5 Women Who Can Improve USA’s 100 Butterfly Medal Prospects

Commentary by Jeff Commings

After the 2013 world championships, when Dana Vollmer quietly slipped into retirement from competitive swimming, the United States had a big void to fill to remain competitive in the 100 butterfly internationally.

Claire Donahue, who made the 2013 Olympic final and the 2013 world championship final, appeared to be a worthy successor, though not yet of “medal contender” status. Almost two years later, the outlook of American sprint butterfly has changed drastically, with no fewer than four others ready to contend for spots on the 2016 Olympic team.

Claire Donahue

Donahue was an also-ran in the final of the 100 butterfly at the 2012 Olympic Trials. Swimming in lane one, she took the race out hard and finished an astonishing second to make the Olympic team and thrust herself into a new bracket in U.S. swimming. Since then, she’s been fairly consistent, though she’s still searching for that elusive long course national title. Hopefully, the transition she’s likely to make from Bowling Green, Ky., with coach Bruce Marchionda this summer will not affect her preparation for worlds or Olympic Trials.

Kelsi Worrell

Worrell is still unproven in long course, with much potential ahead of her after the groundbreaking swims from the NCAA championships, where she broke the 50-second barrier in the 100-yard fly. Kelsi’s breakthrough came seven months too late, meaning she did not get on any international competition rosters this year. She’ll make a statement at the USA Swimming nationals, and I forsee her putting up a time that will contend with what’s posted at world championships.

Kendyl Stewart

Talk about a breakthrough. Stewart virtually came out of nowhere to win the 100 fly national title in 2014, earning her places on the senior national team, winning a bronze medal at the Pan Pacific championships and booking a trip to world championships. Stewart – along with Donahue – will be a formidable pair in Kazan, but Stewart still has some time to drop in order to get herself in the final. This summer’s worth of work with Dave Salo is likely to do the trick.

Felicia Lee

After winning the 2014 NCAA title in the 100 fly, Lee has been doing just OK as a postgrad. She’ll swim at the World University Games, though many expected her to be a part of the world championship squad. Lee is excellent at underwater dolphin kicking, and will need to improve her swimming to race in long course.

Katie McLaughlin

This high school senior’s specialty is the 200 butterfly, the event in which she won bronze at Pan Pacs in 2014. But as evidenced by her the national high school record she set in the 100 fly, McLaughlin has some serious speed as well. She placed fourth in the 100 fly at the 2014 long course nationals, a promising sign. Another year of training and growing could give her the ability to take the 100 fly out faster to compete with the true sprinters.

Dark horses: Natalie Hinds, Tina Bechtel