Will Phelps actually show up for this event?

He's scheduled to. They advertised it this past weekend at the TXLA New Year's Classic with him & Ryan Lochte as the headliners.

I think he will show. He has been a no-show for many but I have heard he always likes Austin. Plus he is taking some heat for not racing much.

Lotta big names in the meet.

Psych sheet

Hoff, Ziegler, Berens, Walters, Lezak, Lochte, Vanderkaay, Breeden, Hersey, Shanteau, Smit, etc.

Emerging stars too like Missy Franklin.

Ha, as though Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman care about taking heat...they know the swimming world still revolves around them.

Big storm headed that way out of Canada...I've got my money on another snow-in.

Should be a great meet anyways though. Probably the biggest meet on American soil before Worlds.

Agreed it is the meet of the year. I finish a 9 year old basketball game at 3:30 and I'm trying to figure out how to get there for finals on Sat. night in time.

I see Gray Umbach's name in several events. Should be interesting to see how he does against this competition.

Looks like Phelps is in 4 events. Will race Lochte in 3 of them. Neither are entered in the 400 IM or 400 Free which I'd like to see.

But lets face it when was the last time we got to see those to race in three events. Phelps in the 200 Breast should be interesting.

Lochte would rock Phelps in the 200 breaststroke too. GWG is swimming the 400 free, which I thought was interesting. He may be trying to get more into the 200 going forward internationally.

I'm not so sure the 200 breast is an automatic for Lochte.

Phelps is a MUCH better breaststroker than he is given credit for. We rarely see him swim it outside of IMs. But Phelps has swum a 53.41 100 BR SCY to Lochte's best 54.32. I could not find a 200 breast time for either in the last two years.

Lochte is racing post-taper from SCM Worlds, so he may be a big sluggish (although Lochte rarely is outright "off" ). Phelps - who knows what kind of shape he is in. Just a guess but I bet he is thinking most about the 100 fly and 200 free.

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 1/13/2011 10:38a).]

I agree Phelps breaststroke especially at the 200 level is formidable. Whether he can beat Shanteau is another question. I wish Scott Spann Jr. was in the race.

With less than 2 years from London you would think Phelps is getting serious about his training now.

I don't have high hopes for Phelps in this meet - because I haven't seen any evidence he is really in shape. His performance at LC Nats was overall unimpressive. So I don't think he can beat Shanteau. But I think Phelps will show everyone that he is THE MAN in 100 fly, and not to be ignored in the 200 free.

quote:

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Phelps is a MUCH better breaststroker than he is given credit for. We rarely see him swim it outside of IMs. But Phelps has swum a 53.41 100 BR SCY to Lochte's best 54.32. I could not find a 200 breast time for either in the last two years.

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I don't think Lochte's swum a LC breaststroke since he revamped his kick in a big way last summer. He's way faster than a 54.3 now, guaranteed. For example, Lochte CRUSHED Phelps on the breaststroke leg of the IM at Nationals, and routinely does (including in Beijing). Lochte would kill Phelps in the 200 breaststroke.

As for still being "the man" in the 100 fly...it's true if he's training, but his time was only a 47.1 at the NBAC Christmas invite (SCY). There are 5 college swimmers faster than that this season already, and it wouldn't have even finaled at NCAA's last year. His success in Shanghai and Beijing all comes down to whether he's spending his time in the pool or spending his time chasing reality TV "stars" around LA.

I definitely want to see the 200 IM final so I may be driving to Austin on Sunday to see it.

Yup Lochte killed MP on the BR leg of the IM. But I don't actually think it was because Lochte's BR is that better. I remember seeing MP basically lockup about 5M before the BR turn. Before that MP was stroke for stroke with RL. But Phelps died and was done the rest of the race.

If Phelps swims like he has been most of 2010 (not very well), Lochte will beat him. No matter what, it is a weird event for Phelps to choose. I wonder if he intended to race an event he doesn't need to do well, then Lochte chose it also to piss him off (in a friendly rivalry kind of way).

As for 100 fly, I'm not sure I would base much on that NBAC meet. No one recognizable swam against Phelps. With no one to race Phelps split 24.95 on the 2nd 50, just about where the NCAA guys were at the tu invite. Only two guys had a faster 2nd 50 in that meet.

[This message has been edited by SpicewoodAg (edited 1/13/2011 3:04p).]

BTW - Phelps swam 53.75 in 100 BR at the NBAC meet. His 50 free was 20.16.

Cannon Clifton, Simone Manuel and Quinn Carrozza are all swimmming too.

It's great to see old man Lezak mixing it up with kids half his age!

Hallelujah! Phelps has ARRIVED in Austin!

Phelps was interviewed on deck about two hours ago. I am not there, but my wife was (diving practice).

For any of you without Uverse television you can watch it

Jan. 14, 6:30-8:00pm ET, Live Coverage on Universal Sports



Jan 14, 11:00pm-12:30am ET, Taped Coverage on Universal Sports



Jan 15, 6:30-8:30pm ET, Live Coverage on Universal Sports



Jan 15, 11:00pm-1:00am ET, Taped Coverage on Universal Sports


[This message has been edited by Beretta O/U (edited 1/13/2011 9:33p).]

Live results

B final for Phelps in the 200 F. Guess he's been playing to much golf.

I wonder if Phelps was saving a bit for the 100 fly since the events were not far apart?

He easily won the 100 fly with a 52

Local kids Carrozza and Gunn had great swims.

That Gunn kid is really swimming fast. I really like the Nitro guys. That team is going to produce some champions.

Phelps was eating a burrito at Freebirds tonight if that tells you anything about how serious he's taking this meet.

Met the Gunn's over the summer on a plane when they were coming back from Nationals. Nice family!

Saw that Carroza made the olympic trial cut in the 200 Free at 14 yrs old! Awesome!

No 200 breaststroke swims for Phelps and Lochte today. Both scratched.

??

Should be a good Phelps/Lochte race tonight in 100 back.

How do you guys view these top level athletes when they scratch events like that?

Granted, it's not their top race or anything, but I was just wondering how people see it.

I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I do have a slight apprehension that it might teach the younger kids who idolize these swimmers that it's OK to scratch whenever you feel like it, and that can't be a good thing.

Phelps beats Lochte in 100 back.

Bullet - If I had paid $12 to watch this meet, I would be irritated that Phelps scratched 1/4 and Lochte 1/5 of his event list.

Some young speed in the Women's 50 Fr. Missy Franklin, 15, won and Simone Manuel, 14, got third. Also another FCST girl in fourth.