimming and not in Olympics till the 80’s.
Sure will change some programs with their yardage mind set.It will make Olympics eventually as the rest of the world has endorsed it in their countries and we only have one vote.

WHOKNOWS
Reply to  Coach GB
11 years ago

There are some parts of the USA already offer 50’s at all levels for all ages..

WHOKNOWS
11 years ago

Yeh for the 50’s… 20-30 seconds of thrill… Although its still short of the most revered event -100 meter dash at 9.5+ seconds

Ben
11 years ago

if you look at the world records… the 50s of stroke are some of the only ones American’s haven’t held (or are currently holding) over the past decade. I haven’t counted but I would guess that 90% of the other events have seen an American world record holder at one point or another in just the past decade

Rafael
Reply to  Ben
11 years ago

50/100/400/800/1500 free M, all of this were not held by US over the past decade also..

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Rafael
11 years ago

because the US is assumed to hold every single WR.. it will never happen with any country for that matter.

Rafael
Reply to  Philip Johnson
11 years ago

In someplace on the 70 were not all men WR held by USA? Or all Women WR held by Germany?

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Rafael
11 years ago

a lot of them, but not all. Swimming is such a global sport now and i believe in the future years, the medals will be somewhat evenly distributed among numerous countries, like track and field. The US dominated London, but that may be the last time we such a great performance by one country. I could be wrong, but just looking at the current trend, you see superstar swimmers like Sun, Agnel, and Magnussen all from different countries.

Philip Johnson
11 years ago

it’s about time.

Proffitt
11 years ago

So USA swimming is finally offering 50 meter events at a World Championship Qualifying meet. You probably cant qualify for the 50s unless you qualify in the 100? Sounds about right. Is USA Track making all the 100 meter dash athletes qualify for the 200? Comments?

Reply to  Proffitt
11 years ago

Yeah, this is the way we do it in Canada too. In 2009, Amanda Reason broke the World Record in the 50m Breast and had to qualify in the 100 to make the team, which was definitely not a certainty (she came second I believe, but it was close).

anotherswimfan
Reply to  Davis Wuolle
11 years ago

What a strange thing to do… Why would 50’s be any less?

WHOKNOWS
11 years ago

Will there be standards for the 50’s… or have to have made the 100?

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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