So, which of the following "locks" for the US Olympic Team won't make it? I'm thinking about historic shockers like Pablo Morales and Craig Beardsley. There are others not on the list that might be big surprises (eg, Vendt, Vanderkaay, Torres, Kirk, etc.), but not quite on the level as these world record holders.
Men:
Michael Phelps
Aaron Peirsol
Brenden Hansen
Ian Crocker
Ryan Lochte
Women:
Natalie Coughlin
Katie Hoff
Kate Ziegler
I think all the men make it - but Hansen and Peirsol might be vulnerable in one of their distances. If Phelps swims one of the backstrokes - Peirsol could lose to Phelps and Lochte. I think all the women above make it. Crocker no longer is fast enough in freestyle to make it so it is 100 fly only.
I think Gary Hall doesn't. Neil Walker probably doesn't.
OK who is going to take the 4X100 Fr Relay at the Big Show? Who thinks the Americans can take the Frence? What about the Australian sprinters? Are the Americans looking for Bronze or less? Does this take Phelps out of the Gold Medal race with Spitz?:bolt:
His great walls are less valuable in LCM.
That statement is 99.5% true. At the 2004 trials walls made the difference between 2nd and 3rd. As a result he locked his spot on the relay, and the US finished 3rd!
I don't intend to be negative about Hansen. I hope he makes both breaststrokes and kicks Kitajima's tail in Beijing. It's just that, of the superstars, he is one who hasn't swum his best for a couple years. And, others are rapidly catching up. Now, maybe he would have broken world records last summer at the World championships if he hadn't gotten sick, but who knows?
Thats true. Hansen is a great guy but he hasn't had a personal best in quite a while. I think he will get in and medal but I don't think he will get the gold this year...
Hansen has a habit of looking vulnerable ahead of big meets. He was off par before the trials in 2004. Losing to Usher at one point. He lost to Rickard at Santa Clara and posted some sluggish times heading into Summer Nationals of 2006. He went on to break world records in both instances.
