AUSTIN – Out of winter training and into racing they go! Global swim stars Katinka Hosszu, Natalie Coughlin, Nathan Adrian, Ryan Lochte, Tyler Clary, Katie Ledecky, and Matt Grevers headline the Arena Pro Swim Series (formerly Arena Grand Prix Series) in Austin next weekend.
I want to see the PSYCHE SHEET!
The African swim queen Kirsty Coventry announced her return to the pool via Facebook back in September and will have her out-of-retirement race debut in Austin. Coventry is a four-time (2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012) Olympian for Zimbabwe with seven Olympic medals to her name. She is entered in the 100 and 200 back, and 200 IM.
Ledecky will arrive ready for her usual 100, 200, 400, 800 free lineup, and will add some strokes to the mix with the 200 and 400 IM and the 100 back.
There’s no shortage of speed in the backstrokes with Clary, Grevers, Jack Conger, Ryan Murphy, and Jacob Pebley slated to duke it out in both the 100 and 200.
Hungary’s Iron Lady Hosszu is entered in every event, which is becoming the routine repertoire for one of swimming’s most versatile athletes.
Women’s 400 IM is riddled with talent in Elizabeth Beisel, Caitlin Leverenz, Camille Adams, Sarah Henry and of course, Hosszu.
The 50 will be a battle of brawn on the men’s side, where seven swimmers are entered with sub-22 times. Jimmy Feigen, Anthony Ervin, Adrian, Cullen Jones, Bruno Fratus and Marcelo Chierighini make for a colossal wave and some lights-out swimming.
The Cal men in attendance will be flying straight over from three weeks of altitude training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Many swimmers are in a similar place, raring to race after putting in consistent weeks of hard training.
