2016 U.S. OLYMPIC TEAM TRIALS
- Sunday June 26th-Sunday July 3rd, 2016
- Century Link Center – Omaha, Nebraska
- Friday-Sunday – Prelims – 11:00 am EDT Finals – 7:45 pm EDT
- SwimSwam Preview Links & Schedule
- NBC Televison Coverage Schedule
- Psych Sheets
Jimmy Feigen of the New York Athletic Club and Blake Pieroni of the Indiana University will both be going to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games as members of the 400 free relay.
Earlier today, Pieroni posted on Facebook: “I would like to say thank you to everyone who ever wished me luck or helped me along the way toward accomplishing my dreams… You all made me into an Olympian, and I want to say thank you for your support and wishes. I truly appreciate them,and it means everything to me.”
He later verified with SwimSwam that he has been confirmed for the Rio team.
Since Feigen placed fifth in the event on Thursday (48.57), and Pieroni was sixth (48.78), Pieroni’s confirmation means that Feigen is also on the Olympic squad.
At the beginning of this year, FINA put into place a rule that requires all relay-only swimmers to compete, so both Feigen and Pieroni will at least be competing in the relay preliminaries in Rio.
Also speculatively in the running for a place on the 400 free relay are Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps, despite Phelps having scratched out of the event before prelims and Lochte having scratched before semifinals. Today, Lochte time-trialed the event, finishing in a lackluster 49.13, a time that would have tied for eighth in the event final.
The addition of Pieroni and Feigen to the roster nearly confirms that at least one member of the Phelps/Lochte duo is off the relay, unless the coaches decide to do a full prelims-only relay squad, which seems unlikely.
The U.S. Olympic coaches will be especially wary of putting together a risky prelims team given the disastrous results of the men’s 400 free relay at last year’s FINA World Championships in Kazan. At that meet, the American team finished 11th in prelims, failing to even advance to the final.
The coaches should ask Ryan Lochte to swim the prelims because everyone knows he can go 47 high or 48 low and that will be more than enough. The idea is that young swimmers will be confident that they don’t have to do it on their own in the prelims. My predictions for 4×100 relay
Prelims
Dressel- 48.3 (Pretty easy swim for him)
Held- 48.0
Feigen- 48.1 (Feigen has 47 highs before)
Ryan Lochte- 47.8 (He can do it for sure)
Even if USA is off by a second on this prelim time, they will still be the fastest qualifying team.
Finals
Dressel- 47.7
Ervin- 47.5
Phelps- 47.1
Adrian- 46.9
USA win gold. Ervin… Read more »
Only problem there is Pieroni has to swim somewhere. I like the idea of having one or two of the studs swim in the morning along with Pieroni and Feigen though to ease the margin of error there a bit. Drop Lochte though – I think he ruined his chances with the poor time trial swim, so unless he just goes nuts with some training during the camp I think he’s out. I’d go Dressel/Pieroni/Feigen/Held in the morning and then Phelps/Dressel/(Ervin or Held)/Adrian for finals. Ervin doesn’t necessarily need to be on this relay so if Held really rocks the morning swim I’d let him go again.
The 2016 Phelps is not the 2012 Phelps and nowhere near the 2008 Phelps. He’s 31 years old and he looked his age this meet.
Given the level of competition in Rio – Hagino, Seto, Cecsh and LeClos – and allowing for his age, Phelps is going to have to be judicious in what he swims. I don’t think he’s got enough in the tank for the 4×100 or the 4×200. Older athletes need more recovery.
I see that there is a growing consensus that the GOAT is now getting too old? We knew that he was going to be 31 in Rio when he made his comeback. A few of us also knew that he would be hard pressed to hang with Le Clos(24)and Hagino(22). So it’s finally sinking in……The Goat is going to get a good old fashioned whipping.
Jason lezak was 32 when he had the greatest relay leg ever (2008)
I don’t think that, but I will keep this comment handy for Rio:)
Nobody considering a time trial in the Us camp, the last week before Rio?
Taking part in the time trial: Phelps, Lochte, Conger and Ervin.
1) If really Pieroni and Feigen are in the squad as “relay-only”, they have to swim the heat. I think that also Ryan Held will be swimming the heat and the fourth could be the fastest among Conger, Ervin or Lochte in the time trial above.
No way that Phelps swims the heat: pending how fast (or not fast) he’s in the time trial above, or he swims the final aiming to be a real factor or nothing.
2) Final: Adrian and Dressel certainly in the relay. The other two: or Phelps (if… Read more »
Why does everyone presume Michael Phelps is hoping to swim on the 400 freestyle relay? Perhaps his focus will, at first, be on the 200 butterfly. Plenty of competition there. The 400 freestyle relay is not necessarily part of his game plan. The USA will have six sprinters in Rio, and all of them will compete. Phelps has a very full schedule without that event, not to mention all the controversy that would come if Bowman (and his staff) moved MP into the finals line-up. Ther’s NO way he’s swimming prelims – put that fantasy to rest.
In my opinion, this Olympic is not about a medal count for Michael Phelps. He’s been there, done that. He and Bowman have… Read more »
Very good comment, though I do not fully agree. Phelps loves relays (who doesn’t?). Yes, what he is facing now is some of the most fierce competition (Le Clos + Cseh + Schooling +… in the fly), but the GOAT wouldn’t be the GOAT if he didn’t embrace the challenge of combining his individuals with a last chance to reck the pool with relay performances (take back the lost gold from the french). I am convinced he’ll choose to swim every relay, I’m not sure about the coaches.
Phelps should have at least made the time trials.. or he is much confident that Bowman will put him on relay or he was not very confident on the 100 free time and decided to not swim it because a bad time would put him out of the relay contention for sure..
Ervin qualifying for the 50 and not making it solely as a relay swimmer is huge
Feigen and pieroni have to swim the prelims.. Held is probably on the morning team too
I would personally go with conger as the 4th member of that squad..
Then you take the fastest leg from the morning to go with phelps on leadoff, Adrian on anchor and dressel
Good points DRU. Your thoughts are probably exactly the same as the coaching staff. I agree with all of it, but still think that there is not going to be a lot of difference between a Phelps lead-off and a Feigan or Held lead-off. They will all get medals, so it will be “fair”, but if they get silver with MP going 48.7, people will be disappointed.
with Ervin and feigan being 48.54 & 48.57, nether should be guaranteed anything.. but feigan has to swim under the new rule, being that he’s a relay only swimmer
I could understand if the US had 4-5 guys under 48.3 MAYBE not giving phelps a chance.. but they really are going to need all the fire power they got if they want a chance in hell at winning gold (or even silver)
obviously if you have multiple guys from the morning team go around 47.5, then things change a bit
If one person doesn’t break 48 from a relay start in prelims, Phelps replaces them. If another doesn’t, conger replaces him.
I wouldn’t automatically put conger on the final team.. But I would definitely give him a shot to earn a spot in the prelims
Going need strong legs in the prelims too, which held and conger can be.. I’d lead off with feigan.. And let both held and conger get relay starts, probably go conger 2nd so he can use his underwaters in case there is wake
After thinking some more:
Feigen
Held
Pieroni
Conger
Dressel
Phelps
Ervin
Adrian
3:10.8
Gold
No gold with that time. Look at Australia and Brazil.
Won’t show up and doped for home meets
how do you leave off the top prelim swimmer from finals? Thats the whole point of bringing the extra swimmers it gives you the advantage of holding a tryout for 1 or 2 of the finals positions. If you just bring 4 and one is off in prelims then you are stuck using the off swimmer in finals like the aussies will have to do
Just wait and see this is the best lineup
Why would you put Ervin before Held? He is 0-3 against Held at Trials. US needs to start relying on the young guns for the sake of our future! Give Dressel, Held, and Pieroni a chance to shine. They’ll get the job done
Jordan Wilimovsky! Who says you can’t be a small swimmer and be successful.
I knew they wouldnt risk phelps and lochte.They need to save themselves for the Hagino show.