Phelps, Schmitt Not on 2011 Duel in the Pool Roster; Record Assaults Expected

(UPDATE: Two added to roster 11/28)

USA Swimming has released the American roster for the upcoming Duel in the Pool meet that will pit the best that the United States has to offer against the best of a European All-Star squad. The meet will be held in Atlanta at the Georgia Tech Aquatic Center on December 16th and 17th and swum on a 25-meter course (versus the Olympic 50-meter, or high school 25-yard).

This made-for-TV event is one of the biggest draws in swimming outside of the major championships, which is owed to its “dual meet” format. Swimmers will have to demonstrate some flexibility and diversity to really make a big impact on their teams.

The women’s program has most of the usual-suspects on board. The most notable absence is Allison Schmitt, who was on the World Championship team and is a major star of USA Swimming. Sprinter Kara Lynn Joyce also is not on the roster, nor is World Record holder Ariana Kukors.

Minnesota’s Ashley Steenvoorden continues to make waves and seems to be building towards a potential post-grad career. She’s been on several big teams since her 400 free National Championship in September. Claire Donahue, who made her coming-out at this year’s National Championship meet, will also step into a big role for the Americans. And then of course there’s the wunderkind Missy Franklin, who recently set a World Record in the 200 SCM backstroke coming off of two-a-days in Moscow.

The men will have an incredibly obvious hole on the roster, which is one Michael Phelps. He, like his North Baltimore teammate Schmitt, has chosen to sit this meet out despite competing in 2009 in Manchester. This meet doesn’t fit well into his schedule. The NBAC stars are currently training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, will head to the Minneapolis Grand Prix next week, and then will be ready to get back home to Baltimore and tear into some solid training. Phelps will skip Winter Nationals as well.

Ryan Lochte, instead, will further his foothold as the 1b biggest draw in swimming. The biggest name missing from the men’s roster, besides Phelps, is probably World Championship team member David Plummer. Sprint star Nathan Adrian is staying home too.

The meet offers prizes of $1,500 for a gold medal, and up to $15,000 for a World Record, with a total pot of over $100,000 expected to be given out. Many (if not most) of the U.S. Open Records, which have to be swum on American soil, will be crushed in this meet. 25-meter meets are rarely swum in the United States, and so most of the records have stood since 2004 (when NCAA’s were held in short course meters, the United States hosted a World Cup meet, and Short Course Worlds were in Indianapolis). Swimming has made huge progressions since then, so several should be rewritten.

Women

Head Coach: Jack Bauerle
Assistant Coaches: Kim Brackin, Chris Davis, Lea Maurer

Men

Head Coach: David Marsh
Assistant Coaches: Mike Bottom, Ray Looze, Bill Wadley