Ryan Lochte’s coach David Marsh tells us that Lochte will be scratching out of the finals of the men’s 200 free to focus on the 200 backstroke instead.
Lochte was the 3rd seed in prelims of the 200 free in 1:47.41, and within half-a-second of the top seeded Matt McLean (and Lochte was a heat winner). He was only 7th in the 200 back in 1:59.02, where he’ll likely have to drop over two seconds to win the race over a very-hot Tyler Clary.
This is an interesting decision in that Lochte’s result in the 200 back is meaningless in terms of Pan Pacs qualifying. With a silver medal in the 100 free on Wednesday, he’s already on the team, which means that he will be swimming at Pan Pacs and can enter as many other events as he wants (including the 200 backstroke). By scratching out of the 200 free, though, it means he won’t be selected for that relay.
While the coaching staff at Pan Pacs has the right to choose from outside of the top four in the individual final to be on the relay, it would be a highly controversial decision if they did. Barring the test of the coaches’ discretion clause, that means the U.S. 800 free relay will be without Lochte or Phelps for the first time in a very, very long while.
This scratch moves Michigan’s Michael Wynalda (1:48.54) up into the A-Final, which is a huge victory for him. Wynalda swam very well at the World University Games last year and is looking to move up in the pecking order, and now a top-four spot is only about half-a-second away.
To see the heat sheets for the 200 free, click here.
To see the heat sheets for the 200 back, click here.
If the focus is 2015 WC’s, this kind of makes sense to me. The way I see it, this mornings 200 free was a dress rehearsal, and tonight he will try to put up the kind of time in the back that will get him to WC’s no matter what Murphy/Pebley/Clary/etc. go in it at Pan Pacs. Then, at Pan Pacs, he has the 200 free first and can put all his energy toward that and then turn around and do the 200 back with whatever is left in the tank and no pressure about making WC’s because of his Nationals time. Seems crafty to me, unless I’m missing something.
Of course, if that is his/their plan, 1) it gambles… Read more »
It’s the coach’s job to put the 4 swimmers with the best shot at winning on the relay. Why would you leave a guy you thought gave the team a better chance to win on the bench because he didn’t make it “legitimately?”
Just out of curiosity, I wonder who is swimming in the NBAC 4×200 relay.
i will eat my hat if both lochte and phelps dont swim in the 4 x 2 free at the pan pacs !
The Dragon is in!
What a surprise! 😆
It was obvious he would scratch the 200 free.
He doesn’t need to swim it to be in the relay and I think he will never again swim that event at worlds or olympics in individual. And he has the 200 back just after.
The weird thing was to see him swim the prelims. It was useless.
Other remark about Ryan : he is very crafty!
He always does the minimum in prelims to save energy, ok, but I also suspect him of making everything to swim in an outside lane in final. 😆
He was in lane 8 yesterday in the 100 free final.
He’s in lane 1 tonight in the 200 back final.
And tomorrow is the 100 fly so probably better to only swim one event at finals.
I think coming off the knee injury, he needed to swim it in prelims to help justify swimming the relay even if he were to scratch the 200 free final, as he did.
The coaches are going to take some heat if they don’t swim a guy who qualifies just for the relay.
But, presumably, all of the guys who qualify just through the relay will also swim the 200 free individually on Day 1 of Pan Pacs, since each country is allowed unlimited entries. The 4×200 isn’t until Day 2, meaning the coaches should have some additional results to work from before making relay decisions.
And scratching the 200 back instead of the 200 free also would have given younger swimmers more a chance to shine. The US is deeper in the 200 back than the 200 free right now. Also, the US is going to take 26 swimmers one way or the other, every time someone qualifies in two or more events, the better the chances we can take the top four in each event.
Seems odd since he has already qualified and could swim the 200 back at pan pacs (and thus still qualify for the WC). I guess he could be trying to limit the continued competition in the 200 back for a WC spot at Pan Pacs (assuming they are less likely to qualify for the team in another event).
I actually think going with a 4 man relay pick instead of 6 it will make it easier for the coaches to justify substituting Lochte or Phelps in the event of an slow relay leg morning swim.
no prelims for relays at pan pacs
Which leads to great things like Australia’s men’s 400 A medley losing to their B medley 🙂
Thanks, did not know that.
There is no prelim relays on Pan Pacs..