By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
USA Swimming announced a roster of 28 swimmers that will compete at the 2021 FINA Short Course World Championships on Tuesday, with the meet scheduled for December 16-21 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The roster features 15 swimmers that were on the 2020 U.S. Olympic team, including individual gold medalist Lydia Jacoby and relay gold medal winners Zach Apple, Michael Andrew and Hunter Armstrong. The team also includes seven swimmers aged 19 and under—all on the women’s side.
There is an even split of 14 women and 14 men on the roster. In 2018, there were 17 women and 18 men on the American roster.
2021 U.S. SHORT COURSE WORLDS ROSTER
Women’s Team
Swimmer
Event(s)
Katharine Berkoff
100 BK
Claire Curzan
50 FR; 50/100 FLY
Kate Douglass
200 IM
Emily Escobedo
100/200 BR
Katie Grimes
800 FR
Charlotte Hook
200 FLY
Torri Huske
100/200 FR; 50/100 FLY
Lydia Jacoby
50/100 BR
Paige Madden
200/400 FR
Melanie Margalis
100/200/400 IM; 200 BR
Isabelle Stadden
200 BK
Abbey Weitzeil
50/100 FR ; 100 IM
Emma Weyant
400IM; 400/800 FR
Rhyan White
50/100/200 BK
Men’s Team
Swimmer
Event (s)
Michael Andrew
50 FR; 50/100 BR; 50/100 FLY; 100 IM
Zach Apple
100 FR
Hunter Armstrong
100 BK
Michael Brinegar
1500 FR
Shaine Casas
50/100/200 BK
Nic Fink
50/100/200 BR; 100 IM
Carson Foster
200/400 IM
Zach Harting
200 FLY
Ryan Held
50/100 FR
Trenton Julian
200 FLY
Will Licon
200 BR
Tom Shields
50/100 FLY
Kieran Smith
200/400 FR; 200/400 IM
Hunter Tapp
200 BK
Relays will be chosen by the coaching staff
The team notably does not include any relay-only swimmers. Michael Andrew leads the way with six individual entries, followed by Kieran Smith, Nic Fink, Melanie Margalis and Torri Huske who all have four.
Smith and Huske represent two of the 12 swimmers on the roster currently competing in the NCAA, while there are four junior swimmers on the women’s side that are still in high school.
Margalis, who is tied with Tom Shields as the oldest member of the team at 30, is coming off a disappointing U.S. Olympic Trials in the summer and isn’t competing in the International Swimming League this season, so her presence here feels significant in signifying she’s back into full training.
There are numerous glaring absences from the U.S. roster, none bigger than Caeleb Dressel, the SCM world record holder in three events and reigning SC world champion in the men’s 100 freestyle.
Other big names missing from the team include fellow SCM world record holder Coleman Stewart (men’s 100 back) and SCM American Record holders such as Lilly King, Ryan Murphy and Olivia Smoliga.
Stewart had an explosive performance at the beginning of the International Swimming League (ISL) regular season in late August, breaking the world record in the men’s 100 backstroke in a time of 48.33.
Smoliga exploded for a record eight-gold medal performance at the 2018 SC Worlds in Hangzhou, China, including individual wins in the women’s 50 back and 100 back, while both King and Murphy have been among the top performers in the ISL over the past few years, largely dominating the women’s breaststroke and men’s backstroke events.
USA Swimming also announced eight swimmers that will be competing at the FINA/CNSG Marathon Swim World Series, also taking place in Abu Dhabi on December 15-16, directly before the beginning of the pool competition.
Below are the U.S. athletes competing in the open water event:
Michael Brinegar (Columbus, Ind./Mission Viejo Nadadores/Indiana University)
David Heron (Mission Viejo, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores)
Brennan Gravley (Las Vegas, Nev./University of Florida)
Dylan Gravley (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada)
Joshua Brown (Winter Park, Fla./Highlander Aquatic Club)
Katie Grimes (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada)
Brooke Travis (Newark, Del./NC State University)
Mariah Denigan (Walton, Ky./Indiana University)
The meet was initially scheduled to run in December 2020 but was postponed for one year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: USA Swimming Announces 2021 SC Worlds Roster; Dressel Among Notable Absences
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