USA Swimming Announces Selection Procedures for World Championships, World University Games

Photo Courtesy: Matt Rubel of Rubel Photography

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USA Swimming has posted the qualifying procedures for this summer’s major international meets, the FINA World Championships and the World University Games. Teams for both meets will be selected at the U.S. National Championships at the IUPUI Natatorium, July 27-July 1.

For the World Championships, which will be held July 23-30 in Budapest, Hungary, USA Swimming will send a maximum of 26 women and 26 men. Selection will be based on the results from Indianapolis and follow these five priorities (for both women and men):

Priority No. 1: The top finisher in every Olympic event plus the top four finishers in the 100 and 200 free
Priority No. 2: The second-place finisher in every Olympic event
Priority No. 3: The top finisher in every non-Olympic event (50s of stroke plus women’s 1500 and men’s 800 free)
Priority No. 4: The fifth-place finisher in the 100 and 200 free
Priority No. 5: The sixth-place finisher in the 100 and 200 free

Based on the near inevitablity of swimmers qualifying in multiple events, all of those priorities are likely, although not guaranteed, to be exhausted. The U.S. will almost certainly enter two swimmers in each non-Olympic event, but those spots will be filled by swimmers already on the team elsewhere.

The full guidelines, as released by USA Swimming, can be found here.

As for the World University Games, scheduled to be held in Chinese Tapei from Aug. 20-26, and USA Swimming will take 20 athletes per gender. All American athletes who qualify for the World Championships are ineligible for the World University Games.

To be eligible under FISU rules, swimmers going to WUGs must be between 17 and 23 years old as of Aug. 20 and must “be officially registered proceeding towards a degree or diploma at a university or similar institution whose status is recognized by the appropriate national academic authority of the United States,” or else be approved as recent graduates.

The first priority for WUGs selection will be the top eligible finisher (i.e., not qualified for World Championships) in every Olympic event and the top two qualifiers in the 100 and 200 free. A second priority would allow the second eligible finisher in Olympic events to join the team, and the third priority is for the third-highest-ranked swimmer in the 100 and 200 free per gender.

Full selection criteria are available here.

Click here to find more from USA Swimming.

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