2021 TYR Pro Swim Series- San Antonio
- January 14-17, 2021
- North East ISD Blossom Athletic Complex, San Antonio, TX
- Long Course Meters (LCM)
- psych sheet
USA Swimming dropped the psych sheets for one of the first two stops of the TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio, Texas.
The San Antonio site, which was invite-only, is set to feature over 100 current and former US National Team members. The psych sheets for the second site of the January PSS stop in Richmond, VA have not been released yet. Richmond and San Antonio were originally set to host alongside Irvine, CA. However, USA Swimming canceled the Irvine meet last week following COVID-19 restrictions.
World record-holders Regan Smith, Ryan Murphy, and Lilly King highlight the psych sheets, each holding top seeds in multiple events. Smith is currently ranked as the top swimmer in both the women’s 100 and 200 backstroke and the 100 and 200 butterfly. Murphy, the world record holder in the men’s 100 backstroke, holds the top seed in that event plus the 200 backstroke. King, SwimSwam’s 2020 US Women’s Swimmer of the Year, is the top seed in both the women’s 100 and 200 breaststroke.
Murphy is also set to race against some of the top butterfliers in the world, entering the 100 butterfly against a stacked field that includes Maxime Rooney, Tom Shields, and Andrew Seliskar. Rooney currently holds the top seed in the event with his personal best of 50.68. All 4 swimmers recently competed as members of the LA Current during the 2020 ISL season.
Among the biggest absences will be the swimmers from the Stanford women’s post-grad group, including Olympic gold medalists and World Record holders Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel. This group hasn’t competed outside of tagalongs at a few low-key Cal-Stanford duals since quarantines began in March.
In a preview for what’s set to come during the 2021 Olympic Trials, the women’s backstroke events feature a loaded field. In addition to the 100 and 200 backstroke world record holder Smith, the field also features former world record holder Kathleen Baker, US Open Champion Phoebe Bacon, World Champion Olivia Smoliga, and US National Teamer Isabelle Stadden. In addition, the field features age-group stars Emma Weyant, Natalie Mannion, and Katie Grimes.
Even without Caeleb Dressel, the men’s sprint freestyle events will be a tight battle between some of the fastest men in the world. Olympic gold medalist Ryan Held holds the top seed in the 100 freestyle, while he is seeded second in the 50 freestyle behind World Champion Zack Apple. Behind Held, the field in both events includes the aforementioned Apple, Rooney, Tate Jackson, and Harvard star Dean Farris.
American record holder Abbey Weitzeil is set to follow up her record-breaking ISL season with her first LCM competition of the year. Weitzeil holds the top seed in the 50 freestyle, and the second seed in the 100 freestyle. Ahead of Weitzeil is former American record-holder Mallory Comerford. US National Team members Margo Geer, Smoliga, and Natalie Hinds are also seeded within the top 5 of both events.
Following her breakout US Open performance, 15-year-old Bella Sims is looking to take down a crowded field in the distance freestyle events. Sims is currently set to compete in the 800 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 400 IM, 400 freestyle, and 1500 freestyle. However, she’ll have to overcome her teammate and distance star Erica Sullivan, along with Wisconsin swimmer Ally McHugh and 2021 Olympic qualifier Haley Anderson.
The men’s IM events will also feature a slew of potential Olympic qualifiers, including 2016 Olympians Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland, along with youngsters Jake Foster and Carson Foster. In the 400 IM, Club Wolverines’ Charlie Swanson holds the second seed behind Litherland, and he could be looking to make some noise.
The closest races for both genders may come in the breaststroke events, where a strong field of swimmers headline the meet. On the women’s side, Bethany Galat, Madisyn Cox, and Micah Sumrall will be battling with the aforementioned King for the top spot. The men’s side features Cody Miller, Andrew Wilson, Ian Finnerty, Nic Fink, and Kevin Cordes, all of whom are among the top contenders for the US Olympic Team come June.
This is so dumb, just one heat of some races! Will those be considered finals, or are the same nine people just gonna swim it again? *rolls eyes*
Omg I’m wondering the same thing!
Over 100?? How many national teamers are there on the team?
119 on the senior National Team + however many are on the Junior National Team.
Ah okay makes more sense, still stacked
Also, 800 Free Final is going to be heated
Ledecky??
I think they are been playing it safe and not traveling and racing at home!
Not worth the travel when there’s required quarantine on the return end in CA.
So the cal swimmers are not going either….
Some are, some aren’t
CANT WAIT!!!!!
You know what, I think 2021 might turn out okay after all.
As long as he doesn’t jump on to SwimSwam as his platform.
He’s got two choices. SwimSwam or Onlyfans
Can’t wait to see the race between Arabella Sims, Erica Sullivan, and Ally McHugh! It’s gonna be tight!!
Where’s Ledecky, L. Smith, and Manuel? I feel like they have kind of fallen off the radar with the whole pandemic and after ISL