2021 Longhorn Elite Invite
- May 20-23, 2021
- Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
- Austin, TX
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Packet
- Start Times (US CT): Prelims 10AM, Finals 5:30PM
- Wave I & II Trials Cuts
Official Psych Sheets
The 2021 Longhorn Elite Invite will be held this weekend at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center at the University of Texas in Austin. The three-day affair will feature all Olympic events in its schedule, with the top 24 swimmers in the morning prelims qualifying for the A, B, and C evening finals. Among the attendees are Olympic champions Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel. Manuel will swim her signature 50/100 free sprints while Ledecky is scheduled to hit the 50/100/200/400/800 free events this weekend.
Peering at the 2020-2021 US rankings, Manuel is the No. 1 American in the 100 free at 53.34 from the 2020 Stanford Invite and currently ranks No. 5 in the 50 free at 24.70 from PSS San Antonio. Ledecky, on the other hand, is the No. 1 swimmer in the 200 free (1:54.40), 400 free (3:59.25), and 800 free (8:13.64) for both US and world season rankings.
In both IM events, Brooke Forde, Evie Pfeifer, and Madisyn Cox are top contenders along with 200 breast specialist Bethany Galat. Worlds medalist Katie Drabot is entered in the 200/400 free and 100/200 fly. The Stanford alum will swim against NCAA flyers Lillie Nordmann, Olivia Bray, and Kelly Pash. Cal Bears Isabelle Stadden (100/200 back) and Izzy Ivey (100/200 free, 100 back, 100 fly) will also swim in Austin.
On the men’s side, Olympic hopeful Carson Foster headlines the 400 IM with his US No. 2 season best of 4:13.79. Sitting in 5th in the US rankings is brother Jake Foster at 4:17.04, who it also entered in the 200 breast and 200 IM. Looking to compete against C. Foster in both the 400 IM and 200 fly is UGA alum and 2016 Olympian Gunnar Bentz. C. Foster also ranks No. 8 in the 200 IM (1:59.82) and No. 13 in the 200 fly (1:58.60) in the US season rankings.
In the men’s 100 free, Texas Longhorn Maxime Rooney has the highest US rank this season among the Austin entries, ranking 10th at 49.40. Stanford’s Grant Shoults and Longhorn training-mates Townley Haas and Drew Kibler are also expected to swim the middle-distance free events. Into the stroke events, Texas A&M Aggie Shaine Casas and Texas Longhorn Austin Katz headline both backstroke events while former Texas Longhorn Will Licon and Stanford’s Daniel Roy highlight the men’s 100/200 breast.
More Texas Longhorns expected to appear in Austin include John Shebat, Julia Cook, Kyla Leibel, Grace Cooper, Daniel Krueger, Jeff Newkirk, Peter Larson, Coby Carrozza, Alvin Jiang, Cole Crane, Emma Sticklen, Charlie Scheinfeld, and Bridget Semenuk. Other NCAA swimmers entered include Stanford’s Lucie Nordmann, Amalie Fackenthal, Luke Maurer, Ethan Hu, Zoe Bartel, Alex Crisera, Allie Raab, Anya Goeders, Morgan Tankersley, and Isabel Gormley and Texas A&M Aggies Caroline Theil, Abigail Ahrens, and Taylor Pike.
Frenchwoman Beryl Gastaldello is currently entered in the 50/100 free and 100 fly in lieu of competing at the 2021 European Championships in Budapest this week. On the men’s side, Texas A&M’s Koko Bratanov of Bulgaria comes in with the fastest 50 free season best at 22.25, coming from the most recent Pro Swim Series meet in Indy this past weekend. FINA’s automatic olympic qualifying standard in the 50 free rests at a 22.01, just 0.24s off of Bratanov’s best. Other notable international entries include Joanna Evans of the Bahamas, Texas’ Anna Elendt of Germany, Remedy Rule of the Philippines (100/200 fly, 200 free), Texas A&M’s Angel Martinez of Mexico and Jing Quah of Singapore.
Order of Events
Thursday, May 20
- 100 Free
- 400 IM
- 400 Free
- 100 Fly
Friday, May 21
- 200 Free
- 200 Back
- 200 Breast
- 50 Free
- 800 Free
Saturday, May 22
- 200 Fly
- 100 Breast
- 1500 Free
- 100 Back
- 200 IM
Manuel goes 54.03 in prelims!!! Can’t wait for finals tonight low 53 hopefully
Will there be a live video of the meet ?
Hope Simone goes 53 low and 24 low
No Shaine Casas?
He’s mentioned in the article & is listed on the psych sheets.
Ledecky’s 800 race is of the most interest to me in her program at this meet. She skipped this event in Mission Viejo and at this meet it will be a good indicator where she is with her current form. It will be her last race in Tokyo after of couple days of rest. And as of today it looks like it’s gonna be the safest race in her program. But i still want to see her under 8:13 in-season to not worry. That is the safe zone.
She faces the strong challenge from Titmus at 200 and 400 events (I don’t see who else) and it explains her strong focusing in training on improvement of her sprint. I… Read more »
in the 200 there are a number of women, at the top Haughey and Pellegrini.
The diciest part of her program has always been the women’s 200 meter freestyle. In addition, Federica Pellegrini has won the women’s 200 meter freestyle at the last two FINA World Aquatics Championships (2017, 2019).
As for the women’s 400 meter freestyle, Titmus has not gone sub 4:00 since the final of the women’s 400 meter freestyle at the 2019 FINA World Championships. Furthermore, Katie Ledecky was ill at the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships.
Titmus is not a favorite in any race at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics.
You know what the last two Olympics Pellegrini went in as one of the favorites but yet she’s finished off the podium in London she was the favor having one the past two world championships prior but in the Olympic final she ended up 5th 1:56.73, and heading into Rio she was one of the favorites as she took runner-ups at the two prior world championships and in the Olympic finals she ended up 4th 1:55.18. yes I know she’s won the last two worlds but I think she may end up finishing off the podium again. I think it’s worth noting that in 2017 Katie ledecky actually posted a Time faster in the semi-finals of the 200- 1:54.69 compared… Read more »
Federica Pellegrini has finished no worse than second in the women’s 200 meter freestyle during the odd years (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019) of the textile era.
Of course you are right it is not only Titmus who will compete in final.
Sprinters:
McKeon’s and Yang’s personal bests are maximum they can go, I believe. They won’t be under 1:54.5
Haughey has more speed endurance than mentioned above two. But I would expect 1:54.3 to be her limit.
Ruck – that was a real threat two years ago. What form she is at this season nobody knows. Whatever she showed recently wasn’t really promising.
Sjostrom – taking in account her injury the 200FR is most likely her only chance for podium in Tokyo. Will she pursue this opportunity? Hard to say knowing too little about her current conditions. But whatever they are… Read more »
If I were Katie ledecky I would try to put up a very 100 free this weekend to try and pick up another potential gold in Tokyo. If she can go mid 53 just to get her a relay spot.
Because I will continue to stand by this I do honestly think that the American woman have a better chance of beating Australia this year compared to 2016. My dream line up is
1. Leadoff Claire curzan I believe she can go a 52.3-52.5? Why first of all the aussie will most likely lead off with McKeon and McKeon went 52.29 last weekend, and went 24.5 in the 50 free and 56.81 100 fly in the same session!… Read more »
Not to throw cold water on your party but Torri Huske has posted a 55.57 and a 55.54 in the women’s 100 meter freestyle at the last two meets.
https://www.swimcloud.com/swimmer/495473/
I can already see the panic on Meehan’s face.
But they were low key meets based on results from my understanding. Hopefully at trials she puts up a low 53
It’s about consistency and repeatability. Reference Claire Curzan in the women’s 100 meter butterfly (56.61, 56.20, 56.43) dating back to 13 Nov 2020.
So you implying that huske performance (53.46) was just fluke???
You just don’t know! Erika Brown has not sniffed 53.42 since 07 Dec 2019.
Huske has been on an absolute tear since Jr Wolrds 2019, where she was 54-low I think. When she swam that meet in April, she had been tapered not much earlier for late March championship meet in DC. She’s gonna be fast at trials. Very
Please tell me you’re joking with this take
Good analysis — I agree this is the most likely Finals 4-some. Two vets and two rookie teens. Let’s GO!!!
As long as Claire doesn’t go past 15m.
Any word on how Bronte Campbell doing?
Balderdash!
Any word on whether the event will be streamed?
I was hoping you would tell us 😉
But, no streaming information for now. Coleman will be at the meet so he may be able to get race videos.
Are spectators allowed? I could not find a clear answer in meet packet.
No idea but I would guess yes
Ledecky loves competing in Austin (that’s what she said 😀 ). At least there she set her best in 100LCM 53.75 and the world record in 800. The 100m race is scheduled to be the first one. I hope we will see new best of her in this event. That is the longest personal best (since January 2016). I think it’s time to refresh it. 😀
And she beat Sarah sjorstrom going 1:54.43 by 2 seconds. Can she become the first swimmer ever to go under 1:54 outside of championship races (pan pacs/worlds/olympics)?
That’s a tough ask even for Katie Ledecky. Do you realize that Federica Pellegrini has never gone sub 1:54 in a textile suit?
Ledecky and Schmitt are the only sub 1:54 in textile
The aforementioned performances transpired in the final of the Summer Olympic Games. In other words, both athletes were fully tapered.
Might be the best Pre-Trials meet leading up to Omaha