Seven Cardinal named to U.S. Women’s National Swim Team

And just like that, the U.S. Women’s National Swim Team is flooded with Stanford Cardinal.

Former Cardinal greats Katie Drabot, Ella Eastin, Katie Ledecky and Simone Manuel were selected alongside current Stanford senior Brooke Forde and future Cardinal swimmers Lillie Nordmann and Regan Smith as representatives on the National Team.

Despite the disruption of the season due to the coronavirus pandemic, USA Swimming made the decision to keep every returning athlete from their most recent roster, you know, the one that would have competed in Tokyo this summer.

They are also adding athletes that achieved a performance faster than the sixth-place time on the 2019-20 roster, and was secured before March 17 of this season.

That means several athletes that were already on the roster, like Smith, re-qualified essentially, but added new events to her repertoire. Smith previously qualified for the 100-meter backstroke, but her 100-meter butterfly time of 57.34 that she swam at the 2020 TYR Pro Swim Series now qualified her for that event on the national team.

Ledecky led them all, however, as she qualified for four events including the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free and 1,500 free. Manuel qualified for three events including the 50 free, 100 free and 200 free.

Drabot, Eastin, Forde and Nordmann each qualified for one event.

The 2020 Tokyo Games will take place next summer, or is still at least scheduled to take place then, and athletes now will prepare for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials and the eventual Games next summer.

Go Card!