USA Swimming Announces 2016-17 National Team Roster

As we head into the new season, USA Swimming swimming has released the 2016-17 U.S. National Team roster of 53 men and 53 women, headlined by individual Rio gold medalists Katie Ledecky, Ryan Murphy, Simone Manuel, Anthony Ervin, and Lilly King.

To qualify for the 2016-17 National Team, swimmers had to post a time that ranked in the top 6 of their respective Olympic events from the combined results of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, 2016 Rio Olympic Games, and 2016 U.S. Open. Being selected to the team can give these athletes benefits such as athlete health insurance, monthly stipends, and reimbursements for expenses at meets. You can read in-depth about what it means to be a U.S. National Team member and some of the big benefits here.

Swimming their way onto the team were 7 individual gold medalists from the 2016 Rio Olympics, including Ledecky (200/400/800 free), Murphy (100/200 back), King (100/200 breast), Ervin (50/100 free), and Manuel (50/100 free). Also on the roster are gold medalists Michael Phelps (100/200 fly, 200 IM) and Maya DiRado (200 back, 200/400 IM), but both have announced that they don’t intend to continue swimming.

Phelps and DiRado are among a handful of swimmers who made the roster but are now retired or have announced their intention to take a long break. On the women’s side, Jessica Hardy qualified in the 100 breast, but she’s said that her final race at Trials was likely the last race of her career. On the men’s side, 2012 Olympic gold medalists Matt Grevers (100 back) and Tyler Clary (200 back) have announced their retirement, and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Connor Jaeger (400/1500 free) is considering retirement as well.

While the veterans have begun to move on, we’ll get a chance to see 21 first-time National Team members on the roster. That includes Michael Andrew, a young pro swimmer who made his first team with his 100 breast and 200 IM at Olympic Trials, and Ryan Held, who won hearts with his emotional display on the podium after winning Olympic gold in the men’s 400 free relay.

Qualifying for the team in the most events this year is the University of Georgia’s Gunnar Bentz. Bentz, a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team, made the roster with top 6 finishes in the men’s 200 free, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM. In Rio, he earned his first Olympic gold medal with his performance on the prelims 800 free relay.

Before he can compete for Team USA, Bentz has to serve a 4-month suspension handed to him by USA Swimming. In that boat with him are National Teamers Ryan Lochte (200 free, 200/400 IM), Jack Conger (200 free, 100/200 fly) and Jimmy Feigen (100 free), who were all involved in the gas station controversy in Rio.

Lochte, an Olympic veteran for the USA, is on the roster for the 200 free, 200 IM, and 400 IM. However, it’s unlikely that we’ll see him compete at all. Lochte was given a 10-month suspension as a result of his actions, which extends through 2017 Nationals, thus barring him from the 2017 World Championships.

2016-17 National Team Roster:

• 106 National Team members (53 men; 53 women)
• 31 states represented; California leads the way with 16 National Team members
• 50-plus USA Swimming clubs represented
• 37 medalists from the 2016 Olympic Games
• 12 swimmers qualified for the National Team in three-plus events
• 21 first-time National Team members
• 8 members of the 2015-16 National Junior Team made the leap to National Team
• 65 personal coaches of National Team athletes honored as 2016-17 National Team coaches

WOMEN

MEN