2009 National Championships (World Championship Trials)

Interesting comments on the stroke 50s --- it is for sure a two edged sword. I look at what is happening in Germany - they offer the 50s at all levels - and I think it has for sure contributed to the demise in the Olympic events - especially for the Men. Somebody like Rupprath is a Pro making very good money on swimming all the 50s and short-course --- but if that was not a choice, I am almost certain a would been more a medal contender in the 100 Fly in the last few Olympics. Is that good or bad ? He has won some silly amount of international medals (50+ I believe) - yet his best Olympic place is a final and one relay medal .... On the other hand, the US is CLEARLY losing multiple medal opportunities at Worlds -- R. Bal has been the fastest 50 Backstroker in the World for maybe the last 3 WC - it can not be fair, that he had to watch those races, knowing he could have won.

If you notice today, USA Swimming does not offer 50 of strokes past the age of 12 and USMS is the only organization in this country that offers them. GA Swimming offers 50s in all strokes at their LCM Senior State Championships.

Eric Shanteau broke the American Record in the 200 *** in prelims. Wow! First, Gangloff get the American Record in the 100 *** and now Shanteau. All I have to say and I am saying this jokingly, Brendan Hansen who? What a nice swim by Beisel in the 200 Back? The girl in khaki colored Jaked put in a hefty performance in the 200 Back. She was leading for the first 150. That Men's 100 free was pretty shacked.

This is porn to Davis and Stewart. But, I prefer their announcing over Rowdy. the 200 back was pretty insane. The Japanese guy is going to be in for a rude awakening at Rome. I wish that the 1500 would come up. I am hoping that Andrew Gemmel make the world team for a pool event. He already made the team in the 5K and 10K I think. He got 5th in the 400 IM.

So, according to Davis or Stewart, you can't hold a full time job and compete at the top level. Maybe the girl telecommutes. If she had to do 80 hour weeks, she wouldn't be able to compete at that level. It is no different than sometime who is going to school and training hard. In high school, several days a week I would do a 5:30 practice, school, then swim a night. You really don't need to train 6 hours a day to compete at the national level. A friend of mine made Sectionals just training 90 minutes a day about 4 or 5 days a week. Of course, he competed in the Olympic Trials in 84. It is not impossible.

I wish they'd change this cheesy awards music. Why don't they mix it up a little? yeah, it is pretty bad.

So true what these guys are saying about breaststroke. Different mentality, lots of coordination, a whole breed unto themselves... I started swimming half a year ago and I've got the basics of three strokes down... fly, back, free... but I just can't figure out ***. I always feel like I'm abruptly stopping right before I kick, you know... when I bend my knees out. nice swim, Eric Shanteau! Spann had a good swim considering his surgeries. OMG, the 1500 is on. The only thing that sucks is that you can fastforward it when it is live. The middle Atlantic is represented in the 1500 final, lanes 5 and 3.

I love the 1500 LCM in May and I am hooked. Have less turns makes it easier. Can't wait to do it at Indy in August. That was a great race to watch the full way. I think that if Andrew Gemmel had another 100, he would have caught the two other guys. I think that he went out a little two slow but it was invigorating to see knock people off one by one.

How good was Mary T. Meagher? Her meet and U.S. Open record in the 200 fly still stand from 1981! Awesome. The Original Madame Butterfly. In 1983 I got to watch her swim a 1500 fly at Belmont Shores against a bunch of guys. She was holding 1:11's and 1:12's and won a dinner from Mark Shubert by beating his goal time for her. My coach and I were awestruck. Just wish she could have gone to the Olympics in 1980 where she would have dominated. I swam with her in college. Her personality was just as great as her swimming.

Fantastic race with Peirsol and Lochte! I liked listening to the announcers geeking out.