2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials
- April 26-30, 2022
- Greensboro, NC
- Greensboro Aquatic Center
- LCM (50m)
- Start Times: Prelims – 9 am ET / Finals – 6 pm ET
- Worlds Qualifying Criteria
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- SwimSwam Pick ‘Em Contest
- How To Watch
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
It’s been a great week of racing in Greensboro, but all good things must come to an end. It’s day 5, and the last session of 2022 U.S International Team Trials. The Worlds team is almost set, though there are a couple swimmers looking hoping to lock in their first berths. On tap is the women’s 500 free, 200 IM, men’s 800 free, and 50 free.
Katie Ledecky looks to make it four-for-four tonight in the women’s 1500. She’s already won the 200/400/800 this week. 400 IM champion Katie Grimes comes in as the #2 seed and she’s got Sandpiper teammates Bella Sims and Paige Kuwata with her in the heat as well. Either of them, along with #3 seed Sierra Schmidt could challenge for second place.
After Alex Walsh, the women’s 200 IM is wide open. Expect Beata Nelson and Leah Hayes to push her though–they’re both still hoping to land a spot on the Worlds team.
The men’s 200 IM could see a repeat of the battle in the 400 IM between Chase Kalisz and Carson Foster, but there are swimmers who could break up the 1-2. Trenton Julian qualified second with a 1:58.30 and is having a great meet. Kieran Smith added 2.37 seconds from his seed time to qualify seventh. Could he be saving something for tonight?
After getting out-touched in the 400 free, Ross Dant looks to bounce back tonight and qualify in the 800 free. Bobby Finke is the favorite to win, but the race for second could get interesting. Also in the mix is Charlie Clark, who made the team in the 1500. There’s also Will Gallant, who scratched the 400 free on Day 4, presumably to focus on this race.
Erika Brown leads the women’s 50 free with a 24.48 from prelims. She’ll have seven of her Olympic teammates in the field with her though, so a win isn’t from a sure thing. Among them is Abbey Weitzeil, who hasn’t made the Worlds team yet, and Claire Curzan, who already has a busy Worlds schedule.
It’ll be a close race in the men’s 50 free as well. Michael Andrew qualified first in 21.68, three hundredths ahead of Caeleb Dressel. This will be their third head-to-head of the week. Brooks Curry, Ryan Held, and David Curtiss were all also under 22 seconds this morning, though they’ll have to drop time to unseat Dressel and Andrew.
Anyone know the name of the male announcer on the USA Swimming stream?
Does anyone know why Bobby Finke keeps competing for slots in the 400 IM instead of the 400 free? Is it purely a case of personal preference, because given his skill set and the relative depth of the events you have to assume he would have a better shot in the 400 free.
If am not wrong, he said in an interview and he doesn’t have endurance for the 400 free. Meaning, that he needs to build his swims and then sprint at the end (if needed). 400 free is more like a sprint for 4 laps to him which is not his strong suit.
Interesting.
He was really solid this year at the 400 IM. 4:10 is no joke for a 14:39 miler
Let’s go Sierra
I just want to see her dancing
How to watch finals?
https://www.usaswimming.org/watch
it’s on cnbc tonight too, if you have that channel
https://www.usaswimming.org/utility/landing-pages/streaming
Katie Grimes has huge advantage in personal best against all contenders for the second place after Ledecky. I wish Bella Sims drops 22 sec in personal best to go under 16min to make this competition interesting. She has a good meet so far.
Erika Brown fell off to 24.93 in the final last year. But she already had the 100 individual spot, unlike this year. I expect urgency from her and likewise Weitzeil. But Weitzeil seems to be in a non-Olympic year lull. I’m rooting for Gretchen but realistically she’s still too gangly and not yet matured into her body to have the flat start twitch and explosiveness of the other stars. Late bloomer type. Douglass was 24.78 in the final last year. I think she views improvement in the 50 as more interesting and greater challenge than maintaining in the 200 medley. Curzan is a grinning thief who doesn’t care what she takes from others.
totally agree about g walsh. I feel like she needs to just get stronger
Harsh take on Curzan! There’s nothing to take FROM anyone else. Just roster spots available for the first two finishers.
Agreed regarding what was said about Curzan… she’s not a “thief,” she just swam faster than the people she beat lol. Do you expect her to give up her worlds berths to other swimmers? Or just swim slower and not place 1st or 2nd?
Abby & Kate will win the 50m free, and I have a feeling that someone will beat out MA in the men’s 50m free.
umm dressel…
I’m assuming that CD will win the 50m free and someone else will beat MA. It’s a gut feeling.
Boy – was l wrong. Good for MA! Kate, a bad decision.
2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials
Women’s 1500 meter freestyle
Katie Ledecky and the Sandpipers of Nevada
This has cracked me up 👏👏👏
Do you mean quacked you up lol
Imagine downvoting this?