Five Storylines to Follow at the 2019 Pro Swim Series – Knoxville

2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

It’s the first Pro Swim Series since last year! Haha. This is the first time Knoxville will play host to a PSS, with a ton of talent expected to compete this week and plenty of great races awaiting. Below, we’ve gone through the psych sheets and picked out five key storylines to pay attention to.

This is not an exhaustive list of storylines/points of intrigue, but five big things to focus on before the meet starts on Wednesday. Feel free to leave any additional things to watch for in the comments!

Chase Kalisz Returns

The best male American IM’er since the Phelps/Lochte era, Chase Kalisz has been dominating every international major meet in recent memory. But, we haven’t seen Kalisz in awhile. He has no registered swims on the USA Swimming database for the 2018-19 season, and hasn’t had any significant racing since the 2018 Pan Pac Champs, where he won gold in the 200 and 400 IM.

No 400 IM this week for Kalisz, but he’s still entered in plenty: the 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 free, 100 fly, and the 200 IM.

– The Canadians Are Coming

No, not University of Tennessee junior Tess Cieplucha, a Toronto native. But, there will be a strong contingent from up north competing in Knoxville this week.

Among the headliners are HPC-Ontario stars Penny Oleksiak and Kayla Sanchez. Part of the Canadian youth wave, Oleksiak is seeded 2nd in the 50 fly, 100 fly, and 100 free, and she’s also entered in the 200 fly. She’ll tangle with Americans Simone Manuel and Kelsi Dahlia; Manuel and Dahlia in the 100 free, and Dahlia in the butterfly races. Sanchez, meanwhile, took down several WJRs and Canadian records in SCM at the end of 2018, and she’s looking stronger and stronger.

Breaststroker Kierra Smith is another high profile Canadian expected to race, along with freestyler/backstroker Kennedy Goss, butterflier Mack Darragh, and rising teenage breaststroker Gabe Mastromatteo.

– Fall Yards Stars Suit Up For LCM

We’ve heard a lot lately about Luca Urlando of DART and Erica Sullivan of Sandpipers of Nevada. Urlando seriously upped his game in 2018, winding up with three new NAG records in the 15-16 category, one of which was previously held by Michael Phelps. Sullivan, for her part, announced she’d be holding off on going to USC until after 2020. In the meantime, she threw down some seriously impressive times in distance free at the KMSC Pro-Am Elite Meet last month.

Now, we’ll get to see them both show what they’re made of with some long course racing.

– What’ll We See from Ledecky?

You never really know when Katie Ledecky is going to pop off. Maybe we’ll get a few decent swims from her (decent for Ledecky is actually world-class for pretty much any other swimmer, ever), or maybe we’ll get something phenomenal. Remember, Ledecky did drop an 8:06.68 at the 2016 Austin Pro Swim Series to break her own World Record — in January. That meet is where her 53.75 PR in the 100 free is from, too.

– Look at All Those Backstrokers

Most all of the contenders for the 2020 Tokyo roster for Team USA in the backstroke events, both men and women, are going to be racing.

For the women, WR holder Kathleen Baker, along with front-runners Olivia Smoliga and Regan Smith, will be racing. Fast-rising teenagers Isabelle Stadden and Phoebe Bacon will be in attendance, along with Canadian teens Madison Broad and Jade Hannah. If that isn’t enough, you’ve also got Ali Deloof, SC World Champ Lisa Bratton, Kentucky’s Bridgitte Alexander, and another teenager, Alex Walsh.

WR holder Ryan Murphy will be there on the men’s side, along with American great Matt Grevers, and a slew of Cal men. Besides Jacob Pebley will be Bryce MeffordDaniel Carr, and Zheng Quah, all of whom (besides Pebley) are currently at Cal. Additionally, Michael Andrew and Russian Grigory Tarasevich should be in the mix in some of the back races.

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and IIIIIIIIII WILL ALWAYS LOVE U
5 years ago

The women’s backstroke is a deep field jeez. So much sub-minute contenders

swimmm
5 years ago

The “Mens 50 meter backstroke” on the psych sheet lists 100m back times…..

Admin
Reply to  swimmm
5 years ago

This is often done at meets in the US where most swimmers don’t have times in the 50 stroke events.

Hswimmer
5 years ago

I’m sure there will be one

SaintJoseph
5 years ago

My family is having a reunion this weekend and need 25 Adult tickets and 15 children tickets, is there a method to negotiate “group” discount or is the price fixed by USA Swimming?

LevelUp
5 years ago

I would think the Foster brothers will be fascinating to watch at this level meet. Never count against them

Swimmerinlane9
Reply to  LevelUp
5 years ago

You do realize this is literally an in season meet for them and they have been to many of the pro meets. They always preform. Nothing new

ACC fan
5 years ago

Michael Andrew!!!!

CAELEB DRESSEL WILL WIN 7 GOLDS IN TOKYO
Reply to  ACC fan
5 years ago

I’m betting he will make it, but his Olympic events are such a free for all. 50 free is always the case and the 100 breast is so stacked

Wannabe Thorpe

You stole my name. Now I have to do this

Karl Sohlberg
Reply to  Wannabe Thorpe
5 years ago

This one is better.

CHDH

American breaststroke is not stacked. It has a lot of average international swimmers. There’ll be no Americans medaling at worlds this year unless Cordes gets back to top form (doubtful).

Tammy Touchpad Error
Reply to  CHDH
5 years ago

Don’t forget Prenot. He’s a medal lock if he swims a best time when it counts.

Swimming4silver
Reply to  CHDH
5 years ago

Cordes wont be in the worlds this year…

Coach John
Reply to  ACC fan
5 years ago

I wouldn’t call them naysayers…. just impatient armchair quarterbacks

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Coach John
5 years ago

Like 5 years of impatient.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Coach John
5 years ago

lol

coachymccoachface
Reply to  ACC fan
5 years ago

Yeah generational talent whose best events are all 50’s yay

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  coachymccoachface
5 years ago

Win an Olympic gold and all is forgiven. Anyone saying Flo Manaudou was a bust?

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  ACC fan
5 years ago

agreed – he has matured in ways that are wonderful to witness ( in and out of the pool )

Hswimmer
5 years ago

Simone Manuel is entered in 100 fly and back also. Should be interesting if she swims both.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Hswimmer
5 years ago

Kelsi Dalhia in the 100 free – she has bee on fire lately ….curious to see what she can do if she swims it

Shibly
Reply to  ERVINFORTHEWIN
5 years ago

Dahlia will break 56 seconds barrier in 100 m butterfly by 2019…

coachymccoachface
Reply to  Shibly
5 years ago

Too late

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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