USA Swimming has released its selection criteria for the 2022 Short Course World Championships, set to take place this coming December in Australia.
The process mirrors the one implemented by the organization for last year’s championships in Abu Dhabi, with spots being offered to athletes in accordance with their ranking on the 2022-23 U.S. National Team, which was released on Wednesday.
The priorities for World Championship selection are as follows:
- Swimmers with the first and second-fastest times in the 50 and 100 freestyle
- Swimmers with the fastest times in each individual Olympic event other than the 50 and 100 freestyle
- Swimmers with the second-fastest time in the 200 freestyle
- Swimmers with the second-fastest times in each individual Olympic event other than the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle
Of note, for the first time, this year’s Short Course World Championships will include the men’s 800 freestyle and women’s 1500 freestyle, which made their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020.
Using long course performances for selection to the Short Course World Championships was heavily scrutinized last year, with prominent SC performers Coleman Stewart and Beata Nelson unable to vie for world titles despite being some of the fastest in the world (in Stewart’s case, the world record holder in the 100 back). However, with the International Swimming League (ISL) canceling its 2022 season, there haven’t been any notable short course meter competitions that American swimmers have been racing in this year.
The maximum team size will be 16 men and 16 women. USA Swimming won’t field a full team if priorities #1-4 are filled and the roster hasn’t hit the maximum.
For the non-Olympic 50-meter events (50 back, breast and fly), the swimmers who qualify in the corresponding 100-meter events will be offered entry into those events. If there is still an opening, spots will be offered to the swimmer already on the team with the next-fastest time in the 100-meter race, provided they’ve achieved the FINA ‘A’ standard in the 50 (either LCM or SCM).
For the 100 IM, swimmers already on the team will be eligible to race it provided they’ve achieved the FINA ‘A’ cut at a FINA-approved competition between July 24, 2021 and November 5, 2022.
At the 2021 SC World Championships, the United States topped the medal table with nine gold and 30 total medals. They brought a strong mix of professionals and collegiate swimmers, despite the meet being held in the midst of the NCAA season (though since its in December, there’s an opening in competition schedules for most schools, with the main conflict potentially being exams).
The American roster is expected to be announced by October 14, and the team is scheduled to leave the U.S. on Dec. 6 and take on a pre-meet training camp from Dec. 8-12 in Melbourne prior to the competition.
The 2022 Short Course World Championships will run from Dec. 13-18 in Melbourne, Australia.
Everyone except for an office full of people in Colorado Springs can recognize that the selection process isn’t a good way to do things. Refusing to give SC specialists a chance to make the team is so unfair.
Tom Shields shouldn’t have the opportunity to make a team in December because he was sick early in the year and couldn’t get ready for LC? Caeleb should be automatically offered a spot even if he doesn’t touch water b/n LC and SC worlds?
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Disappointing. Did they even consider making any changes? Personally, I think they should make an exemption for world/American record holders within a certain time frame.
can we swap out USA Swimming for USAT&F? this lazy thinking will keep the sport one pace above intramural status
That’s it? Be more like USATF? That’s your solution? That organization is every bit as dysfunctional as USA Swimming. Maybe more so.
I can’t find the new event schedule (with W1500 and M800 added) on the FINA website. Surely that is something that should be available before countries select their teams?
Tell me what you want but i am going to miss Caeleb Dressel. On SCM He is so strong. Hope he’ll be back soon.
This is so brain dead and lacks so much creativity I can’t even begin to understand it
So Beata can be selected? She’s on the team finally in the 200 IM.
She is behind Walsh, Hayes and Leah Smith in 2IM
I doubt Walsh and Smith will attend SC Worlds
Would really love to see Ledecky do another SCM meet
World Cups Indy & Toronto maybe