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 ...
Warren I would LOVE for Gary Hall to prove me wrong. I don't doubt he has the talent, I just think there are SO many other talented guys out there and Wildman-Tobriner won't have college to deal with anymore ... also do you think any of the top swimmers are training with their goal being trials? They are focusing on Beijing, but they do have to go top 2 at trials FIRST!
So Peter VDK isn't swimming the 1500? I would have thought he had a better chance of making it in the 1500 than Vendt? Also, I think Lochte has a better chance of making the 400 IM than Vendt. I know Vendt was great in the last Olympics and all, but I'm not sure he can take Lochte in the 400 IM....It could be a very close race (if Lochte swims the 400 IM of course....but that is one of Ryan's best events isn't it?)
Newmastersswimmer
I think Phelps will be on the relay, I just doubt he'll swim it at Trials, there's a difference. Same with Coughlin & the 200 free/800 free relay. These guys do NOT have to swim the event at trials to make the relay team.
My 4 relays picks are just the next 4 qualifiers in the event NOT the team.
The original post didn't say "trials swimmers...." It said Beijing. I agree Phelps won't swim the 100 at Trials but he'll be on the relay. Phelps will be sure to have recent 100 times to eliminate controversy for his spot on the team.
I agree with another above that Phelps won't swim 200 back.
As for Hall - just count me in as a doubter. I don't think he has the drive to train enough to make the team. He's not racing much at all and I don't think he can get serious between now and Trials early next year. Too many people want that spot on the team and they're training NOW.
Posted in Gary Hall Jr.'s aqua notes
BACK AND GRUMPY AS HELL IN MY OLD AGE:
I went to the Janet Evans Invitational and posted a 22.7 for the 50 free after five weeks of training and a shark attack. I placed 6th (tied for 6th) behind in-season speed demon Jason Lezak and the always fast Roland Schoeman, among other very talented swimmers. I was pleased but still my expectations are realistic for this summer's Nationals. A couple months of training after a couple of years off is a short season, even for me. But, I know what I'm doing. I'm training for the 2008 Olympic Games.
My post about changing the sport, joking, wink, wink comments about *** strokers, the impotence of a rich, content governing body, and punching out a shark is evidence that I'm getting fiestier in my old age of 31. So look out.
But still I remain,
sincerely yours,
Gary
12:03 PM
Training for the olympic games...not just for trails
looks like he started training last summer
