2010 Big Meet Predictions
January 2, 2010While there is no long course world championships in 2010, there are six major meets taking place throughout the year. In five out of six, only certain swimmers can participate, and many of the world's best swimmers skip the other. I have already posted early predictions for two of those meets, and now I will predict three more, winners only. It is hard to predict World Short Course Championships in advance because many of the world's best often skip the event, although it might be shaping up to be the best attended version of the meet yet.
NCAA Championships - March 18-20, West Lafayette, Indiana (Women)/March 25-27, Columbus, Ohio - Predictions
USA Swimming National Championships - August 3-7, Irvine, California
Men:
50 Free - Nathan Adrian
100 Free - Nathan Adrian
200 Free - Ryan Lochte
400 Free - Peter Vanderkaay
1,500 Free - Chad LaTourette
100 Back - Nick Thoman
200 Back - Ryan Lochte
100 Breast - Mike Alexandrov
200 Breast - Eric Shanteau
100 Fly - Michael Phelps
200 Fly - Michael Phelps
200 IM - Michael Phelps
400 IM - Tyler Clary
Women:
50 Free - Amanda Weir
100 Free - Natalie Coughlin Hall
200 Free - Dana Vollmer
400 Free - Katie Hoff
800 Free - Chloe Sutton
100 Back - Natalie Coughlin Hall
200 Back - Margaret Hoelzer
100 Breast - Rebecca Soni
200 Breast - Rebecca Soni
100 Fly - Dana Vollmer
200 Fly - Kathleen Hersey
200 IM - Ariana Kukors
400 IM - Katie Hoff
European Championships - August 4-15, Budapest, Hungary
Men:
50 Free - Fred Bousquet, France
100 Free - Alain Bernard, France
200 Free - Danila Izotov, Russia
400 Free - Paul Biedermann, Germany
800 Free - Federico Colbertaldo, Italy
1,500 Free - Federico Colbertaldo, Italy
50 Back - Liam Tancock, Great Britain
100 Back - Helge Meeuw, Germany
200 Back - Arkady Vyatchanin, Russia
50 Breast - Hendrik Feldwehr, Germany
100 Breast - Alexander Dale Oen, Norway
200 Breast - Daniel Gyurta, Hungary
50 Fly - Milorad Cavic, Serbia
100 Fly - Milorad Cavic, Serbia
200 Fly - Nikolay Skvortsov, Russia
200 IM - Laszlo Cseh, Hungary
400 IM - Laszlo Cseh, Hungary
400 Free Relay - France
800 Free Relay - Russia
400 Medley Relay - Germany
Women:
50 Free - Therese Alshammar, Sweden
100 Free - Britta Steffen, Germany
200 Free - Federica Pellegrini, Italy
400 Free - Federica Pellegrini, Italy
800 Free - Rebecca Adlington, Great Britain
1,500 Free - Alessia Filippi, Italy
50 Back - Anastasia Zueva, Russia
100 Back - Anastasia Zueva, Russia
200 Back - Anastasia Zueva, Russia
50 Breast - Yuliya Efimova, Russia
100 Breast - Yuliya Efimova, Russia
200 Breast - Yuliya Efimova, Russia
50 Fly - Therese Alshammar, Sweden
100 Fly - Sarah Sjostrum, Sweden
200 Fly - Katinka Hosszu, Hungary
200 IM - Katinka Hosszu, Hungary
400 IM - Katinka Hosszu, Hungary
400 Free Relay - Germany
800 Free Relay - Great Britain
400 Medley Relay - Germany
Pan Pacific Championships - August 18-22, Irvine, California
Men:
50 Free - Cesar Cielo, Brazil
100 Free - Cesar Cielo, Brazil
200 Free - Michael Phelps, USA
400 Free - Park Tae-Hwan, Korea
800 Free - Zhang Lin, China
1,500 Free - Zhang Lin, China
100 Back - Aaron Peirsol, USA
200 Back - Ryosuke Irie, Japan
100 Breast - Kosuke Kitajima, Japan
200 Breast - Eric Shanteau, USA
100 Fly - Michael Phelps, USA
200 Fly - Takeshi Matsuda, Japan
200 IM - Michael Phelps, USA
400 IM - Tyler Clary, USA
400 Free Relay - USA
800 Free Relay - USA
400 Medley Relay - USA
Women:
50 Free - Cate Campbell, Australia
100 Free - Cate Campbell, Australia
200 Free - Dana Vollmer, USA
400 Free - Katie Hoff, USA
800 Free - Chloe Sutton, USA
1,500 Free - Chloe Sutton, USA
100 Back - Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe
200 Back - Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe
100 Breast - Leisel Jones, Australia
200 Breast - Rebecca Soni, USA
100 Fly - Jessicah Schipper, Australia
200 Fly - Liu Zige, China
200 IM - Ariana Kukors, USA
400 IM - Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe
400 Free Relay - USA
800 Free Relay - USA
400 Medley Relay - Australia
Commonwealth Games - October 4-13, Delhi, India - Predictions
World Short Course Championships - December 15-19, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Predictions Coming When Start Lists Released (in other words, in a very long time)
These are all total guess, in terms of winners, and also who will swim what events! I could miss 75% of these, and I consider most to be obvious choices! I'll try again the week before each of these meets, and I will do better.
All of you out there: what do you think? Challenge my predictions, and we'll see whose smiling and whose embarrassed on game day!
Reader Comments (2)
Assuming MP does not swim the 200Fly at Pan Pacs or rests for Nationals, I would guess it might be up for grabs.
And I will be rooting for him, but Shanteau over Kitajima in the 2BR, I suppose it will depend on who is training for what again.
I see the possibility of Sutton finding her way to the top of her shortest race in the 400FR at Nationals, Katie Hoff will still take it at Pan Pacs if she is physically and mentally back in form.
Maybe Magnuson in the 100Fly at nationals?
I'm hoping Shanteau over Kitajima isn't just wishful thinking. Same in the Jones-Soni match-ups. I think it's the same as Beijing there, Jones over Soni (and Hardy 3rd) in the 100 and Soni over Jones in the 200.
Magnuson had a bad year this year, but she will be back big time next year. I really had a hard time deciding between her and Vollmer for Nationals. It will be a good duel between those two.
I don't think Sutton can crack the top 2 at Nationals again, at least for a few years. I think Hoff and Schmitt are the top 2, and then Ziegler and Burckle are the next best if they get back to top form. I think Sutton will continue to drop and become an international force in the 800 and 1,500.
I'm interested to see how Coughlin (Hall) manages to come back and compare with Vollmer/Weir and, at Pan Pacs, Cate Campbell in the 100 free, and if she can get back to the top in the 100 back. Any thoughts?
Anyone notice my big upset? Men's 100 back at Nationals? Though based on what we've seen lately, is it still an upset?