Just a little more than 30 days before the "Duel in the Pool". This is one of the most creative and exciting meet formats that USA Swimming has come up with yet. It's the US vs Australia. It's a duel meet format. The best men and women swimmers from each team compete in a limited number of events, head-to-head for bragging rights of the best swimming team in the world.
For more information check out: www.usaswimming.org/.../Duel.htm
If the teams are tied then the outcome is decided by a mixed 200 medley relay.
Predictions anyone?
Australia has Thorpe but we have Phelps and Coughlin. Australia has edge in men's freestyle events but we more depth in the strokes. I'm rooting for a close meet because it would be very exciting to see a tie-breaker medley relay BUT US should win it without the relay (why don't they swim it anyway?) .
Whole meet should take three hours or less, is scheduled for Sunday April 6th in Indy and will be broadcast the following week on network TV.
Wayne:
I agree that Ed Moses has a very good chance of setting two world records-although he will have to overcome his previous performances when the pressure is really on (2000 Olympic Trials in the 200 and his 100 *** in the Olympics). He does seem to swim much better with less competition-witness his incredible time trial. He has the talent and as a fellow (but much slower) breaststroker I'd love to see it.
I do disagree, however, with your assertion that if there is a 200 mixed medley relay that Moses would be the "main reason" the US would win. I assert that in the unlikely event of such a tie-breaking relay it is Natalie Coughlin who will effectively end the race on the first leg. She is so far ahead of the rest of the world, and especially the Australians, in this event. The Aussies do have some decent men breaststrokers (not as good as Moses in the sprints) but no one can touch Natalie. She will simply gap the Aussies right off the start when she comes up at 15 meters-race over!
There are a lot of very talented swimmers in the world right now, and quite a few will be swimming that day. Natalie however is in a class of her own and is the ONLY legitimate threat to repeat the Spitz performance in 1972. (Without the new format of prelims, semis, etc she would probably do it). Thorpe especially gets a lot of press but right now he is not favored or rank #1 in the four individual events-nor is Phelps. Natalie is a triple threat in the free/back/fly.
Wayne:
I agree that Ed Moses has a very good chance of setting two world records-although he will have to overcome his previous performances when the pressure is really on (2000 Olympic Trials in the 200 and his 100 *** in the Olympics). He does seem to swim much better with less competition-witness his incredible time trial. He has the talent and as a fellow (but much slower) breaststroker I'd love to see it.
I do disagree, however, with your assertion that if there is a 200 mixed medley relay that Moses would be the "main reason" the US would win. I assert that in the unlikely event of such a tie-breaking relay it is Natalie Coughlin who will effectively end the race on the first leg. She is so far ahead of the rest of the world, and especially the Australians, in this event. The Aussies do have some decent men breaststrokers (not as good as Moses in the sprints) but no one can touch Natalie. She will simply gap the Aussies right off the start when she comes up at 15 meters-race over!
There are a lot of very talented swimmers in the world right now, and quite a few will be swimming that day. Natalie however is in a class of her own and is the ONLY legitimate threat to repeat the Spitz performance in 1972. (Without the new format of prelims, semis, etc she would probably do it). Thorpe especially gets a lot of press but right now he is not favored or rank #1 in the four individual events-nor is Phelps. Natalie is a triple threat in the free/back/fly.
