Wednesday, 7 March 2012

British Olympic Trials

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Heats start at 9am GMT. Finals start at 6:30pm GMT

64 comments:

  1. ...and who said sarah sjostrom has pleateaued in the 100fly....

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  2. John -only those who don't understand development. I think she could represent Sweden in bacvk if she ever develops a face in water phobia.

    SOme swimmers have got de goods .

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  3. Hannah Miley's 4.32.67 is very impressive considering her split @ 300m was faster than Beisel's in Shanghai. I think with the home crowd behind her Miley will be the fave for gold. Early prediction for women's 400IM: Miley-Beisel-YeShiwen

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  4. Actually, Sjoestrom's PB is 56.06 (albeit in rubber), so 56.7 as impressive as it is, does not represent big jump forward.
    This is not me saying I don't have hope in her. Hey, she is in my Fantasy team at JohnLohn's grand fantasy challenge column at swimmingworld.
    I really really hope that Sarah will get much faster after taper (although history does not really support it) this summer, and if she does, watch out world!

    As for 400 IM, I think Beisel is still the favorite. Remember that her PB last year is still one second faster than Miley's.

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  5. It may actually take a 4.31 low for gold and a 4.32 or so just 2 make the podium. Miley's PB is 4.31.33 in a rubber suit (she'l be very close to that).. While Beisel is 0.9 faster than Miley in a textile suit, i think Miley will win it for me..

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  6. Miley & sjoestrum have the new arena suits on. Am guessing the new speedo systems s are out as well.

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    1. It has shocked me how many have decided not to change suit. Ellen Gandy has said already she is sticking to her 2011 suit at nationals and will swap for the olympics so if these new suits are as good as they say she will be in the 56 seconds club come London.

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  7. Is this Ruta Meilutyte (sheesh tough spelling) this generation Leisel Jones?
    She is swimming a little bit faster (1:07.30) than Jones swam at her age (1:07.49).

    Exciting. Very very exciting.
    Where's she from?

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    1. I am hoping that it is pronounced Rita.

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  8. She's from Lithuania but trains at Plymouth Leander in England. Been smashing it for two years now, she swam 1:07.9 last July.

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  9. Gandy, Adlington and Sliwinski were all brilliant tonight, all the qualifiers were. I can see Benson going a second (atleast) faster if he lears how to do a breaststroke turn, he just popped up, no real kick at all. Lost a big chunk and sunk back to the 200br swimmers yet still came home as fast as them....HUGE talent.

    Halsall I think is going to be an absolute beast in the free events this week. 57.5 (I expected more)and she is disappointed saying she expected to be a lot faster, If she reacts how she has in the past to a bad swim I think we could see a BR from her. I also think she will medal 100 fly in London :)

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    1. Has Benson qualified? I understand that the brits have tougher cut-off time for the second swimmer.

      Wow. You certainly has a lot of faith in Halsall (in 100 fly). Vollmer, Sjoestrom and Coutts are already well under 56, not to mention the chinese (lu ying is at 57.0 already and Zige is fast immprving in the 100).

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    2. Yes. 60.5 was the top 16 cut, top 3 hit the mark and Benson out-touched Jamieson for 2nd.

      Also, I think it is a matter of time before Halsall gets it right on the fly. Her biggest problem is her turns (Look how much that has helped Gandy, out in 26.6 yesterday). She was expecting as she said herself much better than that I and so were most of the Loughborough crew I have been lucky enough to speak to.

      On another note, how bloody well are the City of Sheffield kids going?! Faulker, Johnson & Turner all PB'd in heats and got faster in finals. Nova having a great meet too.

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    3. We noticed the Sheffield crew were yelling loudest on poolside on Sunday night - maybe that had something to do with it!

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    4. No critic of Halsel here.

      However there are several 100 flyers who can get out in 26.4. Sjoestrum Dana Alicia Fransesca . Dana Alicia & sarah are all 200 freestylers also. Alicia & Dana were also good 200 flys previously. These 3 can come home strong. Then add the 200 fly girl (chinese world champ ) .

      Fransesca was a free sprinter adding fly. The others are flyers who incorporated free . She has done very well but winning the 100 fly is a bigger hurdle than the 100 free. If I was her coach I would drop it to concentrate on the free & relays.

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    5. I agree more with your analyses, anon.
      In no way I am saying that Halsall is not a great 100 flyer, I just think she has had so much opportunity already to showcase what she's got in fly. I think her chance to win in 100 free is much better.

      Nevertheless, I am not her coach, so i don't really know what's going on :)

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  10. Great swim by Miley. She's definitely in the hunt for gold. Having said that, it's not the lock that the British press seems to be making it out to be. In an Olympic year, people come out of the woodwork. For example, watch out for Caitlin Leverenz, she absolutely crushed the back half of the 400 IM in the Duel (admittedly SCM) and has been posting some great times in NCAA. Also, Beisel isn't going to sit still in 2012. Then there's Ye, who's a bit of a wild card as she's so young, I could see her dropping a great time if she gets comfortable with pacing. Belmonte, Hosszu... etc. All these people are right there in the 4:33 area. There's a lot of athletes with potential to podium.

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    1. I think you are a little muddled. British press have highlighted Miley's undoubted potential and correctly asserted that her time should be enough to medal in London, looking back in history. 90% of the articles I have read have used a telling quote from Miley, In which she lists Rice, Shiwen, Beisel, Hosszu and others medal favourites. For once, I have to defend the British presses reaction here.

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  11. Watch out for Kirsty Coventry too in the 400IM. Her recent move to Texas to train under Kim Brackin is likely meant to bring herself back to her brilliant best. Coventry can win any race she swims at her very best.

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    1. Is that you Bad Anon ?

      Love Kirsty but she cannot win ANY race she swims at her ver best.

      I can see a 4.33 high.But I can see a 4.29 for Ye.

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    2. Coventry was at her very very very brilliant best in Beijing, and yet she lost TWICE to Rice, and she lost to Coughlin too.

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  12. woohoo sjoestrum 1.55.2. The free sprint double? That has not happened since when . Ever?

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    1. I watched the swim live and it was very impressive. She went out in 56.09 and looked in complete control. Heemskerk and Sjostrom (and I guess Missy Franklin too) are the swimmers that can get out with such easy speed, and they are both starting to look like they can keep it together on the back end.

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    2. If 200 free had been an olympics event, dawn Fraser would have won the 100-200 double in 1956, 1960, 1964. heck, she would even have won them in 1968 had she been allowed to swim by the aussie swimming.
      Fraser held 200 WR from 1956 until 1966 well after she already forced retired in 1964

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    3. By the way, Kornelia Ender already won 100-200 free AND fly in Montreal.
      And Barbara Krause also won 100-200 free in Moscow.

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    4. So 100-200 free is not a novelty at all.

      If you want to have your jaws dropped: just have a glance at what Shane Gould did in Munich:
      She won medals in ALL individual freestyle events, including golds in 200-400

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    5. You are right Aswim . The DDR gals . And Yes Dawn would have. Kornelia & Dawn were masterful . I think Krause more drugs than talent.

      Kornelia's & Dawn's techniques were amazing. Kornelia had a very wide pull completely outside the bodyline . Dawns stroke is difficult to analyse. Nobody has replicated either I think.

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  13. A lot of people are saying Sarah was untapered, where is this information from? If you exclude 2011, she typically has pretty large tapers, but I suspect that she is somewhat tapered for this meet. She's unlikely to face heavy competition in Sweden to make the Olympic team. So I figure that she may not be dropping another second.

    Regardless, that has got to be the most impressive swim of the year so far, and we would be fools to discount her ability to take home 3 medals this summer, if not 3 golds.

    BTW, I think Franklin could just as easily achieve the sprint double.

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    1. Re: the lack of taper, she's just had a high altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada and came straight to London from there.

      She's also already qualified for the games.

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    2. hmm sounds like jet lag may also be an issue :/

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    3. Last year Alicia Coutts had training in Sierra Nevada, and swam in Barcelona Mare Nostrum after, and blasted off 2:09.6 I think.

      It seems some swimmer are thriving right after high altitude training.

      On that note, I am really hoping Sjoestrom will try 200 IM next year. Based on her 100/200 free, 100 back/fly and SCM breast, a 2:08 low or even a sub 2:08 is conceivable for her.

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  14. The 200IM is a very unique event. A great swimmer like Coughlin who can medal in 100fly/100back/100free is still to swim under 2.09 in this event.. While a sub 2.08 for Sjostrom looks likely on paper, its not that straight forward.

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    1. You are right about 200 IM being a unique event.

      However, we know that Sjoestrom is already much faster than Coughlin ever was in 100 free/fly, and Sjoestrom can also swim breaststroke pretty well too. She swam breast events in swedish sc champs or something few months ago, and it was pretty good.

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    2. From memory aswimfan, Coughlin has a decent breaststroke too. I think she has been 2:30 in the 200 a few years back. Or 2:33. Might not seem tremendous, however for a sprint backstroker that's a good breaststroke time.

      Good point from Anon regarding Coughlin though and the actual swimming of the 200 IM.

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    3. The swimmer I've wanted to see swim Medley for years is Jessica Hardy. Sarah Sjostrom's just been added to that list too.

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    4. I think Hardy is a pure sprinter. I haven't heard her swimming any 200 races.

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    5. Yeah, 200 LC would be a stretch for Hardy, but imagine if she could last the distance with that back end! Won't happen though...

      Her 100m IM SC should be brilliant, better than the 59.9 she swam suited in 2009.

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    6. Here's a pure sprinter who's done it: Alice Mills

      She won medals in 2003 Barcelona in both 50 free and 200 IM!

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    7. Mills is closer to Sarah than Jessica. Mills had greatr potential but dropped the event.

      Liesel Jones was a good 200 imer-national champ at 17.

      But ya gotta have a life. If you are w /c at 1 or 2 strokes - the technical requirements of the 200 im can take up too much time/effort.

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    8. aswimfan: I've always that what Mills accomplished was a little unique. Not too many 50 sprinters are good 200 IMers, if any. Mills was/is certainly faster over 50 free than any other current 200 IMers who sprint, Coughlin, Seebohm, Coutts.

      I was thinking if Mills could do it, what could Trickett achieve, seeing as she is a better 200 swimmer than Mills.

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    9. She may not be a pure sprinter but one young lady a British Nationals Sophie Smith just 17 went 2.12.3 in the 200im and 25.7 in the 50Fr...Is her 2.12.3 as fast as Mills?

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    10. a little bit faster than Mills, but Mills also swam 25 flat

      In today's standards, it would be like swimming 24.5+ and 2:10+ in the same championships

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    11. Thanks aswim. Smith could be a freestyle star, 25.7 50 free at 17 is fairly swift and a 4.44 400im too, thats range huh!

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    12. she did 4:44 too?

      Oh wow. That's a range alright.

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  15. I stuck around for Mireia Belmonte v Otilya Jedreczeck in the 200 fly tonight - both held fairly steady on the first 100 then Mireia clawed it back to get the touch. Otilya looked massively happy with her 2.07.92! A two second drop from her Shanghai time.

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    1. (worst spelling of Otylia Jedrzecjczak ever, sorry)

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  16. I was just peeking at the fastskin 3 womens kneelength closed back (phewwwh ) . Whatever happened to the open back rule of 2010 ?

    If there is textile compression PLUS that wide t back it could be very beneficial.

    I don't watch swim vids but what are girls choosing?

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    1. I thought openback was a non-negotiable?

      If what you said is true, then this is just another evidence how FINA surrender to commercial interests.

      I fear we are regressing back slowly to rubber suit era.

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    2. The girl nex to Miley has a Fastskin3 closed back. Last year I noticed the Chinese with a tin t strap with the backline creeping up.

      I am finding it all very unattractive.

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  17. www.swimmingresults.org.uk/swimming/results/2012/bstrials12/index.php
    is inaccessible all day today

    How could it be???
    So unprofessional of british swimming.
    And they are hosting the Olympics this year!!!

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  18. In other, shocking, news, Yannick Agnel has opted not to swim the 400m at French Nationals this year
    http://www.sports.fr/cmc/omnisports/201210/jo-2012-agnel-fait-une-croix-sur-le-400_443357.html?sitemap

    hmmmmm.... kind of disappointing

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  19. That's french for you.
    The key word "surrender"

    Agnel believes he cannot win any hardware with Yang, Park and Biedermann in the 400 ahead of him, so he ditches it and focusing on 100-200.

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    1. Not really . If Agnel keeps < 200 his speed is better for the relays. That is a better mathematical proposition than the 400 .

      Ironically it was Napoleon that liberated Germany from its serfdom & introduced a concept of "societe' leading directly to unification. France could easily have beaten Bavaria & Prussia etc. ( I think you must have received a brit based education where Napoleon =bad ).

      What I liked most of all is that France charged Britain for use of its train tracks & rolling stock in WW1.

      The gaul !

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    2. Agnel knows he can get the bronze, as he is the third fastest textile swimmer active (not counting Thorpe). But the 400 is day one and he is going all in to try and win the 200 and the relays, which is understandable.

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    3. This had to be a seriously tough decision to make. On paper there's really only Biedermann standing in his way for the bronze medal on the 400m. The 200 has all of the 400 guys as well as Phelps and Lochte.

      He must be absolutely flying on the 100 and 200 right now in training, otherwise you'd take a shot at the easier medal, surely.... and if he really is doing this to help the French relay team that's an incredibly selfless gesture.

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  20. It's crazy that the results site is no back online yet.
    Swiminfo has not even posted results because I believe they also got their info from that britishswimming site.

    Good thing we have swimnews!

    Craig Lord saved the day for me!

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  21. It is worrisome that Halsall keep disappointed with her swims.
    Her splits: 25.52 - 28.05

    The second 50 is very bad (for a swimmer aiming for gold). She should aim for a 27low for the second 50 if she wants to have any chance to win in london.

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    1. Seems like Halsall is switching over to being a pure sprinter. Her 24.13 today is bloody amazing, 0.02 off her 2009 National Record and matches De Bruijn best textile ever. I think it needs to be noted this is by FAR the fastest Halsall has ever been at British Nationals in all of her events, she only scraped under 54 seconds and failed to break 24.5 in 2009 before going onto Rome. She is a HUGE threat, not only in my bias opinion.

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    2. I am also very surprised with her 50. I always thought she was more of a 100 swimmer. But while her 100s have been stagnant for a couple of years, her 50 keeps getting faster. Maybe she's been doing more weights?

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    3. She has upped her weight sessions, still VERY slight though for a 24.1 textile 50 free sprinter. Halsall has not really had a chance to excel in the 100 free since 2009 for a variety of reasons, she got the 50 right this week but not the 100m. Her 50 has not really moved on much, today she just straight dropped nearly .5 from worlds

      My faith in Halsall is maybe overzealous but I am 100% sure and have been since 2009 winter that she would break the British 100m free record at the London games, this has made me wish I was a betting man.....Because I am confident to a silly level about Franny!

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    4. Well I cannot understand a single word she says.

      It took me many episodes to start understanding Taggart & just when I did not need subtitles he went & died.

      At least the Euros speak English.

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  22. I am still mad at britishswimming.

    You would think that being the olympics host they would have live results and live streaming of their olympics trials... but no....

    Unbelievable

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    1. i agree with you : i hope the french federation will be better with their live results at the french trials

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