Josh Prenot & Simone Manuel On Crest of USA’s Post-Rio Wave On Way To World Titles

Little, if anything, has transpired as far as the clock is concerned over the first week or so of the 2017 campaign. But as this new year continues to unfold, the picture of the next Olympic cycle will see its first brush strokes applied to the canvas.

If the Austin stop of the USA Swimming Pro Series reveals a few early markers in the days ahead, the Euro Meet in Luxembourg at the close of the month will surely supply some initial grades in the first semester of the new quadrennial.

Its status as the sport’s global superpower redefined at last summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the United States finds itself in a fractured state at the moment – hardly an anomaly for the Stars & Stripes.

While a handful of major figures will see action in Austin, some top-tier performers are immersed in their collegiate seasons, with others simply dedicating themselves to their training, competition on hold until a later date.

Before the dawn of 2017, SwimVortex reflected on the year gone by and offered a look at some of the American storylines to watch over the next 12 months. Here is Part II of that mini series.

Josh Prenot At Helm Of Stacked American Arsenal In 200 Breaststroke

Arguments can be made for several events as the most-stacked in the American arsenal, but as the 2017 season shifts into full throttle, it would be difficult to discount the 200 breaststroke as the frontrunner. A look at the final worldwide rankings for 2016 reveals that the United States occupied six of the top 20 positions, with Josh Prenot sitting No. 1 off his 2:07.17 clocking from the Olympic Trials on his way to Olympic silver.

The caution in the rankings is to be seen in Japan: it has five of the top 20 places and has shown consistent, deep strength from the days of Kosuke Kitajima onwards but in 2016 that did not translate come the hour. Conversion to the podium is what counts.

Kevin Cordes, by Peter Bick

All six of the American ranked athletes produced performances inside 2:10, with Prenot and Kevin Cordes (2:07.81) inside 2:08, and Will Licon just outside at 2:08.14. Meanwhile, Andrew Wilson (2:09.35), Nic Fink (2:09.89) and Cody Miller (2:09.91) were impressive in their own right. What does it mean? Well, an absolute dogfight is brewing on the way to berths for the summer’s World Championships in Budapest.

And that in the first season in which the work gets underway on a conversion of a different kind: Great Britain’s Adam Peaty‘s post Rio 2016 100m victory speech included his surprise that the 200m was not faster. He believes it can be – and he believes he can make that happen. Back up takes the shape of six Brits inside 2:10, four of them in the fight in 2017. The dam is building across the globe.

Dmitriy Balandin, of …

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