German Nationals, 31 May - 5 June
Germany's swimming stars get their first and only chance to stamp their tickets to Shanghai.
Start List
Results
Qualifying Times - Very tough!
Mare Nostrum Tour
A great sneak preview of some of the world's elite swimmers ahead of July's World Championships.
Barcelona, 4-5 June
Start List
Canet, 8-9 June
Start List
Results
Monaco, 11-12 June
Start Lists and Results
British ASA Nationals, 14-17 June
British swimmers get another chance to make the team for Shanghai. While many swimmers have already booked their place on the plane, other stalwarts of British Swimming such as Jo Jackson, Lizzie Simmonds, Kris Gilchrist and Robbie Renwick are yet to nail down individual spots.
Results
Programme
Those German qualifying times are surely the times needed to enter the Universe Champs not merely Earth.
ReplyDeleteMesage to electors -These swimmers are human not multi limbed androids.Even the DDR had more empathy with their athletes & thats saying something.
Some good results in Barcelona, namely by Coutts & Irie, however my personal highlight is the Jo Jackson who looks like she is at last making some progress back from a a long illness process, 1.58.55 is faster than she managed to swim all last year and for the first time in a long while, she came home sub 30 seconds, i hope for her that this is the beginning of her return and that she starts swimming the times she can again, 2012 British nationals womens free events accross the board are going to be amazing, excited already!
ReplyDeleteSo Biedermann hasn't cracked the individual time slot in either 100 or 400 Free so far.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean he will have to qualify for 200 Free to be able to enter those two events as well?
@Robin
ReplyDeleteYes he does, he needs to go inside the time to qualify or he is only in as a relay swimmer, Steffen is in a similar patch having missed the QT in both 200 & 100FR she needs to go at least 24.87 in the 50FR tomorrow to make the cut, however i am sure than in light of the amazingly small team the boundaries will be pulled back to a time in which they will have an entrant in most events, like in Australia.
24.8*
ReplyDeleteAlicia Coutts is fantastic. Unheralded -even in Australia -unknown anywhere & completely overlooked by pundits -Alicia comes out with a 57.3.
ReplyDeleteDo you believe now she is the real thing?
Who did not believe she was the real thing? I think she is a super swimmer, many would argue that she is the best in the world at the Free/Fly double and at this point i would agree. Come worlds i think both her & Halsall (Yes, Franny...watch out) will go sub 57 for 100fly. It will come down to the touch.
ReplyDelete100FR is open more than any other event on the womens side!
Who did not believe? I have yet to see Alicia on the list of favourites for any event in either Shanghai or London. including this blog' experts'.
ReplyDeleteOMG -when someone has a lovely name like Fransesca why do you make it Fran? Does it hurt to tap 4 extra letters?
Its about the right time to break 57. After all it is over 10 years since Inge.
There is a (working) live stream from the Barcelona meet here: http://www.esport3.cat/directes/esport3/
ReplyDeletelol-Fran or Franny is her swimming name by her own choice, look at her Twitter acount....FranHalsall and she recently called herself Franny!
ReplyDeleteAnd i have not seen any predictions on Shaghai yet, but to be honest i would not be suprised if she was not on a list in gold medal position as yes she is fastest in the world on fly, but the gap is about .1 and if you look at 2010 lists, you would have Magnusson/Vollmer/Sjostrom & Halsall within .15 of her Nationals times and this year add Zige and you have an extremely close race. Her next best event the 200IM she is not actually fastest and you have a bunch (Kukors/Rice/Hosszu etc) .3 back which can again all be gained on an amazing turn on a 200m race (Kukors is my personal bet). Finally the 100FR, she swam amazingly at nationals but 53.8 is not a medal winner for me, Kromowidjojo has gone 53.4 and Halsall & Steffen have yet to swim fully fit and peak and have swam 54.1 & 53.5! However like i said she is not far back on the 100FR (Even though .3 is a bigger gap on 100 than 200)and has every chance of medalling in all her events.
Shanghai*
ReplyDeleteJack - A gentleman always refers to a lady by their full name. Usage of a diminutive ( no matter what is on their twitter or personal label) suggests a familiarity or a paternalistic regard. At its worst it just seems yikky .
ReplyDeleteI note that Mr David employs Elizabeth & Francesca not Lizzie or Fran . This is right & proper .
As to 20 IM lists -I dont know what you are loking at but on mine Ms Coutts has been numero uno since April 2.
LOL make that Mr David Lord - .
ReplyDeleteRegarding the women's 100 free the top in 2011 is Ms Femke H & Ms Coutts at 53.8 in second place.
Plus Ms Coutts ha a 15th ranked 200 free- only .4 outside an 800 relay spot for a likely medal winning team.If she is hot they will put her in .
Okay, about the nicknames we are living in the 21st century and the ways on what is right and proper moves with the times, and i have actually spoken to Fran many times personally and she has no problem being known as Fran (British,Australia & American commentators also call her Fran, as they call Adlington Becky).
ReplyDeleteAnd as much as it would be lovely to look at this years list's and see no histroy nor potential of swimmers that are yet to peak that is simply unrealistic optimism and the fact is the Americans (Plus Britta, Fran & and arguably Ranomi) have yet to peak in 2010 and 2 i mentioned earlier are yet to peak since 2009.
On the 200IM- Ye Shiwen (15) swam 2.09.37 in 2010 at the Asian games and went 2.10.11 at 2011 Chinese nationals, that compares to 2.10.32 at 2010 nationals which was followed by a 1sec drop at her main event.
PS- If you like calling people by full names i am Jackee!
Ok Jackee-pleased to meet you.& I appreciate your commenting . It is depressing to post & no one answers!
ReplyDeleteI would like people to back their claiDana Volmer once &she is very nicems up eg Ms Kukors- minus rubber suit what has she achieved?
We are working with year Pbs - it ain't necessarily so that swimmers will improve even if they taper. Previous years achievements cannot always be replicated . The Chinese & Americans who had home meets nicely spaced were served better than The Brits & Australians who had to deal with Dehli.
But in 2011 those at the top have put out & those behind must step up to prove themselves. I would prefer 6 weeks out to have a top 5
time.
Times & championships can be either or both.
ERR THAT 2ND PARAGRAPH IS A VICTIM OF not cncentrating.. I have met Dana Volmer who is remarkably modest .She does not have any major medals but is successful. Arianna Kukors has many fans but only has one rubber suited claim to fame.
ReplyDeleteThats a little unfair on Kukors, she won 3 medal last year, at PanPacs and SC WCs!
ReplyDeleteVollmer is my dark horse, the Americans always up their game at worlds and even thought i look at fly and see their weakest stroke (Minus IM) i still think Vollmer can be a cause for concern.
On Coutts, like i said i agree, in 2010 she has look and proved to be near unbeatable, but when predicting for WCs as many blog 'experts' do they need to factor in potential and full tapered ability, otherwise would Phelps be favourite for any events in Shanghai? Not on current form! Would Pellegrini be favourite for 200FR?? not on her 1.56.9 swim!
So all factors need to be included and to be totally honest, as many bloggers have said, it is extremely likely that had Francesca! Halsall had swam fully fit and in top shape the Alicia would have left Delhi with 3 gold, only 1 individual! and Halsall could have definatley left with double fly/Free gold and 2 relay silvers!
However finally, i think Coutts has pushed on this year and is showing real potential as a champion on a 'world stage', which i actually think is her problem, she is sadly not proven on the biggest stage and until she is then there will always be some people sceptical, like they often are with times pumping out at Asian games etc. As much as Shiwen has been blown up, the fact is it is her age we are obsessed with and we all know that China have had 15YOs swim WRs and amazing times then fizzle away, (Li Zhesi springs to mind, who was born in 1995 yeat her times have been stagnant since 2008!). Although Shiwen is still a threat for me.
Jack, I agree with anonymous. You need to read the previous blog entries on this site as well as swiminfo and other swimming sites. None of those "experts" put alicia coutts as medal contender in Shanghai. Granted, those experts are mostly americans and they must have never heard the news about Commonwealth Games, but Alicia Coutts have proved that CWG was not fluke as she repeated the same exact performance in the aussie trials.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm sure that those so called "experts" now must change their mind after they read the results from Barcelona.
even in the 200 IM, most "expert" favorited Kukors, Rice and Shiwen as medals certainties.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the only "medal certainty" in the 200IM is Alicia Coutts. She has shown that she is in peak form during championships, even if it means dropping over a second from your in season time to get there. Also, like rebecca soni, shes put up very consistent in season times as well. What that medal will be is uncertain. But many "experts" believe that it will take a 208 to win.
ReplyDeleteThe other medals could go anywhere between Rice, Ye, Kukors, Hosszu, Verraszto, Belmonte. Also, do not be surprised if the second swimmer from china jumps out of nowhere to claim a medal. In fact, don't be surprised if that happens for ANY womens event. I guarantee you that a Chinese swimmer that has been apart of no medals conversation for london or shanghai will probably win a medal.
Since I'm currently in China interning, I want to mention that there is a lot of hype about Chinese swimmers going into major events that just aren't translated into English media. Before the Asian gmaes, there was huge hype and expectation on Zhao Jing and Ye Shiwen, but no English media picked up on it. This is why we are more shocked than chinese fans. Their preparation and "condition" in trainings well documented in their own country.
With that said.. watch out for Wu Peng this summer.
Aswimfan
ReplyDeleteIf you have read the previous entries on this site you will see i have commented extensively on most of them! (Until about a month ago but i went on a long holiday!) and am aware that they have ignored coutts, that was not the debate, we agreed on that (Have you read all the comments or misunderstood any?) but i was simply saying that as much as she is proven herself and is probably the best in the world right now (Which we agreed on) the American are yet to swim tapered this year so any predictions are going to be a sort of guessing game because they are such an integral part of the swimming world and when a 2.06 girl is in the squad, then you cant be too sure on results and these blog "experts" have to be realistic with their predictions and take into account external factors (It is not as simple as a piece of paper and form, As Hoff would have told you in 2008) like potential and fitness etc. So in reflection, i think Coutts has been overlooked but the thing the American and Australian pin-up girls (Kukors/Rice etc.) will always get the nod over the fighters (Adlington's/Coutts) when it comes down to it.
But finally in reply to John, nobody is a medal certainty in a WC final, there as many have said, a WC or OLY final is a pressure like nothing else and not everyone can deal with it (Something widely aimed at Ellen Gandy) and until Coutts proves she has got the head, and not having age on her side (Like Shiwen) or celebrity status she will be overlooked.
LOL Only the British are aiming anything at Ellen Gandy.
ReplyDeleteAs to Olympic finals & pressure -Alicia has been there done that pretty good.
As to Celebrity status. Alicia's is drawing in reams of citizens to the Canberra RSPCA Cat Refuge & cats are swarming out the door to new homes. Their little collars sporting a signature of Australia's Premier Swimmer.
Beat that !
RE Coutts:
ReplyDeleteShe may have local or National status but ask your average swim fan (not enthusiast)outside Australia to name the pin-up girls of swimming and Rice/Seebohm/Trickett just from Australia would come off their lips first! As for Celebrity status the list female swimmers ahead of her is endless, Add to the previous list Schipper/Kukla and you have 5 girls just from Aus more recognisable than her, i mean heck i watched the CWG and could not pick Coutts randomly from a picture whereas i could with the others plus Adlington/Pellegrini/Manaudou/Coughlin/Spofforth/Vollmer/Kukors....Even Galvez!
RE Gandy!-I think you will find the same blog experts earlier referred to all highlighted Gandy's mental fragility and a few if not many all predicted her out of the medals due to it, guess what many of them were American & generally not British.
I remember 2008! Just doing well is very diffent to winning in an Olympic final to be honest.
And finally just to clarify again! I think Coutts is the best in the world right now i am just shouting the facts that she is on the biggest stage and that is likely why she has been ignored (As well as her 'status').
Also just back to the German nationals, as i expected the team has been expanded as only 11 qualified to a team of 24! (The are represented in every stroke, but not distance).
ReplyDeleteIrie is a serial 1 .54 er. Impressive.
ReplyDeletecan u public next segment of 2012 Olympic prediction? its took little longer from last publish.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Irie has won every major backstroke race this year and is not favored to win more than the bronze medal in either race. Would it be surprising to you guys if this is the year that Irie pulls things together, and drops 1 and 2 seconds respectively in Shanghai in the 100 +200m races?
ReplyDeleteI favour Irie for medals. What is not to like?
ReplyDeleteI won't be surprised if Irie wins both. If only he gets his turns closer to Lochte's, he'll be invincible.
ReplyDeleteSo good and quite unexpected heat swims on day one of Nationals, Georgia davies went 1.01.03 to break her 100BK PB in the heats! Also Halsall & Lowe 58.21 & 58.25 100fly heats, looks like a world class flyer wont make it.
ReplyDeleteGood night for British swimming i think, have we finally found a 100/200 freestyler to match McClatchey at her best in 18 year old BECKY Turner? that 200FR results gives the relay a huge boost, we have some good depth in our relay know with Adlington/Carlin/Turner/Jackson and McClatchey all comfortably able to swim 1.58 and Miley/Payne in the 1.59s! Also on fly, a 57.44 swimmer left at home???? Great for British female swimming! Although tbh i am a bit annoyed Fran did not get the touch, i can see her going extremely fast on fly in 2012, that i think was just the tip of her potential, cant wait to see the 100FR tomorrow! I am wondering if Maughan scratched the 200FR because she thought she had a genuine shot at making the Short sprint relay! Fran also mentioned her excitement at the potential of the 4x100fr squad and names Maughan many times in her interview at nats, does she know something? Turner will go close to the 55 sec barrier too!
ReplyDeleteJack- you jinxed Ms Francesca.
ReplyDeletewomens 100back may be deepest event in the world with zhao gao seebohm hocking simmonds spofforth Coventry pelton Coughlin terakawa sakai zueva heemskerk (13) swimmers with a legitimate chance to final/medal. Thats only the swimmers that qualified, which leaves out the likes of Missy Franklin.
ReplyDeletelol i did yes, but she has just gone 53.61 (Fastest in the world) in the 100FR heats! i really can see her winning 3 individual golds in 2012, 50&100FR & 100fly, she is a huge talent. But in all seriousness, it should be something British swimming is proud of to say they have the depth to leave the 5th fastest woman in the world at home, but Jemma has clearly been a talent for a long time. In the 100fr heats she was followed through by Smtih (55.41) Turner (55.97) and Wilkins (56.03)whom i think is one to watch on the 50FR and could get the nod ahead of Smith there.
ReplyDeleteJust heard from somebody i know at the event she is scratching the final as she has already qualified for worlds, she also said Fran glided the last 2 strokes, not suprised the is not swimming.
ReplyDeleteReally impressed with Molly Renshaw's progress this year, she has improved by 8 seconds this year and has taken almost over 3 seconds off the age group record, she might just be the future breaststroker Britain needs!
ReplyDeletecant wait to see what she can pull out in the 100BR, i am not imagining anything fast but her 1.12 PB needs rewriting as she went through halfway in 1.11.4 today.
Another thing on Molly Renshaw, she went 2.30 at nationals tapered and today her 2.27.67 was untapered, that is pretty special for a 1996 born! i am sure she will get on the team and then hopefully drop a few more seconds tapered at worlds, i know the Derventio team are extremely excited about her coming on and have even heard mention of Balfours BR going in 2012! Cant wait to see her swim tapered and up for it in Shanghai.
ReplyDeleteLondon ? I am consumed by the bureaucratic nightmare that is the fate of Colonel Ghaddafi's 1000 tickets.
ReplyDeleteWhat to do? Having seen the beheadings on the other side I would not want to sit next seat if those guys are given the tickets either.
REfund?
British swimming has come a LOONG way since I first started following swimming in mid 90s. Ironically, the man largely possible for this huge turnaround, Bill Sweetenham, was vilified and relentlessly criticised when he was at the helm.
ReplyDeleteAustralia will be benefiting when Bill comes back home after his stint in Spain (where now they have belmonte, munoz, etc from practically nothing)
Yes Bill was very unhappy. He used to come back & despair at the British (lack of ) excellence as a concept. He was forced to impose regimes he would never do in Australia because he had nothing to work on .
ReplyDeleteBill is actually a big softie. It would be cool to see him coach his own squad again - been 15 years !
I have to agree with the comments on Sweetenham, i think the despair & lack of excellence is slighy dramatised but i can see where it would come from.
ReplyDeleteHowever no way do i agree about Spain, Belmonte-Garcia has been seen as a future star in Spain for a very long time (Like Lidon Munoz at the moment) and was WR for the SC 400IM in 2008 before Sweetenham joined the Spanish and she was EJ champs before that, so i accept he has helped Spain but Belmonte-Garcia as a talent had nothing to do with Bill as much as he is great at turning things around, she had been unluckly with injury which made her breakthrough seem sudden but she has long been known in European circles.
WOW, Georgia Davies under 1.00 for halfway split in 200BK, 59.60 the time, GB might just have the best BK squad in the world for women.
ReplyDeleteIf Davies had any confidence she would have earnt the 100 spot. Goes to show that an effort under no pressure is wholly different to a race when it matters.
ReplyDeleteTHe point of Spain is the younger swimmers are Bill was hired to put a better system at the op end whereas GB required a complete retool.
Spain's biggest prolem is the economy .This may be good for their sports kids because what else is there? Dito GB -swimming is their only hope to stay afloat.
Europe back to the USSR !
Georgia did not actually swim the 100BK final as she was slighty late to the call room, as her twitter account stated just "30 seconds" late, i think next years nationals will be a real dog-fight between the three, i could not imagine either Spoff or Simmonds missing London but Georgia looks to be improving fast.
ReplyDeleteJemma Lowe 2.05.36 200fly on her own, nobody to push her along, can she challenge the chinese girls? she loves a fight and she will get one from them. Also the Rankings are now China 1&2 GB 3&4! ha
ReplyDelete