USA Swimming has announced the addition of 4 members to their 2020-2021 national team. Those 4 swimmers are Bella Sims, Claire Curzan, Kate Douglass, Daniel Roy. Notably, 2 of the newest additions to the team, Sims (15), and Curzan (16), are still juniors. The addition of these 4 swims comes as a result of their performance in their respective events throughout 2020. They are being added to the national team roster for the following long course events:
- Bella Sims – 800 freestyle
- Claire Curzan – 100 butterfly
- Kate Douglass – 100 butterfly
- Daniel Roy – 200 breaststroke
Sims, Curzan, and Douglass each earned their spot on the team with swims at the 2020 Toyota U.S. Open in November. There, Sims won the event with an 8:27.01 to beat out an impressive field of Ally McHugh (8:29.36), Erica Sullivan (8:31.38), and Ashley Twitchell (8:33.58), among others. The swim for Sims took more than 8 seconds off her entry time at the meet of 8:35.96.
Curzan and Douglass each earned their spot as they finished 1st and 3rd, respectively at the U.S. Open. Curzan swam a 56.61 for the victory, taking nearly a second off her seed time of 57.57, while Douglass hit a 57.43 for third, lowering her PB from a 58.48. Both Curzan and Douglas were members of the 2019-2020 US junior national team, Curzan for the 100/200 backstroke and 100 butterfly, and Douglass for the 50 freestyle, 100 butterfly, and 200 IM.
Stanford junior Daniel Roy earned his spot on the national team with a 2:08.89 long course 200 breaststroke at the 2020 Stanford Invite in November. This is Roy’s second national team selection, having made the team during the 2018-2019 season.
Another change to the national team status came in the form of Torri Huske and Gretchen Walsh‘s updated statuses.
Walsh was already a member of the 2020-2021 team earned a time update in the 50 freestyle with her 24.65 swim at the Toyota U.S. Open. Huske on the other hand got a time update in the 100 butterfly with a 57.36 at that same meet. Huske was also added to the national team roster in both the 100 freestyle (54.04) and 200 IM (2:11.18).
USA Swimming altered its selection criteria this year because of the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic which featured protocols for the addition of national teamers in two phases. In August, they added Molly Hannis and Sam Stewart to the team via phase 1 for their performances early in the year. At that time, the national governing body said that a further update to the team would come on January 4, 2021.
Sims, Curzan, Douglass, and Roy have now been added as a result of the following phase 2 protocols:
- Qualifying performances from August 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 will be added to the roster on January 4, 2021
- Any athlete who equals or betters the slowest qualifying time in each event on the original 2019-2020 National Team roster from August 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020 will be added to the 2020-2021 roster in that event
- This includes athletes not currently on the 2019-2020 National Team and athletes who are on the 2019-2020 National Team in other events
- For an athlete to be added to the 2020-2021 roster his/her qualifying time(s) must be in the database on usaswimming.org by 12/31/2020
Access the full selection criteria, along with the updated women’s and men’s 2020-2021 national teams below.
- U.S. National Team selection criteria
- U.S. National Team women’s roster
- U.S. National Team men’s roster
Members of the team have access to a number of benefits such as health insurance, meet reimbursement, monthly stipends, and the ability to use national training centers.
For those of you who make disparaging thumbs down or negative innuendos about a 16 year old girl, remember “what goes around comes around”
Like if Sims makes Olympic team in 800 Free
I’m just going to say what I predict, but I really think Bella Sims is going to make the Olympic Team in the 800. Ledecky is obviously going to get that 1st place finish, but Sims may beat Smith for the second place finish (probably like 8:18 low).
Get rid of the has been National Team members! Time for new blood.
I’m just going to say what I predict, but I really think Bella Sims is going to make the Olympic Team in the 800. Ledecky is obviously going to get that 1st place finish, but Sims may beat Smith for the second place finish (probably like 8:18 low).
Absolutely beast time from Roy especially swimmint almost alone
That is amazing. I know he could not swim like 4-5 months due to WA state shut-down. Congrats to those who made the team!
Yay for Gretchen! A 24.6 in the 50 is some incredible range! Especially because she has such a good 100/200, and 100 back!! Congrats!!
GWalsh is an incredible talent and versatile. But 50 free is her best event — not the best example of her “range”.
100 fly 58, back 1:00, no range?
I expressly said she’s versatile. She might even be “rangey” — but my point is that her 50 free is not the event I would cite to show she has range.
No that makes sense, I should have used better wordage !!
I think that’s a perfect example of range! 24 to 2:00 is range, let alone 1:00 100 back, 58 100 fly, and her short course times??? 51 100 fly! 21 50 free, 46 100 free, 1:43 200 free!!! I mean like what are you talking about??Also a 1:01 100 breast!
When does junior team get announced?
they just released the Junior National team on USA Swimming.com
https://staging2.swimswam.com/usa-swimming-adds-15-to-2020-2021-national-junior-team-roster/