While last weekend’s Austin Grand Prixย was the first big long course meet of the season for swimmers based out of the United States, and the Victorian State Championships was the headliner in Australia, this coming weekend’s Flanders Cup event in Belgium will be the first big international meet of 2014, and as usual has attracted a star-studded field from across the world.
Among the swimmers entered at the event, which runs from January 25th-26th in Antwerp, isย Katinka Hosszu, to little surprise.
If she holds true to her entries, she has an astonishing 16 entries in what could be her most chaotic event yet. Yes we’ve seen her swim similar numbers of entries in the past, but never against a field this good. It seems unlikely that she would sweep all 16, but the challenge will be to see if she can takeย any wins, as she is the top seed in only four of those events (200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM).
There will be a sizable British squad at the event. The roster will include some veteran standouts likeย Jazz Carlin,ย Hannah Miley,ย Fran Halsall,ย Amy Smith, Joe Roebuck,ย Roberto Pavoni,ย Ross Murdoch, Robbie Renwick, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor,ย Michael Jamieson,ย and Auburn-basedย Adam Brown; but it will also include some of the next wave of British stars like National Record holding sprinterย Ben Proud,ย Rebecca Turner,ย Eleanor Faulkner, andย James Guy, among many others. Though not explicitly, the British squad at this meet is almost to the size where anybody, save those in the American NCAA system, who hopes to qualify for the Commonwealth Games is at this meet.
Laszlo Csehย will join Hosszu in representing the Hungarian contingent, as will her training partnerย David Foldhazi,ย who seems to be taking after Hosszu’s signature style, entering in 15 events himself. Hungary’sย Daniel Gyurtaย will also be competing.
Also included in the entries is Serbian national record-holderย Velimir Stjepanovicย as well as Israel’s European champย Jonatan Kopelevย andย national record-holderย Amit Ivry.
The only two athletes representing the United States will be World Champs silver medalistย David Plummerย and former U.S. Olympianย Kim Vandenberg.ย Plummer is the top seed in the 100 back and the second seed in the 50 back, while Vandenberg will swim the 50 and 100-meter distances of the fly and free.
The psych sheet for the meet can be found here, and the event will begin on Saturday.
Hosszu 1st seeded in 5 events (not 4, you forget the 100m Back) and the worst seeding for her is in 50m breast (14th). I think because she has all 16 seeding-time, she entered all 16 events, to-just-wait-and-see. She can scratch if she wants just-like-Ryan. ๐
Hosszu’s schedule in Heats (if she is not scratch some events. And the Final is at 17.00):
25 Jan 2014:… Read more ยป
08.00 – 800m Free – 3rd seeded (8:37.77)
08.20 – 50m Free – 9th seeded (26.13)
08.50 – 100m Breast – 14th seeded (1:13.55)
09.25 – 200m Fly – 1st seeded (2:04.27)
10.15 – 50m Back – 6th seeded (28.83)
10.45 – 400m IM – 1st seeded (4:30.31)
the mistake, the worst seeded for Hosszu is 100m Breast (14th seeded). She is 8th seeded in the 50m Breast.
The time schedule is way worse for her! In Antwerp the fastest 4 heats (200m + 400m) and fastest 6 heats (50m + 100m) are swum in the first morning session between 8.00 and 10.45!
I believe it would be easier for swim swam to start listing the events that Hosszu isn’t swimming. If I’m not mistaken, she’s swimming every individual event at the meet(forgive me if I’m wrong, my Dutch is far from perfect), that is a ridiculous schedule.
Only 16 events for Hosszu?
Very disappointing.
Seriously, I don’t know if I must cry or laugh.
Pretty much all of the ‘Great Danes’ men’s development group are competing for Denmark, so it will be interesting to see how they go. This time the girls get to stay at home ๐