U.S. Nationals: Bobby Finke Drops 400 IM From Worlds Slate; Relay Alternates Waiting to Learn Destination
After winning his first national title in a non-freestyle event, Bobby Finke had a decision to make regarding his event lineup for the World Championships. Both the 400 IM and 1500 freestyle, the event in which Finke won gold in world-record time in Paris, are scheduled for the final day of the World Championships, forcing Finke into a decision between the two races.
As expected, he has picked the mile, which bumps 400 IM third-place finisher Rex Maurer into the medley event alongside Carson Foster. The change does not affect the U.S. roster, with Maurer having secured his spot on the Singapore team by virtue of his results in the 200 and 400 free. Foster does move into Priority #1, an automatic qualifier for Worlds, as the top available swimmer in the 400 IM. His highest finish thus far in the meet has been second place.
With that change plus the results from Friday night’s finals, where Luka Mijatovic and Tommy Janton became the newest members of the squad, here is the current setup of the American men’s Worlds roster ranked by priority.
Priority #1 (18)
- Luca Urlando (200 butterfly)
- Jack Alexy (100 freestyle)
- Patrick Sammon (100 freestyle)
- Chris Guiliano (400 freestyle relay)
- Destin Lasco (400 freestyle relay)
- Bobby Finke (1500 freestyle)
- Luke Hobson (200 freestyle)
- Gabriel Jett (200 freestyle)
- Rex Maurer (800 freestyle relay, 400 IM, 400 freestyle)
- Henry McFadden (800 freestyle relay)
- Josh Matheny (200 breaststroke)
- Jack Aikins (200 backstroke, 100 backstroke)
- Carson Foster (200 butterfly, 800 freestyle relay, 400 IM)
- Dare Rose (50 butterfly)
- Shaine Casas (400 freestyle relay, 100 butterfly, 50 backstroke)
- Campbell McKean (50 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke)
- Quintin McCarty (50 backstroke)
- Tommy Janton (100 backstroke)
Priority #2 (6)
- David Johnston (1500 freestyle)
- AJ Pouch (200 breaststroke)
- Keaton Jones (200 backstroke)
- Michael Andrew (50 butterfly, 50 breaststroke)
- Thomas Heilman (100 butterfly)
- Luka Mijatovic (400 freestyle)
Priority #3 (1)
- Jonny Kulow (400 freestyle relay)
Priority #4 (1)
- Kieran Smith (800 freestyle relay)
Twenty-six men have put themselves into a potential qualifying spot, but the only way all swimmers will be able to make the international trip is if there are no additional qualifiers on the final night of competition. At this stage, there have not been sufficient doubles to ensure that all second-place finishers will make the team under the roster cap of 26, but numerous doubles are expected on the final night, perhaps with all six available qualifying spots.
Finke is the strong favorite in the 800 free while Maurer, Mijatovic and David Johnston are the leading candidates to join him. It would be a surprise if Foster and Shaine Casas are not the qualifiers in the 200 IM, and Jonny Kulow could guarantee his own spot currently in question with a top-two finish in the 50 free. Qualifying swims by Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano and/or Quintin McCarty would also help, but Santo Condorelli crashing the party would be a problem for the swimmers in limbo.
Kieran Smith would be the first swimmer cut out as the sixth-place finisher in the 200 free, followed by 100 free fifth-place swimmer Kulow, provided he does not make it in the individual spot.. The other questionable relay spots are occupied by Foster (fifth in the 200 free) and Casas (sixth in the 100 free), and there is no doubt about their roster status, opening up the opportunity for any relay swims at the major meet.
As for the women, there will be space for all potential qualifiers on the Worlds team. Only 19 roster spots have been accounted for thus far, and existing team members Katie Ledecky (1500 free) and Alex Walsh (2oo IM) are heavily favored in their respective events. The 50 free qualifiers are sure to come from existing team members Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, Kate Douglass and Simone Manuel. That leaves the second spots in the 200 IM and 1500 free as the chances to bring the roster to 21, still well under the limit of 26.
Claire Weinstein is scheduled to swim the 1500 free, but she will swim in an early heat as she tries to add a fourth individual race for Singapore. Of the entrants in that event, only Weinstein and Ledecky are already on the team, with Katie Grimes withdrawing from the field. A new qualifier will likely come here, with Jillian Cox the favorite. As for the 200 IM, the withdrawals of Douglass and Huske have created opportunities alongside Walsh. The only other double possibility in that event is 200 fly winner Caroline Bricker.
As a reminder, we are still awaiting to determine if Emma Weber or McKenzie Siroky will qualify for Worlds in the 50 breast. The 200 free swim-off involving Erin Gemmell and Anna Peplowski has implications but not for the composition of the roster.
Priority #1 (13)
- Caroline Bricker (200 butterfly)
- Torri Huske (100 freestyle, 800 freestyle relay, 100 butterfly)
- Gretchen Walsh (100 freestyle, 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly)
- Simone Manuel (400 freestyle relay)
- Kate Douglass (400 freestyle relay, 200 breaststroke, 50 butterfly, 100 breaststroke)
- Katie Ledecky (800 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle)
- Claire Weinstein (800 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle)
- Erin Gemmell OR Anna Peplowski (800 freestyle relay)
- Claire Curzan (200 backstroke)
- Emma Weyant (400 IM)
- Lilly King (50 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke)
- Katharine Berkoff (50 backstroke, 100 backstroke)
- Regan Smith (200 butterfly, 200 backstroke, 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke)
Priority #2 (3)
- Alex Walsh (200 breaststroke)
- Katie Grimes (400 IM)
- McKenzie Siroky OR Emma Weber (50 breaststroke)
Priority #3 (1)
- Erin Gemmell (400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay) OR Anna Peplowski (800 freestyle relay)
Priority #4 (2)
- Anna Moesch (400 freestyle relay)
- Bella Sims (800 freestyle relay)
