Clary: “Making The U.S. Team Is Harder Than Medaling At The Olympics”

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Jim
8 years ago

If you make a U.S. Relay, you’re most likely to medal. Making that relay can be tough, certainly compared to any other country. Seems the statement has some validity.

RL
8 years ago

I have heard many Olympians say that the PRESSURE is more intense at the trials. Once you’ve made the team, you are always an Olympian, and no one can take that away from you. It is certainly harder for US swimmers to medal than it used to be. I wish more of our swimmers spent some time training overseas with great swimmers and coaches. I’ll bet we could learn some things from the Aussies, the Brits, the Japanese, the French, the Brazilians, the Dutch, etc. I’d particularly like to find out why our female sprinters have fallen so far behind, especially considering the size of our population. This is not a knock on our great sprinters like Simone, Natalie, etc.… Read more »

bobo gigi
8 years ago

The key for all US swimmers is to qualify for the olympic games not fully tapered.
Saving the taper for Rio.
But only a few big names can have that luxury. Even Katie Ledecky will have to battle in the 200 free.
Most of swimmers must be at 100% at trials to qualify and many pay the price at olympic games one month later with slower times.
Swimmers from other nations don’t have that problem and have just to peak one time.
That double taper can be hard to manage.
On the other hand it didn’t prevent USA from being absolutely dominant in 2012 with 16 golds out of 32 events.
So it… Read more »

BeeGees
Reply to  bobo gigi
8 years ago

Hi Bobo,

Don’t you worry about American swimmers’ ability to hold extended taper or do double mini taper.
Facts ie. past Olympics results have shown this is not an issue.
Shouldn’t you worry more about the state of women’s swimming in France?
Any tips on next french female swimmer to step into greatness following Laure and Camille?

bobo gigi
8 years ago

It just depends on the event.
I agree it’s the case just in a few events.

On women’s sprint it’s definitely much more easier to make the US team than medaling.
But on men’s backstroke it’s harder considering the depth about 52 mid/53 low.

Maybe the event which represents the most that situation will be the women’s 200 free with a 3-girl battle between:

– Katie Ledecky, the 2015 world champion
– Missy Franklin, the 2013 world champion and 2015 world bronze medalist
– Allison Schmitt, the 2012 olympic champion and fastest ever in textile

If Katie Ledecky believed she could swim at olympic trials at only 80% considering her margin and could save her taper… Read more »

emg1986
Reply to  bobo gigi
8 years ago

I’m not sure you can say ANY event is easier to medal in at olympics than to make the US team. For that to be the case the americans would have to have 1-2 in the world in that event. At the moment there is only one event that the USA has the top 2 in the world: the mens 200 im, which is only by default (I suspect Hagino is faster than Lochte at the moment). As for the backstrokes, to say the olympics is easier than the US trials is a slap in the face to the likes of Larkin, Irie, Jaiyu Xu, Rylov, Walker Hebborn and Lacourt, who have all gone sub 53.

I don’t even… Read more »

sven
8 years ago

In fairness to Clary, his words were “they say making the U.S. Olympic team is harder than medaling at the Olympics” and he then added “at least that’s how it’s been in the past.” So I think he knows that that isn’t quite true any more. I think it’s just his way of demonstrating that nothing is guaranteed as far as qualification, even if he is the defending gold medalist.

Hank
8 years ago

Lochtes 4im at Duel in the pool was dominating. Why would he not defend his Olympic title in the event?

bobo gigi
Reply to  Hank
8 years ago

Why?
With all the respect due to that great champion:
– because he’s old
– because his 400 IM at Duel in the pool was slow.
– because he was exhausted after the race and has just tried to survive.
– because he has survived only because it was short course.
– because he doesn’t train anymore for that event.
– because his only individual medal chance in Rio is the 200 IM and he should save his energy for that event.

bad anon
8 years ago

Clary on the decline at Swimmac. That club is somewhat overrated; except for Katie Meili and Lochte other guys not really showing improvement.. Doubt Clary will even make Olympic team; Marsh is good but just overrated

Lazy Observer
Reply to  bad anon
8 years ago

Lol. Last year NBAC was overrated. Then Cal women. Maybe the clubs aren’t overrated. Maybe people’s expectation that clubs can keep every single swimmer competitive regardless of their personal motivation, age, health, and circumstances is overrated.

swimdoc
Reply to  Lazy Observer
8 years ago

You’re right. Now it’s Marsh. At Worlds, it was bashing McKeever, and before that Bowman. Oops, Phelps swam fast again (and now Schmitt, too), so let’s forget what we said about Bowman.

We should have a SwimSwam poll on which ridiculously successful coach will be up next for this dismissal of coaches as being overrated. I’m putting my bet on Eddie Reese. Why not go all in. Likeable, historically successful — yep, I’m going with Eddie.

Steve-O Nolan
Reply to  bad anon
8 years ago

This comment might look VERY dumb in a couple of months.

Could most of the guys flop? Sure, they’re mainly “older” swimmers so a bit of a decline shouldn’t be shocking. But based off that club’s success in 2012, I wouldn’t bet on it.

luis_swim
8 years ago

I am sorry for Clary, but I see some doubts on him making the US Olympic Team at 100%. I just don’t understand the fact of changing your coach and your team after winning the Olympic Crown. It’s evident that Clary doesn’t finishis his races like he used to do in the past, since the move to Charlotte. I mean… If something works, there is no need to change it. And basically that is what has happened to him.

Apart from Ryan Murphy (I consider him a lock in this race and in the 100m), there are some factors to consider:
-What will Ryan Lochte do? I think he will chose to swim only the 200IM because of… Read more »

About Hannah Hecht

Hannah Hecht

Hannah Hecht grew up in Kansas and spent most of her childhood trying to convince coaches to let her swim backstroke in freestyle sets. She took her passion to Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa and swam at NAIA Nationals all four years. After graduating in 2015, she moved to …

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