Olympic Season Set To Kick Off With Loaded Field At U.S. Open

Loaded Field Converges At U.S. Open: A superstar-laden lineup is headed to Greensboro this week for the 2023 U.S. Open, with seven current world champions and four other defending Olympic gold medalists in the field. Also: The U.S. names its (small) roster for the 2024 World Championships, former Kentucky coach Lars Jorgensen handed SafeSport restrictions and Russia proposes a dual meet with the U.S. in February. DRESSEL, LEDECKY & MCINTOSH HEADLINE U.S. OPEN IN GREENSBORO The stars are coming out for a year-end check-in prior to the beginning of the 2024 Olympic year this weekend in Greensboro, as the 2023 U.S. Open will feature a who's who of the best swimmers in the country and then some. American superstars Caeleb Dressel and Katie Ledecky sit atop the billing as the Florida pro group teammates will both race long course for the first time since the summer. In addition to Ledecky, reigning world champions Summer McIntosh and Kate Douglass will be in the women's field, while the men's side features Fukuoka gold medalists Ahmed Hafnaoui, Hunter Armstrong, Ryan Murphy and Hubert Kos. Leon Marchand, the current world champion in the men's 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM, has withdrawn from the meet as he works his way back from an illness that resulted in him taking on just three swims at last weekend's NC State Invitational. Although Marchand is out, there will be a number of NCAA stars in action, while the majority of elite U.S. pros will also be there including the group from Arizona State that includes Regan Smith and Simone Manuel. Current Olympic champions Bobby Finke, Chase Kalisz and Lydia Jacoby will also be competing. * Six Storylines (& Some Bonuses) To Follow At The 2023 U.S. Open The competition will kick off on Wednesday night with timed final heats of the 800 freestyle before three full days of racing from Thursday to Saturday. U.S. NAMES 18 SWIMMERS TO 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER USA Swimming has announced a thin 18-swimmer roster for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships, with the uniquely-timed event set to run from February 11-18 (swimming portion) in Doha, Qatar. The team will include just five female swimmers, though they won't be short on talent or versatility with a quartet of World Championship medalists in Kate Douglass, Claire Curzan, Katie Grimes and Claire Weinstein to go along with budding breaststroke talent Piper Enge. The men's roster features eight swimmers who were on the 2023 roster: Hunter Armstrong, Shaine Casas, Charlie Clark, Nic Fink, Carson Foster, Luke Hobson, David Johnston and Matt King, plus six-time World Championship medalist Michael Andrew. Hobson will be the lone active college swimmer competing, while some of the other members such as Curzan, Johnston, Will Gallant and the recently announced Jack Aikins are currently taking NCAA redshirt seasons. See the full roster here. FORMER KENTUCKY COACH LARS JORGENSEN GIVEN SAFESPORT RESTRICTIONS Five months after resigning as head coach at the University of Kentucky, Lars Jorgensen is now facing sanctions from the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Jorgensen was added to the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s disciplinary database for unspecified allegations of misconduct on Nov. 14, given temporary restrictions including “no unsupervised coaching/training, contact/communication limitation(s),” and “no contact directive(s).” Jorgensen, 53, resigned in June after being placed on paid leave at the beginning of June due to reported NCAA compliance rules violations. An open records request made by SwimSwam to the University of Kentucky only revealed details regarding previous rule violations made last year that resulted in a week-long suspension, but not what resulted in this year's paid leave and ultimate resignation. Kentucky reached a $75,000 settlement with Jorgensen in their separation agreement, significantly less than the $402,500 left on his contract through the 2024-25 season. His legal counsel told SwimSwam on Sunday that the allegations that landed him in SafeSport’s disciplinary database are “completely baseless.” Read more here. RUSSIA FLOATS IDEA OF DUAL MEET WITH U.S. AFTER 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS Russian Swimming Federation President Vladimir Salnikov has thrown out the idea of a head-to-head dual meet with the United States in February 2024. The competition would be held shortly after the 2024 World Championships in Doha. “I approached the U.S. Swimming Federation about holding a match meeting immediately after the world championships in Doha [in February 2024],” Salnikov said, according to TASS. “Now they are considering this proposal, but some people with whom I spoke, including the legendary American coach Mark Schubert, were very positive.” However, USA Swimming chief commercial officer Shana Ferguson told The Sports Examiner on Monday that “leadership of USA Swimming has not spoken to the Russian Swimming Federation about this matter.” As noted earlier in the newsletter, the U.S. is sending a very small roster to Doha, including just five women, which complicates the proposal from Salnikov. Russian swimmers have been banned from international competition since last March due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, but are expected to return as neutral athletes for the 2024 World Championships. MIDSEASON ROUND 2: MINNESOTA INVITE HIGHLIGHTS THE WEEK The second round of NCAA midseason invitational meets isn't as jam-packed as the pre-Thanksgiving weekend, with the Minnesota Invite the only true marquee event on the docket. The Cal Golden Bears will be in action in Minneapolis along with the host Golden Gophers, while other notable events on the schedule include the Big Al Invitational at Princeton and the Zippy Invite at Akron. There will also be the ISCA Open, which is not a collegiate meet but will be hosted at Liberty and serve as an alternate long course option to the U.S. Open, which hit its entry cap quickly. Read the full college weekly preview here. Also Read: * Week 9 NCAA Recap (Round 1 of Invites) * Top 10 Women's Swims from Round 1 of Invites * Top 10 Men's Swims from Round 1 of Invites * NCAA Division III Roundup – Derek Maas breaks out in backstroke QUICK HITS * The U.S. government has requested a 10-month prison sentence for former Olympic swimmer Klete Keller for his involvement in the U.S. Capitol riots on Jan. 6, 2021, which is shorter than the guideline of 21-27 months in similar cases. * Swimming Australia has announced its qualifying criteria for the 2024 World Championships, which will include both the 2023 Worlds/World Trials and a select group of target meets. * Aussie superstar Ariarne Titmus has confirmed she will not be participating at the 2024 Worlds as she focuses in on Paris 2024. * In other Australian news, 31-year-old Cate Campbell has unsurprisingly said that the 2024 Olympic Trials will be her last. If Campbell qualifies for the Aussie roster in Paris, she will have made five straight Olympic teams. * One of Campbell's friendly rivals, Sarah Sjostrom, was officially named to her fifth Olympic team last week, as five swimmers were among 22 athletes named early by the Swedish Olympic Committee. * Some of the major recruiting commitments from the past week: * Girls' #6 Addie Robillard to Stanford (2025) * Girls' HM Rebecca Diaconescu flips commitment from Louisville to Michigan (2024) * Girls' BOTR Josie Connelly flips commitment from Tennessee to Michigan (2024) * Canadian Leila Fack to Michigan (2024) * World Junior Finalist Daria Golovaty (ISR) to Louisville (2024) * Two-sport athlete Liberty Clark to Indiana (2025) SIX STORYLINES (& SOME BONUSES) TO FOLLOW AT THE 2023 U.S. OPEN By Sean Griffin on SwimSwam Claire Curzan will make her long course debut for the Cavaliers this week, as she is entered in five individual events at this year's U.S. Open. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Six Storylines (& Some Bonuses) to Follow at The 2023 U.S. Open Read More → - US NAMES JUST 18 SWIMMERS FOR 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS By Braden Keith on SwimSwam 200 IM World Champion Kate Douglass is one of only five women on the US swimming roster for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships. Read the full story on SwimSwam: US Names Just 18 Swimmers for 2024 World Championships Read More → - 2023-24 NCAA RECAP, WEEK 9: WHAT WE LEARNED FROM THE FIRST WEEKEND OF MIDSEASON INVITES By Sophie Kaufman on SwimSwam Rachel Stege went a huge PB in the 500 free at the Georgia Invite. She ranks #2 in the NCAA and is one of 17 women who have broken 4:40 this season. Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2023-24 NCAA Recap, Week 9: What We Learned From the First Weekend of Midseason Invites Read More → - ADDIE ROBILLARD, #6 IN THE CLASS OF 2025, MAKES VERBAL COMMITMENT TO STANFORD By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam Addie Robillard, the top 200 breaststroker in the high school class of 2025, has elected to swim and study at Stanford. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Addie Robillard, #6 in the Class of 2025, Makes Verbal Commitment to Stanford Read More → - EX-KENTUCKY COACH LARS JORGENSEN GIVEN SAFESPORT RESTRICTIONS OVER MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Former Kentucky head coach Lars Jorgensen has been placed in the U.S. Center for SafeSport's disciplinary database for unspecified allegations of misconduct. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Ex-Kentucky Coach Lars Jorgensen Given SafeSport Restrictions Over Misconduct Allegations Read More → - FEDS REQUEST 10-MONTH PRISON SENTENCE FOR OLYMPIC SWIMMER KLETE KELLER IN JANUARY 6 CASE By James Sutherland on SwimSwam Klete KellerThe government has requested that Keller receive a relatively light sentence due to the fact he "has tried to right his wrong for nearly three years." Read the full story on SwimSwam: Feds Request 10-Month Prison Sentence For Olympic Swimmer Klete Keller in January 6 Case Read More → - PEATY LOOKING FORWARD TO SHOWDOWN WITH KAMMINGA IN ROTTERDAM By Retta Race on SwimSwam Fresh off the World Cup, British Olympic champion Adam Peaty is headed to Rotterdam where he'll battle Tokyo silver medalist Arno Kammiga of the Netherlands. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Peaty Looking Forward To Showdown With Kamminga In Rotterdam Read More → - RUSSIA FLOATS IDEA OF DUAL MEET WITH U.S. AFTER 2024 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN FEBRUARY By Riley Overend on SwimSwam Russian Swimming Federation leader Vladimir Salnikov approached USA Swimming with a proposal to face off in a dual meet after the 2024 World Championships. Read the full story on SwimSwam: Russia Floats Idea of Dual Meet With U.S. After 2024 World Championships in February Read More → - Twitter Facebook Instagram Website