Here are my picks for tonights finals to make the team.
Women's 200 *** - I am going to pick Soni to win and bounce back from the disappointment of getting 4th in the 100 ***. The 2:24.65 and 2:23.05 times in this event are just to far ahead of everyone that has swam. I am not sure if she can get the AR but could be close. My second place pick is Amanda Beard based on her 2 swims so far and the 2:25.43 she brings to the final tonight. My 3rd place pick will be Leverenz and she could be the spoiler. Amanda could be one of only a very small few to make 4 Olympic teams.
Men's 200 Back - This is going to be a great race between Aaron and Ryan. I don't think there will be anybody to upset these guys for the first 2 slots but if they slip up Tyler Clary could get in there. This is a very important race for Aaron Peirsol because last year he lost the top position in the World Hierarchy of the 200 Back. The way he gets his postion back is winning tonight and if he sets the World Record while doing that, he will really get it back. I am picking him to win tonight with Ryan 2nd.
Men's 200 IM - Phelps and Lochte are the class of this event and they will be the first 2 places. I am picking Phelps here because he has not lost this race in major competition in 6 years and also feel that with only the women's 200 back semi final as rest between the 200 Back and 200 IM that it will effect Ryan and he will just race to make the team.
If Ryan Lochte wins both these races tonight, he will get major headlines at these Trials. If he goes one and one it would be a shock if he beat Phelps but not so much Peirsol because he has already done that in LCM competitions. If he is 0 and 2 in these races and still makes the team in both events, he has the Olympics to straighten things out.
Women's 100 Free - I have to go with Natlie Coughlin for the win based not only on the 100 Free swims in this meet but all of the 100 Free swims for the last 8 months. The only way I see her losing this is if she has a bad turn and dies in the last 10 meters and that does not look like its going to happen. My second pick is Dara Torres based on her swims here and how she has been swimming in the last 8 months also. The rest of the field just does not look very strong to over take these two. Lacey Nymeyer is the only one that I feel that could overtake either one or both of these swimmers if they don't swim well and she swims a little faster than semi finals. She is my spoiler for this event tonight if these other two have bad swims.
Dara along with Amanda will start to get major headlines and hype if they both make the team tonight.
Here are my picks for tonights finals to make the team.
Women's 200 *** - I am going to pick Soni to win and bounce back from the disappointment of getting 4th in the 100 ***. The 2:24.65 and 2:23.05 times in this event are just to far ahead of everyone that has swam. I am not sure if she can get the AR but could be close. My second place pick is Amanda Beard based on her 2 swims so far and the 2:25.43 she brings to the final tonight. My 3rd place pick will be Leverenz and she could be the spoiler. Amanda could be one of only a very small few to make 4 Olympic teams.
Men's 200 Back - This is going to be a great race between Aaron and Ryan. I don't think there will be anybody to upset these guys for the first 2 slots but if they slip up Tyler Clary could get in there. This is a very important race for Aaron Peirsol because last year he lost the top position in the World Hierarchy of the 200 Back. The way he gets his postion back is winning tonight and if he sets the World Record while doing that, he will really get it back. I am picking him to win tonight with Ryan 2nd.
Men's 200 IM - Phelps and Lochte are the class of this event and they will be the first 2 places. I am picking Phelps here because he has not lost this race in major competition in 6 years and also feel that with only the women's 200 back semi final as rest between the 200 Back and 200 IM that it will effect Ryan and he will just race to make the team.
If Ryan Lochte wins both these races tonight, he will get major headlines at these Trials. If he goes one and one it would be a shock if he beat Phelps but not so much Peirsol because he has already done that in LCM competitions. If he is 0 and 2 in these races and still makes the team in both events, he has the Olympics to straighten things out.
Women's 100 Free - I have to go with Natlie Coughlin for the win based not only on the 100 Free swims in this meet but all of the 100 Free swims for the last 8 months. The only way I see her losing this is if she has a bad turn and dies in the last 10 meters and that does not look like its going to happen. My second pick is Dara Torres based on her swims here and how she has been swimming in the last 8 months also. The rest of the field just does not look very strong to over take these two. Lacey Nymeyer is the only one that I feel that could overtake either one or both of these swimmers if they don't swim well and she swims a little faster than semi finals. She is my spoiler for this event tonight if these other two have bad swims.
Dara along with Amanda will start to get major headlines and hype if they both make the team tonight.
