USA Swimming Updates SC Worlds Roster: Harting In, Foster Out of 200 Fly In Melbourne

2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• December 13th – December 18th
• Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC), Melbourne, Australia
• SCM (25m)
• Meet Central

USA Swimming has updated its roster for the 2022 Short Course World Championships, announcing Wednesday that Zach Harting will join the U.S. contingent heading to Melbourne to race the men’s 200 butterfly.

Harting gains an entry after FINA informed USA Swimming that one of the initial entrants, Carson Foster, was ineligible to race the 200 fly because his qualifying time was not done at a FINA-approved qualifying event.

USA Swimming selected its SC Worlds roster via long course times through the U.S. National Team, where Foster was the top-ranked swimmer in the men’s 200 fly after clocking 1:53.67 at the Speedo Southern Sectionals in Austin back in July. However, the competition is not FINA-approved for qualifying purposes, making him ineligible to race the event at Worlds under the FINA qualifying procedures.

USA Swimming provided the following statement:

Upon further review of the time standard requirements set for entrance into the FINA World Championships (25m), USA Swimming has determined that Carson Foster is not eligible to represent USA Swimming in the 200 Fly in Melbourne, and will be replaced by Zach Harting. Trenton Julian is also set to race the 200 Fly.

Carson Foster will still swim the 200 and 400 IM at FINA World Championships (25m). USA Swimming prides itself on accurate and fair selection procedures and takes full responsibility for this error. We look forward to having Zach and his leadership on the Short Course World Championship Team alongside Carson and the rest of this talented team.

The change does not effect the U.S. National Team roster.

As a result, Harting joins the U.S. squad as the fifth-fastest swimmer in the men’s 200 fly on the National Team, giving the event a complete overhaul compared to the original two swimmers entered when the roster was first announced.

Luca Urlando, who is ranked second behind Foster on the National Team in the 200 fly, was forced to withdraw from the competition after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury on the FINA World Cup circuit, which opened the door for Trenton Julian to be added to the team last week.

Julian was ranked third in the 200 fly, while fourth-ranked Gabriel Jett has seemingly declined his spot.

Foster will still swim the men’s 200 IM and 400 IM in Melbourne, having won silver and bronze in those events, respectively, at last year’s SC Worlds in Abu Dhabi.

For Harting, this will be his third straight appearance on the U.S. roster at SC Worlds. At the 2018 championships in Hangzhou, China, he finished fifth in the 200 fly, and last year in Abu Dhabi he placed 11th while also picking up a gold medal after swimming a prelim leg on the U.S. men’s 800 free relay.

With the addition of Harting, the U.S. roster is now at USA Swimming’s maximum of 16 men and 16 women.

Men’s Roster, 2022 World Short Course Championships

Women’s Roster, 2022 World Short Course Championships

The 2022 World Short Course Championships will be held from December 13-18 in Melbourne, Australia. At the 2021 edition in Abu Dhabi, the U.S. led the medal table with nine gold and 30 total medals won.