COLORADO SPRINGS \u2013 A number of Olympic gold medalists, including Nathan Adrian (Bremerton, Wash.), Katie Ledecky (Bethesda, Md.) and Ryan Lochte (Daytona Beach, Fla.), are expected to headline a top-flight field for the Jan. 15-17 Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin.<\/p>\n
The three-day meet serves as the second stop of the 2014-15 Arena Pro Swim Series \u2013 formerly known as the Arena Grand Prix Series \u2013 and will take place at the University of Texas\u2019 Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.<\/p>\n
Prelims will begin each day at 9 a.m. CST, followed by finals at 6 p.m. CST.<\/p>\n
Universal Sports Network will air exclusive live television coverage of the meet Friday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. EST with veteran play-by-play announcer Paul Sunderland and analyst Rowdy Gaines calling the action from Austin. Additionally, a webcast of the complete meet will be available at usaswimming.org.<\/p>\n
Fellow gold medalists expected to swim in Austin include the likes of Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif.), Anthony Ervin (Valencia, Calif.) and Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill.). In total, more than 40 National Team members are expected to compete.<\/p>\n
Nearly 20 University of Texas men\u2019s swimmers are slated to swim, and Texas alumni expected to hit the pool include USA Swimming National Team members Jimmy Feigen (San Antonio, Texas) and Michael McBroom (The Woodlands, Texas).<\/p>\n
Tickets are required for each session, and all-session passes are on sale now. Single-session tickets will be for sale on-site at the Swimming Center during the meet. Full meet information can be found at usaswimming.org.<\/p>\n
The Arena Pro Swim Series at Austin is the second of six stops of the 2014-15 Arena Pro Swim Series, which was formerly known as the Arena Grand Prix Series prior to this week\u2019s rebranding announcement. The series provides the nation\u2019s best swimmers an opportunity to face top-flight competition on U.S. soil with twice the prize money as last season on the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing the Arena Pro Swim Series name makes it immediately recognizable to fans and media that our sport\u2019s absolute best athletes are racing in the hometowns of swimmers and sports fans,\u201d said USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch. \u201cAt the same time, anyone who posts a qualifying time is eligible, just as it has been, so it creates a unique opportunity for high school and collegiate swimmers to challenge themselves against top competition. In many ways, it\u2019s like playing in the same game as LeBron James or a Tour event with Tiger Woods.\u201d<\/p>\n
As part of USA Swimming\u2019s partnership with swimwear leader Arena, the Arena Pro Swim Series features $300,000 in overall prize money. Eligible swimmers may earn awards for top-three finishes in all individual Olympic events across the series. At each meet, $1,000 will be provided for a first-place finish, $600 for second and $200 for third. In addition to the single-event prize money, the overall male and female winners of the season-long Series will earn a $10,000 bonus.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a company wholly committed to the sport of swimming, Arena is proud to again present fans across the nation with the opportunity to see the best swimmers in the world, right in their hometowns,\u201d said Vice President and General Manager of Arena North America Tim McCool. \u201cThe rebranding efforts around the Arena Pro Swim Series seek to reinforce that message, and ideally grow the sport of swimming at the grassroots and elite levels. Arena signed its historic partnership with USA Swimming with those goals firmly in mind, and we remain committed, through our exclusive sponsorship of the U.S. National Team and title sponsorship of the Arena Pro Swim Series, to elevating our sport hand-in-hand with the nation’s governing body.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the second consecutive season, USA Swimming partner BMW will award the grand prize of a one-year lease of a BMW vehicle to the highest-scoring eligible male and female U.S. swimmers.<\/p>\n
Male and female overall Arena Pro Swim Series champions will be honored at the conclusion of the 2014-15 series based on the number of points accumulated throughout the six meets. Participants will be awarded points in each individual Olympic event throughout the duration of the Series (Five points for first, three for second, one point for third place).<\/p>\n
Clary currently leads the men\u2019s series standings with 19 points after the opening meet in Minneapolis, while Olympic medalist Elizabeth Beisel (Saunderstown, R.I.), who is also scheduled to compete next week, tops the women\u2019s standings with 21.5 points.<\/p>\n
Complementing the professional athletes, high school and collegiate swimmers will be able challenge their abilities against top competition without compromising their NCAA eligibility. USA Swimming received approval from the NCAA for the Arena Pro Swim Series title.<\/p>\n