Two Foreign Athletes Cleared To Compete At U.S. Nationals

2017 U.S. NATIONALS/WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TRIALS

• Tuesday, June 27th-Saturday, July 1st
• 50-Meter Course
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Meet Info
• Prelims timelines
• Broadcast schedule
• Event-by-event previews
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream (U.S. viewers)
• Live Stream (International viewers)

Though the U.S. National Championships are generally closed to foreign athletes, two international swimmers have been approved by USA Swimming to compete this week: Florida alum Mitch D’Arrigo and South Carolina senior Bryce Kananowicz.

Both athletes appear on the psych sheets with the traditional asterisk that denotes foreign athletes in “open” events that allow entries from swimmers with sporting citizenship for a nation outside of the United States. D’Arrigo is set to swim the 200 and 400 frees and Kananowicz is entered in the 200 back.

USA Swimming rules for the 2017 National Championships says that foreign athletes were not allowed to enter unless they were approved by USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch. The exact wording from the meet information:

“Foreign athletes (those who are ineligible to represent the USA in international competitions) will not be allowed to swim at this competition unless approved by the USA National Team Director.”

USA Swimming hasn’t given any specifics on how those decisions are made, but did confirm that D’Arrigo and Kananowicz had been approved for this meet. We’ll update if we receive further comment.

D’Arrigo is an Italian national who has represented that country internationally at European Championships meets in 2012 (short course), 2013 (short course), 2014 (long course) and 2016 (long course). He was a silver medalist in the 4×200 free relay at the 2014 Short Course World Championships with his Italian relay-mates. In Indianapolis this weekend, he’s competing Unattached but under the Gator Swim Club banner of his alma mater, the University of Florida.

Kananowicz is a rising senior for South Carolina. He’s originally from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, but competed for Canada at its Olympic Trials meet in 2016. Prior to that, he had competed at U.S. Nationals and Junior Nationals. He’s competing Unattached but under the Gamecock Aquatics banner.

Typically at open meets, foreign athletes are allowed to swim prelims, but are not allowed to take a place in an A final. There’s no specific wording in the rules of this meet on whether that remains the case, and whether either swimmer could make a B Final. The C finals are reserved for the top 18-and-under swimmers.

Kananowicz is seeded at a short course yards time in the 200 back tomorrow, but would have to drop a significant amount of time off his lifetime-best to finish inside the top 16. D’Arrigo, on the other hand, is seeded 6th in the 200 free tomorrow and 17th in the 400 free on Friday, which makes him a potential top-16 candidate.