“The thing that’s so exciting is that nobody is going to know until the results next year which of these three teams is the best,” said Mark Schubert, USA Swimming National Team head coach and general manager. “They are three formidable teams, and the potential for any of them to improve dramatically is there. All of these competitions will give our potential Olympians tremendous experience in 2007.”
Nineteen men were named to the World Championship team, including 11 Olympic medalists. Among them are world record holders Michael Phelps (Baltimore, Md. / Club Wolverine), Brendan Hansen (Havertown, Pa. / Longhorn), Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif. / Longhorn) and Ian Crocker (Portland, Maine / Longhorn). Also, all four members of the world record-setting men’s 400m freestyle relay of Phelps, Neil Walker (Verona, Wis. / Longhorn), Jason Lezak (Irvine, Calif. / Irvine Novaquatics) and Cullen Jones (New Brunswick, N.J. / NCAC), will compete in Melbourne.
The women’s World Champs team will be made up of 19 swimmers, including 10 Olympians. Highlighting the roster are Olympians Natalie Coughlin (Vallejo, Calif. / Cal Aquatics), who captained the 2006 U.S. Pan Pacific Team, Katie Hoff (Towson, Md. / N. Baltimore), who holds the American record in the 200m individual medley, and Amanda Weir (Lawrenceville, Ga. / Swim Atlanta), who set a new American record in the 100m free at the 2006 nationals. In addition, all four members of the American record-setting women’s 400m free relay – Coughlin, Weir, Kara Lynn Joyce (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Athens Bulldog) and Lacey Nymeyer (Tucson, Ariz. / Tucson Ford) – will travel to Melbourne.
“The Melbourne World Championships will be a thrilling competition,” Schubert said. “After attending the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships and the 2000 Olympic Games, both held in Australia, we know what kind of international events the Australians put on. They’re going to take it to a whole new level. It doesn’t get much better than swimming against the best competition at the World Championships, then against one of our toughest competitors at the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool.”
Olympians Gary Hall (Miami Beach, Fla. / Cal Aquatics), Mark Gangloff (Akron, Ohio / Auburn Aquatics) and Maritza Correia (Valrico, Fla. / Athens Bulldog) highlight the 46-member Pan American Games team. At the last Pan American Games in 2003, 10 members of the team went on to compete at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
“Pan Ams will be hosted by Brazil, which wishes to become a contender for future international multi-sport events,” Schubert said. “They’re building brand-new facilities, and they intend to make this event a showcase. The athletes on this team will have a dress rehearsal of an Olympic Games, conducted in a first-class facility in a first-class manner.”
Kaitlin Sandeno (Lake Forest, Calif. / Club Wolverine) and Kristen Caverly (San Clemente, Calif. / Aquazot) are the two Olympic veterans on the World University Games team. However, it certainly isn’t a team of rookies. 11 athletes were on the 2006 Pan Pacs team, and 24 of the 43 swimmers competed on international teams in 2005 and 2006.
“The World University Games, in many ways, will be a repeat of the World Championships in that many countries are sending their very best swimmers,” Schubert said. “This event in our sport has improved in competitiveness every year. Because it’s a multi-sport event, the athletes will have a tremendous opportunity to meet university athletes from all over the world. For our athletes, this will be a good preparation for Beijing because they will be traveling to Asia and facing similar conditions as Beijing.”
- 2007 FINA World Swimming Championships Team USA Roster
March 25-April 1, Melbourne, Australia - 2007 Pan American Games Team USA Swimming Roster
July 17-22, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 2007 World University Games Team USA Swimming Roster
Aug. 8-13, Bangkok, Thailand
About USA Swimming: As the National Governing Body for competitive swimming in the United States, USA Swimming formulates the rules, implements policies and procedures, conducts national championships, disseminates safety and sports medicine information and selects athletes to represent the United States in international competition. USA Swimming has more than 300,000 members nationwide and sanctions more than 7,000 events each year. For more information, visit www.usaswimming.org.
