Posts by Jj Cooper at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

We're previewing all of the events at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Men's 100 Meter Butterfly

What to watch for: This race is always a drag race between the top two flyers in the world: Ian Crocker and Michael Phelps. At the 2004 Games in Athens, Phelps just outtouched Crocker, leaving Crocker with the silver. In 2005, Crocker took back the best butterflier in the world title by setting the world record. Watch for these two men to battle it out again and for Phelps to give us a clinic on how to swim a perfect 100 meter fly.

What it takes: Like several other events, it's going to be tough to make it to Beijing without getting past the top two seeds. Over two seconds separate the top two, Phelps and Crocker, from the rest of the field. Two seconds is a lifetime in the pool and Phelps and Crocker shouldn't have any real competition if they swim as well as they have been.

Unlikely underdogs: Even though the numbers don't lie, keep an eye on Matt Grevers. At 6'8", Grevers has already secured a spot in the 100 meter backstroke alongside Aaron Peirsol.

My prediction: It's going to be Crocker and Phelps giving us a rerun of their lightning fast race from Athens.

We're previewing all of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trial events.

Women's 50 Freestyle

What to watch for: Comeback "kid", 41-year-old Dara Torres, has already secured herself a trip to Beijing by winning the 100 meter freestyle finals last night. However, Torres is actually BETTER at the 50 meter distance than she is at the 100 so watch for sparks to fly when she hits the water tonight.

What it takes: Torres will be chased by sprinters Kara Lynn Joyce of Georgia, Jessica Hardy, who is already headed to Beijing in the 100 meter breaststroke, and Natalie Coughlin. All three of these women have a chance to chase down a berth on that Olympic team.

Unlikely underdogs: Amanda Weir has yet to make the team in an individual event and has a chance here to do just that.

My prediction: Torres will win herself another spot and she'll be joined by Coughlin.

We're previewing all of the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trial events

Men's 1500 Meter Freestyle

What to watch for: This event is unique in that there's no women's equivalent. Only men swim the 1500 and it's the ultimate distance event for an Olympic swimmer. Distance swimmers Larsen Jensen and Peter Vanderkaay look to add to their lists of Olympic events by swimming this event. Perennial distance favorite Erik Vendt is seeded first and will likely make another Olympic team.

What it takes: The 1500 is like a pacing game. Go out too fast and you either won't have enough won't have enough to chase down the leader. Go out too slow, and you've got gas left over in the tank when you hit the wall. And gas left over is never good. The best distance swimmers are as reliable as a stopwatch: each 100 meters should clock in at about the same time.

Unlikely underdogs: Usually you wouldn't think of Vanderkaay as an underdog, but he's almost eight seconds behind the first two. Watch for him to make a move on Jensen and Vendt.

My prediction: Jensen has been having such a fantastic Trials that he'll probably use that momentum to keep on keeping on. Vendt will qualify in an event known as his trademark event.

We're covering the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials all week.

Thursday night's swimming trials action was all about the upsets. But Friday was about the battles between the favorites.

There really wasn't a big upset on Friday, but we did see plenty of top performances. Rebecca Soni, a disappointment in the 100 meter breastroke, lived up to expectations as she won the 200 meter breaststroke. Amanda Beard, who now splits her time between being a Playboy model, a Go Daddy girl and occasional hops into the pool, showed that she's still able to challenge for a medal, as she qualified for her fourth Olympics by finishing second.

The Tennessee Titans are returning to their roots.

After nine years wearing dark blue jerseys at home to go with a white road uniform, the Titans will switch to light blue this year, the Tennessean is reporting. It's the same color that the Titans wore when they arrived in Tennessee as the Tennessee Oilers back in 1997 (as Eddie George shows here), and it's the same colors that Earl Campbell made famous with the Love Ya' Blue Houston Oilers of the late 1970s.

Tennessee won't completely get rid of the dark blue, but they'll now be an alternate uniform that they'll wear for one game a year.

Like most uniform changes, this one is more about marketing than anything else--now the Vince Young or Keith Bulluck jersey you bought a couple of years ago is now clearly out of date--and the Titans hope you'll now go out to get a new powder blue jersey. But if they are going to make a change, going back to the light blue is a good call.

Most 41-year-old swimmers have been retired for more than a decade, but Dara Torres isn't exactly normal.

Torres came to the Olympic Trials just aiming to make her fifth Olympic team (her first Olympics was back in 1984 in Los Angeles, back when Carl Lewis and the hightop fade were in style). But even Torres didn't seem ready to imagine that she could win the 100 meter freestyle.

But here she is, supposedly 20 years past her prime, swimming the fastest times of her life and beating swimmers half her age.

"It's really hard to see the scoreboard, I think it's age," Torres joked on NBC when asked how she felt when she realized that she had won.

The New York Times did an outstanding feature on Torres' longevity in last Sunday's magazine. As they explained it, Torres' work on increasing her flexibility, including long pre-race stretching sessions, has allowed her to not only keep swimming competitively at age 41, but has also allowed her to increase her speed, even as her body would seemingly be slowing down.

Torres says she doesn't have that many races left in her 41-year-old body. But if she has a few more left for Beijing, she could make swimming history.

We're previewing the races that are taking place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Women's 200 Backstroke

What to watch for: Unlike the 100 meter distance, we will not see the American queen of backstroke, Natalie Coughlin in this event. The 200 distance is better suited to swimmers like Katie Hoff, who swim longer distances. Watch for women who are catch water and power underwater, using every wall to her advantage and who can finish strong.

What it takes: Margaret Hoelzer, who's already secured a spot in the 100 backstroke, is seeded first in this event. Katie Hoff, who was seeded second, decided to pull out of the event, leaving the door open for Hayley McGregory, who has another chance to go to Beijing. McGregory missed the Games when she finished third to Coughlin and Hoelzer in the 100 earlier this week.

Unlikely underdogs: Elizabeth Beisel and Mary Descenza have been swimming consistently well at these Olympic Trials and both have a chance here. Beisel is only 15, so we can expect to see her around for quite a while, but she has the talent to earn a spot.

My prediction: Hoelzer will go to the games in both backstroke events and McGregory will redeem herself and grab herself an Olympic berth.

We're previewing the races that are taking place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Women's 800 Meter Freestyle

What to watch for: For the first time in history, I think that Janet Evans' nearly 20-year-old record might be challenged tonight. Katie Hoff is about a good a female swimmer as this country has seen in over a decade and has shown that she's focused and prepared for this meet. The women don't swim the 1500 meter distance, which is reserved just for men, so this is where the distance swimmers will get their chance to shine. Watch for swimmers with a steady 2-beat kick and a long, comfortable stroke.

What it takes: Hoff is swimming in this event. And for once isn't seeded first. The first seed belongs to 20-year-old Kate Ziegler. If Hoff and Ziegler can push each other in the finals of this event tonight, we could watch one of the longest standing records in swimming fall. Ziegler is seeded first and Hoff second going into tonight's finals. The two are seeded over thirteen seconds ahead of third seed Kelsey Ditto.

Unlikely underdogs: While her chances of making it to Beijing are slim, keep an eye on Caroline Burckle, who has swum well at these Olympic Trials.

My prediction: Thirteen seconds is a LOT of time. Hoff and Ziegler can book their tickets to Beijing.

We're previewing the races that are taking place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Men's 50 Freestyle

What to watch for: The 50 free is the drama king (or queen) of every Olympic Games. It is the all out fistfight that everyone waits for. In the first 10 seeds alone there are three men who are seeded at the exact same time and the first 10 places are separated by just under seven-tenths of a second. It is the event in which if you slip, breathe, blink, or forgot to cut your finger nails, you'll be sitting at home while someone else takes the flight to Beijing. Watch for swimmers who breathe little, and stroke a lot. That might sound elementary, but the perfect 50 free has only one breath, lots of kicking, and a whole lot of guts.

We're covering the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials all week.

Brendan Hansen was surprised to lose the 100 meter and 200 meter breaststroke in Athens in 2004, as he was edged for the gold medal by Japan's Kosuke Kitajima. But that was nothing compared to the shock of Thursday night.

Kitajima and Hansen have had a great rivalry that was supposed to be one of the big stories at Beijing. Hansen has been motivated to pay Kitajima back for his pair of wins in 2004, but after a stunning finish, he won't get a chance to get revenge in the 200 meter breaststroke.

Hansen has dominated the 200 meter breaststroke for years, and held the world record until a month ago. But on Thursday, Hansen ran out of gas in the final 50 meters, dropping from first at the final wall to fourth. Scott Spann was the beneficiary, as he hauled down everyone with a blazing final 50 meters to finish first. Eric Shanteau finished second for the other berth.