Phelps is Back; Don’t Wait to Buy Tickets for Summer Nationals

We heard some pretty good, and pretty funny, stories about swim parents who used some serious hustle to get tickets to watch their kids swim at the Mesa Grand Prix. There were scalpers, Craigslist ads selling $10 tickets for $60, and even a little bit of schmoozing to get in on a free VIP ticket from a kind gentleman (don’t worry, we won’t tell who that was).

Buy tickets here.

Michael Phelps is back, and with that, the ticket for the USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine likewise has become a hot ticket.

Ticket sales opened up in January, and according to the meet hosts, they got the Phelps bump too. They’re not yet sold out, however, and for just $10 for prelims and $15 for finals are quite a deal. It’s not just Phelps, it’s Ledecky, and Lochte, and Missy, and Adrian, and any number of other swimmers from what is still the world’s fastest National Team.

As a reminder, Nationals this summer will serve as a selection event for:

 

  • 2014 Pan Pac Championships
  • 2014 World Short Course Championships
  • 2015 World Championships
  • 2015 World University Games

With Worlds and into 2015 on that list, there won’t be many ‘healthy scratches’ for this one, it will be an all-out race to be in the conversation for the next two years. Just the same way, there won’t be hundreds of walk-up tickets available either, would be our hunch, after the rush for Mesa.

The meet runs from Wednesday, August 6th through Sunday, August 10th in Irvine, California.

If you get left in the parking lot again, there will be no sympathy from this corner. You’ve been warned.

 

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Natalia
9 years ago

Hi, if I want to see Phelps swim what days should I buy tickets for? Thanks!

Patrick Brundage
9 years ago

Will not be able to make it to Irvine, but what is the ore-psych sheet buzz about who will show up at Santa Clara? Any chance we’ll have a contingent of Aussies like we did last year with Mack Horton?

Patrick Brundage
Reply to  Patrick Brundage
9 years ago

That was to read “pre-psych sheet”

KeithM
Reply to  Braden Keith
9 years ago

He’s asking about Santa Clara GP.

PAC12BACKER
9 years ago

Ok assuming Phelps will be doing the sprint flys, sprint frees, and 200 IM plus all the other high profile swimmers there, like Lochte & Adrian, I’m going to pick up at least a couple dozen tickets, maybe as many as possible, for Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Sun. Not interested in the events on Saturday.

So if they run out of tickets, you can look for me. Look for a guy in IU apparel that sort of looks like Howie Long. Ciaio.

YouGotLezakd
Reply to  PAC12BACKER
9 years ago

No interest in Ledecky’s 400, Cordes 100 breast, or the loaded 100 backstrokes? Interesting……

PAC12BACKER
Reply to  YouGotLezakd
9 years ago

You’re right, I should pick up some tix for Sat finals only also. I think Ledecky will run away with that 400. Breaststroke, yawn, but the backstroke will be quite interesting.

Coacherik
9 years ago

On the other hand, I guess it forced more of the big names to train seriously for more of the quad calendar?

weirdo
Reply to  Coacherik
9 years ago

I kind of like this way of picking for two years. it gives swimmers (and coaches) a chance for two summers to put in a longer LC training block. it might hurt one swimmer like Missy but I think for the Olympic quad, it might be best for everyone. early trials really limits the long course season.

Coacherik
9 years ago

No room has been made in the past. Grevers in 2010 was a prime example of what can happen. Missed 2011 WC Team because of a less than stellar Nats in 2010. I personally think that it’s not a good idea to run it this way for that reason and the up and coming star that misses out on that meet. It works for the Olympic Team every 4 years to date, selecting the team the summer of the meet only makes sense.

It causes the national championship to be in June, but will that really effect the swimmers who have the best chance at making the team? Coming off of a college season or not, athletes would adapt as… Read more »

beachmouse
Reply to  Coacherik
9 years ago

Missy Franklin was also negatively affected by this in 2011- only qualified individually in the 200 back in 2010 and then would have possibly also won gold in the 200 free and 100 back if USA swimming’s selection policy had allowed her to enter those events. Her bronze in the 50 back happened because, IIRC, Natalie Coughlin declined the entry and that opened up the spot to others on the team.

Luigi
Reply to  Coacherik
9 years ago

It is not for me to judge how things are run in another country, but this surprises me. There is also the contrary case: a swimmer can be in great shape during the summer and in not-so-great shape the summer of the following year. I know that this can happen also within the same season, but empirically I would say it is more likely to happen when the hiatus between the selection meet and the race meet is longer. I guess US swimming has such depth that it can afford these risks! Still, it would be sad for swimming fans all over the world to miss the chance of seeing a rising star compete with the best in the world.

KeithM
Reply to  Luigi
9 years ago

I seem to remember Busch saying they wouldn’t do this again. What changed his mind? Or was he simply outvoted?

PAC12BACKER
9 years ago

At least people who bought higher priced tickets were able to see Phelps do the 100 Fly on the same day he scratched the 100 Free. Still there was probably some expectation of a double there, and the following day not many would want to see Phelps do a 50 fly in lieu of the regular 50 free.

anon
9 years ago

I know I’ve asked this before…but I don’t remember if it was answered. Why is this a selection meet for World Champs 2015 as well? Why can’t we hold trials next summer as well?

CoachGB
Reply to  anon
9 years ago

It’s the wisdom of the wizard’s of swimming.

aswimfan
Reply to  anon
9 years ago

I think it was started in 2006, because the 2007 Worlds in Melbourne was held in March.

Luigi
Reply to  anon
9 years ago

So if a young swimmer improves drastically after the Summer Nationals he does not get a spot on the team for the WC? Or do they make room for him?

KeithM
Reply to  Luigi
9 years ago

It’s one of the drawbacks of naming the team a year in advance. It’s why Missy was only qualified for one individual event in Melbourne…the 200 back. (She was able to swim the 50 back after being selected for it in Shanghai). So she missed out on gold opportunities in both the 100 back and 200 free.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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