Though we are used to seeing Ryan Lochte chase after Phelps, the newly-minted world record-holder will have the upper hand heading into the 200m back in a literal turn of events. Later in the meet, Phelps will again attempt to run Locthe down in the 100m back.
Phelps has not abandoned all his signature events, however. While the two-time Olympian will be absent from the 200m fly and 400m IM, the infamous 200m IM showdown between Phelps and Lochte will remain a center-stage event.
In another all-too-familiar scenario, world-record holder Ian Crocker will again battle Phelps for the 100m fly title. Locthe will join his World Championship teammates in this race, along with Ben Wildman-Tobriner.
Kate Ziegler and Katie Hoff, who each earned their first world records this year, will face off in a trinity of events as the superstar teenagers are each slated to compete in the 200m, 400m and 800m free.
World Championship open water medalist Kalyn Keller and Pan American champion Jessica Rodriguez will join the Olympians in the 800 and 400, while National Teamers Dana Vollmer and Lacey Nymeyer will compete in the 200.
Larsen Jensen and Erik Vendt will headline the men’s distance events, followed by open water standouts Chip Peterson and Fran Crippen. In the 400m free, look for Trojans and Wolverines to fight for the gold. Trojan Swim Club’s Klete Keller and Jensen occupy the Top 2 spots heading into the event, while Wolverines Peter Vanderkaay, Phelps and Vendt follow.
World-record holder Brendan Hansen returns as the reigning National Champion in both breaststroke races. Last year, the Olympian destroyed the field, recording a pair of world records en route to his fifth and sixth national titles.
In addition to Hansen, there will be no lack of talented breaststrokers in Indianapolis. Two-time NCAA champion Rebecca Soni is set to lead a field that includes Olympians Tara Kirk and Megan Jendrick, as well as Pan Am champ Caitlin Leverenz in the 200m breast. Jessica Hardy, the world champion in the 50m breast, will join the hunt for gold in the 100.
Though Hoff – the world champion in the 400m IM – will not appear in her record-breaking event, she is entered to defend her national title in the 200m IM. Joining her will be World Championships teammate Whitney Myers.
The women’s fly events will see a range of swimmers from veterans to newcomers, with World Championship silver medalist Kim Vandenberg entered with the top time in the 200. Pan American standout Kathleen Hersey, in conjunction with Olympians Rachel Komisarz, Mary Descenza and Whitney Myers, will also be on hand to contest the events.
The women’s 400m IM will be reminiscent of the Pan Am Games, with Julia Smit, Kathleen Hersey, Jessica Rodriguez, Teresa Crippen and Leverenz set to compete in the event.
In the men’s event, Lochte will enjoy a race free of Phelps, but will have to contend with Olympic silver medalist Vendt, who is entered with the second-fastest time.
As always, the sprint events will be anybody’s race, with both the men and women’s 50 and 100 loaded with speed. The women’s side welcomes the return of four-time Olympian Dara Torres, who still holds the American record, to the national scene.
Also vying for national titles will be Olympians Kara Lynn Joyce, Amanda Weir, Dana Vollmer, Allison Wagner, Rhi Jeffrey, along with World Championship medalists Lacey Nymeyer and Hardy. Distance star Ziegler will also try her hand at the 50 and 100.
Cullen Jones and Wildman-Tobriner will give the audience a taste of what is to come in Omaha next year, as the pair sprint for the win in the men’s 50m free. Nick Brunelli, who competed at the 2005 World Championships and defeated Wildman-Tobriner two weeks ago at the 2007 Janet Evans Invitational in the 50, will also be on deck for the event.
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 USA Swimming on-line.
