In der unmittelbaren Wettkampfvorbereitung setzt das US Team erst einmal auf ein Trainingscamp in den USA: vom 13. bis 21. Juli trainieren die Olmpioniken in San Antonio im Northside ISD Swim Center. San Antonio liegt im US Bundesstaat Texas, die Stadt hat ca. 1,4 Millionen Einwohner. Die Schwimmanlage wurde 2013 eröffnet, es gibt einen 50-m Outdoorpool sowie einen weiteren 25 m Pool. 2015 wurden die Nationalen Sommer-Meisterschaften hier veranstaltet.
Jimmy Feigen, der 2012 im Olympiaaufgebot war und auch 2016 wieder für die USA nach Rio reisen wird, kommt aus San Antonio.
Traditionell gibt es auch immer ein Training der US Schwimmer, bei dem die Öffentlichkeit zusehen darf.
Hier das US Schwimmteam 2016:
2016 US Olympic Swim Team (courtesy of Tim Binning)
- CHASE KALISZ (400 IM)
- MAYA DIRADO (400 IM, 200 IM, 200 back)
- CONNOR JAEGER (400 free, 1500 free)
- KATIE LEDECKY (200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 4×200 free relay)
- KELSI WORRELL (100 fly)
- KEVIN CORDES (100 breast, 200 breast)
- LILLY KING (100 breast, 200 breast)
- RYAN MURPHY (100 back, 200 back)
- OLIVIA SMOLIGA (100 back)
- TOWNLEY HAAS (200 free, 4×200 free relay)
- MICHAEL PHELPS (100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM)
- CONOR DWYER (200 free, 400 free, 4×200 free relay)
- LEAH SMITH (400 free, 800 free, 4×200 free relay)
- MISSY FRANKLIN (200 back, 200 free, 4×200 free relay)
- JACK CONGER (4×200 free relay)
- RYAN LOCHTE (4×200 free relay, 200 IM)
- ALLISON SCHMITT (4×200 free relay, 4×100 free relay)
- JOSH PRENOT (200 breast)
- CAMMILE ADAMS (200 fly)
- NATHAN ADRIAN (50 free, 100 free, 4×100 free relay)
- CAELEB DRESSEL (100 free, 4×100 free relay)
- RYAN HELD (4×100 free relay)
- ANTHONY ERVIN (50 free, 4×100 free relay)
- JAY LITHERLAND (400 IM)
- ELIZABETH BEISEL (400 IM)
- DANA VOLLMER (100 fly, 4×100 free relay)
- KATIE MEILI (100 breast)
- DAVID PLUMMER (100 back)
- KATHLEEN BAKER (100 back)
- CODY MILLER (100 breast)
- MELANIE MARGALIS (200 IM, 4×200 free relay)
- TOM SHIELDS (100 fly, 200 fly)
- HALI FLICKINGER (200 fly)
- MOLLY HANNIS (200 breast)
- JACOB PEBLEY (200 back)
- ABBEY WEITZEIL (50 free, 100 free, 4×100 free relay)
- SIMONE MANUEL (50 free, 100 free, 4×100 free relay)
- LIA NEAL (4×100 free relay)
- AMANDA WEIR (4×100 free relay)
- CIERRA RUNGE (4×200 free relay)
- CLARK SMITH (4×200 free relay)
- GUNNAR BENTZ (4×200 free relay)
- BLAKE PIERONI (4×100 free relay)
- JIMMY FEIGEN (4×100 free relay)
- JORDAN WILIMOVSKY (1500 freestyle)*
*Wilimovsky schwimmt auch die 10 km im Freiwasser.
(8400 North Loop 1604 W) from July 13th-21st. Following the Olympic Trials, which will take place June 26th-July 3rd in Omaha Nebraska, the newly formed team will head to the Alamo City.
Former home to swimming superstars Annie Chandler and Jimmy Feigen, San Antonio is apparently the ideal location for a controlled training environment for athletes to perfect their nutrition and training schedule with the added bonus of a state-of-the-art facility.
The Northside Swim Center, which opened in July 2013 and was the site of the 2015 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Championships, boasts a 50-meter, Olympic-size outdoor pool with a 25-meter diving and warm up pool. With room enough for 2,400 spectators, locker room space to accommodate up to 1,200 athletes and high-tech timing, lighting, sound and video scoreboard systems, the center is the perfect place for the Olympic team to train.
Though the team is sure to spend plenty of time in the pool while here, it is very likely that the athletes may take some time to see the sights. San Antonio native (a Churchill High School alum) and Olympic-team prospective in the 50 and 100 freestyle Jimmy Feigen spoke excitedly on his expectations for the training camp. In an interview with KSAT12, the 2012 silver medalist made a point to highlight the honor San Antonio has in hosting this camp and that he has in showing the team his city.
“The whole swimming community’s put a lot of faith in San Antonio to produce the kind of results we had in London again in Brazil,” Feigen said. “I think they put a lot of faith in San Antonio and I don’t see San Antonio letting them down.” And let them down we most certainly will not!
Area fans and swimmers will get the chance to meet the team as one of their practices will be open to the public and will be followed by an autograph session. We’ll have to wait until the Trials are over to find out the official team, but based on the season Michael Phelps, Katie Ledecky, Missy Franklin and Ryan Lochte are some of the athletes who will be making an appearance in first San Antonio then Rio de Janeiro.
If you’re like me and dying to see the swimmers outside of their normally goggled and capped state, I’ll be hanging out at the major tourist sites, peering around corners downtown hoping to see the exceptionally tall athletes visiting the Alamo or strolling down the Riverwalk, wondering if they’ll remember San Antonio’s hospitality when they move on to the Olympic Games in Brazil.