2021 ATLANTA CLASSIC
- May 14-16, 2021
- McAuley Aquatic Center @ Georgia Tech
- Atlanta, GA
- Hosted by SwimAtlanta
- LCM Format (50m)
- Top 40 Finals: A, B, C, D (18&U)
- Meet Site
- Meet Packet
- Psych Sheets
- Wave I & II Olympic Trials Cuts
- FINA Olympic Qualifying Standards
Friday Finals Heat Sheet
After hitting 4:21.68 in the 400 IM to rank 10th in the US this season, 36-year-old Olympian Ryan Lochte has favored the 200 free C-final after posting 1:52.88 during this morning’s prelims session. Lochte’s season best sits at 1:50.27, which ranks 30th in the US this season. His season best is also 0.62s off the Wave II Trials cut of 1:49.65.
No. 10 seed Andrew Abruzzo of UGA also dropped the IM race after posting 4:27.79 this morning. Instead, Abruzzo will contest in the 200 free B-final with his 1:51.21 seed. Leading the men’s 200 free will be Florida’s Kieran Smith with his US No. 1 time of 1:46.30.
Preferring the 400 IM A-final is Florida’s Grant Sanders, who swam 4:23.33 to land the third seed after Lochte’s scratch. Sanders is a mere 0.09s off the Wave II cut of 4:23.24. Earlier in the prelims session, Sanders swam 1:52.00 to place 17th overall in the 200 free, well off the Wave I cut.
Another top-10 scratch was Florida’s Kathleen Golding, dropping her No. 7 seed of 2:01.80 in the 200 free in favor of the 400 IM. This morning, Golding swam 4:49.66 to place 4th overall in prelims, which is 1.94s off the Wave II cut of 4:47.72. Leading the women’s IM race is 18-year-old Summer Smith and her lifetime best of 4:43.43.
Night One Top-20 Scratches:
- Women’s 200 Free: #7 Kathleen Golding
- Men’s 200 Free: #17 Grant Sanders
- Women’s 100 Breast: #16 Bailey Bonnett
- Men’s 100 Breast: –
- Women’s 100 Fly: #15 Avery Bargeron
- Men’s 100 Fly: –
- Women’s 400 IM: –
- Men’s 400 IM: #3 Ryan Lochte, #10 Andrew Abruzzo, #13 Daniel Gallagher, #14 Will Scholtz, #15 Seth Maschmeier
Fyi, I read elsewhere on swimswam that Lochte went 1:51.10 on Friday night.
Lochte probably stopped at gas station before his “race.”
JUST GIVING NOTICE: HAVING NEVER BEEN A LOCHTE fan, I think we are seeing the Swan Song [swims] of a great champion who squandered much of what he had in the post-Rio debacle. Yes, of course, people forgive and forget: the point, however, is that his swimming has never recovered from the ‘in your head’ issues which it created, IMHO.
Don’t ever count Lochte out till he’s really out.
Just sayin’
I totally agree ,never count , The 🦁
On the scale of things today, the Rio “debacle” was, as the former guy’s son loved to say, a nothing burger. Would’ve been a weekend news cycle today. The ALL CAPS kinda reminds me of the former guy.
It’s only a nothing burger if you fit the description of the ugly American. It wasn’t a nothing burger to them.
I see where you’re coming from, but it’s important to remember that he has always looked really, really pedestrian in-season and tapered like a monster. He went a 1:59 200 IM a few meets ago, and as hard as it is to believe from a guy who’s been 1:54.0, I don’t think he’s ever been under that in-season before.
Even in like 2011, if you saw him at a non-taper meet after somehow magically having all memory of him wiped from your brain, you’d be like, “Oh that guy’s pretty fast. He might even make it out of prelims at Olympic Trials if he really nails his taper!”
So, I mean, I just don’t know what this summer holds… Read more »
He never used to swim fast in season but he always wore a brief. Guys swim much faster in a jammer.
He will definitely drop some time but I don’t think you compare his in season times because of the suits he wore.
In season his Jammer is lined with lead! 🙂
This season is icing on the cake for his legacy. Although it will be really nice if he gets redemption by having a good season, his legacy is already secured as one of the greatest swimmers ever. Lochte in his prime was a monster in the pool. And although Lochte has made plenty of mistakes throughout his life, he’s also shown a lot of compassion and humility toward people.
Trust the taper.
Ryan is breaking all the masters records for his age group!