The European All-Stars lineup for this year’s Duel In the Pool with the United States features 33 athletes from 12 countries. The team will be looking for revenge after losing the 2013 edition by one point to the Americans.
World champions Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Yulia Efimova, Aliaksandra Herasimenia, Jeanette Ottesen and Katinka Hosszu lead the women’s roster for the Europeans, giving them a big boost in terms of their recent performances in the pool. The 17-woman roster is also filled out with world championship medalists Hannah Miley, Jazz Carlin, Lotte Friis, Mie Nielsen and Siobhan-Marie O’Connor.
On the men’s side, 200 breast world record holder Daniel Gyurta will be a major factor in the meet, as will fellow Hungarian Laszlo Cseh. Sprinter Vlad Morozov could be a big factor in helping Team Europe on relays, as will Italy’s Marco Orsi. Gregorio Paltrinieri, who won gold in the 1500 freestyle at last summer’s world championships, will race for the European All-Stars as well.
The American roster for this year’s competition is also impressive, setting up a meet that could be as nailbiting for fans as the 2013 meet.
The meet will be held in short course meters December 11-12 at the famed IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, the site of the inaugural 2003 meet where Michael Phelps set a world record in the 400 IM. This will mark the third duel featuring the Americans and the European All-Stars. The 2009 edition featured many world records set in the polyurethane suits, one of the final meets where they were allowed. USA Swimming did not allow any American records to be set at the meet in the techsuits, which meant the 100 back world record by Nick Thoman and the 400 IM world record from Julia Smit would not be ratified as American records.
The 2011 meet in Atlanta, held a week after U.S. nationals, didn’t feature world records, but it had plenty of star power for the fans to see in the months before the 2012 Olympics. The 2013 edition, however, was possibly the most exciting yet.
The point spread was tight throughout the two-day meet in Scotland as the European All-Stars brought some of its best talent to race the Americans. After the first day, the Europeans led 68-54, the first time the U.S. hadn’t led after the first day. The Americans fought back throughout the second day to keep it interesting, tying the score 131-131 after the men’s 400 free relay.
An exciting mixed medley relay decided the meet. The Americans took the lead early with backstroker Eugene Godsoe, and kept it with Kevin Cordes on breaststroke. Claire Donahue lost some ground on butterfly against Jeanette Ottesen, which made the freestyle leg between American Simone Manuel and Brit Fran Halsall a dogfight. Manuel got to the wall two tenths ahead to give the Americans the team victory.
