U.S. Open

The U.S. Open starts tomorrow in Federal Way, Washington and continues through Saturday. Swimmers to look out for include Jessica Hardy, coming back off a year-long doping suspension; Nick Thoman, who finished 3rd by 0.01 at Nationals in the 100 back; Elaine Breeden, a 2008 Olympian who took third in both butterflys at Nationals; Kate Ziegler, a four-time distance World champ; World University champ Chad LaTourette; rising sprint star Jimmy Feigen; veterans Michael Klueh and Nick Brunelli; Pan Pac champion Whitney Myers; NCAA champion Lara Jackson; 2-time Olympian Margaret Hoelzer; and world 100 breast bronze medalist Kasey Carlson. Also, IMer-turned-sprinter George Bovell is tentatively scheduled to swim the 50 free on Saturday, coming off a seventh-place finish at Worlds, where he became the third-fastest man in history, by virtue of his swim-off time of 21.20.

Predictions for the meet:

(Example: gold/silver/bronze)

W 200 fly: E. Breeden (2:06.92)

M 200 fly: B. Bollier/H. Sano

W 200 breast: M. Taneda (JPN)/K. Freeman/E. Tinnon

M 200 breast: J. Criste/M. Lowe/R. Lovelace

W 800 free: K. Ziegler 8:27.69

M 1,500 free: C. LaTourette 14:55.39

W 400 IM: J. Mueller

M 400 IM: J. Brown/R. Margalis/B. Bollier

W 100 free: J. Hardy 54.66

M 100 free: J. Feigen 48.33/N. Brunelli/M. Klueh

W 200 back: M. Hoelzer 2:08.97/M. Meyer

M 200 back: N. Thoman 1:55.10/P. Roger (FRA)/P. Schirk

W 400 free: K. Ziegler 4:07.27

M 400 free: M. Klueh 3:46.57/C. LaTourette 3:46.99

W 100 fly: Elaine Breeden 57.58/W. Myers

M 100 fly: K. Kawamoto (JPN) 51.20 (NR*)

W 200 free: P. Castro (ESP)/K. Ziegler/W. Myers

M 200 free: M. Klueh 1:46.93/B. Bollier/R. Margalis

W 100 breast: K. Carlson 1:06.47/J. Hardy 1:07.10/K. Freeman

M 100 breast: M. Titus/M. Lowe/M. Alexandrov

W 100 back: M. Hoelzer 1:00.58

M 100 back: N. Thoman 52.66/B. Hesen/P. Roger (FRA)

W 1,500 free: K. Ziegler

W 200 IM: W. Myers/J. Mueller

M 200 IM: J. Brown/N. D'Innocenzo/R. Margalis

W 50 free: L. Jackson 24.47/J. Hardy 24.83

M 50 free: G. Bovell 21.51/J. Feigen 21.58/N. Brunelli

M 800 free: C. LaTourette 7:47.19/S. Rouault (FRA)

*I think Kawamoto's time will beat Takuro Fujii's Japanese record of 51.28.

Prelims begin at 9am, and finals start at 6pm. I will post the link to live results when available.