Category Archives: News

Caeleb Dressel: How Fast Will He Swim?

  Bruno’s Predictions for World Swimming Championships:   

by Bruno Moreno


Men’s 50 freestyle: 

Caeleb Dressel, Bruno Fratus and Kristian Gkolomeev, the 2019 FINA World Swimming Championships podium in the men ‘s 50 freestyle will all be competing in Budapest again. 

Michael Andrew is definitely a threat for the podium, as well as the Jr. swimmers from Poland who are ranked within the top 5 in the world this year (NAMES) ( data from FINA, 2022)

My predictions:

  1. Caeleb Dressel – 20.85 
  2. Michael Andrew – 21.20 
  3. Florent Manaudou – 21.23

 

Women’s 400 freestyle 

Titmus, who just broke the WR, said that she will not be competing at Worlds to focus on Commonwealth Games, which leaves former world record holder, Katie Ledecky, as the favorite to win this race. USA’s Leah Smith is favorite to the podium. She was third at the 2016 Olympics in this same race.

My predictions: 

  1. Katie Ledecky – 3:56.10
  2. Summer McIntosh – 3:59.90
  3. Leah Smith – 4:03.40

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Men’s 100 freestyle: 

This is probably le of the most famous and exciting races in swimming. Caeleb Dressel, the current World and Olympic Champion, enters the meet as the main favorite to win the gold. However, Olympic Champion from Rio 2016 in this event, Kyle Chalmers, will be heading to worlds after all.

After just a few weeks of training, he is a huge threat to win the gold. Let’s see if he can make it and become LCM World Champion.

My predictions: 

  1. Caeleb Dressel – 47.20
  2. Brooks Curry – 47.74
  3. Kyle Chalmers – 47.93

 

Last update: May, 2022






Written by:

Bruno M

Professional Sports Analyst and Journalist







USA Olympic Team Trials

2024 USA Olympic Trials: Qualifying Times


The US Olympic Committee and USA Swimming have just released the qualifying times for the 2024 Swimming Trials in Indianapolis.

This meet will see the upcoming and current stars of USA Swimming in their fight for an Olympic ticket to Paris 2024.

Compared to 2021, the event who saw a big improvement and progression was the women’s 50 freestyle. The top time in this event for the upcoming swimming trials is 1.17% faster (SwimSwam, 2022).

On the men’s side, the 100 meter backstroke was the event who improved the most in the past few years for USA Swimming. The event qualifying time would be 1.74% faster than in the previous Olympic Trials (SwimSwam, 2022).

Certainly it is not surprise at all for the US to progress this fast in this event. Murphy was Olympic Champion in Rio 2016 in the event and is the current WR holder.

Hunger Armstrong holds the WR in the 50 backstroke in a time of 23.71, while Peirsol holds the WR in the 200 backstroke since 2009. The USA does know how to do things right in backstroke!

Watch the Last USA Swimming Trials here!

Last update: May, 2022






Written by:

Bruno M

Professional Sports Analyst and Journalist







FINA World Junior Open Water Championships

  FINA World Junior Open Water Championships  

by Bruno Moreno


FINA World Junior Open Water Championships 

Date: September 16 to September 18, 2022

Location: Beau Vallon, Seychelles

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Mexican Qualification requirements: 

The athletes are determined based on performances rendered at the “Selectivo Unico Aguas Abiertas” , which took place on May 14 and 15 in Acapulco, Mexico.

The first 3 places were granted a direct ticket to compete at these international competitions. 

 

Women’s 10k: 

Martha Sandoval Ayala (2:08:29) took second place behind Argentina’s Mayte Alien Puca (2:08:24), however, she was the first one amongst Mexican swimmers which granted her a spot on Mexico’s Open Water National Team who will represent the country in Budapest this summer. Second and third place (for Mexican swimmers) came young talented swimmers, Paulina Alanis (2:08:29) and Monserrat Mora (2:12:22). For Alanis, just 17 years old, this will be her first World Open Water Championships. Alanis and Mora, also qualified for the FINA World Junior Open Water Championships in Beau Vallon, Seychelles. 

 

Men’s 10k: 

Paulo Strehlke, just 16 years of age, took the title of Mexican Open Water National Champion in a time of 1:58:29. The young and talented swimmer from AJ Nadadores, will represent Mexico in both FINA  World Open Water Championships in Budapest, Hungary and FINA World Junior Open Water Championships in Beau Vallon, Seychelles. 

Tokyo Olympian and long time Open Water veteran, Daniel Delgadillo, came in second place (1:58:44). Arturo Perez Vertti, who swam at the London Olympics in the 1500 freestyle, took third place with a time of 1:58:45.

 

See below athletes qualified for the Mexican Junior Team, which would represent the Mexican colors at the 2022 FINA World Junior Open Water Championships in Seychelles.

 

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7 out of the 12 swimmers come from AJ Nadadores in Cuernavaca, Morelos. Certainly the strongest club within  this discipline. 

 

Women’s Team

Paulina Alanis (AJ Nadadores Cuernavaca) – 10K

Monserrat Mora (Universidad del Valle Guadalajara) – 10K

Alejandra Hoyos (Carril4, Guadalajara) – 7.5K

Melisa Rodriguez (AJ Nadadores Cuernavaca) – 7.5K

Regina Cuevas (AJ Nadadores Cuernavaca) – 5K

Jimena Figueroa (AJ Nadadores Cuernavaca) – 5K

 

Men’s Team

Maximiliano Strehlke (AJ Nadadores Cuernavaca) – 10K

Maximiliano Vega (A&M University, Texas) – 10K

Paulo Strehlke (AJ Nadadores Cuernavaca) – 7.5K

Roberto Ochoa (Carril4, Guadalajara) – 7.5K

Alexis Espinoza (AJ Nadadores Cuernavaca) – 5k

Marco Melendez (Cumbres Querétaro) – 5K

Last update: May, 2022






Written by:

Bruno M

Professional Sports Analyst and Journalist







New World Record: Women’s 400 freestyle

New World Record: Women’s 400 freestyle 

by Bruno Moreno


Katie Ledecky is no longer the WR in the women’s 400 meter freestyle. The Australian Olympic Champion has just broken Ledecky’s former WR in a time of 3:56.40. That time is 0.06 faster than the previous historic WR.

This makes Titmus the fastest swimmer in history in this event. This world record adds to her amazing career at last year’s Olympics. She is now the current Olympic Champion and world record holder in this event.

Ariarne Titmus (photo via: Jack Spitser)

Titmus said a few weeks that she will not be attending this year’s World Championships to concentrate only on Commonwealth Games. This being said, Ledecky will have the opportunity to take her record back. She demonstrated an amazing technique and solid times at the US International Team Trials. Let’s see if the new training in Florida can make her break the WR once again.

 

She is definitely the favorite to win gold in Budapest, however, her main objective now is to have the WR again. Will she make it?

Watch WR of Titmus here!

Last update: May, 2022






Written by:

Bruno M

Professional Sports Analyst and Journalist







Who will win the men’s 4×100 meter medley relay?

Who will win the men’s 4×100 meter medley relay?

by Bruno Moreno


The medley relay is certainly one if the most exciting races of all time. At this year’s FINA World Swimming Championships Great Britain will try to defend the title acquired at the 2019 version. However, there is a huge absence: Adam Peaty.

As the Olympic Champion published on his YouTube channel and Instagram, he will be swing this competition due to an injury; which means that only 3/4 really swimmers from 2019 will be back.

Luke Greenback (backstroke), James Guy (butterfly) and Duncan Scott (freestyle) will race in Budapest to defend their world title.

Caeleb Dressel Ryan Murphy (photo via: Jack Spitser)

Since 2019, Greenback has improved tremendously, by winning Olympic bronze in the 200 meter backstroke and silver at this same relay.

James Guy and Duncan Scott are swimmers with experience and always deliver high quality races, therefore GBR should be fine here. The question is, who will be doing breaststroke?

In my opinion, James Wilby is the best weapon that the British swimming team has. He has Olympic experience and was part of this same relay at Tokyo (swan at prelims only). He has been on the biggest stage and has been able to manage the pressure.

 

His best time in the 100 meter breaststroke is 58-mid which should be fast enough to make the British team very competitive.

The biggest threat for this team are the current Olympic Champions: USA.

Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Caeleb Dressel and Brooks Curry are the team to beat.

Watch the latest 4×100 meter medley relay at the Olympics.

Last update: May, 2022






Written by:

Bruno M

Professional Sports Analyst and Journalist







US World Champs Roster

A very young, but talented USA Swimming Roster


Bruno Moreno

Professional Sports Analyst & Journalist

World and American Records broken!




In the past US World Championship Trials everything was seen. From a World Record being broken to Olympic champions missing the team. Certainly it was a very unconventional time of the year for trials, however, due to the post pandemic situation sports organizations are trying to carry out all the events that did not happen in 2020, and athletes have to adapt to this new reality.

This being said, we will give you a quick recap of what happened last week at Greensboro Aquatic Center.

 

Men’s 100 freestyle: 

Current Olympic Champion, Caeleb Dressel was the favorite entering the meet, however, he was being chased by the younger generation led by Brooks Curry. 

Dressel got the job done, by touching the wall in first place with the number one time in the world this year: 47.79 (Competition date: April 30, 2022). 

Curry, an olympic gold medalist from last summer, got second with a personal best of 48.04. 

 

The rest of the team that will represent the US in the 4×100 freestyle relay are the following swimmers: Ryan Held, Drew Kibler, Hunter Armstrong and Justin Ress.






 

Men’s 50 backstroke: 

The final of the men’s 50 meter backstroke at the USA International Team Trials has been the fastest history has ever seen. 

 

Hunter Armstrong had the meet of his life and broke the WR (previously held by Kolesnikov) in a time of 23.71. 

He was not the only swimmer under 24 seconds, but Justin Ress also put in an incredible performance with the second fastest time in the world this year at 23.92.

Finally, Shaine Casas swam a 24.00 (3rd fastest in the world this year). He won’t race this event at Budapest, however, the times showed the backstroke dominance that the US has on the rest of the world. 

 

A very important fact to take into account is that any of the medalists of the 2019 World Swimming Championships would be at this year’s competition, putting the Americans as the main favorites to take the gold medal home. 

 




 

Women’s 800 freestyle: 

Katie Ledecky, as expected, won the 800 freestyle in an amazing time of 8:09.27. This is the fastest she has been since 2018, according to what she said in the post race interview (USA Swimming, 2022). 

 

Leah Smith finished in 2nd place with a time of 8:17.52 and she achieved her spot on the World’s roster for this year. Smith missed the Olympic team in 2021, certainly this is redemption for her.