Thanks to Marshall Goldman for contributing to this report.
Mark Gangloff has apparently not decided to hang up his goggles for good; he’s swimming through at least the Southeastern Swimming LSC Senior Champs meet in Knoxville this week, where he put up a 59.76 to win the men’s 100 breaststroke.
That swim is as fast as he’s ever been in a textile suit, and ranks him 6th in the World this year. More significantly, it’s the number-two time by an American (behind Brendan Hansen’s 59.6), and would have put him on the Olympic Team if swum in finals in Omaha. Gangloff was only 5th at Trials in 59.76.
This is not a totally unusual phenomenon, especially in races that were very close like the 100 breaststroke. At the U.S. Open, we will likely see multiple swims that are faster than times that made the team. Likely candidates include Georgia’s Megan Romano, who didn’t have her best swims in finals and still has the lure of a World University Games team to look at; and T2’s Liz Pelton in the 200 IM or 200 back. Chad la Tourette could conceivably pull this off in the men’s 1500 free as well.
Josh Schneider has potential to get there in the 50; Kevin Cordes seems to break his personal best every time he gets in the water lately, so him also besting Eric Shanteau’s 1:00.15 isn’t inconceivable either.
Other big swims from Friday night in Knoxville include a 2:02.97 from Mobile’s Paige Madden to win the 13-14 girls’ 100 free. At only 13 years old, that’s one of the best times we’ve ever seen for her age. She moves into the top-25 all-time in the 13-14 age group, and still has another year-plus to improve upon that ranking.
Full, Live Meet Results are available here.
Results from the 100 breast at the Olympic Trials available here.
For the swimmers who have not qualified for London I’m waiting now for the answer of Megan Romano who was very disappointing. She hasn’t shown her real potential in long course.
For the swimmers who have qualified some of them will swim slower in London than in Omaha and the others will swim faster. We’ll see who in London will be able to swim fast times when it counts and among them I think there are Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Dana Vollmer, Rebecca Soni, Caitlin Leverenz, Missy Franklin, Elizabeth Beisel and Ariana Kukors. I have more doubts about Breeja Larson, Scott Weltz and Cullen Jones. We’ll see.
I’m both happy and sad for Mark. On the one hand, I don’t remember him ever swimming under 1:00 in textile, so this is a great accomplishment! Setting and achieving personal goals is the cornerstone of swimming, so I applaud him. On the other hand, achieving these goals at the right time is also important. I knew Mark would be the #2 guy in the 100 breast if everybody was in their best condition. He missed his taper, pure and simple. It’s not an exact science, but with his experience I wouldn’t have expected this. Anyway, Bobo Gigi, I want you to know that I always look for your comments for an “outside the US” perspective, and I think you… Read more »
I’m glad Shanteau made the team, but man if Gangloff had done that time at Trials…yeesh.
Way to go out with a bang…IF Gangloff’s retiring??? Do we kinow his plans?
I think swimming this 59.7 might have changed even his own plans?
no pressure, no waves….too little too late….
It’s no surprise…. Nike Thoman did the same thing after the Trials in 2008… if i remeber correctly…. he was just off the world record. Mark should have fully tapered for Trials 🙂 Nature of the beast!