As athletes prepare for the new Olympic year, and both the rescheduled U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming and Olympic Games in Tokyo, USA Swimming today announced its 2020-2021 National Team roster. The 115-athlete USA Swimming National Team roster includes 59 men and 56 women.
Following the global disruption to the 2019-2020 season, USA Swimming made the decision to keep every returning athlete from the most recent U.S. National Team roster and add two qualifying athletes: Molly Hannis (Santa Rosa, Calif./Tennessee Aquatics) and Sam Stewart (Hattiesburg, Mass./YMCA Hub Fins). Hannis joins the team following her result in the 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series at Des Moines, while Stewart’s 200m I.M. performance at the 2020 Speedo Sectionals qualified him for the 2020-2021 team.
“I am incredibly proud of the poise and commitment our National Team athletes and coaches have shown as we deal with this worldwide pandemic,” USA Swimming’s Managing Director of the National Team Lindsay Mintenko said. “Now more than ever, heading into this unique Olympic year, we have endeavored to support as many of our top athletes as possible and look forward to readying an exceptional team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.”
The 2020-2021 USA Swimming National Team by the numbers:
- 115 National Team members (59 men; 56 women)
- 26 hometown states represented; California leads with 19 athletes
- 60-plus USA Swimming clubs represented; California Aquatics leads with 10 swimmers
- 32 NCAA universities represented; Cal-Berkeley leads with 14 athletes
- 34 swimmers (18 men, 16 women) who have competed at the Olympic Games
- The 2020-2021 USA Swimming National Team is comprised of returning 2019-2020 National Team members and athletes that achieved a performance faster than the sixth-place time on the 19-20 roster before March 17, 2020. Additionally, a few athletes already on the 19-20 roster qualified in new events, and event rankings have been updated. The full selection criteria for the 2020-2021 National Team can be found at: usaswimming.org/docs/default-source/national-teamdocuments/selections/2020-2021-national-team-selection-criteria-post.pdf
This year’s Open Water National Team will adopt the same practice as the pool team and extend all its returning athletes from the 2019-2020 U.S. National Team. The Open Water National Team roster is comprised of the athletes selected to compete at the 2019 FINA Open Water World Championship, which took place in July 2019 in Yeosu, South Korea. Remaining positions were filled based on results from the 2019 USA Swimming 10K National Championships.
This year’s National Team nod gives Haley Anderson (Granite Bay, Calif./Trojan Swim Club) and Allison Schmitt (Canton, Mich./Sun Devil Swimming) their 11th career National Team selection, tying them for the most by a female since 2008. On the men’s side, decorated backstroker Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill./Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics) holds the most selections in that same period with 13.
Dynamic sprinter Michael Andrew (Encinitas, Calif./Race Pace Club) adds the 100m butterfly to his bill, putting him on the roster in five events, a mark that no other male swimmer claims this year. Andrew made the team in the event following his 51.33 performance at the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series at Des Moines, and now becomes the only male swimmer to make this year’s U.S. National Team in each individual stroke.
Another talented young swimmer who sees herself on a new event in 2020 is Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minnesota/Riptide Swim Team), whose 57.34 swim in the 100m butterfly at the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series at Des Moines earned her a National Team spot in the event. While her backstroke has led to two world records and two FINA World Championships medals, Smith holds the fourth-fastest 100m butterfly performance in the world in 2020 and stood atop the podium in the 200m butterfly at the 2019 Phillips 66 National Championships.
Benefits offered to USA Swimming National Team members include travel to USA Swimming TYR Pro Swim Series meets and training camp opportunities. Select athletes are eligible for monthly assistance and elite athlete health insurance. A full list of opportunities available to members of the National Team is available online at www.usaswimming.org.
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with USA Swimming. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
Justin Tran
That’s a whole lotta Bears ?
Great team, so glad Allison Schmitt is swimming ??❤️
????Kieran Smith!
Michelle McDowell Walgren!
Yes!! Allison Schmitt???
Why no Beata Nelson?
Go USA