Five storylines (and some bonuses) to watch out for in the Pro Swim Series

2024 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – SAN ANTONIO

For those of you who think that swimming in the backyard isn't real swimming and that the affectionately called “bathtub” is way too small, it's time to celebrate because everyone's attention (including my long-term disapproving eyes) is turning to the “big pool”. '. With this being the first Olympics since the pandemic, all preparation meets will be closely scrutinized as much of the swimming world's attention focuses on Texas.

San Antonio hosts the third and final leg of a previously abbreviated Pro Swim Series. The first two stops in Knoxville, TN and Westmont, IL featured a strong group of professional swimmers including Caeleb DresselWinning the 50 Free in a bizarre time and block malfunction and Regan Smith break Summer McIntoshHP record in the 200cc flight.

While there had been a few college swimmers at the previous two stops, the Walsh sisters swam in Knoxville, and Cal sent swimmers to both stops; This stop will feature several NCAA winners, which is a great segue into the first of our storylines.

“Walsh,” can’t they?

Alex Walsh (Photo: Jack Spitser)

After winning three events at the 2024 Women's NCAA Championships, Alex Walsh and her younger sister Gretchen Walsh have long distance meters in their sights as they prepare for their qualifying run for the 2024 Olympic Games. A. Walsh, the reigning Olympic silver medalist in the 200m IM, will face a busy program of events as she will compete in the 100m free, 100 breaststroke, 100 fly, 200m breaststroke and 200 IM. In the IM she trails only the reigning gold medalist and her teammate Kate Douglass. The elder Walsh is opting not to compete in the 400 IM, an event she won at the NCAAs, but will attempt to compete in a competitive 200 breaststroke field alongside homegrown competitors such as Douglass, Lilly KingAnd Lydia Jacoby.

Walsh, who won the 50 free, 100 free and 100 fly at the NCAAs, is competing in four events this week. Not only will she look to convert her short course victories into long course victories, but she will also tackle the 100m backstroke, where she is the all-time yards pool record holder. But while she was completely dominant in the yards pool last month, the yards weren't so kind to her. The younger sister overcame that hurdle last summer and qualified for the world team, where she won a medal in every color, including an individual bronze in the 50 fly. Still, she will face a variety of competitors in San Antonio who have focused solely on meters, including the likes of Siobhan Haughey, Weitzeil Abbey, And Torri Huske.

Don't forget us

The Walsh sisters aren't the only NCAA champions coming to San Antonio. Phoebe Bacon, Katharine BerkoffAnd Emma Sticklen will also try to convert their victories into long-term successes.

Phoebe Bacon (Photo: Jack Spitser)

Bacon, who won the 200m at the NCAAs, has been on a bit of a resurgence of late, and it seems to be just in time as she looks to qualify for her second Olympics. However, her journey is quite difficult as the backstroke is one of the hardest ever. Regan Smith is a looming presence, as is his fellow 2021 Olympian Rhyan White. In the 100 race, Bacon not only meets the aforementioned Walsh, but also has to deal with the NCAA 100 winner Berkoff. Berkoff, who just completed her collegiate swimming career at NC State, is the second seed behind Smith in the 100 free and will also compete in the sprint free, where she placed 23rd in the 50 and tied for 23rd in the 100 15 lies.

Also runs into the Regan Smith The problem is the NCAA 200 Fly Champion Emma Sticklen. The Texas Longhorn, who secured victory with a great final underwater victory, will have some reinforcements as training partners in the 200 flight Dakota Luther And Kelly Pash are both seeded above her, as are their NCAA rivals Tess Howley And Lindsay Looney.

Depth = tension

While watching Katie Ledecky Swimming is always a wonder, but the lack of competition can be a little discouraging for spectators (she's the front runner in the 1500 by over 25 seconds). The women's sprint free and backstroke events certainly won't disappoint.

The Sprint Frees are full of talent. Weitzeil leads the field in the 50, but is put under pressure by G. Walsh, Douglass, Huske and others Olivia Smoligaand that's just the domestic area. Kasia Wasick And Siobhan Haughey are the numbers 2 and 3 seeds, and Olympians Farida Osman and Taylor Ruck are lurking and are seeded dangerously low. In the 100 free competitors, the field is largely identical, but Haughey takes her place at the top with 52.02, more than half a second ahead of Douglass with 52.57

The 100 back looks to be a tough battle too, with Smith up against players like Berkoff, Smoligia, White, Kennedy Noble, and bacon. After Smith, second place in the 100 back was probably one of the most competitive spots on the women's squad and there is hope of reclaiming that spot after an absence Claire Curzan.

Impact on the world in 2024

CURZAN Claire
World Swimming Championships – Doha 2024
February 2nd – 18th, 2024
Credit Fabio Cetti

The U.S. sent an extremely small team to Doha, particularly among the women, but they certainly made a name for themselves in the medal count. Curzan, who transferred from Stanford to UVA but is taking a redshirt year, became the second swimmer ever to master the backstroke and added an individual silver medal to her six-medal haul. In San Antonio, she competes in five different events including the 50/100 free, 100/200 back and 100 fly. It will be interesting to see how the success from two months ago affects her swimming in Texas, as she exclusively coaches distance swimmers while college swimmers are just making that transition.

Curzan isn't the only 2024 world champion expected to take the plunge. Douglass, who won the 200 IM and silver medals in the 50 freestyle and 200 breaststroke in Doha, will compete in six events. She is the top seed in the 200 IM and 200 Breast as well as the 50 Free, 100 Free, 100 Fly and 100 Breast in her program. In her first year of training exclusively for distance running, it will be interesting to see if Douglass can continue the form that has seen her set the American record in the 200 breaststroke and new personal bests in the 50 free and 200 in Knoxville IM set up Doha.

Haughey also won three medals in Doha, leading the field in the 200 free and adding a silver in the 100 free and a surprise bronze medal in the 100 breaststroke. The former Michigan Wolverine leads the Psych chart in the 100 free and 200 free and will also compete in the 50 free, 400 free, 100 fly and 100 breast. Haughey, who represents Hong Kong and won her first world title in Doha, has a different Olympic qualification process than most of the field and will therefore be in a different training position than many of her competitors.

“Don’t call it a comeback”

For all of you who are dying to call me names in the comments because I forgot to mention it Simone Manuel Don't worry about the sprint free fights. I did not forget it; I just thought it deserved its own section. Manuel, whose trials and tribulations have been well documented, had a strong performance at Westmont, winning the 200 free in a time of 1:57.80, the 100 free in 53.35 and placing 2nd in the 50 free in a time of 24.49.

Simone Manuel (Photo: Jack Spitser)

In San Antonio she competes in the same four events (50/100/200 free and 100 fly) and is seeded dangerously low, especially in the 50 race. With a starting score of 24.82 she is only seeded 12th, her 24.49 from Westmont would jump her up to 8th and her 100 free time would move from 9th to 7th. While a few places might not seem like much, Manuel only managed 24.82 and 53.73 in Knoxville and has already lost parts of them in the two months between meets. If their course continues, Manuel should easily be back at the top of the conversation among competitors at the Olympic Trials.

But what's even more impressive is that her 50th time is almost as fast as the time she swam to win trials in 2021 (24.29). Manuel, who was currently struggling with overtraining syndrome, has certainly recovered since then, but still has a lot of work to do with 24.29 won trials in 2021, which most likely won't be the case this time around as Douglass has the American record holds of 23.91 and Weitzeil holds the US Open record of 24.00 and Curzan was even fast at 24.17.

BONUSES

[Author’s aside: I have a hard time editing, so I included some more storylines that deserve some attention]

• Women's distance: Katie Ledecky leads the field in the 1500 race by a wide margin, but that doesn't mean the talent isn't there. Jillian Coxwho finished 6th in the 800-meter run in Fukuoka, finished just behind his American compatriots Paige Madden (#4) and Erica Sullivan (#5), but on paper the 34-year-old is the biggest threat to finish second behind Ledecky Ashley Wall. If you're wondering who this is, it seems like Ashley Twitchell has adopted her husband's last name, or at least used it in entries. Wall returns after giving birth to her first child in May 2022. Wall, an open water specialist, competes in the 1500. Leah Smith will take up the gauntlet in the 400 and 800.
• Lilly KingLong the dominant face of American breaststroke, he has stood the test of time and still leads the field in the 100 breaststroke, but faces another 2021 Olympian Lydia Jacoby as well as hungry Kaitlyn Dobler. Kate Douglassthe American record holder in the 200m breaststroke and 50m freestyle, seems like she should be able to compete in this event, although she still appears to have some sprinting ability with her breaststroke, but she certainly presents one poses a threat to her in which she participates.