With all the Melbourne hoopla and record smashing performances I thought I'd start a 2008 prediction thread and resurect it in a year and a half and see how we all did ...
First, I don't think Beard will make the team, she needs to get her butt to a meet and I reserve the right to change my opinion on that based on any swims she does in the future ...
Women's team ..
50 free - Coughlin & Joyce
100 free - Coughlin & Weir
200 free - Coughlin & Hoff (or Vollmer if Natalie opts out)
400 free - Hoff & Ziegler
800 free - Peirsol & Ziegler
100 back - Coughlin & Vaziri
200 back - Hoelzer & Vaziri
100 *** - Kirk & Hardy
200 ***- Kirk & Jendrick
100 fly - Coughlin & Vollmer
200 fly - Sandeno & Van den Berg
200 IM - Hoff & Myers
400 IM - Hoff & Sandeno
4 relay spots 100 free - Joyce, Nymeyer, Corriea, and Hoff
4 relay spots 200 free - Sandeno, Nymeyer, Myers, and Weir
Men
50 free - Jones & Lezak
100 free - Jones & Lezak
200 free - Phelps & Vanderkaay
400 free - Vanderkaay & Keller
1500 free - Vendt & Jensen
100 back - Peirsol & Lochte
200 back - Peirsol & Phelps (or Lochte)
100 *** - Hansen & Usher
200 *** - Hansen & Usher
100 fly - Crocker & Phelps
200 fly - Phelps & Madwed
200 IM - Phelps & Lochte
400 IM - Phelps & Vendt
4 relay spots 100 free - Walker, Wildman-Tobriner, Weber-Gale, & Hall
4 relay spots 200 free - Cramer, Peirsol, Keller, and Lochte
Not really any shockers ...
Former Member
I give him a decent chance in the 50; he is not that old, plus he knows what he is doing. 50 free is always a chancy thing, experience helps and he has a racer's chance. Wild card: I noticed Anthony Ervin raced at NEM sc champs, he is only 25, who knows?
I give him a decent chance in the 50; he is not that old, plus he knows what he is doing. 50 free is always a chancy thing, experience helps and he has a racer's chance. Wild card: I noticed Anthony Ervin raced at NEM sc champs, he is only 25, who knows?
That swim was pretty damn awesome!
I can't see Gary Hall making the 4x100 relay because I don't see him in the top 6 at trials... He has a better shot of making the 50, but Cullen Jones will have the top spot.
Honestly, I think the women's spots are where your picks might move around a bit more. There are some incredibly speedy youngsters (esp. from North Baltimore) who are still getting incredibly speedier and Trials are over a year away yet..
I agree re: Beard. But I'd love to see her prove me totally wrong.
I fail to see a difference between training for the Olympics or training for Olympic trials. Either way, you had better be at your best if you plan on being succesful. No? Do you really slack off a bit when going into trials knowing that you have to save a little something for the big show in China? I am not a swim expert but my guess would be no.
FlyQueen:
You never answered my question about why you picked Vendt over Lochte to make the team in the 400 IM....and about why you picked Vendt over Peter VDK in the 1500? Maybe you missed my posting? LOL! I think Vendt is a great swimmer. But since Lochte and Peter VDK are both younger and more up and coming then Vendt, it seems like they would have some advantages over Vendt? I'm curious to hear your opinions on that? (unless of course I'm wrong about Peter VDK swimming the 1500 or Lochte swimming the 400 IM at the Olympic Trials??.....But I thought these were both strong events for these respective swimmers??)
Newmastersswimmer
I don't see Hall getting in the 50, but I would LOVE for him to prove me wrong and I totally forgot about Brunelli ... crap ... take out Hall add in Brunelli in the 400 free relay and take out Peirsol and add in Brunelli in the 800 FR
And these picks are based off of Pan Pacs & Worlds I all but guarantee that that will NOT be the team .. there will be some fast youngsters that sneak in ...
Hoffam, I believe he wouldn't technically be listed on the relay team for Beijing because he didn't swim it at trials, it's a technicality, let's move on ..
