Tom Shields Scratches 50 Fly A Final in Indy After 23.90 Prelim Swim

2017 U.S. NATIONALS/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TRIALS

After going 23.90 this morning and securing a spot in the 50 fly A final, Tom Shields has scratched out of the final tonight. That was nearly a best time for Shields– his lifetime best is a 23.85 from a FINA World Cup meet in August of 2015.  Today was also his first time under 24 seconds since that August.

DAY 2 FINALS START LISTS

Still, he was over six tenths behind prelims top finisher Cullen Jones (23.26). Shields missed the 200 fly A final yesterday and ended up scratching out of the B final, there. His last shot at making the Worlds team is in the 100 fly tomorrow, where his 51.20 seed time ranks him first overall.

Brooke Forde and Madisyn Cox, both making the 200 breast B final, scratched from that race tonight. They’re both IM’ers, and they will be gunning for Worlds team spots in the 200 and 400 IM later on in the meet.

Jack Conger, who already qualified for Budapest after winning the 200 fly last night, won’t swim in the 200 free B final. He swam the 16th-best time this morning, a 1:48.71, and Grant Shoults of Stanford now gets to swim in the B final. Also scratching out of the B final, on the women’s side, was Sarah Gibson of Texas A&M. Gibson was 1:59.31 this morning to tie for 9th.

There were no A or B final scratches in the men’s and women’s 200 backstroke, the women’s 50 fly, and the men’s 200 breaststroke.

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Gator fan
7 years ago

Off topic question, does anyone know if Ervin was suppose to swim the 100?

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Gator fan
7 years ago

not at all . He is only entered in the 50 free

sven
7 years ago

We’ll see what happens. I think he acknowledges he doesn’t have the same speed as Dressel and Jones, but that 23.85 was done just shortly after he went 51.0 in Budapest, so to be 23.9 right now might be a decent sign for his 100. His 200 performance doesn’t worry me too much. His last two 50’s were consistent, rather than being 29.x/32.0 as we’ve seen when he’s really racing, so I don’t think he died, I think he just went too easy and assumed he could coast into the top 8.

Bottom line, I think he’s in shape and his speed seems to be there, so I’m fairly optimistic about this 100 tomorrow.

sven
Reply to  sven
7 years ago

Correction, I meant to say 51.0 in Kazan. Whatever.

korn
Reply to  sven
7 years ago

sounds like you are trying to rationalize Tom’s performances.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  korn
7 years ago

fairly so – he deserves it

sven
Reply to  korn
7 years ago

I’m just looking at past performances and noticing patterns. When people talk about the piano on his back, the race typically looks something like 26/29/30low/33, but this one ended on 31/31. Around the time that he went 51.0 in the 100, he also went 23.85 in the 50. He went 23.90 in the 50 today, so he might be in shape to be 51low which will probably be enough to get a spot on the team.

Obviously we won’t know anything for sure until tomorrow, but I don’t think my logic is unreasonable.

Taa
Reply to  sven
7 years ago

looking at the 50fly results and the times in recent months there doesn’t appear to be any solid contenders to go 51 low so I think 51.5 is going to be fast enough.

Blackflag82
7 years ago

So far Shields is doing a good job of gunking up my Pick’em choices

Ervin
7 years ago

Womp womp

Joe
7 years ago

Kind of wanted Conger to give the 200 free another shot. But with the 100 fly tomorrow guess he thought the rest was more important.

Uberfan
Reply to  Joe
7 years ago

And what would be the point? He can’t make the team in it now

stoobie
Reply to  Uberfan
7 years ago

I believe he is available for the 800 free relay since he already made the World’s team.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  stoobie
7 years ago

totally right

Go Bearcats
Reply to  Uberfan
7 years ago

He can still swim in the 800 relay (like DiRado in Rio for the women). I honestly think they should throw him on the prelim relay after his performance in Rio.

Editor
Reply to  Go Bearcats
7 years ago

The problem with throwing him on prelims is that it would likely either a) take away a spot from someone who already made the team solely to swim that relay or b) mean you take one of the guys who made the team for the relay and advance them straight to the final. The second option might be more likely if, say, Dressel places 3rd tonight with a strong time, so he sits out the relay prelims in Budapest and only swims the relay final. We’ll have a better idea here in about 100 minutes. 🙂

Steve Nolan
7 years ago

“That was nearly a best time for Shields– his lifetime best is a 23.85 from a FINA World Cup meet in August of 2015. It was also his first time under 24 seconds.”

ÂżQue?

Pvdh
7 years ago

Feeling like it’s going to be Dressel/Conger

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Pvdh
7 years ago

Jones/Dressel

Go Bearcats
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
7 years ago

We’re speaking 100 fly. No chance Jones makes 100 fly.

Brownie
Reply to  Pvdh
7 years ago

Shields window to make the team is looking smaller and smaller with each day now

E Gamble
Reply to  Pvdh
7 years ago

I think you were talking about the 100 fly correct?

Pvdh
Reply to  E Gamble
7 years ago

Correct

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

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