Busy Schedule Set for U.S. World Short Course Championships Trials
Now that the Pan Pacific Championships are in the rearview mirror, the focus for many of the United States’ top stars will turn to the World Short Course Championships Trials. The meet will be held from Oct. 28-31 at the FMC Natatorium in Westmont, Illinois, and will identify the Team USA squad that will compete at the World Short Course Champs in Beijing in early December.
USA Swimming has never before conducted a Trials meet for the World Short Course Championships. In previous years, the United States selected the roster based on long-course results. The change in approach will allow the U.S. to field the best squad possible for the meet at the Water Cube, site of the 2008 Olympic Games. It remains to be seen how many NCAA swimmers will pursue qualifying for Beijing.
The FMC Natatorium has been a regular site of TYR Pro Series competition for several years and will be used for four days of action in late October. While the opening day will feature only the women’s 1500 freestyle and men’s 800 freestyle, the last three days will be packed with 32 events. That type of action-filled slate will likely require scheduling decisions for multi-event athletes, but the format should be highly entertaining for spectators.
Arizona State star Ilya Kharun has indicated he will participate in the meet, which will be his first opportunity to qualify to represent the United States in international competition. Kharun has been in the process of changing his sporting nationality from Canada to the U.S.
Below is a look at the schedule and the qualifying standards for the meet.
