2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
- Sunday June 26th-Sunday July 3rd, 2016
- Century Link Center – Omaha, Nebraska
- Friday-Sunday – Prelims – 11:00 am EDT Finals – 7:45 pm EDT
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Michael Phelps, who is the heavy favorite to win the 200 fly final tomorrow night, has scratched out of the 100 free prelims tomorrow morning.
Men’s 100 free prelims heat sheet
The greatest-ever was seeded 2nd overall behind only Nathan Adrian with a 48.45.
This is his second scratch of the meet, after he bowed out of the 200 free prelims, which were yesterday morning. Tomorrow night he has the final of the 200 fly, though he could have still swum the 100 free tomorrow morning seeing as he has no other races until that 200 fly final.
With Phelps’s absences from freestyle this week, questions loom over whether or not he will swim free relays for the U.S. in Rio. The LCM rise of Townley Haas and Jack Conger has solidified the Americans as favorites to win the 4×200 free relay, though prior to this meet, Phelps was considered an automatic contender to swim both relays at the Olympics.
Notably, Phelps’s free hasn’t quite looked the same since 2012 and his retirement. USA men’s head coach Bob Bowman could still elect Phelps to the free relays in Rio, though for now, his freestyle future looks cloudy with uncertainty.
Anthony Ervin is now the 2nd seed in the 100 free tomorrow behind Adrian with a 48.71.
Expect to see him at your near fast chain restaurant soon
Watch MP’s 50 freestyle split on the tail end of his 200 IM final (against Lochte most likely). That’s going to give everyone a chance to see how well his freestyle is doing these days. He’ll know how his stroke feels and the stop watch is always impartial. If Michael Phelps is swimming well, there’s no way he’s not one of America’s four best 200 freestyle swimmers.
I wonder how many people truly believe that Phelps wouldn’t have won the 200free had he swum it last night.
I still think the 4X100 free relay should be dressel phelps Confer Adrian. Phelps and conger just always seem to step up on the relays no matter how they’ve done in the meet.
I agree with you, but Mr. Held has made a case. If he goes faster tonight or tomorrow night, he that would likely solidify his spot.
Somehow it just doesn’t feel right to bump a guy who actually showed up, swam, and earned a relay spot and give that spot to Phelps. At a minimum, it seems like MP should at least have to post a qualifying time in prelims or semis, then maybe scratch the final. By doing that, a a bare minimum he demonstrates he has the posted times to justify a relay position. But it just seems hard to justify giving him a spot if he doesn’t swim it all. So many guys work so hard to get a spot on the Olympic team and it feels unfair to deny them that opportunity over a guy who decides not to show up. … Read more »
he wouldn’t be taking anyone’s spot on the team, just a spot in the finals. we have 16 years of evidence that he is going to show up in the relays. now if 2 of the guys in prelims throw down some serious times, maybe they keep him off. but if the second fastest guy on that relay is a 1:45 high or 1:46, or 48 high for the 4×1, I say put the greatest swimmer of all time in. the Olympics are about winning medals, got to make the choice that puts them in the best position to do that, even if it hurts someone’s feelings.
just my two cents
Not Masters, Thanks for the comment. You make some good points. Your comments seem to presume that there needs to be some evidence that he is truly on his game. Question: Do you agree that MP would have to have some recent times in those events to justify putting him on a relay leg if he doesn’t swim it at trials? For example, I don’t think his recent 200 free times are all that good. So at what point to you bump off another guy and put him in? Just a question. I definitely respect your view point and hope my wording conveys that respect.
It’s obviously a subjective choice that bob will have to make, but I think the times that I mentioned above are the cut off points I would use, presuming Michael has a decent training camp. I just think that if none of those three guys in prelims can go 1:45 or 48 low, you’ve got to put your ringer in. He may not have had great freestyle times this year, but he’s 31. None of his times were great this year, and he didn’t do any freestyle in San Antonio for us to get a peek there either. If he’s in 1:51 2 fly, 50. low 100 fly form, it’s really hard for me to imagine his freestyle times wouldn’t… Read more »
excellent points. Thanks for sharing those insights. Makes sense to me.
I agree. It’s a terrible precedent, too. The only justification I would agree with is if, in Rio, Phelps is swimming insanely (all personal bests) and feels like he’s got it in him. Not sure of the order of events (and too lazy to look it up), but if he were to drop a 49 high 100 fly and a 1:50 200 fly, for example, I bet his teammates would be begging him to swim on the relay. Who wouldn’t want to swim with the GOAT at his prime (as defined by his personal bests in the individual events) in his last meet?
2 quick thoughts: Phelps thought the relays at 2015 worlds sucked. Don’t remember where, but he said he wasn’t happy with them. That said, with a much better selection process and a lot of emerging talent to replace the old guys, Phelps can probably say “hey, you’ve got this, i’ll stick to what i can do best” which, at 31 is not doing every event possible.
Also, Bob is the coach and knows him best. If Phelps is kicking Ryan’s butt in 200 free pace sets at Olympic Team camp consistently, Bob might have justification to put Phelps on the relay. But if that isn’t happening, then it isn’t happening. I don’t think Phelps would be too upset
Phelps wont’ be doing any 200 free pace sets at OT camp.
How could you possibly know this?
I don’t. But my bet is that Bowman and Phelps will stick to the taper plan that worked for his only good meet in the last 4 years — the taper for LCM Nats last year. He’s swimming the same event schedule, albeit now with semifinals. That taper included broken swims of fly, lots of breast work.
The fact that he didn’t even do a 200 free pace set of one repeat (the prelims of the 200 free) at OTs supports my hypothesis.
He is being realistic about his program and his age; 2 fly events, 200 IM, and medley relay gives him 4 events (his strongest 4) – and a better chance in those 4. We’ve yet to see Dressell, Hoffer swim the sprint frees, so will be exciting to see those, but I bet those 3 produce 3 low 48s and possibly one or more 47+ efforts. Ervin, Lochte, Grevers, Schneider are also a threat, and someone else from the up and coming younger guys (Haas?, Rooney? Held? Nolan?)may surprise. But if swimmers #3 and #4 don’t do any better than 48+ high, then Phelps has to be considered.
How many scratches make an itch?