Kickboard News

Josh Davis and Brendan Hansen Inspire Pennsylvania Swimmers

By L. Stephanie Smith, Special Correspondent

On Sunday, just about everyone was watching the Chicago Bears defeat the New Orleans Saints. I say “just about” because eighty swimmers, their parents, and coaches were in the Upper Dublin High School pool learning about swimming and life from two giants in that sport. The BreakOut! Swim Clinic, hosted by the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club in Fort Washingto, Pennsylvania, was a once in a lifetime opportunity to bring young swimmers together with 5-time Olympic medalist, Josh Davis, and 3-time Olympic medalist, Brendan Hansen

Through demonstrations and drills, the children, ranging in age from 6 to 18, learned how to improve their skills in Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke, and Butterfly. Josh and Brendan swam with the kids to show them how to get the most out of their strokes and how to break bad swimming habits.

Parents watched in amazement as their children soaked up the knowledge and put it to use right in front of them. As one of the fathers watching the backstroke drill put it, “I could see my son slicing the water like butter and really getting more pull out of his stroke.”

Lisa Fantini, the head coach of the Upper Dublin Men’s Swim Team, pointed out that “many of their [Josh’s and Brendan’s] stroke tips re-emphasized what I already know, but I liked hearing some of their motivational tips.”

“We say a lot of things the coach usually says. It just comes from a different perspective,” said Josh Davis. “We’ve got the gold medals and we’ve got these experiences and these stories, and for some reason it clicks…The funniest thing is that after the clinics, the kids go up to the coach and say, ‘Coach, they’re saying the same things that you’ve been telling us all year long. Now, I understand!’ We try to emphasize the messages the coach and parents are trying to give them all the time. We’re fortunate to have this platform to really sink it into their minds.”

In between swimming sessions, the swimmers listened as both men described how hard work and dedication brought success to their lives. “We want to relay to them that we’re just regular people that worked really hard; focused a lot on technique; spent a lot of time; and did everything we could to make sure that we could achieve our goals…Our goal was the Olympics. For these kids it could be anything,” said Brendan Hansen.

The themes of commitment to excellence, working through adversity, and maintaining a positive attitude did sink in. Scott Solakian of Ambler, Pa. said it best: “I liked the stories of how they became great swimmers because I want to be as good as them in my life!”

For more information about Upper Dublin Aquatic Club, visit their website www.udac.us. For more information about Mutual of Omaha BreakOut! Swim Clinic, featuring Josh Davis and other Olympic swimmers, visit www.breakoutswimclinic.com.

Bayou "BREAKout!" in Louisiana

Olympian Shares Winning Edge with Local Swimmers

By Patrick Johnson
The Town Talk Newspaper
Alexandria, Louisiana

Although Alexandria Senior High School swimming coach Wally Fall commands a lot of respect in Central Louisiana, he knew the city's young swimmers could benefit from listening to a new voice.

That new voice belonged to five-time Olympic medalist Josh Davis, who travels around the nation for Mutual of Omaha Insurance, not only to teach swimming clinics, but to teach the importance of leadership, responsibility, hard-work and discipline.

On Monday afternoon at the ASH pool, Davis met with a host of current ASH swimmers, City of Alexandria Swim Team members, and other swimming enthusiasts. Davis didn't talk much about his swimming success.

What he did discuss was he improved his life through swimming.
"When I started out in the eighth grade to prepare for swimming in high school, I was terrible," Davis said. "My freestyle was bad, my backstroke was bad, my butterfly was awful, and my breaststroke wasn't even legal."

After being told that he should take up another sport, Davis trained even harder in the pool, eventually setting what was then the high school record in the 200-freestyle. Davis went on to win three gold medals in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and two silver medals in the 2000 Sydney Games.

Davis' talk to the group of young swimmers hit especially hard on the importance of teamwork, as all of Davis' medals came in relay events.

"There's something magical about those other guys depending on you to get the job done and having such confidence in your abilities," Davis said. "It really is a unique experience."

Davis' trip to Alexandria was his fourth stop in what will eventually be a 100-city tour.

One of the reasons why Davis chose Alexandria is because his parents moved to the city three years ago and had nothing but good things to say. Josh's father, Michael, works at Christus St. Francis Cabrini Hospital.

Fall was adamant about bringing Davis to the area.

"The kids can hear one thing from me, but it's different to hear things from an Olympic medalist," Fall said. "I try to focus on one theme a day in practice, and I think that Josh exemplifies the characteristics that I want my swimmers to achieve."

Davis also instilled a sense of national pride in the young swimmers as he recalled his best Olympic memory.

"It was after my first gold medal in the 800-freestyle relay, they put that gold around my neck," Davis said, "I'm wearing those USA colors, and then they play 'The Star-Spangled Banner', and I realized it doesn't get any better than this."

Davis, Gangloff Inspire Kentucky Swimmers

Quality time in the water

OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALISTS INSPIRE HOPEFULS

By Barbara Isaacs
HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER

(LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY) -- For Nikki Southall and Derry Delventhal and 59 other young swimmers, it was a chance to touch Olympic gold medals and refine their strokes with two men who earned them.

Yesterday the Beaumont Centre Family YMCA hosted a swimming clinic featuring Josh Davis and Mark Gangloff, who both earned gold medals in the Olympic Games. The event, the Mutual of Omaha Breakout! Swim Clinic, will travel to 70 cities this year.

Davis, 34, won three gold medals at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and won two silver medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Gangloff, 24, won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.

"I think they're excited," Lisa Dattilio, the head swim team coach at the Beaumont YMCA, said of the young swimmers who participated. "It's a chance to touch and feel and see a gold medal. ... We hope it will spark something for the kids."

Before the event began, the swimmers signed autographs and posed for pictures with the young swimmers. The clinic cost $50 per participant for the intensive four-hour session.

Then, at poolside, Davis and Gangloff gave a brief motivational talk before jumping in the pool to give hands-on feedback as the young swimmers did the freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breaststroke.

Gangloff told the group that he was 12 years old when an Olympian visited his swimming club. It was Mike Barrowman, a breaststroker who won Olympic gold in 1992. "He said, 'Someone from this club could win Olympic gold.' "

Gangloff said he hoped that their visit would also inspire strong dedication to swimming.

"I want you to really start dreaming big," Gangloff said. "Anything you want to do in life is possible."

Davis told the kids that it's cool to go to the Olympics because "you get lots of free stuff." The kids chuckled at that.

But he said the best part of the Olympics was seeing how proud his parents were of him -- both at events where he won the gold and even when he finished in fourth place. "I really believe the most powerful force in the universe is unconditional love," he said.

"To have this come to a Y here is pretty impressive," said Marianne Delventhal, mother of 12-year-old swimmer Derry Delventhal, who, like most of the attendees, competes on the Beaumont Y Barracudas swim team. Delventhal said the event was perfect for her daughter, who wrote a poem at 10 picturing herself winning a gold medal.

It was a similar story with Nikki Southall, 8. "Her dream is to be an Olympic swimmer," said Jackie Wagoner, Nikki's mother. "To touch and see a medal definitely motivates a child."

Mutual of Omaha & Josh Davis Launch BREAKout! Swim Clinics

Mutual of Omaha and Olympian Josh Davis will be bringing an exciting swim clinic experience to over 100 U.S. clubs, starting this month.

Mutual, an official sponsor of USA Swimming, unveiled their BREAKout! swim clinics in a press release on January 3.

Davis, a five-time Olympic medalist and one of the foremost swim clinicians in the country, will emcee the events. Davis will be joined by an all-star team of Olympians and U.S. National Team Members including Aaron Peirsol, Brendan Hansen, Kaitlin Sandeno, and Kate Zeigler.

These four-hour clinics include small-group personal instruction on all four strokes and participants will also learn how their body, mind and heart affect swimming performance.

Davis, one of the most visible ambassadors of the sport over the last ten years, expressed enthusiasm about the 100-city BREAKout! clinic tour.

“With Mutual’s help, we will be bringing the most challenging and fun clinics to thousands of young swimmers this next year,” Davis said. “The scope of Mutual’s vision to reach 100 clubs in one year is unprecedented, but it reflects their unwavering commitment to the coaches and families of this sport.”

All clinic participants will receive a free BREAKout! t-shirt, poster,international meet DVDs, and other souvenirs. The Olympians and National Team Members will also sign autographs and pose for personal photos.

“We all remember when we were that impressionable young swimmer who is trying to improve and reach that next level,” Davis continued. “The swimmers at our clinic will undoubtedly be inspired, encouraged, and motivated by our team of Olympic champions and world-record holders.”

Davis and Peirsol will be kicking off the BREAKout! tour on January 6 when they visit the New York Sharks Aquatic Club in Suffern, NY. Additional clinic sites in January include Herndon, VA, Lexington, KY, Shreveport, LA, Ft. Washington, PA, Webster, NY, and Caldwell, NJ.

BY SAM DAVIS, Editor - USAswimmer.com & KickboardNews.com

The official web site for the Mutual of Omaha BREAKout! Swim Clinics is www.breakoutswimclinic.com.

Josh Davis: Home for the Holidays

In an ongoing series this week, we asked several Olympians to share their fondest holiday memories.

A five-time Olympic medalist, Josh Davis was the only man in the world to win three gold medals in any sport at the 1996 Olympics. As co-captain of the 2000 U.S. Team in Athens, Josh won two silver medals and set an American record in the 200-meter free for the second time in just over a month. Josh is now a successful motivational speaker and the president of a swim clinic business.

Josh and other well-known personalities contributed their favorite Christmas stories to a new book called My Favorite Christmas. All sale proceeds of this heartwarming collection will go to a charity called Feed the Children. This non-profit relief organization provides food, water, medicine and hope to children all over the world.

Here is an excerpt of Josh’s favorite memory from My Favorite Christmas:

“Every Christmas Eve, at 5:00 p.m., my family has a Christmas Eve service. The tradition began with about 40 people, and now more than 30 years later we have well over 100 family members at the gathering.

Over the years, the get-together has been at different locations. My fondest memories are from when we went to my Aunt Tassie’s place. She had the most amazing house loaded with antique furniture. If you ask me, it was pretty risky to trust those beautiful furnishings to a wild bunch of cousins, but we had a blast! Those were years of wonder; I was a wide-eyed kid surrounded by dozens of adults I didn’t know very well. And the most amazing part was that many of them handed me an envelope containing a $5 bill!”

To order a copy of My Favorite Christmas, click here. To find out more about Feed the Children, please visit www.feedthechildren.org.

BY Sam Davis, USAswimmer.com & Kickboardnews.com

Kaitlin Sandeno: Home for the Holidays

How will your favorite Olympic swimmers be spending their holidays? Where will they be when the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve?

In an ongoing series this week, several Olympians share their fondest holiday memories growing up, and how they plan to celebrate this year.

A four-time Olympic medalist, Kaitlin Sandeno anchored the 800-meter freestyle relay team that won gold and broke a 17-year-old world record at the 2004 Athens Games. Kaitlin is also the American-record holder in the 400-meter individual medley.

Kaitlin is currently training with Club Wolverine as she sets her sight on making a third Olympic team in 2008. She will take some time off, however, to enjoy Christmas with her family in California.

Kaitlin shares some of her favorite holiday traditions:

“I love being with my family for the holidays and I feel so blessed because we are very close.

Every year, my middle sister, Camlyn, and I always watch the classic movie, “A Christmas Story.” The movie is so funny and the crazy things that happen in the film remind me of what Christmas is usually like at my house. I have five nieces and nephews under the age of 10, so our house can get pretty wild.

Another family tradition of ours is that we always open one gift on Christmas Eve. Every year, the gift is always pajamas! Last year, my mom thought our family was getting too big and she tried to sneak by and leave out this tradition. I threw a little fit though and insisted that we couldn’t break this tradition!

This year, I’m enjoying time with family over Christmas and then I will be joining Club Wolverine for a training camp in Mexico. My teammates are such good friends, so I am excited about celebrating the new year with them. And, of course, I will be watching USC play in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day! (Kaitlin was a two-time NCAA champion and 12-time All-American at USC.)

By Sam Davis, USAswimmer & Kickboard News

(PHOTO: The Sandeno Family. Kaitlin (left) is holding her new puggle puppy!)

Home for the Holidays: Maritza Correia

How will your favorite Olympic swimmers be spending their holidays? Where will they be when the clock strikes twelve on New Year’s Eve?

In an ongoing series this week, several Olympians share their fondest holiday memories growing up, and also how they plan to celebrate this year.

Maritza Correia became the first African-American woman to swim in the Olympics when she qualified for the U.S. Team in 2004. In Athens, she took home a silver medal as part of the 400-meter free relay (prelims). Swimming for the University of Georgia, “Ritz” won four events at the 2002 NCAA Championships including the 50, 100, and 200-yard free.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Maritza’s family moved to Florida when she was eight years old…

She is currently visiting friends and family in Puerto Rico, but she took some time to share one of her favorite family traditions:

“My parents gave me this record when I was 5 years old. It’s the Disney Christmas record (yes, I said record!). I was living in Puerto Rico at the time and every year my parents used to play this record and it became my favorite Christmas tradition. The music always made me more excited about Christmas Day. Well, I’m about to be 25 years old and my parents still play this record for me every Christmas! And I still get just as excited as I did when I was 5.”

Maritza also shares her 2006 holiday plans:

“I will be spending Christmas at home with my parents in Valrico, Florida. I will be home for New Year’s as well, but I might head down to Miami to celebrate the new year with my boyfriend, Cullen Jones!”

BY Sam Davis, USAswimmer.com & Kickboardnews.com

Olympic Champion Martin Zubero Weighs In On Anniversary Olympic Team

Thank you to all those who have responded with great feedback on the 35th Anniversary Olympic Team!

Martin Zubero, former world-record holder and gold-medalist in the 200 back at the 1992 Olympics, represented Spain in three Olympics.

He is currently the assistant coach at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida.

Martin shared his own 200 back selections, "Aaron Peirsol is the man and wholeheartedly deserves the top spot but John Naber would be my second pick over Rick Carey in the 200 back. Not to take anything away from Rick’s victory in Los Angeles, but Naber being the first man under two minutes and doing it with bucket turns and no under water dolphin kick makes it an amazing feat."

Thanks so much for your response, Martin. Best of luck to you and your swimmers at The Bolles School.

If you would like to submit your own feedback about the 35th Anniversary U.S. Olympic Team, e-mail Sam at sajodav@yahoo.com. Thanks!

(Photo: Spanish champion Martin Zubero)

35th Anniversary Olympic Team (1972-2004): Part 2 of 2

The year 2007 will mark the 35th anniversary of Mark Spitz’s unprecedented, awe-inspiring performance at the 1972 Munich Olympics where he won 7 swimming gold medals, setting 7 world records in the process.

Over the next seven Olympics (U.S. boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games), Americans continued to prove that they had few peers in the sport of swimming.

To honor these swimmers who have achieved Olympic glory, Sam Davis, editor of USA Swimmer (usaswimmer.com) and Kickboard News (kickboardnews.com) selects his 35th Anniversary All-Star U.S. Olympic Team.

In Part One of this two-part series, the 33 best male U.S. swimmers over the last 35 years were recognized including Mark Spitz, Matt Biondi, and Michael Phelps.

In Part Two, Sam recognizes the 33 legends that make up the best women’s Olympic team from 1972-2004.

Women:

Theresa Andrews
Susan Atwood
Shirley Babashoff
Amanda Beard
Barbara Bedford
Melissa Belote
Lindsay Benko
Brooke Bennett
Beth Botsford
Catherine Carr
Tracy Caulkins
Tiffany Cohen
Natalie Coughlin
Janet Evans
Nicole Haislett
Whitney Hedgepeth
Nancy Hogshead
Misty Hyman
Megan Jendrick (Quann)
Kristy Kowal
Angel Martino
Mary T. Meagher
Anita Nall
Sandra Neilson
Keena Rothhammer
Kaitlin Sandeno
Summer Sanders
Jill Sterkel
Jenny Thompson
Dara Torres
Amy Van Dyken
Dana Vollmer
Mary Wayte

50 Free
1. Dara Torres (Bronze – ’00; Best Time: 24.63 AR)
2. Amy Van Dyken (Gold – ’96; Best Time: 24.87)

Alternate: Jill Sterkel (Bronze – ’88; Best Time: 25.57)

100 Free
1. Jenny Thompson (Silver – ’92; Best Time: 54.07)
2. Nancy Hogshead (Gold – ’84; Olympic Time: 55.92)

Alternate: Sandra Neilson (Gold – ’72; Olympic Time: 58.59)

200 Free
1. Mary Wayte (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 1:58.97)
2. Nicole Haislett (Gold – ’92; Best Time: 1:57.90)

Alternate: Shirley Babashoff (Silver – ’76; Olympic Time: 2:04.33)

400 Free
1. Janet Evans (Gold – ’88, Silver – ’92; Best Time: 4:03.85 AR)
2. Brooke Bennett (Gold – ’00; Best Time: 4:05.80)

Alternate: Tiffany Cohen (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 4:07.10)

800 Free
1. Janet Evans (Gold – ’88, ’92; Best Time: 8:16.22 WR)
2. Brooke Bennett (Gold – ’96, ’00; Best Time: 8:19.67)

Alternate: Keena Rothhammer (Gold – ’72; Olympic Time: 8:53.68)

100 Back
1. Natalie Coughlin (Gold – ’04; Best Time: 59.58 WR)
2. Beth Botsford (Gold – ’96; Best Time: 1:01.19)

Alternate: Theresa Andrews (Gold – ’84; Olympic Time: 1:02.55)

200 Back
1. Melissa Belote (Gold – ’72; Olympic Time: 2:19.19)
2. Susan Atwood (Silver – ’72; Olympic Time: 2:20.38)

Alternate: Whitney Hedgepeth (Silver – ’96; Best Time: 2:11.31)

100 Breast
1. Megan Jendrick (Quann) (Gold – ’00; Best Time: 1:07.05)
2. Catherine Carr (Gold – ’72; Olympic Time: 1:13.58)

Alternate: Amanda Beard (Silver – ’96; Best Time: 1:07.42)

200 Breast
1. Amanda Beard (Gold – ’04, Bronze – ’00, Silver – ’96; Best Time: 2:22.44 AR)
2. Kristy Kowal (Silver – ’00; Best Time: 2:24.56)

Alternate: Anita Nall (Bronze – ’92; Best Time: 2:25.35)

100 Fly
1. Mary T. Meagher (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 57.93)
2. Amy Van Dyken (Gold – ’96; Best Time: 59.13)

Alternate: Dara Torres (Bronze – ’00; Best Time: 57.58)

200 Fly
1. Mary T. Meagher (Gold – ’84, Bronze – ’88; Best Time: 2:05.96)
2. Misty Hyman (Gold – ’00; Best Time: 2:05.88)

Alternate: Summer Sanders (Gold – ’92; Best Time: 2:08.67)

200 IM
1. Tracy Caulkins (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 2:12.64)
2. Summer Sanders (Silver – ’92; Best Time: 2:11.91)

Alternate: Nancy Hogshead (Silver – ’84; Best Time: 2:15.17)

400 IM
1. Tracy Caulkins (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 4:39.24)
2. Janet Evans (Gold – ’88; Best Time: 4:37.76)

Alternate: Kaitlin Sandeno (Silver – ’04; Best Time: 4:34.95 AR)

4x200 Free Relay
1. Jenny Thompson (Gold – ’96, 00)
2. Nicole Haislett (former American-record holder)
3. Natalie Coughlin (Gold – ’04)
4. Lindsay Benko (Gold ’00; American-record holder)

Alternates: Kaitlin Sandeno (Gold – ’04); Dana Vollmer (Gold – ’04)

4x100 Free Relay
1. Angel Martino (Gold – ’92, ’96; former American-record holder)
2. Shirley Babashoff (Gold – ’72, ’76; former American-record holder)
3. Dara Torres (Gold – ’84, ’92, ’00; Bronze – ’88; former American-record holder)
4. Jenny Thompson (Gold – ’92, ’96, ’00; Silver – ’04; former world-record holder)

Alternates: Amy Van Dyken (Gold – ’96, ’00); Natalie Coughlin (Silver – ’04; former American-record holder)

4x100 Medley Relay
1. Natalie Coughlin – Back (Silver – ’04; world-record holder)
2. Megan Jendrick (Quann) – Breast (Gold – ’00; former American-record holder)
3. Mary T. Meagher – Fly (Gold – ’84; former world-record holder)
4. Jenny Thompson – Free (Gold – ’92, ’00; Silver – ’04; former world-record holder)

Alternates: Barbara Bedford (Back), Amanda Beard (Breast), Jenny Thompson (Fly), Dara Torres (Free)

If you would like to comment on Sam’s selections, or make your own all-star roster, e-mail him at sajodav@yahoo.com and he will post your comments on USA Swimmer (usaswimmer.com) & Kickboard News (kickboardnews.com).

35th Anniversary Olympic Team (1972-2004): Part 1 of 2

The year 2007 will mark the 35th anniversary of Mark Spitz’s unprecedented, awe-inspiring performance at the 1972 Munich Olympics where he won 7 swimming gold medals, setting 7 world records in the process.

Over the next seven Olympics, Americans continued to demonstrate their preeminence in the sport. The 1984 U.S. Swim Team dominated the L.A. Games with a staggering 21 gold medals. And in 2004, Michael Phelps surpasses Spitz with 8 total medals, but just missed his gold medal mark with 6.

Looking back over the last eight Olympics (U.S. boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games), Sam Davis, editor of USA Swimmer (usaswimmer.com) and Kickboard News (kickboardnews.com) selects his 35th Anniversary All-Star Olympic Team.

In Part One of a two-part series, Sam starts with the best men’s Olympic team from 1972-2004.

Men:

Mike Barrowman
Matt Biondi
Rick Carey
Ian Crocker
Josh Davis
George DiCarlo
Tom Dolan
Anthony Ervin
Bruce Furniss
Rowdy Gaines
Brian Goodell
Gary Hall Jr.
Brendan Hansen
John Hencken
Tom Jager
Larsen Jensen
Klete Keller
Lenny Krayzelburg
Jason Lezak
Ryan Lochte
Steve Lundquist
Tom Malchow
Pablo Morales
John Naber
Eric Namesnik
Mike O’Brien
Aaron Peirsol
Michael Phelps
Jeff Rouse
Mark Spitz
Melvin Stewart
Erik Vendt
Neil Walker

50 Free
1. Gary Hall Jr. (Gold – ’00, ’04, Silver – ’96; Best Time: 21.76)
2. Matt Biondi (Gold – ’88, Silver – ’92; Best Time: 21.85)

Alternate: Tom Jager (Bronze – ’92, Silver – ’88; Best Time: 21.81)

100 Free
1. Matt Biondi (Gold – ’88; Best Time: 48.42)
2. Rowdy Gaines (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 49.36)

Alternates: Mark Spitz (Gold – ’72; Best Time: 51.22)
Gary Hall Jr. (Silver – ’96, Bronze – ’00; Best Time: 48.73)

200 Free
1. Mark Spitz (Gold – ’72; Best Time: 1:52.78)
2. Michael Phelps (Bronze – ’04; Best Time: 1:45.20)

Alternate: Bruce Furniss (Gold – ’76; Best Time: 1:50.29)

400 Free
1. Klete Keller (Silver – ’00, Bronze – ’04; Best Time: 3:44.11 AR)
2. George DiCarlo (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 3:51.03)

Alternate: Brian Goodell (Gold – ’76; Best Time: 3:51.56)

1500 Free
1. Brian Goodell (Gold – ’76, Best Time: 15:02.40)
2. Larsen Jensen (Silver - ’04, Best Time: 14:45.29 AR)

Alternate: Mike O’Brien (Gold – ’84, Best Time: 15:04.49)

100 Back
1. Aaron Peirsol (Gold – ’04; Best Time: 53.17 WR)
2. Lenny Krayzelburg (Gold – ’00; Best Time: 53.60)

Alternate: Jeff Rouse (Gold – ’96, Silver – ’92; Best Time: 53.86)

200 Back
1. Aaron Peirsol (Gold – ’04, Silver – ‘00; Best Time: 1:54.44 WR)
2. Rick Carey (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 1:58.86)

Alternate: John Naber (Gold – ’76; Best Time: 1:59.19)

100 Breast
1. Steve Lundquist (Gold – ’84; Best Time: 1:01.65)
2. Brendan Hansen (Silver – ’04; Best Time: 59.13 WR)

Alternate: John Hencken (Gold – ’76, Bronze – ’72; Best Time: 1:03.11)

200 Breast
1. Brendan Hansen (Silver – ’04; Best Time: 2:08.50 WR)
2. Mike Barrowman (Gold – ’92; Best Time: 2:10.16)

Alternate: John Hencken (Gold – ’72, Silver – ‘76; Best Time: 2:17.26)

100 Fly
1. Mark Spitz (Gold – ’72, Silver –‘68; Best Time: 54.27)
2. Michael Phelps (Gold - ’04; Best Time: 51.10)

Alternate: Pablo Morales (Gold – ’92, Silver – ’84; Best Time: 52.84)

200 Fly
1. Michael Phelps (Gold – ’04; Best Time: 1:53.80 WR)
2. Tom Malchow (Gold – ’00, Silver – ‘96; Best Time: 1:55.03)

Alternate: Melvin Stewart (Gold – ’92; Best Time: 1:55.69)

200 IM
1. Michael Phelps (Gold – ’04; Best Time: 1:55.84 WR)
2. Ryan Lochte (Silver – ’04; Best Time: 1:56.11)

Alternate: Tom Dolan (Silver – ’00; Best Time: 1:59.77)

400 IM
1. Tom Dolan (Gold – ’96, ’00; Best Time: 4:11.76)
2. Michael Phelps (Gold – ’04; Best Time: 4:08.26 WR)

Alternates: Erik Vendt (Silver – ’04, ’00; Best Time: 4:11.27)
Eric Namesnik (Silver – ’92, ’96; Best Time: 4:13.67)

4x200 Free Relay
1. Josh Davis (Gold – ’96, Silver – ’00; former American-record holder)
2. Matt Biondi (Gold – ’88; former American-record holder)
3. Mark Spitz (Gold – ’68, ’72; former world-record holder)
4. Michael Phelps (Gold – ’04; American-record holder

Alternate: Klete Keller (Gold – ’04, Silver – ’00)

4x100 Free Relay
1. Jason Lezak (Silver – ’00, Bronze – ’04; American-record holder)
2. Gary Hall Jr. (Gold – ’96, Silver – ’00)
3. Mark Spitz (Gold – ’68, ’72; former world-record holder)
4. Matt Biondi (Gold – ’84, ’88, ’92; former world-record holder)

Alternates: Neil Walker (Silver – ’00, Bronze – ’04)
Anthony Ervin (Silver – ’00; former American-record holder)

4x100 Medley Relay
1. Aaron Peirsol – Back (Gold – ’04, world-record holder)
2. Brendan Hansen – Breast (Gold – ’04, world-record holder)
3. Ian Crocker – Fly (Gold – ’00, ’04, world-record holder)
4. Jason Lezak – Free (Gold – ’04, American-record holder)

Alternates: Lenny Krayzelburg (Back), Steve Lundquist (Breast), Pablo Morales (Fly), Matt Biondi (Free)

Let the debate begin! If you would like to comment on Sam’s selections, or make some of your own, e-mail him at sajodav@yahoo.com and he will post them on USA Swimmer (usaswimmer.com) & Kickboard News (kickboardnews.com).

Look for the 35th Anniversary U.S. Olympic Women’s Team (Part Two)...