While tightening rules and roster size for its National Junior Team, USA Swimming has also created a new honor for junior swimmers: The 18 & Under World 100 list.
The list compiles the top under-18 athletes in world rankings over the past year. The finer details:
- Swimmers must be under 18 as of September 1, 2016.
- Swimmers must be eligible to represent Team USA internationally as of their qualifying swim.
- The top 50 boys and top 50 girls in terms of world rankings among 18&Under swimmers in Olympic events earn mention on the list.
Swimmers named on the list get a certificate and also earn cap exemption from the Arena Pro Swim Series, meaning they can still get late entry to PSS events even after a meet has reached its entry cap.
Coaches of these swimmers get access to a national team coaches seminar and a coach enrichment program through USA Swimming.
You can view the full World 100 List here.
Five swimmers were ranked #1 worldwide for junior swimmers, according to USA Swimming:
- True Sweetser, 400 free (3:47.94)
- Michael Taylor, 200 back (1:56.78)
- Michael Andrew, 200 IM (1:59.44)
- Sean Grieshop, 400 IM (4:14.00)
- Becca Mann, 800 free (8:24.49)
Taylor and Grieshop both set junior world records with those swims.
USA Swimming’s full press release:
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Swimming today announced the honorees for a new program called the 18 & Under World 100, recognizing many of the nation’s top 18-and-under swimmers for their performances in Olympic events in 2016.
The complete 18 & Under World 100 can be found online here. Swimmers named to the 18 & Under World 100 must be age 18 or under on Sept. 1, 2016.
The top ranked 50 men and top ranked 50 women were selected according to their highest 18 & under world ranking in an individual Olympic event. The combined lists make up the 18 & Under World 100. Athletes must be registered USA Swimming members at the time of the qualifying performances and must be eligible to represent the U.S. in international competition as of Sept. 1, 2016.
Athletes will receive a commemorative 18 & World 100 certificate, and will be listed among the cap-exempt swimmers for the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series.
Coaches of the 18 & World 100 swimmers will be invited to the USA Swimming National Team Coaches Seminar in Colorado Springs and are eligible for USA Swimming’s Coach Enrichment Program.
Selection procedures for the 18 & Under World 100 were unveiled earlier this year and can be found online at usaswimming.org. A webinar outlining the selection procedures is also available here.
A full listing of 18-and-under world rankings will be available at usaswimming.org in the near future
I consider KLs 400 WR to be a slightly more impressive record than her 800 WR–but I would give the performance award to her 800 since {1} it is harder to put up fast times at the end of a long program, (2) that was the race in which she tied Debbie Meyer, and (3) that was the race for which she won the award in 2012.
A certificate and a cap exemption … And the Junior National Team members get???????