Phelps, Schmitt Not on 2011 Duel in the Pool Roster; Record Assaults Expected

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 5

November 03rd, 2011 National

(UPDATE: Two added to roster 11/28)

USA Swimming has released the American roster for the upcoming Duel in the Pool meet that will pit the best that the United States has to offer against the best of a European All-Star squad. The meet will be held in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center on December 16th and 17th and swum on a 25-meter course (versus the Olympic 50-meter, or high school 25-yard).

This made-for-TV event is one of the biggest draws in swimming outside of the major championships, which is owed to its “dual meet” format. Swimmers will have to demonstrate some flexibility and diversity to really make a big impact on their teams.

The women’s program has most of the usual-suspects on board. The most notable absence is Allison Schmitt, who was on the World Championship team and is a major star of USA Swimming. Sprinter Kara Lynn Joyce also is not on the roster, nor is World Record holder Ariana Kukors.

Minnesota’s Ashley Steenvoorden continues to make waves and seems to be building towards a potential post-grad career. She’s been on several big teams since her 400 free National Championship in September. Claire Donahue, who made her coming-out at this year’s National Championship meet, will also step into a big role for the Americans. And then of course there’s the wunderkind Missy Franklin, who recently set a World Record in the 200 SCM backstroke coming off of two-a-days in Moscow.

The men will have an incredibly obvious hole on the roster, which is one Michael Phelps. He, like his North Baltimore teammate Schmitt, has chosen to sit this meet out despite competing in 2009 in Manchester. This meet doesn’t fit well into his schedule. The NBAC stars are currently training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, will head to the Minneapolis Grand Prix next week, and then will be ready to get back home to Baltimore and tear into some solid training. Phelps will skip Winter Nationals as well.

Ryan Lochte, instead, will further his foothold as the 1b biggest draw in swimming. The biggest name missing from the men’s roster, besides Phelps, is probably World Championship team member David Plummer. Sprint star Nathan Adrian is staying home too.

The meet offers prizes of $1,500 for a gold medal, and up to $15,000 for a World Record, with a total pot of over $100,000 expected to be given out. Many (if not most) of the U.S. Open Records, which have to be swum on American soil, will be crushed in this meet. 25-meter meets are rarely swum in the United States, and so most of the records have stood since 2004 (when NCAA’s were held in short course meters, the United States hosted a World Cup meet, and Short Course Worlds were in Indianapolis). Swimming has made huge progressions since then, so several should be rewritten.

Women

Amanda Beard Tucson, Ford Dealers Aquatics Eliot Dash
Elizabeth Beisel Bluefish Swim Club/Florida Chuck Batchelor/Gregg Troy
Elaine Breeden Stanford Swimming Lea Maurer
Natalie Coughlin California Aquatics Teri McKeever
Claire Donahue Western Kentucky University Bruce Marchionda
Missy Franklin Colorado Stars Todd Schmitz
Katy Freeman Santa Barbara Aquatics Club Gregg Wilson
Jessica Hardy Trojan Swim Club David Salo
Kathleen Hersey Longhorn Aquatics Eddie Reese
Katie Hoff FAST Swim Team Jon Urbanchek
Dagny Knutson Gator Swim Club Gregg Troy
Elizabeth Pelton Unattached/T2 Aquatics Paul Yetter
Julia Smit Stanford Swimming Lea Maurer
Rebecca Soni Trojan Swim Club David Salo
Ashley Steenvoorden Minnesota Aquatics Kelly Kremer
Chloe Sutton Mission Viejo Nadadores Bill Rose
Dana Vollmer California Aquatics Teri McKeever
Amanda Weir Swim Atlanta Chris Perry
Kate Ziegler FAST Swim Team Jon Urbanchek

 

Head Coach: Jack Bauerle
Assistant Coaches: Kim Brackin, Chris Davis, Lea Maurer

Men

Mike Alexandrov Trojan  Swim Club David Salo
Ricky Berens Trojan Swim Club David Salo
Tyler Clary FAST Swim Team Jon Urbanchek
Conor Dwyer Lake Forest/Gator Swim Club Maureen Sheehan/Gregg Troy
Mark Gangloff New York Athletic Club Brett Hawke
Matt Grevers Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics Rick DeMont
Jimmy Feigen Longhorn Aquatics Eddie Reese
Brendan Hansen Longhorn Aquatics Eddie Reese
Michael Klueh FAST Swim Team Jon Urbanchek
Ryan Lochte Daytona Beach/Gator Swim Club Steve Lochte/Gregg Troy
Tyler McGill Auburn Aquatics Brett Hawke
Matt McLean FAST Swim Team Jon Urbanchek
Davis Tarwater SwimMAC Carolina David Marsh
Nick Thoman SwimMAC Carolina David Marsh
Eric Shanteau Trojan Swim Club David Salo
Peter Vanderkaay Gator Swim Club Gregg Troy
Garrett Weber-Gale Longhorn Aquatics Eddie Reese

 

Head Coach: David Marsh
Assistant Coaches: Mike Bottom, Ray Looze, Bill Wadley

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emilyr
12 years ago

does anyone know whether the selection criteria for whoever’s starting in what events will be mainly based on best times from Worlds, Nationals, University & Pam Ams?

or will it be more at the coaches & swimmers’ discretion?

if the first one then i can see the American women starters being something like this, if taking into account 2011 Grand Prix times as well:

50 FR – Jessica… Dana {*GP}…Amanda
100 FR – Missy…Natalie & Dana
200 FR – Missy…Dagny (*Time Trial @ Worlds)…Katie H {*GP}
400 FR – Ashley…Katie H…Chloe (or Kate Z who had a faster time from GP?)
800 FR – Kate Z…Chloe…Ashley

100 BK – Natalie…Missy…Liz P
200 BK –… Read more »

joeb
12 years ago

You also say Bowman isn’t a fan of scm meets but he just went ‘across the pond’ to swim in two World Cup meets that are short course meters!

joeb
12 years ago

Not sure Kara Lynn was selected. No Ariana Kukors or Nathan Adrian.

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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