2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – RICHMOND
- April 10-13, 2019
- Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Richmond, VA
- Meet information
- Psych Sheets
For the 3rd stop of the 2019 Pro Swim Series in Richmond, Virginia, entry numbers have rebounded – not quite to the levels of prior years’ meet, but enough to fill out most of the finals heats, at least.
Richmond will also mark the return to the series of Katie Ledecky, who swam in Knoxville but skipped Des Moines. The DC-area native is representing her native Nation’s Capital at the meet.
Here’s 5 storylines, including Ledecky, for the meet.
1. Ledecky Will Race the 800 Free
Ledecky swam, and won, 4 individual events in Knoxville: the 200 free, 400 free, 1500 free, and 400 IM. Absent from that list is her signature event the women’s 800 free.
In Richmond, she’s dropped the 1500, added the 800, and has a few races we don’t normally see from her in her schedule. She’s entered in the 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 200 IM, and 400 IM. Her last 200 IM was in 2017, where she swam one race, a 2:18.93 at the Pro Swim Series stop in Mesa. Her lifetime best is a 2:14.36 from March of 2016. Her last 50 free was March of 2016, where she swam a 26.32; her lifetime best is a 25.45 from 2015.
2. Caeleb Dressel in the 200 IM
Caeleb Dressel is the fastest 200 yard IMer in history, but has only swum the race twice in the last 4 years in long course. That includes in May of 2018, when he swam his best time of 2:01.98.
He’s got 8 entries at the meet, which is more than he usually swims, so we can’t be certain of what he’ll swim (or in which suit he’ll swim it, which accidentally became one of the most hot-button stories from Des Moines, after he missed the A-Final in the 100 free while racing in briefs).
In Des Moines, Michael Andrew pipped Caeleb Dressel in the 50 free by a margin of 21.94 to 22.08. This is becoming a great single-event rivalry between America’s two best sprinters.
3. Jack Conger is Back?
No, he didn’t go anywhere. Well, he did move to Virginia.
But Conger, one of the greatest high school backstrokers in history, has been away from the backstrokes for a while. But this weekend, he’s scheduled to swim his first long course 100 backstroke in almost 4 years. He’s the 12th seed in the 100 backstroke.
At Texas, Conger really moved forward as a 200 freestyler and butterflier, mostly, and those have been his focus events in long course as well. There will be some nostalgia if he holds up his entry in the 100 back, though.
4. Sophie Hansson in Long Course
NC State freshman Sophie Hansson had a breakthrough rookie year with the Wolfpack. She swam faster in the 100 yard breaststroke than any other freshman in NCAA history, save for Lilly King.
Last week, her sister Louise followed up on a big NCAA season of her own with a new lifetime best in the 100 meter fly at the Canadian World Championship Trials. Sophie didn’t swim at that meet, but is arguably even more significant toward Sweden’s future in the 400 medley relay.
Her best time in the 100 in long course meters is 1:07.59. If she can swim a 1:06-mid flat-start, and dip into a 1:05-mid on a rolling start, then Sweden has a chance in medals both at the Gwangju World Championships and at the Tokyo Olympics.
5. Katie Meili‘s Long Course Season Debut
Katie Meili declined her spot at the 2019 World Championships to focus on law school, and while she swam at Short Course Worlds, she hasn’t officially raced otherwise since last summer.
But, given the meet’s proximity to Georgetown, about 2 hours south, she’s scheduled to make appearances in the 50 free, 50 breaststroke, and 100 breatstroke.
D.C., where Georgetown is located, is NORTH of Richmond. Your wording makes it sound like it’s the other way around.
The wording is correct, “the meet” is south of G’town.
I love this period of the Year, Just after NCAA . There is swimming all over the place …..Yipeeee
Caeleb Dressel is the fastest 200 yards IMer in history
Fixed it
Would’ve added in the women’s 400 IM battle, as well a second returning/comeback swimmers for the Olympic year (as always the case). Example: Leah Gingrich.
Who else read ‘pipped’ as ‘piped’
Always thought it was unfortunate that Conger gave up (or was told to give up) the backstroke at UT after his sophomore year. I mean a 1:55 200 LCM back in 2013 (18th all-time best, and 6 ahead of him have retired, don’t swim it — Lochte — or haven’t been close to their best —- Larkin; 0.7 sec behind Pebley’s best). Should’ve been developed, especially how Shebat and Katz have developed since. Maybe short-sighted to go all in for Rio in the free/fly and hoping for fly glory in the post-Phelps era. He was probably a better LCM than SCY backer, too. Lots of guys can go 1:38 SCY — not many of those guys can go 1:55 LCM.
I can’t wait to see what they can do. Sounds like some very interesting storylines.
“This is becoming a great single-event rivalry between America’s two best sprinters.”
Last I checked, Nathan Adrian wasn’t dead. And even if he was, I wouldn’t count him out.
Nobody said that about Adrian (and, frankly, that’s a poor choice of words considering he’s battling cancer) — but Dressel and Andrew are simply the best two LCM 50 free sprinters right now. It’s just a factual statement.
That was exactly my point. I don’t think it’s fair or accurate to unequivocally call Dressel and Andrew the two best when someone who should be in the conversation isn’t able to stake a claim at the moment. Two of the best, sure.
If you believe “sprinters” is confined to a 50. Every previous Olympic 50 winner also swam a very strong 100 free (all but Ervin medaled at least once, and Ervin was a 47 high on the relay at Rio).
Although Ervin never medaled in 100 free individual event at the Olympics, he was the 100 free CHAMPION at the 2001 Worlds. That makes him a bona fide 100 swimmer.
(Not any more.)