Top 2 are on for sure, then coaches discretion. His time last night pretty much assures him a spot in the relay. The 100 Back will be the race of the night, if not the meet. The 1-4 spots are a complete tossup. It will be awesome!
The Top 2 are not necessarily on for sure. John Piersma won the 200 Free at the 1996 Olympic Trials and beat Josh Davis (1:48.97 to 1:49.29) and they were the two selected to represent the USA in the 200 Free. Piersma swam a poor swim in the prelims of 1:50.XX and was not even selected to swim the prelims of the 800 Free Relay to be given another chance to prove himself. It probably mattered that he swam a poor 400 Free in the prelims and the coaches decided to swim others swimmers that made the top 6.
Another example of this is Lindsay Benko who was second in the 200 Free at the 2004 Olympic Trials but did not swim as fast in the heats of the 200 Free in the Olympics in Athens. Because the coaches thought she didn't swim as fast as expected in the individual event, she swam the prelims to prove that she could swim as fast as the trials swim. It didn't happen and she was off the final of the 800 Free Relay.
In 1996, Jenny Thompson was 7th in the 200 Free at Olympic Trials and did not qualify to swim in the relay per top 6 rule. The coaches can over rule that if they feel the relay would be faster with another swimmer on it. Jenny didn't even swim prelims and swam on the gold medal winning relay in the finals. In 2000, she didn't even swim the individual event at Olympic Trials but swam in the finals on the gold medal winning relay.
These decisions by coaches are not without controversey. I remember reading something about Christina Teutcher in 2000. She swam the 200 Free in the Olympic Trials and had a time that was faster than the others that were sent to swim the relay. She was told she did not have to swim the prelims to prove that she could swim the time that was done in the Olympic Trials and it would be best to rest up for the 200 IM individual event, which she took a bronze medal. As the story goes she found out 10 minutes before the 800 Free Relay final started that she would not be swimming the relay. She let her emotions speak in an interview with Swimming World about 6 months after the Olympics.
Top 2 are on for sure, then coaches discretion. His time last night pretty much assures him a spot in the relay. The 100 Back will be the race of the night, if not the meet. The 1-4 spots are a complete tossup. It will be awesome!
The Top 2 are not necessarily on for sure. John Piersma won the 200 Free at the 1996 Olympic Trials and beat Josh Davis (1:48.97 to 1:49.29) and they were the two selected to represent the USA in the 200 Free. Piersma swam a poor swim in the prelims of 1:50.XX and was not even selected to swim the prelims of the 800 Free Relay to be given another chance to prove himself. It probably mattered that he swam a poor 400 Free in the prelims and the coaches decided to swim others swimmers that made the top 6.
Another example of this is Lindsay Benko who was second in the 200 Free at the 2004 Olympic Trials but did not swim as fast in the heats of the 200 Free in the Olympics in Athens. Because the coaches thought she didn't swim as fast as expected in the individual event, she swam the prelims to prove that she could swim as fast as the trials swim. It didn't happen and she was off the final of the 800 Free Relay.
In 1996, Jenny Thompson was 7th in the 200 Free at Olympic Trials and did not qualify to swim in the relay per top 6 rule. The coaches can over rule that if they feel the relay would be faster with another swimmer on it. Jenny didn't even swim prelims and swam on the gold medal winning relay in the finals. In 2000, she didn't even swim the individual event at Olympic Trials but swam in the finals on the gold medal winning relay.
These decisions by coaches are not without controversey. I remember reading something about Christina Teutcher in 2000. She swam the 200 Free in the Olympic Trials and had a time that was faster than the others that were sent to swim the relay. She was told she did not have to swim the prelims to prove that she could swim the time that was done in the Olympic Trials and it would be best to rest up for the 200 IM individual event, which she took a bronze medal. As the story goes she found out 10 minutes before the 800 Free Relay final started that she would not be swimming the relay. She let her emotions speak in an interview with Swimming World about 6 months after the Olympics.
