Rebecca Soni is taking the year off. Allison Schmitt didnt qualify. Still,with teenagers Missy Franklin and Katie Ledecky leading the way,the United States womens swim team has lofty goals at the world championships,where the traditional pool events start Sunday. Yes,we dont have Rebecca or Allison,but Missy and Ledecky are here,and Breeja Larson is starting to come into her own. And then weve got veterans like Dana Vollmer and Natalie Coughlin. So its a good mix of young swimmers and veterans, US coach Dave Salo said . I think were still real solid and were going to do some damage on the podium. Expect Franklin to do a big chunk of that damage. Shes planning to swim a Michael Phelps-like load of eight events inside the Palau Sant Jordi,the arena where Phelps first swam an extensive program a decade ago at the last worlds in Barcelona. Thats one more event than Franklin swam at last years London Games,when she won four golds and a bronze. Her schedule this time includes the 100- and 200-meter freestyle,all three backstroke events 50,100 and 200 and all three relays. It is a big load,but she had a big preparation for that in London,and I think shes able to handle it, Salo said. And we have people to help on the relay prelims,so that will give her a chance to rest a bit. No swimmer male or female has ever won eight golds at a world championships. Phelps,of course,won a record eight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Franklin finished fourth in the 200 free and fifth in the 100 in London,and she has focused on improving those events. Missy is swimming much more maturely in the 100 and 200 free, Salo said. Starting young While Franklins potential was well known before London,Ledecky burst onto the scene a year ago as a 15-year-old when she won the 800 free with the second fastest time in history. Then at the US trials last month,Ledecky became the first American woman to qualify for worlds in the 200,400,800 and 1,500 free. And even though shes wavered over the 200,Salo said shes planning to swim all four events. The 200 might be a bit of a stretch,but shes training really well and I think she has a lot in her, he said. Without Soni in the breaststroke events,veteran Jessica Hardy and the 21-year-old Larson,at her first worlds,will get their chances. The 30-year-old Coughlin is the oldest member of the team. Shes also the only American woman on the team who also competed at the previous worlds in Barcelona a decade ago. Vollmer,at 25,is the other established veteran and a favorite in the 100 and 200 fly. Then theres 20-year-old Maya Dirado,who showed off her versatility by qualifying for the 200 fly,400 IM and 4x200 relay after a strong season at Stanford University.
