Swedish Short Course Nationals: Sarah Sjostrom Doubles to Close Out Strong Meet

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, November 27. THE Swedish Short Course Nationals closed the curtains on what proved to be a productive meet for Sarah Sjostrom.

Sjostrom, who had a nearly career meet this weekend, clocked a 57.01 in the women’s 100 fly. That swim came up short of her fifth-ranked season best of 56.95 from the Stockholm stop of the World Cup, but is on the heels of her Swedish record from day one in the women’s 200 free. Petra Granlund finished second in 58.45, while Louise Hansson touched third in 59.62.

Sjostrom doubled up with a 24.36 in the women’s 50 free. That performance came up just a bit shy of her 10th-ranked 24.26 from October. Michelle Coleman placed second in 24.76 to tie for 21st in the rankings, while Magdalena Kuras finished third in 24.90.

Magdalena Kuras raced to 27.22 in the women’s 50 back, to move to 16th in the world rankings. Michelle Coleman touched second in 27.25 for 17th in the world rankings. Emma Svensson wound up third in 28.11. Stefan Nystrand moved to 25th in the world rankings with a 23.49 in the men’s 50 fly. Sebastian Holmberg placed second in 23.82, while David Larsson earned third in 23.85.

Ida Marko-Varga dominated the women’s 400 free in 4:09.53, while Gabriella Fagundez touched second in 4:14.50. Ida Sandin snared third in 4:15.40. Pontus Renholm claimed the men’s 100 back in 53.34, while Niklas Borin finished second in 53.53. Sebastian Holmberg picked up third in 53.82.

Oscar Ekstrom hit the wall in 1:46.70 to win the men’s 200 free. Robin Andreasson earned second in 1:47.66, while Radovan Siljevski touched third in 1:47.90. Fredrich Risebrandt topped the men’s 400 IM in 4:20.41, while Anton Andersson placed second in 4:22.57. Petros Katsampanis wound up third in 4:23.21.

In relay action, Petter Stymne, Pontus Flodqvist, Alexander Nystrom and Sebastian Wikstrom won the men’s 200 free relay in 1:28.26. Petra Granlund, Sara Thyden, Gabriella Fagundez and Josefin Lindkvist claimed the women’s 400 medley relay in 4:01.41.

Results: Swedish Short Course Nationals: Day Four Finals

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Swedish Short Course Nationals: Sarah Sjostrom Breaks Swedish Record in 200 Free

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, November 24. THE initial evening of competition at the Swedish Short Course Nationals proved to be productive with a national record, a handful of world-ranked times, and several junior records falling by the wayside.

Sarah Sjostrom downed a Swedish record in the women’s 200 free with a blazing 1:52.58. That swim cleared her previous standard of 1:52.92 set earlier this year, but was not enough to catch Allison Schmitt (1:52.08) for the top time in the world this year. She still stands second overall as only the second swimmer under 1:53 this year. Nathalie Lindborg touched well back in 1:58.82, while Josefin Lindkvist earned third in 1:59.61.

Martina Granstrom threw down a strong time in the women’s 200 fly with a 2:04.71. That swim pushed her to fourth in the world rankings. Only Choi Hye Ra (2:03.65), Gong Jie (2:03.91) and Jiao Liuyang (2:04.49) have been faster this year. Ida Marko-Varga took second in 2:06.73 to move to seventh in the world rankings, while Petra Granlund finished third in 2:07.93 ? just off her 17th-ranked season best of 2:07.75.

Granstrom doubled up with a 1:00.42 to win the women’s 100 IM. That performance jumped her to 13th in the world rankings. Sara Thyden placed second in 1:00.88 for 21st in the rankings, while Louise Hansson picked up third in 1:00.97 for 25th in the rankings.

Sebastian Holmberg posted a junior record in the men’s 100 IM with a 54.31. His swim bettered the 54.74 set by Erik Dorch in 2001, and jumped Holmberg to 23rd in the world rankings. Daniel Lundahl placed second in 55.01, while Anton Andersson earned third in 56.14.

Michelle Coleman cleared the junior record in the women’s 100 back with a 58.39. That effort eclipsed the 58.83 set by Sjostrom in 2010, and moved Coleman to 14th in the world rankings. Magdalena Kuras took second in 58.78 for 19th in the world rankings, while Emma Svensson wound up third in 1:00.43.

Joline Hostman clocked a swift 2:22.25 to win the women’s 200 breast crown. That swim bettered her 15th-ranked season best of 2:22.36 from the Beijing stop of the World Cup circuit, but wasn’t enough to clear Vera Kalashnikova’s 14th-ranked 2:21.84 from Russia. Jennie Johansson took second in 2:25.07, while Elin Martensson placed third in 2:25.72.

Lars Frolander continued his remarkable longevity in the sport with a 52.64 to win the men’s 100 fly. Frolander, at 37, is one of the grizzled veterans of the sport. David Larsson took second in 52.81, while Jesper Jonsson finished third in 53.55.

Gustav Aberg Lejdstrom topped the men’s 400 free in 3:47.54. Oscar Ekstrom placed second in 3:50.34, while Linus Kanth finished third in 3:53.81. Simon Sjodin captured the men’s 200 breast title in 2:10.06. Petros Katsampanis finished second in 2:11.51, while Andreas Furst took third in 2:13.40.

In relay action, Henriette Brekke, Rebecca Holst, Ida Marko-Varga and Magdalena Kuras won the women’s 200 free relay in 1:40.51. Oscar Ekstrom, Lars Frolander, Alexander Linge and Marcus Piehl claimed the men’s 400 free relay in 3:15.72.

Results: Swedish Short Course Nationals: Day One Finals

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Natalie Coughlin Downs American Record in 100 Free at Georgia Invitational; Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace Fast As Well

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Natalie Coughlin Downs American Record in 100 Free at Georgia Invitational; Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace Fast As Well – December 4, 2011

ATHENS, Georgia, December 4. DURING the final day of swimming at the Georgia Invitational, Natalie Coughlin clipped her American record in the 100-yard freestyle.

Coughlin clocked a blazing 46.84 in Athens, going out in 22.44 and coming back in 24.40, after posting a strong 47.72 during prelims. That performance bettered Coughlin’s 2007 American record of 46.85 by the slimmest of margins. The swim is the fourth-fastest all time behind Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace’s U.S. Open/NCAA record of 46.81 ? a time Vanderpool-Wallace has clocked twice. She also owns the third-best time with a 46.82 ? all three times from the 2011 collegiate championship season.

Meanwhile, Vanderpool-Wallace turned in a strong second-place finish of her own with a 46.99 in the race.

Coughlin now owns four of the top 10 times ever, while Vanderpool-Wallace has gone sub-47 five times now with a pair of 46.81s, 46.82, 46.91 and a 46.99.

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USA Swimming Winter Nationals: Rebecca Soni Overtakes Jessica Hardy for 100 Breast Title

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ATLANTA, Georgia, December 2. IT took a bit of extra effort to win the women’s 100 breast, but Rebecca Soni had enough in the take to overtake the sprinting Jessica Hardy for the title at the USA Swimming Winter Nationals.

Hardy jumped out to an early lead, but could not hold off Soni as the two-time Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year beat Hardy, 1:05.83 to 1:06.55, at the finish. That swim gave Soni the top eight times in the world this year, and it tied for sixth in the performance lists. Hardy, meanwhile, posted her fourth-best time of the year as she has been a second-ranked 1:05.90 earlier in the year. Yuliya Efimova wound up taking third in the battle of the heavyweights with a 1:07.64

Martha McCabe (1:08.30), Amanda Beard (1:08.31), Tera Van Beilen (1:08.31), Annie Chandler (1:08.73), Micah Lawrence (1:09.30), Gisselle Kohoyda (1:09.96) and Haylee Johnson (1:09.97) posted the other top 10 times in the A final.

Katy Freeman won the B final in 1:09.27, while Andrea Kropp touched second in 1:10.48. Jennifer Wilson (1:10.49), Sarah Haase (1:10.58), Annamay Pierse (1:11.06), Erla Haraldsdottir (1:11.07), Patricia Burchell (1:11.59), Annie Zhu (1:11.66), Ashley Danner (1:11.78) and Helena Pikhartova (1:12.15) placed third through 10th in the heat.

Alia Atkinson cruised to the C final win in 1:08.86 after a bad morning swim, while Lysi Halkides finished second in 1:10.87. Darcie Anderson (1:11.29), Elizabeth Roberts (1:11.52), Fiona Doyle (1:11.78), Kirsten Trammell (1:12.04), Raminta Dvariskyte (1:12.21), Samantha Pochowski (1:12.29), Karie Haglund (1:12.45) and Alicia Jensen (1:12.63) also competed in the bonus heat.

Results: USA Swimming Winter Nationals: Day Two Finals

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December’s Voice for the Sport Explains World/Regional Swimmers of the Year Ballot Process

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December’s Voice for the Sport Explains World/Regional Swimmers of the Year Ballot Process – December 5, 2011

PHOENIX, Arizona, December 5. IN the December issue of Swimming World Magazine, general manager of media properties Jason Marsteller explains this year’s balloting process for the World/Regional Swimmer of the Year awards. He also lists the members of the voting panel.

It is that time again when we celebrate another illustrious year in aquatic sports. The December issue of Swimming World Magazine is the edition in which we name the World and Regional Swimmers of the Year, as selected by our disparate, expert panelists.

This year, we name our 46th and 48th Female and Male World Swimmers of the Year, respectively. It all started in 1964 when we named USA’s Don Schollander as the world’s best male swimmer. Two years later, Swimming World selected the top female, with Claudia Kolb of the United States recognized as the first honoree.

In this year’s voting, we had a rare occurrence that has happened just twice before in the more than four decades that we have been awarding both a male and female World Swimmer of the Year. Both of last year’s champions defended their titles, with Ryan Lochte and Rebecca Soni of the United States winning for the second year in a row. Previously, the only ones to accomplish that feat were Australia’s Shane Gould and USA’s Mark Spitz (1971-72) and USA’s Janet Evans and Mike Barrowman (1989-90).

In his second consecutive landslide victory, Lochte just missed being a unanimous selection. Only one vote?given to China’s Sun Yang?prevented him from sweeping all 19 first-place votes. Next year, Lochte will be looking to become the second man to win the award three straight years. USA’s Michael Phelps is the only person to win more than two consecutive titles, capturing four in a row from 2006-09.

The female World Swimmer of the Year voting turned out to be an extremely close battle among three strong candidates. Soni emerged victorious, earning eight of the 19 first-place votes. Runner-up Federica Pellegrini of Italy was selected No. 1 on four ballots, while third-place Missy Franklin of the United States was picked first seven times.

Voters were asked to rank their top five choices in each category?world, American, European, Pacific Rim and African?with five points being awarded for a No. 1 selection down to one point for a No. 5 vote.

Swimming World Magazine thanks the members of its volunteer panel for being so generous with their time and experience to select these awards:

Asia: Hideki Mochizuki, writer for Japanese Swimming Magazine and Swimming World Japanese correspondent. Australia: Nicole Jeffery, senior sportswriter for The Australian; Ian Hanson, owner of the Hanson Media Group and Swimming World chief Australian correspondent. Central Europe: Camillo Cametti, editor of Nuoto. Eastern Europe: Norbert Agh, Swimming World European correspondent from Hungary; Ivan Tsanov, editor of Bulswim.info in Bulgaria. Middle East: Buky Chass, swimming commentator for Israeli TV and former national technical director. North Africa: Chaker Belhadj, swimming writer for Le Temps. Northern Europe: Rokur Jakupsstovu, editor of Svimjing.com and SwimmersDaily.com in Faroe Islands; Oene Rusticus, Swimming World European correspondent from The Netherlands. South Africa: Neville Smith, Swimming South Africa. South America: Jorge Aguado, Swimming World South American correspondent from Argentina; Alex Pussieldi, senior writer for Bestswimming.com.br. United Kingdom: James Hickman, world champion swimmer, director of Made in Manchester Productions. United States: Phil Whitten, former Swimming World editor-in-chief. Swimming World: Jeff Commings, associate producer of SwimmingWorld.TV; Bob Ingram, senior editor; Judy Jacob, production assistant; John Lohn, senior writer; and myself, Jason Marsteller, general manager of media properties.

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December 2011 Issue
Contents of The December issue:
8 10 Best Performances of 2011 by John Lohn
12 World and Regional Swimmers of the Year by Jason Marsteller and Jeff Commings
20 Diving, Water Polo, Synchronized Swimming Award Winners
22 Defining Moments by Judy Jacob
The Pan-Am Games appear to be Brazil’s Thiago Pereira’s own personal playground, as he matched his records for most gold medals and overall medals that he had set four years ago.
28 Workout Card: Las Vegas Masters by Vic Hecker
30 Q&A with Coach Monty Hopkins by Michael J. Stott
32 How They Train: Josh Schneider by Michael J. Stott
33 Science of Performance: Off-season Training by G. John Mullen
The off-season is a good time to stay productive and help make yourself a better swimmer.
36 American Relay by Judy Jacob
37 TYR Age Group Swimmer of the Month
42 World & American Record Progressions by Jason Marsteller

DEPARTMENTS
6 A Voice for the Sport
24 Holiday Gift Guide
39 Calendar
41 For the Record
46 Parting Shot
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#Thanksswimming: Being Thankful for the Sport

Feature by Mallory Cage

COLUMBIA, South Carolina, November 29. EVERY year when Thanksgiving comes around we are encouraged to remember everything we are thankful for. Friends, family, material possessions; but this year something else came to mind.

I am in my last year at the University of South Carolina where I have been lucky enough to be a part of the swimming and diving team. Most times I find myself focusing too much on the rough parts of swimming. The sore muscles, lack of sleep from morning practice or the chlorine burn on my face, however, this year being my last I’ve tried to focus on the positives.

Leading up to Thanksgiving there was a “trending topic” on Twitter, which means people all over the world were talking about it and marking it with a hash-tag. This one was #thanksswimming. I’m not sure if it ever really caught on but I saw some swimmers talking about it and it made me think about all of the opportunities swimming has presented me with.

One of the biggest things swimming has done for me was it was the reason I ended up at the University of South Carolina in the first place. If I hadn’t been given the chance to swim with the Gamecocks I would have gone to a different school and had a completely different college experience, but because the coaches allowed me to be a part of the team and that was what I wanted I made what has been one of the best decisions of my life.

Swimming in college has been one of the best things I’ve ever done and it has given back to me in ways I never imagined when I first put on my Gamecock swim cap. So these are a few things I would like to #thanksswimming for.

Relationships
First and foremost would be the relationships I have formed because of swimming. I’ve had friends that I have literally known my whole life and while I know almost everything about them and hold them close to my heart, there is something different about the bond I have with my swimming friends.

I think it has something to do with the fact that they have seen me at my worst and my best. They’ve seen me in the middle of Christmas training, at 5 a.m. and at the end of a long meet weekend when my skin is literally peeling off. But they’ve also seen me at a taper meet when I’m rested and seeing all my hard work pay off or at a team banquet when I have make-up on and actually brushed my hair. And they still like me.

I know one of the main reasons this bond is so strong is because no one other than swimmers really understand what it is like and it’s your swimming friends that go through every up and down with you. They’re the ones in the lane next to you as you both struggle to finish a tough practice. They’re the ones you complain with about walking to class or how tough it is to walk up a flight of stairs. They’re also the ones that are by your side after you go a best time at the last meet or your relay teammates as you fight for the win. These relationships are shaped by a common understanding and a trust that your teammate will be there no matter how tough things get.

Another relationship swimming has given me is with my coaches. In college or club swimming you often spend more time during the week with your coaches than you do your own family. I know when I arrived at South Carolina that was one of my favorite parts. While my coaches and teammates can’t replace my family they did help to form a new one in Columbia. Being part of the team gave me a sense of belonging and a lot of that had to do with the way the coaches treated us. They spent time getting to know all of us from the minute we walked on campus and I never felt like I was just their swimmer.

Health
If there’s one thing no swimmer can debate it’s that we are in good shape. I know that I will probably never be as physically fit as I am as a collegiate athlete; though we often forget that being so sore in tired from working out is better than being unhealthy.

I love the way I feel when I finish up the practice that seemed undoable when we started. While it may have been awful while I was actually doing the workout, it was those practices that helped to strengthen my relationships with my friends and coaches and for me the feeling of accomplishment I have when I’m done is one of the best ones. My body is beat up and exhausted but I feel stronger and tougher than ever.

Swimming has also been the biggest stress reliever I can find. Though sometimes it is the cause of my stress, most often it is the best thing I can do when I am stressed out. During exam time at school our coaches are flexible with our training schedule, knowing that school comes first, but I always try and make a point to get in at least a practice a day. Going to workout allows me to get out of the library for a bit and clear my head. During the rest of the year it is a chance to escape from school. When I am in the pool there is nothing I can do about my to-do list so I just put it out of my head for the duration of practice and pick it back up when I get out.

Job Skills
Swimming has also taught me time management. One of the biggest things I could complain about is always how swimming seems to take up my life. Swimming isn’t like most sports where there is a season. While there is a specific competition season in college, you are still training all year round and you still have to schedule things around practice time. But it is because of this constant scheduling that I have learned to manage my time much more effectively than my friends that aren’t athletes. Don’t get me wrong, I can still procrastinate with the best of them but I tend to do it a lot less frequently because pulling an all-nighter messes me up for days and practice is even harder.

Swimming has also taught me the importance of setting both individual and team goals and that a successful season isn’t decided solely on swimming a certain time. At the beginning of every year at South Carolina I have set my own personal goals and we have also met as a women’s team and set team goals. Both my personal goals and our team goals reflect things other than times. Through swimming I’ve learned I can’t control everything. Sometimes no matter how hard I’ve practiced all year I don’t always go the times I wanted but that doesn’t mean the whole season was a bust. I may have accomplished some of my other goals and I can still be proud.

Time management, goal setting and the hard work ethic all competitive athletes have are skills that big businesses pay large amounts of money to develop in their employees and they are skills that swimming has unintentionally taught me. I’ve always heard that being a collegiate athlete can help you obtain a good job and I think it is because of these skills.

While I may be ending my collegiate swimming career, leaving behind the days and days of practice at the pool, I know I will never lose the most important things about swimming. I will always have my friends and coaches. I know these are the people that I will keep in touch with over the years and the ones with whom my strongest memories of college are with. I will also have the job skills and the confidence to chase down what I want. And although I may never be in as good as shape as I am while I’m swimming, I know I’ll carry the benefits of exercising with me forever.

So, what are you thankful for this holiday season?

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Industry News: TYR Hurricane Freak of Nature Wetsuit Available Now

HUNTINGTON BEACH, California, November 30. TYR is excited to announce the availability of triathlon’s new premiere wetsuit: the TYR Hurricane Freak of Nature. Available on TYR.com and at select retailers, the “Freak” is constructed of 100% 40 cell Nano SCS Yamamoto neoprene and able to stretch over seven times its static state. Elevation panels throughout the chest, core, and thighs, along with a .17 specific gravity, enable triathletes to keep their body properly positioned in the water.

Triathletes seeking top of the line speed and luxury along with a unique customer experience will get the total package in TYR’s Hurricane Freak of Nature. The wetsuit is packaged in a TYR branded steel briefcase with a custom Freak of Nature swim cap, a wetsuit care kit, and a member card with an individualized access code. Freak of Nature customers will be able to register at tyr.com/limitswillfall for exclusive benefits and contests.

“Freak” customers will also be eligible to win a slot in the Ironman U.S. Championship. To enter the contest, Freak of Nature owners must first register their wetsuit at tyr.com/limitswillfall, where they will be prompted to write a caption for a photo. Captions will be judged on originality, humor, and the spirit of triathlon. For more information on the official rules of the TYR Hurricane Freak of Nature Ironman New York 2012 Contest, visit tyr.com/limitswillfall/officialrules.

Top triathletes around the world are already praising the benefits of the TYR Hurricane Freak of Nature. Andy Potts, who was first out of the water at the 2010 and 2011 Ironman World Championships, calls the Freak of Nature’s expanded ROM zones “otherworldly effective”, while 4x Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington has said it is “far and away the most amazing wetsuit I have ever had the privilege to swim in.” Racing in the Freak of Nature for the first time, TYR’s Amanda Stevens was first out of the water at 2011 Ironman Arizona.

In addition to Wellington and Potts, other key athletes that will race in TYR’s Hurricane Freak of Nature wetsuit include reigning 2011 Ironman World Champion Craig Alexander, 2010 Ironman World Champion Mirinda Carfrae, and Ironman Champions Julie Dibens and TJ Tollakson.

TYR is running a new “Redefine What’s Possible” ad campaign to coincide with the Freak of Nature launch. The campaign will run in Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, LAVA, and 3GO magazines, and on Competitor.com and Slowtwitch.com.

Limited quantities are available now at select retail stores and on TYR.com for the holiday season. Additional quantities will be available for Spring 2012. For more information on TYR’s Hurricane Freak of Nature wetsuit, visit tyr.com/limitswillfall.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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USA Swimming Winter Nationals: Sebastien Rousseau Tops 200 Fly

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ATLANTA, Georgia, December 3. SEBASTIEN Rousseau clipped his strong preliminary time of 1:56.81 with a winning effort of 1:56.77 in the men’s 200 fly for the win at the USA Swimming Winter Nationals. The swim came up just short of the top 25 in the world.

FAST’s Tyler Clary, who pushed the pace throughout much of the swim, wound up second in 1:57.03. Pedro Oliveira earned third in 1:59.95. Anestis Arampatzis (2:00.04), Alex Coci (2:01.16), Stefan Hirniak (2:01.27), Tom Kremer (2:01.42), Zack Chetrat (2:01.52), Justin Kermack (2:01.70) and Corey Okubo (2:01.74) rounded out the final heat of the meet.

Thomas Luchsinger pocketed the B final in 2:00.35, while Davis Tarwater placed second in 2:00.47. Marcin Cieslak (2:00.58), Sean Mathews (2:01.37), Robert Looney (2:02.09), Logan Madson (2:02.09), James Yoder (2:02.81), Mark Dylla (2:03.44), Matthew Conway (2:04.76) and Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or (2:07.03) also swam in the consolation final.

Roger Dent posted a 2:01.67 to win the C final, while Michael Flach touched second in 2:02.01. Taylor Camp (2:02.91), Brayden Salmon (2:03.77), Shawn Parkhurst (2:04.61), Andrew Yunker (2:04.61), John Martens (2:04.73), Maclin Simpson (2:05.16), Charlie Rimkus (2:05.73) and Mark Sarman (2:05.94) comprised the other bonus heat finishes.

Results: USA Swimming Winter Nationals: Day Three Finals

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USA Swimming Winter Nationals: Day Three Prelims In The Books

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ATLANTA, Georgia, December 3. THE final day of preliminary competition is in the books at the USA Swimming Winter Nationals being held in Atlanta, Ga.

Women’s 200 back


Just a day after winning the 100 back and nearly claiming the 200 free, Missy Franklin returned with the top seed in the distance dorsal when she clocked a 2:10.14. Franklin should have more to offer this evening, as she owns the top time in the world with a 2:05.10 and already set the short course world record with a 2:00.03 during the FINA World Cup in October.

T2′s Elizabeth Pelton, who ranks 16th in the world with a 2:08.99 from the Pan American Games, qualified second in 2:10.89 and will be Franklin’s primary challenger. Sinead Russell, 14th-ranked, qualified third in 2:11.29, while Hilary Caldwell took fourth in prelims with a 2:12.45.

Elizabeth Beisel (2:13.09), Jillian Vitarius (2:13.41), Julia Smit (2:13.71), Julia Wilkinson (2:14.15), Madison White (2:14.25) and Barbara Jardin (2:14.38) also made the championship heat.

Men’s 200 back
FAST’s Tyler Clary and Indiana’s Eric Ress look to be in a shootout tonight as both cleared 2:00 with a 1:59.89 and 1:59.90. Clary is ranked third in the world with a 1:54.69 from Worlds this summer, while Ress it outside of the top 25 after focusing on his sports citizenship issues for the bulk of the year. Ress has decided to take the year off competing for Indiana University collegiately, and will focus on making the French Olympic Team in March.

Nick Thoman (2:00.39), Matt Grevers (2:00.94), Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or (2:00.96), Jacob Pebley (2:01.06), Pedro Oliveira (2:01.21), Tobias Oriwol (2:01.48), Matt Thompson (2:01.89) and Jack Conger (2:01.98) also picked up spots in the championship finale.

Women’s 100 free
Dana Vollmer is looking for her second triumph of the meet after winning the 100 fly last night. Vollmer qualified first in 55.09. Trojan’s Jessica Hardy, the 50 free victor, posted a 55.29 for the second seed and will shoot for a sprint free sweep this evening. Missy Franklin, meanwhile, checked in with a third-seeded 55.33 as her schedule steps up tonight after a 200 free/100 back double last night.

Erika Erndl (55.40), Lia Neal (55.42), Kara Lynn Joyce (55.46), Sandrine Mainville (55.67), Victoria Poon (55.76), Hannah Wilson (55.85) and Chantal Vanlandeghem (55.86) also will vie for the national title this evening.

Men’s 100 free
Trojan’s Ricky Berens demonstrated some sprinter speed with a 49.12 for the top seed, while Tucson Ford’s Darian Townsend touched second in 49.26. Both should crack the top 25 tonight with Matthew Abood currently owning 25th with a 48.69. California’s Nathan Adrian (49.35) and France’s Yannick Agnel (49.42) finished third and fourth.

Cullen Jones (49.64), Garrett Weber-Gale (49.85), David Walters (49.85), Clement Lefert (49.97), Roland Schoeman (49.99) and Richard Hortness (50.00) rounded out the rest of the finale field. Ryan Lochte’s meet came to an end with a 41st-place 51.17 in the morning.

Women’s 200 breast
Rebecca Soni will have some company tonight in the distance breaststroke event as Tucson Ford’s Amanda Beard topped qualifying with a 2:27.24. Soni, who owns the top time in the world this year with a 2:21.03 from Worlds, cruised into the second seed with a 2:27.30. Gissele Kohoyda also went 2:27 with a third-seeded 2:27.31.

Andrea Kropp (2:28.23), Martha McCabe (2:28.62), Micah Lawrence (2:28.74), Yuliya Efimova (2:29.85), Hanna Pierse (2:30.33), Katy Freeman (2:30.46) and Tera Van Beilen (2:30.68) qualified fourth through 10th to set up the championship heat.

Men’s 200 breast
The men’s distance breaststroke finale is loaded with some star-studded names. While SwimMAC’s Elliot Keefer earned the top seed with a 2:13.12, some big names like Trojan’s Eric Shanteau (2:13.92), Japan’s Kosuke Kitajima (2:14.16), Longhorn’s Brendan Hansen (2:14.32) and FAST’s Ed Moses (2:14.70) all made their way into the championship heat. The excitement for the finale should be palpable when these guys take to the blocks.

Meanwhile, Carlos Almeida (2:14.43), Jack Brown (2:14.64), Clark Burckle (2:14.76), Mike Brown (2:14.86) and Mike Alexandrov (2:15.17) all earned spots in the championship heat as well.

Women’s 200 fly
Longhorn’s Kathleen Hersey, who ranks 10th in the world with a 2:06.89 from the Santa Clara meet in June, topped qualifying with a 2:09.84. Jasmine Tosky, the Swimming World Female High School Co-Swimmer of the Year, has her best chance at podium success tonight after clocking a second-seeded 2:10.58. Elaine Breeden (2:11.79) and Kim Vandenburg (2:12.11) finished third and fourth in the event.

Katherine Mills (2:12.69), Teresa Crippen (2:12.79), Lyndsay De Paul (2:13.07), Alex Forrester (2:13.10), Audrey Lacroix (2:13.64) and Amanda Nugent (2:13.80) also made the finale.

Men’s 200 fly
Sebastian Rousseau closed out the final preliminary qualifying session of the meet in a big way, nearly cracking the top 25 with a 1:56.81 in the men’s 200 fly. Joe Roebuck and Joe Schooling hold the 25th spot with matching 1:56.67s already this year. Anestis Arampatzis touched second in 1:59.31, while Tyler Clary qualified third in 1:59.36.

Alex Coci (2:00.03), Pedro Oliveira (2:00.09), Stefan Hirniak (2:00.58), Tom Kremer (2:00.68), Justin Kermack (2:01.21), Zack Chetrat (2:01.42) and Corey Okubo (2:01.64) collected the rest of the A final spots with seven of the 10 spots going to internationals.

Results: USA Swimming Winter Nationals: Day Three Prelims

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