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Eleven swimmers with ties to the Georgia program have been named to the 2015-16 United States National Team, according to an announcement by USA Swimming.
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The National Team roster consists of 107 men and women and is comprised of the six athletes with the highest world rankings in each Olympic event between Jan. 1-Aug. 10, 2015. Open water National Team members qualified with a top-6 finish in the 10-kilometer race at the 2015 USA Swimming Open Water National Championships.
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Current swimmers Hali Flickinger, Olivia Smoliga, Gunnar Bentz, Pace Clark, Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland made the National Team, along with former Bulldogs Melanie Margalis, Allison Schmitt, Amanda Weir, Nicolas Fink and Andrew Gemmell.
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“The USA Swimming National Team represents the highest level of swimming in the United States,” said Frank Busch, USA Swimming National Team Director. “Heading into an Olympic year, this group of dedicated athletes will positively represent our country and aim to build on the National Team’s tradition of success in and out of the pool.”
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Flickinger qualified in four events: the 200 and 400 freestyle, the 200 butterfly and the 400 individual medley. Margalis made it in three events: the 200 freestyle, the 100 breaststroke and the 200 individual medley. Schmitt (100 and 200 freestyle) and Weir (50 and 100 freestyle) qualified in two events each, while Smoliga made it in the 100 backstroke.
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Georgia swimmers make up half of the top six in the men’s 400 individual medley with No. 1 Kalisz, No. 3 Litherland and No. 5 Bentz. Fink (100 and 200 breaststroke) and Gemmell (1,500 freestyle, open water 10K) made it in two events, and Clark is listed in the 200 butterfly.
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