2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE
- January 10-13, 2024
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- LCM (50 meters)
- Start Times
- Wednesday Distance: 5pm (EST)
- All Prelims: 9am (EST)
- Thurs-Sat Finals: 6pm (EST)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Day 1 Finals Live Recap
With the first full day of the 2024 Pro Swim Series in Knoxville just hours away, let’s take a look at the notable scratches for Thursday’s prelims session.
Headlining the scratches is star sprinter Caeleb Dressel, who announced via his Instagram account that’s he’s pulling out of the entire meet. Dressel’s reasoning for not traveling to Knoxville is that his wife’s due date for their first child is too close. In a post on his IG story, Dressel said “I will not be at the Knoxville Pro Swim this weekend. We are a little too close to Meghan’s due date. Wish I could be there!”
Dressel was set to race the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, and 100 fly this weekend. With Dressel out of this stop, his next opportunity to compete in a Pro Swim Series will be at the Westmont stop in early March.
After making his return to competition following a lengthy break, Dressel has started to gain some momentum as we speed towards the Olympic Trials. At the US Open at the end of November/beginning of December, Dressel posted a 21.99 50 free, 48.85 100 free, and 51.31 100 fly. With the birth of his child on the horizon, we are probably going to have to wait a little longer to see Dressel race again, however, given his US Open performances, he does appear to be on track to be back in top racing shape heading into the summer.
Outside of Dressel pulling out of the meet, other notable scratches for Thursday prelims include Canadian Penny Oleksiak. Coming in as the #4 seed in the women’s 100 free on the psych sheet, Oleksiak, who tied for Gold in the event at the 2016 Olympics, has pulled out of the day. Former Canadian swimmer Kayla Sanchez, who represents Mission Viejo Nadadores alongside Oleksiak, and who now represents the Philippines internationally, has also pulled out of the women’s 100 free. While they have both scratched, Taylor Ruck, another Mission Viejo swimmer, is still set to race this morning. Olivia Smoliga is another notable scratch in the women’s 100 free. Smoliga was the #6 seed heading into the meet.
In the men’s 100 free, Drew Kibler is among the interesting scratches. Kibler, who moved out to Arizona State to train over the summer, was the #12 seed in the event, coming in with a 48.25. He was also seeded highly in the men’s 400 free this morning but has scratched that event as well.
Another ASU pro, Regan Smith, has pulled out of the day. Smith was the top seed in the women’s 200 fly on the psych sheet but won’t be racing in Knoxville, at least on Thursday. We’ll see if she shows for the final two days of the meet. Smith was also entered in the 100 free this morning but has scratched that as well.
Chase Kalisz, yet another ASU pro, has scratched the day as well. Kalisz was set to swim to men’s 200 fly but isn’t on the heat sheet this morning.
NC State’s Ross Dant came in as the #4 seed in the men’s 400 free but has scratched the event this morning.
He knew his wife’s due date when he entered the event!
All these pros scratching but meanwhile halfway across the world Chad Chalmers is racing the 800
Is Ruck at ASU or MVN? Has Penny raced… any meets since her ‘return’ from injury?
I love that Caeleb was communicative through social media that he wouldn’t be there. I am by no means saying he owes us an explanation at all, but it is nice to know why he pulled out, especially when its such a good and special reason like having a baby.
Agreed 👍
Disappointed was really looking forward to his swims. However January seems like the perfect time to have child going into the Summer Olympics. The dad buff is gonna be crazy.
Pretty Selfish and going to make this a BIG money grab story at the Olympics.. I used to like dressel a lot more but it seems like me and many others dont like him as much. SAD to see….
What are you talking about you weirdo?
Selfish?! Caeleb will have many opportunities to show us fast swimming in the near future, but the birth of your first child comes only once in a lifetime…based on what I can tell about his personality, Caeleb would have felt very guilty if he was not by his wife’s side when Baby Dressel was born. Caeleb is not selfish at all, his first priority here is to his family.
Correct, people should not be insensitive
Ahh yes, yee ol’ “having a baby” cash grab stunt. Get real, Mark.
Remember the days when Phelps, Lochte and Adrian would show up to every one of these?
Pepperidge Farms remembers.
Flu season?