Reaction Time: Interactive Commentary from USA Swimming National Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, August 1. SwimmingWorldMagazine.com is bringing its readers wall-to-wall coverage of USA Swimming’s National Championships held at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis this week. As part of the already deep, rich and up-to-the-minute coverage of the actual racing, our team of reporters are also available via this new interactive web site element, Reaction Time.

Feel free to react to anything you see or observe throughout the meet in this location, and we will do our best to keep you updated on our observations of some interesting tidbits emerging from the meet that may not make our standard meet coverage. Also, look here first for Breaking News items that we discover during our time talking with the best of the best on deck and in the stands.

Additionally, we are available for special requests throughout the meet. So, if there is something you are dying to know, click below to React through Reaction Time and we will do our best to fulfill that request.

John Lohn
August 1, 8:53 a.m. We’re about to get started with the second day of action. On tap are the 400 individual medley, 100 freestyle and 200 backstroke. Tonight, there will be 400 freestyle relays added into the equation.

Dana Lawrence Lohn
August 1, 9:43 a.m. We’re into the heats of the women’s 400 IM, and the most beautiful result to behold is the excitement of the swimmers who score Olympic Trials cuts (4:55.89). In those cases, perhaps the only people more excited than the swimmers are the coaches. We saw one having a nearly-epileptic joyous reaction.

In venue news, the air quality is still poor. The smell of chlorine is fairly thick and irritating. We hear it’s an issue with “air outflow,” i.e. the air conditioning system. Many swimmers, especially asthmatics and those with sensitive eyes, have reported problems. An engineer should be around later today to discuss the issue and its possible remedies.

A glance around the light crowd reveals dozens of lime-green-covered heat sheets, and anyone reading forward has a right to be excited about the upcoming seeded heats of the men’s 100 freestyle, an absolutely loaded event here which features lineups of Olympic quality. Who would you pick to make the A final with heats like these?:

Heat 12/14:
Verlatti, Ryan
Adrian, Nathan
Cramer, Jayme
Jones, Cullen
Weber-Gale, Garrett
Keller, Klete
DeJong, Chris
Walters, David

Heat 13/14
Townsend, Darian (*)
Crocker, Ian
Brunelli, Nick
Neethling, Ryk (*)
Wildman-Tobriner, Ben
Monk, Kenrick (*) (an interesting up-and-comer from New South Wales whose results here will be closely watched)
Berens, Ricky
Basson, Jean (*)

Heat 14/14
Righi, Alex
Vanderkaay, Peter
Woodward, Gabriel (2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the 400 free relay, a seasoned entrant at age 28, seeded at 49.48)
Schoeman, Roland (*)
Walker, Neil
Rogers, Dale
Grant, Andy
Savulich, Bobby
____________________

Those heats alone are worth the price of admission!

Dana Lawrence Lohn
August 1, 11:00 a.m. It is mostly me on Reaction Time this morning, as our intrepid Jason Marsteller has journeyed to Bloomington to visit friends from his former Indiana University Athletic Department days, and John Lohn is writing and posting formal preliminary wrap-ups.

Here comes our first official look at Dara Torres in the 100 freestyle, with many eyes scanning the deck and awaiting her approach. She looks incredible this week, both out of the water (physique) and in it (technique). Look forward to seeing a feature article about Dara in the October issue of Swimming World Magazine.

On the blocks … in she dives, Dara Torres, as the announcer asks racers to pull up. Back out of the water, steps up to the blocks – she will swim. She seems totally unfazed.

She wins by half a body length in 55.51, and qualifies for tonight’s final with the fifth-fastest preliminary time. Just incredible.

Dana Lawrence Lohn
August 1, 11:17 a.m. A nod to Kicker Vencill’s rise over adversity and extremely decent prelim showing in the 100 freestyle; he came thisclose to qualifying for tonight’s C final, but it isn’t to be this time in Indianapolis. Both Cullen Jones and Ian Crocker will appear in tonight’s B final. Check out the A final momentarily when we post preliminary rundowns; suffice it to say that it will have a strong South African presence, squared off by the north (Boston-born Nick Brunelli), south (Texans Garrett Weber-Gale, David Walters and Neil Walker) and west (San Franciscan Ben Wildman-Tobriner).

Dana Lawrence Lohn
August 1, 11:37 a.m. Have you seen those credit card commercials where patrons at a coffee shop or cafeteria behave like a perfectly choreographed system, all moving identically, until one person behaves differently, and it throws the entire system into paralysis? That’s how the warm-up pool is currently looking. This is as busy as we’ve seen it all week, choked by the just-completed 100 free and the current 200 backstroke. There’s backups two or three swimmers thick on each end, and it’s only by considerable graciousness that all are accommodated here. Of course, if anyone stops without warning …

Most amusing foods we’ve seen covertly eaten on deck thus far:
– Hot dogs without buns, dipped directly into ketchup.
– A king-sized Snickers bar, eaten in 3 bites by an international swimmer with one of the most cut torsos on deck.
– Wet peanuts.

Dana Lawrence Lohn
August 1, 11:54 a.m. Big 12 Swimmer of the Year Kristen Heiss (Texas A&M) just put down a 2:11.59 in the unseeded 8th preliminary heat of the 200 backstroke, which gave her the second slot in tonight’s A final, just behind Katie Hoff. Apparently the state of Indiana is a lucky charm for the Heiss family: Kristen’s father, Bill, was a teammate of Gary Hall Sr. and Mark Spitz on the legendary Indiana University 1971 NCAA Championship team. Thanks to Bill Byrne of Texas A&M for the info.

We will provide coverage of the men’s 200 backstroke preliminary results as soon as they’ve concluded.

Dana Lawrence Lohn
August 1, 12:14 p.m. Closing up shop and preparing to cover tonight’s finals. Many thanks for the emails, and don’t hesitate with questions, comments or general thoughts. For those of you here in Indianapolis, make sure to visit the Aqua Zone. Autograph sessions occur nightly from 5-6 p.m, and representatives from Omaha, Nebraska are here to provide detailed travel information and hotel recommendations for the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Jason Marsteller
August 1, 2:07 p.m. Back from Bloomington. Great to see some old friends and acquaintances. Latest news I see on the scoreboard is that Brendan Hansen and Tara Kirk are scheduled for a 45-minute appearance in the Aqua Zone from 5 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. It’s great to see some of the superstars of US swimming taking time to greet the fans.

Jason Marsteller
August 1, 3:40 p.m. Just had a chance to watch the Youtube video connected to Speedo’s banner on our home page. Talk about incredible. It got me pumped up, even sitting here watching a total of 10-15 swimmers training in the pool a few hours before finals. Might want to check the vid out.

Jason Marsteller
August 1, 5:10 p.m. The pool is chock-full of swimmers right now as finals continue to get closer. 50 minutes until we get to watch some more incredibly fast action. See you in a few.

Dana Lawrence Lohn
August 1, 6:15 p.m. The inspirational musical selections have ranged from the highly acceptable – U2’s I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – to the somewhat questionable – we caught selections from the soundtrack of the 2000 dance film Center Stage. There are definitely a wide assortment of musical influences at play here. They just brought out the A final of the women’s 400 IM to the original Jock Jams medley, meaning that eight of the nation’s strongest female swimmers approached their blocks to Tootsie Roll. Ouch.

Jason Marsteller
August 1, 7:15 p.m. The women’s 100 freestyle field felt like a radio show countdown as swimmers born in the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s each competed in the race which Dara Torres at 40 eventually won. Rachel Komisarz represented the 30-somethings at 30, while Christine Magnuson, Amanda Weir and Lacey Nymeyer are each in their 20s. Katie Riefenstahl, Dana Vollmer and Samantha Woodward were the three youngsters in their teens.

Jason Marsteller
August 1, 8:15 p.m. Star-spotting. World-record holder Kate Ziegler is hanging out about three rows away from the media area up in the rafters at the IU Nat on the campus of IUPUI. She’s been extremely gracious with her time as fans continue to drop by and chat with her. Great ambassador for the sport.

Jason Marsteller
August 1, 8:54 p.m. The sport of swimming provides an amazing time for family and friends alike. But, sometimes, that excitement is put into perspective. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Minneapolis, Minn., as three have been found dead as well as a lot of injuries due to collapse of the Mississippi River bridge in the city collapsing during rush hour traffic.

Several coaches and swimmers attached to Minneapolis-based teams are still trying to track down if their family and friends are okay. Here is CNN’s story on the tragedy.

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