US Swimming Olympic Trials Preview

Even prior to the recent sweep of the NCAA Swimming (& Diving) championships for both the Men and the Women these past two years, Cal has have a splendid swimming tradition. By my count, Cal has had 60 Olympics swimming medals (not counting the 2 Synchronized Swimming medals from the 1996 Atlanta Olympic). While there are plenty of current/former/future Golden Bears representing other countries in London this summer, most of us here are focusing on the athletes that will not only represent Cal but also the red-white-and-blue of U.S.A.

Unlike some other countries more willing to give exemptions out to their star athletes, the US Olympic delegation has to earn their spot on the Olympic team. For swimming, this means that one has to finish in the TOP TWO in the finals. Even if one breaks the world record in the prelim heat, there is no Olympic berth if (s)he cannot finish in either 1st or 2nd place in the finals. Consequently, the stakes are enormous in Omaha, Nebraska this coming week+.

When: June 25-July 2 (Prelims begin 8 a.m. PDT; finals begin 4:45 p.m. PDT)

TV/Web: everyday from June 25 to July 2nd with the exception of no prelim on July 2nd

Prelim: live webstream

All but the fastest heats of preliminaries will be webcast live at usaswimming.org June 25-July 1. The fastest 2-4 heats of preliminaries will be broadcast on tape delay by NBC Sports.

The Prelims are scheduled for, 3:30-5:00pm PT, NBC Sports (tape delayed, of course...this may also be further tape delayed for the west coast).

Finals: 5:00-6:00pm PT, Live on NBC for everyone except for the West Coast (tape delayed for 8-9 PT). The Finals will also be available via webstream from NBCOLYMPICS.COM

Who: The Bears will be very well represented with 32 past/current/future men and 25 past/current/future women swimmers including stars/favorites such as Natalie Coughlin, Nathan Adrian, Dana Vollmer, etc. Yes, many of the Bears are competing against each other for those two coveted spot per event.

GO BEARS!

Detailed schedule of events and further breakdown of who to watch after the jump!

The nightly "Finals" schedule:

Monday, June 25

Men's 400m IM - Final
Women's 100m Fly - Semifinal
Men's 400m Free - Final
Women's 400m IM - Final
Men's 100m Breast - Semifinal

Tuesday, June 26

Women's 100m Fly - Final
Men's 200m Free - Semifinal
Women's 100m Breast - Semifinal
Men's 100m Breast - Final
Women's 400m Free - Final
Men's 100m Back - Semifinal
Women's 100m Back - Semifinal

Wednesday, June 27

Women's 200m Free - Semifinal
Men's 200m Free - Final
Women's 100m Back - Final
Men's 100m Back - Final
Women's 100m Breast - Final
Men's 200m Fly - Semifinal
Women's 200m IM -- Semifinal

Thursday, June 28

Men's 100m Free - Semifinal
Women's 200m Free - Final
Men's 200m Fly - Final
Women's 200m Fly - Semifinal
Men's 200m Breast - Semifinal

Women's 200m IM - Final

Friday, June 29

Men's 200m Breast - Final
Women's 100m Free - Semifinal
Men's 200m Back - Semifinal
Women's 200m Fly - Final
Men's 100m Free - Final
Women's 200m Breast - Semifinal
Men's 200m IM - Semifinal

Saturday, June 30

Men's 50m Free - Semifinal
Women's 200m Breast - Final
Men's 200m Back - Final
Women's 200m Back - Semifinal
Men's 200m IM - Final
Women's 100m Free - Final
Men's 100m Fly - Semifinal

Sunday, July 1

Women's 200m Back - Final
Men's 100m Fly - Final
Women's 800m Free - Final
Men's 50m Free - Final
Women's 50m Free - Semifinal

Monday, July 2

Women's 50m Free - Final
Men's 1500m Free - Final

Cal affiliated swimmers:

Men:

From CalBears.com article about men's swimming:

List of Golden Bears competing at the 2012 USA Olympic Trials

Former

Nathan Adrian (Top seeded) 50 free, 100 free

William Copeland 50 free, 100 free

Anthony Ervin 50 free, 100 free

Nolan Koon 100 breast, 200 breast

Sean Mahoney 100 breast, 200 breast

Chris Rogers 100 back, 200 back

David Russell 100 back, 200 back, 100 fly, 200 fly

Daniel Smith 100 back

Robert Sullivan 100 fly, 200 fly

Current

Austin Brown 200 fly, 100 fly

Anthony Cox 100 back

Scott Farley 400 free

Shayne Fleming 50 free, 100 free

Dana Foster 50 free

Will Hamilton 400 free, 200 free, 200 fly, 100 fly

Greg Harper 200 fly

Adam Jorgensen 200 fly

Christian Higgins 100 breast, 200 breast

Adam Hinshaw 400 IM, 400 free, 200 free, 200 IM, 1500 free

Ben Hinshaw 400 IM, 200 fly, 200 IM

Trevor Hoyt 100 breast, 200 breast

Tyler Messerschmidt 200 free, 100 back, 100 free, 50 free

Sam Metz 400 free, 200 free, 200 breast, 200 IM

Tom Shields 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 free

Seth Stubblefield 200 free, 200 fly, 100 free, 50 free, 100 fly

Ryan Studebaker 200 breast

Nick Trowbridge 100 back, 200 back

Incoming

Michael Henry 200 fly, 100 free

Jacob Pebley 100 back, 400 IM, 200 back, 200 IM

Josh Prenot 400 IM, 100 breast, 200 fly, 200 breast, 200 IM

Sam Shimura 200 free, 400 free, 1500 free

Trent Williams 200 free

• Other than Nathan Adrian, Anthony Ervin was a gold medalists from the 2000 Olympics. He has recently returned to competitive swimming after a decade off.
  
• Will Copeland and Sean Mahoney apparently shares a huge mansion with Nathan Adrian and fellow Cal swimmer Graeme Moore (already qualified for South Africa) and apparently also Cal pole vaulters Allison Stokke (of the internet fame and who didn't make the Olympic team this past weekend) and Theresa Raub.
• Tom Shields is, of course, the Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year

Women's

Full list of Cal swimmers:

Former Bears (9)

Natalie Coughlin
Erica Dagg
Jessica Hardy
Shelley Harper
Liv Jensen
Madison Kennedy
Samantha Shellem
Amanda Sims
Dana Vollmer

Current Bears (10)

Melissa Bates
Kaylin Bing
Catherine Breed
Melanie Klaren
Caitlin Leverenz
Casey Mims
Taylor Nanfria
Caroline Piehl
Cindy Tran
Mikkel-Ane Stipe

Incoming Freshmen (6)

Rachael Acker
Rachel Bootsma
Lauren Driscoll
Alicia Grima
Kelly Naze
Elizabeth Pelton

Expected list of Cal contenders:

100 m butterfly: Vollmer/Coughlin
400 m IM: Leverenz
100 m backstroke: Coughlin/Pelton/Bootsma
100 m breaststroke: Hardy
200 m freestyle: Vollmer
200 m IM: Leverenz/Pelton/Coughlin
100 m freestyle: Vollmer/Coughlin/Hardy
200 m breast: Leverenz
200 m back: Pelton
50 m free: Hardy/Jensen/Vollmer

• Natalie Coughlin (currently, the most famous female swimmer after appearances in both Dancing with the Stars and SI swimsuit) looks to add to her impressive 11 Olympic Medals collection. She is swimming in 100 Back (American record), 100 Free (2nd seeded), 100 Fly (contender), 200 IM, 50 Free
  
• Dana Vollmer is considered the favorite for 100 Fly as well as a strong contender in few other events.
  
• 2012 Pac-12 Swimmer of the Year, Caitlin Leverenz, is considered the favorite for 200 IM.
• Jessica Hardy, banned from the 2008 Olympic due to inadvertent doping, is the favorite in 100 Breast and 50 Free
• Potential future Cal Bears (if she decides to go to college at all) and expected 2012 Olympic star, Missy Franklin, will challenge Coughlin in 100 Back and is considered a favorite for the 200 Back.