UPDATE: Weitzeil a DFS in 200 FR with Arm Injury, TBD for Rest of the Meet

2020 PAC-12 WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

UPDATE 2: Weitzeil was seen on deck wearing a sling Friday night during finals. According to Cal Head Coach Teri McKeever, she hyper-extended her arm on the finish of the 50 freestyle last night.

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Cal has confirmed that Weitzeil injured her arm on the finish of the 50 free last night. She will be evaluated session-by-session to determine her status for the rest of the meet.

After a record-breaking performance in the 50 free on day 1, Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil declared a false start in the 200 free in Friday prelims. Weitzeil was also noticeably absent on the 200 free relay last night, though Cal still won that race by a large margin. That came shortly after Weitzeil set the Pac-12 Meet Record in the 50 free with the 3rd fastest swim in history.

Weitzeil is the only swimmer in the Pac-12 who has broken 1:43 this season. She came into the meet with a season-best 1:42.25. Cal will still have Robin Neumann in the championship heat, but missing the defending champion is a setback for the Bears.

SwimSwam has reached out to a Cal spokesperson for comment.

Cal is currently running 2nd behind Stanford, with USC just 40 points behind. The Trojans also had a setback this morning, as 2nd-seed Laticia Transom, one of the favorites to win this race, was disqualified in prelims. Transom had the fastest split of the field on the 800 free relay. UPDATE: Transom’s DQ has been overturned.

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tiny bird
4 years ago

trigger warning: hater alert

uhh… if she appears again on a relay later with a stellar time i’ll sortof be like wtf

Sccoach
Reply to  tiny bird
4 years ago

This phenomenon is called Paul Pierceing

PK doesn’t like his long name
Reply to  Sccoach
4 years ago

Okay Dubs fan 🙂

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Sccoach
4 years ago

Very underrated comment. Well-played.

Stutmuffin
4 years ago

Brown never hurts her arm on finishes. Must be a technique thing?

Frenchkizzer
Reply to  Stutmuffin
4 years ago

Brown does not swim as fast as Weitzeil!

Billy Howard
Reply to  Stutmuffin
4 years ago

I think it is a very unintended consequence of her completely straight-arm recovery.

Dmswim
Reply to  Stutmuffin
4 years ago

Or a flexibility thing. Weitzeil may have joints that hyperextend more easily.

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Dmswim
4 years ago

Exactly.

Swamfan
4 years ago

Noooo. I really hope she recovers quickly and is back for NCAA’s and of course OT. Is it the same arm she injured on the 200 medley relay finish last year at NCAAs?

Jake
Reply to  Swamfan
4 years ago

It’s her right arm again. Same side she injured last year.

Nswim
4 years ago

She’s so fast the human body hasn’t evolved to keep up with her

Aquajosh
4 years ago

Damn, can she catch a break??

DravenOP
4 years ago

Video doesn’t look great. Hope she can get better. Looking forward to seeing crazy times in March from her.

OG Prodigy
4 years ago

Huge respects, full send every time! Wishing her a speedy recovery

Billy Howard
4 years ago

Watching the video (especially the overhead view), you can see that she locks her elbow and doesn’t absorb any of her momentum, so it all drives straight back up the arm through the wrist and shoulder. It looked painful. It looked like she grabbed her wrist at the very end.

Dudeman
Reply to  Billy Howard
4 years ago

I noticed the same thing, her arm was locked out but she slammed right into the wall. I was more impressed she got a straight arm stroke over in the little distance she had left, I thought she would have glided based on how far from the wall she was on the second-to-last stroke

swimgeek
Reply to  Billy Howard
4 years ago

Dressel and most sprinters spin 180 degrees to their back immediately after the touch to absorb that impact/speed. Sprinters are going so fast now that this is something you need to plan for — can you imagine if 100-meter sprinters in running had to hit a solid wall at the finish?!

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  swimgeek
4 years ago

It’s primarily for maximum extension, not to absorb the impact. Those sprinters can bench 250lbs easily, do overhead presses, snatches and the rest. The impact of the wall at 4 mph isn’t going to phase them. You finish with your shoulders square to the wall, and you’re gonna lose. Just like touching a basketball rim is easier with one hand than both. They’re taught to finish so their back hits the wall. She must have really hyperextensible elbows that don’t keep the joint and arm in alignment on contact with the wall.

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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