Past Pan Pacs

For the top American swimmers, the swim season has come to an end. Nationals is complete, Pan Pacs is complete, and the World Championship rosters for both short course and long course are unofficially set. Ryan Lochte has surpassed Michael Phelps as the best swimmer in the world (for the time being), while Rebecca Soni has emerged as the most dominant female swimmer in the world, untouchable in both Olympic breaststroke events. Missy Franklin has officially arrived on the world stage, while Amanda Beard has returned once again and has made another Worlds team, seven years after her last appearance at such a meet. Jason Lezak has completed his tenth year on the National "A" team after missing last year, while Chad LaTourette has emerged as the new Larsen Jensen/Erik Vendt. Internationally, Emily Seebohm has been called the next Natalie Coughlin (who is back as well), while Camile Lacourt has dominated the men's sprint backstrokes all year. Australia and France have each seen young superstars jump on to the world stage, Yolane Kukla and Yannick Agnel, respectively. Kosuke Kitajima continues to prove why he is the best breaststroker in history.

Starting on the pool deck at the Mecklenburg Aquatic Center in May, I watched the entire season unfold and attempted to predict and analyze it. I have reported on every Grand Prix meet this year for Swimming World and become the biggest Swim Geek known to man. Swimming has been my life this summer, obvious from the 41 blogs I have posted this month alone. I hope this will continue, on pool decks around the country (eventually) and from my room and laptop.

Tomorrow morning, I enter my junior year of high school. The entire cycle starts all over for me, as it soon will for the nation's top swimmers. I am THE Swim Geek, and I will remain involved with the sport big time, particularly through my Twitter and Facebook pages. But for now, this blog will be dormant. I will post predictions and some analysis from meets around the world and continue my virtual World Championships for 2010, but for now, this summer's blogging season has come to an end. (Hopefully,) see you on deck!