The Arena Pro Swim Series meet in Santa Clara will feature a large crew of foreign superstars, including world record-holder Sun Yang and world champ Emily Seebohm.
You can view the full psych sheets here
Last week, USA Swimming announced some of the top domestic names, which include reigning Olympic 100 free champ Nathan Adrian, series points leader Conor Dwyer and multi-time Olympic veterans Dana Vollmer and Natalie Coughlin.
That group of Americans will get a great test a few weeks out from the Olympic Trials, with some of the top international threats from Australia, China and Canada showing up on the psych sheets, which dropped today.
Most notable is Sun, the Chinese Olympic champ, who doesn’t often compete on American soil. Sun holds the world record in the 1500 free, and won the 400 and 800 frees at last summer’s Word Championships. He gets to battle with Canada’s Ryan Cochrane in the distance events in Santa Clara.
Australia will send a large contingent, including backstroke stars Seebohm, Madison Wilson and Mitch Larkin. Seebohm and Wilson went 1-2 at Worlds in the 100 back last summer, and have been almost unbeatable in the months since. They’ll tangle with some of the top American backstroking talent, including Coughlin and 2012 Olympian Rachel Bootsma. Olympic champ Missy Franklin is not listed on the psych sheets, but the race will also feature Australia’s junior world record-holder Minna Atherton.
Larkin, who won the 100 and 200 backstrokes at Worlds last summer, gets to face red-hot American Ryan Murphy, who is coming off a historic college season in short course yards.
The meet will also feature Russian breaststroker Yulia Efimova, who recently returned from an anti-doping suspension. Efimova tested positive for meldonium earlier this year, but in low enough levels that she may not qualify for a suspension under FINA rules. Her status for the Olympics should be decided in late June, but for now, she is eligible and is on track to compete in Santa Clara.
Here’s a quick non-exhaustive list of some of the more notable names on the psych sheets:
- Thiago Pereira (Brazil)
- Emma McKeon (Australia)
- Bronte Barratt (Australia)
- Junior world record-holder Kyle Chalmers (Australia)
- James Magnussen (Australia)
- Junior world record-holder Maxime Rooney (USA)
- Georgia Bohl (Australia)
- Tom Shields (USA)
- Emily Overholt (Canada)
- Junior world record-holder Brandonn Almeida (Brazil)
- Simone Manuel (USA)
- Anthony Ervin (USA)
- Maya DiRado (USA)
- Leonard de Deus (Brazil)
I think Dwyer is going to put up some good times considering all the time he’s spent at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado recently. He’s going to drop the hammer on Yang in the 200/400.
Great field but unfortunately the only presence of Efimova ruins that meet.
she seems to have guts despite now having a world view as a clear cheater . I hope she gets beaten clear & sound
she should not be given permission to swim in USA….
Why? Is the Santa Clara Grand Prix so revered that someone in arbitration can’t grace that meet? Let her swim if she wants.
I’m curious to see what kind of time she puts up, but I don’t wish anything bad on her like some of you. She swims for Russia which performance enhancement is just part of their system. You can’t blame a poor girl for following the communist regime 🙂
Nance – both meets will give out points and prize money for the top 3 finishers, which should make for an interesting competition to follow over the weekend!
Thats a good question. It looks like all the cool kids don’t even care about the series and they decided to hold their own swim meet in Texas.
https://longhornaquatics.utexas.edu/wp-content/uploads/elite-invite-psych-sheet.pdf
its next weekend. I would look on this site for results.
This head to head race with Larkin will be very important MENTALLY for Murphy.
PS– Despite the doubters, I’m not giving up hope on Missy. Rooting for her.
Re: Missy, I’m pulling for her, too. She came up to the Mel Zajac a few years back and was a very gracious guest. Not only a great athlete but also a very nice person.
I can’t help but wonder how much money she lost going the NCAA route… I know is kinda verbotten to talk about in the US but right after 2012, there was a lot on the table for Missy in terms of sponsorships, etc. Her brand has been somewhat diminished these past couple years and not sure she’s making as much now as she would have then.
Between all those world record bonuses, olympics and world championships medals bonuses, endorsements, appearances and online/tv/print ads, she could have lost at least 5 millions in 2011-2015
Money question aside, missy franklin performed well at Cal and Cal cashed in on her presence there as well. Missy publically spoke about her positive experience being a college student. The problem was the Cal women’s swim coach and the injurious training, in which Franklin sustained back injuries that never should happen to an elite athlete if the coaches know what they are doing. Also Cal coaches do not improve or correct technique, etc. Franklin survived Cal swimming, moved on, and now let’s pull for her to thrive in rio.
too many pizza,s.
Damn Americans eat some crazy stuff. No wonder obesity common in the US.
I nearly fell over when I saw a Chicago Pizza . I got to thinking this is what Elliot Ness was up against . Who would n’t sell their soul to the Mafiosa for an extra slice?
You are spot on. The mafia knew early on that the way to rule was through pizza and alcohol.
Missy Franklin where are you? i have a feeling she will be either super good(like phelps last summer) or the opposite at trials.
Rooney vs Chalmers looks interesting lets see if Rooney is ready for the big leagues
Sun Yang welcome to America. I think I will send an order of 100 pizzas to his hotel room the night before the meet. Is that wrong to do?
It was be interesting to have an autograph session with some of the foreign swimmers..
Missy is going to the Texas meet. Smart move- she can get some wins and get herconfidence up heading into trials.
If i had to pick one, i”d say opposite, not super good.
Your pizzas are too late. Sun Yang had been training in Bay area for a few months now.