2020 Olympic medalist, 2022 World Champion, and UVA swim star Alex Walsh is coming off of a massive NCAA Championships, going 3-for-3 in her individual events while helping Virginia to their 4th Team Title. Moreover, Alex recently announced she’s coming back for a 5th year at UVA. I think she would’ve made the announcement earlier, however coach Todd DeSorbo and Alex have been so busy since NCAA Champs, they had to find the time to talk-it-out. (Alex goes in-depth on her decision to return for a 5th year later this week in a podcast with her sister Gretchen Walsh.)
At the recent San Antonio Pro Swim, Alex touched second in the 200m IM behind Torri Huske (208.47). Alex said she was a little tired after NCAA Champs and was battling a little sickness afterward, so she was very happy with her time, 2:08.6.
U.S. Olympic Trials – Alex Walsh Predictions
Alex was a little slower in 2023 than 2022, but with the hype of the Olympic year, I’m banking on a PB in Indy. Alex was a 2:07.89 at 2023 U.S. Trials, then a 2:07.97 at 2023 Word Champs, pulling up behind Kate Douglass. Alex makes her second U.S. Olympic Team in the 200m IM swimming a 2:06.93, shaving .20 off her personal best time from her 2022 World Championships gold performance. Kate Douglass is a hair ahead in 2:06.75, but who cares what I think? What do you think? Drop your opinion in the comments.
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This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.
Poise, brains, classic american beauty, and one of greatest athletes in the world. Mom is a doctor and comes from a great family. She’s going to make someone very lucky in the future.
I dream of my son meeting a girl like this someday . Just have to get him into swimming first.
Dude, no.
dude, whatever. I was complimenting her. Go plant your flag somewhere else.
Side note: I wonder what Alex can pop in a tapered 100 free, given that she was 54.5 in January? At least 53 mid? Which could put her in the mix— except it’s so loaded this year. I have (in no order): Kate, Simone, Gretchen, Torri, Abbey. Who is in line for the 6th spot? Smoliga and who else?
2024 TYR Pro Swim Series – San Antonio
Women’s 100 meter freestyle
DeLoof, Catie – 53.88
Smoliga, Olivia – 55.43
My prediction for trials:
1 Gretchen walsh
2 Kate Douglass
3 Simone Manuel
4 Torri Huske
5 abbey weitzeil
6 arabella sims
Maybe also Pelaez, smoliga, berkoff,spink
This six for relay in Paris
Pelaez?
dont see smoliga getting in unless she has the race of her life
Based on in season form, Catie DeLoof is the front runner for the sixth spot in the W 4 x 100 FR-R. None of the top high school prospects have even popped a sub 54 second performance to date.
I wonder what she can pop off in the 4IM
Personal take: if she can go 2:06 in the 200IM, she really should be able to go sub 4:30 or at least break the AR
Why? Her 200 is 0.14 off a 2:06 but her 400 is 4.47 seconds off a 4:29. I don’t understand your reasoning
How??
2 completely different events and the 4 IM is much more strategic. You cant compare them.
If anyone breaks the AR, I would think Katie Grimes does it first. Alex has nicer stroke technique but nowhere near the distance pedigree of grimes. And, the 4IM pulls in distance swimmers.
I have no insider knowledge of Alex’s intentions of swimming the 400 IM at trials, but it did seem odd to me that she didn’t swim it in San Antonio, especially since she hasn’t swum a LC 400 IM since worlds. I think she’s all in on the 200 IM. She’s got as good of a chance at a gold medal as she does being off the podium altogether, so no need to waste energy on an event that she may not even make the team/medal in
Alex Walsh did not swim the W 200 BR in San Antonio, either.
A new Olympic swimming event should be created where the participants swim a 200 of each stroke, a 50 free, and a 1500 free. The overall result is determined by how well the participants place in each event relative to one another. The event could be named the ‘Swimming Hexathlon’. Who would win this event for men and women? Marchand and A Walsh?
Marchand and Grimes bc she’s a distance elite…
Nah, Marchand and McIntosh, come on, it’s so obvious.
For the 200 Stroke, 50 free and 1500 free here are my top 5…
My top 5 Women in order: McIntosh, McKeown, Grimes, R. Smith, A Walsh,
My top 5 Men in order: Finke, Marchand, C. Foster, Popovici, Ilya Kharun
Since it’s not cumulative time but placement, I’m not sure I agree with Finke over Marchand. The only event he can win against Marchand is the 1500 (he 100% wins it, but that’s still only one race).
Finke* and McIntosh. Marchand can’t hide in the big pool in distance free with his underwaters that made his 500 so speacial.
How could Finke possibly win? Out of 6 events, the 1500 is the only one where he even has a B cut. Kaylee McKeown is faster than Finke in 2/6 events lol
Finke has gone 1:59 200 back and 1:57 200 fly in season, and he’s a much better taper swimmer.
really? Which events can Kaylee beat Finke?
According to FINA database, Kaylee has a faster PB in the 200 back and 200 breast
Finke’s PBs from the USAS database:
200 BK 1:59.89
200 BR 2:24.08
she can’t beat Bobby Finke. In anything.
Hide? Marchand excels at every level of the sport. Did you miss the part where he broke the 4IM world record? A much harder race than the 1500. He wasn’t hiding then, was he?
It completely depends on how many people can enter and how those entries are determined. Does it have an entry cap of 100? How do you determine who gets in when it’s based on placement and not time? The majority of swimmers who would be competitive in the first 5 events don’t even have a 1500 recorded by FINA.
It would be much easier if you just exclude the 1500, as basically no one with a competitive 1500 is going to be competitive in the other 5 events.
I can confidently say McIntosh would win the women’s event. Comparing her to Alex Walsh, she has a slightly slower 50 free, a slower 200 breast, but then is MUCH faster in… Read more »
pure torture for the athletes 😳
Great Wahoo minds must think alike because I posted something like this a couple years ago and thought it should be a 200 and 50 of every stroke, an 800 or 1500, and a 200 IM. Each country could have two swimmers compete and it would be after the regular swimming events to crown the best all around swimmer. Douglass and Walsh would finish 1-2, with some competition from McIntosh and McKeown for sure though.
Douglass and Walsh would not finish 1-2, or likely either in the top 2 at all.
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. They are both very capable of going 1-2.
McIntosh would beat Douglas and Walsh for sure. She’s got the best “800 IM” add-up of all time and is the 2nd best 800 free performer of all time. She also is basically on par with them for the 200 IM and could hold her own well enough in the sprints.
theoretically, yes. On paper, yes. But what it comes down to is who is the most prepped. If Summer has an even slightly off race, Douglass and Walsh will hunt her down if they execute..
Lol, wut?
This is an asinine argument. This is a theoretical exercise so what is the point in saying “This other swimmer who is slower on paper will win because there is a chance that the faster swimmer on paper may swim slow”?
And why would you have any reason to think that Douglass and Walsh would be more prepped to do this than Summer? Summer has more range than either of these swimmers and has been shown to be much more willing to swim a ton of different events throughout the season than either.
I think I replied to the wrong comment. Yes, you are 100% correct on that.
You’re also quite Canada-biased, based on your name. So your opinion does not hold much weight, IMO. I’m a UVA fan, but I can back up my prediction since Walsh and Douglass have the 200 IM hardware the last few years, excel at all four strokes (except Douglass in LCM backstroke), and are favored in 50 sprints vs McIntosh. McIntosh would have the edge in the distance event though, of course.
CavaDore, Your event lineup is a solid improvement over the ‘Swimming Hexathlon’, although I don’t think we need the 200 IM since we have a 50 and 200 of each stroke. We could name this new event(w/o 200 IM) the ‘Swimming Nonagonathlon’. With a strong Wahoo bias, I would also pick Douglass and A Walsh to win this event, with competition from McIntosh, McKeown, and G Walsh.
I think the 200 IM would be a necessary addition to show that a swimmer can excel at putting all 4 strokes together at once in this mythical program, in addition to just swimming well in each stroke on its own.
Alternatively, this could be held in a non-Olympic year as a standalone meet. The event could be marketed to broadcast companies as the search for the ‘World’s Greatest Swimmer’. There would need to be big prize money (at least 500K for each winner) to attract top talent. Eight men and eight women would be selected for the event. Per CavaDore’s improvement (in the responses), each swimmer would swim a 50 and 200 of each stroke, and an 800 or 1500 Freestyle. The meet could be held in one day with the individual events one hour apart. Two questions: 1. Which eight women and men would be selected, if the meet was held this year? 2. Who are the GOATs?
I’ll get back to you for the men but for women, I’d pick:
A Walsh
Douglass
McIntosh
McKeown
Steenbergen
A chinese swimmer
Gorbenko??
Pickrem??
Very nice lineup, but what about G Walsh; her 200s are solid. As for the GOATs, I’d have to say Caulkins and Phelps.
How crazy would that be if A. Walsh beats Lilly King and boots her from the team in at least the 2 breast?
Lydia Jacoby has a faster personal best time in the W 200 BR (LCM) than Alex Walsh.
And as we know, the team is picked based on who has the best PR coming into Trials.
As we know, a smart-ass gnome is best left in the garden.
Lydia always seems to not give a crap about the 2 breast at major meets. See the last 2 NCAAs and world trials last year.
Sorry, not world trials, US Open.
Lydia Jacoby swam the 200 BR at the 2021 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials and the 2022 USA Swimming International Team Trials. It seems the problem at the University of Texas is the women’s head coach.
Has your obsession moved on from Greg Meehan to Carol Capitani?
Also, so does Ella Nelson. I could definitely see Ella Nelson squeaking in for 2nd ahead of Walsh and King. How awesome would that be?
First, finish no worse than second. Second, finish under the OQT. That’s a problem for Ella Nelson and Alex Walsh.
I think it would be great since she has been such a great contributor for UVA over the last five years.
It would be cool but she doesnt have the speed that those other 2 have. It just isnt there. Unless she pulls it out from somewhere, she makes the final for 4th or 5th finish.
I could see Ella Nelson putting up a fight for the second spot. She did very well in it in San Antonio. I think it will be a good race between Douglass, Walsh, Jacoby, King, and Nelson for the two spots.
Douglass is as close to a lock in the 200 Br as one could get. The current AR holder and continues to improve.
The rest are fighting for 2nd
highly unlikely. People want to rag on Lilly because she has been swimming (relatively) slow in some recent meets. She will come rested and ready at trials. I dont see her taking out Kate by any means but she can very easily beat Alex.
There is relatively slow and historically slow for Lilly King. The latter applies in this case (2:25.97, 2:25.76). Lilly King was swimming faster leading up to the 2016 USA Swimming Olympic Team Trials (2:25.13, 2:24.88).
I still dont think it matters. A year ago she was beating Kate and going 2:20.
As for the W 200 BR, the likes of Dobler, Jacoby, Walsh, Weber all avoided the W 200 BR at the 2024 TYR Pro Swim Series – San Antonio like the plague.
From Walsh’s words it seems that he has no thoughts on 400 im. He talked about the 200m as his first event, then decided he would try breaststroke and said he was debating whether to swim a third event.
According to this, she would rule out continuing to swim 400 im, right?
Take another look at your pronoun usage
I’ll give this person grace, their first language might not be English.
Some people speak other languages as their native.
For example, English is my fourth language. And in my native language, one pronoun is used for both he and she.
Agreed, it was intended to be considerate advice.