More than nine months still remain before the 2012 Olympic Trials, but I have already begun thinking about who will leave that meet and head to London on the Olympic Team. As I like to do, I am sharing my early predictions for that meet. Of course, I cannot predict what young swimmers will breakout in the early part of the new year, so I predict a team full of veterans to cross the Atlantic next summer. Here we go.
Women:
50 Free
1. Jessica Hardy
2. Dara Torres
100 Free
1. Missy Franklin
2. Natalie Coughlin
3. Dana Vollmer
4. Jessica Hardy
5. Amanda Weir
6. Kara Lynn Joyce
200 Free
1. Missy Franklin
2. Allison Schmitt
3. Katie Hoff
4. Dana Vollmer
5. Dagny Knutson
6. Morgan Scroggy
400 Free
1. Chloe Sutton
2. Allison Schmitt
800 Free
1. Kate Ziegler
2. Chloe Sutton
100 Back
1. Missy Franklin
2. Natalie Coughlin
200 Back
1. Missy Franklin
2. Elizabeth Beisel
100 Breast
1. Rebecca Soni
2. Jessica Hardy
200 Breast
1. Rebecca Soni
2. Amanda Beard
100 Fly
1. Dana Vollmer
2. Christine Magnuson
200 Fly
1. Kathleen Hersey
2. Teresa Crippen
200 IM
1. Elizabeth Beisel
2. Ariana Kukors
400 IM
1. Elizabeth Beisel
2. Caitlin Leverenz
Men:
50 Free
1. Nathan Adrian
2. Jimmy Feigen
100 Free
1. Nathan Adrian
2. Garrett Weber-Gale
3. Matt Grevers
4. Jason Lezak
5. Jimmy Feigen
6. Dave Walters
200 Free
1. Ryan Lochte
2. Michael Phelps
3. Peter Vanderkaay
4. Ricky Berens
5. Matt McLean
6. Conor Dwyer
400 Free
1. Peter Vanderkaay
2. Matt McLean
1500 Free
1. Chad La Tourette
2. Peter Vanderkaay
100 Back
1. Matt Grevers
2. Nick Thoman
200 Back
1. Ryan Lochte
2. Tyler Clary
100 Breast
1. Brendan Hansen
2. Eric Shanteau
200 Breast
1. Eric Shanteau
2. Brendan Hansen
100 Fly
1. Michael Phelps
2. Tyler McGill
200 Fly
1. Michael Phelps
2. Tyler Clary
200 IM
1. Michael Phelps
2. Ryan Lochte
400 IM
1. Ryan Lochte
2. Tyler Clary
Interesting picks... Some talking points...
ReplyDeleteNo place for Hoff in an individual event in London?
Beisel over Kukors in the 200 IM? You think Beisel can go 2:08?
Thoman over Plummer in the 100 Back?
Phelps over Lochte in the 200 IM?
Also... here is my shocker for the 2nd spot in the men's 400 Free...
ReplyDelete... Evan Pinion.
Beisel over Kukors is an upset, yes, but I think possible when you compare her 400 IM at Nationals with Worlds and how she did in the 200 IM there. We'll see. I think that, at the very least, she's favorite for second. Men's 100 back could go in any way between those top three, and I like Grevers and Thoman, but we've counted out Plummer before. Phelps over Lochte because Lochte has the 200 back a half hour before that final. Another big pick though. No comment on Hoff. Pinion, like Michael Klueh, probably wishes the 800 was an Olympic event. Big call, my friend.
ReplyDeleteno nick brunelli in the 50 or 100?
ReplyDeleteI think ANn Chandler wil make the 100 br- I dont think hardy is going to focus on that event
ReplyDeleteno sean ryan 1500 free? 15:01 puts him in serious contention
ReplyDeleteChandler is an interesting pick for the 100 breast, but I think Hardy's best shot at an individual swim in London is the 100 breast; no reason not to focus on it. 15:01 for Ryan (and Andrew Gemmell) is good, but La Tourette and Vanderkaay both swam in the low-14:50s this year, and I expect faster in the Olympic season. Brunelli is a great darkhorse, and I would love to see him on the team, but I'm not brave enough to predict that.
ReplyDelete