We’re a week out from kicking off the 2017 Arena Pro Series competition, and today USA Swimming released the initial psych sheet.
Rio individual gold medalist Penny Oleksiak of Canada is the very first name on the list, as the 52.70 she swam to tie Simone Manuel for the 100 free title gives her the top seed in that event. Oleksiak is also slated to swim the 100 and 200 fly and the 50 and 200 free.
Other international Olympians on the psych sheet include 16 year-old Taylor Ruck of Canada, (50/100/200/400 free, 100/200 back, 200 IM), Japan’s IM dynamo, Daiya Seto (100/200 fly, 200/400 IM), and Lithuanian Simonas Bilis (50/100/200 free, 100 fly).
NC State standout and Rio gold medalist in the 4×100 free Ryan Held is scheduled for a program that includes the 50/100/200 free, 100 fly, and interestingly, the 200 IM. Rio teammate Melanie Margalis, who picked up a gold in Rio as part of the USA’s 4×200 free team, will swim six events: 200/400 free, 200 IM, 100/200 breast, and 200 back.
Four other Team USA Rio olympians appear on the psych sheet: 200 breast silver medalist Josh Prenot (100/200 breast, 200 IM), 4×100 free relay silver medalist Amanda Weir (50-400 free), Jacob Pebley (100/200 free, 100/200 back), and Hali Flickinger (100 fly, 200/400/800 free, 100/200 back, 200 fly).
London gold medalist Matt Grevers is the top seed in the 100 back, where he finished a heartbreaking third at this past year’s Olympic Trials, and he will also be swimming the 50 free. Grevers hinted strongly at retirement immediately after missing out on Rio, but decided to stay with the sport for the time being, and at the age of 31, is one of the most experienced active USA swimmers.
Conspicuously absent from the psych sheets are the Texas Longhorns, despite the meet happening in their home pool. Both the men’s and women’s teams are on the road next week, swimming at Auburn on Thursday and at Georgia on Saturday.
There will be plenty of top age group swimmers to watch as well, including Eva Merrell, (100 free, 100/200 fly, and 100/200 back), Michael Andrew (50/100 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, 200/400 IM), Sean Grieshop (200 breast, 200 fly, 400 free, 100/200 back, 200/400 IM), and Trey Freeman (100/200/400/1500 free, 200 fly and 400 IM).
Direct your web broswer to SwimSwam for live recaps of each session of this meet next week, as well as continuing coverage of the series between now and USA Summer Nationals in June.
Judging by the heat sheets it appears Oleksiak has scratched from the meet. Or Friday at least.
Whoops Oleksiak!
It is my sincere hope that young Ms. Ole Kaia know enjoys her time in Austin, and maybe wants to stay!!!!
It’s great to see that Grevers is swimming.
Will this Austin Meet be streamed live???
Cheryl — Yes, it should be streamed live on the USA Swimming website. We’ll share the links once they go up next week.
It’s the beginning of a new Olympic quadriennium, or rather a new swimming era (after Phelps), so a lot of fresh faces and new topics in this first meet of 2017.
1) A Canadian female team with huge potentiality towards Tokyo2020. Penny Oleksiak, Taylor Ruck, Rebecca Smith, Marie-Sophie Harvey, Sarah Darcel, Kayla Sanchez. Molly Gowens.., all from 15 to 18 years and all swimming a lot of races.
Particularly interesting watching in LC Oleksiak in the 200 fly, but also the very young Rebecca Smith and Kayla Sanchez after their great improvements in SC showed last month. And what about the two Imers Harvey and Darcel?
2) For Usa, beyond those mentioned in the article, Bethany Galat and some… Read more »
Sorry, not Jake but Jack (John) Walker, from SwimMAC.
In contrast to Simone Manuel nobody, I think, have doubts that we will see Penny Oleksiak under 53 at 100 free this season. Her 200 free though is a big interest of mine. Will she focus at this distance at all? And if it is so, then how will she approach it: as a long sprint as Emmy McKeon does or as short long distance mimicking Sarah Sjostrom’s style. Also will be interesting to check what Taylor Ruck’s 1:51 at SCM means in long pool.
OK yes, Oleksiak, who swam 52.70, should be able to swim fast than 52.0 in SC, but what is also apparent if you watch her is that her speed comes from on top of the water, not turns and underwaters, which being so young is understandable. This quality reminds me of what Sjostrom was like when she was younger. Short course is all about walls and underwaters, which she isn’t good at, but will come when she is older, stronger, and more experienced. For someone like her, a 52 in short course is good, and you can’t read into that too much. She will do well again this year. This young Canadian team is going to shine in 2020.
I agree with your observation about Oleksiak’s technique. One can say that if she is already that fast then don’t touch what comes naturally, don’t fix things if they are not broken. On the other hand the example of Katie Ledecky shows how much can be done to the exceptionally talented swimmer who was already dominant at the age of 15. Four years later her style and racing strategies have changed dramatically.
Penny Oleksiak got to the stardom so suddenly that I think her coaches just didn’t have time to get adjusted to quick changes and to bring her technique to perfection. I am wondering if they are up to such challenge. It is a great luck when exceptional… Read more »
Penny is also swimming 200 Fly:)
Watch for the other Canadian 16 year old Rebecca Smith from Red Deer but now in Toronto at the High Performance centre (1.52.99 200 free scm last month)
🙂 cannot wait for the confusion when Canadian and American Smiths swim in the same race. They swim practically at the same level at 200 free 🙂
Weird to see a Grand Prix meet without MP, KL, MF, NA or RL. Most of best college swimmers are absent too. But still a pretty good field in a pool known to be fast. What is a fast pool?
Very strong Canadian contingent. Cool to see Seto and some other Japanese swimmers too. Frenchwoman Béryl Gastaldello after a disappointing last summer. No mention of Walsh sisters among the age group swimmers to watch? Jacob Pebley had a great meet at SCM worlds which bodes well for his summer in long course. Bethany Galat can be one of the US revelations of the year. Interesting to see her progression. She was very close at olympic trials. Last year Ryan… Read more »
There won’t be too many college swimmers there and the ones that do show will be beat up from their winter training session. Last year I think only 1 Texas swimmer attended the meet. I don’t think you will see anything stellar from the college swimmers, the focus is on NCAAs.
Texas swims UGA this same weekend!
Thanks for the info. This meet is obviously in the training plan for Texas. Why travel out of town when you have a big meet in your own pool. Eddie is getting them ready.