2012 Olympic Trials USA Swimming

I don't think there were any surprises last night as far as the winners were concerned. In the semi-final most thought it would be Lochte/Phelps or Phelps/Lochte and tonight that will be no exception because either way that will be the order and everyone else will be fighting for the next final four slots for the relay selection. The surprise here is that PVK not making the final and missing by .03 in the 9th position. There is redemption here for Houchin and McLean for missing the 400 Free and for Davis Tarwater for his 3rd place finish in the 200 Fly in 2008. There will be two new swimmers from this selection because both Berens and Dyer have made a past or present Olympic Team so the three I mentioned plus Michael Klueh have a chance for first time selection. Vollmer wasn't a surprise to make it in this event but Claire Donahue was and I doubt anyone had her picked in their swimming predictions to make take the second spot over swimmers like Hersey, Breeden, Magnuson, and Coughlin. Soni wasn't a surprise but Larson might be and the second slot will be a battle between her and Jessica Hardy. Chandler and Wanland could be in the mix as well. Brenden Hansen has been very consistent and this was his 3rd straight time he has been an Olympian in this event. I thought Gangloff would take 2nd but Eric Shanteau came thru to make his second Olympic team. Now Hansen gets a third chance at a rematch with Kitajimi and others. One of the best of the others is Rio Tateishi of Japan who went :59.60 and went 2:08.17 losing to Kitajimi by .17 at the Japanese trials. There was almost a surprise in the Women's 400 Free when Kathleen Ledecky was in the second position for 2/3 of the race and Sutton had to put on a charge at the end. Janet Evans taking 80th was really a surprise but Katie Hoff taking 20th with splits of 2:03 and then 2:10 and not making the final was but still has 3 events to go to make the team. The only surprise in the 100 Back was that Ryan Lochte scratched from the semi final. I could see him doing this in the final and since it was after the 200 Free I thought he might swim it since he is not swimming anything in the heats today. The big final in the 200 Free is today and maybe he did not want to waste the energy since he won't swim it at the Olympics. He just missed in this event in 2008 and it would have been interesting to see him swim Grevers and others and if he would have finaled. Randal Bal has to feel terrible after qualifying first back in 2008 and getting 4th and this time four years later getting 9th and missing the final by .02 seconds. I am impressed with the youngsters Murphy and Conger and they might be the future in this event. The biggest disappointment of yesterday was not being able to see the Women's semi final because NBC ended the TV telecast with both Men's and Women's 100 Back to be swam. What is interesting is the hype of Missy Franklin which is deserved but to show all this profile stuff and not show her first swim was not good for the viewers. Hopefully tonight they will show both semi's because this promises to be one of the best finals of the whole trials. You got Natalie Coughlin, who I believe is going to have to swim the race of her life to make the team in this event because I don't see either Franklin or Bootsma not performing to standards set so far. Plus you got Smoliga and Pelton to contend with as well. There is a lot of history riding on this swim with Natalie becoming the first American women to win the same event at 3 straight Olympics and greats like Evans and Meager couldn't do it and it is difficult, so that is pressure and this is the race I want to see tonight because of this historical perspective. Right now Natalie is considered by many, including myself to be the greatest 100 Backstroke specialist in swimming history. I won't say all of Backstroke because you have Egerszegi and Coverntry that have outstanding resumes as well and I put them slightly ahead. Nevetheless, this race tonight is as important as the two gold medal races that were won in 2004 and 2008 in very tight races. Natalie has always been able to swim clutch races in the Olympic Trials and Olympics and tonight she will have to do it to get that 3rd straight gold medal. It may take a World Record to do it and that might go down tonight by the winner of this event. That is some great analysis! Keep it up! :applaud:

I don't think there were any surprises last night as far as the winners were concerned. In the semi-final most thought it would be Lochte/Phelps or Phelps/Lochte and tonight that will be no exception because either way that will be the order and everyone else will be fighting for the next final four slots for the relay selection. The surprise here is that PVK not making the final and missing by .03 in the 9th position. There is redemption here for Houchin and McLean for missing the 400 Free and for Davis Tarwater for his 3rd place finish in the 200 Fly in 2008. There will be two new swimmers from this selection because both Berens and Dyer have made a past or present Olympic Team so the three I mentioned plus Michael Klueh have a chance for first time selection. Vollmer wasn't a surprise to make it in this event but Claire Donahue was and I doubt anyone had her picked in their swimming predictions to make take the second spot over swimmers like Hersey, Breeden, Magnuson, and Coughlin. Soni wasn't a surprise but Larson might be and the second slot will be a battle between her and Jessica Hardy. Chandler and Wanland could be in the mix as well. Brenden Hansen has been very consistent and this was his 3rd straight time he has been an Olympian in this event. I thought Gangloff would take 2nd but Eric Shanteau came thru to make his second Olympic team. Now Hansen gets a third chance at a rematch with Kitajimi and others. One of the best of the others is Rio Tateishi of Japan who went :59.60 and went 2:08.17 losing to Kitajimi by .17 at the Japanese trials. There was almost a surprise in the Women's 400 Free when Kathleen Ledecky was in the second position for 2/3 of the race and Sutton had to put on a charge at the end. Janet Evans taking 80th was really a surprise but Katie Hoff taking 20th with splits of 2:03 and then 2:10 and not making the final was but still has 3 events to go to make the team. The only surprise in the 100 Back was that Ryan Lochte scratched from the semi final. I could see him doing this in the final and since it was after the 200 Free I thought he might swim it since he is not swimming anything in the heats today. The big final in the 200 Free is today and maybe he did not want to waste the energy since he won't swim it at the Olympics. He just missed in this event in 2008 and it would have been interesting to see him swim Grevers and others and if he would have finaled. Randal Bal has to feel terrible after qualifying first back in 2008 and getting 4th and this time four years later getting 9th and missing the final by .02 seconds. I am impressed with the youngsters Murphy and Conger and they might be the future in this event. The biggest disappointment of yesterday was not being able to see the Women's semi final because NBC ended the TV telecast with both Men's and Women's 100 Back to be swam. What is interesting is the hype of Missy Franklin which is deserved but to show all this profile stuff and not show her first swim was not good for the viewers. Hopefully tonight they will show both semi's because this promises to be one of the best finals of the whole trials. You got Natalie Coughlin, who I believe is going to have to swim the race of her life to make the team in this event because I don't see either Franklin or Bootsma not performing to standards set so far. Plus you got Smoliga and Pelton to contend with as well. There is a lot of history riding on this swim with Natalie becoming the first American women to win the same event at 3 straight Olympics and greats like Evans and Meager couldn't do it and it is difficult, so that is pressure and this is the race I want to see tonight because of this historical perspective. Right now Natalie is considered by many, including myself to be the greatest 100 Backstroke specialist in swimming history. I won't say all of Backstroke because you have Egerszegi and Coverntry that have outstanding resumes as well and I put them slightly ahead. Nevetheless, this race tonight is as important as the two gold medal races that were won in 2004 and 2008 in very tight races. Natalie has always been able to swim clutch races in the Olympic Trials and Olympics and tonight she will have to do it to get that 3rd straight gold medal. It may take a World Record to do it and that might go down tonight by the winner of this event. That is some great analysis! Keep it up! :applaud: