2020 Olympic Games 400 IM silver medalist Emma Weyant helped her UVA teammates to their third-straight ACC Championship Team Title. See the SwimSwam Swimulator scoring box breakdown.
As a freshman, Emma performed picking up 85 points with these swims:
- 4:37.23 – 500 Free – 1st
- 4:04.9 – 400 IM – 2nd
- 16:15.15 – 1650 – 5th
In this interview we learn that being an Olympic medalist hasn’t really sunk in yet. Emma also unpacks why she likes training with all that talent at UVA, and, like most elites SwimSwam has recently interviewed, Emma’s a little frustrated that International Team Trials (World Championship Trials) will follow so quickly on the heels of NCAA Champs.
With NCAA Champs mere weeks away, let’s focus on 400 IM predictions:
Emma’s racing teammates, Alex Walsh and Ella Nelson, for 400 IM dominance. Of course they’ll be fighting Stanford’s defending champion, Brooke Forde. I think Emma’s top 3 for sure. If she’s in the hunt at the 300 yard turn, she might be able to squeak out a win…maybe even helping UVA to a 1-2-3 finish.
But who cares what I think? What do you think? Drop you’re opinion in the comments.
Follow Emma Weyant on Instagram, a SwimOutlet Ambassador.
Follow Gold Medal Mel on Instagram.
RECENT GMM EPISODES
Opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the interviewed guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the hosts, SwimSwam Partners, LLC and/or SwimSwam advertising partners.
This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Stanford or UVA for the win?
We’ll have to see if Stanford goes crazy at Pac-12s, but right now I’d pick UVA by 100.
At the moment, I think Weyant is more suited for LCM. The way she gradually builds each 50 meters in the 400 IM, her ability to really get in a rhythm, and her freestyle power all correlate into a great 400 IM. I think right now, this issue for Weyant is transferring what she has done in the LCM pool. At ACCs, she likely wasn’t tapered (she went to SC worlds so she may only be doing 2 rests), and she still has time to get better. I think Todd is working on her turns, keeping her tempo up, and learning how to build a 50 with a turn. I think Weyant is 3rd in the 400 IM, and I… Read more »
I called some of the trials races spot on, so I would really like to share some of my hot takes. Let me know if I’m missing anything 🙂
Some hot takes for UVA
Kate Douglass
1st: 50 Free (20.89)
1st: 200 Breast (2:02.74)
2nd: 100 Fly (49.27)
–
Ella Nelson
2nd: 200 Y Breast (2:03.21)
3rd: 200 Y IM (1:52.84)
2nd: 400 Y IM (4:01.15)
–
Alexandra Walsh
1st: 200 Y Fly (1:49.79)
1st: 200 Y IM (1:51.05)
1st: 400 Y IM (3:58.28)
–
Gretchen Walsh
**Breaks 50 Back Record (22.67)
2nd: 50 Y Free (20.99)
3rd: 100 Y… Read more »
Actually I think Wenger is 3rd.
I think Wenger is DQ’ed
This is reaching the Schooling-practice-swim level of SwimSwam trope now….
If they use underwater judging she will be
Why?
Why wenger with a 2.07?
Emma Weyant is 3rd in the 400 IM (4:02.14), 4th in the 500 (4:35.65), and 7th in the 1650 (15:57.24)
400 IM is won my Alex Walsh at 3:58.28. Second is Ella Nelson at 4:01.04, and in third is Weyant at 4:02.14. Brooke Forde is firmly 4th at 4:02.25, while Ellen Welshe is 5th at 4:02.86.
1. A. Walsh 3:58.28
2. E. Nelson 4:01.04
3. E. Weyant 4:02.14
4. Brooke Forde 4.02.25
5. Ellen Welshe 4:02.86
*Walshe
Interesting take. Nelson hasn’t beaten Forde and I don’t think it’s going to happen this year.
Interview seems to support a view that several who are focusing on getting a World team spot have a difficult calculation on rest cycles. Despite how fast ACCs were I do find it credible several were suited but also racing on minimal rest. It’s hard to hold on three times in three months for a peak performance, especially for swimmers in the 200s or longer events.
Can’t wait for women’s NCAA meet.
Not the way they train it isn’t. Keep telling y’all the notion of taper is outdated. Train to swim fast all the time and you can shave and suit when you need to.
I think that mindset works more for Douglass and GWalsh than it does for an Emma Weyant, who has a 1650 in her lineup
Joel, don’t you know? UVA is NEVER rested! 🤪
The techno beat in the background is really… really cool. It’s like I’m playing a need for speed game from 1998
Mel is the greatest interviewer, ever…
Certainly a unique format, much better than a recorded Zoom! Very good on his feet, a pro.
Ever want a blast from the past, go check out the baywatch episode he’s in. Was flipping through one day and (well you gotta stop at baywatch for a minute or two), and I was like, “This person is so familiar, how do I know who this is?!?” It was Mel!
I was in a two-part ep (not long after the 1992 OGs), and in the only episodes where a ghost was the lead character. Found this clip 3:21 and 14:08 and:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZrV85x-P4U
…why do I feel like coleman voting this down…? 🙂
Don’t take it to heart ❤️