FanHouse Olympic Swimming Tri...

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 the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Men's 200 Meter Backstroke

What to watch for: Great backstrokers rotate perfectly and in the the 200 meter distance watch for a backstroker who settles into his stroke without getting worn out. Also keep an eye on the finish. Aaron Peirsol's dive to the finish in the 100 meter backstroke saved him from having to sit on the sidelines during the 100 back in Beijing.

What it takes: Until about a year ago, Peirsol ruled the backstroke in both the 100 and 200 meter distances. Then, a young man named Ryan Lochte became a huge thorn in Peirsol's side and went so far as to take away Peirsol's world record. Lochte is the first seed for these trials and reportedly pulled out of the 200 meter freestyle in order to concentrate on the two backstroke events, so you know he's gunning for an Olympic spot here. The top three seeds in this event are Lochte, Peirsol, and Phelps are separated by less than half a second and that right there sets the pace for the finals in this event.

Unlikely underdogs: Unfortunately, in swimming, usually numbers don't lie. The top three seeds in this event are so close together and separated from the rest of the field by over two seconds. Makes it tough to pick an underdog here that has a realistic shot at Beijing.

My prediction: Lochte and Peirsol are going to represent the U.S. in this event. Phelps will make it an exciting race, though.

We're previewing all the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Men's 200 Meter Breaststroke

What to watch for: Again, watch for the swimmer who has the look of a master jeweler as he pulls out to breathe. Keep an eye on the length of the athlete's stroke. A good breaststroke reaches out and adjusts during the race, instead of hitting a wall short or long.

What it takes: Look out again for Brendan Hansen, the current American king of breaststroke. Hansen has been the undisputed American breaststroker since the 2004 Games and in order to get a ticket to Beijing Eric Shanteau, Scott Spann, and Scott Usher are going to have to slug it out for the other spot. There likely won't be more than half a second separating Shanteau, Spann, and Usher. We'll just have to see who is the odd one out.

Unlikely underdogs: Usher, though seeded fourth, is a real contender for an Olympic spot here. He finished seventh in this event at the 2004 Olympics.

My prediction: Hansen will take one of the two spots and Usher will take the other.

Over the next few days we will be previewing the races that will be taking place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Men's 200 Meter Butterfly

What to watch for: The 200 fly is one of the most grueling events. It combines underwater power as well as precision and technique. Swimmers who can relax their shoulders and use it to their advantage will have more left at the end. In addition, swimmers who stay low to the water and control their breathing patterns will come through this event better than those who do not.

What it takes: This event is one of Michael Phelps' signature events and is almost synonymous with Phelps' name. But that second Olympic berth is definitely up for grabs, as this is one event where there's not a clear favorite to snag the second spot. In order to grab that second berth, the swimmer is going to need to be unusually focused and ready to race hard to every wall. Every single breath is going to count.

Unlikely underdogs: Keep an eye on Alex Vanderkaay and Gil Stovall. Both had great NCAA seasons.

My prediction: Phelps will make another individual event on his quest to be the most decorated Olympian of all time and he'll be joined by Georgia Bulldog Stovall.

Over the next few days we will be previewing the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Women's 200 Meter Freestyle

What to watch for: The 200 meter distance is on the low end of a middle distance event and on the high end of a sprint. It's more like a really really long drag race. It demands being a bit of a hybrid to excel--you have to have the speed of the sprinters, but with the endurance to hang on in the final 50 meters.

What it takes: Katie Hoff is the first seed in yet another event. However, she will be chased by Olympic veterans Natalie Coughlin and Dana Vollmer. As well as Kate Ziegler. In other words, if any of these women wants to make it to Beijing in this particular event, she's going to have to find the fastest woman in the pool and chase her down. It could be any of these four.

Unlikely underdogs: Keep an eye on Dana Vollmer, a Gold Medalist in 2004 as part of the 800 meter freestyle relay in 2004. Even though she's seeded fifth, she has a chance to sneak up on either Coughlin or Hoff.

My prediction: Katie Hoff has another shot at an Olympic gold and Natalie Coughlin will join her.

Over the next few days we will be previewing the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Women's 400 Meter Freestyle

What to watch for: Athletes who strategically attack the middle 200 meters and hang on to the end will have a better chance at an Olympic berth than athletes who come out of the start too fast, or save up for the end. Watch for a long, smooth stroke as opposed to a lot of splash.

What it takes: Katie Hoff, who has already set one world record this Olympic Trials, is again a top contender for this event. Two seconds separate Hoff from second seed Kate Ziegler and five seconds separate Ziegler from the third seed. This being the case, in order to knock off either Hoff or Ziegler, any other swimmer is going to have to have the meet of her life.

Unlikely underdogs: Look for Kaitlin Sandeno in this event. Although Sandeno has yet to make an Olympic berth this year, she has enough experience and talent to pull of an upset.

My prediction: Hoff and Ziegler are just too far ahead of the rest of the field to not snag two spots to the Olympics in August. Hoff might even smash another world record while she's at it.

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

Sunday's first day of the Olympic Swim Trials was all about Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff. But it's also about swimmers like Erik Vendt.

Vendt was swimming side-by-side with Larsen Jensen and Peter Vanderkaay as they headed into the final 10 meters of the 400 meter freestyle final. But as the trio drove to the wall, Vendt took an extra half-stroke, while Jensen and Vanderkaay didn't. That little difference is why Vendt won't be representing the U.S. in the event in Beijing.

All the years of training came down to a couple of inches. Jensen and Vanderkaay both swam faster than the old American record, while Vendt finished two-tenths of a second behind Vanderkaay for third. It was close enough that it was nearly impossible to tell who had won, and who had finished third, in real time. But as was mentioned before the event began, the U.S. swimming trials is the event where you may be the third fastest in the world, but that's not good enough to get you a ticket to China.

We're covering the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials all week as the teams are set for Beijing.

Just another day on the job. One more race, one more world record.

All eyes were on Michael Phelps as he began his campaign for the Olympic games in Beijing tonight at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb. Phelps had made it clear prior to tonight that he intended to make the Olympic team and that winning the gold at Trials came secondary to making the trip to Beijing. On the other hand, as long as Phelps was going to swim, why not set a world record on the way?

Over the next few days we will be previewing all of the events for the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

Women's 100 Meter Backstroke

What to watch for: The backstroke is considered a long-axis stroke. In other words, imagine a pole running from the top of the center of an athlete's head down through the center of her body and as she swims she rotates along this axis. The swimmers who are the most accomplished at this event hold their heads perfectly still, and rotate perfectly along the long axis to gain leverage under water. Watch for a clean stroke and fast kick to propel a swimmer to an Olympic berth.

Over the next few days I will be previewing the races that will take place at the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials.

What to watch for: Freestyle, otherwise known as the crawl, is the fastest and most efficient of all competitive strokes and is swum in a variety of distances from a sprint to the everlasting mile. This event was made famous by Aussie Ian Thorpe, who dominated the distance at the last two Olympics and holds the current world record. With Thorpe now retired, the race for the gold is much more wide open than it was in previous Olympics.

What it takes: The 400 free is considered one of the middle distance events and therefore one that requires a little bit of strategy. An all-out sprint at the start will guarantee that the athlete won't have any gas at the end, but start out too slowly and there's too much ground to make up at the end. Watch for swimmers who settle into a rhythm after about 50 meters, but have a strong middle 200 meters to finish high in this event

Unlikely underdogs: Almost surprisingly, Michael Phelps is seeded fifth in this event, the lowest seed in any of his nine events and he is actually nearly four seconds behind the first seed. Keep an eye on Phelps to see if the 400 IM he has to swim earlier in the day will affect his performance in this event.

My prediction: Peter Vanderkaay is favored to win this event and will be swimming against some longtime Olympic veterans, including Klete Keller, Erik Vendt, and Ryan Lochte, as they compete for two Olympic berths. In the end, Vanderkaay will pull out another trip the Games and he'll be joined by Phelps.