Will 5-time Olympic champion Nathan Adrian make the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team? It’s a fair question. He’s on the march toward his 4th U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, and I’m bullish on his performance for two reasons:
- Back at the 2019 World Championships, 5 months after recovering from cancer, Nathan anchored the men’s 4×100 free relay with a 47.08 — holding off Russia’s Evgeny Rylov to help Team USA to World Championship gold.
- At the recent Mission Pro Swim he dropped a 48.7 100m free, a very solid in-season swim after this trying COVID shutdown year.
I’m not sure he’ll make the U.S. Olympic Team individually, but I do see him on the 4×100 free relay, and I see him leading the U.S. Team as captain to a successful effort in Tokyo.
U.S. OLYMPIC TRIALS PREDICTIONS – MEN’S 100m FREE
Considering Nathan’s 2019 World Championship relay split, 47.08, and his 48.7 flat start swim at the recent Mission Pro Swim, I see him dipping under 48 seconds, dropping a 47.79 in the 100m free final. I think that’s going to be 4th or 5th in the U.S. Trials final. Nathan’s gone 48 in the 100m free more times than any human in history. He can dip under 48 seconds shaven and tapered from muscle-memory alone. 4th or 5th puts him on the relay, and at the Olympic Games, I think his experience will be what puts him on the 4×100 free relay at night in the Olympic final. But who cares what I think. It’s all about what you think. Bring me your best expert swimming analysis.
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Adrian is a blue chip stock that always pays dividends.
I think if Adrian can make the final, he can make the team. Right now he’s in a pretty good position to make the final, but of course anything can happen. I would have him at 47 high/48 low.
The 100 spot individually will be tough but I think he has a strong chance at a relay spot and even a good chance at a 50 free spot
No.
Plot twist: Adrian pops a best time at trials in a time of 47.47 to sneak past held who goes 47.48 for the 2nd individual spot.
Bro he had cancer in 2019…
Top 6:
Dressel
Held
Apple
Pieroni
Adrian
Rooney
It’ll be a battle for second Held/Apple. Apple is a good taper swimmer
YES