Parker Waiting for Teammates Douglass or Walsh Sisters to Double Up to Punch her Ticket

2023 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 27 – July 1, 2023
• Indianapolis, IN
• Indiana University Natatorium
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet (updated version, 6/26)
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• How To Watch
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

Robert Gibbs contributed to this report.

With only one finals session remaining, the USA is mere hours away from naming its roster for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka. (technically swimmers have until 11:59 MDT on July 2nd to accept the invitation)

With a max of 26 athletes per gender and a combined total of 12 relay-only swimmers the USA squad seemed to be in a little bit of a precarious situation as the week progressed. However, a key number of doubles from last night’s session have helped the women’s team and made the path a little clearer for the men’s team.

Let’s dive into the women’s projected roster and where it stands currently.

Swimmers who are not yet guaranteed a roster spot appear in italics.

The women currently have 21 athletes who have qualified via Priorities 1-5. With only three events remaining, therefore a total of six roster spots, there exists a possibility that at the end of the meet, the U.S. women could have 27 qualified athletes with only 26 roster spots.

The order in which the roster is built, as noted in more detail below, is by working through the Priorities numerically until 26 roster spots are filled. With the events remaining (200 IM, 1500 Fr, and 50 Fr) all being Olympic Events, their winners and runner-ups would be in Priorities 1 and 2, respectively. That would push swimmers in Priorities 3, 4, and 5 lower down the roster numbers.

If six new athletes qualify, the last roster spot would fall into Priority 4. Maxine Parker, who finished 6th in the 100 free, and Leah Smith, who finished 6th in the 200 free, would be the two in question. Based on the percentage that their time in finals is faster than the ‘A’ cut time, our math shows that Smith would take the roster spot over Parker (the table above reflects when the swimmers qualified not their order based on tie-breaking procedures).

Technically the athletes in Priority 5 would be at the end, but as we can see in the chart above, all of the Priority 5 athletes have been strikethrough due to their qualifying in other events which have a high priority.

That being said, this scenario has a very unlikely but still mathematical possible chance of occurring. Only one swimmer who is already qualified needs to add a new event for Parker to have a spot on the team. Four of the eight finalists in the women’s 200 IM are already on the team, including her UVA teammates Alex Walsh and Kate Douglass. In the 50 free, five of the eight are already on the team, including the top three seeds, and in the 1500 there is the World Record holder Katie Ledecky, need one say more about Parker’s chances?

Here’s a summary of the relevant priorities courtesy of the USA Swimming selection document:

World Championships – max of 26

• Priority #1. The first priority will include both (i) the four best finishing Available Swimmers based on finish order from the Finals the Qualifying Competition in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles, and (ii) the best finishing Available Swimmer based on finish order from the Finals of the Qualifying Competition in each of the Individual Olympic Events other than the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyle.
• Priority #2. The second priority will include the second best finishing Available Swimmer based on finish order from the Finals of the Qualifying Competition in each of the Individual Olympic Events other than the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyle.
• Priority #3. The third priority will include the fifth best finishing Available Swimmer based on finish order from the Finals of the Qualifying Competition in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles.
• Priority #4. The fourth priority will include the sixth best finishing Available Swimmer based on finish order from the Finals of the Qualifying Competition in each of the 100-meter and 200-meter Freestyles.
• Priority #5. The fifth priority will include the best finishing Available Swimmer based on finish order from the Finals at the Qualifying Competition in the Individual Non-Olympic Events. No more than one Available Swimmer may be selected in each Individual Non-Olympic Event. If the Available Swimmer with the fastest time at the Finals in an Individual Non-Olympic Event declines the invitation to be Selected to the Team when that invitation is offered by USA Swimming and/or declines to swim in the Event for which he/she qualifies in the Championships, USA Swimming will not Select an Available Swimmer in that Individual Non-Olympic Event via Priority #5.