Five Races to Watch at the TYR Pro Swim Series Mission Viejo
The TYR Pro Swim Series from Mission Viejo will be this weekend in southern California as the countdown continues to the Omaha Olympic Trials and Tokyo Olympic Games. With countries like Russia and Japan holding their selection meets for the Games this week, we are getting a better understanding of what the heat sheets for Tokyo are starting to look like as we are 108 days out.
USA Swimming is using this weekend’s meet as a dry run for the Olympics by holding finals in the morning in line with what the Olympics are going to be like. The meet will be April 8 – 11 at the Marguerite Aquatics Center in Mission Viejo, California. Prelims will begin at 5:00 p.m. local time and finals will be at 10 a.m. local time.
Men’s 200 Free
Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL
After Russia put up four 1:45s this week at their nationals, what do some of the best Americans have in response? No one is expecting to anyone to go under 1:45, but it may be interesting to see how the 4×200 free team is stacking up 67 days out from Olympic Trials. Andrew Seliskar is the top seed for this weekend’s meet ahead of Dean Farris and Zach Apple. Caeleb Dressel is also on the psych sheet for the 200 free, having made the Worlds team in 2017 in this event. He still hasn’t been forthright whether he will swim the 200 free at Trials, but he will be a favorite in any event he swims.
Can someone step up and put together a strong swim to gain some momentum for Trials? The 4×200 free relay in Tokyo is getting more and more crowded with Australia, Great Britain, Russia, Italy and Japan showing to be formidable challengers to dethrone the Americans, who have won the last three Olympic gold medals in that event.
Men’s 200 Fly
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
It was one of the top showdowns of the entire NCAA meet as Nick Albiero of Louisville ran down Trenton Julian of California, and both guys will be back in California this weekend to do battle once more in the long course venue. However they will have their hands full with Worlds finalist Zach Harting as well as 2016 Olympians Chase Kalisz and Tom Shields along with Division II champ Alex Kunert.
The 200 butterfly in long course is a much different animal than in yards, so it will be interesting how the NCAA swimmers back up their impressive yards performances this week in Mission Viejo and get a chance to line up against the professionals. Julian and Shields train together at Cal while Albiero and Harting train together at Louisville so they are no strangers to each other, but the fans at home haven’t seen them line up yet this year so it will be intriguing to watch.
Men’s 50 Free
Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
The top two performers from the 2019 Worlds will be in attendance in Caeleb Dressel and Bruno Fratus. Add in Michael Andrew and Nathan Adrian and this will be a quick race not worth missing as some of the world’s best will line up side by side in Mission Viejo. Is Dressel’s 21.51 meet record in danger of falling or is it not time for that yet? Fratus is one of the most consistent racers in the world and is capable of a sub-22 at the drop of a hat.
It is very possible that both Dressel and Fratus will end up on the podium in Tokyo so fans should not take their eyes off the pool when those two line up for the 50 free. And don’t count out Andrew and Adrian either. Andrew made the final at the 2019 Worlds, and Adrian is the reigning Olympic bronze medalist. It is worth noting that Adrian has the fastest 50 free time this season out of this mentioned quartet with Fratus in second and Dressel third, but that may change when they line up next to each other.
Women’s 200 Breast
Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL
The women’s 200 breast figures to be one of the tightest races at this summer’s Trials with many medal contenders coming from the U.S., including Lilly King, Annie Lazor, Bethany Galat, and Emily Escobedo, who will all be in Mission Viejo at the TYR Pro Swim Series this weekend. King and Lazor, who are training partners at Indiana University, both threw down 2:22’s at Speedo Sectionals while Escobedo has been as quick as a 2:23. King and Lazor look like the early gold medal favorites for Tokyo this summer and they will do battle this weekend in what could be an Olympic Trials preview.
Women’s 1500 Free
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
It is no secret that Katie Ledecky is the big favorite in the inaugural 1500 for the Olympic Trials, but the race behind her looks interesting with Ashley Twichell, Ally McHugh and Leah Smith posing as threats for the second spot. Ledecky is set to race the 1500 this weekend where she has been a 15:42 this season. Twichell has been as quick as a 16:04 while McHugh and Smith have been 16:11s. Twichell, McHugh and Smith have all been known to swim a lot of yards and meters in competitions and don’t back down in tough races. So this weekend’s 1500 will be a race to keep an eye on between those three as any number of them could put together the perfect race to challenge for the second spot at Trials.
What is wrong with you people! Hayley Anderson will be second in the 1500. Give her some respect! ??