(07-03-2016 07:58 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote: Nothing arguable about it - the Trials is tougher. It's asinine that they only get to send 2 swimmers per event. I feel badly for some of the old guard who still swam great (Matt Grevers for example) but miss out because he finished a very close third and isn't in an event where the top 6 go to Rio for a relay."
The two per event rule went into effect in 1984, depriving the USA and other countries of medal sweeps that infrequently happened before then.
"My friends' 15-year-old daughter competed in the 200 breast as well, and finished a few spots ahead of Schillinger. She just missed out qualifying in the 100 breast but got to do a time trial in-between sessions, and went 1:10 in that event for the first time ever. I need to send Coach Huston their contact information."
And might have qualified with a "B" time if from a country with fewer Olympic caliber swimmers. See actual FINA Rio qualification rules and standards.
http://shop.fina.org/sites/default/files..._sw_en.pdf
"Michael Phelps will become the oldest Olympian ever to win a gold in swimming in a month (31) is my pretty obvious prediction. Of course Ryan Lochte has a chance too to claim that distinction and he's a few months older than Phelps."
Phelps will have to wait another Olympics or two to become the oldest to win a swimming gold. He already has Duke "the Big Kahuna" Kahanamoku (who won silver at the 1924 Paris at the ripe "old" age of 34) beat as the Big Kahuna's last gold was at the 1920 Antwerp games. But Dara Torres won gold at age 33 in 2000 in Athens.
I already see an uptick in swimmers in the local pool doing laps. Olympic dreams live in every "Walter Mitty."
