Three thoughts off Sunday’s finals at swim meets in Charlotte and Atlanta:
1. Dana Vollmer shakes up 100m freestyle
Vollmer continues to amaze in her comeback from childbirth. The Olympic 100m butterfly champ now owns the fastest times among Americans in the 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle since the start of 2015, after clocking 53.59 in the 100m free prelims in Charlotte on Sunday morning.
Vollmer, who gave birth to Arlen on March 6, 2015, knocked Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky down the U.S. standings, which now look like this since Jan. 1, 2015:
- Dana Vollmer — 53.59 (2016)
- Missy Franklin — 53.68 (2015)
- Katie Ledecky — 53.75 (2016)
- Abbey Weitzeil — 53.77 (2016)
- Simone Manuel — 53.80 (2016)
- Natalie Coughlin — 53.85 (2015)
The top two at the U.S. Olympic Trials on July 1 in Omaha make the individual Olympic 100m freestyle. The top six will likely be chosen for the 4x100m free relay pool.
Vollmer’s time Sunday marked her fastest 100m free outside of the fast-suit-era 2009 World Championships by .39 of a second.
Manuel clocked 54.11, Ledecky posted 54.55 and Coughlin 55.41 in Atlanta on Sunday.
Atlanta Results | Charlotte Results
2. U.S. men’s 100m freestyle bunches up behind Nathan Adrian
The Olympic champion Adrian clocked 48.29 to win in Atlanta. No other American was within one second of that time in either Atlanta or Charlotte.
Adrian appears a lock to make the Olympic 100m free, but several men are bidding not only for the second individual U.S. spot but also for a place in the 4x100m free relay pool.
The contenders’ best times on Sunday:
Anthony Ervin — 49.30
Jimmy Feigen — 49.56
Michael Chadwick — 49.96
Ryan Lochte — 50.01
Conor Dwyer — 50.22
Caeleb Dressel — 50.26
Cullen Jones — 50.31
That list doesn’t include Michael Phelps, who has been a part of the 4x100m relay final quartet at the last three Olympics and has the second-fastest time among Americans since the start of 2014. Phelps skipped competing this weekend as his fiancée recently gave birth.
Olympic 100m backstroke champion Matt Grevers, a 4x100m free relay prelim swimmer at the last two Olympics, also didn’t compete this weekend.
3. Will Ryan Lochte double up at Olympic Trials?
Lochte will turn 32 years old two days before the Opening Ceremony. Since London, he endured major injury, retirement thoughts and a coaching change to remain one of the world’s greatest swimmers.
But one wonders when the daunting 200m backstroke-200m individual medley double will be too much for the 11-time Olympic medalist.
Lochte earned medals in both events on the same day at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Those finals are again in the same session at the Olympic Trials in Omaha and the Rio Olympics.
In Charlotte, Lochte swam the 200m IM on Sunday, winning in 1:58.97. He is the four-time reigning World 200m IM champion and was second-fastest overall in the world last year behind Michael Phelps.
Lochte did not swim the 200m backstroke in Charlotte on Sunday. He ranked tied for ninth in the U.S. in that event last year and eighth in 2014, failing to make the 2015 World Championships.
It’s clear Lochte’s standing is better in the 200m IM than the 200m back, but the latter holds significance as it was his first individual Olympic title in 2008.
The question is, is it worth doing both events at the Olympic Trials (and perhaps the Olympics) within minutes of each other? Especially when no swimmer as old as Lochte has ever won an individual Olympic event.
We’ll find out in the next six weeks.
The next top domestic U.S. meets are in Austin, Indianapolis and Santa Clara, Calif., the first weekend of June. Phelps is scheduled to compete in Austin. Ledecky might skip them all.
