USA Swimming has announced its roster for the 2019 World Championships, with multi-event stars Katie Ledecky, Caeleb Dressel, Michael Andrew and Kathleen Baker leading the way.
Those are the four swimmers set to compete in four individual events each. All four are now pros, as Dressel wrapped up his collegiate eligibility this past spring and Ledecky and Baker turned pro as underclassmen. The stacked Worlds roster will include every U.S. gold medalist from those 2018 Pan Pacs: Andrew, Dressel, Townley Haas, Zane Grothe, Jordan Wilimovsky, Ryan Murphy, Chase Kalisz, Ledecky, Baker, Lilly King, Micah Sumrall and Hali Flickinger. The roster also mostly matches what we projected based on the results of U.S. Nationals and Pan Pacs this past summer.
The only spots that weren’t officially locked up at that point were the second entries in the 50s of fly, back and breast. First priority for those entries goes to the top-ranked swimmer in the 100 of that stroke, and a couple of those athletes are currently listed on the official roster, though not all of the stroke 50s have their second entry finalized as of yet. Here’s a quick look at entries in those non-Olympic events:
| National Champion | Second Entry | |
| Men’s 50 fly | Michael Andrew | Caeleb Dressel |
| Men’s 50 back | Ryan Murphy | ??? |
| Men’s 50 breast | Michael Andrew | ??? |
| Women’s 50 fly | Kelsi Dahlia | ??? |
| Women’s 50 back | Olivia Smoliga | Kathleen Baker |
| Women’s 50 breast | Lilly King | ??? |
100 fly champ Dressel and 100 back champ Baker are locked into the second entries in their 50s, while the other four spots are still up for grabs. USA Swimming says those will be decided sometime between now and the entry deadline in June in order to find the fastest athletes already on the roster who have the FINA A cut in the 50-meter event.
Official selection procedures note that if the winner of the corresponding 100 is already entered in the 50 or declines that spot, the team will select the next-fastest available swimmer in the 50-meter event, provided both entrants have a FINA A cut.
Team USA: 2019 World Championships Roster
The only major change from the athletes who qualified for these spots over the summer is that Micah Sumrall is listed as the second 100 breast entrant on the women’s side, and Katie Meili is absent from the roster. Meili was second at Nationals in 1:06.19, and though she was only the fourth American at Pan Pacs, Sumrall (1:06.56) didn’t beat her Nationals time. But Meili declined her Worlds roster spot due to law school, USA Swimming says, and Sumrall will take over the 100 breast spot.
You can see the full rosters here, or below:
Men’s U.S. Team
| Name | ||||
| Michael Andrew | 100 breast | 50 free | 50 breast | 50 fly |
| Blake Pieroni | 100 free | 4×200 FR | ||
| Caeleb Dressel | 100 free | 100 fly | 50 fly | 50 free |
| Nathan Adrian | 4×100 FR | |||
| Townley Haas | 200 free | 4×100 FR | ||
| Andrew Seliskar | 200 free | |||
| Conor Dwyer | 4×200 FR | |||
| Zane Grothe | 400 free | 800 free | 1500 free | |
| Jordan Wilimovsky | 800 free | 1500 free | ||
| Ryan Murphy | 50 back | 100 back | 200 back | |
| Justin Wright | 200 fly | |||
| Josh Prenot | 200 breast | |||
| Chase Kalisz | 200 IM | 400 IM | ||
| Grant Shoults | 400 free | |||
| Matt Grevers | 100 back | |||
| Jacob Pebley | 200 back | |||
| Jack Conger | 100 fly | |||
| Zach Harting | 200 fly | |||
| Andrew Wilson | 100 breast | 200 breast | ||
| Abrahm Devine | 200 IM | |||
| Jay Litherland | 400 IM | |||
| Zach Apple | 4×100 FR | 4×200 FR | ||
| Jack LeVant | 4×200 FR | |||
| Michael Chadwick | 4×100 FR |
Women’s U.S. Team
| Name | ||||
| Simone Manuel | 50 free | 100 free | 4×200 FR | |
| Mallory Comerford | 100 free | |||
| Margo Geer | 4×100 FR | |||
| Abbey Weitzel | 4×100 FR | 50 free | ||
| Katie Ledecky | 200 free | 400 free | 800 free | 1500 free |
| Allison Schmitt | 200 free | 4×100 FR | ||
| Gabby DeLoof | 4×200 FR | |||
| Leah Smith | 4×200 FR | 400 free | 800 free | |
| Kathleen Baker | 50 back | 100 back | 200 back | 200 IM |
| Kelsi Dahlia | 50 fly | 100 fly | ||
| Hali Flickinger | 200 fly | |||
| Lily King | 50 breast | 100 breast | 200 breast | |
| Micah Sumrall | 200 breast | 100 breast | ||
| Ally McHugh | 400 IM | |||
| Ashley Twichell | 1500 free | |||
| Olivia Smoliga | 100 back | 50 back | ||
| Regan Smith | 200 back | |||
| Katie McLaughlin | 100 fly | |||
| Katie Drabot | 200 fly | |||
| Melanie Margalis | 200 IM | 4×200 FR | ||
| Brooke Forde | 400 IM | |||
| Lia Neal | 4×100 FR |
Go TEAM USA 🇺🇸
Is meilli retiring or is it just scheduling issues for this next summer and she’ll keep training for Olympic trials?
Just a guess, but she might want to take the summer and clerk?!?
I do not understand why the team is selected 12 months out from the meet because it does not allow for someone who is not selected producing a world record between then and now, or others who may be off form.
I think it was to prevent swimmers from having to do two taper/rest cycles (plus a 3rd for NCAA’s for many) in a pre-Olympic year.
I think it’s also do to do with teams also needing to be selected for World University Games and Pan Ams. The selection meet would have to be much earlier the summer. For 2023, the World Championships in Doha will be in October so it’ll be interesting to see if US Swimming change things next time.
I love reading swim swam’s articles and don’t really ever find typos.. But above is says, “Those are the four swimmers set to compete in four individual events each. All four are now pros, as Ledecky and Dressel wrapped up their collegiate eligibility this past spring and Baker turned pro after her junior NCAA season.”
If my memory is correct.. Ledecky and Baker both turned pro without finishing their 4 years of NCAA eligibility. Baker as a junior… Ledecky as a sophomore.
Right?
Yep, that’s right. Simone technically had a year left too.
I thought this was 2018 world SC roster and lost it with this dream team lineup. Really hoping we see the big guns (Drrssel, ledecky, kalisz, king are the only ones who havent really done one yet) commit to a SCM meet but I have my doubts. Im sure we’ll see smoliga, baker, andrew, murph, pieroni, manuel, etc.
Adrian maybe a wildcard?
If everyone shows up men 4×1 FR WR in danger. Possibly medley. Not sold on the 4×2 at all maybe wont even win.
4×100 FR world record won’t be broken unless Dressel goes a 45 lol. Medley can definitely be broken.
Some world records could fall.
The last year a world record didn’t fall was 2010 wasn’t it?
2010 was the last year without a LCM World Record. 4 were broken in SCM at the SCM World Championships.
2 of which were from Ryan Lochte
MA should be 2nd spot in 50 bk. Let him try to win all 4 50’s.
If Grevers turns down the 50 back spot, it would go to MA, don’t see why Grevers would turn it down tho
That’s incorrect. Because Ryan Murphy won the 50 back and is the top qualifier in the 100, the 2nd 100 backstroker doesn’t by-default get the spot. Instead, it goes to the fastest swimmer, already on the team, in the event between March 1, 2018 and June 1, 2019. Current US rankings in that period are: Murphy, Ress (not already on the team), Andrew, Grevers. So, Grevers would have to beat Andrew’s 24.49, and Andrew would have to not drop any more time (unlikely, given the way he trains and races, and that he did that 24.49 in Kazan), and so right now, Andrew is most likely to get that spot if he wants it.
We’ll put up a post explaining… Read more »
he’s not gonna win all 50’s anyway. Here’s my prediction for the 50’s winners:
50 free : Dressel – 20.2-3 ( in striking range of world record)
50 back : kolesnikov 22.6
50 fly : dressel or proud hard to call 22.0
50 breast : van der Burgh or peaty if he figures out the start 25.8
Look pal. I predict insane swims from Dressel. But if he EVER goes 20.2 that would blow my mind. I say 20.8
You are way underestimating MA
I think you’re confused- you just gave scm times and 2019 WCs are in lcm…
Kolesnikov could never go a 22.6 in lcm seeing as he’s just broken the WR in 24.00, nor will VDB go sub 26(Peaty will though)…
50 fly: Govorov
50 free dressel/proud
I think next year will be fast. Dressel will hopefully be back in top form, Michael Andrew will keep improving, and Regan Smith is just killing it. And people from other countries like Ben Proud and Taylor Ruck will also be very entertaining I reckon. If Townley Haas can put the same swim he puts into relays, he’d swim a 1:44 low 200 free.
People have been predicting for 2+ years that Townley would be going 1:44 or even 1:44 low individually. Hopefully it happens, and soon.
Haha I know. In 2016, throws a 1:44.1 split at the Olympics, and this year a 1:43.5.
probably will happen when he stops over swimming the first 50. 24.1 is right around what MP went out in in 2008 when he was 1:42.
True. Though he went out in like 49.4 with a relay star and still swam 1:43 mid
Non-rubber suit opening 50s are often faster. The rubber suits helped make the closing splits better though