Swimming World Magazine Projects Team USA for World Championships

By Jason Marsteller

PHOENIX, Ariz., Aug. 23. WITH both the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships and the Mutual of Omaha Pan Pacific Championships put to bed, Swimming World Magazine and SwimmingWorldMagazine.com can now project the World Championships rosters that will head to Melbourne, Australia for the 2007 FINA World Championships next March.

Since this team, along with the World University Games and Pan American teams, will not be officially announced by USA Swimming until October (at the latest), this article stands just as a projection of what may transpire. Each qualified swimmer could decide not to attend the event, or be unable to attend due to other extenuating circumstances.

Some of the most interesting developments came with Pan Pacific team members’ ability to swim in any event they chose. Larsen Jensen earned an invitation to the team but dodged a bullet as his 15:11.11 set during the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships in the 1500 free held up against the rest of the American efforts at Pan Pacs. Jensen was the main notable exception from the U.S. Pan Pacifics roster as the Trojan Swim Club member elected to forgo his spot in the 1500-meter freestyle due to sickness during his training regime.

In the women’s 100-meter breaststroke, Jessica Hardy jumped into the top spot for the team with her finals time of 1:06.43 at Pan Pacs, while Tara Kirk snagged second with her Pan Pacs prelim time of 1:07.05 and Jendrick dropped out of the event even though she won the USA Swimming National title in the event. Amazingly, Hardy had to break the championship record out of the consolation heat when both Kirk and Jendrick finished in front of her at Pan Pacs. Due to the two-per-country rule for championship heats at Pan Pacs, Hardy had to drop the hammer at night to ensure that she would get the event invitation at Worlds.

Another exciting event that witnessed World Championship team implications came in the women’s 100-meter backstroke as USA Swimming National titlist Leila Vaziri also had to post a lifetime-best during a consolation heat to secure a spot on the team. Vaziri withstood a charge at her top-time of 1:01.69 set during the ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships earlier this month after initially falling behind both Natalie Coughlin’s 1:00.06 and Lauren English’s 1:01.68 from prelims. Vaziri scored a consolation-heat win with a 1:01.53 to move back ahead of English, who finished last in the championship heat with a 1:02.27.

Women:
Complete Team Roster
Elizabeth Beisel – 200 back
Natalie Coughlin – 100 fly, 100 back, 200 free, 100 free, 50 free
Mary Descenza – 200 fly
Jessica Hardy – 100 breast
Margaret Hoelzer – 200 back
Katie Hoff – 200 IM, 200 free, 400 IM, 400 free, 400 free relay
Megan Jendrick – 200 breast
Kara Lynn Joyce – 50 free, 400 free relay, 200 free
Tara Kirk – 100 breast, 200 breast
Rachel Komisarz – 100 fly
Ariana Kukors – 400 IM
Whitney Myers – 200 IM, 400 free relay
Lacey Nymeyer – 400 free relay, 800 free relay
Hayley Peirsol – 800 free
Kim Vandenberg – 200 fly
Leila Vaziri – 100 back
Dana Vollmer – 800 free relay
Amanda Weir – 800 free relay, 100 free
Kate Ziegler – 400 free, 800 free

Men:
Team Roster
Jayme Cramer – 800 free relay
Ian Crocker – 100 fly
Brendan Hansen – 100 breast, 200 breast
Larsen Jensen – 1500 free
Cullen Jones – 50 free, 400 free relay
Klete Keller – 400 free, 200 free, 400 free relay
Jason Lezak -100 free
Ryan Lochte – 800 free relay, 200 IM, 100 back, 400 IM
Michael Phelps – 200 IM, 200 free, 400 IM, 200 fly, 100 fly, 200 back
Aaron Peirsol – 100 back, 200 back
Eric Shanteau – 200 breast
Davis Tarwater – 200 fly
Scott Usher – 100 breast
Peter Vanderkaay – 800 free relay, 400 free
Erik Vendt – 1500 free
Neil Walker – 100 free
David Walters – 800 free relay
Garrett Weber-Gale – 400 free relay
Ben Wildman-Tobriner – 400 free relay, 50 free

With these rosters in mind, here is how SwimmingWorldMagazine.com arrived at the list.

This first priority of selection, as stated in the USA Swimming Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2007 FINA World Championships team is as follows:

“The first priority shall include both (i) the four fastest Available Swimmers based on an integration of the single fastest times swum by each swimmer during the Qualifying Competitions in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle Events, and (ii) the first Available Swimmer based on an integration of the single fastest times swum by each swimmer during the Qualifying Competitions in each of the individual Olympic Events other than the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle Events.”

Priority #1 women as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Natalie Coughlin – 100 fly, 100 back, 200 free, 100 free
Jessica Hardy – 100 breast
Margaret Hoelzer – 200 back
Katie Hoff – 200 IM, 200 free, 400 IM
Megan Jendrick – 200 breast
Kara Lynn Joyce – 50 free, 400 free relay
Lacey Nymeyer – 400 free relay
Kim Vandenberg – 200 fly
Dana Vollmer – 800 free relay
Amanda Weir – 800 free relay, 100 free
Kate Ziegler – 400 free, 800 free

That brings the initial women’s total to 11 swimmers with five women earning priority #1 placements in more than one event. Natalie Coughlin beat out Katie Hoff for the most priority #1 spots with four against Hoff’s three.

Priority #1 men as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Ian Crocker – 100 fly
Cullen Jones – 50 free, 400 free relay
Klete Keller – 400 free, 200 free
Jason Lezak – 100 free
Ryan Lochte – 800 free relay
Brendan Hansen – 100 breast, 200 breast
Aaron Peirsol – 100 back, 200 back
Michael Phelps – 200 IM, 200 free, 400 IM, 200 fly
Peter Vanderkaay – 800 free relay
Erik Vendt – 1500 free
Neil Walker – 100 free
Ben Wildman-Tobriner – 400 free relay

That put the initial men’s total to 12 swimmers with five men earning priority #1 placements in more than one event. Michael Phelps far surpassed the rest of the men for the most priority #1 spots with four.

This second priority of selection, as stated in the USA Swimming Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2007 FINA World Championships team is as follows:

“The second priority shall be the second fastest Available Swimmer based on an integration of the single fastest times swum by each swimmer during the Qualifying Competitions in each of the individual Olympic Events other than the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle Events.”

Priority #2 women as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Elizabeth Beisel – 200 back
Natalie Coughlin – 50 free
Mary Descenza – 200 fly
Katie Hoff – 400 free
Tara Kirk – 100 breast, 200 breast
Rachel Komisarz – 100 fly
Ariana Kukors – 400 IM
Whitney Myers – 200 IM
Hayley Peirsol – 800 free
Leila Vaziri – 100 back

Overall, eight new women earned invitations to the World Championship roster after priority #2 for a total of 19 swimmers. Tara Kirk claimed the most second-level spots with invite in both the 100 and 200 breast, while Coughlin pushed her total events to five with the 50 free. Meanwhile, Hoff picked up her fourth event in the 400 free.

Priority #2 men as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Larsen Jensen – 1500 free
Ryan Lochte – 200 IM, 100 back, 400 IM
Michael Phelps – 100 fly, 200 back
Eric Shanteau – 200 breast
Davis Tarwater – 200 fly
Scott Usher – 100 breast
Peter Vanderkaay – 400 free
Ben Wildman-Tobriner – 50 free

After the second round of selections, the men added four swimmers to bring their total to 16. Ryan Lochte garnered the most priority #2 spots with three for a total of four events, while Phelps increased his event total to six.

This third priority of selection, as stated in the USA Swimming Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2007 FINA World Championships team is as follows:

“The third priority shall be the fifth fastest Available Swimmer based on an integration of the single fastest times swum by each swimmer during the Qualifying Competitions in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle Events.”

Priority #3 women as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Katie Hoff – 400 free relay
Lacey Nymeyer – 800 free relay

The third priority of selections held the amount of swimmers to 19, but added an event to Hoff and Lacey Nymeyer’s collection. Hoff’s event total improved to five, while Nymeyer earned her second spot.

Priority #3 men as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Jayme Cramer – 800 free relay
Garrett Weber-Gale – 400 free relay

After the third round of selections for the men, the overall total increased to 18 as both Jayme Cramer and Garrett Weber-Gale snared invitations to the team.

This fourth priority of selection, as stated in the USA Swimming Athlete Selection Procedures for the 2007 FINA World Championships team is as follows:

“The fourth priority shall be the sixth fastest Available Swimmer based on an integration of the single fastest times swum by each swimmer during the Qualifying Competitions in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter freestyle Events.”

Priority #4 women as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Kara Lynn Joyce – 800 free relay
Whitney Myers – 400 free relay

The fourth round of qualifying did not add members to the women’s team, but tacked on a pair of events for Kara Lynn Joyce and Whitney Myers. Joyce wound up with three events, while Myers finished with a pair of events (200 IM, 400 free relay.)

Priority #4 men as projected by SwimmingWorldMagazine.com are as follows:
Klete Keller – 400 free relay
David Walters – 800 free relay

David Walters pocketed the final potential invitation to the team based on SwimmingWorldMagazine.com projections with his fourth-priority bid in the 200 freestyle to conclude the men’s roster at 19 members. Meanwhile, Keller nailed down his third event of the team. Notably, if relay lead offs counted, Phelps’ 48.83 as part of the world-record effort at Pan Pacs would have scored him a seventh event.

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