Familiar faces and fresh faces will face off this week at the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis.
Among the familiar are such Olympic medalists as Ryan Lochte, Aaron Peirsol, Peter Vanderkaay, Katie Hoff, Rebecca Soni and Margaret Hoelzer. No pair is more recognizable, though, than Michael Phelps, winner of a record eight gold medals in Beijing, and Dara Torres, a five-time Olympian at age 42.
The old hands will compete against newcomers such as Dagny Knutson, 17, who hails from the swimming mecca of North Dakota, to represent the United States at the world championships, July 26-Aug. 2 in Rome.
Unlike last year, though, Phelps will not be omnipresent. He trimmed his list of events in two preliminary meets and has qualified for four events at nationals, starting in Indianapolis with: the 100- and 200-meter freestyle, and the 100- and 200-meter butterfly. Phelps had to sit out for three months after those infamous pictures with a bong circulated. Even without the unplanned hiatus, his days of dominating nearly every event probably would have been over, in hopes of avoiding burnout.
"My hope is that he stays motivated long-term," Mark Schubert, coach and general manager of the national team, said of Phelps last week on a conference call. "I look at the world championships as an opportunity to see what he can do in the 100 and 200 events. We have some new up-and-comers and existing athletes that didn't win because Michael was in the event. I don't think Michael needs to win eight medals."
Torres qualified for the 50- and 100-meter freestyle in Indianapolis but expects to compete only in the shorter distance. She said the cartilage in her left knee is so damaged, turns are nearly impossible. Although she'll need surgery after the season, the competitive fire remains strong.
"I really thought I was done" after Beijing, Torres said on a conference call last week. "I think I was quoted as saying, 'Let the younger kids swim.' After the Olympics I'm usually burned out, but I decided to get back and swim for it. After that, I said, 'The heck with it, I'm going to Rome.'"
To qualify though, she'll have to swim against competitors young enough to be her daughters. Among the most promising U.S. youngsters is Knutson, who won four events at the USA Swimming Ultraswim meet in Charlotte, N.C., in May. A junior at Minot (N.D.) High School, Knutson beat Hoff, U.S. record-holder in the 200 and 400 freestyle. Knutson will compete in the 200- and 400-meter individual medley and the 100 and 200 freestyle in Indianapolis.
Knutson (pronounced kah-NOOT-sun) also holds three national high school records, breaking one set by Janet Evans more than two decades ago. Her development seems to have come out of the blue, especially since she trains in a swimming backwater.
"It's remarkable from the standpoint, not that she's so good but that she's so perfect technically," Schubert said. "For a high school swimmer to be so good on the starts and the turns and streamlining and all the little things is pretty sensational."
Another young swimmer to watch is Elizabeth Beisel, 16, who finished fourth in the 400 IM and fifth in the 200-meter backstroke in Beijing last August.
"We're looking forward to seeing results from our seasoned swimmers and leaders from the past," Schubert said. "I think we also can look for the emergence of our up-and-comers. We'll see others emerging as we head into London."
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.