Ryan Lochte has scratched the 100 backstroke semifinal, after being the second-fastest in prelims with a 53.92.
He will still swim the 200 freestyle in the evening session, which means he’s taking the opposite strategy of what he did in 2008, where he scratched the 200 free and stuck with the 100 back. In 2008, that back-fired and he didn’t make the team in the 100 back. But as the defending World Champion in the 200 free, there was no way he was going to forego that final here in Omaha.
The question is – did he do enough with that prelims swim in the 100 back to earn a swim on a medley relay? My gut-feeling is no, because David Plummer and Nick Thoman are both capable of a 52.9, and Matt Grevers already did it in prelims. That means that if Lochte is going after 8 gold medals, he’s going to have to pick a different race in which to do so.
Nick Brunelli ceded his 17th-place tie with Jacob Pebley for the 100 back semifinal, so the young future Cal Bear will get a big second opportunity.
Watch Garrett’s post-prelims interview with Lochte here, where he discusses the decision.
Smart move by Lochte; his chances of making the team were slim in the 100 back, much better chance in the 100 fly if he still wants to be on the medley relay.
Man the woman’s 400 FR will be the best race tonight!!!! (dang, 100 fly too)
Women 400 free will be a great race, not sure about 100 fly though, if Vollmer just kills the field.
Dang it, I wanted Lochte to swim that.
he looks gorgeous in this picture.
Good decision ! he has much more to show on 200 free .
Kudos to Nick Brunelli, what a classy move.
I’m glad Lochte scratched the 100 back to concentrate on other events. With Grevers, Thoman and Plummer the 100 back was an uphill battle for him.
Had a feeling Brunelli would do that. Not really trying to make the team in that event, was just kinda using it to get a race in before the 50/100 Frees.